California Case File

Title: California Case File - Part 2/4 (Chapters 7 - 12)
Author: Margie
Rating: R (mostly for violence and/or graphic descriptions of corpses
and things)
Pairing: MSR UST, M/Sc/Sk friendship

Summary: Mulder and Scully are loaned to ISU to help profile and
catch a serial killer in Santa Barbara, CA.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. 1013, Fox and Chris Carter have
carte blanche on all. (Except maybe Jon Engle)
Feedback: Yes please! margaritagomez1@msn.com
Archive: If you want it just email me to tell me where it's going. It will
eventually be on my own website when I get the chance to update
(www.angelfire.com/indie/margarks/index.html)

Author's Note: ** Warning ** If you don't like descriptions of serial
murders and the affects they have on family members left behind
don't read this fic. Otherwise, enjoy.

Beta: Thanks to Fran!! My wonderful Beta. This story wouldn't have
been anywhere near as well written without your insightful character
and storyline comments, and your wonderful grammar skills!

***

Ch. 7

Santa Barbara General
Santa Barbara, CA
January 3, 2003 3:15 PM PST

As he swam back up to awareness, Mulder heard familiar beeping
sounds to his right. He was sore as hell, and he felt a sharp stab of
pain at every intake of breath. He groaned, patting his bruised side
with his left hand.

“You’re lucky you didn’t break any ribs.”

Scully. He opened his eyes to slits and saw her sitting in a chair by
his bed. He could see the little line that furrowed her brow whenever
she was annoyed with him.

“Mulder, what were you doing out running when you were so
exhausted?” She had been confused and frightened when she’d
gotten the call from AD Skinner this morning. The hospital had found
Mulder’s badge and called headquarters.

When she arrived and found out that Mulder had nothing more than a
severe bruising and a slight concussion, her fear ebbed into
annoyance.

“Come on, Scully. I just needed to let off some steam. You know
how these cases get to me.” He gave her his pouting puppy dog
look, but it was cut off with a grimace as he tried to sit up.

“Well, you can explain that to Skinner when he arrives.” Her tone
lightened at the sign of pain his pinched face displayed.

“Skinner?” This time his grimace had nothing to do with the pain in
his side.

“Yeah, they called the Hoover when they found your badge. Skinner
called me to let me know what had happened and that he would be
joining us shortly.”

“Why? It’s not like I was injured in the line of duty.” Mulder whined.

“Mulder. You know Skinner was getting pressure to solve this case or
he wouldn’t have assigned us to it. And now that you’ve gotten
yourself run over, he’s coming out to make sure that we are still on
track and that your injuries, such as they are, will not hamper the
investigation.”

“Scully?” Mulder was pulling at the IV attached to his right hand.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

“When can I get this damn thing out?” Maybe changing the subject
would postpone the inevitable.

“Mulder.” She sighed. “They had to keep you hydrated. You were
unconscious for a good 5 hours before they were able to wake you for
the first time.”

“I know that. But I’m awake now. And perfectly capable of hydrating
myself.” He was pouting again, his bottom lip jutting out just slightly.

She rolled her eyes, wondering why she hadn’t expected it. “The
nurse will be in soon to take your vitals anyway. We’ll ask her then.
There shouldn’t be any problem.”

They were silent for a few minutes while Mulder continued to fidget
with his IV line. Eventually he looked up and asked, “Have they found
anything yet?”

She knew what he was asking, and shook her head in the negative.
“No. The list is still too large. They’re narrowing it down, but
apparently California isn’t known as the state of marital bliss.”

He chewed on his bottom lip in thought. “He’s going to make his
move soon. He’s not going to wait much longer. I can feel it. The
last murder was so efficient. He knew exactly what to do, how much
time he had. He’s gearing up for something - ”

In unison they both turned toward the door as it swung open.
Assistant Director Walter Skinner strode into the room, his face grim.

“Sir.” Mulder and Scully addressed him.

“Agents.” He looked toward his wayward subordinate. “There’s been
a new development. How are you feeling, Agent Mulder?”

“Development, sir?” Mulder ignored the question pertaining to his
health.

“Yes. But before we get into it I’d like to know how you’re doing.” He
gave them both his stern A.D. look.

“He’s fine, sir. Just some bruising and a mild concussion. They’ll
probably want to keep him one more night for observation,” Scully
answered for him.

“And how was he before the accident?” He turned toward Scully,
knowing that Mulder would not answer.

“He hasn’t had a chance to get in too deep yet, sir. He was showing
signs of loss of appetite and exhaustion, but nothing serious.” Scully
was grateful that Skinner understood the risks that Mulder took
whenever he was assigned to a case like this.

“Hello? I am in the room.” Mulder was frowning at them both and
gesturing at himself.

“I’m well aware of that, Agent. And just how did you get yourself into
this particular room?” Skinner eyed him wearily.

Mulder lowered his gaze. He was embarrassed that he had allowed
his confrontation with Engle to break his concentration. And he
wasn’t about to announce that to Scully or Skinner. “It was just an
accident sir. I was running. My mind was on the case. I didn’t see
the car until it was too late. Now can we talk about the case?”

Skinner studied his injured agent. It seemed that Mulder could never
catch a break. He had enough problems dealing with cases like
these. Studying and deciphering the actions of a mad man was bad
enough, but now he was physically hampered as well. And Skinner
knew he wasn’t going to take the latest news very well.

“Our UNSUB struck again last night.”

“What? I knew he’d already picked out his next victims, but this is too
soon. Something must have happened.” Ignoring the pain, Mulder
sat up straighter. “What else?”

How did he know? Skinner glanced over at Scully who was waiting
expectantly. She had no doubt that if Mulder suspected Skinner was
holding back information that he was correct. He again locked gazes
with Mulder. “He’s taken the child.”

“What?” It was Scully's shocked exclamation this time.

“After he murdered Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, he entered Mark Jackson’s
bedroom. He forced him to dress, and then left the scene with him.”
Skinner was rubbing his head with his right hand as he spoke.

“Sir? Did he deviate from his MO in regard to the murders?”

“No, Mulder. Both Mr. and Mrs. Jackson were stabbed 3 times in the
upper chest. Both have ligature marks around their necks.”

“Why did he take the child?” Scully was shaking her head. “Do you
think that maybe Mark caught him in his parents' bedroom?”

“I don’t think so, Scully. He’s too careful to let something like that
happen. Remember? He plans everything out. He would have
made sure that Mark was unable to catch him in the act.” Mulder’s
hands were clasped together and he was rubbing the skin just above
the IV needle.

“I know. I remember thinking that it was such a blessing that he’d
locked poor Chris Lassiter in his room.”

“What do you mean, Agent Scully?” Skinner queried.

“Well, it not only kept Chris from walking in on the murders, but it kept
him from discovering his parents' bodies the next morning. It’s like
the UNSUB meant to protect himself, but ended up protecting Chris
as well.”

“Protect?” Mulder murmured.

“Excuse me, Agent Mulder?” Skinner turned back toward the bed.

“He ended up protecting Chris.” Mulder’s gaze was turning inward.
His voice was losing inflection. “Protecting Chris.”

“ we’ we’ve established – “ Skinner was cut off by a look from Scully.

“He’s protecting the children. He thinks they’re in danger. He thinks
their parents are putting them in danger.” Skinner watched,
fascinated. He could almost see the wheels turning in his brilliant
agent’s mind.

“Something must have happened for him to change his MO so
drastically. He wouldn’t have taken Mark unless he thought the
danger was even greater.” His eyes were still glassy when he turned
them on to his partner.

“Scully? Did we get the results on the fibers?” His brow was still
furrowed in concentration, as he awaited her answer.

“Yes. I got the fax this morning at the hotel.” She pulled out a slim
white piece of paper.

Mulder snatched it up before she could unfold it to its full length.
“Hmm…shoelace? It's common in shoelaces?” His mind was
whirring.

He began to murmur again. “Protecting the children. Protecting them
from their parents. Latch key kids? They were all latch key kids.
Shoelaces? What does the shoelace have to do with it?”

His voice faded as he eyed a point in wallwall just above Skinner’s left
shoulder. His eyes were moving in a rapid back and forth motion.
And Skinner realized that he was going over the case file in his head.

Suddenly the stillness of the room was broken by Mulder’s quiet
declaration. “He had a son.”

Ch. 8

“I need to get out of here.” Mulder threw the covers open and swung
his legs off the bed.

“Mulder, wait!” Scully was up and pushing the nurse call button.

“Agent Mulder! Sit down.” Skinner put a restraining hand on Mulder’s
shoulder.

“Sir. I have to see the latest scene. We’re so close now. I can feel
it.” Mulder looked beseechingly up at him.

“At least wait until we can get a doctor in here, Mulder. He’s got to fill
out the paperwork before you leave anyway. Scully’s already called
the nurse.” As evidence of this statement, the door swung open,
admitting a young woman in a white uniform.

Scully was speaking before she could step fully into the room.
“Please call the doctor, Nurse. Agent Mulder would like to be
discharged.”

As the nurse turned to leave, Scully addressed Mulder. “You know
you should stay another night. You’re probably still going to be a bit
disoriented. You do have a mild concussion.”

“Scu-lly. You know I can’t do that. He’s already killed again, and this
time he’s kidnapped a child. I can’t just sit here.”

“Mulder. How do you know he’s got a son?” Skinner couldn’t hold
back his curiosity any longer.

“He doesn’t. Not anymore. He’s dead.” Mulder was pulling at the IV
still attached to the back of his hand.

“Stop that.” Scully batted at his hand. “The doctor will have it pulled
when he gets here.”

“I’m here.” A voice answered from the doorway. “What’s this I hear
about you leaving us, Mr. Mulder?”

The young man walking toward them looked no older than 19. He
had light coloring and a sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of his
nose.

“I need to leave,” was Mulder’s only reply.

“I see.” The doctor eyed him cautiously and then turned his gaze to
Scully and Skinner.

“I’m Assistant Director Walter Skinner with the FBI.” Skinner held his
hand out in greeting. “This man is one of my agents. We’re currently
on a case. Can you tell me if his injuries are serious enough to
prevent him from returning to work?”

“They’re not.” Mulder answered, daring his doctor to contradict him.

“You are correct, Mr. Mulder. But it would be wise to stay another
night for observation. Your injuries aren’t life threatening, but the
concussion shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

“My partner’s a doctor. She’ll make sure I’m okay.” He glanced at
Scully for support. “Can you take this thing out now?”

The doctor glanced back and forth from Scully to Mulder. Finally, he
sighed in resignation. “I’ll send a nurse in to pull the IV while I fill out
the paperwork for your discharge. But you’ll have to sign yourself out
AMA. I am going on record that I do not approve of this.”

“Thank you, doctor. I’ll make sure my partner doesn’t endanger
himself.” She smiled reassuringly at him.

Mulder turned toward Skinner. “Sir. We have to get the team to start
researching the deaths of any children between 8 and 11 that have
occurred within the past 5 years.”

Mulder was already pulling his clothes out from the closet and
stepping into his pants, unmindful of Scully’s presence.

“Agent Mulder! Agent Scully is still in the room,” Skinner felt the
need to remind him.

“I’m sure she’s seen worse, sir.” Mulder answered without turning
around.

Exasperated, Skinner turned toward Scully. “Can you leave us alone
for a few minutes, Agent?”

“Yes, sir.” Scully was trying to suppress the smile that was
threatening.

Before Scully could leave, the nurse was back and pulling out the IV.
Mulder was now free to put on the rest of his clothing, causing her to
beat a hasty retreat.

While Mulder pulled his undershirt over his head Skinner sat down in
the chair recently occupied by Scully.

“Agent Mulder. There is something we need to discuss before we
leave here.” Skinner’s words were stiff.

Mulder began buttoning his dress shirt. “Sir?”

“Agent Engle made mention of a…discussion…the two of you had
before you left for your run.”

“What discussion was that, sir?” Mulder continued to face the closet
door.

“Agent Mulder, you know that I have the greatest respect for both
you and Agent Scully.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Skinner sighed, then continued. “When I called the station house for
an update on the case, I asked if Agent Engle knew what had
happened to you. At first he explained that you had been running and
then he was suddenly confessing to having possibly upset you.”
Skinner gave a rueful smirk.

Mulder finally turned, keeping his features neutral. “Upset me how,
sir?”

Skinner did not break eye contact. “Well, he didn’t give me all the
details, but I think I got the gist of it.”

“Sir?”

Skinner watched Mulder carefully. Whether his agents were
personally involved, he didn’t know. But he was sure that neither
would allow that kind of relationship to intrude on their work.

“Agent Mulder, let’s just say that Agent Engle was…bothered…by
your last conversation. He spoke with me about it and I’ve
straightened it out.”

Mulder said nothing for the next few minutes. Was Skinner saying
that he told Engle the rumors weren’t true? Or was he saying that he
told Engle that they were none of his business? Either way he figured
that the issue had been resolved, for now, at least.

Finally he straightened up. “Yes, sir.” Shrugging on his jacket, he
followed Skinner out of the room.

Ch. 9

Jackson Home
Goleta, CA
January 3, 2003 6:23 PM PST

Mulder and Skinner entered the already bustling house. The local
forensics team was on site dusting for prints and collecting what little
other evidence was left behind. They had just dropped Scully off at
the morgue where the Jacksons' bodies were waiting, and had left
Engle at the station house organizing the few deputies they had
helping sift through the data generated by the new search
parameters.

Skinner watched Mulder as they walked toward the master bedroom.
The house looked more like a small cottage. It was obvious that the
Jacksons weren’t exactly well to do. But the house was cozy and well
built. It was only one story, with the master bedroom toward the back,
and two smaller rooms to either side. The one on the left was
obviously Mark Jackson’s room. The right had been turned into what
looked like a small study.

Mulder entered the master bedroom and was immediately assaulted
with a sense of déjà vu. The room furnishings were nothing like that
of the Lassiter home, but the bloody scene was eerily reminiscent.
The left side of the bed was soaked with already drying blood. The
right side was almost immaculate with just a few splashes of the red
liquid. The floor on the right was soaked through.

Walking around to Mrs. Jackson’s side of the bed, he coule the that
she had tried to struggle. As the UNSUB stole her breath, she had
probably bucked and twisted, trying to dislodge him. The sheets had
been pulled down, the ends draping to the floor. Mrs. Jackson
pr
probably grabbed the sheets in an effort to pull herself up.

Mulder sat for a long time contemplating the blood stained carpet.
Skinner watched and waited. Eventually the forensics crew packed
up, leaving them alone in the house. Skinner was finding this new
side of Mulder very interesting. He had never seen the agent in
profiling mode, and was amazed that he could sit still for this amount
of time. Mulder was a creature full of energy, which was what usually
got him in trouble.

Skinner was about to clear his throat in an attention getting manner,
when Mulder suddenly looked up. “He’s so full of anger. I can feel it
surrounding me. It surprises me that he’s able to keep control during
the killings.”

Mulder stood, dusting non-existent lint off of his slacks. He rolled his
neck, hearing the sating cng crack.

‘You call this control?’ Skinner thought, surveying the bloodied scene,
but only grunted in answer.

“He doesn’t let his rage consume him. At least he hasn’t yet. If he
had, he wouldn’t be able to stop at just 3 or 4 stabbings.” Mulder was
pacing now, his voice losing inflection once again.

Skinner shuddered. The flat, lifeless voice Mulder seemed to take on
whenever he was entering the killer’s mind made his temperature
drop. It was almost as if Mulder wasn’t in there anymore.

“The shoelace. It’s extremely important to him. The killings revolve
around it.” Mulder stopped and stared at the bed once more.

“He keeps his rage in check because he wants to use it. He needs to
use it. He needs for it to be the instrument that steals the women’s
lives.” Mulder was no longer moving, no longer seeing. He stood
facing the bed, his breath even and his eyes glassy. He was still for
long moments before he spoke again.

“I hate her.”

“What?” Skinner had lost the thread of the conversation somewhere.
He was beginning to worry and wondered if he should be calling
Scully, for advice or rescue. He wasn’t sure.

“She didn’t have to do it. She should have been there. I should have
been there. But it was her job. She was the mother.” Mulder’s voice
was no longer flat, though his body was still. “She was supposed to
be the mother!”

At his incoherent wail, Skinner stepped up and slapped him. Mulder’s
head whipped to the side and when he returned his eyes were clear.

“Sir, I need to see Mark’s room.” He was out the door and out of sight
before Skinner was able to reply.

He rounded the corner and entered Mark’s room, seeing Mulder
sitting on the bed rubbing his reddened cheek.

“You were out of control.” Skinner asserted.

“Hmm?” Mulder was focused on Mark’s desk.

“The slap. You were out of control.” Skinner wasn’t apologizing, just
stating facts.

“Yes, sir.” Mulder didn’t seem to have followed the conversation. He
stood and moved toward the small wooden desk. There was an
outdated PC on it, and a stack of computer games on the shelf
attached to the wall.

“Games.” Mulder mumbled. “Computers, Playstations, Nintendos.
Toy store? Electronics?” Mulder was thumbing through the stack.
“He had to have access somehow. He was escalating. I knew it.
sh
should have realized."

Skinner felt comfortable as long as Mulder kept moving. He was
watching for signs that might lead to a repeat of the earlier incident.
“Realize what, Agent Mulder?” Maybe if he kept Mulder engaged in
conversation, he wouldn’t go too deep.

“That he’d eventually want a replacement. Need a replacement.”
Mulder chewed his bottom lip. “But it still shouldn’t have happened so
quickly.” He was fiddling with the papers on the desk now. "He was
hurt."

“Who? The UNSUB?” Skinner queried.

“No. Mark. That’s why he was taken. That’s why he moved his
timetable up.” Mulder was rubbing the stubble along the underside of
his jaw.

“What? How can you know that?” Skinner was incredulous.

“Here.” Mulder handed over what appeared to be a greeting card.

He opened it to reveal a cheery picture of a smiling sun. The words
“Get well soon!” appeared at the bottom. There were several
scraggly signatures that couldn’t be read, but a few words such as
‘cast’ and ‘fall’ could be made out. The card was dated the day
before yesterday.

Skinner felt an odd sense of relief. Mulder had deduced the events
through the use of actual facts. But he was beginning to understand
how he was tagged with the nickname ‘Spooky’.

The silence was broken by a shrill ring. They both reached for their
pockets, fumbling for their phones. It was Mulder’s.

“Mulder.”
lderlder, it’s me.”

“Hey, Scully. What have you got?”

“Nothing new. I found a few fibers of the same mial ial on Mrs.
Jackson’s neck. I’ve bagged what I could and will be sending it on to
the lab.”

“Good. We’ve found out that Mark Jackson had an accident before
the kidnapping. Had some sort of cast. We need to check hospitals.
I need more detail on the accident.”

“You think that’s why he was taken?”

“Got it in one, Scully.” Mulder smiled on the other side of the line.

“Are you heading back here?” Scully smiled back. She was washing
up after just having pulled off her latex gloves.

“Yes. We’ll pick you up and head over to the station. We need to see
what progress Engle’s had and then compare notes.”

“I’ll call over and get Engle to start a deputy on chasing down the
hospital the Jacksons used.”

“Thanks, Scully. We’ll be there in a few.”

“Okay, Mulder.”

* Click *

Skinner had watched the exchange carefully. He didn’t know yet
what to make of his conversation with Agent Engle, but he thought
now would be a good time as any to start paying a bit more attention
to his two wayward agents.

Were the rumors were true? He didn’t know. Were they were any of
his business? Sure as hell they were! He was their boss. Not only
that, but he had found over the years that he cared for the two of
them. They were a good team with a high solve rate. And he was
determined to make sure that they stayed that way.

But since he had no definitive proof either way, he decided to watch,
wait, and bide his time.

Since Mulder was already heading toward the front door, he decided
to follow.

Ch. 10

UNSUB’s Home
Santa Barbara, CA
January 4, 2003 9:53 AM PST

“Shhh.” He rubbed the child’s back in a circular soothing motion. The
quiet sobs continued to echo off the papered walls.

His eyes swept the room once again. He had set it up just like
Jason’s room, except for one or two upgrades. Instead of the
Playstation he now had an Xbox. Instead of the old 386 PC he now
had a Pentium. There were the usual posters on the wall; Mark
Maguire, Michael Jordan.

He should have everything he needed to make him happy. So why
was he crying?

“Are you hungry? Do you want a snack?”

“NO!” The child swiped at his eyes with the back of his sleeve. “I
want my mom!” The child pulled away and ran toward the bathroom,
slamming the door shut behind him.

He could still hear the sobs and sniffles through the door. Well, if
that’s what he wanted, that’s what he was going to get.

***

Sheriff’s Department
Santa Barbara, CA
January 4, 2003 1:13 PM PST

The squeak of door hinges alerted the quartet to their visitor before
the Sheriff was able to completely enter the room. Hat in hand, he
nodded a greeting to the four agents.

“Ma’am, sirs.”

Skinner stood and held out his hand. “Afternoon, Sheriff. I’m
Assistant Director Walter Skinner. I want to thank you for the use of
your facilities and all of the help you and your deputies have been.”

“Sheriff Crane.” They shook hands. “But I should be thanking you.
You’re helping with MY case, not the other way around.”

“Of course, Sheriff. We never meant to imply otherwise.” Skinner re-
seated himself as he spoke. “Now what can we do for you?”

The Sheriff remained standing, while he eyed the newcomer. “Well,
Mr. Skinner, I’d like an update on your progress. Do we have any
idea where this bastard took Mark Jackson? Or if he’s even still
alive?”

“He’s definitely still alive.” Mulder asserted.

“And what makes you so sure of that?” Crane’s gaze flitted across
the room until it fell on Mulder’s lanky form.

“Because everything has been leading up to this.” Mulder stood and
began pacing the back of the room. “I should have seen it sooner.”
His hand came up to wipe across his haggard features.

“In every case so far, he’s been protecting the children. He made
sure that none of them could get out of their rooms. He made sure
that none of them would find their parents after the fact. He wanted
to – “

“Wait a minute.” Sheriff Crane interrupted. “Alicia Harris was the one
who called in the 911 on her parents. She found the bodies.”

“Yes, but Alicia is 15. She wasn’t the UNSUB’s target. Tommy was.
He was protecting Tommy, her 9 year old brother. He didn’t care
whether Alicia found the bodies, just Tommy.”

Mulder’s movements were slowing as he once again found himself
facing the wall of crime scene photos and family portraits.

“His son was most likely 9 or 10 when it happened. He wouldn’t stray
too far from the original. Mark will be turning 11 in February. He’s
just the right age. Don’t you see?”

“No, I don’t see, Agent Mulder. What happened? And how do you
know he has a son?”

“Had a son, Sheriff. He’s dead. That was probably the trigger that
started our UNSUB on his downward spiral. The final stressor for him
was the divorce.” Mulder was pacing again. His eyes were darting
around the room in a distracted pattern.

“Our UNSUB is in his mid 30’s to late 40’s. He comes from a
dysfunctional family, most likely having been raised by his father. His
mother either passed away when he was very young, or she
abandoned them. His father abused him verbally, but not physically.

“Growing up, the desire to have his own family became increasingly
prevalent. He married young and had a child. After the birth of his
son, he would have been much more relaxed. His obsession with
having a family would be somewhat appeased.”

Mulder stopped once again, this time facing the group. Scully
watched as the tension in his body increased. His back was ramrod
straight. His fists were clenching and unclenching at his sides. She
could tell that he wasn’t really looking at them, instead watching the
play of images across his mind’s eye.

“He relaxed enough to allow his wife to go back to work. Part time, of
course. And only after his son had started full days at school. But
that was a mistake. She should have been at home taking care of
their son.

“For days when work ran late, she had given their son a house key.
He would let himself in and wait for her to get home. Our UNSUB
didn’t find out until after. He never knew that she wasn’t home to
greet their son every day after school. Not until it was too late.

“There was an accident.” Mulder shook his head. His eyes cleared
slightly as he glanced over at Scully. She caught his eye and they
exchanged a look. Mulder’s features visibly relaxed.

“The death of their son caused a rift between the couple. Our
UNSUB blamed his wife for the accident. He made no attempt to hide
this from her. Their eventual separation and then divorce was the
final straw for him. The last little pieces of his dream family had
shattered.”

Mulder took his seat next to Scully.

“And now he wants it back.”

Jon had been watching Mulder throughout the profile. He had come
to a few of the conclusions himself, but with nowhere near the depth
of detail into the UNSUB’s mind that Mulder had gone.

“So at first, he was content to just ‘protect’ the children. Going after
the parents who wleavleaving their children at home to fend for
themselves. The latch key kids.” Jon broached tentatively.

“Yes.” Mulder turned to regard Engle. “But it wasn’t enough. Just
protecting the children wouldn’t bring back his dream of having a
family of his own.”

“So now he’s decided to what? Replace his kid?” Sheriff Crane
asked dubiously.

Mulder ignored his incredulous stare. “It would have happened
eventually. Mark’s accident just upped his time table.”

“Well, now that he’s got a replacement, now what? Does that mean
we’ve got some time before he kills again?” Skinner questioned.

“Yes and no. He won’t kill again. Not unless he decides that Mark
isn’t ‘right’ for him.” Mulder scrubbed at his jaw. “But he still doesn’t
have his family back. He’s missing a vital component.”

“A mother for his son.” Engle prompted.

“But how will he choose her?” Scully looked toward Mulder.

“He doesn’t have to choose one. He already has one.” Mulder
looked back to see Scully’s confused stare.

“That doesn’t make any sense. He blames his wife for his son’s
death. Why would he want her back to take care of his ‘new’ son?”
Scully questioned.

“Because he craves redemption. For himself, his wife, his family. He
wants to start over. He thinks that if he can control the environment,
he can keep it from happening again. And absolve himself.” Mulder
stood staring at Mark Jackson’s family portrait, a new addition to the
war room wall.

“He’s convinced himself that if he had known his son was a latch key
kid he would have put a stop to it. He would have forced his wife to
stay home. He would have prevented the accident.”

“So where do we go from here?” iff iff Crane piped in.

“This is where Agent Engle comes in.” Mulder seated himself once
again, gesturing toward Engle. “What can you tell us?”

Engle stood and began handing out a stack of papers to each
member of the group. “As you know, we began with a list of well over
15,000 divorces within the surrounding counties.” He re-seated
himself and began flipping through the papers in front of him.

“We were able to narrow this list down to about 8,000, given Agent
Mulder’s original profile of the UNSUB. Cross-referencing this list
with the list of boys ages 8 to 11 who died within the past 5 years has
narrowed the list even further.”

“Agent Mulder instructed us to focus on men who were living in Santa
Barbara County at the time of their sons’ deaths. The list is now
down to a possible 125 suspects.”

“That’s still too many to move on.” Skinner noted. He was becoming
increasingly frustrated. It seemed as if they were so close. He turned
toward Mulder. “What can we do to narrow this down further?”

“I need time to work on the profile some more. I need to figure out
where he’s meeting these kids. He’s got to be getting his information
from somewhere. In the mean time, you can to to eliminate anyone
whose ex-wives are deceased. She’s definitely still around, at least
for now.” Mulder was already gathering the case file closer, his right
hand reaching out for a pen and a blank pad of paper.

Ch. 11

The rest of the group dispersed at Mulder’s obvious dismissal. Sheriff
Crane left the room intent on interrogating his deputies as to the
progress of their research, Engle in tow. Skinner went out to make
use of an empty desk in order to check up on headquarters. Scully
was the last to leave.

“How about I order a couple of pizzas for lunch?”

“Go ahead, Scully, I’m sure the guys would appreciate it.”

“I’m not worried about the guys, Mulder.” She briefly touched his
shoulder.

He looked up into her worried face and sighed. “Thanks, Scully, but
I’m not really hungry right now. I could really use a few hours alone
to work on the profile.”

“I know that, Mulder. But I haven’t seen you eat anything since
before the accident. You need to eat something.”

“I think finding Mark is the priority right now, Scully.”

“What good will you be if you collapse from exhaustion and
malnutrition? You haven’t even fully recovered from the accident!”
Scully snapped.

Mulder’s jaw clenched. “I don’t need a babysitter, Scully. I can take
care of myself.” He spat the words out.

“Mulder, do you remember what you said at the hospital? You told
that doctor that I would make sure you were okay. And that’s what
I’m going to do.”

“Scully, I can’t worry about that right now. He’s taken a child. Mark’s
only 10. 10, Scully. He’s scared. He probably doesn’t even know
what’s happening, or where his parents are. I need to find him.” He
glanced up and then away.

Scully’s irritation fled at the haunted look in Mulder’s eye. “I know,
Mulder. I know you can’t worry about it, but that’s why I’m here.”

She caught his eye. They stared quietly at each other for a moment.

Finally she stood. “When the pizza gets here, I’ll bring you in a
couple of slices. I’ll make sure no one disturbs you, but please just try
to eat something. Okay?”

Mulder capitulated with a quiet, “Thanks Scully.” He watched her
walt oft of the room, closing the door behind her.

***

Sheriff’s Department
Santa Barbara, CA
January 4, 2003 4:01 PM PST

Skinner found Scully at an empty desk across the way from the war
room. She was busy transcribing her notes from the latest autopsies,
a cold slice of pizza sitting on a paper plate to her right.

As he watched, he noticed her scrutiny of the war room door every
few minutes. She seemed pensive as she chewed on her bottom lip.

“Agent Scully.”

Lost in thought, she visibly jerked at the sound of his voice. “Sir?”
“Is there something wrong, Agent?”

“Wrong, sir? No.”

“Good. I wanted to ask you how Agent Mulder’s doing. I’m a bit
worried about my decision to allow him to sign himself out of the
hospital so early. Do you think there is any cause for concern?”

Scully debated her answer. She was worried, but she didn’t want
A.D. Skinner to think that Mulder was incapable of doing his job. She
knew that wasn’t the case. To her, his abilities weren’t in question.

“Well, sir. I think, under the circumstances, there was no other
decision to be made.”

Hmm. Interesting answer. She didn’t seem to be agreeing or
disagreeing in any way. “Yes, but do you think that
Agent Mulder’s health could be in danger?”

“No more than usual, sir.”

Skinner chuffed out a quiet chuckle. “That’s not very promising,
Agent.”

Scully allowed a small grin to tug at her lips before continuing. “Sir,
you know that Mulder has a tendency to focus entirely on a case,
especially ones involving child kidnappings. This ability to focus
allows him to write extremely accurate profiles, but does expose him
to exhaustion and a battered immune system. I’m a little concerned
that the accident may exacerbate these conditions.”

Scully watched Skinner for his reaction. His face remained
unchanged.

“What do you suggest, Agent Scully?” Skinner knew she was right.
He’d already borne witnes Mul Mulder’s fatigue over the past day and
half.

“I’ve already spoken to him about trying to eat. In fact, I left two slices
of pizza for him in the war room about an hour ago. Hopefully he’s at
least taken a few bites.” She sighed and looked back down at her
laptop.

“Well, I’m just going to check and see how the profile’s coming.”

Scully hid a smile as she watched Skinner cross the room towards the
commandeered interrogation room.

***

Skinner entered to find Mulder engrossed in the case file before him.
He didn’t look up or acknowledge Skinner’s presence in any way.
The A.D. took a moment to assess his agent.

The two slices of pizza were sitting at the end of the table, cold and
untouched. The previously blank pad of paper was now flipped to the
fifth page down and was half full of notes in Mulder’s scraggly writing.
There were three empty coffee cups on the table to his left.

Mulder was a mess. It didn’t look as if he had shaved that morning.
Although he still wore his tie, it was askew and his jacket was thrown
on the chair beside him. The two two buttons on his dress shirt were
undone, and his shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He had
obviously spilled some coffee on the table, and a bit on himself,
judging by the brown spots on his shirt.

“Ahem.” Skinner cleared his throat. Mulder still made no move to
acknowledge his superior.

He pulled out the chair in front of Mulder andk a k a seat. The
scraping of the chair echoed throughout the room, causing Mulder to
finally glance up from his work.

“Nothing new yet, sir. I still need some time to develop the rest of the
profile.”

“Well, I’d like to read what yave ave so far.” Skinner reached across
the table to grasp the notepad.

“Sir, those are just my notes. I don’t have anything new to add to the
original profile report yet.”

“I realize they are just your notes Mulder, but I’d like to read them
anyway. Why don’t you finish your lunch while I read these? It will
only take a few minutes and then I’ll leave you to continue your work.”
Skinner eyed him levelly.

“I’m not really hungry, sir. I’ll just go get another cup of coffee.”

Skinner’s arm shot out to stop Mulder from standing.

“That wasn’t a request, Agent.”

Mulder scowled. “You can’t force me to eat, sir.”

“No, but I can take you off this case.”

“You wouldn’t do that, sir. There’s no one else who can take it.”

“Mulder, this case is important. And saving Mark Jackson is
important. But I will not allow you to put your own health at risk. I can
and I will take you off this case if necessary.” Skinner ended his
speech with a growl.

The two men stared at one another. Mulder was the first to glance
away, reaching his arm across the table for a slice of pizza. “Scully
got you doing her dirty work, sir?” He made a face at his first bite of
the cold food.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mulder.” Skinner caught
Mulder’s scowl. “If you had eaten it when it arrived, it wouldn’t be cold
now.”

“Words of wisdom, sir. I’ll be sure to remember them.”

Ch. 12

Motel 6, Room 143
Santa Barbara, CA
January 5, 2003 2:32 AM PST

“I need to go back to the crime scenes, Scully.” Mulder sat slouched
in the one chair of the room. He hadn’t really gotten anywhere on his
profile this afternoon. He still hadn’t figured out the contact point.

Scully watched him from across the room. His head was thrown back
and he was staring up at the ceiling as he spoke. “Okay, Mulder.
You can do the revisits tomorrow.”

“I’d like you to go with me. I need you there.” He’d visited the first
four scenes with Engle, and the last with Skinner. He couldn’t help
thinking that all the pieces were there; he just couldn’t quite make
them fit. He needed to go over each scene again. He needed to
bounce his ideas off of Scully.

“Sure, Mulder. The autopsy reports are complete. Skinner and Engle
can take care of the research. There’s muchmuch more we can do on
that end for now anyway.” She regretted her words the moment they
left her mouth. Mulder’s face fell into an impassive mask.

“Mulder…I didn’t mean – “

“No. You’re right, Scully. They can’t do anything until we can fe
e
out the contact point. How the hell is he meeting these kids?”
Mulder’s fist slammed into the small round table next to him, the half
cup of coffee splashing liquid onto its surface.

Scully strode to the bathroom. She reappeared with a small face
cloth to wipe up the coffee spill. When she was through, she took a
seat on the spare bed facing him, their knees almost touching.

Mulder’s eyes were closed, his face pinched. Tentatively, she
reached out to touch his hand. They were clasped together on his
lap, his right thumb tracing circles on the back of his left hand.

His eyes flew open at her touch. Her hand laid gently atop his. Her
palm was warm against his cool skin. She gave a gentle squeeze as
their eyes met. The color rose in her cheeks, but she did not remove
her hand. The lines on his face smoothed out as the silence
stretched.

Slowly, his left hand disengaged from his right. Pulling it out, he laid it
atop her own, cradling her hand in his. “Scully, I – “

Her hand recoiled at the knock on the door. Her arms crossed to hug
her abdomen, the color still high on her cheeks.

Skinner surveyed the room as the door opened. Mulder was sitting at
the small table the room provided. Papers were spread on its surface
and the bed nearby. His gaze swept the room, noting that at least the
covers on the other bed were intact.

“Scully.” He nodded at her. “Sorry to disturb you so late, but I see
that you’re still up.” He gestured at the papers laying on the spare
bed.

“Yes sir. We were just discussing the case.”

Though her color was returning to normal, Skinner was able to see
the faint traces of her earlier blush. Discussing the case, huh?

She closed the door and turned to her superior. “What can we do for
you, sir?”

Mulder still sat quietly in the corner. “I was actually looking for Agent
Mulder.”

“Well, you found me, sir.” Mulder smirked.

“Yes, I see that.” He looked pointedly at his agent. “I wanted to
discuss what your plans for tomorrow were going to be. We are still
at an impasse in the research.”

Scully glanced at Mulder to see his jaw tense at Skinner’s unintended
slur. “We were just discussing that, sir. Mulder and I will be heading
out to revisit the crime scenes tomorrow. Mulder thinks it will help him
develop the rest he phe profile. And since I haven’t seen them yet, he
thought a fresh pair of eyes would be a good idea.”

“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll want you to check in at each crime
scene so that I can gauge your progress. Agent Engle and I will
remain at the precinct to ensure that the deputies on research duty
stay on track.

“Thank you, Agent Scully. I’m sure you’d like to get some rest now. I
know we could all use some.” He threw a glance at Mulder.

Mulder sighed, getting to his feet. Either Skinner really wanted him to
rest, since he was sure he looked like crap, or he was trying to tell
him that he didn’t want a repeat of his earlier conversation with Engle.
Either way, he figured it was time to say goodnight to Scully.

“Thanks, Scully.” He threw her a crooked grin. “Why don’t we meet
for breakfast tomorrow and then we can head straight to the Hunts'?”

“Sounds good, Mulder. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She walked them both
to the door.

“G’Night, Scully.”

“Goodnight, Mulder. Sir.”

“Agents.”

***

Hunt Home
Montecito, CA
January 5, 2003 8:17 AM PST

Scully stifled a yawn. She hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. After
Mulder and Skinner had left, she had spent a few minutes
straightening up the room, and then getting ready for bed. But even
after having slipped beneath the sheets, her mind refused to allow her
rest.

She couldn’t help feeling that her relationship with her partner was
getting more and more complicated. She watched him as he
absentmindedly swung the ‘For Sale’ sign on its hinges as they
passed. A brief smile lit her face at his childish display.

“We won’t be here long, Scully.” Mulder spoke as they entered the
home. “They’ve already packed everything up for the move. I just
wanted to do a quick walk through before we went to the Harris’.”

They walked through the now empty living room, entering the hallway
to the right. At the back of the house was the master bedroom. She
watched as Mulder paced the length of the room, his eyes not
focusing on any single location.

She noted that his walk was the normal steady gait she was used to.
His injuries from the accident almost healed. She could still tell that
he had some trouble moving from a standing position to a sitting
position and vice versa, but otherwise he was in relatively good
shape.

“What do you think, Scully? How can he be hitting all three cities so
efficiently?” Mulder was musing out loud.

“Traveling salesman?” Scully ventured.

“I don’t think so. It doesn’t feel right. I think he’d have hit a larger
area if he that were his occupation.” She wad asd as he chewed his
bottom lip, his eyes shut in concentration.

“Maybe he’s a contractor? He had a job out here, and then one in
Goleta, then one in Santa Barbara?”

“And now he’s got another in Goleta?” He thought for a moment.
“No, it doesn’t seem to fit for some reason. If he were a contractor
how would he have met the kids? Unless he were working on their
house? Or a mall or shopping center maybe?” Mulder sighed. “But
we should probably check it out, see what kind of contractors have
been working the three areas.”

“I’ll let Skinner know when we check in. He can have Jon start that
aspect of the research while we go on to the Harris’.”
der der suppressed a slight involuntary grimace. Scully didn’t notice
Mulder’s reaction to her informality with Agent Engle’s moniker. He
was probably just over reacting after all the crap he’d been through in
the past few days. But still it bothered him that Scully seemed to take
to ‘Jon’ so quickly. He had noticed that she’d been calling him Jon,
not Agent or even Engle, practically since they’d landed.

“Okay. Well, you can call in now. We need to get going anyway. I
want to do a run through at each site for you before we settle in at the
Jacksons'. That’s where we’ll probably get the most information,
since it’s the most recent.”

Mulder’s hand warmed the small of Scully’s back as he led her to the
front and out the door.

***

Jackson Home
Goleta, CA
January 5, 2003 7:01 PM PST

“Mulder, there must be hundreds of electronics stores in the area.”

“I know that, Scully. I told you, it’s just a hunch. A feeling.”

“But if he worked at an electronics store, how would he have known
about all five families in three different cities? It doesn’t make sense.”

“I can’t explain it. And I know that not even all five kids had the same
electronic system, but they all had game systems. PCs, PS2s,
Gamecubes. And kids at that age have a tendency to obsess over
those games. Especially boys. You saw the number of video game
magazines at the Lassiters'!” Mulder was getting frustrated. He
couldn’t explain why he thought the killer might have met them
through an electronics outlet. But his mind had made a connection,
and he thought it was important enough to at least follow up on.
Scully was right, but so was he.

Scully could hear the plea in Mulder’s voice. She knew he couldn’t
always explain how he got to whatever conclusions his mind had
drawn, but this was far fetched, even for Mulder. He was basing his
entire assumption on extremely circumstantial evidence.

Before she could open her mouth to answer Mulder was talking.
“Okay, Scully.” He took a long and deep breath. “If you think it’s a
waste of time for Engle and the deputies we’ll just drop it for now.” He
took a seat on the small twin bed beside her his eyes focused on the
opposite wall.

Scully frowned. That was definitely not like Mulder. Giving up?

“Mulder, are you okay?”

“Yeah, Scully. I’m just tired.” He swiped his open palm across his
face. “And I’m just not sure how close we are. I don’t know what the
UNSUB will do next, because I don’t know what Mark Jackson will do
next. If he doesn’t behave the way the UNSUB expects, or wants, it
may just trigger an even bigger event than the original stressor.
And if we don’t find our UNSUB’s ex-wife soon, she’ll be thrown into
that explosive equation as well.” His head now rested in his hands,
just above his knees. “We have to find them soon. Within the next
48 hours, or I can’t guarantee that Mark Jackson will still be around to
be found.” The whispered words carried through the quiet room to
Scully’s ears.

“Okay, Mulder. If you think that there’s a chance that our UNSUB
could be connected through an electronic outlet, then we’ll chase that
lead. You’re the profiler.” She felt her hand steal out to comfort him,
but pulled back before making contact. She wasn’t sure if either of
them were stable enough for a repeat of last night’s encounter.

“Geez, Scully if I’d known I could get you to change your mind by just
agreeing with you, I would have tried it a long time ago.”

His grin was contagious and she answered it as she threw back, “You
catch more flies with honey, Mulder…”