Title: Footprints in the Garden Author: Deirdre Rating: PG Archive: Archive freely; this story is released into the public domain. Disclaimer: The creative force behind the X-files ain't me. The X- files, and all characters associated with that program belong to CC, 1013, and Fox Network. No copyright infringement intended. Summary: Another view on a certain event in X-files mythology. Samantha story. ***** She stood at one end of the television room, fingernails digging into her palms, but otherwise calm. "So that's all you know. Nothing else." "Honey, there is nothing else. Nothing they ever discovered." "I just showed up in the streets one day, no name, no identification, and six months later you adopted me. " She turned away, staring at the bookcase, at the rows of novels lined up one by one. "No one even tried to ever claim me, and you never discovered anything about me." "No. I'm sorry ..." She turned back to the two standing by the couch, her eyes clear and her face blank. "Thank you." Ignoring their stares, she began to walk with a firm step towards the door. The woman reached one hand towards her, distress creasing her forehead. "Allie ..." She gracefully stepped out of reach. "Mother, I am quite fine, thank you. I've got to finish the yard this afternoon." Scorning her mother's pleading glance, she silently stepped out the door, her emotionless mask firmly in place. ***** March 27, 1979 The couple stood at the closed window, worried eyes watching a girl two stories below raking the backyard, gathering the dead leaves of last fall into a neat pile. She worked steadily, her short brown hair swinging in the spring breeze, not a flicker of emotion crossing her face. "Should we have told her?" "We always agreed never to keep the truth from her. And she asked." "Yet ..." "Yes?" "Doesn't she feel *anything*!?" "Gail, I suspect that she already knew most of what we told her. Think about her timing, the date. This wasn't a shock for her." "But she'd never given us any clue that she remembered." "You know her. That's how she's always been. Hell, she was almost ten ..." "So?" "You don't forget memories from when you're ten." "She forgot everything from before." "So?" "Why couldn't she forget that she isn't really our daughter?" ***** The dream. The dream, again. A pleasant room bedroom, tiny dust motes dancing in the sunlight, rag rug on the floor. Dolls, their painted mouths smiling, sitting upon shelves, a baseball bat and fielder's glove tossed in the corner. A patchwork quilt lying perfectly upon the bed. Baseball cards and other craft junk strewn across a hardwood desk - a puddle of glue and popsicle sticks spiilled across one corner. And a pen mark marring the varnish. Mama was gonna be so mad. But the birdcage was finished ... and she smiled. Some of the baseball cards had gotten all gooky in the spilled glue. They were all stuck together, their dog-eared edges sticking out of the sticky pile in crazy directions. She'd only stole them for revenge, 'cause he won't let her play catch with his friends. Now he was gonna be so mad and probably pull her hair. She'd never get to play baseball with all them. ***** Streamville Daily News March 28, 1974 Lost Child Discovered on Main Street Yesterday morning at about 4:00am, our sheriff, Richard Southland, responded to a anonymous call of an unconscious child upon Main Street. Although suspecting a teenager's prank, he drove to the reported location, and discovered a dark-haired girl of about ten years of age, dressed in a sun-dress several sizes too small. The girl was rushed to Memorial Hospital, where doctors determined that she was suffering from dehydration and exposure. Both the local Sheriff department and the state DCFS requests that anyone with any information about the child call DCFS at (800) 555-4323. No other information is being released, but it is suspected that she may be a child separated from vacationing parents. ***** "They tried everything to locate her parents - obviously they didn't care. Why can't she forget?" "Gail, there was obviously something more going on. She couldn't remember her own name, for God's sake. What could explain that?" "Who cares? We've loved for her for five years ... why can't she forget?" "Damn it, I wish Allie hadn't brought up this subject ..." ***** Yelling. She always remembered the yelling. But she couldn't remember the words. A hand waving the baseball cards in her face - stamping feet. He swung his hand across her desk, messing up her craft project. All the wooden sticks toppling into a pile, no longer the bird-cage she'd just spent hours pasting together. The baseball cards flew everywhere, settling in strange little piles on the floor. A slamming door. Other arms surrounded her, pulling her close as she sobbed. Comfort. ***** Streamville Daily News March 30, 1974 More Mysteries Surround Child Although no official word had yet been released on the girl, our sources within Memorial Hospital report that the girl cannot even remember her own name. Tests administered by counselors show her to be of normal intelligence and education for her suspected age, yet she can supply no clues about her own identity. Several people have reported that when pressed on the subject, the girl becomes totally motionless, retreating into her own little world. The FBI and other federal agencies have been brought in to help, but with the child's own refusal to supply any ideas about her family, have no clues about her past ... ***** "It's not Allie's fault!" "If she already knew the facts surrounding her discovery, why did she press us for details?" "Maybe she thought we knew more ..." "There's more there, Gail. Sometimes, I don't trust that child." "Daniel, she's your daughter!" ***** Baseball cards. Oh, she hated baseball cards. She looked down at the two packs of cards - her whole allowance - as she ran towards home, eager to get out of the rainy fall weather. He hadn't waited for her, just like always, so she had time to stop at the drug store and buy several packages. Knocking at his door. Offering him the two foil-wrapped packages, shiny from the rain. Arms seized her, and as she tensed, swung her off the floor and around in a circle. Her feet thudded into the wall, marking the wallpaper. "Silly girl!" Then he looked into her eyes, just inches from his, the slightest hint of something darkening his gaze. "We'll rebuild the birdcage later. I promise." Staring into his eyes, she opened her eyes wide and stuck out her tongue and he laughed. He set her back down, messed her hair, and left her in the hallway as he returned to his room. She continued to stare at his back, mind grasping for that one important detail - but again it escaped her. His face. Although his hazel eyes hung clearly before her ... She couldn't remember his face. ***** "Gail, she lives her own life, walking around in her own little world. When have you ever heard her either complain or participate in this family?" "How would you feel if you couldn't remember more than half your life?" "And we aren't part of her life. Sure, she lives here, but she makes no impression. She's not part of our family - she chooses not to be." "How can you say that?" "How can you not see that?" ***** Streamville Daily News April 5, 1974 'Allie' Released to DCFS Custody Alison, or 'Allie' as the staff at Memorial Hospital have begun calling the mystery girl, has been released into the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services as of this morning. Although the search for her parents and her past will continue, agents of the FBI have been quoted as saying the chances of finding her family are extremely slim. And if found, they may be charged with child abandonment, depending on the circumstances. One agent said that every avenue of investigation has been explored in the past few days, and that pressure from above has forced them to scale back on the resources dedicated to searching for clues. "It's almost as if they don't care whether her parents are found." another anonymous agent complained, telling this reporter about how the powers higher up have removed access to resources needed for a thorough search. Another, on his way out of town, stopped to apologize to Allie, despite her lack of interest in the entire matter. He remarked to several people that he intended to press for more resources to help find this little girl's family. "It's criminal how some people consider the bottom line over everything. This poor little girl has no home, and they're hindering our search." DCFS reports that Allie will be placed in foster care, with an eye towards adoption. Apparently, they have several families quite willing to welcome this little girl into their home and hearts. ***** Mama and Daddy. They weren't there. They left her behind. And she didn't know why. She couldn't remember! A board game ... the rain had stopped, but they needed to stay inside. Mama and Daddy weren't there. Watching TV ... stupid boy wanting to watch *politics* ... Bright lights ... She fought, but she was so tiny, and no one would help her. No one was helping her ... they didn't care, 'cause no one cared about her. They were letting them take her away! Her legs slowly froze and she couldn't move her arms ... but she could still speak and she couldn't believe he'd just *let* them take her. "Fox! Fox, please help me!" Frightened eyes, a half-heard scream ... Nothing. ***** Allie jabbed the rake into the ground. She could feel the eyes upon her back, could feel their concern. What did they care? She was doing her chores. That should be all she needed to do. She didn't care what *they* thought. She'd learned her lesson long ago. Never care. She walked across the dirt of Gail's garden, feet pressing deep into the moist soil. Leaving clear evidence of her path. With a swipe, she ran the rake across them, wiping them out. Nothing. All gone - a clean slate. Like she'd never been there. But, the dream. Ha. The dream. Childish fantasies, created by a lonely mind. No other explanation. She could just forget them - the possibility of them being true was just so remote. No one had ever searched for her. No one had cared enough about her ... She smiled coldly at the ground before her, and continued raking, her back stiff. And inside, her heart wept, while hazel eyes haunted her memory. "Fox! Please help me!" End. Author's notes: Thanks to Hindy Bradley, Jeannie Howse, and Lisa Reeves, who all took time to read this for me one night while I searched for a beta reader! Use whatever date you wish for Sam's abduction. I've given up trying to figure out - apparently there's two opposing camps out there, divided between '72 or '73. And each have equally strong reasons. So she's either gone for a year and a couple months, or just a couple months. Thanks for reading!