"Are you all right, Fox?" She said with a smirk on her face. She knew he hated his name and even worse, she wouldn’t stop calling him by it. No matter how many times he requested her not to. Maybe, he said to himself, that will be the excuse. He stopped himself again and sighed. That won’t work either. Oh, the hell with it, just say it, he said to himself.

"Yes, well no, actually." Mulder looked at her now. She smiled back at him.

"Well, which is it? Yes or no, Fox?" She smiled again and then her face turned serious, almost calculating. She reached over and took his hand in hers. "This was a very good idea. We don’t spend enough time away from the office….and your apartment," she said seductively lowering her eyes and then refocusing back on him. Mulder was unaffected and that was exactly why they were now sitting here.

Six months ago, those eyes made him think things and do things he never expected he would. He knew all about inter office relationships, never really had the heart for them, but Haley had been different. She was as much on the move as himself. She wanted power, control, and top notch VCS cases ever since she arrived in the FBI, almost two years ago. He wanted to climb the ladder as well. That’s why the first night and several nights, weeks and months after that, were fine with Mulder. She was fun and she didn’t attach to him, like others did. Haley was neutral about matters such as love and relationships. Mulder had thought that was what made this situation unique…and perfect. Unfortunately, he hadn’t thought about how it would make him feel. He seemed to have that problem in relationships. He was too busy making certain they both could walk away and not careful enough of his own feelings.

Haley smiled again at him, rubbing his hand in hers. "So, Fox, what are we celebrating tonight? Did you solve your case on the all American teacher turned psychopathic murderer?" Haley lowered her eyes once more, Mulder looked up at her and let out a long breath.

"Actually, we caught that guy over a month ago and two other serial murderers since then." He took another breath and let go of her hand. "I think we’ve gone through enough, don’t you?" His eyes stayed focused on the brown ones in front of him. He was gauging her reaction to the last statement. He was very good at reading people, sometimes, too good. It made him forget that he was involved with them, that he had something to gain or lose from them as well.

"What do you mean, Fox?" She sat up in her chair, looking directly at him, though she wouldn’t hold his glance for more than a second before looking down at the table. That’s when Mulder knew she knew what he was talking about and that’s when Mulder knew this night was going to be longer than he had hoped.

"Don’t bat your eyes and give that blank stare, Haley, we both know you’re no good at playing dumb." Mulder stared into her eyes leaning on the table. "You know what I’m talking about. It’s best if we just leave it at that." Having opened the door, Mulder leaned back bracing himself for the onslaught he could see in Haley Atkinson’s eyes.

"Okay, I get it, but it doesn’t have to be like this. Look, I wasn’t looking for anything neither were you, I had thought. Are you trying to tell me you were, Fox?" Mulder was now the one to shift uncomfortably, she was obviously not feeling the same way she had six months ago and it was all too obvious to Mulder, this was not going to be easy to explain. "If you were looking for something more, you should have told me."

"No, it’s not that," Mulder sighed again. "Listen Haley…"

"Good, then everything’s settled. We can continue as we were and if you find something or someone else just let me know." She reached over squeezed his hand and sipped her wine. "Can we order now?"

"Atkinson…." He started to yell and then realized he wasn’t in the office anymore. No matter how much telling her had originally bothered and frustrated him these past few days, he almost wanted to thank her, for now none of it nor her reaction bothered him anymore. "Haley," he said softly. She wanted to use the eyes, I’ll use the voice, he thought quickly. "You’re right. I’m looking for something else. Unfortunately, it’s something you can’t help me with right now." He stood up, took out his wallet, threw down some money, trying hard not to think of the past six months as a bad thing not worth his efforts or the money as payment for services rendered, but rather a moment he would like to shred from his ever perfect memory.

"Fox, come on. All right, listen at least eat dinner with me," she smiled up at him, taking his hand. "You wouldn’t take that pleasure away, would you? And look, I do understand and I think that’s great, Fox, really. Come on, we can still be friends, can’t we?" She smiled again, lowering her eyes.

Mulder sat down again and pawned it off as his own weakness towards the opposite sex. Well, he thought, I am breaking up with her and she’s taking it well. Be nice, eat this last dinner together. Be civilized and mature. Of course, all he was thinking about was how much he wanted to leave this restaurant and her. He had made a decision and he had work to do…lots of work.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, they ordered and waited for someone to speak first. He was surprised when she did.

"Listen, Fox, I’ve got this case for you. I know you’ll like it. It’s strange." She leaned on the table looking at Mulder. Mulder appeared interested, so she continued. "Okay, you know that serial murder, the one who raped all those women after he killed them?"

"Yea, the Mississippi Strangler. I thought you and Jones caught that guy last month?" Mulder looked at her intently now. He knew what she was doing and he didn’t like it. Relationship or not. He knew what Haley Atchikson was about to say next.

"Well, we thought we had him, but it turns out the guy didn’t fit the profile and he had alibis for all the murders, good alibis. Anyway, I went down and I tried to think…."

"Don’t Haley." Mulder said simply. He hated to see her do this. It was the one thing he knew he would never have any control over when it came to Haley’s obsessions. She looked at him now, blankly staring in his direction. Her mind was playing over crime detail and crime scenes over and over. "Look, I’m going to be honest. This is the reason why we can’t be together anymore."

"Because of the Strangler?" She laughed quickly and then stopped suddenly when she saw Mulder’s stone faced expression.

"You’re doing it again. Everytime you get involved with one of these serial killers or mass murders, you try to become them. You obsess Haley, and it’s not healthy. More than that, there is no point to it." She started to say something, but Mulder cut her off. "No, you’re going to listen. You are good agent, you’re a great agent, but you can never solve all of the cases. You’ll make yourself crazy if you try and get yourself killed or committed." He knew he had a tendency for doing the same thing, but not entirely like Atkinson. She would submerge herself into the case with a mortal intensity. An intensity that almost challenged his and it scared him. He had seen her lose days, weeks, even months wrapped up in these killers. She wouldn’t just think like them, she would literally become them. Instead of getting into their heads, they would get into hers and then it would happen. She tried it all, drugs, alcohol, shrinks, anything you could think of to make herself more like them. Obsession is what everyone called it. And the really frightening part was she only did it with serial murderers ones who had a special knack for killing. A special way of doing it. It often made Mulder wonder about her. He knew she was smart, he knew she was ambitious, but the length of her ambitions he was never sure about.

At this moment, he almost regretted leaving her. She would submerge herself into another case, into another dementia and he would be helpless to fight her. He always had been. He could make her see reason for one night, but then it was over and she would be back to her obsession by afternoon the next day. It frustrated him, and as hard as it would be to leave her in another one of these moments, he wasn’t turning back now.

He hadn’t been lying when he told her he found something else, he had. For the past few months, Mulder had stumbled across the X Files. Cases, long ago hidden and forgotten in a basement office with the copier of the FBI building. How he ended up there one night or why he kept coming back to them were a mystery even to him. But he kept reading them and it brought back memories, memories he had kept deeply hidden inside of him. Memories of his childhood and his sister, Samatha, the night of her abduction and the loneliness he’s felt since then. The loneliness no one could ever fill. He had tried to. Women, work, but nothing ever subsided the nightmares and feeling alone. Nothing and no one and he resigned himself to this fact. He would request to work on these forgotten cases, unsolvable by the best agents in the Bureau, strange and bizarre murders, abductions and sightings, but he would work on them. They were forgotten and so would he be if he could just let tonight be over and past him.

Haley and him were no good for each other. Both too interested in other things, both heading down different paths. That’s why he had come to this decision and now, he looked over at her. She sat there still and quiet, waiting for him to say more…to say something else.

"I’m sorry, Haley, but I can’t go through this with you again." Mulder took her hand and smiled at her. "You need to follow your own way and I do too."

"So that’s it. What is really going on, Mulder?" She said in an authoritative voice. Mulder knew she wasn’t dumb and using the name he preferred, told him she wasn’t done with him yet either. "There’s something else here. Is it someone?" She let go of his hand.

"No, look I’m leaving the VCS, Haley. I’ve thought about it and I can’t keep doing this."

"Doing what? What do you mean you’re leaving? The Bureau?" She stared at him.

"No, the VCS. I have another….division I would like to go into. I’ve done some research and I think…."

"You’re going after those files downstairs, aren’t you? You’re going to request to be transferred to work on them. I knew you would." Her voice and tone told Mulder what she thought of that. He knew she wouldn’t approve. They had had this conversation a little while ago and at least, he figured, she did pay attention once in a while to what was going on. "Mulder, you are going to be the laughing-stock of the bureau. I told you this. They are going to think you’re crazy."

"I don’t care what they think, Haley. I know what I believe."

"UFOs and Aliens? Werewolves and vampires? Are these the types of cases you want to be remembered for? I thought you wanted more than just to be forgotten about? I thought you wanted…."

"That’s the point, Haley, you don’t know what I want. I’ve been working on these cases for two months. I solved two all ready and now I’m going to be asked to have the X Files re-opened. I need this, but you can’t see that can you?" Mulder was getting extremely irritated and tried hard to keep control. Why did everyone have to react like this? His friends, his partner and now Haley. The X Files were legitimate cases that could never be solved. Cases the Bureau put away because they were different, strange, and not entirely plausible.

"Is this about the nightmares, Fox?" She said sympathetically. She had experienced his nightmares starting a few months ago and although he hardly told her what they were, she was aware of his 8 year old sister who was kidnapped from their house one night and never found again.

"No.." Mulder said softly. He was slowly beginning to lose his resolve in this conservation and beginning to seriously doubt why he had even told her. "Listen Haley, I hope you catch your killer, but really I should be going." Mulder stood up again, this time Haley caught his hand.

"Don’t leave like this, Fox. I enjoyed the last six months, truly." She smiled at him and stood up, facing him. "I hope you find what you’re looking for…and someone to share it with, someday Fox Mulder. You deserve that." Without hesitation, Haley leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips, he returned the kiss, smiled and walked away.

That was the last time he had spoken to Haley Atkinson in six years. She was transferred to the Oregon District Office and they never kept in touch.

"Mulder….Mulder…" Scully’s voice sounded irritated and upset to Mulder’s ear. He blinked and realized he had been daydreaming, thinking about something he hadn’t thought about in years. Why? He asked himself. He looked at his partner leaning over the table, scowling at him and knew why. It was obvious the conversation they were having triggered his memory for a moment.

"You’re right, Scully," Mulder said smiling and looking up at her. "I’m wrong."

"What?" Scully stood up taken back by his words. Surely, she heard him wrong. He just said he was wrong about a case and she was right. If she didn’t know better she would ask this person sitting in front of her to leave and go bring back the real Fox Mulder, her partner who believed in everything unimaginable and certainly implausible. She saw his eyes shine as he smiled once more and stood up.

"I said you’re right. I was obsessing on this case. Gregory Taller is put away and that’s all that matters. The killings will stop and the families put to rest their loved ones." He touched her hand gently and then moved into her living room. She stood at the kitchen table, still in shock. "Come on, Scully. You can’t be right, once in a while?"

"I’m just not used to you telling me so." She finally found her feet and legs and walked into the living room, sitting down next to Mulder on the couch. There was a moment of silence and then she shifted to the end of the couch facing him. "Is something wrong? Did I say something?"

He laughed, a laugh she did not find amusing. He caught her eye and shook his head. "I’m not laughing at you, Scully. It’s just funny, how you automatically assume you’re at fault or some one did something to me. Listen, I know I can be stubborn and I’m admitting it, all right? That’s it. Nothing’s wrong. I’m just glad I have you here to catch me on my own words." He reached over and touched her hand again. Scully smiled slightly still unsure on what exactly he meant. "So are we going to watch these movies or debate some more?" He said, letting go of her hand and standing up.

"Yea…that’s fine." She answered distantly. He looked back at her and smiled to himself. "All right so what is it going to be?" He picked up the cases to the tapes and opened each one displaying them to her as he spoke. "Abbott and Costello meets the Mummy…or Amazon Women on the Moon."

"When did you pick that one, Mulder?" Scully looked at him, shaking her head.

"You agreed in the video store. Unless you were just trying to ignore me?"

"No, you’re right. Whatever you wanted." Scully couldn’t help but laugh to herself. This was normal Mulder procedure for their Friday night "parties". He was getting good at surprising her. Last week, they watched two b-movies of his choice the week before that was a fairly new release and went to a movie theater one week before that. Friday Nights were becoming the Mulder/Scully night of adventure, action and….Dana Scully closed off her thoughts on the next word and looked back at her partner. "Amazon Women whatever is fine." She said settling herself back on the couch. She thought about the movie title for a moment, trying to determine how anyone could possible name a movie that. She realized suddenly as Mulder put in the tape and credits started, she was going to need at least another glass of wine for this one. She got up and went towards the kitchen, Mulder caught her by the elbow, gently turning her back around to face him.

"Leaving all ready, Scully. I thought you had a sense of humor." Mulder grinned and looked down at his partner. He had changed his hold of her from her arm to around her waist and both agents were becoming painfully aware of how much these nights were costing them. Scully knew she should try to keep at arm’s length with her partner…her best friend, but Mulder wasn’t trying to keep away from anything. He knew how he felt, he had been comfortable with that for a while now and if Scully needed space and time fine, he would respect that. But he didn’t say he wouldn’t take advantage of her weak moments, like the one they were having right now.

"I’m getting a glass of wine, I think I’ll need it." She said trying to sound normal. She figured she hadn’t won that battle.

"ooh liquor and Amazon Woman on the Moon, you read my mind, Scully. That’s why I love..being here with you." The pause was so slight, but Scully looked sharply up at him, Mulder just opened his eyes wide and smiled back. She wasn’t sure if he had even caught what his own words were. He released her and walked with her to the kitchen. Grabbing a beer from the fridge and pouring a glass of wine left over from the dinner they had just finished, Mulder placed his hand on Scully’s back and together they went back into the livingroom to experience Amazon Women on the Moon.

5:45 AM

The alarm clock woke Scully out of horrific nightmare. She hadn’t even realized she had turned it on last night when she went to bed. She must have forgotten it was Saturday. She sat up with a start, sweat beaded on her forehead and her hands were shaking. She remembered what the dream entailed though she chose to brush it off as another nightmare of her kidnapping by Duane Barry. This hadn’t been the first time she woke up like this and Scully knew it wouldn’t be the last. Eventually, she figured, she would even have to tell Mulder about it. That was the one thing she dreaded especially after last night, she thought.

Mulder picked up the basketball and threw it once more into the awaiting net, then shook his head subconsciously answering an unspoken question he posed and walked to his phone. It was time to find out just what exactly, if anything, they did have.

Mulder’s hand jumped as he went for the receiver and the phone rang. He shook his head and almost laughed at his own nervousness.

"Mulder," he said, still smiling. He almost expected to hear Scully’s voice on the other end. She always knew when he wanted to talk to her. Mulder was not only surprised, but actually taken back, by the voice on the phone.

"Hi, Fox. It’s me, Haley… Atkinson. Been a long time, huh?" She spoke in an apologetic voice yet Mulder could tell she was anxious about something, he could hear her quick breaths over the phone line. Mulder didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t spoken to her for six years. Six years, he thought. His mind started to wander on the possibilities of why Haley Atkinson would call him and why now. He let go a breath, he had been holding and waited for an answer to his unspoken question.

"Mulder, are you there?" Haley’s voice sounded more anxious than a moment ago.

"Yea." He was about to make a joke, but decided against it from the tone in her voice. "What’s wrong?" He figured it had to be a problem why else would she call him? It seemed that was all he was good for these last few years. Friends of the past, ex-girlfriends, even old acquaintances all called him when they had a problem….usually a work-related problem. Haley Atkinson would be no different.

"I’m sorry I haven’t called. I guess things got so busy here that…." She trailed off, but Mulder wasn’t about to go down memory lane this Saturday morning. He actually had plans and Haley Atkinson wasn’t a part of them.

"What did you call me about, Atkinson?" Mulder tried to sound calm, but he actually wanted to get this conversation over with. He had spent the morning thinking about Dana and now he wanted to talk to her. It was Saturday and, frankly, he wasn’t in the mood.

"It seems I have a strange case here, Fox. I thought, maybe, you might be interested." She took a breath and continued. "Last night, we found a body near the waterfront. She had been a working girl, mostly for business parties and that sort of thing. Anyway, she was killed in a rather peculiar manner or more to the point after she was strangled, certain organs were clean cut out of her body. And then the letter came this morning."

"What letter?" Mulder said, genuinely interested now.

"From the killer, or at least, it seems like it."

"It sounds like a VCS case, Atkinson. I don’t work for them anymore. Why don’t you call...Tom Colton." Mulder almost laughed, he couldn’t resist. Colton was the perfect match to put up with her and besides, he still owed Colton for the Eugene Victor Tooms case. Sure, it was over five years ago, but Mulder figured it was never too late to clear up a debt.

"No, Fox, this is for you. I think you’ll agree. I need you to come here though...to Oregon." Haley breathed in quickly, waiting for a response.

"Look, Haley, I don’t think I...."

"You and Agent Scully need to come here." Haley said quickly, not letting him answer her. "I think she would find this interesting as well. Come on, Mulder, I need your help. We have no leads, no fingerprints, nothing. It’s an X File, isn’t it? Can’t you help out an old friend?"

Mulder almost said something he may have regretted. It was bad enough, she was begging, which he hated, but she was talking about Scully as if she knew her and determining what is and is not an X File. Mulder mind flashed back to their last conversation at that restaurant. She had said he would be the laughingstock of the Bureau for re-opening the X Files and asking to be transferred to these bizarre, unsolvable cases and yet here she was asking for his and Scully’s help on a case she couldn’t figure out. The irony was almost amusing. However, Mulder was neither amused nor buying it. There was something else, something, he was certain, Haley hadn’t told him about this case. Something he knew he didn’t want to know, much less get involved in.

"Fox, what do you say?" Haley was waiting impatiently for his answer.

"Why don’t you send me some information on the case and I look into on Monday," Mulder figured that was the end of the conversation. On Monday, he could use some other excuse, but Haley’s sharp breathing gave him the sign he was getting off that easy.

"Fox, I need you to come. It’s important."

That was all she said. It was simple, but clear. Mulder knew what he had to go and he regretted this decision more than anything about the conversation. He couldn’t say no, at least on helping out an old friend.

"Fine, I’ll come to Oregon," Mulder said finally. He wanted to tell her to stop calling him Fox, but he figured it would be a waste of breath. There was only one person who ever respected that.

She took in another breath. "Thanks. It will be nice to see you again." She hung up the phone. Mulder heard the click and then the dialtone come on. He hung up, picked up his basketball, lying by his feet, threw it in the net and started towards the bedroom to change.

About five minutes later, Mulder emerged from the bedroom feeling worse than when he went in. Now, he was dressed in jeans, a nice shirt and sneakers. He knew he would have to bring his suit with him, but he didn’t feel like changing into it. It was still Saturday, he told himself, and his jeans just felt more comfortable.

There was a quick rap at the door, Mulder was almost surprised by it.

"Mulder..." Scully’s voice echoed their his small livingroom. Mulder turned toward the door and let out a sigh. He wanted to call her after his talk with Atkinson, but he wasn’t sure how he felt about telling her where he was going and why he didn’t think she needed to come. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her there. On the contrary, he did. He wanted to see her and to spend the weekend with her, but not exactly chasing down killers in Oregon. That wasn’t his original idea. Not to mention, Mulder had his doubts about putting Haley Atkinson and Dana Scully in a room together, mostly for his own sake. Atkinson sounded strange on the phone at best. She most likely was experiencing another obsession case and Mulder figured he could save Scully from the experience and save himself from explaining why he knew about her behavior. He wanted to share most of his life with Scully, but there were some things she just didn’t need to know about...and Haley Atkinson was one of them. They had a fling, it lasted six months and then he had ended it. That was all, but somehow, Mulder knew it would be better not to let Scully know anymore unpleasant things in his past. She had met Phoebe, that was enough for one lifetime. Two-timing and obsessive were not words Mulder wanted Scully to associate with all of his ex-girlfriends. At this moment he wasn’t sure who he was protecting Scully or himself.

Things had been going well, finally for him and Scully. The Friday movie night "dates" and last night, well, he thought, it was going well...and he should have known this would happen.

"Mulder...are you there?" Scully knocked one more time.

"Hi." Mulder said, opening the door. He smiled at her, with his all too boyish grin, Scully had become accustomed to.

"I was thinking," Mulder let her pass by him, "about last night." She walked a few steps into the apartment and looked back at him.

"Don’t worry about it, Scully. Really." He shut the door and walked in the livingroom. They both sat down. "Is everything all right?" Mulder figured it would be best to change the subject. He had to catch a flight in less than two hours and she probably didn’t want to discuss the events of last night either. Even though she had brought it up, he knew she was feeling guilty for leaving the situation like it was. He understood all about guilt and he didn’t want her to have it, at least not about him. He wasn’t upset with her, he was frustrated, mostly with himself.

"Yes, why?" Scully shifted uncomfortably on his sofa. "I just thought I should explain about what happened. I think you deserve that much, Mulder." She took a breath, as if she was calculating what she was going to say next. Thinking it through carefully. "And invite you to dinner and a play tonight. There’s a theater not too far from here, they are performing a play based on Watergate. I thought you might…we could go and see it. If you would like to. My treat." Scully let out another breath and looked at him.

Mulder knew she was trying, trying to make things comfortable…normal again, but it wasn’t going to be normal and he seemed to be the only one in the room who recognized this. Mulder smiled at her, then stood up. She was trying and it sounded like a great idea. He thought about calling Haley back, but then he figured she would simply rope him into coming down anyway and that would be worse. Then he would have to cancel on Scully. Nope, he said to himself, face up to it, Mulder, and tell her where you’re going.

"I’d love to, Scully, honestly, but I can’t tonight." He paused for a slight moment, looking at her sincerely.

"I understand. Another time." She stood up, looking away from his piercing stare. "I’m sorry I came over so early, but I couldn’t…." She stopped abruptly and looked at him.

"I know." Mulder took her hand and smiled down at her. "I really would like to go, Scully and you don’t owe me anything. Nothing went wrong." Mulder sat down on the sofa again and gently pulled her hand to come sit next to him. "I have to go out of town today."

"That’s fine, Mulder. Really. I have some things I need to do around the apartment…"

"Scully, I’m not trying to get out of this. I’m really not. I got called in on a case." There he had said it. He let go of her hand and stood up. He knew she could tell from his expression he wasn’t pleased about this case.

"A case? What case? Did Skinner call? Where are we going?" Scully stood up and placed a firm hand on Mulder’s shoulder, Mulder turned around to face her.

"It’s in Oregon. It wasn’t from Skinner. I received a phone call from an old colleague of mine in the VCS." Mulder went into the kitchen. "Do you want some coffee?" He knew he could use some. When she didn’t answer, he figured, he put himself exactly in the place he wanted to avoid. Lying to Dana Scully.

"Mulder, what aren’t you telling me?" Mulder could have screamed. Why was it that when he didn’t want to discuss something she was completely in tune with his feelings, but when he did want her to know how he felt, she backed away from it? Women, he said, shaking his head. He would never learn how to deal with them, no matter how much he tried and with Dana Scully he had tried. She walked into the kitchen and stopped at the counter, facing him. "Mulder?"

Mulder reached into the cabinet above her head and got two coffee cups, poured the newly made coffee into them and handed one to Scully. An uncomfortable silence crept into the room as they prepared their coffee to their own liking. When they were done, Scully followed Mulder’s lead, back to the livingroom. Scully sat this time, Mulder remained standing, drinking some of the hot coffee and putting it down on the table in front of the sofa before sitting on the edge of the sofa looking at her.

"Scully, it’s nothing. Some sick guy in Oregon killed a prostitute, ripped out her organs, sent a note to the FBI District Office and now Atkinson thinks I can solve this case for her." Mulder hadn’t even realized he said her name, or that he had stood up during the speech and began pacing in front of Scully.

"Atkinson?" Scully said, interjecting into Mulder’s thoughts. She had not only heard the name, but ‘I can solve this case for her’ stuck clearly in Scully’s mind.

"Yea. Listen, Scully, it’s probably nothing. I’ll just go take a look and I’ll be back tomorrow. There’s no point in both of us ruining our weekend." He grinned at her, hoping his behavior wasn’t reflecting the feelings he had toward this whole idea of a weekend.

"You’re going to need a doctor there for the autopsy, aren’t you? Besides, I haven’t got anything better to do. Unless…" She took a breath and stood up. Mulder looked at her and knew from the look in her eyes what she was about to say and he knew it would be twice in less than an hour that he would yes to a woman. "You don’t want me to come?"

"Of course I do. I just think you’ll be bored. It’s bad enough on a regular working day." Mulder smiled, touched her arm and walked over to his coffee cup. He took another drink and looked back at Scully, who was staring at him.

"There’s more to this, isn’t there, Mulder? What is it?" Scully walked up to him. Mulder walked back to the kitchen and away from her looks and her thoughts. He had lied about everything being all right with him. It wasn’t and he hated it, but he knew she couldn’t bring herself to express anything to him. He couldn’t understand why after all this time, but he would respect it. He was her friend, she would do the same for him. So tell her about Atkinson, the part of his brain, he tried to ignore, keep saying in his head. He heard Scully sigh in the living room.

"Look, Mulder. It’s no big deal. Like I said, I’ve got some things to do. Be careful in Oregon, all right? No crazy schemes, since I won’t be there to help you out of them." She laughed quickly, nervously and went toward the door, smiling at him as she past the kitchen.

"Scully," Mulder walked toward her and reached out his hand to rest on her shoulder. "I would like it if you came with me on this case. I could use your professional advice…" He grinned at her, she smiled back. "and your company."

It had been four hours before Mulder and Scully were able to take the next flight out of Washington to Oregon. First, there was a delay, then a second delay and now as they were boarded and waiting for the plane to take-off out of National Airport, the captain just informed everyone there will be a short delay for traffic on the runway. This was not going well at all, Mulder thought and then silently thanked Scully for coming with him. He would have gone crazy sitting in the airport this morning.

They had talked, went to breakfast, talked some more, made jokes at the souvenir shops in the airport and overall had a good time during the past four hours and to Mulder’s amazement and relief the name Haley Atkinson wasn’t brought up again. Although he knew he would have to tell Scully before she met Haley, he wasn’t complaining about later rather than sooner for that conversation.

Mulder looked over at Scully, she was reading one of the airport magazines and didn’t at all look interested in it as she flipped through the pages.

"Not very exciting, huh?" Mulder leaned back in his seat and looked down at the article the page was opened on. "Do Angels exist? Heavy reading, Scully." She looked up and grinned at him, he tilted his head to one side and grinned back. She threw the magazine back in the pocket of the seat in front of her and looked past Mulder out the window.

Mulder was having enough difficulty not to reach out for her hand or lean down and talk in her ear, or….tell her about Haley Atkinson. He sighed, waited for her to lean back against her seat and turned to her.

"Scully, I think we should talk about…." The plane’s engine roared to a deafening sound as it took off down the runaway. Mulder hadn’t even noticed the plane had begun its take-off procedure, he subconsciously heard the flight attendants telling the passengers of all the safety measures should the plane go down or lose oxygen, or any other gruesome, horrible detail you can think of for why you should have driven a car. Scully shrugged her shoulders at him as she looked ahead at the flight attendants.

"Don’t you find it strange that the flight attendants tell this part to us after the plane’s door is locked and were taking off." Mulder whispered in Scully’s ear. He felt her jump slightly and then she turned to him and smiled. He couldn’t resist the joke or leaning over and whispering it to her.

A few minutes later, the flight attendants had taken their seat and the plane descended down its last runway before taking off into the sky.

"So can you tell me anything more about this case, Mulder. I don’t want your friend to think you have a first year agent in the field with you." Scully smiled, Mulder laughed.

"That would be hard to convince to anyone about you. Even when you were a first year agent, you were still ten steps ahead of me." Mulder said, grinning.

"Is that so, Agent Mulder? I always thought I was ten steps behind." She turned in her seat to look at him.

"I just made you think that." Mulder teased.

"So was Agent Atkinson your partner before or after Jerry." Scully said, calmly, rationally. Mulder was caught off-guard and for a moment admired Scully’s lead-in to this subject, but then he realized he was caught in a plane thousands of feet above land and Scully was interested in his relationship to Atkinson. Things couldn’t have been worse. "Come on, Mulder. What is it about her? What did you do, date her?" Scully smiled and looked at him. Her smile turned to a serious expression which matched Mulder’s and Scully wasn’t so certain she should have discussed this with him. From the look on his face, she wasn’t certain she even wanted to go to Oregon anymore.

Part Two: ...from Hell

"So was Agent Atkinson your partner before or after Jerry." Scully said, calmly, rationally. Mulder was caught off-guard and for a moment admired Scully's lead-in to this subject, but then he realized he was caught in a plane thousands of feet above land and Scully was interested in his relationship to Atkinson. Things couldn't have been worse. "Come on, Mulder. What is it about her? What did you do, date her?" Scully smiled and looked at him. Her smile turned to a serious expression which matched Mulder's and Scully wasn't so certain she should have discussed this with him. From the look on his face, she wasn't certain she even wanted to go to Oregon anymore.

"We worked together in the VCS, she was smart, but...she got involved too much in her cases, especially serial killers." Mulder shifted in his seat to turn toward Scully. "She was what you might call obsessed."

"You and her must of gotten along well then." Scully said, smiling at him. Mulder didn't smile back. An expression of sympathy washed over his face. Scully wasn't surprised when he told her the rest. "Haley and I dated for a while over six years ago, but it didn't work out. That was the last time I had spoken with her, she was transferred to the Oregon District Office and I got involved in the X Files. " Mulder turned back to the window.

"What happened, Mulder?" Scully touched his arm to let him know she was more than just curious. The look and his behavior told her that whatever Mulder and this Haley Atkinson experienced together, it was important enough for him to drop everything, hop on a plane to Oregon and help her on a case. That was a bit extreme for no contact in six years, even by Scully's terms. She wanted to know about Agent Atkinson and what Mulder and her shared, she didn't care if she was prying into his life at this moment. She wanted to know what she should expect from both of them. If she had to be the level-minded agent on this case, that was fine with her, but she had other things to consider. Things she had tried to talk with Mulder about this morning. She looked up at him, he turned back to face her. The expression had changed to a lighter one, he even laughed.

"It was a long time ago, Scully. Before I knew you even existed." Mulder leaned over to emphasis his point. "There's no need for you to jealous." He grinned and fought an incredible urge to kiss her. If only...he stopped his forbidden thoughts, before this case and weekend became more than he could handle. He leaned back against his seat.

"I'm curious Mulder, not jealous. I want to know what I should expect waiting for me in Oregon." Scully could feel her face flush and looked toward the seat ahead of her. She expected Mulder to make a joke and back out of the conversation, she didn't expect his comment though. Of course, she wasn't jealous. They still were working out whatever it was that happened last night and she had no right or reason to be jealous of a woman from Mulder's past who happened to call him in on a case, over the weekend, after not talking to him in six years, did she? Scully picked up the magazine in front of her and decided maybe it was time to end this conversation.

"You're not jealous?" He looked over at her with a hurt expression, then smiled.

"It's not that easy, Mulder." Scully smiled back at him then returned to reading. Mulder leaned over again, close to her ear.

"I told you, you wouldn't want to come, Dana." He said it with a serious tone, but Scully could tell he was teasing her. She turned her head to look at him, their faces barely touching. Mulder had to fight the urge to kiss her again. Her lips were so close....

"The X Files is my job, too, unless you've forgotten you have a partner, Mulder." Scully looked back at her magazine. Mulder leaned against his seat, smiling and closing his eyes. That was one thing he wasn’t ever going to forget…and that’s exactly how it liked it.

Portland, Oregon

Mulder and Scully climbed into the government issued medium-sized royal blue rental car and headed toward the Oregon Field Office. Mulder had slept through most of the flight until he was woken up by Scully softly telling him they were landing. He smiled at the thought, glanced over to her sitting quietly in the passenger’s seat. He tried to remember a time without her, but it was harder and harder for him even with his perfect photographic memory to recall his life without Dana Scully. He got used to her, something he didn’t do often. She was first to share his quest, the first to openly debate everything he did, the first to be right and the first to prove him wrong. These were all the same things Mulder respected her for: her independence, dignity, honesty, integrity and friendship. Dana was something beyond a partner, beyond a co-worker and most certainly beyond ‘just a friend.’ Now, he figured, all he had to do was show her how much she meant to him. Although his first attempt was not taken well one thing Mulder knew about himself was, he didn’t give up easily and he had no intention on giving up on Scully.

They pulled into the Field Office’s garage under the building and parked the car. They both liked the comfortable silence they shared with each other. They didn’t say more than few words since the airport. There hadn’t been anything to say, so nothing was said. Mulder liked silence, it was a way to think and sort out theories running around in his head while he was on cases. He knew Scully felt the same way. They both liked to be prepared on a case and when it was time they would talk, discuss theories. She would tell him he’s crazy and he would prove to her he was right. Or she would prove to him she was right, either way, this method worked for them. Worked so well, in fact, Mulder could never think of having another partner. Aside from the obvious reasons their partnership worked, they were a great team, Mulder always felt Scully knew when enough was enough and he felt comfortable with the fact that she would stop him if he was making a wrong turn somewhere.

Didn’t he tell her so in the hospital room that morning he was leaving for the FBI hearing about his ‘death’ over two months now? Two months, he thought, it seemed like an eternity ago. A part of him died in that room with her, the part that could keep a distance from her, the part that could be her partner, her friend, but nothing else. That part was gone and what replaced it, he had been struggling with since that time. Love, need, desire, hope. This was what he was feeling last night when he tried to tell her how he felt. These were the feelings he’s had bottled up ever since and he couldn’t stand being away from her. He physically desired to be with her, but hell, that wasn’t anything new to him, the need was now stronger than ever before. He needed her completely. A need which encompassed him most of the time. It wasn’t controllable and although he tried to keep it in control, he knew he was losing the fight. Losing it in the sweetest way he had ever lost a battle. At one time, not too long ago, he would have cursed himself for letting those walls fall completely. At one time, he would have walked away from Dana Scully, the partnership and his quests, but all of that was gone and not only was he staying…he was bound and determined to make her see what he was feeling, regardless of the consequences.

"Are we getting out of the car, Mulder or waiting for a welcome party to come and greet us?" Scully said, touching his arm. Mulder looked over at her and realized they had been parked for a few minutes. The comfortable silence they enjoyed did have it drawbacks at times. He thought he should feel embarrassed because of his thoughts as they were about to embark on yet another X File, but he didn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed. What he felt like was much stronger than either of those two feelings combined. So he did what he felt was natural, if not entirely appropriate.

Mulder leaned over and kissed her. It wasn’t long or passionate, just a kiss, simple and honest and the entire moment left Dana Scully speechless. Mulder looked at her for a moment longer making eye contact before opening his door and getting out.

Scully followed his lead toward the elevators in a fog. She was absolutely shocked, something she didn’t believe Fox Mulder could still do to her after all this time. Agent Scully thought about yelling at him regarding work ethics and FBI standards and all that, but in the end Dana Scully just followed him to the elevators, down the hall, and into the Oregon Field Office without mentioning a word to him. Mulder was more than amused and very encouraged by her behavior. He didn’t know what possessed him to kiss her, but he wasn’t going to think about it and tempt fate. It wasn’t appropriate or right or even like him, but it felt good and lately, he’s been doing a lot of thinking about his feeling, her feelings, their feelings and it was time he figured to start do some reacting.

"Can I help you?" A young brunette woman said from behind the reception desk. She was holding a stack of folders in one arm and holding the phone to her ear in her other hand. She had looked up as they came in. "Yes, I will transfer you to Agent Daniels, hold on please." She smiled at Mulder quickly before hitting a button on the phone and hanging up the receiver. "Things are little crazy here this afternoon. What can I help you with?" She directed her question toward Mulder, but looked quickly over at Scully scanning her up and down, before smiling towards Mulder again.

"We’re looking for Agent Atkinson." Mulder said quickly. "I’m Special Agent Fox Mulder, this is Dana Scully, we came in from Washington." Scully looked over at Mulder. She could tell he didn’t want any more questions asked. Why he was being edgy with the receptionist was obvious. He didn’t want to meet with Haley Atkinson anymore than he would be willing to discuss his own behavior five minutes ago in the parking garage.

"Everyone seems to be looking for her today. I’ll let her know you’re here." She turned to the phone, picked it up and hit a button. "I have Special Agents Mulder and Scully here to see you." She waited a moment and nodded her head. "Fine." The woman hung up the phone, put down her file folders and directed Mulder and Scully to Agent Atkinson office down the hall and to the right.

"Is she in trouble, Agent Mulder?" The woman said quietly as Mulder walked past her.

"No," Scully answered back, following Mulder down the hall. The woman shrugged her shoulders and turned back to her paperwork.

"Fox Mulder, I never thought I’d get you here." Haley said coming out from behind her desk, smiling one of the biggest smiles, Scully had ever seen. She tried desperately not to think about Mulder and this woman’s past relationship, but she noticed his type a mile away. Ambitious, pretty, sexy, smart and neurotic. That fit most all of Mulder’s past relationships, the few she had seen over the years. Of course, she reminded herself, her most recent relationship, over five years ago now, was with a man who turned into a psychotic killer and kidnapped her. Unless you count the one who talked to his tattoo, but Scully chose not to count him and she figured at least Mulder’s are mostly alive.

"Hello, Atkinson." Mulder said, trying to side-step her hug. He wasn’t fast enough and Haley caught him. She gave him a quick hug and a kiss. Mulder backed one step away and touched Scully’s elbow bringing her into the scene. "This is my partner, Dana Scully, Haley Atkinson." Scully smiled and they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Agent Scully. You two are making some big waves in Washington. Whenever I ask my friends back at the VCS about the illustrious Agent Mulder, I am greeted with stories of aliens, mutants and monsters. You two are either hated or feared." She gave a quick laugh and walked back to her desk, motioning for Mulder and Scully to sit down across from her. When everyone was seated, Haley looked from Mulder to Scully, leaning closer to them. "Well, I’ll tell you hated or feared, you both are considered the best criminal investigators the FBI has and I could use some of your ability now. Before things get completely out of hand here." Mulder and Scully exchanged a look.

"Why don’t you start at the beginning, Atkinson? Tell us about the crimes." Mulder said, leaning back in his chair.

"I would like to have a copy of any autopsy on the victim, if that would be possible?" Scully interjected. Haley switched her focus from Mulder for a moment.

"It would be, except the police department isn’t exactly cooperating with us." Haley shifted in her seat, reached across the desk to a file folder next to Mulder. Scully followed Mulder’s stare on Haley. She glanced to Mulder again before returning her look to Atkinson. All of this exchange was not lost on Atkinson. She was aware of the connection between Fox and Agent Scully. It was obvious, she thought to herself.

"It’s hard to explain, but it has to do with this letter which turned up at the police station two days ago." She pulled out a letter from the file folder in right of her and handed it to Scully. Mulder leaned over to read it with her.

Jack

"Is this the first time you received a letter from this Jack?" Mulder’s tone was annoyed, but he tried to be understanding. After all, he had no right to judge Haley he took his obsession just as far at times, although usually Atkinson tended to hurt other people, he just hurt himself. It seemed better somehow.

"When I went to Captain Bowle after the first murder, the girl, Emily Hollison." She handed a picture to Scully, Mulder was still leaning looking at the letter. "I told him I knew where the murderer was. Mike took down the address and sent several men out to investigate it. Things didn’t work out as planned." Haley stood up with her back to Mulder and Scully, looking out the window behind her.

"What happened, Agent Atkinson?" Scully glanced over at Mulder, he was intently looking at Atkinson. She knew he had seen this reaction before from Haley Atkinson.

"He didn’t show, but another body was found outside the warehouse in the alleyway," Haley turned back around to face them. She handed another victim’s picture this time to Mulder. "Rachael Folly, another girl who worked over at the Whitechapel. She was strangled to death just like Hollison and then…." she took a breath before continuing, "her liver and heart were cut out with clean precision and the killer took them."

"So you were right…about the killer’s whereabouts?" Scully said, still confused. It was understandable that the Captain would be upset about another death in his precinct, but she didn’t see why they wouldn’t cooperate with the investigation. Atkinson nodded at her. Mulder leaned back in his seat and waited for the answer to the question he knew Scully was asking. "So why won’t the police cooperate with the investigation?"

"Well, that’s because officially it’s not our investigation." She glanced over at Mulder. "I know, Fox, when did I ever listen to procedure? Anyway, now that you both are here, we can claim it as our own and find out about this bastard who chopped up these girls." Haley pulled the file to her and leaned back from her desk. "I called the VCS this morning and requested you on the case. They had to go through some ropes, but A.D. Skinner agreed finally." Atkinson actually looked pleased with herself.

"Who did you call at the VCS?" Scully watched the quick exchanges between Mulder and Agent Atkinson and realized that Mulder was more than just annoyed, he was downright mad at her. Scully wished she had pursued the conversation with Mulder in the plane this morning. There was more to this than what he had said. She laughed to herself, there was always more to things than what Mulder tells her.

"An old friend of ours, Will Cauley. I know how you feel about him, but he was very helpful." Atkinson stared at Mulder for a moment. "I know it wasn’t the best way to get you up here, but I figured it would be better than telling you the truth from the start. You would have found a way out of it." She smiled as if that was a quality she was fond of in Fox Mulder.

"You’re damned right I would have." Mulder stood up, coldly dropping the file, the letter and the pictures down on her desk. The control he was fighting so well over was definitely leaving him. "First you tell me you need help on a serial murderer case, where one victim was killed two days ago and now, another victim turned up and it’s not even an FBI case. Why call us, Haley?" Mulder stopped for a moment and looked at her. Scully knew why he was upset and it wasn’t bothering her at all to listen to him yell at Agent Atkinson. Frankly, she wasn’t amused by her tactics, either. This was a VCS crime and anyone from Washington could have done this. It was becoming painfully aware to both Mulder and Scully why Haley Atkinson called them. "Do you think we need more cases?"

Mulder stopped in front of Scully then walked to the back of the room. He was furious, this case was not something he wanted to get involved with. Haley obviously wanted to have him come here, in particular and this wasn’t a good sign in his eyes. She was going over the deep end and he wasn’t going to be her psychologist. Not this time.

"I’m sorry, Fox, I just thought that you would be able to help with this. I feel the killer will strike again…soon." Haley stood up and walked around to the front of the desk. "Maybe I shouldn’t have called you. It’s just…" She trailed off leaning against the desk, looking at Mulder. Scully felt she saw compassion flash in Mulder’s eyes for a moment, but it passed and Mulder sat back down.

Mulder caught Scully’s eye and they stared at each other for a moment. Scully raised an eyebrow at him. Haley knew the air in the room just got better. She wasn’t certain how to interpret that exchange between Mulder and Scully, but it was becoming even more obvious they had a connection to each other. A connection she hadn’t ever seen anyone, least of all herself, have with Mulder. Dana Scully was starting to impress her and for the first time since she had entered the office, Haley was beginning to take notice of this tiny, red-haired partner of Mulder’s.

"All right, Atkinson we’ll take a look. We’ll start with the official report from the police." Haley smiled and handed over the file folder to him. Mulder took the report and stood up, Scully followed. "We’ll talk with the Police, maybe he can give us some answers about what happened that night." Mulder said to Scully, she nodded. He turned to leave and Haley caught his arm. Scully was half-way to the door when she looked back at Mulder and Agent Atkinson head to head in conversation.

"Fox, I know you don’t want to do this, especially for this type of case. I know what you’re thinking about why I called you, but it’s not like that." Haley stared into his eyes, Mulder moved a step away releasing his arm from her grasp.

"You don’t know what I’m thinking, Haley. You never did. We will help you with the case, that’s all. Your own problems, are your problems." Mulder didn’t feel great about what he was saying, but he honestly didn’t want to get put back into one of Haley’s obsession cases. The facts on how she got them both here and talking with Cauley was enough for one afternoon.

"It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Fox?" She held his hand quickly. "I know we’ve changed. It’s nice to see you again, though." She smiled and let go of his hand.

"We will call you if we turn up anything. Good-bye Atkinson." Mulder looked at Scully and continued walking to the door, next to her.

"It was nice to have met you, Agent Atkinson." Scully said before following Mulder out of the room.

"You too, Agent Scully." Scully smiled quickly, then turned. Haley stopped her. "You must be a brave woman, Agent Scully." Scully turned back around, looking at Atkinson, curiously. Atkinson smiled, "you work with Fox, don’t you? On those X Files. I’m impressed." Scully thought for a moment about her statement and decided to follow Mulder instead of making a comment.

Mulder and Scully walked back to the car and went to the nearest hotel directed by the parking lot attendant. They shared their comfortable silence again on the ride there, but once they were checked in and received their room keys Scully needed to talk.

"Mulder," she knocked on the door quietly and opened it. Mulder was on the bed, he motioned for her to come in and went back to his conversation. Scully walked to the bureau and leaned against it, looking at him.

"Yea, all right, thanks." Mulder sighed, hung up the phone and turned to Scully from his position on the bed. "Well, look’s like we’re stuck here. Skinner signed off on the 302 this morning. He was told the Oregon Field Office would be contacting us." Mulder looked away from Scully. She wanted to sit down next to him. Somehow she felt this need to be near him, but she had some questions to ask first and it would be easier if she kept a distance from him right now.

"So, why us, Mulder?" Scully started. He looked at her and smiled.

"’Cause we’re the best criminal investigators in the bureau."

"We are entirely too underpaid, if that’s true." She smiled back at him and sat down in the chair opposite where he was. "Should I be expecting any more surprises from Atkinson…or you?" Scully’s voice skipped a beat before saying the last part. He knew exactly what she meant. She made a reference to his kiss in the parking garage.

"I can’t speak for Atkinson, she’s got a mind of her own…mostly. If she becomes obsessive, don’t worry I’ll know." Mulder smiled quickly.

"What about you, Agent Mulder?" Scully felt now would be the best time to get this out and away from this case and this investigation.

Mulder stared at her for a moment and Scully almost felt embarrassed for asking him. He stood up and walked to the other side of the room, picking up his jacket on the other chair. Scully watched him. "I’m not going to apologize for my behavior, Scully. I tried to tell you last night and…"

"I know we need to talk, but not during a case, all right? I think the killer and Haley Atkinson will be enough to handle this time." Scully stood up and looked at him waiting for an answer.

Mulder smiled to himself and held back a laugh. She could fool herself all she wanted, he was done with it. Nights of lying awake, crying over her "deaths" each one worse than the other, days of hoping, praying, wishing for anything back from her and then the last two months become heaven for him. Two months of Friday nights spent talking and laughing, exchanging stories and joking. He wasn’t letting go and neither was she. Things got touchy before and she never backed down, she never walked away and now something was working…they were working. Mulder never relied on leaps of faith before, but he was making the biggest one in his life and if the other side crumbled away, he would fall hard. Mulder walked over to her, looking into her eyes for a moment before speaking.

"Don’t tempt me, Agent Scully. I’ll be forced to react and we both know what happens." He smiled at her, she shook her head and looked away. Mulder held her shoulders so she wouldn’t walk away. He looked deep into eyes and Scully could feel her heart pounding inside her. "Am I wrong?" he said still staring at her. She met his stare and looked deeply into his eyes, how could she tell him. Not here. Not now. Somehow it just didn’t seem right. "Tell me, Dana, tell me now." They stared for at each other, standing there in front of the drawn shades as the sun was setting and neither one moved or spoke or it felt, breathed for what seemed like an endless moment.

"We’ll talk soon, I promise." Scully finally said, breaking them out of it. She breathed in and realized she had been holding her breath. He was too intense, she told herself, and too…she let the thought trail off. She needed to refocus on the case ahead of them. X File or not, there was still a killer loose here and victims.

Mulder let go of her shoulders and put on his jacket. "We should pay a visit to Captain Bowle before dark." He reached past Scully, picked up the car keys and opened the door, waiting for her to go out first. He put his hand on her lower back as they walked out into the Oregon’s setting sun.

5:08 P.M.

Mulder and Scully walked through the doors of the police station watching an angry young man get carried out in handcuffs, cursing the officer and finally placed in the police cruiser waiting at the curb.

"Just another day in paradise," Mulder said, smiling at Scully as they walked up to the desk.

"Yea, yea Mr. Harper, I’m on it. I called the officers in twenty minutes ago," the man behind the desk said to the man looking at him, disbelieving.

"Can you please call them again," Harper shook his head at the man behind the desk and turned to Scully. "Hope you’ll have more luck."

"They’re on their way, I promise. Please have a seat." The man behind the desk motioned toward some old chairs against the wall. Mr. Harper reluctantly went to them and sat down, sighing heavily. "Can I help you?" The man turned to Mulder with a scowl on his face. He glanced over at Scully and smiled brightly. Mulder almost laughed. Mulder and Scully exchanged a glance at each other, Scully warning him with her eyes not to make a comment. Mulder smiled at her.

"We’re from the FBI. I’m Special Agent Dana Scully," she flashed her badge to the man who looked at it intently as if the face on the badge wasn’t the same one in front of him. "And this is Special Agent Fox Mulder." Mulder pulled out his badge, this time the man only glanced at it and picked up the phone still in his hand.

"He’ll have to call you back," he said to the caller on the other end. He pushed a few buttons, then turned away from Mulder and Scully muttered something they couldn’t make out into the phone. When he turned back to face them, he smiled. Mulder and Scully knew that smile indicated this man knew about the FBI involvement with Atkinson. They were not encouraged to say the least. "Captain Bowle will see you in a moment. Please have a seat."

Mulder and Scully walked to the row of seats and did as they were instructed, sat down.

"I have a feeling this is going to be a long wait." Mulder said, looking over at Scully. She nodded before turning her attention to two police officers coming through the precinct doors.

"Jesus, thank god, you two finally showed up. Mr. Harper," the man behind the desk hollered. Mr. Harper got up and went to the desk, greeting the police officers.

As they went into a conversation regarding a burglary at Mr. Harper’s hardware store, missing inventory and more exciting details, Mulder and Scully patiently waited for Captain Bowle to show up.

Mulder hadn’t been wrong regarding the wait. Over an hour later, Captain Bowle finally emerged. Mulder and Scully stood up to greet him.

"Agents Mulder and Scully, I should tell you that I all ready spoke with Agent Atkinson and made it clear to her that this case was not under FBI jurisdiction," Captain Bowle spoke in a heavy voice with a deep sound to it. Although it wasn’t threatening or angry, more annoyed than anything else. He stood as tall as Mulder, but he was more heavy-set with deep set brown eyes and a balding head of brown hair. He was in his mid-forties, but looked like the stress of being a Police Captain had taken its toll on him. He spoke directly to Mulder, almost ignoring Scully completely other than to give a glance over, which she was getting quite sick of, first the man behind the desk now him. It was flattering coming from Mulder and appealing. It was even flattering from some of the other male agents in the office, but this guy wasn’t being flattering or appealing, he had the look of a sexist pig written all over his glances.

"Well, actually, Captain Bowle, we were called in from Washington to assist Agent Atkinson on this case. So officially, it is." Scully interjected forcing the Captain to acknowledge her ability to speak. He just glanced over at her again, dismissing her completely before turning back to Mulder.

"Agent Scully would like to see the autopsy report on the victims, Emily Hollison and Rachael Folly," Mulder said in his no-nonsense FBI Agent voice. A voice he usually reserved for suspects who didn’t cooperate during investigations or, Scully thought as she looked over at him, for annoying sexist police chiefs who needed to realize women exist in the working world. Mulder had noticed the same reactions from Bowle regarding his partner and he didn’t like them at all. Bowle looked at Mulder strangely.

"Why? They died from strangulation anyone can see that," he shrugged his shoulders, amazed that this man would ask such a question. Besides, Bowle figured, what would the red-head want with the reports.

"Agent Scully is a medical doctor, she will need a copy of those reports today," Mulder concluded. Bowle looked around the precinct quickly, scanning the faces watching his exchange with these two FBI agents and took a step back.

"Why don’t we go to my office," he pointed down the hall. Mulder and Scully walked side by side down the hall.

When they entered Bowle’s office, he closed the door and motioned for them each to have a seat. Scully hesitated a moment before following Mulder to the chairs and sat down opposite the Captain.

"So she got you out, did she?" Bowle laughed, a hearty laugh. Scully was taken back by it. "She said she would. She a feisty little one. Things have been different since she came here. Always getting herself stick in places and her nose stick in everything that isn’t FBI business," he looked at Mulder, "you know what I mean. To tell you the truth, Agent Mulder, it would be nice if all of you FBI agents wanted to work on the backlog of cases we’ve got hanging around here. But not Atkinson, no, only the serial murders. There’s something not right about her. She seems fine one moment and then off she goes on another hunch, getting herself in trouble." He leaned over the table. "One day, it’ll get her killed. I’m seen rookies like her. Terrible shame what happens to ‘em." Bowle leaned back, shaking his head.

"Could we have a copy of the official report, Captain Bowle?" Scully said, calmly, waiting for him to acknowledge her existence again. He did, turning slowly to met her eyes. He smiled.

"Sure," he answered, handing over a file folder to her. Scully took the file not breaking eye contact.

"For both of the victims, Captain, if you wouldn’t mind," Scully smiled at him quickly. Bowle reached across the desk picked up a similar looking file folder and passed it to her.

"Pretty quick there, Agent Scully," Bowle smiled again at her. Scully felt this was worse than ignoring her.

"Could you tell us about the last night in the warehouse, Captain? Agent Atkinson explained you sent some men to investigate the suspect’s whereabouts," Mulder said, refocusing Bowle’s attention. Captain or not, needed to help solve this case or not, Mulder would not sit idly back and watch this guy insult Scully’s intelligence…or look at her like that.

"Yea, I did. Only the suspect never showed. See what I mean, hunch that’s all we had to go with. Atkinson thought she knew where the killer was. I think she wanted to weasel her way onto my team." Mulder and Scully exchanged a quick glance, Bowle continued, "anyway, we found the other girl only a few feet away from us, inside." Bowle grimaced at the image he was obviously seeing in his head from last night’s murder. "Whoever did it, is one sick bastard. Ripped the girl’s heart and liver right out. Clean, though. I haven’t seen anything done that clean, well expect for maybe surgery."

"Surgery?" Scully questioned, Bowle turned to her now. "Do you think the killer is in the medical profession?"

"Anything’s possible. No offense, Agent Scully, but I’ve seen many a doctor go crazy." Bowle stood up. Mulder looked over at Scully. They both stood up. It was obvious Bowle was ending the conversation. "Well, I hope you let us know if you catch this bastard. The letter shook up a lot of people here." Bowle continued talking with Mulder. "If you ask me, Agent Mulder, you guys got yourself one hell-of-a case here. Of course, I hope you’ll be all right, Agent Scully. These aren’t pretty pictures." Bowle shook his head and walked to the door. Mulder and Scully followed. Scully felt like she could have strangled him for the last comment. He had no idea the kind of things she had seen and how much her masculine partner grimaced more than her. Mulder led her out the doorway, passing by Bowle.

"I assume everything’s in the files, Captain Bowle." Mulder said, stopping to look at him. "We want to make certain we stay out of your way, so you can work on that backlog." Bowle didn’t smile with Mulder this time.

"Everything’s there, Agent Mulder." Bowle said, shutting the door behind them.

"I think we managed to upset Captain Bowle, Scully." Mulder said walking back down the hallway and opening the file on Emily Hollison in his hand.

"I’m hurt. I’ll send him a fruit basket." She turned and smiled at him before walking out of the precinct doors.

"You know what doesn’t make sense, Scully?" Mulder continued walking to their car, stopping at the door.

"Why sexist police officers turn out to be sexist Police Chiefs," Scully answered, looking at him.

Mulder closed the file, holding back a laugh. "No, why Atkinson knew where the killer was going to be last night." He opened the car door and got inside. Scully paused a moment, thinking, before getting in the car herself.

"Maybe, Atkinson just had a hunch, like Bowle said." Scully clasped her seatbelt.

"One hell-of-a hunch, Scully." He started the car, clasping his seatbelt before driving back to the hotel.

END OF PART II

"I want you to answer a question for me, Atkinson?" He remained standing, staring down at her. "You see, I’m curious as to how you knew exactly where and when the killer would be the other night. But then of course, you didn’t know exactly when otherwise the killer might have been caught. It seems quite unlikely that with only one victim you could have set forth a profile which would pinpoint the exact location of the next crime."

"I told you, Fox, I had a hunch." Atkinson said calmly, though she shifted in her chair a bit. "That’s all it was. Remember those?"

"No. We don’t know anything about those in Washington. Remember, everything is by the book there." Mulder paused, "I suppose, it’s possible your profiling expertise has gotten much better though. It usually took you four or five victims before you got a lead on the killer. Maybe you should enter yourself into Name That Tune." Mulder threw her a cocky smile before turning his face to stone again. He leaned over her desk. "You know what I think, Haley. I think you knew more about this case than you’re telling us. I also think that it’s Sunday and you have," he briefly glanced at his watch, "less than nine hours before Agent Scully and I return to Washington. So, here’s the deal, Scully’s looking over the autopsy reports right now and I’m going out to the WhiteChapel Hotel to interview some co-workers of the two victims and you’re coming with me. If the interviews or the autopsies offer nothing else to go on, I’m leaving this case in the capable hands of the local authorities and so are you. Understand?"

Mulder stared at her a moment longer. Atkinson stood up and leaned over the desk to him. They stayed that way for a few moments before Mulder broke the stare, turned around and headed for the door. Atkinson smiled. He hadn’t changed that much, especially when it came to taking control. She liked it, always had, that’s why she knew Mulder would help her and why she knew she had no where else to turn. She picked up her coat and followed him out the door.

The lobby presented Atkinson and Mulder with a throwback to the thirties, complete with an enormous chandelier in the foyer and shining brass trimmings on everything. The foyer itself looked larger than the entire hotel. It had a grand piano next to the corner bar and a beautifully ornate fountain as a centerpiece in the room.

Mulder looked around not hiding his appreciation of the decor. The only thing Mulder felt was missing from the room were the scantily clad women wearing feather boas, waiting to escort the next lonely gentleman to an awaiting room upstairs.

"Pretty nice, huh?" Said Atkinson as she stepped up beside him. Mulder not waiting for her next comment, quickly headed towards the registration desk.

"May I help you, sir?" An all too eager front desk clerk chimed to Mulder as he approached.

"I’m Agent Fox Mulder with the FBI. This is Agent Atkinson." Mulder pulled out his badge and showed the man who only glanced and smiled back at him.

"Yes, we know Agent Atkinson." The man said, frowning over at her.

Mulder looked back at Haley, flashing her a wry smile. She just glanced at him with an expression that said she knew the lewd comments he was about to make and therefore he would not need to express them. Mulder smiled genuinely and looked back towards the desk clerk.

"We would like to see the guest register from the past two weeks." He leaned one elbow on the intricately decorated marble counter and looked over at the five-foot four man who immediately nodded, picked up the phone and called his manager.

Mulder tried to be professional with Atkinson, but she didn’t seem at all interested in the guest register or what went on in this place. She was more than distant during the entire interview. Despite Atkinson’s behavior which was downright annoying Mulder, the Hotel Manager, Henry Longbottom was worse. He seemed as if he had never experienced an interrogation from local authorities, this concerned Mulder. After all, this place was an obvious whorehouse, pretty or not, and Henry had all the wrong answers to Mulder’s questions.

Henry denied that Emily Hollison or Rachael Folly ever worked for the hotel, however he did recall seeing them once or twice ‘around’ and that perhaps some of the other staff, who worked nights might have some other knowledge of them. This led Mulder and Haley to Ted Franklin, the nighttime bartender, who had worked at the hotel for six years. Henry also told them Ted was here on Sundays during the day and if he wanted they could speak with him.

"Sure I knew them, Emily and Rachael were regulars in the bar. You know every Monday, Wednesday and Friday like clockwork, they came in."

"Together?" Mulder asked.

"Sometimes, mostly Emily was late not until after ten or so, but Rachael she was here each night exactly at seven. Never missed a night, not since I’ve been here." Ted continued wiping down the bar and doing miscellaneous bartending things. It seemed to mostly just keep him busy, Mulder got the feeling the guy didn’t like cops of any kind. "It’s a shame that the bastard wasn’t caught before he got Rachael." He looked over at Atkinson, accusingly. "With as often as you’ve been in here, I would have thought you’d know more. You knew the girls, didn’t you?"

Mulder looked over at Atkinson quickly. Ted laughed, causing Mulder to turn back to him.

"Sorry. You know you should really tell your partner here about what you know before you have the entire FBI looking foolish." Ted laughed again, threw his rag in the sink and still looking at Mulder, said, "she’s all ready asked everyone here these same questions. Take some advice, you’re wasting your time. The killer doesn’t work here. This sick bastard just has something against...." he paused trying to think of a word to describe their jobs, "professional career women." He smiled at Mulder and excused himself saying he needed to tend to some other duties before the bar opened at noon.

"That’s strike one, Atkinson. One more to go. I’m going to get Scully," Mulder said, walking to the exit and back out to the car. Atkinson ran to catch up with him.

"Look Mulder, I did some investigation. I wanted you to hear for yourself. It’s better...."

"You look, Atkinson, you withheld information from me, not to mention the local police. You obviously know more than you’re willing to share. I don’t know why you felt it necessary for me to go through this exercise in interrogation and I don’t want to know why. I’m going to get Scully." Mulder had stopped at the door of the car. He pondered for a second on leaving Atkinson there. He decided against it. He figured it would be better for him to be the professional one. "I’ll drop you back at the office on my way." He got in the car, started it and waited for her to get in.

"Don’t do me any favors, Fox. Listen, I know I haven’t told you everything, but I needed you to hear all of it before you made any assumptions or theories about the murder. If I recall you worked best that way." She said as she sat in the passenger seat.

"Things have changed." Mulder replied, not wanting to elaborate on the subject. He drove away and realized after a moment of silence, Atkinson wasn’t going to leave the subject of his ‘new life’ alone. He should have known better.

"Because of her," she said in a tone Mulder didn’t like or appreciate. "Did you get soft over the years or is Dana Scully just special, Fox?" She looked over at him and could tell she shouldn’t have said that, but then again, he was accusing her of withholding information. Regardless of that fact, which Haley didn’t exactly subscribe to, this was definitely not the Fox Mulder she had known and she wasn’t all that certain she liked this one. If someone had asked her opinion.

It seemed to Haley that both, Fox and Dana had a good working relationship, but it was also obvious that their relationship didn’t stop with work. Their constant glances and unspoken communication had annoyed her from the first moment they walked into her office. She thought about demanding to go with him to see Scully, but after considering what she would have to most likely endure. A exclusive conversation between them, she decided against it....for the time being.

"What I’ve gotten is more careful about what I waste my time on." Mulder replied, and with a quick glance at Haley saw that his comment had hit its mark and had precisely the effect he wanted: Haley’s silence.

Scully had finished reading the autopsy reports on the victims. She spoke for a few moments on the phone with the doctor who performed them, Dr. Bradley Hawthorne. However, most of her morning was spent contending with Greg Talbot, the new student intern at the hospital who was ‘assigned’ to assist her in looking over the bodies. A job, Scully soon found out, he volunteered for. He seemed to have a fascination with the FBI and now, her.

"Agent Scully, is the FBI academy really as tough as I’ve heard?" Talbot asked, adding another question to his seemly endless, yet harmless interrogation.

"Can I have that scalpel please?" Scully said, pointing the instrument tray next to Greg. He smiled, reached over and handed it to her. She took it, stopping a moment, before examining Emily Hollison’s corpse, to look at him. "What do they say?"

"Oh you know, it’s like boot camp and Harvard put together." Greg answered, letting a short laugh. Scully cocked her head to one side, hid a small smile and continued with her examination.

"I don’t know about boot camp, but it is very physical challenging." She paused a moment, looking over the contents of Emily’s stomach and glanced back up at Greg. "Are you thinking about applying?"

"Well, maybe. I mean, you’re a doctor, so I just need to finish my internship here and then I can be like you."

"Performing autopsies?" Scully asked, smiling to herself. She continued the examination, carefully looking over the marks on the girl’s neck indicating her strangulation.

"Well, maybe. I mean what else do you do in the FBI? Do you just perform autopsies to form medical opinions for agents in the field who need your expertise?"

"No, actually I am a field agent. Can I have the forceps over there?" She pointed to the instrument tray again. Greg handed her the forceps, looking intently at everything she was doing. Scully was almost amused by Greg’s enthusiasm. An enthusiasm she recalled herself having before joining the bureau. "I only perform autopsies when there is the possibility the something was missed during the initial examination or if the case, in particular, relies on medical evidence."

"I can imagine that must happen quite a bit." Greg said, staring deeply into her eyes, something he seemed to be doing frequently after the last several questions. She refocused back on the body before her.

Scully was becoming aware that Greg’s interest was changing from curiosity about the FBI to her. She decided she should keep the young man focused on his duties there.

"One thing you do learn in the bureau is to get the job done and keep focused," Scully replied, firmly handing him back the forceps.

"Miss me?" Mulder said, off-handily as he strolled into the room, smiling at Scully. She looked up at him sharply and he realized now might not be the best time to relax with his partners. He looked over at the intern standing opposite Scully.

"Greg Talbot, my partner, Agent Mulder." Mulder nodded at him, Greg nodded back and for a moment, Mulder felt Talbot look him over as if noticing his height, build and apparent comfortableness with Scully. Mulder chuckled to himself as he watched Scully’s newest fan try to quickly evaluate what the status of their relationship was.

"Nice to meet you, Agent Mulder." Greg quickly said, offering his hand to Mulder. Mulder shook it and then leaned over to Scully to make an off-handed comment in her ear. She looked up at him with a dagger-like stare, Mulder knew that was his cue to back off.

"So find anything out about the victims?" Mulder said, moving a step away. "Did they die of strangulation?"

"This is Emily Hollison and it doesn’t seem that there’s anything beyond the original cause of death." She reached over to her left side to retrieve the autopsy report, handing it to him. "She died from strangulation. Her liver and heart were completely removed with a surgeon’s skill. You see, here is where the cuts were made," she said indicating the area where the heart used to be. Mulder glanced at it, grimaced and then tried to look at everything else in the room instead. "The liver was done extremely well also, considering the conditions under which the killer worked. Low light in an alleyway, late at night. Aside from that, there isn’t anything here that wasn’t in the original report."

"I’m glad you’re impressed, Scully." Mulder said, grimacing again as he glanced at the place where the liver used to be. "So, open and shut case for the local authorities, right?" Mulder handed the report back to her and smiled. "I guess we have a flight to catch. We can stop by the field office on our way to the airport to say a final goodbye to Agent Atkinson."

Now Scully smiled. She agreed it would be nice to go home, but she wasn’t exactly sure this was an open and shut case. She wanted a little longer to look over the details. She looked up at Mulder and started to say something. Quickly she glanced over at Greg, who was staring intently at the exchange.

Scully tried to be polite, "thank you for your help, Greg. I can handle it from here," unfortunately it came off sounding like a blunt dismissal. Greg got the hint and left the room, quietly, although not all that pleased.

"I leave you alone for one morning and you’ve got the interns after you." Mulder said, smiling at her. She walked past him, placing the file down and ignoring his comment.

"Mulder, I think there’s more to this case than the reports and bodies." She turned around to face him. He had that look, Scully knew all too well, he wasn’t happy to hear that.

"Come on, Scully, the victims were both killed after frequenting a bar at the WhiteChapel Hotel. They were known ‘working girls’. This guy strangled them, ripped out their hearts and livers for some sick trophy and took off. It’s simple, it’s clear and the profile has already been set forth by Atkinson, the local authorities and now us. If you ask me, Scully, this guy’s got more than enough to worry about. He’ll make a mistake. I’m sure Captain Bowle will catch him before his next murder." Mulder finished, walking up to her. She leaned against the counter behind her and looked up at him.

"You just want to get away from her, don’t you?" Scully said, amused. Mulder didn’t smile, he turned away and walked to the other side of the room. "Mulder, I think I have something you might be interested in. If you not, we’ll go. All right?"

"What?" Mulder turned back to face her. Scully took off the medical gloves and walked to him. She took his hand and led him out of the room.

12:46 PM

"Smoking or non-smoking?" A pretty young waitress said as Mulder and Scully walked in the door. She was a little taller than Scully with brunette hair and brown eyes. She stared at the couple before her who seemed to be staring each other down for an answer on the table preference. She thought they were intense looking, especially dressed in the business suits all ironed and perfectly neat. The couple was certainly striking. The man had dark hair and a dark suit, the woman had red hair with a tan colored suit which fit perfectly. She had admired them for a moment before she’d spoken.

"Non-smoking," Mulder answered. The waitress smiled quickly, turned and headed off toward a table in the back of the restaurant. Mulder waited for Scully to follow the waitress before unconsciously putting his hand on her lower back and following her to their booth. Normally, Scully wouldn’t have noticed his hand there, he did it so often, it would feel strange if he didn’t escort her to a seat, through a door, whatever. Although she never minded this particular action, she was becoming aware of his touches more and more. Something Dana was not finding easy to deal with.

"Here’s a menu," the waitress said, smiling apologetically as she handed them one menu. "Sorry, we kinda have a full house today. There’s some kind of business convention over at the WhiteChapel. Probably Reception tonight. All those functions are the same. Drink the night before the conference." She laughed nervously, looking from Mulder to Scully, hoping she hadn’t just annoyed them and lost her tip. Busy or not, she needed tips from every customer.

She smiled and figured they looked like a nice couple. "Anyway, I’ll be back soon to take your order. My name’s Terri." Mulder and Scully both looked at her. Scully gave her a quick smile, which signaled to Terri everything was fine. She smiled back and went about her business with the new customers who walked through the door.

Scully scanned the room from her seat across from the door. It was crowded for a Sunday afternoon. She looked over at Mulder who was intently staring at her with questioning eyes. It took her back for a moment before responding to him.

"You’re impatient, do you know that, Mulder?"

"Yea. That’s what everyone’s tells me," Mulder said smiling at her, teasingly. His words were meant for more than just his impatience at the present moment. Scully lowered her eyes and looked down at the menu laid across the table. Mulder thought he saw her blush. He smiled to himself and took her hand which absently was scanning the menu.

"Talk to me, Scully." His voice sounded low and different to Scully. She immediately jerked her head up to meet his eyes and pulled her hand away in the process. That voice was….she felt her cheeks flush, but she looked him directly in the eyes and refused to have her voice waver. She wanted to have the control. The whole effect he had over her wasn’t lost on Mulder. He leaned back in his seat and stared at her. "So, what’s the new development?"

"Actually, it’s not new at all. It’s pretty old. About a hundred years actually." Scully stared at him intently. Now it was his turn to be taken back.

"Is this where you tell me about Eugene Victor Toom’s brother?" Mulder answered, smiling at her. She hid a laugh and looked down.

"No, but it does involve a serial killer, the most notorious one in history. He was never caught and no one ever really knew who he was." Scully leaned forward in her seat to emphasis her point.

"Ohh, I’m listening, Scully." Mulder smiled and leaned forward to meet her at the center of the small table. Their faces were inches apart and Mulder was fighting that urge to kiss her again. Instead he decided on focusing on her eyes which seemed to hold an excitement in them. It was rare, Scully ever got excited especially about a hundred year old serial murderer. Mulder was beginning to seriously enjoy this.

"I assume you know Jack the Ripper," Scully said keeping his stare.

"Personally?" Mulder replied, smiling at her. "No, but I did work on the FBI profile while I was in the VCS."

"Why am I not surprised. Atkinson help you on that one?" She said, quickly, trying to hide her amusement.

"No, she wasn’t qualified. She was mad at me for agreeing to do it without her." Mulder said, recalling that conversation too clearly in his mind. Scully touched his hand and he came back to the present. "She wasn’t pleased about it to say the least." He looked at her, squeezed her hand in his and urged her to continue.

"Well, I believe someone is trying to bring him back." Scully said with a deadly intensity. Mulder felt a chill go up his spine. He stared at her a moment, she let go of his hand.

"You’ve been hanging around me too long, Dana. You’re starting to sound like me." Mulder wasn’t sure if he liked that. She was the sensible one, the rational one. She had this look on her face which could have mirrored his when he was excited about a case. He looked down from her eyes at her lips.

"All right, what I get for you?" Terri said, interrupting the intense moment they were sharing. They both sat back in their seats and looked up at her. Terri looked from one to the other, holding a pencil in her hand with a notepad. Terri thought to herself, it wasn’t a difficult question

Mulder looked from Terri to Scully, who was staring back at him, now. The exchange lasted another minute and then they ordered.

"Thanks," Terri said and bounced off to help another customer.

Scully was watching some businessmen in the booth across from them. She hadn’t noticed Mulder watching her carefully. It’s not that what she said was extremely shocking to him, it’s just not something Dana Scully was accustomed to saying, especially about a case.

"You can’t leave me hanging like that, Scully?" Mulder finally said. Scully turned back to look at him. She smiled.

"I didn’t mean to catch you off-guard, Mulder. I’m surprised, actually, that you didn’t tell me this all ready." She smiled slightly at him. "I guess you really didn’t want to go on this case."

"No, I didn’t. But I have to admit, it’s been worth it just to see you get this excited about it." He threw a smile at her and leaned forward again. "Okay, so tell me. What’s your theory?"

She shifted in her seat and took a sip from the water, Terri had set down in front of them. After a long breath, she continued. "The two victims had been prostitutes. They had worked for businessmen, executives over the WhiteChapel. They were strangled before the killer took out their livers and hearts. The cuts were precise with the skill of someone who knows something about surgical procedures."

Scully stopped and looked up at Mulder. He was staring at her now or rather staring in her direction. She could tell she hit on something, his mind was working quickly, putting together the pieces. She figured it was only a matter of time he would catch onto her theory and undoubtedly come up with his own. This was what she wanted. She needed his profiling expertise if they ever had a chance of catching this guy. She knew Mulder wouldn’t be able to resist a hundred year old copycat of Jack the Ripper. What relatively sane FBI Agent could?

"Still, Scully, even if this guy is a copycat murderer why here..in Oregon. London, or at the least, New York would have been better targets. There’s a lot more there to catch and Jack the Ripper is a Scotland Yard unsolved case not FBI." Mulder moved back as Terri returned to the table to give them their meals.

Scully had ordered a turkey sandwich and Mulder had his usual, greasy hamburger with greasy fries. She grimaced at the sight of heaping pile of French fries in front of her partner, then she lowered her head and grinned. She thought she had been subtle enough, but she should have known better, subtle was something Mulder also looked for and tried to exploit, especially with her. Before she knew what was happening, he picked up a fry and held it under her nose. She jerked her head up and instantly her mouth met with the taste of oil, grease and potato. Mulder was grinning from ear to ear. She picked up her napkin and wiped her mouth off before she embarked on this dangerous game they were playing.

"Come on, admit it Scully, you love greasy food, don’t you?" Mulder said, waving another French fry near her face. She grabbed it and laughed.

"In moderation, Mulder," she answered, popping the fry in her mouth and deciding to continue the conversation about the killer. It was a less dangerous one. "So, tell me Mulder, why did you assist with the FBI profile then? You must agree it’s interesting." Scully finished her fry, took a sip from her water glass and pushed aside her untouched sandwich. She reached over, taking another fry. This time she dipped it in the ketchup, Mulder had just put on his plate, and smiled at him. He smiled back.

"Of course, it’s interesting to every first year rookie in behaviorial sciences and just about anyone who has ever been fascinated by serial killers, unsolved mysteries or….X files." He threw her another one of his cocky smiles before continuing. Scully smiled slightly at him and stole another fry. "All right, so if this guy is playing out Jack the Ripper style murders which include sending notes to the local police, killing prostitutes and cutting out organs, where do you suggest we start looking, Dr. Scully? The profile itself states, Jack the Ripper had no pattern of killing, if all the ones who he killed were actually done by him and not two people. That was a possibility as well. Not to mention the fact that he dropped off the face of the earth and no one to this day had ever gotten a true lead on his real identity. This gives me a lot of confidence in this case, Scully."

"Unsolved cases, mysteries no one can figure out. X Files, Mulder. The biggest one of all." She smiled again, grabbing another fry this time, he caught her hand, taking the fry.

"I wouldn’t push it, Agent Scully. If this is the biggest X File ever, then we’re going to need another profession real soon." He pushed the French fry in her mouth, sighed and leaned back in his seat. "Besides, let’s not let Atkinson be the beginning of the greatest X Files case ever. That’s a little bit more than I can take on a Sunday." Mulder looked over at a few businessman talking with Terri. She didn’t seem at all pleased, but they were mostly harmless, Mulder thought. Then he looked over at Scully, quickly, she stopped in mid-motion as she was about to steal another fry.

"What?" She said, staring at him.

He smiled back at her. "I’ve got an idea."

Sunday - 6:07 PM

Mulder and Scully stood outside the WhiteCastle hotel, awaiting Agent Haley Atkinson to show. They had been talking with her, the manager, Henry and each other about the undercover operation they were about to begin for over three hours this afternoon. An operation Mulder had thought of sitting in the restaurant with Scully eating lunch hours earlier today.

"We’ll go undercover into the WhiteCastle tonight," he had said to Scully. A reception was being held for a new conference beginning Monday morning and Mulder felt the timing was perfect. Mulder and Scully would go in as businesspeople part of the conference, Atkinson would be the bait. She was to dress and act the part of the prostitute, evening lady, whatever you wanted to call to ensnare this ‘Jack’ out of hiding. It was dangerous, but with no real leads at the hotel itself or the autopsies from the first two victims, Mulder felt it just might work. Besides, he thought, if it didn’t him and Scully at least tried to help Atkinson, which was what he had come to Oregon to do. That thought alone made him feel better about not taking that flight out a few hours ago. Of course, Atkinson had dragged him here, ruined his potential good weekend with Scully and overall lied about most of this case she was working on. Then again, he thought, I do get to see Scully in a gorgeous evening gown she picked up for her ‘part.’ The manager said all receptions were formal at the WhiteCastle, so Mulder and Scully had to dress for the occasion and he had to admit, he even thought he looked good tonight. So maybe it wasn’t all a waste, but he wasn’t about to stand here outside all night waiting for Atkinson.

Atkinson had said she needed to ‘pick up a few things for tonight’ and would meet them there at 5:30. She was more than just a little late. Mulder sighed and turned to the car he saw coming in the entrance to the hotel parking lot. It passed them and they both looked away. It wasn’t her.

"Listen, Scully, she’s a big girl. Let’s go inside and at least enjoy something of this weekend...for a moment." Mulder held out his arm for her, she smiled and took it. Before entering, she reached up on her toes to speak in his ear.

"You look very nice tonight, Agent Mulder."

"You look gorgeous, Dana," he whispered back in her ear. She smiled at him and they walked down a few steps into the bustling commotion of the elegant foyer to the WhiteCastle Hotel.

Everyone there was dressed to the hilt, with evening gowns, tuxedos and every bit of jewelry they could find. Scully had to admit the affair was very elegant and it was a nice change from their usual places of dwelling.

"You want a drink?" Mulder asked, throwing her a knowing smile. He knew all too well how much Dana could or could not handle. Those Friday nights were helpful to him in many ways.

"Mulder, we’re on a case." Scully said sternly, trying to exhibit an ounce of control she may still have left with him.

"Like a club soda or some water," he said looking at her with a hurt expression on his face. "I can’t believe you would think that..."

"Yes you did and yes I can," Scully smiled. "I’ll have some club soda, thank you."

"I’ll be right back," Mulder said, winking at her. She felt a chill go up her spine and left a tingling sensation behind. He rarely winked at her and she was almost grateful for that. She wasn’t sure how long she could hold back telling him what she desperately wanted to say two nights ago, while they were sitting on her couch. What she had tried to tell him on Saturday before they left for this place and what she had been pushing away from ever since they got here…if not from the first moment they met.

Scully watched him walk to bar, talk to the bartender, who he seemed to all ready know and order the drinks. He glanced in her direction and she quickly looked at the room full of people.

Every man looked the same, black tuxedo, well done hair styles and an overall look of relaxation on their faces. She almost felt sorry these poor businesspeople had to arrive in Oregon and their party was nothing more than an elaborate stakeout for the FBI. It seemed a shame to ruin their spirits should ‘Jack’ show tonight. She scanned the room one more time trying to focus on faces and overall behaviors. It would be important to distinguish them if he showed up.

Her eyes fell upon the bar again, but this time she didn’t watch Mulder. She was watching Atkinson edging up to him from the other end of the bar. She must of just arrived, Scully thought. Although, she hadn’t even seen her come through the entranceway. Scully watched her intently now almost amazed by the complete change in her demeanor from the obsessive FBI agent to this ‘beautiful’ seductress. She was wearing a long red evening gown, cut very low with a scoop neck that was outlined in glittering jewels. The dress had a long slit on the right side which revealed just a little too much for her tastes.

Scully watched Atkinson ‘slide’ up to Mulder and start a conversation. She tried to refocus her attentions back to the crowd, but her eyes wouldn’t move from the scene being played out in front of her. She almost felt jilted as Mulder continued to talk with Atkinson, holding their drinks in his hand.

"About time, Atkinson." Mulder said, looking at her directly. He was not giving her any satisfaction of seeing him look at her dress.

"This wasn’t a bad idea, Fox." Haley slowly put her hand on his arm. "As a matter of fact, I think this will work out perfectly for everyone involved." She turned and glanced over her shoulder, watching Scully for a moment before smiling and turning back to him.

"Look, just do what you need to, so we can catch him. I’m being generous, Atkinson. Don’t push." Mulder started to walk away, but she caught his arm, stopping him.

"Do you ever think about the old days, Fox?" She said, slowly, holding his arm. "About the late nights, the champagne, the..."

"No, I don’t." He said, putting down the drinks and firmly pulling her hand off his arm.

"I thought you always had a perfect memory," Haley answered smiling.

"I thought you wanted to catch this killer tonight. This is your case, Atkinson, go find him. I have other things to do." Mulder picked up the drinks. He started to turn away and then quickly turned back to her, speaking low. "You know I would have thought you had learned to be professional on a case. I guess I should have known better." With that, he walked away from her as she stood there, speechless. Mulder felt some kind of victory as he walked away and went back to Scully.

"No one stole you away while I was gone?" Mulder asked from behind Scully. She jumped a bit and turned to face him. He was smiling and handing her the club soda.

"I had to say no to them. They weren’t the I want to believe, psuedophilopher, obsessive, ego tainted, self-serving G-men I’m used to." Scully smiled at him, taking her drink.

"Ohh, twice in one night, Scully. You must really be getting sick of me or you finally see the light." He smiled back at her and looked out over the room.

"What did Atkinson have to say?" Scully said, looking towards the piano player getting ready to start his set. She posed the question simply to her own surprise.

"You know, the usual," Mulder said keeping the conversation light. "I want you back, I need you, let’s have sex. You know that kind of thing."

Scully turned to him, not completely amused by his comments. However, the more she looked at him giving her a mischievous smile, the more she had to just laugh at the whole situation. Mulder hadn’t heard her laugh like that since the Friday night incident. It felt good to hear her laugh, great in fact. Especially considering it was his joke she was laughing at. He leaned over to her, while the piano player started to play the never ending Piano Man by Billy Joel.

"Dana, would you like to dance with me?" He said, carefully watching her reaction. He knew he shouldn’t have asked and he knew they shouldn’t dance. Not here on a case, not after he just accused Haley of being unprofessional during an investigation, but somehow he felt like they had been cheated out of their time together. Mulder wanted to let her know he hadn’t forgotten during the past few days. That he still wanted to talk with her about what they had...or didn’t have or whatever it was that was going on here. Besides, he rationalized to himself, they were supposed to be businesspeople at a conference reception and from the look of everyone else here they should be acting as if they’re enjoying themselves, too.

"Yes, Mulder." She answered as she handed him her drink, which he placed with his on a small table next to them. She smiled and took his hand. They walked out on the dance floor.

Haley thought she wasn’t seeing right when she looked over and caught Mulder leading Agent Scully onto the dance floor. She was beyond furious with him. She knew she should just continue with her ‘part’ in this little scenario, but seeing them dancing was unbearable. She didn’t know why the feeling had come over her so strongly, but she felt a desire to break in and dance with him, herself. She felt an incredible urge, she didn’t know how to control. It was bad enough to be stuck in this position, to be playing the part of a hooker, a low-life. Something she despised with such passion, but to be insulted by Fox and treated as a common whore and then to watch him fawn all over this partner of his, it was too much for Haley. He was constantly telling her about rules in the Bureau when they were together. To be professional all the time. To never fraternize while on a case. The words came pouring to her from conversations she thought were long ago forgotten.

Haley quickly turned to the man standing next to her who was endlessly going on and on about his job and his need for ‘getting away’ from the rat race. A conversation she was only partly listening to since he had come up to her. She took his hand and

pulled him with her to dance floor. Screw Fox Mulder, she said to herself and she pressed closer to the man who she couldn’t remember what he told her for a name. She didn’t care anymore. She was mad, frustrated and completely losing control. Something that somehow scared her in that same moment.

"I could learn to like this, Scully," Mulder said as she moved closer to him. She moved a step away and then wondered why she had jumped so fast at his comment. It could be because he was so close to her and that he whispered it in her ear, which was sending another chill up her spine. A sensation she wasn’t getting accustomed to. As a matter of fact, she was beginning to like it. She had to talk with him soon, she thought as she turned with him again around the dance floor. "Listen, what do you say we blow off this case and go back to Washington tonight?" Mulder said close to her ear. She smiled, though he couldn’t see it and rested her head against his chest. Mulder smiled and turned her around again as the song was coming to a close. He figured that was a good response to his question. He almost forgot where he was. Luckily, Haley wasn’t about to let him do that.

"Are you two finished?" Haley said, coming up to them on the dance floor as the piano player started to play a lively tune and the dancing shifted from slow to hip. Mulder and Scully instantly came out of their exclusive world where Haley didn’t exist or this case or even this party and stared at her. Neither were pleased with her question or the accusing tone she used to express it and that was obvious to Haley.

"Did you find him?" Scully asked, quickly before Mulder had the chance to make a comment. She figured it would be better to keep this about the case and not Haley, Mulder or their dance.

"No, but I have some leads." Atkinson looked over at Scully with eyes that had a sort-of ‘evil smile’ and seemed to burn through her. Scully took a step back, unconsciously. Slowly, she saw Atkinson’s mouth turn from a pouting expression into a full-fledged smile. This set Scully back again. It was eerie the expression she had on her face and Scully wasn’t too sure about this women’s sanity at this moment. Then Haley laughed.

"What’s so funny?" Mulder asked, his eyes boring into her just as deeply as the ones she held on Scully.

"You," she said, "I didn’t understand it before, but now I can see it all too clearly." She laughed again, walking forward a few steps to Mulder. "It’s all right Mulder, I know how you hate this part of the relationship. Listen, if you want some advice. Don’t. She’s entirely too independent for your taste and by all means please sleep with her before you consider falling in love with her." She laughed again, looked at Scully and headed off to the bar still smiling.

Mulder stood there for a moment, then started to walk to her, but was caught by a firm hand on his arm. He turned to face Scully.

"Let it go, Mulder. She’s been waiting to say something since we got here. I was expecting it." Scully said, calmly. Mulder stared at her. How could she be so calm about what Atkinson had just referred to, especially considering it was directed at her?

"Let it go? She needs to learn some manners, Scully. You are not..." She touched his face slightly and smiled.

"She doesn’t need to learn them from you. That’s what she wants, Mulder…for you to run after her. Take my advice: don’t." Scully lingered a moment with her caress on his face then turned her expression and demeanor back to business. "I think we need to split up and scan the room. He may not come because he most likely knows the FBI’s looking for him and Atkinson isn’t exactly discreet about any of this," she said looking over at Haley laughing with some woman.

"How did you get to be so smart, Scully?" Mulder said, smiling.

"Good upbringing," she answered back and walked away to the other side of the room. Mulder followed her with his eyes for a moment and then headed off toward the group of people around the piano.

"No, seriously tell me about this guy." Haley said, calming down her laughter and sipping a cocktail. She knew she shouldn’t drink, but Kathy, the working girl who found her in the crowd, insisted she have one with her.

"Oh, he’s not my type at all. You know tall, dark and handsome. No one is ever that perfect." Kathy took a drink from her glass and continued. "But Rachael, she was taken and it is rare that she was ever taken with a man."

"So, what happened?" Haley anxiously awaited her answer. Maybe now she’d get somewhere and shove this case right in the illustrious Mulder and Scully’s faces.

"Rachael kept trying, but he wasn’t budging. He said he was married and he never cheated on his wife," Kathy laughed loudly, Haley joined in on the joke, making her feel sick to her stomach. This woman’s very existence was making her ill. She continued to laugh with her and then took another sip from her drink.

"Anyway, Rachael gave up and went onto another ‘customer’, whom she got within five minutes. So, she had said as she was walking out with him, the night hadn’t been a total waste. Although, if you ask my opinion, she was still upset about the other guy." Kathy smiled and gulped down the rest of her drink.

"So, she never went out with him?" Rachael shook her head no. "Was that the last time you saw her, Kathy?" Haley asked, buying her another drink.

"Yea, well until I had to ID the body down at the coroner’s on Saturday morning." She took a sip from her new drink and her expression turned from calm to sad. "Poor Rachael. She never hurt anyone in her life. I mean anyone that mattered." She quickly added. "You know, she broke up a few marriages in her time, but overall she was a nice girl. Just in the wrong profession. But then again," she raised her glass, looking at Haley. "aren’t we all?" She drank the rest of the drink in her hand and smiled. "Well, duty calls. I’m been away too long," she said as a handsome gentleman walked by them. Haley smiled at her as she went towards him. Her expression instantly turned cold and she gulped her drink down and slammed it on the table, causing several people including Ted Franklin, the bartender to look at her.

She was somewhat grateful that Kathy seemed to be the only other working girl here tonight and that she didn’t recognize her from other visits to the hotel. She took a deep breath and calmed her rising emotions over this entire night. Things were not going well, but she smiled to herself, and looked over at Mulder standing alone near the piano. Things can always change. She began to walk towards him with a new found confidence.

"Hey Deidre," Kathy said, quickly coming up behind her. Haley didn’t hear her or pay attention to her ‘fake’ name. "Hey, Deidre," she caught her arm and Haley turned around quickly with a deadly expression. "Jesus calm down, it’s just me." Haley’s expression changed back and she looked at her, smiling.

"I’m sorry I didn’t hear you. I was..." she turned back to looking over at Mulder. Kathy followed her stare and smiled.

"Not bad, but I wouldn’t go for him. He looks too serious." Kathy said, quickly causing Haley to turn back to her not at all happy by her comment.

"Why? He’s gorgeous. He’s single and he looks bored. What more do we need?" She said, throwing her a sly smile.

"Yea, but he’s looking for something...or someone." Kathy said, trying to look at what the man was staring at and then she saw her. "See, I told you. He’s looking over at that red-head in the purple dress standing near the pillar. I think you just lost him."

Haley looked at her with a venom that caused Kathy to take a step away from her.

"Listen, I’m sorry. If you want to try, go ahead." Kathy said, quickly laughing.

Haley laughed and smiled at her. "That’s all right. I just don’t lose well." She added. Kathy nodded.

"Yea. I guess not. Well, listen I found a little something that might be interesting. Look over there at the end of the bar."

Kathy turned toward the direction of the far end of the bar. Haley followed her stare and saw what she was looking at.

"That’s him. The man who Rachael couldn’t get. Maybe you want to try?" Haley smiled.

"Thanks, Kathy. I owe you." She looked at her. Kathy was smiling. "I promise I’ll pay you back someday." She said, slowly and walked off toward the man.

"Promises, promises." Kathy replied as she decided to find another eligible customer.

Haley walked slowly to the man, taking in his features. He was definitely as Kathy described tall, dark and most certainly handsome. She almost forgot about Mulder...almost.

"Hi," she said as she approached him, taking a seat next to him. "I hope you weren’t saving that for anyone."

"Don’t even try, tramp." He said, coldly. Suddenly, his features turned ugly to Haley. She felt like slapping him across the face right there and telling him he had no right to treat her as a common whor....She stopped her thoughts quickly. Of course, he did, that’s what she was supposed to be, wasn’t it? Why did she ever agree to this, she thought to herself as she ordered another drink.

"Harsh," she said, smiling at him.

"I would expect you get a lot of that." He said, muttering under his breath.

"Actually, I don’t. Most men are gentleman, sir. I’m usually treated as a lady," Haley answered, shooting him a cold look.

"If they treat you like a lady, they are not gentlemen, whore." With that he took his drink and walked away. He stopped a few feet away and turned, walking back to Haley. "What’s your name?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"I could care less. I just wanted to know who I should be looking for later." He said, smiling. "Good night, whore." He touched her face, gently and walked away, smiling.

Haley was thrilled, she had found him and she had done it alone. She followed him, slowly watching him looking over the party and the people. He stopped in the middle of the dance floor and stared toward the pillars. Haley followed his stare and smiled, genuinely. She couldn’t have been more pleased. He started to walk over to Scully. Haley was feeling even better as she watched him start a conversation with her. Content, they were head to head in some discussion, she walked over to Mulder to tell him the ‘good news.’

"Hi, Fox." Haley said, coming up to him. Mulder frowned in her direction and chose to ignore her. She smiled and looked over at Scully. "Aw, did she leave you all ready?"

"Atkinson, I have had just about enough...."

"I’m sorry, Mulder. Really." She said, trying to sound sincere. "I do have a reason for speaking with you."

"What?"

"You see that man Scully’s talking to?" Haley started. Mulder turned to face her and stared at her intently, clearly upset by her words and what he thought was coming next. Haley smiled. "He’s the killer."

"What?!" Mulder said, quickly turning back to watch Scully and this man.

"I talked with Kathy, another...working girl. She said that man was here on the night of Rachael’s murder and he refused her. Not to mention being extremely insulting. Then I went and spoke with him after he was pointed out to me and he treated me with such contempt, I’ve never encountered before."

"I doubt that," Mulder said, looking back at her for a moment before looking back at Scully. Haley stared at him and turned him around.

"Listen, Mulder, he’s the guy. He said he wanted to know my name so he would know who to look for later." Mulder looked at her intently now. "He’s ‘Jack’, I’m telling you. It’s obvious and he didn’t even try to hide his distaste for prostitutes."

Mulder turned back in Scully’s direction and started to walk over to her.

"Oh no, loverboy. My turn." She said, turning him back again with a force Mulder didn’t know she was capable of. "I think my part calls for it. You’re too...emotionally involved, so to speak." She said, walking towards Scully and the man. Mulder hated to agree with her, but he stood in place and watched knowing he had no other choice right now.

"Hi. Thought I should tell you I enjoyed your company last night," Haley said to the man coming up behind Scully. Scully turned around quickly and looked at her, confused.

"Look, I told you...." the man started, walking a step towards her.

"Now, none of that." Haley moved to him and stepped in between him and Scully. The man was thoroughly irritated.

Haley whispered to him, "I know we don’t want to make her think you’re a total prick, now do we?" The man stared at her for a moment and smiled.

"Excuse me," he said to Scully, gave a glare to Haley and walked away.

"What the hell was that about?" Scully said, turning to her.

"Mulder was getting nervous." She said, calmly watching the man who kept looking back at them. Finally, he found someone else to annoy and went towards the bar. Haley sighed and turned back to Scully, who was looking at her with an intense hatred. "That’s him, Agent Scully. I thought maybe you should know that before you let him drive you home." Scully glared at her again and walked away, undoubtedly to talk with her partner. Haley smiled after her, thinking that was a loosely based term. She shrugged it off, refocusing on the man at the bar. He was talking with Kathy now and he looked like he was laughing about something. Why was he laughing with her? She thought he hated prostitutes. Hadn’t he made that obvious. She heard Kathy giggle. He leaned over to her to whisper something in her ear, she nodded and they both walked towards the exit. Haley quickly followed them, staying a slight distance behind.

She stopped at the pillars to the exit and entranceway for a moment as she let them pass through. She saw Mulder from her left and Scully coming up behind him. She stepped in front of Mulder.

"He’s mine," she said firmly, stopping her with a hand on his chest. He looked down at it, then moved past her. Scully looked at her briefly as she followed Mulder out the door. "Doesn’t anyone listen to me?" Haley muttered as she followed them both out of the hotel and into the dark night.

They all headed in the direction of the couple in front of them. The man was walking with his arm around Kathy and laughing with her. He rounded a corner up the street that lead to an alleyway. Mulder, Scully and Haley followed behind, ducking into shadows along the street as they moved which wasn’t exactly easy considering the amount of people who were following and what they were wearing.

A few moments went by. The man walked Kathy into an alleyway and out of their sight. As they approached where he disappeared, they heard Kathy scream. Mulder, Scully and Haley rounded the corner and ran towards them. Mulder arrived first. He wasn’t certain who was more shocked, Kathy or the man who was holding a knife to her throat. He quickly dropped it and pushed Kathy against the wall, taking off down the alleyway. Mulder instantly went running after him pulling his gun from the holster inside his tuxedo jacket. Haley followed closely behind, but it was hard to keep up with the dress and in heels. Scully picked up Kathy and felt blood from the back of her head. She ran her fingers along the injury and asked Kathy if she was all right.

The man rounded the corner which lead to the opposite street, Mulder was on his heels as Haley came up behind him, throwing off her shoes. When she rounded the corner, the man was against the building and being handcuffed by Mulder, who held his gun to the man’s back.

"Is your name, Jack, huh?" Mulder said to the man who was clearly shocked by all of this. Mulder pulled him around to face him, still holding the gun on him. The man slowly crumbled before Mulder’s eyes, sobbing uncontrollably until Mulder loosened his hold on him letting the man slump to the ground.

Mulder and Haley looked at each other for a moment. Neither of them expected this kind of reaction from ‘Jack’ being caught.

9:18 PM

Mulder stood in the room, interrogating the man who claimed his name was William not Jack and he had nothing to do with those two girls’ deaths.

Mulder tried everything to intimidate the man, but he was so upset all ready by the events, he felt nothing would make him confess. His story was, he was a medical doctor over at the Portland Hospital. He had only done that in the alleyway to Kathy, because he knew about the murders and he disliked prostitutes. One of them had stolen his wife a few years ago. Unfortunately, William wasn’t aware his wife was teetering on the fence of sexuality, not knowing which side she would land on, when he had met her. He continued to get upset during the interrogation and Mulder was frankly starting to believe this guy. He didn’t exactly look like a cold-blooded murderer who strangled his victims and ripped out their organs. The fact that he was a doctor, though, still concerned him.

"So, you just decided to scare the girl then. You weren’t going to strangle her and then rip out her heart and liver, were you Bill?" Mulder said, sarcastically. Bill put his face in his hands and shook his head, quickly.

He looked up at Mulder. "No, I told you and her..." Bill said, looking over at Atkinson standing in the corner. She had been intently watching this guy, his every move, the way he spoke. She would know if he was lying, she told herself. She would know. She’s dealt with hundreds of serial murders and no matter how much she wanted to believe this was the guy, she couldn’t get that feeling off of him. "I never killed anyone. I just don’t like whores," he said almost whispering the last word. "Look, I’m sorry I attacked the girl, but you saw the knife, it’s just a dull jack knife. I wasn’t trying to hurt her. Jesus, I swear to God, I am not this man you’re looking for. This ‘Jack.’" Mulder stared at him intently for a long moment. William held his stare trying to make him believe he was telling the truth. Without a word, Mulder turned, looked through the window at Scully, glanced at Atkinson and walked out of the room.

"No luck, huh?" Scully said as he approached her. Mulder looked into the room as Atkinson started circle the table, asking her questions.

"I don’t think he did it, Scully. It’s not right."

"What do you mean? Mulder, he’s a doctor, in his early thirties, he cornered the girl at the party, took her to an alleyway and pulled a knife on her. I think he fits the profile pretty well." Scully sighed and looked at him. She could tell he wasn’t buying that.

"His story makes sense. It just doesn’t feel right," Mulder rubbed his chin, giving her a sideways glance.

"This is what we are going on, Mulder. It doesn’t feel right?"

"Yea, and I bet you Atkinson will come out with the same feelings, Scully." Mulder leaned over her. "Listen, he came to the party because a friend invited him, he’s a resident of downtown Portland. That knife he had couldn’t have cut out an organ much less with precision. He’s a medical doctor, but not a surgeon and he’s entirely too upset about his wife running off with a prostitute and finding out she was gay. Not to mention, he didn’t try to strangle Kathy before he held the knife to her throat." Mulder took a breath and stood back up. "I don’t think he did it. I just think he was in the wrong place at the right time." He finished, walked to the window and watched Atkinson banging on the table. She was getting upset and he would have to break this up soon, he thought to himself. Here she goes, it felt like yesterday to him as he watched a scene he remembered from six years ago with another suspect accused of multiple serial murders in New York. Only that time, she had been right.

"Regardless of those facts or your conclusions, Mulder. He was assaulting Kathy. How do you explain the coincidence? He just happened to be at the party, he just happened to tell Agent Atkinson in no uncertain terms how he hated prostitutes and then takes off with one and assaults her in an alleyway that same night." Scully walked up to him looking into the room. "Upset or not, he is caught and this case is over." Scully touched his arm. "You did what you came to do," Mulder turned toward her. "You helped her. She’s got her killer and we’ve got a plane to catch."

Mulder looked down at her and realized that whether she was right or he was right, it didn’t really matter. He was sick of the whole thing and wanted to go home. He turned back to the window, looking at William who was holding his face in his hands again. Mulder felt sorry for him, but he also remembered that detachment was part of the job as well.

"Let’s go back to the hotel and pack."

"Don’t you want to let her know?" Scully said, looking over at Atkinson.

"I’ll call her when we land in Washington." Mulder said, smiling. Scully took one more glance into the room. Atkinson was desperately trying to get him to confess. Her forehead showed beads of sweat and she paced the room, endlessly yelling at him.

"Is she always like that with a suspect?" Scully asked. Mulder looked over at Atkinson for a moment.

"Just the ones she really wants," he answered, letting out a breath. Scully nodded her head and turned toward the outside door. Mulder placed his hand on her lower back as they walked out into the main lobby of the precinct passed the front desk, and out the doors.

11:21 PM

Kathy walked down the street, away from the Portland Hospital with a few stitches and a bad headache. She looked up into the sky for a moment and she was greeted with a few drops of misty rain. She was grateful, those FBI agents were there, especially for Agent Scully who drove her to the hospital and made sure she was all right before meeting up with her partner at the police station. However, now as she walked along the downtown streets she got this creepy feeling in the pit of her stomach…

She wished she had called Bobby, her manager or pimp, whatever you wanted to call him. He would have driven her home. She rounded one corner. ‘Just two more streets and I’m home,’ she thought.

The eerie sensation gnawing away at her had grown unbearable. Just as she was about to turn around to see no one there and to clear her conscience of paranoia, she felt a strong hand come up over her mouth as she was pulled into an alleyway. He pushed her against the wall with a force that knocked the wind out of her. ‘Jack’ moved his hand to get a better hold on her and Kathy let out a breathless scream. Instantly, his hand flew back to her mouth, pushing her head against the wall, reopening the wound from earlier. He wore gloves which felt coarse against her skin and she could have sworn she tasted dried blood when she struggled against him, trying to bite his hand.

She couldn’t make out his face in the dark alleyway, but through her blurred vision, all she could see was a mask and a long dark cape. She couldn’t believe this was actually her life. She felt like she was reliving every nightmare she had had since she joined this profession. Bravely, she gave one last attempt to free herself from this maniac. She kicked her leg up to his groin, hard. He winced in pain, but to Kathy’s disappointment and ultimate fear, he managed to keep her still.

He looked at her with an intense stare that seemed to make time stand still…he moved his hand from her arm to her throat and gripped tightly, ‘but not too tightly,’ he thought…then he leaned close to her face and whispered in her ear…in one swift motion, he threw her to the ground. Kathy landed hard in a shallow puddle. She could feel the cold water beneath her seeping through her clothes.

‘Jack’ leapt on top of her and straddled her, pinning her arms and hands at her sides with his knees. His entire body weight almost crushed Kathy and she couldn’t move any part of her body to try to get free. His hands, quickly moved to her neck, before she had the chance to catch a breath. His grip tightened, seeing the veins in her neck bulging under the pressure. He heard the distinctive, unforgettable, and almost rewarding choking gasp that is always the last breath…as she fell in darkness.

‘Just like all the others had, and the all the new ones yet to be caught,’ he thought. He felt the last ounce of life drained from the whore and leaned back on her, smiling. He had done it. ‘Oh, it felt so good to be in this moment again.’ The thrill of what he was about to do next coursed through his veins. He took out his knife, felt it with his gloved hands, watching it shine in the misty moonlight. He saw droplets of newly falling rain sliding down its cold steel edge. ‘It’s time once again, my friend,’ he thought, admiring his tool as a painter his brush.

Moving quickly now, He had only a few more minutes, but that was all he needed. He smiled again and raised the knife over her body, tearing off her dress with one smooth, graceful movement. "Three little whores all in a row," he said softly as he cut into the flesh, ‘Emily, Rachael, Kathy, so many more to go."

2:09 AM

"I just don’t want you to think I don’t think about it, Mulder." Scully said, sitting cross-legged on the bed. He was facing her in a chair. They had both changed out of their evening outfits and into much more comfortable ones. Which included for Mulder, jeans, a maroon polo shirt and sneakers. Scully wore tan slacks and a light colored tan shirt which was tucked in. Her tan-colored flat shoes lay on the floor below her. Their luggage was next to the door. The next flight out of Oregon wouldn’t be until 4:30 am and since they had all ready packed when they returned from the police station earlier tonight, they decided they should talk.

"That’s not what I asked you, Dana." Mulder said, leaning forward. "I ask you how you felt."

"You know how I feel, Mulder." She shifted on the bed, slightly and uncrossed her legs, bringing them to the floor in one motion. "You know how much I care about you."

"Dana," Mulder started, edging forward on his seat and taking her hand in his, "I want you to understand what I’m saying here tonight. What I wanted to tell you last Friday about how I feel." Mulder moved an inch closer to her, leaning his head towards hers. Dana sat motionless as she watched him slightly tilt his head to the side to kiss her. She closed her eyes….

"ring…ring…ring…" Mulder got up, frustrated, letting go of Scully’s hand and picking up his cell phone from the jacket thrown over the chair behind him, he sighed.

"Mulder," he said into the phone. Hoping like hell, it wasn’t Atkinson. He definitely ran out of luck on that one tonight as he listened to Atkinson’s voice on the other end.

"Mulder," she said in-between heavy breathing. "You need to come back to the precinct…." She kept pausing to catch her breath. "He did it again….I knew he would."

"What? I thought you arrested him, Atkinson." Mulder paused and listened to Atkinson tell him who the victim was. "Kathy?"

Scully looked up at Mulder, questioning him with her eyes. They stared at each other for a moment. Scully was starting to understand the conversation Mulder and Atkinson were having. She got up, put on her shoes and called the airport from the motel phone to cancel their flight.

"We’ll be there," Mulder said into the phone, then pushed the end button and took the jacket of the back of the chair.

"Jack got Kathy," Mulder said, calmly, but disgusted. Scully nodded and they both headed toward the precinct and Agent Atkinson again.

2:18 AM

"Jack got Kathy," Mulder said, calmly, but disgusted. Scully nodded and they both headed toward the precinct and Agent Atkinson again.

As Mulder passed the reception desk at the motel, the teenager who was on duty at this hour, stopped him and Scully.

"Excuse me, Agent Mulder," he began reaching behind him to the row of guest mailboxes. He pulled out a note that was folded in half. "This was delivered for you sometime tonight. It was left in your box." He handed Mulder the note and went back to his magazine in front of him. Scully looked at Mulder and moved next to him as he unfolded the note. It was written in red ink and scribbled like a doctor’s script, but it was readable.

Jack

Mulder and Scully exchanged a quick glance. Mulder folded the note back and put it in his pocket, before turning to the desk clerk.

"Who dropped the note off?"

The teenager looked at him, quickly and closed his magazine. "No one. I mean I wasn’t here when it was dropped off. The office is closed from eleven to one every night. We had a problem with one of the other guys. Anyway, it must have been between there, because Reggie didn’t leave a message about it." He shrugged his shoulders at Mulder, glanced over to Scully then quickly looked down at the closed magazine on his desk.

"Thanks," Mulder said, following Scully out the door.

He slammed open the door to the room making Haley take a step back. "Why don’t you read up on multi-jurisdictional procedures," he said, throwing the stack of unstapled papers at her. They scattered everywhere. "You got a lot of nerve bringing in suspects, charging them with murder, all the while being absolutely wrong about who you’re charging and not telling anyone here what the hell is going on." Bowle advanced on Haley, she stood her ground, not letting him get the better of her.

"I have jurisdiction here, Captain and I informed the detective in charge last night." Haley said, confidence ringing in her voice. Bowle just shrugged it off and walked a step closer to her.

"You listen little girl, go find your Washington big-wigs and tell them to find this killer before I call your supervisor and let her know how you’re handling this case." With that, Bowle steamed back out.

"You should really lighten up on the Captain, Atkinson. We are going to need him and his officers," Mulder said, as he and Scully walked into the room. Scully took a seat, Mulder remained standing, looking at Atkinson.

"I knew William didn’t feel right." She said, walking towards the wall. She stopped and looked back at Mulder. He was shaking his head in disbelief at her statement considering the intense grilling she gave to William a few hours earlier when he was brought in. "What?"

"Who’s Jack?" Mulder asked with a light air of suspicion in it.

"I don’t know. I honestly don’t have a clue." Atkinson said, "but you don’t hold up any fights about Billy there, either. If I remember correctly, you both left before the interrogation was finished." Atkinson gave Scully a contemptuous look. "Why did you leave Kathy at the hospital? You knew she would have been in danger."

"What are you talking about? Kathy wasn’t in any danger, you had the killer locked up here experiencing emotional breakdowns. Besides, she was supposed to get a ride home from a friend." Atkinson continued to stare her down which angered Scully causing her to continue, standing up. "Look, Atkinson you’ve been withholding information since the beginning. You had no intention of dropping those charges on William either and now that he isn’t your killer, you just trying to cover yourself." Scully was not about to let Haley’s challenge go unmet. She could go up against Fox Mulder, Haley Atkinson shouldn’t be difficult. They both stood there, looking at each other.

If Mulder hadn’t been so tired and annoyed, he would have actually been amused by this replay of a Mexican Standoff.

"All right, who’s responsible for what is not important right now. There’s still this ‘Jack’ out there looking for his next victim," Mulder looked from Scully to Haley. "We need to find him…soon." Scully took a deep breath and nodded her head agreeing with him. He looked over at her. Then he reached down in his pocket to retrieve the note from ‘Jack’. "I received this at the motel as we were coming here. I’m going to run this through your lab at the office and see if we can get some fingerprints off it." Haley reached out for the note, Mulder snapped it back.

"What does it say?" Haley questioned, looking at him.

"It says he’s going to kill again. I’ll get a copy made after the lab gets it," Mulder answered, putting it back in his pocket. Haley grinned and waited for his next order. "Atkinson, we’re going to need some officers to help on several stakeouts across the city." He was smiling at her now, she didn’t look amused. "Why don’t you try to ‘smooth things over’ with him?"

"I need to look over the body," Scully stated looking over at Mulder, he nodded and threw her a smile. Secretly thanking her for not making this situation any more uncomfortable for all of them. She nodded and looked back at Atkinson. She nodded also. They were at least all agreed upon catching the killer.

"We’ll meet back later." Mulder said, watching as Scully went out of the room.

"You knew he was copying Jack the Ripper-style murders, didn’t you?" Mulder questioned Atkinson after Scully left. "That’s why you called me in, because of the profile and my…interest in him." Mulder shook his head and walked around the other side of the table.

"I knew you would know where to look. This guy’s a psycho, Fox. He’s going to keep going until he’s done with all of them." Atkinson walked closer to Mulder as she spoke, lowering the tone in her voice. "He hates prostitutes with a passion, he wants them all dead. He rips their hearts and livers out to symbolize his hatred and he does it because he likes it." She stood staring at Mulder, intently. Mulder watched her eyes darken into this serial murderer’s mind as she continued. "He gets pleasure off of this ritual killing. He takes the organs with him and keeps them as trophies to his ‘good deeds’. He believes he’s right and just in doing this. That they deserve it and he is ridding the world of these unsavory types of women." Atkinson stopped just inches from Mulder.

"You researched all this, I’m assuming," Mulder said, carefully watching her movements and reactions. "You wanted to get into his mind."

"I did a lot of research about him last year. There was a murder similar to these. I looked into the possibility of a copycat. It turned out the murderer then wasn’t at all the same. Then last week, new murders with notes just like ‘Jack’ used to send to the London Bobbies." She said, emphasizing the term used for the police in England.

"What?" Mulder said, looking intently at her.

"What?" Atkinson said, shaking her head slightly as if clearing her mind for a moment. She looked at Mulder with a blank expression.

"You said London bobbies." He said, questioning her with his eyes.

"Yes, the London police. Anyway, I’ve got to talk with Captain Bowle and you need to get that note checked for fingerprints." Atkinson said, pointing to his pocket where the note was.

"Atkinson, why did you wait to tell me about the other murder last year. It could have been helpful?"

"Didn’t really connect it until now." She said, shrugging her shoulders at him and walking out the door. Mulder stood looking after her with a confused expression on his face. Her action and words had confused him, but mostly it was the change in her tone of voice that bothered him. He thought about it for a moment longer then decided to forget about Haley’s obsessive ways for a while and concentrate on finding ‘Jack.’

4:30 am

Scully had performed a complete autopsy on Kathy Newberg, 26, working girl. She didn’t have any relatives that could be located and Scully was grateful the hospital allowed her to use this autopsy bay for the procedure. Although, she wasn’t grateful for Greg Talbot, who had returned to assist her yet again as soon as he found out she was going to perform the autopsy alone. He was even worse than before, making certain to get in all his admiration of her work and overall flattering of her, personally, before, Scully figured, her partner showed up.

Scully, herself, was actually getting worried about Mulder. It has been hours since she had left the police station and Mulder should be done with the fingerprint lab at the District Office by now. She glanced at her watch again, something she had done quite a few times in the last fifteen or so minutes. This time was once too many for Greg.

"Are you all right, Agent Scully?" He asked, looking up at her. She stared at him for a moment, then nodded her head.

"Yes. I’m fine." Scully reached for the report to the side of her and scanned it quickly. She had completed the autopsy over twenty minutes ago now and for some reason she just didn’t want to leave the body without some evidence. Something that would give them a clue as to where to start looking for ‘Jack’. Scully was honestly starting to believe this case was copying Jack the Ripper’s case file too closely. No evidence, no clues, no leads. Scully got an uneasy feeling and quickly tried to push it down. She took off her scrubs and picked up her jacket and report.

"Thanks, Greg, again." She said and gave a quick smile.

"I hope you catch him, Agent Scully." Greg said, walking with her out of the autopsy bay. "It’s a shame what he does to those…women." He smiled at her and Scully looked at him strangely. "I mean I know they were prostitutes, but honestly no one deserves that. Some of them have no choice with the profession. Some just don’t know any better." Greg smiled one more time, shrugging his shoulders before taking off down the hall.

Scully smiled to herself, she actually thought for a moment that ‘Jack’ was…ok, Dana you need to find Mulder and get this guy. There has to be a lead somewhere. Scully jumped slightly when her cell phone rang. She breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was Mulder with some evidence or idea of where to go next.

"Scully," she said into the phone.

"Agent Scully," Atkinson’s voice was on the other end. "I need your help. I think I know where ‘Jack’ is. At least where to look. Can you come to 1201 S.E. Franklin Street right now? We only have a short time before he’s going to kill again." Atkinson let out a breath. "Remember, 1201 S.E. Franklin Street. I’ll call Mulder. He can meet us there."

"What about the Captain?" Scully said, quickly.

"I all ready called him, back-ups on the way."

Scully started to say something when she heard the phone click off. She searched for the car, one of the dispatchers let her borrow from the police precinct earlier. She was glad for the vehicle considering the fact she might have been stranded at the hospital. She stopped at the parking attendant to get directions and took off down the road.

Lab

"Are you sure?" Mulder asked the technician dressed in all white, looking at him.

"Absolutely Agent Mulder. No fingerprints, other than yours and Atkinson’s, of course could be found. It’s the same with all of these victims, the killer was smart, he never did anything without gloves. Although the fact that he wrote this note with gloves is baffling."

"Why is that?" Mulder asked looking at the note then back to the Agent.

"Thanks, Agent Greene, I appreciate the help." Mulder took the note and nodded at him, before walking out the door of the lab and to the nearby elevators. Nothing made sense, he thought as the elevator door opened and he stepped inside. He was hoping some other evidence was found on the body of Kathy, something that Scully would find and crack this case with. Unfortunately, he had this feeling, since he hadn’t received a phone call, that Scully didn’t find anything either.

He walked to the car, taking out his cell phone.

"Scully," she said into the phone as she drove along a few back roads trying to follow the directions the parking lot attendant had given her.

"Scully, it’s me. Where are you?" Mulder asked, hearing the noise in the background.

"I’m on my way to Franklin Avenue. Atkinson called me. She said she thinks she knows where ‘Jack’s’ going to be. She said to meet her at 1201 S.E. Franklin Street. She said she was going to call you, she’s probably trying now." Scully said, looking for a street sign.

"Scully, did you find anything?"

"No," Scully answered, sounding defeated. "You?"

"Not yet." Mulder answered back. "I’ll see you there."

"Ok," Scully hung up, hitting the end button and turned down another side street and onto Franklin Avenue.

Mulder put the phone down on the passenger seat and stop quickly at a gas station for directions to Franklin Ave. Mulder started to walk to the car and suddenly had a thought, that put a chill through his entire body.

Atkinson never touched the note, he said to himself.

"Atkinson?" Scully questioned trying to find her way to a light switch. She felt it in her hand, she flipped it up, and the light bulb popped quickly, Scully jumped slightly. "Atkinson, where are you?"

"I…need…your help," Atkinson said in a shaky voice. It sounded like it was coming from upstairs, Scully felt alongside in front of her, listening for the voice. "He’s coming…now." She was taking broken quick breaths. "He’s…going to..kill me…this time."

"Atkinson, where are you?" Scully asked again, trying to follow the voice. A sliver of light was seeping into the house from the dawn approaching outside.

"Get Mulder. Get Mulder. He’ll know…what to do."

"He’s on his way. Tell me where you are?" Scully slowly moved toward the stairs, she could partially make out ahead of her.

She felt the railing in her hands as she moved slowly one step at a time. She stopped for a moment to listen for Atkinson’s breathing again. She didn’t hear again.

"Atkinson? Atkinson?" She moved her hand along the railing again, climbing one more step. Suddenly she felt a gloved hand on top of hers. She jumped back quickly, but it caught her. The light was slowly coming through the windows, but Scully still couldn’t see the person in front of her. She made out a mask…a cape and two eyes staring intensely at her. Somehow, she could tell he was smiling under his mask.

She pulled her gun from her back and swung it around to shoot him, but he was too fast. He caught her hand, let out a little laugh and threw the gun down the stairs. The echo of the sound filled Scully’s ears. Now, he held both her hands in his.

"Atkinson!" She screamed and tried to kick him, but the fact that she could barely see and that he was a stair above her made this difficult.

"Hello, my dear red." He said, in an English Accent, almost soothing tones. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Time to die." He kissed her neck, gently, then with surprising strength considering his unimposing size, he pushed her down the stairs.

Mulder raced down the back streets, pushing the number to Scully’s cell phone.

"Damn it, Scully." He hit the end button and threw it on the passenger’s seat. He turned down another street and passed the sign on his right for Franklin Ave. "Crap," he said as he slammed the car in reverse, floored the gas and turned down the street. He came racing up behind Scully’s car, slamming on the brakes.

"Scully!" He yelled as he ran up to the house, drawing his gun.

‘Jack’ looked up, quickly at the sound of Mulder’s voice. He was straddled over Scully now, her arms and legs were pinned against her. He had his hands around her throat, she was squirming and trying to scream back. He quickly moved one of his hands to Scully’s mouth and covered it.

"Don’t even think about it, love," he whispered in her ear. "He can’t save you now." He got up and pulled her with him. Scully used the time to her advantage and twisted out of his grip kicking his leg, hard. He winced in pain and reached out for her.

Mulder slammed open the front door, saw the black figure get up from the floor with Scully, half-aimed and fired.

‘Jack’ fell to the ground in pain. Scully ran to Mulder.

"I don’t know where Atkinson is." Mulder nodded and Scully went racing upstairs.

The sun was coming up and light was filtering through the cloud of gun smoke hanging the air. The light crept up to the figure laying on the ground. Mulder stood over him, holding his gun on him.

"Don’t," ‘Jack’ said. "You...don’t know what you’re...doing," He spoke in between painful breaths. He winced again in pain holding his injured side, blood was pouring out of the wound. Mulder leaned down and ripped off the mask that was secured around his face. The face looked strange to Mulder, but slowly it came into focus and he gasped at it.

"Atkinson?" He said, shocked as Haley’s brown eyes looked up at him in pain.

"I’m sorry, Fox....I’m sorry." She keep saying over and over again. He heard Scully’s footsteps coming down the stairs.

"She’s not up there. I don’t know what he did with her." Scully said, coming up behind Mulder. Mulder stood up and this time Scully was the one to be shocked.

"Agent Atkinson?" She questioned looking down at something she didn’t believe she was seeing. Her eyes quickly focused on Atkinson’s hand holding the wound below her stomach. Blood was slowly seeping across the floor.

"I’ll call an ambulance." Scully searched around for a moment and found her cell phone on the floor at the bottom of the stairs. She dialed 911 and told the dispatcher where they were.

"1201 S.E. Franklin Street, hurry. There’s an Agent down. Gunshot wound to the abdomen." She hit the button to shut the phone off and hurried to Atkinson and Mulder.

"I had to...don’t you see, Fox." Haley said slowly as she took quick breaths. "I knew you would help me, I knew you would understand."

"Keep still, Haley. The paramedics are on their way," Mulder said in a soothing voice. He looked up at Scully for an estimate on her time left. Scully looked from Atkinson to Mulder and told him with her eyes, that her time was short.

"You need to understand it all, now...that I do." She said, turning slightly to the side to look at him. "I didn’t know until now, I had done...those things. I didn’t know...it was him."

"Haley, please save your breaths. You’ll get through this." Mulder said, touching her hand. Scully had all ready leaned down and started to work on the wound, trying to stop the endless blood coming from it. She used ‘Jack’s’ cape around Haley’s waist and pulled it tight to stop the flow.

"You warned me..Fox, you told me...someday it will get me killed." Haley said, smiling slightly at him then changing her expression to pain. "You were right...you all were right." She said, staring at him before she completely slipped into unconsciousness.

Mulder heard the ambulance pulling up and waited for the paramedics to come and take Haley away to a hospital and hopefully, to safety.

Mulder and Scully looked at each other as the ambulance drove away.

Flight #107 to Washington

Mulder and Scully had spent the last 48 hours explaining, to the best they could, how Atkinson was ‘Jack,’ but ultimately, it was Haley who would have do to the explaining. She had woken up this morning in the hospital. Mulder had talked with her, while Scully read over the journal found in her house. It described her obsession with Jack the Ripper and her ‘attempts’ at contacting him in the spirit world. She had used any means available and it seemed somehow she did, or at least that’s what Mulder believed.

Scully however, choose to take an easier path regarding Haley’s condition. She believed Haley had just become so obsessed with Jack the Ripper that she ultimately became him. Carrying out his deeds and continuing his work. She admitted it was an elaborate psychosis but not unlikely with Agents in Atkinson’s line of work.

Mulder, on the other hand, didn’t subscribe to her explanation. Mostly, he was concerned about the fact she had never performed surgery and yet knew how to and the fact that she was sounding like him. Scully had told him about that night in her house when she attacked her. Changing your tone is one thing, changing your voice completely is something different, Mulder had said. Scully couldn’t deny that the person who attacked her felt, talked and had the full force of a man and not Atkinson, but that didn’t disprove her theory. It only made it more obvious to her that Atkinson was ‘possessed’ but in a clinical sense and not a mystical one as Mulder believed.

Either way, the case was solved, Atkinson was alive and they were heading back to Washington.

"She’ll be fine," Scully said, leaning over to Mulder. He was staring out the window of the plane for most of the trip. Scully knew he felt somehow he should have figured out about Atkinson before he shot her. That somehow he was responsible for this. She wanted to make certain, he knew she didn’t agree. "You did the right thing, Mulder. He...she would have killed me if you hadn’t shot her."

"I know." He said, simply and put his hand over hers, still staring out the window. "I just never believed her obsessions would take her so far down that path. That she would become....him."

Scully turned her face to meet his and smiled at him. "You saved her life, too, Mulder. She’ll get the help she needs now."

"…and be in an instiution for the rest of her life." Mulder said, turning his face back to the window with a look of disgust. "I could be her, someday."

Scully was taken back by his statement. She looked at him and put her other hand over his. He turned to her slowly.

"Mulder, you could never be like Atkinson. You would never lose yourself so completely to commit murder." Scully said looking at him deeply.

"I’ve lost myself before. There are times when I can feel myself backing away from you because I may end up hurting the one person that means the most to me." Mulder tried to focus on her eyes, but he was having trouble looking at her through the mist that was forming over his.

Scully smiled at him, "you’ll never hurt me, Mulder." She squeezed his hand and looked up at him.

"How can you be sure, Scully?" He looked at her now with an intense stare and a complete sadness in his eyes. She reached her hand to his face and smiled back at him.

"I know you, Mulder. There’s nothing in my life I’m more certain of." She leaned over to him and kissed him.

He felt all the tensions of the last week slowly melt away as she continued to kiss him. He put his hand around her waist and pulled her closer to him, kissing her back with all the emotion, passion and love he was feeling inside of him.

They both lingered for a moment after, looking at each other. Then they relaxed in their seats. Mulder continued to hold her hand and Scully looked up at him again.

"I think we need time away from the X Files," she said quickly. Mulder turned to her, questioning her statement. "We need to see how we do outside of a case."

He smiled and pulled her head to him, letting it rest on his chest. He placed a protective arm around her, rubbing her back and kissed the top of her head. She snuggled up against him closer and closed her eyes.

Mulder smiled to himself and thought about telling her what he had wanted to for a week now, but decided against it. He knew they would find the time for that. Now, he just wanted to feel her close. He closed his eyes, contented the last wall between them had fallen. They were about to begin another journey on this night.

A journey that neither of them were certain to where it would lead.