This story was written without the consent of FOX, Chris Carter or anyone 
else associated with the X-Files.   I appreciate any comments (just be kind 
please ;) ). 
 
E-Mail - ao441@freenet.toronto.on.ca 
 
 
 
STALKER 
By Tamara Apouchtine 
 
"Mulder, you can be such a typical male sometimes, you know?" Scully 
repeated for what seemed like the millionth time that night.  "I mean really, 
after driving for two hours longer than we should have, shouldn't you have 
figured something was wrong?  Not to mention the fact that there doesn't 
seem to be any civilization around for miles, when we should be in the 
middle of Washington D.C." 
 
"Do you want to drive?" Mulder asked, his tone harsher than he had meant.  
He was answered with silence.  They were going home after a long, gruelling 
case.  There had been ten gruesome murders and Scully had almost been 
number eleven.  They were both on edge about the closeness of the situation.  
To make things worse, a storm had started just after they left New York and 
had made driving hell.  The rain was coming down in sheets and Mulder 
could barely see twenty feet in front of him.  Scully had fallen asleep, 
*Probably the first time in a few days> thought Mulder, even though his 
partner denied that she was uneasy.  Shortly afterwards, Mulder had 
accidentally landed out on the wrong road and was totally lost.  When Scully 
awoke and found out she had lost it.  That was half-an-hour ago. 
 
Mulder had started to speed up the car during their argument and was 
desperately fighting to keep the car on the road.  Scully had yelled at him 
for that too.  When he started to calm down, his foot eased off the gas, but not 
soon enough.  Lightning hit a huge tree just at the side of the road a few feet 
in front of them.  The tree spilt in half and part of it fell across the road. 
 
"MULDER!" Scully screamed as he slammed the brakes and swerved to 
avoid the obstacle.  The front tires hit a large section of mud on the shoulder 
and lost traction.  Mulder tried to steady the car but lost the fight when he 
was thrown against the driver's side window and blacked out as the car 
flipped over into a ditch.  Scully had smashed her head against the dashboard 
in front of her and joined Mulder in a journey into blackness. 
 
******************** 
 
Mulder awoke to the sound of thunder crashing above him.  He slowly 
opened his eyes to find himself leaning against Scully.  He gently pushed her 
upright and inspected himself for any damage.  Except for a wicked 
headache, and some stiff joints, amazingly he was okay.  The car, on the 
other hand, was a disaster.  He decided to worry about that later and 
concentrate on his partner next to him.  He undid his seat belt and 
manoeuvred around to get a better look at Scully.  He undid her seat belt and 
gently tried to wake her. 
 
"Scully?  Scully can you hear me?" Mulder gently shook her and was 
rewarded.  Scully's eyelids fluttered open. 
 
"Mulder?  What happened?" 
 
"We were in a car crash.  Remember?" 
 
Scully slowly nodded and turned to face her partner.  "You okay?" 
 
"Yeah.  Few stiff joints but nothing major.  You?" 
 
"Let me get back to you on that one.  How long have we been out?"  Mulder 
checked his watch. 
 
"Only an hour."  Scully inhaled deeply and stopped mid-breath. 
 
"Mulder, do you smell that?"  Mulder inhaled and nodded. 
 
"Gas.  We'd better get out before something sparks that and blows up."  
Scully nodded and tried to open her door. 

"Mulder, my door is jammed.  What about yours?"  He tried his door but 
found it jammed also. 
 
"Scully, squeeze up against your door." she complied and Mulder 
repositioned himself, ending up with his feet against his door and his back 
facing Scully.  He kicked the door twice with both feet and felt the door 
budge.  A bolt of lightning that flashed behind the car caught his attention.  
The electricity had been enough to light the gas that was leaking from the 
car.  Some grass about ten feet away lit and the flame was snaking it's way 
towards them.  Mulder turned his attention back to the door.  After three 
more strong kicks the door opened.  Mulder scrambled out and pulled out 
Scully.  "RUN!" Mulder yelled as he and Scully ran away from the car.  
Mulder dove on top of Scully and tried to protect her as the car exploded into 
a fireball. 
 
"You okay?" he asked as he picked himself then his partner from the muddy 
ground. 
 
"Yes.  Just next time, can I be on top?" she smiled and he laughed.  "Well, 
what now?  I don't remember seeing any houses along the way.  You?"  

Before Mulder could answer, almost as if on cue, a bolt of lightning flashed 
about two-hundred feet away and lit up the sky long enough for the weary 
agents to see a house. 
 
"Well, there's your answer.  After you madam," and he bowed down.  Scully 
started walking and Mulder followed. 
 
******************** 
 
By the time they reached the front door of the house, they were soaked 
through to the bone.  Mulder knocked on the door but didn't receive an 
answer.  He tried the handle and found the door unlocked.  Instinctively, the 
agents pulled out their guns and cautiously entered the house. 
 
"Hello?  Is anyone home?  We're FBI Agents."  Scully called, but received no 
response.  Mulder nodded in the direction of a room off to the right, while 
Scully nodded towards the stairs in front of them.  Mulder went tot the right 
and entered the room, following his outstretched arms which held his 
firearm.  He could hear Scully's footfalls on the staircase behind him.  He 
slowly glanced around the room but couldn't see much in the dark.  One of 
his hands left his weapon and reached inside his suit pocket.  There he found 
the small pen-like flashlight he usually kept there.  He flicked it on and a 
small ray of light cut through the darkness.  The room was very neat and 
tidy, but sparsely furnished.  A single couch was against the wall under the 
large window on the front of the house.  A wooden coffee table sat in front of 
the couch, completely empty.  The room was empty besides these two pieces 
of furniture.  Mulder made his way to what seemed like the kitchen.  There 
were two appliances, a fridge and a single ring burner on the counter.  A 
door lead to the backyard, but was locked.  The fridge contained only a case 
of beer, part of a loaf of bread and some butter.  Only one of the cupboards 
contained anything, and that was some glasses, plates and cutlery.  

Convinced that nothing was there, Mulder went to the final room at the front 
of the house.  This room was completely empty.  Mulder slowly lowered his 
gun when he heard a "thump" come from upstairs.  He ran to the base of the 
stairs and called his partner.  When he didn't get a response, he ran up the 
stairs. 
 
"Scully?  Where are you?"  He was about to check the first room on his left 
when he saw a familiar red-head slowly back out of a room at the end of the 
hall.  "Scully, there you are.  What was that noise?"  Even though she was 
only a few feet away, she didn't react.  Mulder walked up and lightly touched 
her shoulder.  At his touch Scully jumped and turned to face him.  Mulder 
gasped at her appearance.  She was white as a sheet and was starting to 
tremble.  "Scully what is it?  What happened?"  He could see her trying to 
speak, but nothing came.  Finally she looked in the direction of the room she 
had just been in.  Mulder walked into the room and nearly tripped over her 
flashlight.  Mulder stood up and turned the beam in the direction of the back 
wall, and was taken aback.  The entire wall of the room had pictures of 
Scully, his partner, from the time in New York.  There were pictures of her 
during the investigation and pictures of her in the warehouse, before Mulder 
had been able to find her.  The words "DIE" written in what looked like 
blood were all over the pictures and the walls.  "Oh my god,"  was all Mulder 
could say.  He looked back to where Scully had been standing.  _Had_.  He 
rushed out of the room and heard the front door open.  HE ran down the 
stairs and found his partner running away from the house.  Luckily his legs 
were longer and he caught up with her and almost had to tackle her to stop 
her from running further.  She was trembling violently now and crying.  

Mulder pulled her close to him and there they stood out in the pouring rain. 
 
******************** 
 
Scully awoke to the sounds of a hospital.  She opened her eyes and squinted 
against the sunlight coming through the blinds.  Suddenly a large figure 
stood in front of her and closed the blinds.  The figure turned around and 
Scully saw her partner.  He looked a little worse for wear, but it was Mulder. 
 
"How are you feeling?"  Mulder asked as he pulled a chair closer to her bed 
and sat down. 
 
"Better than you look."  Mulder smiled sheepishly and rubbed his chin where 
a days growth had appeared. 
 
"Do you remember last night?" 
 
"Yeah.  The car crash, the explosion and the pictures.  You really know how 
to show a girl a good time," she smiled.  Mulder know it was for his sake, 
and smiled back.  "Mulder, who lives there?  How did they get a hold of 
those pictures?" 
 
Mulder shook his head, "We don't know yet.  The building belonged to an 
Edgar Voight, but he died two years ago and left the property to the city of 
Washington D.C. where he had worked most of his life.  The city auctioned 
off the property to a construction company which was going to use the land 
for a hotel.  The company went bankrupt a year ago and the city regained 
control of the land.  Nobody from either the city or the construction company 
has been to the house in over a year.  There has been a team watching the 
house since we got picked up early this morning, but no one's showed up 
yet." 
 
"By the way, how did I end up here?" 
 
"After I caught up to you outside, you cried for a good hour, then suddenly 
passed out.  The doctors think it was a combination of shock, the bump on 
your head from the accident and the fact that you were soaked.  Anyway, I 
carried you back into the house and made my way to another house, about a 
half-an-hours walk away where I called for backup and an ambulance."  
Mulder sneezed and grabbed a handful of tissues from his pocket. 
 
"Mulder, you got drenched too.  I order you to go home and get some rest.  
Shaving would be good too." 
 
"Oh no.  I am not leaving this hospital without you." 
 
"Good." 
 
"You can't protest either.  Skinner has placed you under my protective 
custody.  So, whether...what?" 
 
"Good.  I admit it Mulder, I'm scared.  What I saw last night was not normal.  
However, you still need to go home and rest." 
 
Mulder, for one of the first times that Scully could remember, was at a loss 
for words.  She had agreed.  Something that he was not expecting.  Just then 
the doctor walked in. 
 
"How are you feeling Agent Scully?" 
 
"Fine." 
 
"Agent Mulder, would you mind waiting in the hall for a few moments?" 
 
Mulder nodded, "I'll just be outside, okay?"  Scully smiled and Mulder left 
the room.  When he entered the hall, Skinner was waiting for him. 
 
"Well, well, Is this a social call or a business call?" asked Mulder, his voice 
dripping with sarcasm.  He was still ticked off that Skinner _hadn't_ put 
Scully under protective custody.  Mulder hated lying to his partner, his 
friend, but he wasn't going to risk her safety because the Bureau didn't have 
enough proof.  He had already let that happen one too many times.  Mulder 
recalled their discussion over the phone earlier that morning. 
 
"What do you mean 'no'?  Haven't you seen the pictures yet?  We're dealing 
with a real psycho!" 
 
"Agent Mulder, I have seen the photographs, but there isn't any proof.  No 
written, verbal or physical threats." 
 
"What about psychological?  In case I need to remind you Department Head 
Skinner, my partner, a trained FBI agent, is lying in a hospital bed because 
of shock!  She is a strong person Skinner, and you and I both know that for 
her to be in this condition, there is something seriously wrong!  She has just 
returned to duty after 'mysteriously' disappearing for 3 months, and she 
comes back to face one psycho in New York who almost kills her and now 
another one, close to D.C.!  I think she's gone through enough!  Now, if 
you'll excuse me, I've just assigned MYSELF as her personal bodyguard until 
this creep is caught!  Good-bye!"  Mulder had slammed down the phone.  
Had he seen Skinner, he would have seen the slight grin on his face. 
 
Mulder figured that his career was over, again, especially when he found 
Skinner waiting for him in the hall. 
 
"Listen Agent Mulder, before you say anything that you might regret.  I'm 
here to tell you that Agent Scully does need protection."  Skinner handed 
him a letter, "Somebody slid it under the door today while we were searching 
her apartment."  It was made from newspaper clippings and read; 
 
Time's running out Red.  Say good-bye! 
The Grim Reaper 
 
Mulder looked up to see his superior walking away.  Mulder folded the letter 
and shoved it in his pocket as the doctor left Scully's room. 
 
"So doctor, what's the prognosis?" 
 
"She's fine.  Physically that is.  I can tell you're a special friend Agent 
Mulder.  I knew that the first time I saw you two months ago when Agent 
Scully was brought in.  Then, you didn't think you could help, now's a 
chance to make up for that.  She'll need someone to talk to.  Listen." 
 
Mulder nodded and the doctor walked away.  Scully appeared in the doorway 
to her room, dressed and ready to go.  Mulder picked up her overnight case, 
which one of her neighbours had dropped off this morning, and they made 
their way to a car.  This was another new one which the FBI had grudgingly 
handed over to Mulder and threatened to take his badge if this one ended up 
a fireball. 
 
******************** 
 
The first stop was Mulder's apartment where he showered, shaved and picked 
up some clothes and other stuff and 'packed' them in a duffel bag.  The 
finally made it to Scully's place after doing a bit of grocery shopping when 
she realized that her fridge was empty.  Scully went directly to her bathroom 
to take a shower while Mulder unpacked the groceries and started making 
them both some tea.  The water boiled just as the water in the shower turned 
off.  <Perfect timing,> Mulder thought to himself.  He made the two cups of 
tea and walked into the sitting room and flopped down onto the couch. 
 
"Mulder?  I could really go for a cup of tea," Scully shouted from her 
bedroom. 
 
"I'm way ahead of you," he shouted back.  Scully stuck a towelled head out 
the doorway to her room.  Mulder picked up the mug of tea and handed it to 
her.  She took a relaxing sip, and smiled. 
 
"You must be psychic partner." 
 
"Yet," and he walked back to the couch and grabbed the remote from the 
coffee table and turned on the television.  He flipped through a few channels 
and finally settled on a classic science fiction movie, 'The Blob'.  He 
continued to sip his tea and was just getting into the movie when he realized 
that Scully was taking a long time.  <Maybe she fell asleep.  Probably what I 
should do.>  He got off the couch and went to the door to Scully's room.  He 
knocked lightly and called her name.  "Scully?  You awake?"  When he 
didn't get an answer he pushed the door slightly and peered in.  He found her 
sitting on the floor surrounded by pictures.  "What are those Scully?"  He 
walked over to where she was sitting and looked down.  He did a double-take 
and rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing them properly.  He knelt 
down beside his partner and finally got a look at her face.  She looked the 
same as she did last night. 
 
"Mulder," she finally managed to whisper, "he's been here!  In my things!  I 
found one picture in each drawer of my dresser." 
 
Mulder knew that the FBI had been there this morning and had gone over 
everything carefully.  He had received a call from Skinner while they were at 
the market saying that the team was leaving.  The time between the phone 
call and the time they had gotten to Scully's place was only ten minutes.  
This guy was close, too close. 
 
"We can stay at my place if you like."  Mulder knew that Scully would never 
have suggested it.  It was just unprofessional to be this scared, and she hated 
unprofessionalism, especially in herself.  Mulder held his breath waiting for 
an answer.  All he got was a nod from the woman sitting next to him.  Scully 
picked up her overnight bag from the bed where it still remained packed.  
Mulder carefully picked up the photos and placed them in a plastic bag. 
 
******************** 
 
Mulder got up the next morning from the couch where he had spent the 
night.  He had managed to convince his partner to take the bed which he 
hadn't used in months.  She thanked him and they had sat up most of the 
night just talking and drinking tea.  Finally, at around one in the morning, 
he told her to get some sleep.  She complied, but during the night, when he 
wasn't screaming because of his nightmares, he had heard her crying.  He 
had gotten off the couch a couple of times, wanting to go in and console her, 
but something always kept him back.  He looked at the clock on top of the 
T.V. and it read 7:00.  <Great,> he thought, <time to get up.>  He got off the 
couch and stretched.  Something tugged at the back of his mind which had 
been there all night.  It had to do with the letter Skinner had handed him at 
the hospital.  With a sudden realization of what it was, he snapped his 
fingers.  He called up Agent Ronalds at the Bureau.  He was in charge of the 
debriefing of him and Scully after the closing of the case in New York. 
 
"Hello Ronalds?  It's Mulder...Fine thanks.  Listen, I need you to go through 
Agent Scully's debriefing.  See if you can find out what David Taylor called 
her would you?  Yeah, I'm going on a hunch...I'm at home...Ten minutes?  
Perfect...Yeah thanks.  Bye."  Mulder hung up the phone to find Scully 
standing in the doorway to his bedroom. 
 
"Red." 
 
"What?" 
 
"Taylor called me Red.  Why?  What are you up to Mulder?  What aren't you 
telling me?" 
 
Mulder walked over to his overcoat and pulled out the note that Skinner had 
given him the day before.  He unfolded it and handed it to Scully. 
 
"Where did this come from?" 
 
"Someone slid it under your door while some agents were searching your 
apartment yesterday." 
 
"Mulder, you don't think..." 
 
"That it's Taylor?" said Mulder, finishing Scully's thought.  "Yes.  Don't 
disagree so fast," he said as he held up his hand in response to Scully's open 
mouth.  She closed it, and decided to see what her partner had to say.  "I hate 
to bring this up, but remember Jack?  He was taken over by an evil entity.  
B.J., the detective who had to finish the job of her grandfather.  Obviously 
Taylor wasn't finished.  He stalked you in New York and was killed before he 
could...anyway, he's still stalking you." 
 
"So what your saying is that Taylor won't rest until I'm dead?!  You're more 
insane than he is...was!" Scully stormed back into Mulder's room and 
slammed the door so hard that Mulder thought the door would come off the 
hinges.  He figured he should probably leave her alone.  The phone rand and 
Mulder picked it up.  "Mulder...Hi Ronalds...Red?  Yeah got it...Thanks." 
 
 
***** 
 
 
_He_ had seen everything.  Watching.  Listening.  Planning.  Mulder was 
smart, but Scully didn't believe him.  Good.  _He_ had lost Red before, but 
_he_ wouldn't lose her again. 
 
 
***** 
 
 
Mulder suddenly felt a chill down his back, almost as if a cold wind had 
blown by him.  He turned around to check the window, but it was closed.  He 
shrugged and decided to take a shower. 
 
******************** 
 
Mulder spent part of the day flicking through channels, but not really 
watching anything.  Scully hadn't come out of his room yet and he was 
getting upset.  He was about to get up and knock on the door when she came 
out. 
 
"Mulder, before you say anything, I want you to hear me out."  Mulder 
nodded and leaned back into the couch.  "I don't know what happened with 
Jack.  I won't pretend that it was nothing, but I won't pretend to know.  But 
I do know that I trust you.  You were there when I needed you after Jack, after 
my disappearance, in New York, and I know you're here for me now.  
Someone wants me dead, I don't know who, but I want to fight this.  I refuse 
to sit in this apartment and wait.  So, until a more logical explanation can be 
found, I'll go along with your 'theory'.  Just wipe that look of triumph off 
your face, you haven't won, I simply don't have an answer.  Yet.  So, do I 
have your co-operation?  I don't want to be mothered, but if Skinner placed 
me under protective custody, who am I to argue?"  Scully finished an 
expected a typical 'Mulder' remark.  Instead, Mulder simply smiled. 
 
"Well, ready to start searching for some clues?" 
 
"Give me ten minutes," and with that Scully went back into his room and got 
ready. 
 
******************** 
 
Mulder had suggested that they first go to the office and see if any 
fingerprints had been found that might help them.  They found out that the 
letter and the photos were clean.  They were told, however, that the photos 
had been developed in someone's personal darkroom.  This fact only 
confirmed Mulder's theory.  Taylor's 'day job' had been a photographer's 
assistant. 
 
"This doesn't prove anything Mulder," Scully had insisted when her partner 
got that look again. 
 
"Yet," he said, and smiled. 
 
After leaving the Bureau, they decided to check out Scully's place for more 
clues.  Scully took her bedroom and bathroom while Mulder took the kitchen 
and living room.  After a thorough search, Scully met Mulder in her living 
room.  "Well, except for some powder from the finger printing boys, there's 
nothing here." 
 
"I didn't find anything either.  I..." Mulder stopped mid-sentence when he 
noticed an envelope partially under the door.  "Scully, how long has that 
been there?"  Scully looked at the envelope. 
 
"It couldn't have been long."  Mulder pulled out his gun and opened the door.  
He couldn't see anyone for quite a distance and went back in.  Scully had put 
on a pair of surgical gloves and was reading the letter she had found in the 
envelope.  "Mulder, read this."  Mulder walked over behind Scully and read 
over her shoulder. 
 
You'll have to be smarter than a Fox to catch me Red! 
The Grim Reaper 
 
Scully wordlessly folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope.  She 
placed both objects in a bag and put everything in her briefcase.  "We should 
bring this to the lab.  There could be fingerprints or other evidence." 
 
"Scully, we'll get this guy.  I promise."  Scully gave her partner a small smile 
and locked the door to her place behind Mulder. 
 
 
***** 
 
 
"I promise, I promise.  Is that all you can say Fox?"  _He_ had seen 
everything.  The time was near.  It was going to be interesting to see what 
happened when _he_ finished _his_ mission.  "That's right Red.  Tick 
Tock!" 
 
 
***** 

 
After bringing the letter to the lab, they went downstairs to their office to 
wait for the results.  Scully tried to look busy, but Mulder noticed her staring
at one page for almost fifteen minutes. 
 
"You want to talk?" Mulder asked.  Scully snapped out of her daze and 
looked at her partner. 
 
"About what?" 
 
"About New York, about now, about anything?" 
 
Scully took a deep breath before replying.  "Do you ever think your job is 
hopeless?  I mean, we barely get the guy in New York, and there's someone 
waiting to take his place.  It sometimes feels like it's never going to end." 
 
Mulder knew exactly how she felt.  He would close one case only to find 
three more open.  He kept on going because of Samantha.  He didn't know 
why Scully kept going on his crazy trips, following even crazier hunches.  
That was what intrigued him so much about her. 
 
"He was waiting for you, you know," Scully suddenly said.  Mulder knew she 
was referring to Taylor.  She hadn't told him what really happened.  All he 
knew was that when he had gone to pick her up at the hotel they had been 
staying at to check out a possible hiding place, a few days ago, and she was 
gone.  And when he found her six hours later, she was heavily drugged and 
close to a comatose state.  "That was his mistake.  Somehow he knew that 
just killing me and having you find me dead wasn't good enough.  He wanted 
you to see it."  Scully had been reliving those six hours over and over again 
since they had happened.  She had gone to sleep in the hotel room, but had 
woken up in some abandoned warehouse.  He had drugged her as soon as he 
had noticed her eyelids flutter open.  She hadn't been knocked out 
completely, but she had to lie completely still or she became violently dizzy.  
She had lay there for almost six hours listening to Taylor caller 'Red' and 
explaining that he was waiting for Mulder to arrive.  He had somehow 
known that they had finally figured out what area he was hiding in.  
However, he had miscalculated Mulder.  He figured the police would come in 
with their usual bravado and have a chance to kill her and possibly a few 
other cops.  Had he known Mulder better, he would've known that he wasn't 
going to chance his partner's life to anyone else.  He had quietly entered the 
warehouse, and tricked Taylor into firing at him.  Luckily, Taylor missed.  
Mulder fired back in 'self-defence' and had hit his target.  Taylor had been 
shot right in the head and had died instantly.  To Scully, the whole thing 
appeared as though it was happening in slow motion.  She had managed to 
stay conscious long enough to call Mulder to her side and smile.  He had said 
something but her world had already turned to black.  She had successfully 
slept off the drug overnight in a hospital, given her statement to the local 
police and had left with Mulder. 
 
"I don't think I ever really thanked you for saving my life." 
 
Mulder shrugged, "What are partners for?"  But both knew that there 
partnership was a friendship, and that didn't need to be said.  The phone 
rang on Mulder's desk.  "Mulder...Nothing huh?...Yeah, I'll tell her...Thanks 
Charlie."  Mulder hung up the phone and faced his partner.  "That was 
Charlie from the lab.  The note and the envelope were clean."  Mulder 
looked at his watch.  It was already 6:00 pm.  Somehow, they had skipped 
lunch.  <That explains the rumbling in my stomach,> he thought.  "You in 
the mood for some burgers?" 
 
"I guess.  What time is it?" 
 
"Six." 
 
"Already?  No wonder my stomach is arguing with me." 
 
"Mine too.  Sounds like an earthquake.  Come on, my treat." 
 
They got up from their desks, and Mulder helped Scully with her coat and 
shrugged on his. 
 
******************** 
 
After a dinner of two hamburgers plus all of his fries and most of Scully's, 
Mulder was finally satisfied.  Scully had eaten a club sandwich and spent 
most of her time watching the human vacuum cleaner across from her.  
Mulder had said something about dessert but after a stern 'doctor' look from 
Scully, he managed to convince her to get some for home for later.  Scully 
knew that 'later' meant as soon as they walked through the door. 
 
Sure enough, Scully went into Mulder's room to change out of her suit, and 
when she joined her partner in the living room he had just taken the last bite 
of cheesecake.  He saw her enter the room and smiled sheepishly. 
 
"Mulder, I don't know how you managed to live this long." 
 
Mulder held up a plastic bag, "Sunflower seeds."  Scully shook her head and 
went into the kitchen. 
 
"Feel like a cup of tea?" 
 
"Sure, sounds great.  Need help?" 
 
"No, I've got it." 
 
Just then Mulder's phone rang.  "Mulder...You what?...What did he 
say?...<Long pause>...okay, what's the address?  Got it...Thanks Charlie.  I 
owe you one." 
 
"What's up?"  Scully asked as she brought in two mugs of steaming tea.  She 
handed one to Mulder and sat down. 
 
"Thanks.  That was Charlie, they found the guy who lives in the old Voight 
place.  Turns out this guy walked calmly into the house, and came running 
out screaming a few minutes later.  He encountered the two Agents who were 
watching the house and started telling them that his bedroom was covered in 
pictures of some female with blood all over them.  According to the agents 
on the scene, this guy was scared, had no idea who you are and had no 
explanation for the pictures and blood.  When questioned further, the suspect 
couldn't account for his actions for the last two days.  Turns out he was in 
Washington D.C., and bumped into a police officer.  He felt a slight 
electrical shock, like the kind caused by static electricity.  Then he found 
himself in his house looking at the wall of pictures.  He also vaguely 
remembers a warehouse, he had the address written down on a piece of paper 
in his pocket.  They've got him in a cell downtown, but he's still sticking to 
his story.  The Bureau has already checked out the warehouse and found 
nothing." 
 
Scully had sat there, sipping her tea and absorbing the information Mulder 
had just given her.  She turned over all the evidence in her head, trying to 
piece it all together.  "Mulder, I hate to say this, but how does this 
information fit into your theory?" 
 
"First, there is usually a small electrical shock when a spirit is transferred 
from one host to another.  There are hundreds of documented cases attesting 
to this.  Secondly, if it is the spirit of Taylor, that would explain the presence 
of the pictures, the warehouse and the continuity of the notes which refer to you 
as 'Red'." 
 
"Okay, if Taylor was using this guy as a host, where is he now?" 
 
Mulder had no answer for that.  "Maybe the warehouse will contain some 
clues about that." 
 
"Why not?" 
 
Scully put her mug down and put her coat on.  Mulder did the same. 
 
******************** 
 
_He_ watched them drive up to the warehouse and wanted for them to enter 
before leaving _his_ latest host.  _He_ followed them and savoured every 
moment.  _He_ had already ensured that everything was in place.  This time 
Red would not survive.  _He_ watched them enter the room where _he_ had 
everything set-up, then made _his_ move.  Mulder wasn't expecting a thing. 
 
 
***** 
 
 
Mulder felt a slight shock.  The he was Mulder no longer.  "Hello Red." 
 
Scully whirled around and found her partner pointing his gun at her head. 
 
"So Red, you thought you could get away huh?  I told you that I would have 
my way.  Well, here I am." 
 
Mulder's voice had changed to Taylor and her partner's eyes were ice. 
 
"Where's Mulder?" 
 
"Oh he's here.  Just temporarily pushed to the back.  Don't think about doing 
anything either, because you'll only be hurting Mulder.  Now, drop your 
gun." 
 
Scully slowly lowered her gun to the floor.  She knew Taylor was right, she 
couldn't hurt Taylor without hurting Mulder.  She needed more time to 
think, to plan. 
 
"How do I know Mulder is still there?  I want to talk to him." 
 
Taylor thought about this and agreed.  "Just for a moment."  Taylor 
momentarily let Mulder's consciousness come through. 
 
"Scully," Mulder said in his own voice, "remember Jack." 
 
"That's enough!"  Taylor was back.  "What was Mulder talking about?  
Who's Jack?" 
 
"I don't know."  Scully lied.  She thought back to that night.  <When had 
Jack been Jack?> she though to herself.  <When he died.>  She couldn't kill 
Mulder.  Besides, that wouldn't ensure that Taylor couldn't find another host.  
No, there had to be another answer.  But she needed more time.  "Taylor, 
why are you doing this?  Why did you kill those other women?  Maybe I can 
help." 
 
"You can't help.  Nobody can.  Oh, they tried to get me to go to those 
psychiatrists, but they tried to blame it all on my parents.  Can you believe it?  
Those professionals, who didn't know me from any other guy on the street, 
tried to blame my problems on my folks!" 
 
<It's working,> thought Scully, <he's not focusing anymore.>  "Why?  
_wasn't_ it your parent's fault?" 
 
"NO!  You're just like all the other female doctors!  My parents were great 
people!  They loved me!  They...What, what's happening?" 
 
Scully couldn't believe her eyes.  Taylor had left Mulder's body and had 
manifested himself above Mulder.  Mulder slumped to the floor unconscious. 
 
"No!  I need a host!  I must finish!" 
 
Scully looked around the room and spotted a cloth and a bottle of chloroform 
on a table.  <He can't survive much longer and he obviously needs a 
conscious host.>  She ran over to the table.  "Taylor, you're weak!  You're 
nothing without a host!" 
 
"That's not true!  I am strong!  I will finish my task!" 
 
"How?  You need a host, or you'll die.  Again!" 
 
"I can use you." 
 
"No!  You need a conscious host.  You've given me the tools to make that 
impossible.  What are you going to do Taylor?"  Scully watched as Taylor's 
full form began to slowly disappear.  Mulder was still unconscious and 
Taylor was getting desperate.  He edged closer to Scully.  She grabbed the 
bottle and moved away from him.  Taylor's form was holding steady in it's 
present state.  Scully had to weaken him more, or she'd loose.  "You're 
pathetic Taylor!  Taking a host who represents the very thing you hate!"  
Scully slowly unscrewed the bottle of chloroform.  She had to time this 
perfectly.  Soon Taylor would be weak enough to take a change and try to use 
her body as a host.  Scully had to breathe in the chloroform at just the right 
time. 
 
"You're just a means to an end!" 
 
"You're just trying to justify this!  You're last minutes on this earth and 
you're going to take the form of a female doctor!  You're worst nightmare!"  
Taylor's form started to dim.  <He's going to try soon,> thought Scully.  She 
was right.  Taylor came right towards her.  Scully felt the slight electric 
shock of contact, but managed to deeply inhale the chloroform.  As she 
slipped into oblivion, she heard Taylor's screams of defeat. 
 
 
******************** 
 
When Mulder opened his eyes, he found himself face down on a cold 
concrete floor.  He tried to remember where he was.  He had driven Scully to 
the warehouse and had walked in with her.  He had felt a slight electrical 
shock...Taylor.  Taylor had been there.  Bits and pieces came back to him.  
The last thing he remembered was Scully taunting Taylor.  <Oh god, 
Scully.>  Mulder propped himself up but could only see the door they had 
come in.  He slowly turned around and saw Scully's unmoving form about 
twenty feet away.  <Please let her be alive,> thought Mulder.  As he made his 
way over to her, he could smell something sweet in the air.  He saw a brown 
bottle close to his partner's hand and read the label.  Chloroform.  Mulder 
was a bit confused, and hoped that Scully had only been drugged.  He felt for 
a pulse and found one.  He placed Scully's head in his lap and gently woke 
her. 
 
"Scully, Scully it's Mulder." 
 
Scully stirred and opened her eyes to find her partner's face above her.  She 
focused on his eyes, and smiled.  It was Mulder.  "Hi partner.  How are you 
doing?" 
 
"Been better.  You?" 
 
"Well, I seemed to have spilled chloroform all over me, but that's a small 
price to pay for getting rid of Taylor."  Scully sat up slowly, since her head 
was spinning.  She had inhaled a lot more chloroform than she had intended. 
 
"So, I guess you'll really be known now as 'Mrs. Spooky' huh?  I mean, it's 
not every Agent who get's a chance to be a 'Ghost buster'." 
 
Scully gave her partner 'the look'.  <Yep,> she thought to herself, <it's 
definitely Mulder.>  They continued to sit on the floor in the warehouse as 
Scully told Mulder what had happened.  As Scully filled her partner in, she 
knew that she was one step closer to understanding him, and one step closer 
to being a believer. 
 
The End.