Subject: Freak by shell 1/6 From: skmcam@aol.com (SKMCAM) Date: 23 Sep 1997 04:19:09 GMT Title: Freak Author: shell (mbmannin@mailbox.syr.edu or skmcam@aol.com) Rating: R (language, violence) Classification: XRA, MSR Spoilers: None Summary: The agents must protect a friend from their past. Archive: Anywhere Disclaimer: The-X-Files characters are the property of Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and Fox. I am making no money off them, even though I really should find a way how I can. Michelle Monroe, and others are the property of shell, who will use them as she pleases. Important!!! This is the sequel to Best Of What's Around. To understand this more fully I highly recommend reading it, if you can. It is archived at Gossamer, or I can send you a copy, so just email me. Then again this could just be a blatant attempt to get you to read another of my stories ;> Oh and anti-shippers, it might be a little scary for you at the beginning...but if you close your eyes and hold my hand, I'm sure we can all get through it. Author's Note: Freak, better know as Hell Hath No Fury Like A Sequel, was probably the hardest thing I have ever written for fun (gotta love a hobby that makes you nuts). I love BOWA, because it was my first fanfic and I want Freak to live up to it. There is a nod of appreciation in here to my favorite authors, without whom I probably would never have written anything. You have my highest respect and I thank you for the works that you have given us. Thanks to the Deep Background Web site, by Pellinor for information on D.C. and the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow site. I have to thank Lauren, Maureen and Mike for putting up with me and my writing, Chupacabra for understanding the difficulties of a story, and Miranda, my fellow DMB lover and 'bug' buddy. And special thanks to Hong, gluing threats and all, you made this more fun to write (so can we kidnap Puppy now?). And as usual, this wouldn't be possible without the wonderful Beta Reading of Mary. Thank you for your honest advice and making me look like I really do know how to write. Questions, comments, discussion, praise or cash advances are welcome. Flames will be used to keep me nice and warm when the snow comes....and that should be anytime now... And now on with the show..... "Freak" 1/6 by shell September 12, 1997 11:57 AM Morgan Apartment Complex Washington, DC The woman sat in the window sill of her room smoking a cigarette. From her eighth floor apartment she watched the street, waiting. She knew someone would be coming soon. They always came on Fridays at noon, like clockwork. A nondescript white Ford pulled up in front of the building. A short, balding white man, wearing a business suit got out of the car. He went to the trunk and pulled out two paper grocery bags and entered the apartment building. Before the man could knock, the door opened. He saw the young woman still sitting in the window. "Michelle, I'm..." "Earl. Nice to meet you. You can leave the bags in the kitchen. I'll put the stuff away later." Earl was just another of the countless men and women that made the Friday delivery. He put the bags away as instructed and walked over to her. He took an envelope out of his pocket. "Here is your..." "Thanks." She took the envelope and looked through it. "I hope it's a good one this week. I'm still hoping for Raven. I just think it would be a cool name." "Uh, sure. Great name." The man was uncomfortable. His hand fiddled nervously with the device in his pocket. Michelle looked closely at Earl. She knew what he had with him. She knew what he had come to do. "Earl, you don't want to do this, so don't." "I don't know what you are talking about." His fingers searched feebly for the switch to turn the device on. Michelle sighed and threw her cigarette out the window. "You should have turned it on before you came in here, like they said." Suddenly Earl was lifted into the air and slammed hard into the wall. Michelle stood up and walked over to the man, still pinned in the air against the wall. "You didn't believe them. You wanted to really see if the freak could do what they said." Her voice was strong but smooth. "So are you impressed with the freak, Earl? Are ya?" Michelle reached into his pocket and took the device. "Please, please don't kill me. I have a family. I have kids..." He suddenly fell to the floor in a heap by the wall. "I used to have a family. I used to have friends." She walked over to the window and lit another cigarette. "I'm not going to kill you, Earl. I'll leave that to your boss. Now get out of here." He got to his feet quickly and ran out of the apartment, not risking her changing her mind. Michelle watched as he scrambled to the car and sped off. She took a deep drag and sighed. She studied the device in her hand. 2:46 PM J. Edgar Hoover Building, Basement Office Washington, DC Mulder sat at the computer attempting to finish a report. The computer, on the other hand, did not want to have any part of it, for every time he hit a key it just beeped at him. He slammed his fist on the desk. At that moment his partner walked in. "Having fun Mulder?" "No. Help me before this stupid machine eats my report." Scully casually walked over to the computer. She leaned over his shoulder, took the mouse from his hand and with two clicks all problems were solved. "Now how long have you been working with computers?" she teased. Mulder grunted as the printer started buzzing. He swiveled in his chair to look at her. "How would I ever survive without you?" he said sarcastically. "I have no idea." Scully sat down at the desk to start her own paper work. Mulder got an idea. He started typing again, then printed a single sheet of paper. He took the sheet and walked over to the desk, dropping it down right on what she was working on. He continued out of the office before she could say a word. Scully looked at the paper in front of her. It read - I have to pay you back for your help. How about tonight? - She blushed. She wrote back on the paper, got up and went to get some coffee. Mulder came back into the office to find Scully gone. He wasn't surprised. He sat down and looked at the paper - I'll be over at 8. I'll bring the pizza. Mulder smiled. He and Scully both knew that they had to keep things quiet in the office. They knew that if it got out that they were now in a relationship past partnership, they would be put in danger. With the fears of being split up or emotional blackmail pertinent, it was just easier to pass notes than to worry all the time about surveillance. Scully walked back into the office with her coffee. She was still smiling and trying to fend off a giggling attack. Scully sat down at the computer to work on her own reports. Mulder read something intently. After an hour of silent work, Mulder shifted in his chair and rubbed his nose where his reading glasses sat. "Scully listen to this. 'While most psionic powers do not manifest until after puberty, most subjects have been found to posses low level empathic abilities before their full manifestation into a telepathic or telekinetically minded person.'" Scully turned around in her chair. She sighed. "Ok, Mulder, what does that mean in English?" "For a doctor I thought you automatically could understand technical babble." "Muld..." "Just kidding." He flashed her a big grin. "This is saying that before someone becomes a telepath, they most likely will be empathic. You know, they can feel what people around them feel." Scully nodded. "So?" "So, imagine this. Michelle is an empath. She gets all these bad vibes around her that she doesn't know how to deal with. She gets depressed and becomes suicidal." Scully stared at Mulder. He had become obsessed with topics like these since Michelle had disappeared. This article was just another piece of the endless information he had been gathering, about her powers and how they had affected this young woman's life. Fox Mulder had been interested in all the oddities of the world and beyond since before Scully had ever met him. But when Michelle Monroe entered their lives, Mulder became even more obsessed with the idea of people with extraordinary powers of the mind. Scully had to admit, as much as she didn't want to, that Michelle could communicate and move things with her mind. But then Michelle disappeared. Even though they knew she was alive and living in seclusion somewhere, Mulder still felt responsible for what happened. "That's great Mulder." Scully sighed, but tried to sound optimistic for him. Mulder looked at her, knowing she was getting sick of his rantings. "I miss her." "I do too. But you know we can't do anything about it. You know she's probably living on a beach somewhere, enjoying herself." "I know, but I owe her so much. We both do." Scully smiled at him. It was because of that pushy-21-year-old-that-acted-most-days-like-a-two-year-old, that she and Mulder had admitted their true feelings for one another. She stood up and got her briefcase. "I'm getting out of here." "So Scully, what are you doing tonight?" He gave her a sly smile as he put his feet up on his desk. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe get some pizza and watch a movie. Maybe pick up a strange, incredibly attractive man and let him bring me home. You know, the usual. What about you?" She was smiling widely. "I'm just gonna get some pizza delivered and watch the Yankee game. Tonight they may clinch the division. Well, have a good weekend Scully." "Oh, you too Mulder." She walked out of the office. 11:53 PM Mulder's Apartment Scully sat curled up on the couch with her head resting on Mulder's shoulder and his arms around her. She felt that this was where she belonged. The game had long ended with the Yankees winning. They sat together now watching the end of Sports Center. Mulder rested his head against Scully's. "I like this." "Oh yeah, I bet you like forcing me to watch baseball." He picked his head up to look at her. "I didn't force you." "Sure. So when I touched the remote in the 6th inning you weren't going to wrestle me to the ground?" A sly grin crept across Mulder's face. "Who says I was going to wrestle you just for the remote?" "Oh, so that was the reason Agent Mulder." Scully reached for the remote, this time with no complaints from her partner and turned the TV off. They sat in the dark apartment in silence. Scully snuggled close to Mulder's chest, as he placed light kisses on the top of her head and rubbed her arms. He tried to stifle a yawn but couldn't. "Fox, I should go." Scully sat up. "No, stay here tonight," he whispered and pulled her back against him. "Where do you want me to sleep? On the floor?" "You can stay on the couch, with me." Mulder knew he had lost this battle though. Scully stood up, took his hands and led him to the door. "Are you still coming with me to Mom's tomorrow?" "Wouldn't miss Maggie's cooking for the world." He smiled, but she could still see that he was hurt about her not staying. She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up in his eyes. "Fox, do you know how much I love you?" "No." He smiled down at her, playing a game. She shook her head. "Somedays I don't know why, though." He placed his hands on both sides of her face. "That I can answer. I put you under my spell. You had no choice after that." "So that's how it happened." They kissed gently, just enjoying the feel of one another. Scully slipped back from their embrace. "You never make this easy," she sighed. "I'll call you tomorrow." He opened the door for her. "Be careful going home. And Dana, I love you too." She smiled and walked down the hall. Mulder walked over to the window and watched her get into her car. Scully saw him and waved. He watched until the car pulled out of sight. Mulder sighed. He laid down on his couch, resting his head against the arm rest. Though they had both admitted their love for each other, Scully had wanted to take the progression of their relationship slow. They kissed and touched, but if she felt it was going to go beyond that, Scully would stop everything. Though they had never talked about it, Mulder believe that Scully was afraid to proceed, in that they may lose the friendship that was so important to them both. He knew that Scully was the only woman for him now. After years of partnership and friendship, love was an easy transition for the two. Mulder had fought his feelings for so long, that when Scully admitted to him that she loved him too, he released all of his emotional restraints. Now he wanted to love her wholly and if that meant waiting to make love to her, he would. Forever if he had to. But that didn't mean he wasn't frustrated some nights. And tonight was one of them. He rolled over on his side and pulled the quilt off the back of the couch to use as a pillow. 2:15 AM September 13th Mulder's Apartment <> Mulder's eyes opened with a jerk. <> He bounded off the couch to his door. He looked through his peep hole, but it was covered. <> "Mulder...come on...let me in..." a woman whined from outside his apartment. Mulder recognized the voice immediately. Still he reached for his gun and opened the door slowly, not willing to take any chances that this was some kind of set up. "Mulder! How's my favorite FBI agent?" She stumbled into his apartment. "Oh, nice gun. You know you can't shoot me, though. You love me too much." "Michelle?" He was dumbstruck. Mulder dropped his gun and just stared at the girl before him. "You remember me. Give me a hug, you big lug." She started to fall towards him. Mulder noticed the large bottle of vodka in her hand, three-fourths gone. He caught her before she landed face first on the floor and steered her to the couch. "Michelle, what are you doing here? How are you? How did you find me?" "Too many questions," she slurred out. Michelle's head lolled back against the couch. She opened the bottle and took a long drink. "You want some?" "Sure." Mulder took the bottle and capped it. "How about some coffee?" "I've never had coffee vodka before," she giggled. Mulder put the pot on, then sat in front of her. "What's going on Michelle? I haven't seen you since...well...and now you just show up here?" Michelle looked at him. Her eyes were glazed over, but he could see the sadness behind them. "I was lonely. I wanted to have a drink with a friend and I realized I don't have friends anymore. I have keepers. You're my friend though, right Mulder? And Dana too?" "Of course we are, but what do you mean by keepers?" She rolled her head from side to side. "They don't like me. They don't need me anymore. They found a way to lock me out. They want to kill me." Michelle picked her head up. "Mulder, you wanna see my car?" He wanted to know more, but played along. "Where is it?" She pointed to the window. "Right out there. I drove here all by myself." She shifted herself to lay down. Mulder walked to the window to see a black Jeep Cherokee parked on the sidewalk with the lights on and engine running. Even with his window closed he could hear music emanating from the car. "I'm going to go park your car in a better spot. The keys in there?" "Yup. And Mulder, this time I won't go anywhere." Mulder parked the car and turned off the engine. In the passenger seat he saw her black back pack. As he picked it up, something fell out onto the seat. He smiled thinking it was just one of her many water guns. The moment he touched it, he knew otherwise. By examining it in the dim street light he identified the pistol as a Sig Sauer, government issue. Mulder walked back into his apartment and saw that Michelle was now fast asleep on his couch. He placed her back pack on the floor next to her and removed her sneakers. Then he just looked at her and smiled. To all outwardly appearances, Michelle had not changed since he had last seen her. Same jeans. Same back pack. Same sneakers. He covered her curled up body with his quilt. Mulder reached for his phone and hit the memory button. "Hello?" "Scully, it's me. You need to come over here now." "Mulder, what is it?" "I can't talk about it over the phone. Just come over here now and bring Mr. Bear." "What?" "Trust me, Dana." "I'll be there as soon as I can." Mulder hung up and looked back at Michelle. She looked peaceful, without a care in the world. End 1/6 Disclaimer in part 1/6 ************************** 2:51 AM Mulder's Apartment As Scully stepped out of the stairwell she was struck by the sight of Mulder sitting outside of his apartment. His head leaned against his door, eyes closed. Frightened that something was horribly wrong, Scully started running towards him. "Fox! Oh, my God! Are you alright? What's going on?" He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "I'm fine." He stood up and held her to abate her fears. "I have a visitor that I thought you would like to see." "It can't be." She looked at the paper shopping bag in her hands and then back at him. "Is it her?" Mulder smiled and opened his door. Michelle lay peacefully on the couch. Scully slowly walked over to her as a wide grin spread across her face. She pulled a brown teddy bear out of the shopping bag and rested it near Michelle's arms. In an unconscious act, performed night after night for years, Michelle took the bear in her arms and clutched it close to her chest. She cuddled against it, then fell back into a deep sleep. "Fox, where did she come from?" "Shh." Mulder took Scully by the hand and led her to his bathroom. He sat down on his toilet seat cover, while Scully looked for a comfortable spot in the small room. Finally she decided to sit in the tub facing him. "So how did she get here?" "She drove here all by herself. It's amazing she didn't get herself killed. She stumbled in here, piss drunk. Something really wrong is happening. She has a Sig Sauer, fully loaded in her bag. She said something about her keepers wanting to kill her, that they don't need her anymore." "What do you want to do?" He looked at her and sighed. "Nothing until she wakes up and she's closer to sober. " He paused for a moment. "She said she came over here because she was lonely." "She came here because she knew you would be there for her." "She wanted to know if you and I were her friends." "We are." Scully studies his face. She hated when his eyes, which could be so bright, were filled with pain. "Come here, Mulder." She took his hand and made him sit in the tub with her. His long legs barely fit. She sat across his lap, her own legs hanging out the side of the tub. Mulder put his arms around her as she rested her head against his chest. "Who needs a bed?" "You do, badly. This isn't as comfortable as it looks, you know." "I am very comfortable." He kissed the top of her head. "Dana, thanks for coming over so fast." She picked her head up and looked him in the eyes. "Did you think I wouldn't come?" He shrugged. "I don't know. I mean...it was late...and..." "Fox, I would be here at three in the morning even if you just had a paper cut." He smiled. "Oh, good. You know I'm going to hold you to that." She put her head back against his chest. "Just hold me now," she whispered. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and closed his eyes. 6:30 AM Mulder's Apartment Michelle opened her eyes very slowly. The first light of morning assaulted her head. She ran a hand through her hair and a wave of dizziness spread over her, as she forced herself to a sitting position. Then she realized what she was holding. "Mr. Bear...." she whispered. On total instinct she reached for the gun sitting on the table nearest her. She didn't think it was hers, but at this point it time it didn't matter. Slowly she got up from the couch. Still not knowing where she was, she started to move around the apartment. Then she heard a stifled noise from behind a door. After taking a deep breath, Michelle kicked the door in, holding the gun out in front of her with both hands. "Dana? Mulder? What the..." The two agents had been startled awake by Michelle's actions. Dana was trying to get out of the tub. "Michelle, it's ok. No one is going to hurt you." "How did I..." At that moment all of the alcohol from the night before forced its way back to the surface. Michelle lunged for the toilet, just in time as not to make a mess of Mulder's bathroom. Scully instinctively knelt by Michelle to doctor her. She spoke softly and held Michelle's hair away from her face. Mulder feeling awkward, left the bathroom. Scully came out a few minutes later and joined him on the couch. "How she doing?" "Recovering. She'll be ok. Do you have any idea how much she drank last night?" "Well if the vodka on the counter is any indication, I'd say a lot." Scully got up and examined the mostly empty bottle. "She told me this was her second bottle and she said she had something called Firewater." "Ewwe...no wonder she's sick." "Fox, she should be dead!" "Don't worry. I wish I was." Michelle walked into the living room and sat on the couch next to Mulder. Her face was pale and fine beads of sweat lined her forehead. She looked at the agents with a half embarrassed, half guilty smile. "So, long time no see." "You could say that." Mulder looked at her, somber. "Let me guess. I'm in trouble aren't I?" "That depends. Are you going to tell us what's going on or are you just going to disappear again?" "Eeesh....that hurt. I guess I deserve it, though, huh?" Scully sat down on Mulder's coffee table in front of Michelle. "Yes, you do." "All right, give me a second." She riffled through her back pack until she found her cigarettes. "Mulder, you mind?" "By the window, please." "No problem." She walked over to the window. The window and screen suddenly rose, seemingly on their own. Michelle smiled at the agents surprised look. "I've been practicing. A lot." She lit her cigarette and sat on the sill to look at them. "So what would you like to know?" "Oh I don't know. Maybe, where the hell you've been since March?" Mulder tried to keep his voice neutral and light but his agitation was seeping though. Knowing that he was in no mood to play games, Michelle became serious. "I've been in the care of our smoking friend." "Where?" "Right around DC. I was at a hospital for a while. Now I have a nice apartment to myself." "You've been in DC the whole time and you haven't contacted us? Michelle, Mulder and I have been worried about you. We didn't...." "I did too contact you. I sent you the little package. I've been around. I know you guys are an item now. By the way congrats." "Then why haven't you spoken to your parents in months?" Scully was taken aback my Mulder's comments. "You never told me you spoke to them." He looked at her sheepishly. "I thought you would have been mad at me." "I wouldn't have been." Michelle smiled for a moment and shook her head. "I haven't been able to call." "Why?" "I've been busy, Mulder." "Doing what?" She sighed and pulled a photograph out of a pocket in her bag. "This is why I haven't called, ok." The picture was of Mr. and Mrs. Monroe. They were sitting outside in the sun on what appeared to be their back porch. A dog sat at their feet. "Turn it over." In finely printed letters it read - Just to show you your family is safe and sound. "That shot was taken from my backyard. There's a lot of trees back there, so it couldn't have been taken from more than fifty yard away." Mulder handed the picture to Scully. "Not a very veiled threat, huh?" "I was supposed to break contact after the memorial. I didn't. I think I just needed some kind of contact outside of....well I just kept calling them. Then I got this. I haven't spoken to them since." She tossed her cigarette out the window, but remained staring at the street. They sat in silence for a moment, no one knowing quite what to say. Michelle stood up. "I gotta go. This was a mistake." "Where are you going?" Mulder's head raced with ways to keep her with them. "I don't know. Alaska. Las Vegas. Guam." "Guam?" "It just sounds cool. And anyway it's far away from here." She started packing her bag. She picked up the teddy bear that was sitting on the couch. She studied it for a long moment and set it back down. "I just need to get out of here." "Maybe we can help you." Michelle looked at Scully with her eyebrows raised. Then a smile formed on her lips and she laughed out loud. "I can't protect myself anymore. Why do you two think you can?" "Why do you think we can't?" Mulder shot back. She rolled her eyes in frustration. "You've seen how these guys work. My only advantage is gone now. I can't explain it. I just have to go." "Michelle, you better try to explain it, because we aren't going to let you leave this easily." Mulder was now standing over her attempting to use his height to intimidate her. Michelle just glared up at him, not fearing this man. She had been through too much to know a bluff when she saw it. She stepped away from him though and threw her hands in the air. "Fine...fuck...you two are....urrh! All right, you can come with me to my apartment. I have to take a shower and pack some stuff anyway. I have some files that will help me explain what's going on." The agents looked skeptical. "Deal with it! This is the best you're going to get from me." And with that Michelle turned and walked out of the apartment. Behind her, the window closed. 10:35 AM Morin Apartment Complex Michelle pulled her jeep across from the apartment building. The agents pulled up behind her. Afraid that she was going to try to lose them, Mulder had practically tailgated Michelle the whole way from his apartment. "Mulder, great piece of driving. Any closer you would have been sitting right next to me in the front seat, like you wanted." The three walked across the street and into the building. It was plain with gray and black marble tiling. The only ornamentation visible was the sterling silver lettering of the building name above the elevator bay. Michelle walked up to a control panel next to the elevator. She punched in a few numbers and spoke. "Freak." The elevator door opened with a hushed sound. They stepped in and silently rode the elevator to the top floor. The doors opened to a short, narrow hallway, with a door at the end of it. Again Michelle walked up to a control panel next to the door, punched in numbers and spoke. "Freak." The door opened. "Does anyone else live here?" Mulder asked as he walked into Michelle's domain. "Nope. No one else can get into the building. I changed the password." The two agents studied Michelle's new apartment. It was drastically different from her last one. It was as sparsely decorated as the rest of the building. An unmade bed against one wall. A large entertainment unit with a television and stereo against another. On a large black desk sat an extensive computer set up. No posters adorned the walls. No pictures. Nothing personal to show of it's inhabitant. Michelle walked over to the computer and hit a button. "I accessed all the computer files on me. That's how I know they want to...dispose of me." Mulder sat down on her bed. "How did you get the files?" "I hacked their system." "Where did you learn how to do that?" "You'd be surprised what a lot of time, a few books and the internet will teach you." She looked at the agents for a moment, suddenly shy about the changes that had taken place in her life. "Um...I'm going to take a shower. Make yourselves at home. I'll be out in a second and I'll try to explain stuff then." Mulder and Scully watched her disappear down a hallway and heard the shower go on. "Mulder she's different." "I know." "She's so much..." "Darker." "Yeah," Scully whispered. "We can't let her leave." Mulder looked at Scully, a small smile playing on his lips. "Haven't we had this conversation before?" "Mulder!" "Well we have." He sighed. "We need to find out what is going on and then figure out what we can do. If she wasn't so damn stubborn this would be a lot easier." A few moments later, Michelle walked back into the main room, with the same clothes on and a towel wrapped turban style around her hair. Making no motion towards the agents, she simple sat down at the computer and started typing. "This will take a couple seconds." They sat in silence as they watched her get up and start putting random articles of clothing into a large black duffel bag. Scully looked at Michelle closely for a moment. "Michelle, what happened to your glasses?" She looked up for a moment. "Oh, I got contacts. I kept breaking my frames during the....well so I just sucked it up and got the contacts." She looked back down at her bag. "So you really are just going to run away again?" Mulder said. "Yup." She pulled out a large stack of money and papers out of her desk drawer. "What's that?" "My secret identities." She handed Mulder a stack of drivers licenses, credit cards and other pieces of identification, all with different names, but with her photo. "I get a new name every week." She started flipping through the cards. "Let's see...Karen Rasch, I bought my computer. Lelya Harrison, I got the car. Sheryl Martin, my rather expensive, but impressive, entertainment unit." She pointed to the TV." "One hundred and twenty channels and there is still nothing ever good on. Hmm...Miranda...isn't Miranda a cool name? I went to see the Dave Matthews band when they came to DC as her. I bought some sea monkeys with this one. What can I tell ya? I wanted a pet. But Megan Reilly? I don't think I look Irish." Michelle smiled as the two agents laughed, while looking at the different identifications. Then Michelle suddenly turned her head towards the window, as if she had heard something. Her expression changed immediately. "Shit," she whispered. In three quick paces, Michelle made it to the window. She pressed her forehead against the glass and looked down at the street. Three identical white vans were parked right in front of the building, across from where her and Mulder's cars sat. "Fuck! Shit...shit....shit." Mulder now looked up at her. "What's going on?" "They're here! I just should have gone when I had the chance." Michelle was now running around her apartment, throwing her last remaining belongings into her bag. "Who's here?" Now Mulder stood, seeing the seriousness in her face. Michelle dropped her bag and stared at him. "My keepers you moron. They're gonna kill us all if we don't get out of here." She continued running around the apartment looking for anything she could have missed. Scully had walked over to the window. In front of the building she saw the white vans. Men in dark suits were exiting from them, making their way to the building. "Mulder, she's right. We need to get out of here, now." <> They were both looking down at the street, when the gun shot went off. Swirling around instinctively with their guns drawn, they saw Michelle holding her own pistol, standing in front of her computer. She fired three more shots without even flinching. Without looking up, she grabbed for a baseball bat, that was hidden under her bed and proceeded to take swing after swing at the mangled computer. Then she took out her lighter. "Michelle..." "I recommend you go down towards the elevator. We can't take that way out, but I have an alternate route." She lit the lighter and dropped it on the mutilated computer. Flames ignited quickly, sending large clouds of smoke up from the desk. Michelle picked up her duffel bag and back pack. "We have to go now, kids or you're going to be crispy agents." Mulder and Scully ran past her into the hall, waiting for her to follow. Michelle took one last look into the room she had called home. She then slammed the door and punched some numbers into the control panel. "Follow me. They don't know about this way." Opening a panel in the wall, Michelle revealed a stairwell to the agents. They went in first. Michelle looked at her door one last time. Then she replaced the panel and ran after the agents, escaping once again from her keepers. End 2/6 "Freak" 3/6 by shell (mbmannin@mailbox.syr.edu or skmcam@aol.com) Disclaimer in part 1/6 ******************************* 11:35 AM Morin Apartment Complex The stairwell has led to a winding passageway, which appeared to be in the basement of the building. Michelle maneuvered her way quickly, leading Mulder and Scully as if she had taken the route often. At the end of the corridor was a large steel door. As they reached it Michelle struggled with a set of keys that she had pulled from her pocket. "The only damn door in the building that has a key to it and it's the one I can never find." Michelle finally selected an oddly shaped key and stuck it in a small slot. The door cracked open, bright light invading the dimly lit corridor. Michelle wasted no time running through the door. It took Mulder a moment to realize that they were across the street from the building. Instinctively he moved towards his own car, but stopped at the sound of Michelle's voice. "I'm going to regret this later, but I think you both should come with me. You want answers and there is only one place I know where we can get them." "You don't have any of the information?" Scully asked as she got into the back seat of the Jeep. Michelle looked a little embarrassed as she pulled her seatbelt on and waited for Mulder to get situated. "I never thought I would need a back up. I guess when they tell you to back up files on disk, you should listen." She looked in her rear view mirror and spotted a suited man coming out of the apartment building. In one quick action she started the engine and speed down the street out of sight. For a moment they were silent, but Michelle knew what the agents were thinking. They weren't angry, just confused and concerned. Mulder studied Michelle's pained face, knowing that she already knew what he and Scully were thinking.. He chose his words carefully and spoke softly. "Ok Michelle. Now would be a good time to tell us, what has been going on since March. No more games." Michelle fumbled in her glove compartment for a moment and pulled out a fresh pack of cigarettes. She tapped the pack lightly against the dashboard, opened it and finally lit one. "It was the Cigarette Guy that night, but you already know that. He made me an offer...let's just say I couldn't refuse it. I went upstairs to get some things and when I came back down he was already gone. Two guys in suits were there. I've just call them Keepers, because there are so many of them and they all have one job: To do whatever *He* wants them to do." As Michelle drove, Scully noticed where they were. Michelle had taken them in to the heart of D.C.. They were very close to the Bureau headquarters and were now entering the George Washington University area. "So where did they take you?" Mulder asked. "Right here. I was here from the end of March until about mid-June, with some time out for good behavior." "But this is George Washington Medical Center. There were alerts for you everywhere. You were so close. How could you have been a patient here?" "I don't think my...um...treatments were apart of any recognized hospital department. I was treated to the fine accommodations of the basement. Me and the morgue. And this is the only place where there might be some answers left." She pulled into a spot in the parking garage. Before locking her car, Mulder and Scully watched as she reached into her back pack and pulled out her gun. She reloaded the weapon with a practiced hand, then stuffed it in her jeans. Michelle walked past them, tying not to be affected by the horror she saw on their faces and in their minds. 12:29 PM George Washington Medical Center Michelle led the agents past the Emergency Room doors. She kept her vision straight ahead, ignoring the ambulances and nurses that walked past her. She also had to keep her mind focused. Michelle caught a quick glimpse of Scully a pace behind her, on the right. They walked past any visible entrances to the hospital, to a small alcove in the side of the building, hidden from view by trees. Behind one of the trees was a solid looking steel door, painted the same light gray color as the concrete surrounding it. Since there was no handle on the outside of the door, Mulder presumed that it was just a fire door. Then he saw a control panel, resembling those in Michelle's apartment building and knew that this was no ordinary exit. Michelle walked up to the panel and pressed a button. "Shit." She kept hitting the button, but there was no response from the panel or the door. "The power must be out. This is going to be difficult." "Isn't there a way down here through the building?" Scully asked. "Yeah, but I don't know it. I was kinda....out of it...when they took me to other parts of the building." Michelle put her head down and took a deep breath. "So what do you..." "Shhh...I have to concentrate or this isn't going to work!" Michelle took long, deep breaths and closed her eyes. Then her face contorted in pain and concentration. The door then cracked open. Michelle collapsed onto the ground. Scully huddled over her. "Are you alright? Michelle your heart is racing. We should get you checked out, then find out what is going on." Michelle straighten up in a sitting position and put her head between her knees. "No. I'm fine. I just need a minute. It's a lot harder when I can't see what I'm doing. A lot harder. " She continued sitting for a few moments. Her breathing was labored, and her heart still raced in her chest. Finally she stood up and opened the door the rest of the way. She looked down the dark corridor for a long moment. Mulder noticed her apprehension and placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's ok. We're not going to let anything happen to you." Michelle stiffened and took a step into the darkness, letting his hand drop back to his side. "Come on kids...the fun's just beginning." 1:03 PM George Washington Medical Center Since neither Scully nor Mulder were dressed for the occasion, neither had a flash light on them. Luckily Scully had her small pen light in her pocket, but its small beam did little to abate the darkness. Michelle led the way, her hands at her sides down the hallway, while the agents felt along the wall. The corridor opened to a large room. Michelle felt along the wall for a moment and flicked a switch. Garish florescent light assaulted their eyes. As her vision returned, Michelle's heart sank. "It's gone. It's all gone." Mulder and Scully stared at the empty room. The only item that suggested that the room was ever in use, was a clock on the wall that had its glass covering shattered. The room itself was spacious, at least twenty feet long and thirty feet wide. To their left was another dark corridor and on the right was the frame of where a door once stood. Michelle pointed to the right as she walked to the back wall of the room. "That was my bedroom. Made my room in Syracuse feel big." Michelle continued to study the back wall. Her fingers played along the cracks in the white plaster. Scully turned to Mulder. "I'm going to see what's down hallway number 1." "Are you going to be ok?" Scully lifted her shirt a little to show him her pistol position snugly in her jeans. "I'll be fine." She flashed him a smile and started down the dark hall. Mulder's attention then turned to Michelle. He studies her closely as she looked and touched the cracks on the wall. Then Mulder saw that the cracks formed some kind of picture on the wall. It was like an outline. Then utter horror fell upon him with the knowledge of what the outline was. "Oh my God...." Then Michelle turned to face Mulder. His horror was mirrored on her face. Tears started to stream down her flushed cheeks. "I didn't want you to know. God... I didn't want you to know. I didn't mean to do it, Mulder. They were hurting me. I just wanted it to stop. I just wanted to be left alone again. Don't hate me. Please. I didn't mean to......" She sat down on the floor against the cracked wall, hugging her knees close to her chest. Mulder knelt beside her. He put his arms around her, even as she fought him. He just held on and rocked her gently. "It's ok Michelle. I don't hate you. I know you would never mean to hurt someone. I know that." "But I killed a man, Mulder," she whispered between her sobs. "I took his life. I took everything from him." Michelle looked into Mulder's eyes now. "I was in his head. I felt his pain. I knew his last thoughts. He was only doing what he was told, and I killed him for that." She put her head onto Mulder's shoulder and continued to cry. "I need to know what happened, Michelle. I know this is hard, but I need to know." Michelle sat back and took a deep breath. She avoided his eyes as she lit a cigarette and began. "They brought me here after Syracuse. They wanted to do some tests on me. And I told Scully that I didn't want to be a lab rat." She thinned her lips into a bitter smile. "They kept me here all the time. I was only allowed to go to see my...to go home for that week of the memorial. It was *their* way of appeasing me. When I got back the tests got into full swing." "What kind of tests?" "Oh, at first they were really easy. Stupid mind things like picking the right card or my favorite, the lifting a dime trick." Michelle stood up and walked to the center of the room. "When I got back though, they started really getting hard." She looked at a black smudge on the tiled floor and sighed. "The examination chair used to be here. I sat here a lot. They used to strap me into the chair and put electrode things on my head. Talk about lab rat" She tried to smile. "What happened that day, Michelle?" Mulder asked quietly. She stared at the black smudge and took a deep drag of her cigarette. "They had kept me awake for 47 hours, straight. They had me doing all kinds of test. Lifting things so heavy I wouldn't have been able to pick up with my own hands. Reading peoples minds from a distance. Moving things I couldn't see. He wanted me to pick up two things at once. I could never do it before...I still can't do it. And I was so tired, but they had this machine hooked up to me..." She pointed to a spot near the smudge. "If I didn't do something right, they hit the blue button. And I got something like a shock.." She turned to Mulder. "I've had migraines, but this pain was more intense than anything I had ever felt before. But the more tired I got....I just couldn't lift them. Two stupid boxes. I tried to so hard, but I just couldn't" She was starting to fall apart again. "I know you tried. You were tired. There was nothing you could have done. I know that." "Dr. Brian Bane. That was his name. He was on the morning shift. He told me to lift the boxes. I couldn't do it. I told him I couldn't do it. He even taunted me. He told me he was going to hit the button. I couldn't handle it anymore. I couldn't handle the pain. I just couldn't take it." She looked deep into Mulder's eyes. "I begged him to stop. To let me rest. But he hit the button." Michelle looked at the clock on the wall. It had stopped long ago. Through the cracks of the glass, the hand sat at the four and ten. "That was the time it all happened. Four-ten, AM. Four in the fucking morning!" Michelle's grief had now turned into unparalleled rage. "He hit that damn button. No! He didn't just hit it, he held on to it! And I scream! And then I did it! I slammed him into that wall..." At that she lost her voice and starred at the cracked wall. Michelle then sighed and crushed out her cigarette against the wall. "I don't know how I got out of the straps. I just did. I had him pinned against the wall. I was pushing him, deeper and deeper into it. I wanted him so far away from me. I wanted him to go through the wall. I don't even know where I got the strength to do it. " She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the wall. "And then I *heard* him. I was in his mind. His body was dead. I had cracked his skull I think, 'cause there was blood all over the place. But his mind wasn't dead yet. I felt his pain. Mulder, do you have any idea what it's like to be in the mind of a person that's dying?" He stood beside her and shook his head. "No. I have no idea." "It's like you're dying right with the person. I was dying. I knew his thoughts. I felt his pain. I became him. And then he was gone." Michelle walked over to where her bedroom once was. "You know, Mulder, all I had in here was a bed. No desk. No computer. No TV. I didn't even get to see the season finale of 90210. Can you believe the injustice?" Mulder just shook his head at her. "What happened after?" "What Mulder, don't like my jokes? Thought you would be used to them by now." She pulled another long cigarette out of her pack. "I ran. I went down that hall and never looked back. I had some money left from when I was home, so I took it and stayed at this shitty place a few miles away from here. Then they found me and got me the apartment and stuff. I thought they were afraid of what I would do if they brought me back here." "Why didn't you call me?" Michelle studied his face and saw that he was hurt, but not angry. She smiled slightly. "I didn't want to put you in any danger. And...." She turned from him as she lit the cigarette. "And I didn't want you to know what I'm capable of. " Then Michelle heard Scully's footsteps coming down the hall. Mulder was startled by Michelle being in his mind. He nodded to her, silently asking if she understood what he meant. Scully then walked into the light of the large room. She could see the tear stains on Michelle's face, but decided against asking about it when she saw Mulder's solemn expression. "The hallway leads to an elevator shaft. Funny thing is that the elevator will only go to the 11th floor, the Neurology Department." "It makes perfect sense. Any equipment they couldn't keep down here, they had right upstairs. Late at night it would be easy to take the elevator up there and do what ever with Michelle," Mulder said. Michelle fidgeted with her cigarette. "Well I'm glad it all makes sense to you, but I would like to get out of here. Obviously there's nothing left and...I just want to go. I'll tell you everything I know when we get out of here." Mulder looked at Scully and they started down the dark hallway to the outside. Michelle turned off the light to the room and stood in the darkness for a long moment. She turned sharply and followed the agents to the light. End 3/6 "Freak" 4/6 by shell (mbmannin@mailbox.syr.edu or skmcam@aol.com) Disclaimer in part 1/6 ************************** 2:00 PM Scully's Apartment As soon as Michelle had walked out of the hospital door, Mulder knew that she needed to get away and go someplace comfortable. Scully's apartment was farther away, but it would be safe place for her to rest. The drive had been silent, Michelle lost in her own thoughts. She let Mulder drive, knowing that she was in no mental condition to do it herself. She forcefully blocked out Mulder and Scully's thoughts, concentrating instead on the scenery they passed. She tried to remember a time before all of her problems, before she could do her little tricks, before she was depressed, before all of the pain. But as hard as she tried, Michelle's mind just came back to the early morning when she had killed a man. When they pulled in front of Scully's building, she moved in slow motion, following the agents as they climbed the few stairs. As Michelle entered Scully's apartment though, her mind returned to the present and the reality of where she was. "Michelle, why don't you sit, down while I make you something to eat," Scully said as she crossed her living room to her answering machine. Michelle sat down with Mulder. Scully played a message as she started preparations for a late lunch. A woman's voice spoke, smoothly. "Dana, it's mom. I just wanted to remind you to bring some bread for dinner tonight. Fox is still coming, isn't he? Well I'll see you at 6. Love you." "Oh no. I completely forgot. I'll call and cancel," Scully said coming out of the kitchen. "No, don't...don't do it on my behalf. I'll just hang out someplace for the night. I don't want to be any trouble..." Michelle interjected quickly. "We're not leaving you alone anymore, Michelle. Dana and I can go to her mother's another time." "On second thought, you're going to come with us. I'm sure my mother would love to meet you." Scully started to pick up the phone. "She knows about me?" "A little." Scully turned away and talked to her mother in a hushed tone. As much as Michelle wanted to, she kept herself from listening in. She looked at Mulder instead. Mulder smiled at her. Michelle forced a smile. Before she could finish her thoughts Scully was off the phone and talking again. "My mom is looking forward to meeting you. Lunch is out though. She probably has enough food for an army already, so I don't want to ruin your appetite." Michelle looked at the agents for a moment. "I guess now would be a good time to tell you everything." "A few hours ago would have been a good time, but now will do," Mulder said sarcastically. Michelle took a deep breath. She wanted a cigarette, but decided against it. "After I left the hospital, they set me up with the apartment and money. Once a week a new keeper would come to give me some groceries, money and a new id. They had stopped doing all the test once I left the hospital, but I had this feeling that something was going on. Then one day this woman came...a keeper, but she was different. When she came in I couldn't read her thoughts. I had gotten so used to having this....gift, but then it was gone. It was like I was blind or deaf. Like part of me had died. I thought it was just me, but she was acting so... impassive that I knew something was really wrong. Then when she left, I was fine." She looked at the agents again, trying to gauge their reactions just from their expression. All she could see was compassion, but it didn't make her feel any better. "Dana, would it be ok if I had a cigarette?" As much as Scully didn't like to see Michelle smoke, she pulled an ashtray out of a cabinet and set it before her. "Go ahead." "Thank you." Michelle lit the cigarette and continued. "This was around the time I learned how to hack computers and stuff. I had a lot of time on my hands and I really couldn't go out an meet people or anything, so I just played on the computer. I had a few access codes, from a wallet I stole from one of my keepers, so I used it and got the information." Michelle stood and walked to a window. "What kind of information Michelle?" Mulder didn't want to push her, but he needed to know what was going on. "I found stuff on me. It wasn't easy. They didn't call it the Michelle File, like I hoped. I was code named Raven 13. From what the file said, all their tests were to find out the extent of my powers and how it would fit into their schemes." Scully's curiosity was now piqued. "Schemes?" "Their goal, from what I could tell, was that I would be some kind of spy. I was plain looking, so no one would really suspect me of anything. My telepathy meant that I could find out any secret and my telekenetic ability meant that I could be a killer." On that her voice broke. Mulder quickly tried to cover. "Michelle, the woman that came to you...did you ever see her again?" "No, but I found out what happened that day. They made this device...that's all I can call it. Somehow it can block my telepathic abilities. I can't understand the science behind it. I should have paid attention in biology. All I know is that when it is turned on, I'm effectively locked out of peoples minds." Michelle sighed and walked back to the couch and opened her backpack. She pulled a small black remote control looking item out of it. "This is it. Don't hit the switch!" Mulder took the device and examined it best he could. "How did you get it?" "Ummm....yesterday....another one of the keepers came. I knew why he was really there though. He was supposed to turn it on before he came up to see me, but he didn't. He was sent to....terminate Raven 13." Both agents just stared at her. Scully spoke first. "How did you know he was going to kill you?" "I said once that I would never dig in peoples minds for information. I've erased that from the rule book, now." Michelle offered a faint smile. "And I would look at the Raven file every night to see if there were any changes. I couldn't get into it Thursday night for some reason. I did some base data searching and found that the Raven 13 project had been terminated. I assumed that meant me. That is what the device was for, now that they knew it worked, they could just get rid of me. I stopped them before they could." "What did you do?" A flash of fear appeared on Mulder's face. "I threatened the guy. Then I went for a drink. I thought it would make me feel better. Then I ended up with you." Michelle crushed out her cigarette and put her head down. Mulder nodded slightly and looked at Scully. "I think that's enough for now. You should get some rest." "Michelle, why don't you go lay down in my room. Well wake you in a little while." "Whatever you say, Mom." Michelle gave her a quick smile and followed her down the hallway to Scully's bedroom. "If you need anything, we'll be right out there. Are you ok?" "Yeah, I'm fine. And Dana..." Michelle looked down for a minute as she sat down on the bed. "I'm sorry for being such a problem." "You're not a problem, Michelle. Never think that." She looked at Michelle for a moment. "You know, you are so much like Mulder. Always willing to blame yourselves for things you have no control over. You've had no control over what has happened. None of it, no matter what you think. We're going to work this out. " Scully closed the blinds and curtains to darken the room. "Now get some rest. You deserve it." She closed the door behind her. Michelle look around the room for a moment before laying down. She studied the pictures on the night stand. One she presumed was of Scully's mother and father. Another of a woman that looked a lot like her friend, probably her sister, she thought. The last one made her smile. She picked up the small silver frame that held a shot of both Mulder and Scully. They were not looking at the camera, but at a file sitting on a desk. Michelle sighed and put the frame down. She kicked off her sneakers and rested her head against a pillow. Michelle clutched another pillow close to her chest. Scully returned to the living room, a somber expression on her face. She sat next to Mulder and leaned into him, needing his strength at the moment. He draped his arm around her shoulder and let her relax. "Fox, Michelle is..... The pain they've caused her. I don't think she knows which way is up anymore." "No she knows exactly what's going on. That's her real problem. " He continued to study the small device in his hand. "Scully, imagine what they must know about her. About what she's capable of." She shook her head. "They know enough to hurt her. I think that's enough." "No I mean about her powers. They know enough about her physiology, that they can effectively shut her down. Imagine what this means. There are countless files on a real life telepath and the government is covering it up." Scully sat up and looked at him. "Is that all you care about!?! About the science? About the truth?" "Scully, they're hiding something and now we have undeniable proof." "No, Mulder. The truth is, that Michelle is in danger because of what they know about her. About her truth. And it's going to get her killed. And if that's all you care about..." she stood up and walked away from him. "I don't really want to know about *your* truth." He sat back on the couch, stunned by her words. Quietly he answered her. "You know that Michelle's important to me. You know that I won't let anything happen to her. It's just...this is real, Dana. For the first time, I can prove that it's real. You believe me. You know the truth. And now I want everyone to know it." She turned around to look at him. "At what cost? If she lost all her powers in the next moment, would she still be important to you?" Now he stood up. "Of course she would be. Do you think she's just some pet project to me?" "No. But sometimes...sometimes you can act like these things...these truths are more important than other things, other people." She dropped her head not wanting to look in his eyes. Now Mulder understood. He crossed to her in a graceful motion and pulled her into his arms. He held her with such force it took her breath away. He leaned down and softly whispered in her ear. "There is nothing more important to me than you. I will look for Samantha until I find her. I will probably keep trying to find the truth. But you are all that matters right now. I thought you knew that." Scully looked up at him, her eyes misted over. "It's nice to hear you say it sometimes." She rested her head back against his chest. "I want to know the truth about Michelle so I can protect her. And so this will never have to happen again. I'm not going to let them take her away again. And this time I will do anything to stop it." He kissed her head and continued to hold her, knowing that she understood. 5:48 PM Mrs. Scully's Home Michelle had not rested well. She was still tired as they pulled in front of the quaint looking house. She got out of the car, looking warily at the front door, as Scully led them up the path. Mulder saw Michelle's apprehension. He leaned into her and whispered into her ear. "It's ok. If Mrs. Scully can put up with me, she's going to love you." Michelle looked up to see him smiling at her. She managed to smile back as the front door opened. "Hi mom." Scully hugged the older woman that answered the door. Michelle recognized her from the picture on the nightstand. "Honey, I'm so glad you could still come." She turned to Mulder and pulled him in for a hug. "And Fox, I'm so glad you could be here too." Michelle stifled a giggle at hearing Mulder being called Fox. Then Mrs. Scully turned to her. "You must be Michelle. It is so nice to finally meet you." Michelle shook her hand. "Um it's nice to meet you too. Uh...um..thank you for inviting me to dinner. I haven't had a home cooked meal in a while." "Then you're in for a treat." Mrs. Scully ushered the three into her living room and made them sit down, offering them drinks. Scully accompanied her mother, leaving Michelle with Mulder. Michelle walked around the cozy room and looked at the pictures and trinkets that lined the walls and shelves. "I was never really one to put personal stuff out for everyone to see," Michelle said suddenly as she looked at a family portrait. Mulder leaned forward from the couch. "Really? In Syracuse you had everything on your walls." She turned to look at him. "Nothing personal, just things. I always kept my personal stuff in albums so they couldn't be damaged and...I guess I never really liked other people seeing my important stuff." She looked back down at the photo in her hands. Mulder started to ask a question as Mrs. Scully reentered the living room. "Come on. Everything's ready." 7:13 PM Mrs. Scully's Home Dinner had been wonderful. Nothing special, just turkey with fixings, but for Michelle it had been as if she had never had a home cooked meal. She smiled ruefully to herself as she watched Mrs. Scully and her daughter talk. Mulder was content to sit back and listen, so the women were buzzing on about the happenings of friends and family. Michelle was again left with her own thoughts. She sighed. She continued to watch the women talking. Michelle could see the love from the mother and daughter bond. Suddenly she couldn't handle it anymore. She couldn't watch. "Could you please excuse me for a moment?" She got up and left the table without waiting for a response. They heard the front door open and close before a word could be said. "I'll go check on her." Mulder got up. "Do you think she's trying to run away again?" Scully asked. "No. She probably just needed a cigarette." He tried to smile as he walked out the front door. Michelle sat in the corner of the porch in the shadows. The only clue that there was even a person sitting in the darkness was the glowing amber at the end of her cigarette and the soft red hue that it gave off. Mulder walked over to her and sat down on the ground next to her. "You know Mulder, when I was a kid, I had the best imagination. I was an only child and there wasn't really any kids in the neighborhood so I had to rely on myself to make fun. Maybe I read too many comic books or watched too many cartoons on television, but I could always imagine myself as some sort of hero. Saving the day, like in the comics. I would always know what to do. Always knew right from wrong, and I never made mistakes. Now..." She sighed deeply and took another drag. "Now I realize that I'm not the hero. I'm the coward that tried to do the right thing, but never just right." "Michelle..." "It's like all of my fantasies are reality now. But even in my wildest dreams I couldn't have made this up. My realities are one big nightmare now. I've tried to do the right things and they've all ended up wrong. And now all the things I wished that I were, I am, but in a warped and crude way. And all of the things I thought I really was, I've never been. Nothing in my life has been real. And I'm not the hero of my dreams....I'm just the coward...the freak with no real purpose. No real life!" Mulder placed his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off. "Michelle you are not a freak. You have a real life. You have family..." "Family." She started to laugh. A garish laugh, that seemed to hurt her. She finally turned to look at him. "Mulder don't you get it? Camille and Steven Monroe are not my parents. I've been part of their project all along. I was born this way." "How do you know? You could still be just a genetic anomaly. Your parents..." "No, Mulder. They are not my parents! They don't even know that. The real Michelle Monroe died at 10:13 PM, December 29, 1975 and I took her place. I don't even know my own damn birth date. You know why I was code named Raven 13? Because there were twelve Ravens before me. They all died though. I was the crowning success. I lived. God...why did *I* have to live?" Her head dropped forward against her knees. "You don't mean that." Michelle raised her head and looked at him. "Yes," she said simply. "Yes, I do. Look at the pain I've caused. Mulder, you know the real reason the Monroe's aren't worried about me? I told them about my little gift. And as much as they said they still loved me, I knew better. I could hear what they were really thinking. They were scared of me. They were scared shit less of me. They were glad when I went back with my keepers. They were glad I stopped calling. I'm the reason their real child is dead. For all I know, that smoking bastard could have planned their kid's death all along. And it was all because I lived. " She stood up and started to pace the porch. "And now you and Dana, the two people that are really my friends are in danger too. All because of me. All because of this fucking gift!" Mulder stood up and tried to block her path, forcing her to look at him. "None of this is your fault. It's all them. We're going to find a way..." "Find a way to what, Mulder? To protect me? To protect yourselves? Here's a news flash for you. You can't! Nobody can! All I wanted to do was to keep you safe. That's all I wanted. To protect the ones I...to protect my friends. And look what I did. I dragged you in with me 'cause I can't hold my liquor." Michelle just stood in front of Mulder with her head down, fighting the urge to just cry and purge her system of the pain. "So you've become a lush, huh?" Michelle looked up at him to see a stupid grin on his face. Finally she let out a little laugh. "Oh, I've always been a lush. Now I just have more money to spend on my little habit." They stood looking out at the little neighborhood surrounding Mrs. Scully's house for a moment. Finally Michelle spoke. "It must be nice for Dana to have a mother and family that loves her so much." "So that's why you came out here? You feel you don't have a family anymore, so watching them was a bit too much?" "You could put it that way. You're not a bad shrink, Mulder. Maybe you should write a book or something. You can call it, Help For The Freak In All of Us. But I expect at least forty percent in royalties as being your best case study." Mulder shook his head. "I'm not giving you more than thirty. Come on, they're going to think we got lost out here." End 4/6 "Freak" 5/6 by shell (mbmannin@mailbox.syr.edu or skmcam@aol.com) Disclaimer in part 1/6 **************************** 8:22 PM Mrs. Scully's Home "Mom!!! I can't believe you are showing him these." Scully was covering her face as Mulder looked intently at a photo album of her baby pictures. "I thought it would be nice for him to see what a cute baby you were." Mrs. Scully was smiling. She winked at Michelle who was quietly sitting next to Mulder, also looking at the pictures. Mulder teasingly pinched Scully's cheek. "Aww, Dana you were so cute." "Oh, so I'm not cute anymore, Mulder?" Scully feigned anger, but her smile couldn't hide her amusement. Mrs. Scully stood. "I think I'll go make some coffee before violence breaks out in my living room." Michelle looked at a picture of a young Scully, with one of her brothers, holding a pellet gun. "So you were a sharp shooter way back then, Dana." "From what I've seen you're not to bad a shot yourself," Mulder interjected. Michelle looked down and shifted herself away from him. "Yeah, I guess," said quietly. Scully looked at her as she put the album away. "There's one thing that you haven't told us, Michelle." "One thing!" Mulder scoffed. She gave him a sharp look and continued. "You never told us why you went with him. Why did you leave?" Michelle fidgeted against the couch, not making eye contact. "I told you, we made a deal. It was mutually beneficial. He got to play with my head and I got what I needed." "And what was that?" Mulder asked sarcastically. "Nothing, Mulder. It wasn't big deal." "Come on Michelle. What was it?" "I don't really want to talk about it now." She stood up and walked away from the couch to the window. "Was it for the money?" "Mulder, please." "I never expected you to be out just for the money, but I guess if the pot is big enough..." "Shut up!" Michelle spun around and glared at him. "You want to know why I did it? You wanna know? I did it for you. And you." She pointed to both Mulder and Scully. "I did it to keep you safe. I went with him and did what they wanted, and he would keep you safe. I did it to protect you both! And now I messed that up too!" She ran out the front door, slamming it behind her. Mrs. Scully came into the living room, concerned. "What happened? Where's Michelle?" Mulder just stared at Scully. "She did it for us? Why?" Scully got up and moved to sit next to him. "I don't know," she whispered. Outside a car engine started loudly. Mulder jumped to his feet and opened the front door to see Michelle's jeep speeding down the street. "Damn it!" Scully came up behind him. "Where's she going to go?" Mulder put his head down and shook his head. Then a frightening thought came to mind. He picked up his head and looked grimly at Scully. "She's going to kill herself. And there is only one place where she would do it." 8:53 PM Shell Gas Station Michelle's hands trembled as she riffled through her back pack. She pulled out a small piece of yellow paper and studied the faded numbers written on it, in the dim glow of the street light. She walked over to the pay phone, put in a quarter and dialed the number. When the man answered she spoke in a calm and even voice. "You know who this is. You know what I want. You know where to meet me. Be there." "What if I don't come?" An equally even voice questioned. "You will." She hung up and got back into her car. Michelle sighed for a moment, then reached back into her bag. She picked up her gun, feeling it's weight as she wrapped her fingers around it. "This ends tonight," she said aloud, then started the car. 9:23 PM George Washington Medical Center Scully had borrowed her mothers car in order to find Michelle. Now Mulder was driving much faster than the old car could handle. "Mulder, why do you think she's going to kill herself and why do you think she's going to do it at the hospital? She hated it there, why would she want to die there?" Mulder sighed. "Because she killed a man there." Scully was taken aback, not by what he said, but in the fact that he didn't tell her sooner. "When did she tell you this?" "At the hospital, when you went to check out the hallway. She asked me not to tell you. Michelle was going to do it herself." He didn't look over at her, hoping that she wasn't too angry. "So she wants to kill herself, for the man she killed?" Mulder nodded. "She blames herself for everything. Killing the man, putting us in danger, everything. So now, I think she just wants to save everyone the trouble by ending her life. And the hospital is where she inflicted the most pain, so that's where she'll do it." Scully looked at her partner, amazed at how he could so quickly and relatively calmly come to this conclusion. As they pulled into the parking lot, Scully immediately saw Michelle's jeep. She had parked in a deserted part of the garage, where only another nondescript white car sat. Mulder looked into Michelle's jeep, through the window. He could see that her back pack was dumped over, its contents strewn across the passenger seat. He noted that her gun was not among the items. "We better hurry." Mulder didn't notice the car that pulled into the parking lot as he and Scully made their way to the building. He didn't see it park or see the man, with a slight limp, exit it and follow them to the building. 9:37 PM George Washington Medical Center Michelle looked at the man standing across from her. He looked the same as he did that first night. Still cloaked in darkness. Still smoking a cigarette. It was as if the nearly six months that had passed had not effected him. It had effected Michelle and she wanted him to know it. "So, long time no see. It really wasn't nice of you to ditch me that night. And I thought you liked me." The man regarded her with dwindling patience. "Ms. Monroe, I don't have time for this. What do you want?" Michelle pulled her gun out from her jeans where she had hid it. "Oh, you have time tonight. You have all the time in the world." She started to pace, but she kept the gun pointed at the man. "Let's see, what do I want? I don't know. Maybe a life!" "You gave that up for our deal. I have kept Agents Mulder and Scully safe. I even allowed the testing to stop." His voice seemed unaffected by the gun being pointed at him. "But now you want me dead? What did I ever do to you? What did I ever do to deserve this?" Michelle had stopped her pacing and now just stared at the man. "You were created to do a job, Ms. Monroe." "Stop calling me that! That's not my real name and you know it." "You were created to do a job Raven 13. But you are not capable of doing it. You see, our scientist did too well with you. We should have known placing you with a real family would have been a mistake. You developed a conscience and that was not part of the program. Your services are no longer needed." "So that means you can kill me!!!" As she screamed the man was thrown hard against the wall. Michelle had him pinned against it as she yelled at him. "What is my real name? Who are my real parents? When was I born? I want to know! I want to know about my life!!!" "Michelle!" came a call from behind her. She turned her head to see Mulder and Scully behind her with their guns pointed at the man. "Go away! I'm going to finish this." Mulder walked towards her. "Michelle, let him down. It's not worth it. He's not worth it. You don't have to kill him." <> Michelle stiffened for a moment, as a muffled scream left her lips then collapsed into Mulder's arms. The man on the walled dropped to the floor. All eyes went to the doorway where a younger man with a gun stood. "Dr. Bane....?" Michelle questioned quietly as Mulder lowered her to the floor. She had been shot in the lower back and blood was flowing out of the wound. "Yes Michelle. It's so nice to see you again. To bad it had to be under these circumstances. And you still can't do two things at once. I was counting on you not being able to protect yourself." His voice was cool and callous. Michelle tried to raise her head. "But I...I killed you. You died right here." "No, no, no. Oh you did hurt me. And I was possibly dead for a few seconds. But I'm very much alive now." "Put your gun down!" Scully ordered him, her gun pointed at his head. "Agent Scully, you are in no position to be ordering anything." Dr Bane walked to stand over Michelle. Mulder was trying to cover the wound to no avail. "Michelle you had so much promise. So much potential. I even thought you had the right attitude for it. Too bad." He shook his head in disgust. "Agent Mulder, step away from her." "No, she'll die!" "That's the point! Now move or there will be more than one death this evening." <> Another gun shot and this time it was Dr. Bane that fell to the floor. Mulder looked over to see the Cigarette Smoking Man with a small gun in his hand. Slowly the older man walked over to the doctor. He knelt over him and spoke softly. "Agent Mulder and Scully are not to be harmed." At that moment four men in suits walked into the room from the long hallway. The made no motion towards either Mulder or Scully. They just picked up Dr. Bane's body and left. The Cigarette Smoking Man turned to Mulder, nodded, then disappeared down the hallway with them. Scully had run over to Michelle and was now assessing her wound. "Mulder, it's not good. We have to get her upstairs." Michelle's hand gripped Scully's. "No let me go. It's over." "Michelle..." "Dana, it's done. I'm done." "I refuse to accept that from you." Mulder picked up Michelle's body and started carrying her to the outside. "You're going to be fine." "All I wanted to be was the hero, Mulder. All I wanted to have was friends and a family. I just didn't want to be a freak anymore." Tears started to flow from Mulder's eyes as they made it to the outside. Scully had run ahead to get a gurney and some hospital personnel. "You are the hero. You're part of a family You're part of my family. Mine and Dana's. You're not a freak. You have to believe that and just hang in there." Michelle weakly smiled at him, her eyes drifting closed in the process. "Not a freak..." were the last words she spoke before letting herself fall into the darkness. End 5/6 "Freak" 6/6 by shell (mbmannin@mailbox.syr.edu or skmcam@aol.com) Disclaimer in part 1/6 ************************** May 10 1998 6:27 PM Yazoo City, Mississippi Mulder smiled as he got out of the car. "This must be the place, Scully." "Well she told us we couldn't miss is." Mulder took Scully's hand and they proceeded to walk into the carnival area. A large sign proclaimed- Dr. Blockhead's Amazing Oddities and Freaks Side Show Circus. And the sign did not lie. Mulder and Scully made their way past a sword swallower, transvestite Mexican wrestlers, and a puzzled piece tattooed, naked man eating what appeared to be the remains of a car. Finally they came upon a man hanging upside down from a pole, over a boiling pot of water, wearing a straight jacket that he was trying to get out of. The agents made their way through the crowd that had gathered, to the hanging man. Mulder looked up at him and spoke. "I thought by now you would have a new trick, Jeffrey." The man stopped struggling against his bonds for a moment and regarded them with a impatient stare. "You will call me Dr. Blockhead, you fascist pig! This requires concentration and the mystic practices of..." "Whatever. Where is she, Blockhead?" "The red tent to the right. By the way, thanks for sending her to us. Better than some Siamese twin act by a long shot. But she won't tell me how she does it." Scully patted his cheek for a moment. "And she never will. Hang in there, Jeffrey." Dr. Blockhead grumbled for a moment and went back to struggling against the straight jacket. Scully saw the large crowed gathered in front of the red tent and smiled. "Well at least she's popular." They made their way to the back of the crowd. A sign across the top of the tent proclaimed the performer as Madame Raven. A woman stood on the stage, under the awning of the tent and Mulder had to fight not laughing out loud. "Look at her Scully. She's wearing a dress! I never thought I would see her wear a dress." "Mulder, she has to look the part. I don't think she would be able to be Madame Raven in jeans and sneakers." The woman on stage wore a long flowing red dress. She had long curly black hair that was enhanced by what looked like glitter. She began to speak to the crowd, her hands making long flourishing gestures. "I am Madame Raven. I know your past, your present and your future. I, and only I can show you how your past is interwoven with your future. But I know many of you a skeptical. So challenge me! Let me, prove to you my powers." A short aging woman, standing near the front of the stage spoke up first. "When is my birthday?" she asked confident that Madame Raven would not be able to answer such a specific question. "Well Jennifer, that is your name isn't it? You birthday is March 18th. I won't say the year since even your husband doesn't know that for sure." Madame Raven smiled. Jennifer looked shocked. "You're right. That's amazing." The crowd applauded. "Anyone else. Come on ladies, gentlemen, I can...." "Ha, ha, ha. Obviously she knows that woman. You're nothing more than a hoax. You wouldn't know the past if it was written right down in front of you." Madame Raven scanned the crown for her heckler. She saw a man in a flannel shirt and ripped jeans, standing amongst other men. She knew that was her guy. As she jumped down off the stage she saw Mulder and Scully and smiled to herself. Casually she walked over to the man. "Harry, why do you think I'm a fraud?" He seemed surprised that she knew his name, but spoke anyway. "You could have heard someone say my name. You could have asked that woman's birth date from her husband before the show. It's all humbug." "Ok Harry, you want to test me. These two people..." She motioned to Mulder and Scully. "They just got here. There is no way I could have talked to them before the show." "Fine, tell me about them." Madame Raven just smiled and walked up to the two agents and spoke loud enough so the whole crowd could hear her. "This ladies and gentlemen, is an example of true love. I have never seen a love deeper." Harry interrupted. "So their married...that was easy." Madame Raven swirled around to face him, her dress inching up enough for Mulder to see that the woman was wearing jeans and sneakers under the large dress. "Harry, they're not married. They are engaged." Scully, wanting to play along, raised her left hand to show a modest diamond ring on her finger. Madame Raven turned back to the couple and a small smile played on her lips. "Harry, I've got the best test for you. On a piece of paper, I want our loving couple here to write down what they want to name their children, when they have them. If you would sir." Mulder dutifully pulled a note pad out of his pocket. He wrote down two names and showed Scully to be sure. When he was finished, he folded the paper and handed it to Madame Raven. She just handed it to Harry. "Ok Harry, there is no way that I could have seen what he wrote. There is no way that I could know. Do you agree with that?" "Yeah." He opened up the paper in his hand. Madame Raven stood in front of the couple as she spoke. "If they have a boy, they will name him, Sam. And if it's a girl..." She paused for a moment and a small tear made its way down her cheek. "They will name her, Michelle." Scully nodded to her in confirmation, a smile across her face. "So when are you due?" Madame Raven suddenly said. "December, but I didn't think I was showing yet.," Scully replied. The crowd took in a collective breath and started clapping. Harry was not happy. "You're nothing but a freak!" Mulder started to move towards Harry, but Madame Raven just put her hand up and smile at him. He nodded to her, hearing her message. Now her sights were set on Harry. She walked up to him so that her face was just inches from his. "Yes I'm a freak. And I'm also a bitch. It's not just an attitude, you know. It's a lifestyle that I've come to enjoy. Now unless you want me to become a real bitch I suggest you leave, you fucking hick!" With that she spun on her heals and climbed back on to the stage. Harry was flustered. "Bitch! Fucking bitch!" He started to walk away when he suddenly tripped, falling face first into the dirt. He got up to look for the rock that he tripped on, but none could be found and the crowd just laughed at him. "Well ladies and gentlemen, I hoped you enjoyed my little exhibition here. All donations are kindly appreciated. I expect to see you all, at my main performance at eight tonight under the yellow tent. I promise it will be enlightening. Now for your enjoyment, may I recommend the Conundrum's Human Piranha act. I think they're serving him battery acid and a chain link fence today. Thank you again." Madame Raven watched as people put money into a large box at the base of her stage. Mulder walked over and put something into it and looked up at her. "Dinner after the show?" She smiled. "Only if Madame Raven isn't paying." He smiled up at her and shook his head. Then he went back to Scully's side, took her hand and walked over to the carnival games. He was saying something about winning her a teddy bear, before they were out of ear shot. Madame Raven picked up her box of donations and made her way to the back of her tent, where she had a make shift dressing room. Once there she ripped off the long black wig and ran a hand through her brown hair. Next she unzipped the back of the dress and pulled it over her head. Underneath she had on her tee shirt and jeans, and she left the dress in an unceremonious heap on the floor. She looked in a full length mirror for a moment and tried to fix some fly away hairs. she thought to herself. She now looked in the box on the table. Finding the white envelope right away, she pulled it out, leaving the money to be counted later. The envelope was addressed to Madame Raven, but she knew who it was really for. She opened it and pulled out a folded piece of paper and another heavier piece of a cream color. She looked at the pretty paper first. In a cursive printing it read- You are cordially invited to the wedding of Dana Katherine Scully and Fox William Mulder, on the 23rd of May, 1998. She smiled and opened the folded paper. Michelle, We expect you to be sitting on my side of the church. Since I don't have a lot of people to begin with, I have to be sure all of my family is there. Mulder Michelle put both piece of paper in her back pack that sat on a chair in the corner of the room. She picked up a baseball hat that was resting on the top of a teddy bear on a bed and stepped outside of the tent. She looked around at the crowds that wandered the carnival and the freaks that had become her new friends. She put the baseball hat on and lit a cigarette. She just smiled to herself and walked into the crowd, looking for Mulder and Scully. Her family. The End Well folks, that's it. No more freaks for me ;> shell (mbmannin@mailbox.syr.edu or skmcam@aol.com) Cold Hearted Bitch and a Dreamer all in the same dysfunctional body. "You never know where the truth ends and the humbug begins." "Ah you gotta love this place. Everyday's like Halloween." ---Syracuse University's real motto