Title-Lightening Shadows VII-Destiny=Chance, Free Will, And Necessity Author-Elizabeth L. Iacono Rating-PG Category-Story, Romance (and an X-File in there too for once-I stink at writing them.) Keywords-Mulder/Scully Romance Spoilers-Detour, Squeeze, Eve, Redux II Summary-A seemingly routine X-File introduces Mulder and Scully to two kids that can lead them to Mulder's past. Archive-Please do, Gossamer especially, just tell me where it goes. Well, I'm finally at part seven. This part may not be as good as the others, I've got the worst case of writer's block, but I've finally got an idea for this. They always say you should write about what you know, so I'm sending our favorite agents to Staten Island. If anyone from there is reading this, there may be some...who am I kidding...quite a few inconsistent things with the island, but I don't have a map and haven't been back in a few years so please don't flame me. And my apologies to Notre Dame Academy and High School. In reality, they're all girls schools, but for literary sake I'm making them co-ed. Although I think my friends and I would have enjoyed co-ed while we were there. Some notes about the story: It's an alternate universe where "The End" and the Movie never happened. I started this before the season premiere, and I couldn't make them fit in this world. So after Folie a Deux this splits off into a whole 'nother universe. Mulder is not colorblind. Why? Because I don't want him to be. If anyone has trouble picturing Scully as what she finds out she is in this story, I have just two words for you: 'The Magician'. If you're puzzled, just keep reading. You'll see what I'm talking about. For those of you who read or remember their children's books, the character of Alec Ramsay is supposed to have the same name as the character in the books The Black Stallion Series. The title Lightening Shadows is from there too: Book 9, The Black Stallion Revolts, Chapter 17, Lightening Shadows, which is about finding the true identity of a person. Mulder and Scully are already involved as of Lightening Shadows V-Starting Out On A Journey. I'll list 'em all below. Lightening Shadows Series: Lightening Shadows I-Far Away, Long Ago Lightening Shadows II-Glowing Dim As An Ember Lightening Shadows III-What Child Is This? Lightening Shadows IV-Raindrops On Roses Lightening Shadows V-Starting Out On A Journey Lightening Shadows VI-Two Viewpoints Lightening Shadows VII-Destiny=Chance, Free Will, And Necessity Feedback will be eagerly received and responded to. I don't get alot, and any help you have to offer with my stories is always good. The addy is RhiaRamsay@aol.com. And thanks to all the people who sent me such encouraging feedback on the first six parts. Oh, yeah, I forgot. The X-Files, Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, and Walter Skinner are property of CC, 1013, and Fox. However... I do own Jerome and Catriona Ramsay, Colin and Juniper Ramsay, and their kids, Alec and Robynne, Johnathan Parker and Shannon Ramsay-Parker, their kids Sage, Connor, Brian, and Juliette, and Molly Addison and her family. The rest are minor characters I don't feel like giving names to right now. If you want to borrow the characters, just e-mail me. Lightening Shadows VI-Destiny=Chance, Free Will, And Necessity By Elizabeth L. Iacono Part One-Sleeping Beauties and Witches Thursday, September 24, 1998 5:50 a.m. "Mulder," Dana Scully sighed, trying to rouse the sleeping man. It wasn't her fault Skinner had called up at 5:30 in the morning for a new case for them. She'd already gotten ready (by the grace of God in twenty minutes no less), and now set herself to the hard task of rousing Mulder from his sound sleep. "Mulder, get up!" she said louder, but to no avail. As a last ditch resort, in order to get him up quickly, she reached out and yanked hard on his right ear. That finally worked. Fox Mulder's eyes shot open, and searched her out. "What time is it?" he asked groggily, rubbing his ear. "Almost six a.m. We've got to be at work in half an hour. Skinner's got a new case for us." Mulder groaned and pushed himself up off the mattress. "All right, I'm awake." Scully smiled. "Go take a shower. I'll make some coffee." As she walked out of the bedroom, Mulder called out to her. "Hey, Scully, why'd you pull my ear to wake me up?" She looked thoughtful for a second. "I don't know. I guess I just felt like it. Why?" He shrugged. "It...it just felt familiar somehow." "Another dream?" Scully asked. Mulder had been open with her about his dreams, and what he remembered about the almost four years of his life before he was living with the Mulders. Unfortunately, it wasn't much; there were no names, dates, or anything else they could investigate. He shook his head. "No, just a really strong sense of deja vu." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 6:35 a.m. Skinner's office "Come in, Agents," Skinner said, and they walked past him to the familiar chairs in front of his desks. Skinner followed them and also sat. He reached into a large envelope and pulled out a file folder with the traditional markings of an X-File. "You started an X-File on this, sir?" Mulder questioned, puzzled. Skinner looked up at him. "I think you'll see it fits in the X-Files." He opened the file. "Since September 4th, four kids, from the same class at the same school, have been found in the woods surrounding the school in what appears to be a catatonic state." "Have any of the victims died?" Scully asked. "No," Skinner said. "The police officer who called the FBI, a Captain Paul Avery, had said there was no change in their states since they were found." "So where are we going?" Mulder asked. Scully could see that tell tale gleam in his eyes that spoke of eagerness to get started on the case. "Staten Island, New York. You have a flight into Kennedy airport that leaves at 8:30 this morning, and you're to meet up with Captain Avery at Precinct 121, on New Dorp Road. The directions are in here." Skinner handed over the file. "Is that all, sir?" Mulder said. "Yes, you're excused, Agents." Mulder and Scully got up and walked to the door. "Oh, and Agents," Skinner said, making them turn. "Please behave, not like how you were in the video store." Both agents blushed furiously and rushed out the door. "He's not going to let us forget that, is he?" Scully muttered to Mulder. Mulder grinned back. "I sure won't." What had happened was one night, a few weeks ago, Mulder and Scully had decided to go rent a video at the small place near Mulder's apartment. While they thought they were alone, they shared a rather hot kiss. Neither one noticed when Skinner, of all people, walked down the row and began to smirk when he saw them in a lip lock. They finally separated when they heard someone clear their throat-and then they saw Skinner. You can only guess what happened next. But through all the excuses Skinner just raised a hand to stop them. "I won't say anything if you don't. And frankly, it's about time," he said, smiling and walked off in the other direction. Mulder and Scully looked at each other, and smiled. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 10:25 a.m. Precinct 121, New Dorp, Staten Island Scully stepped out of the car and looked up at the police station. It looked like one out of an old movie, with wide stairs leading up to wooden doors set in an all brick building. Mulder walked up beside her, placed the customary hand on her back (usually the only physical contact they allowed while on duty), and guided her up the stairs into the bustling precinct. They stopped at the front desk, where a uniformed cop, who actually looked at little young to be a cop, was sitting with his feet propped up on the desk, reading a newspaper. Mulder put his hand down rather heavily on the desk, and the cop looked up at him. "How can I help you?" he asked. "We're Agents Mulder and Scully with the FBI. We're here to see Captain Avery," Mulder said in his most amiable tone. "Oh, yeah," the young cop said and reached for the intercom. "Captain, the FBI's here to see you." The intercom crackled to life. -Okay, send them in.- The young cop pointed to a closed door with a brass nameplate behind him. "Right through there." "Thank you," Scully said, and they set off between the many desks of the bullpen of the precinct. When they reached the door, Mulder knocked, and quickly it was answered by an older man of average height with greying hair in a well made suit. "I'm Agent Scully and this is Agent Mulder," she introduced. Avery stuck his hand out to both of them. "Captain Paul Avery," he said with a pronounced Brooklyn accent. "Good to have you here," he said, and ushered them to the seats in front of his desks. As he sat down, Mulder idly wondered how many other officers had sat in those seats getting a chewing out from their captain for something they did wrong. He laughed a little to himself. It was a situation he was very familiar with. Before Mulder's thoughts could linger any further, Avery began to speak again. "I've got to tell you, this case has us all stumped." "What exactly are the details?" Mulder asked. We looked at the file you sent us, but it doesn't hold too much. No suspects, no possible motive..." "There aren't any. We're not even sure it's a person doing this." Scully saw Mulder's eyes light up but before he could follow that train of thought Avery continued. "It's possible it's some kind of virus or disease." "Do you think it will be possible for us to see the kids?" Scully asked. She wanted to verify if in fact this was a virus. Avery nodded. "That can be your first stop. I've already informed the parents of the kids that there will be FBI agents dropping in soon." "What about the kids?" Mulder asked. "Is there anything special about them that would make them targets?" Avery flipped open his own version of the file Mulder and Scully had. He began reading off the kids' names and the dates when they were found. "Jenna Dreiser, found September 21st, Adam Douglas, September 16th, Michelle Sellers, September 4th, and Peter Lanson, September 10th. They're all in the same Junior class at Notre Dame High School. There's nothing here that indicates they were major figures in anything. Average students, all involved in extra-curricular activities, but none in any position of note." "What about the woods where they were found?" Scully questioned. "It's hardly a woods. Just a small part of a forest that's privately owned by the people who live there on the side of Grimes Hill. The school kids usually use it as a short cut to get down to the bus stops on Victory Boulevard and Silver Lake Park. We've already went through the place with a fine tooth comb-nothing." Mulder looked up from where he was paging through the file. "Is that how all the victims were found, by other kids passing through?" "No, the first one was found in there by police; she'd been missing for a few days and believed to be a runaway. The next two were also found in there by us; we'd made a lucky guess. At that point though, we hadn't told anyone save the parents of the kids and the force where exactly the kids were found. The fourth one was found by a Molly Addison this past Monday afternoon. If you'd like, we have her address here and you can interview her tonight. She works during the afternoon." "Okay, thank you, Captain. We'll keep you posted on our progress," Scully said as she and Mulder got up. "Hey, it's no problem. I'm just glad someone's going to find out what's wrong with the kids. They don't deserve to have this happen to them," Avery said as they departed. "No, they don't," Mulder said, and shut the door behind them. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 11:00 a.m. Staten Island University Hospital Mulder groaned as he navigated the gravelly parking lot, looking for a space. Luckily, they found a spot close to the hospital. Scully winced as she stepped out of the car, her ankle twisting on the loose gravel. For not the first time, she wondered why the hell she felt it was necessary to make up for her lack of height wearing 3-inch heels. Especially when it prevented her from walking through gravel parking lots without breaking her ankles. She looked over at Mulder in his classic business shoes, and sighed. He looked over at her with a strange look on his face, but then shrugged it off. "So which one do we start with?" he asked. "I figure we start with Jenna Dreiser. I'm planning to do another tox screen on her, there might be a better chance of finding anything inordinate in the system. The parents gave us permission for tests." "I'm sure they want their children back," Mulder said, a little absently, his thoughts wandering back into the past. Scully looked over at him and noticed the faraway look in his eyes. She reached over and took his hand. "Fox, stay with me here." He glanced at her, still a little spaced out. "We've got a case to solve, which we can do." He smiled slightly. "I need my partner here with me, not twenty-four years in the past." She rubbed the back of his hand, wishing she could offer him more, but they were in a public parking lot. Mulder shook himself out of his stupor and straightened up. He squeezed Scully's hand back then reluctantly released it. "Let's go find out what's wrong with these kids," he said with a determined edge to his voice. At the front desk they asked for directions to the ward where the kids were, and then swiftly followed the nurse's directions. They reached Jenna Dreiser's room and knocked on the door gently. A short woman with curly blond hair and a tired face opened it. "Yes?" she asked wearily. Scully took the lead first. She had a better talent for dealing with the families of the victims. "Mrs. Dreiser, I'm Agent Scully and this is Agent Mulder. We're here about your daughter." The woman nodded. "Please come in." She shut the door behind them and offered them the two chairs in the room. Scully took a look around the room. In the bed near the window lay Jenna, her blond hair gleaming in the sunlight. Her chest moved up and down every few seconds, breathing regularly. Jenna's parents had all but moved in. The other bed in the room had been slept in, and various clothes, books, and other household items dispersed between the get well cards and bouquets of flowers. "How has she been the past few days?" Scully began. "Fine," Mrs. Dreiser said tiredly. "It's just like she's been in a really long sleep." "What was she doing right before this happened?" Mulder took up the line of questioning. "She was on her way to field hockey practice. The shortest way to get to the park is straight down the side of the hill, so the girls say," Mrs. Dreiser commented, running a hand through her hair. "The girls?" Mulder asked. "The rest of the field hockey team. They all regularly use that way." Scully looked down at Jenna's medical chart, then back up at Mrs. Dreiser. "Mrs. Dreiser, you gave us permission to do some bloodwork on Jenna. Is it okay if we do that now?" "Sure, whatever you need to. Just try and get her better," she said with tired eyes. Scully and Mulder stood up. "We'll be right back to take the blood," Scully said, and they walked out the door. "So what do you think, Scully?" Mulder asked as soon as they got out of the room. "I don't know. From the charts it appears they're in a state of deep sleep." "They are," came from a voice behind them. Mulder and Scully turned around to see a young doctor in lab coat and jeans. He walked up to them and stuck his hand out. "I'm Doctor DeLuca. I'm the doctor for the four kids." Mulder and Scully both shook the doctor's hand. "You were saying something about the kids being in a state of deep sleep?" Scully said, echoing DeLuca's statement from before. DeLuca nodded. "According to the tests we ran, there is nothing physically wrong with them. Their brains, though, appear to be in a state of deep sleep." Mulder recalled a bit of information from the file. "So the first one, Michelle Sellers, she's been asleep, so to say, since at least September 4th?" "Yes, and with no change," DeLuca said with a straight face. "We've tried waking them up using various methods, chemical and physical stimulants, but none have worked." "Doctor, the parents of the kids have given us permission to run some blood tests. Is there a lab here where I could possibly get the results?" Scully asked using her nicest voice. "Yeah, just check in with the nurses desk at the end of this hallway and one should be in shortly to take the blood." "Actually, I'm a doctor so I'll take the blood and perform the tests myself," Scully said, not trusting anyone's results but her own. "No problem. The nurses'll give you the equipment then." "Okay, then, thank you for your time," Scully said. DeLuca nodded and walked into the room of another patient. Mulder looked over at Scully. "I'm going to go talk to the other parents, see what they say about this, and how they're coping," Mulder whispered to Scully. "All right, I'll take care of these tests. I'll check in with you in a little bit." They walked off in separate directions, each to take care of their jobs. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 5:45 p.m. Dragon's Den Bookstore, Manor Road The Dragon's Den Bookstore was the ground floor of an old Victorian style building. On the top of the building, carved into the brickwork was the date 1887, signifying when it was built. Inside the Dragon's Den, the store was well furnished, from its dark wood-paneled walls with matching shelves lining the walls and taking up place in the center of the store. In the front of the store, in front of the big bay windows, was a few tables and comfortable chairs where people could relax and read if they so wished. The store was simply decorated, the only outstanding thing was on the back wall. It was a large carving of a very regal looking dragon, painted in with vibrant colors, so vibrant, it seemed the dragon was a real, living, breathing, creature. Molly Addison sat at the lone cashier in the in the store, her feet propped up on the counter the cashier rested on. Her flaming red hair was pulled back sleekly into a ponytail. In her lap a history book rested, now ignored at the prospect of delving into a new novel that had just arrived. Suddenly a voice cried out from the storage room in the back. "Molly, get in here now!" the voice of a woman called to her. Molly dropped both books on the counter and ran for the back, her long legs covering the distance quickly. She skidded into the storage room to see a stack of boxes close to tipping over. The only thing keeping them from falling to the ground was a tall, brown-haired woman bracing them from one side. "Molly, make sure they don't fall!" Shannon Ramsay-Parker spoke through gritted teeth. "Okay," Molly said, and stared hard at the wobbling stack. For a second, nothing happened, but then, the irises of Molly's grey-blue eyes began to move like the sky before a storm. The boxes that were teetering now steadied out and slowly glided to the floor, landing neatly in a row. Her eyes cleared up and she grinned at Shannon. Sometimes it was good to be a Witch. Shannon straightened up and dusted off her hands. "Yet another example of why being a Witch is at sometimes better than being a Dragon," she muttered Molly's way. "We can't help how we're born," Molly tossed over her shoulder as she walked back into the store. "Hey, Shannon, d'you think I could leave now?" she asked as Shannon followed her back into the store. "I've got that history test tomorrow." "Oh, yeah, the one Alec's been whining about all week." Shannon paused for a second. Alec was her nephew, and Molly's best friend, both of whom worked in the bookstore. "Do you know why he took off today? He didn't give me a reason yesterday." "There's a track meet today. For some reason, the school tries to ignore the fact that the track team is doing stellar compared to how our usually all-star varsity football team is doing. No one really brings it up when there's a meet," Molly said with an ironic grin on her face. "You got to wonder about these people," Shannon said thoughtfully. "Go on home. I'll close up here, and be out by 6:30." "Thank you," Molly said gratefully, and ran behind the counter to get her backpack. She tossed the history book in there, zipped it up, then reached for her beat-up denim jacket, and then slipped it on over her plain blue tank top. "I'll be here tomorrow, right after practice." "Gotcha. See you then," Shannon called as Molly ran out the door and down the street to get home as quick as possible. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX END PART ONE-Sleeping Beauties and Witches