Title: Samantha Author: Leah Warshaw Disclaimer: This story is totally original and is written for the entertainment of X-fans.I have tried not to infringe on the copyrights of Chris Carter, Fox, and Ten Thirteen. Just to warn you, there is some swearing but no erotica. Summary: A little girl's anti-government letter is brought to Mulder's attention, because she claims to have repeatedly seen UFOs. When her name matches that of an early X-File, Mulder and Scully rush out to meet her. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Samantha Samantha stretched her legs and yawned. She had been laying on the couch for hours and was beginning to fall asleep. She looked at the TV. It was telling her to go and buy deodorant soap. She picked up the remote that sat next to her and dramatically pushed the power button. She began to consider going to bed when she got a strange feeling. The room felt like it was shaking. Samantha thought it was like listening to music with a lot of base. Wondering were it was coming from, she turned around and looked at the window. It was closed, but the curtains over it were swaying. Feeling like she was in a dream, Samantha walked over to the window and slowly lifted back one of the curtains. A bright light flooded through the glass. It was blinding but Samantha didn't close her eyes. Her eyes grew wider and her jaw silently dropped open. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Mulder and Scully made their way through the carpeted jungle of the FBI office. It was a Thursday, and both had had busy nights. Scully had been at a friend's son's football game, then, to a play. Mulder, on the other hand, had finally gotten 3rd row seats to a New York Nicks game, and commuted all the way to Yankee Stadium. "Hey, Mulder!" came a voice. "Check out the bulletin board. There's a letter you might find interesting." Gorden put a hand to his beard to keep from laughing. It had taken all his self-control not to call out, "Hey, SPOOKY!" Mulder knew about Gorden's skepticism, and walked passed without a thought. Scully glared at Gorden, who innocently started typing at his computer terminal. Scully jogged a few steps to catch up with Mulder and they started for their office. "Wonder what that was about," said Scully thoughtfully. "One way to find out," Mulder replied as he stopped at the bulletin board. His eyes skimmed over the various notes and papers. He stopped at a yellow letter that had been tacked into a corner. He read it and turned to Scully. Fingering a little note card tacked on the board, he said, "Anna Thompson's throwing a party next Saturday." Scully chuckled beside herself and decided that Gorden was just being his normal, jackass self. She glanced back at Mulder and saw that his expression had changed. He looked at the letter again and squinted his eyes. He reached up and yanked the letter off of the board. Scully wondered what had him so excited. Mulder held the paper up for Scully to see. "That name," he whispered excitedly. Scully looked at the bottom of letter. Samantha Hatching it said. Mulder turned and started for the office before she could read the rest. When Scully caught up to him in the little room, Mulder had thrown the letter onto his crowded desk and was struggling to pull his coat off. Scully picked up the letter and began to read. Dear FBI, I just want you to know that I am a believer in UFOs and stuff. Also, I've seen one many times. But don't think I'm gonna tell you about it! All government sucks! You have no idea what you are doing and I have no idea why aliens would even WANT to talk to you. And by the way, I'm not some stupid elementary kid either. I'm 14, and I don't lie. Have a nice day, Samantha Ha- "That name," Mulder muttered to himself. Scully looked up from the crumpled piece of notebook paper. He was frantically going through the X files. "Mulder," she said gently. "You don't think that she's your sis-" "Here," Mulder said, pushing a file toward her. Scully frowned, sure that he hadn't heard a word she said. Seeing the excitement in his eyes, she complied and opened the file. Then she noticed the label in the corner. "X FILE 0012 - HATCHING" "The Hatchings were one of the very first X files," Mulder began. Scully flipped through the pages of the thick file. "They were possibly the best documentation of telepathy that exists!" "Telepathy?" Scully frowned again. The file was open to a picture of a dirty family standing in front of a shack. "Mind reading, Scully," Mulder whispered and smiled. Then a little more seriously, "The ability to know what someone's thinking. When the government heard about them they sent over a team of investigators. They must have been surprised when the family opened the door before they even knocked." Scully sat on the edge of a desk and Mulder smiled at her. "Imagine being a child and having your parents say 'no' before you even said anything." "Mulder," Scully said seriously. "Things like telepathy have never been proven." Mulder gave an aspirated sigh and looked away. "Besides," she went on. "If the government knew of the existence of, telepathy, they would tell the public!" Mulder looked at her disappointedly. "Listen to what you're saying, Scully." She realized what she had said and shrugged. "But there's still a question," she pointed out. "If the government SAW that the family could read minds, why the X file?" "Check the last page of the file," Mulder said as he looked at his shoes. Scully flipped through the remaining pages and read the last paragraph. She looked up and said, "They all disappeared." Mulder nodded and looked at her from the corner of his eye. "What do you think happened?" Scully questioned. She found that Mulder had all the answers when it came to the X files. "Before now I actually thought that the government took them. But then why would they document it so carefully?" Mulder nodded to the file. He walked over and picked up the letter. Then he looked at the ceiling and said, "Now I think something else took them." "Alien Abduction?" "Well, that depends on the relationship between this girl," he said as he waved the letter in the air, "and those missing psychics." "That sounds like a pretty big leap, Mulder. There are probably dozens of people with this last name." "But THEY probably haven't seen UFOs." He leaned forward excitedly. "People who have had encounters with UFOs have been known to have more `artistic ability' than the average person. But if aliens are being attracted to psychics it would tell as a lot about them!" He got excited again and shifted his weight from leg to leg. "You read the letter, she obviously won't talk to `us'," Scully said as she stood up. "You never know. She might be more nice if she knows we're on her side." He walked to the desk and picked up the letter and file. Then he looked at Scully. She shrugged and said, "So, where are we going?" "Know anyone in Belleville, Illinois?" *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* It was a Friday and Samantha sat watching MTV. It had been a week since her last sighting and she wasn't sure if They'd be back. She was angry at herself for writing the rude letter. "They must think I'm such a moron," she had thought. "That is if anyone actually read the letter." She was happy to let the government run the country while she went on with her life. She looked at the clock. 6:32 PM. Her mother would be gone the entire weekend and she had the house to herself. She hadn't planed a party or even called anyone. She hated all her peers and found that the feeling was mutual. The doorbell rang and Samantha clicked off the TV. She checked her makeup in a nearby mirror and unlocked the door. When she opened the door she found a man and woman in business suits. "Samantha Hatching?" the woman asked. "Yeah. Can I help you?" Samantha's mind trailed to the letter she had written. She bit her lower lip. "I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder from the FBI," as soon as "Agent" left the man's lips Samantha got a horrible feeling of dread. ",and this is Agent Dana Scully." They both smiled pleasantly, and Samantha started to feel a little less nervous. "We were hoping to ask you some questions," the woman went on. "Are your parents home?" "My Mom's outa' town for the weekend. Questions about what?" Samantha wanted to get to the point and the man could tell. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the crumpled, yellow letter. His smile seemed harmless enough and Samantha lost the rest of her paranoia. "Will you come in?" They walked into the house and Samantha closed the door. She led them into the living room and they all sat down. They seemed nice to Samantha and didn't try anything. She wondered what kind of jurisdiction THIS fell under. She looked at the man and said, "Mr... Um, Agent..." "Just call me Mulder." He seemed used to being called that and Samantha decided he wasn't making fun of her age. "Mulder, are you here to find out what happened or what I THINK happened." Samantha felt it was more than a little rude to ask a stranger if he believed or not. "Anything you can tell us about your encounter will be helpful." Mulder smiled and Samantha sighed and leaned back into her chair. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Mulder and Scully had been struck with the no-nonsense attitude of the girl. They had no idea what to expect and were more than a little worried. The letter could have been a prank. Still, they were very pleased when they met her. Mulder realized he was still holding the letter. He thought it best to give it back to the girl so he tossed it onto the coffee table. He and Scully looked at the girl and waited for her to start her story. "Well, nothing really earth-shattering happened. It was basically the same thing a couple times." Samantha tugged at her hair and tapped her fingers while she talked. "About three weeks ago, I was watching TV. Then the house felt like it was vibrating and a light shined into the window." She paused and Mulder said, "What happened then?" He had a feeling that his psychological training would help him to talk to the girl. "NOTHING happened after that. The light was gone and everything was normal." "It was just a light?" Scully asked and Samantha nodded. Scully knew that she was distrustful of the government, and that they shouldn't press her too hard. Still, she was annoyed that Mulder hadn't asked her about her "lost relatives" yet. "This happened several times?" "Well, that didn't happen again. But something bigger did." She bit her lip again and looked at the carpet. "Ya'see, I like to take walks at night," Mulder stiffened slightly and took a deep breath. ",and this one time I was walking in a field near school and anyway, a bright light shone from in back of me. There was light on the grass and it made my shadow really long and tall. "I turned around and saw this huge thing just hovering there. I thought it would be really close, because of how tall my shadow was. But, it had to of been 200 yards away. I was so freaked out! I don't think I could've run even if it had occurred to me. "The weird thing is, I remember blinking, and when I opened my eyes the thing was gone! Just gone!" She let out a deep breath and looked at Mulder and Scully. "Well, what do you think?" Mulder surprised Scully when he didn't say anything. She was sure he'd be bursting with UFO information and dates and EVERYTHING. He just sat. His expression didn't show any emotion. Samantha didn't seem to notice, but she bit her lip again. "How many times did you say this happened?" Scully said if only to fill the silence. "Four times. But, the last time, I saw it when it left. I could barely see it but it shot off to the North. It was like a streak." She looked directly at Mulder and he felt he had to say something. "I don't suppose you'll be doing any more walking from now on?" "Walking is my time just to think. I don't think I could ever stop." Mulder had known the answer to his question before Samantha had said a word. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* When Mulder and Scully got back to their hotel, Scully was worried. Mulder hadn't said a word since they left Samantha's house. The girl had answered all the questions Scully could think to ask. Samantha even suggested that Mulder and Scully go to the library after they had asked about the field. Scully knocked on Mulder's door after she had unpacked. After a couple seconds she tried it. It was opened so she walked in. She found Mulder sitting on the bed watching TV. It was an all news channel but he didn't seem to be watching anyway. His suitcase was opened and laying on the floor. Scully thought she could see the corner of a magazine creeping out from under a shirt, but she wasn't sure. She sat down next to Mulder on the bed. He still didn't speak, but he looked at her. He looked slightly sad yet still managed a little smile. "All right Mulder, what's wrong?" "I think I've found a connection between that girl and our missing psychics, Scully." His voice sounded drained of energy. It was almost painful for Scully to hear him like that. "Why is that bothering you?" He positioned his body so that he was facing her. His hands were resting in his lap. His nails were slightly bitten for lack of anything else to chew. "Scully, that girl has been abducted." She suddenly knew why he was bothered so much. He hated the idea of anyone getting abducted, but a girl named Samantha? Mulder knew that if the girl wanted to know the truth, he would be the one to tell her. "The best thing we can do for her is find out why this is happening." She smiled and tried to sound reassuring. "Scully, there's something else." "Yes?" "She reminds me of my sister." He stared at the floor and looked like he was on the verge of tears. "I know Mulder." They looked at each other a moment, gaining from each other's strength. Scully slowly stood up. "I'd better go. Library tomorrow?" "Sure. Goodnight, Scully," Mulder said with more strength in his voice. "Goodnight, Mulder." *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Saturday morning found Mulder and Scully in the basement of an ancient library. It was closed, but an elderly woman had let them in anyway. "So, y'er checking out that'ol field, are ya'?" she had said nasally. "Good luck! Ya' might 'ave more fun'n the town's people's 'istory. Ha! Land's not good much wi'out people'n it!" They sat at on old table spread out with books, newspapers, and other documents. Mulder immersed himself in work and soon forgot about the night before. "You know, Scully? I had no idea you needed a permit to build a pig pen," he smiled. He felt bad for taking Scully with him. She had been sneezing all morning from the dust. She sneezed again and said, "I hope we find something soon. How long have we been down here anyway?" Mulder looked at his watch. "About four hours." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. "Here," he said. "Thanks," Scully said gratefully and sneezed into it. Mulder smiled and opened another of the library's folders. It was unmarked, like most of the folders he had looked in that morning. The papers looked like they were glowing from the bank of lights above his head. He reached in and pulled out an old envelope. Mulder looked over at Scully. She had her back to him and was opening folders similar to his own. Mulder carefully opened the envelope and pulled out an ancient letter. He practically gasped when he saw the name at the bottom. Ruth Hatching. He began to read. December 21, 1897 Dear Peter, I've missed you so much. Right now I'm in the basement of the old Kinning place. I'm writing with the light from one candle and can barely see! I can't wait until we can be together again and away from all this pain. My whole family is gone, Peter! I don't know what to do! If it weren't for knowing you're coming back, I think I'd just shrivel up and die. Peter, you've never known your family, so you don't know what it's like to lose them. I had my Ma and Pa and five brothers and sisters. Even my dog is dead! They found him in the fields and he was hollering awfully! Then when I pet him, his fur just came off in bunches. He was all red underneath his fur, Peter! Like he was burned or something. When he died in my arms I just knew that my family wasn't coming back. They're gone. You're the only one I have left, Peter. Come quickly, Ruth Hatching "Scully, come quick!" Mulder said excitedly. "I found something!" Scully put down the newspaper she was reading and came to his side of the table. He handed her the ancient letter and watched to see her reaction. She looked stunned. She definitely wasn't an expert on UFO abduction but she knew the symptoms of radiation sickness. "Mulder this is fantastic!" she said when she finished reading. "Ruth didn't disappear with the rest of her family. She could have started a new family and no-one would have ever known!" Mulder cleared an area on the table and pulled out the contents of the folder. Together, he and Scully watched the life of Ruth and Peter Cody unfold. There was a picture of a handsome man in twenties attire. On the back it said, "Samuel Hatching". After some digging, Mulder and Scully found out that he was Ruth's son. "This is the only photograph in here," Mulder frowned. "We should take it over to Samantha's and see if she recognizes him." He looked at Scully and saw she had a worried look on her face. "What is it?" "Mulder, she's going to want to find out about her family." Mulder glanced down. Then he stared at Scully like she was totally unreasonable and said, "Scully, I -" "You have to tell her! You're using her !" Scully's words cut him right to the bone, but she showed no signs of apologizing. Mulder stood up and turned to face the opposite direction. He shook his head and said, "I know. It's just... I..." He didn't attempt to finish the statement. He turned around and Scully had an expression mixed with anger, concern, and disappointment. He looked down to get away from the eyes he was sure could burn a whole in him. "Mulder," Scully said carefully. ",wouldn't you have told HER if SHE wanted to know?" Mulder's head shot up and his eyes were wide open. "If SHE came back and didn't remember anything," she went on, "you would tell her. Right?" Mulder took a long time in answering. The thought of his sister coming back was overwhelming, but the thought of her not knowing was terrifying. He looked at his feet again. "You're right," he finally admitted, more to himself than to Scully. "I have to tell her." He looked at Scully and she smiled in pride and support. Mulder gathered all the papers into the folder and his expression lightened. Grinning he said, "how about lunch. My treat." Scully sneezed and looked at the ceiling with a "why me" expression on her face. "Sure," she said finally. "Wonder what kind of restaurants they have in a town this small." *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* When Mulder got back to his room the phone was ringing. He slammed the door closed and ran to pick it up. "Mulder," he said into the receiver. "Hi," came a female voice. "This is Samantha." He smiled and looked over at the manila folder laying on the desk. He was about to say something but Samantha talked first. "Did you call me before?" Mulder was first confused, then worried. "No. What did the person say?" "Not much," she said sarcastically. "Just that I should never speak to any FBI agents again. For my own health of coarse." "Health? He said health?" Mulder's voice was rising steadily and he struggled to control it. He knew how these people worked. They would keep someone quiet any way they could. "Mulder I'm not in any danger," Samantha said lightly. "Samantha," Mulder said, surprised. "You don't know what these people are like! You couldn't possibly know if you were in danger!" Mulder regretted his words. He wanted to convince Samantha, not terrify her! "I just KNOW," Samantha answered softly. Mulder suddenly remembered the reason there was a Hatching X file. "I guess you WOULD know," he chuckled. "But, I want you to be EXTRA cautious. You got that?" "Sure thing." Mulder licked his lips and cleared his throat. "Um, Samantha? I think I should come over and show you something." "Okay, but don't worry. I'm not mad at you for keeping it quiet." Mulder wondered if she had been this receptive before. He was amazed at her psychic abilities. "I should get off the phone and let you talk to me in person," she said. "I'll see you in about 5 minutes. Bye." "Bye." Samantha hung up her phone. She was shocked that she could sense so much! Before, she just got fleeting images and brief emotions. But this was absolutely amazing. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Are you saying my entire family was telepathic?" Samantha stared at Mulder with a shocked look on her face. They were sitting next to each other in her living room. The folder was laying on her coffee table, waiting to be opened. "Yes," Mulder answered. He opened the folder and took out the picture of Samuel Hatching. He showed it to Samantha and her face brightened immediately. "Uncle Sam!" she exclaimed. "He was my great uncle on my Dad's side. You found this picture in the library?" He nodded and said, "Never know when a couple thousand old papers will come in handy." She laughed, but then grew more serious. After a time she asked, "Where's the rest of my family, Mulder?" He looked down and swallowed hard. "They're gone," he replied. Samantha's face fell and she shook her head. "What happened," she asked softly. "They ran a farm where that field is today." Samantha's head shot up and she started breathing hard. "They were working out in the fields the last time anyone saw them." Mulder paused and licked his lips. "There was one daughter, Ruth Hatching, that was hiding out at the time. She left the town to start a new life." Mulder looked up and saw Samantha very worried. He looked at the floor and then back to her. "That's her son," he said, pointing to the photograph. "So, I'm the only one left," she said sadly. Mulder was confused. "What about your father, or aunts and uncles?" Then he began to realize what this girl's life must be like. "My father died when I was two. I'm the last person alive with Hatching blood. My mother told me that Dad was crazy." She looked at the folder and smiled slightly. "Now, I know why." "I guess you are the last one to inherit this... gift," Mulder said. "Now it's your turn to explain. When did you get that call?" "About 1:30. It really pi- makes me angry that someone could call me up and expect me to do what they say!" Samantha's eyes shrunk to angry slits and she crossed her arms. "It was more of a threat than a suggestion." Mulder said. Samantha shrugged and replied, "Yah, I know. It still makes me angry though." She uncrossed her arms and rested them in her lap. "Still," she went on. "I'm pretty sure it was just a bluff." Mulder looked at her. "Pretty sure?" He didn't think she was lying about her abilities, but if she wasn't telepathic it would be a good reason to be worried. "I've read that psychics sometimes have trouble filtering visions from imagination. I could have said I was all right because I was going through denial." Mulder felt better. She wasn't lying. She DID have abilities. "I think we should play it safe," he said. "Just in case." Samantha didn't reply. After a while she finally said something. "There's something I wanted to ask you." Samantha crossed her legs, and then uncrossed them again. Mulder looked at her and gave the impression he was ready to listen. "Why exactly are you here, anyway?" Mulder let out the air he had been holding. He wouldn't have to tell her about the abductions. At least not yet. "Scully and I work on what's called the X files." Samantha leaned forward and rested her chin on her hand. "We investigate paranormal occurrences and unexplained phenomenon." Samantha chuckled to herself. "So that's what the 'Special' means." Mulder laughed back. "I guess you could say that." He looked at his watch. "I have to go," he said finally. Samantha frowned and asked, "Previous engagement?" Mulder smiled at her and replied, "You could say that..." *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Mulder, why didn't you tell me where you were going?" Scully said, annoyed. She had been waiting in Mulder's hotel room for an hour. She would have called him but he had left his cellular phone in the room. He had walked in to see her standing there with her arms crossed and an angry look on her face. "I didn't have time," Mulder replied. He walked past Scully and took off his trench coat. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "It was something I had to do alone." Scully nodded and grew kinder. "So you told her about her family?" Mulder nodded back and sat down into a director's chair. "How did she take it," Scully asked, genuinely concerned. "Well. But there was something else." He scowled slightly and Scully sat down onto the bed. She waited for Mulder to explain. "She is the last Hatching on earth," he said sarcastically. "So that explains where her father is." Scully felt sorry for the girl. She obviously didn't have that many friends, and no father. "I don't think her mother believes in Samantha's powers." Mulder slumped into the chair. He looked at his watch and yawned. "Tired already?" Scully asked jokingly. "It's only two o'clock!" He laughed and sighed. "It's been a busy day." *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Mulder shot up into a sitting position. He been fast asleep on his bed and was awakened by the phone. He got up groggily. He looked at his watch on the way across the room. It said 8:32. "Dammit!" Mulder swore under his breath. He wondered were Scully was. "Hello?" He said into the phone. "Mulder?" came a nervous voice. Mulder recognized Samantha and grew stern. "Samantha, what is it?" "I g-got another phone call," she stammered out. "It was this voice. He just said, 'I warned you'." Mulder shot to action. "I'm coming over there right now," he said putting his coat on. He put his gun into his holster. "Please, hurry." Mulder slammed the phone into it's cradle and shot out the door. He ran to his car and struggled to get it unlocked. Again he wondered where Scully was. There wasn't enough time to get her so he jumped into the car and hit the accelerator. He sped off and wondered why this person had warned Samantha before he was coming... *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Samantha paced back and forth in her living room. She had contemplated turning off all the lights, but didn't want to wait in the dark. She decided to keep one lamp on. She clasped her hands together and tapped her feet while she walked. She heard a knock on the door. "Mulder," she whispered, very relieved. She made her way through the dim living room and to the door. She reached over and turned the lock. Smiling with relief, she pulled open the door. A man dressed in black lunged into the room. Samantha gasped and sped in the other direction. As she started running she heard the door slam and heavy footsteps coming after her. She kept her eyes on the back door through the kitchen. Before she could reach the kitchen door she felt her shirt tighten around her and start to choke her. She jerked to a halt and realized the man had a hold of it. She strained her arms for the door frame but the man grabbed them and pulled them behind her back. She tried to twist out of his grasp but he was too strong. She jumped forward and hit her knee against a table. Pain shot up her leg and she looked up to see the lamp teetering dangerously. It fell off the table and crashed onto the floor. The man was startled by the loud noise and loosened his grip. Taking advantage of his weakness, she pushed all of her weight against the man and stepped on his foot. He grunted and let go of her momentarily. Samantha started running but the man caught her left hand. She spun around from her momentum and turned to face the man. He looked at her coldly. One hand circled her wrist and the other held a small black gun. Mulder pulled up to the house, nearly running into a tree. All the lights in the house were off. He threw open his car door and jumped out. He left the engine running and sprinted up the front steps. "Samantha!" He yelled when he heard a struggle inside the house. He tried the door but it was locked. He heard heavy footsteps running inside. He walked back a couple steps and threw all his weight against the door. It burst open and he found Samantha standing in the living room. She looked physically alright but was stunned. "Where did he go?!" Mulder shouted at her. "Out the back door," she managed. Mulder turned and ran through the kitchen. A man in all in black stepped out of the closet and pointed his gun at Samantha. She didn't move. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her out the door. Mulder ran through the kitchen and to the back door. It was closed. He tried to open it but it wouldn't budge. Mulder looked at the deadbolt. "Locked!" He said and realized what had happened. "Samantha!" he yelled as he ran back through the house. The front door was still open and Samantha was gone. He ran out the door and caught sight of a black van speeding in the other direction. He jumped down the steps and to his car. He slammed the door and reached for his keys, but he felt only air. He looked to see the van turning a corner and going out of sight. Mulder slammed his fist into the steering wheel with all his strength. Then he put laid his arms across it and buried his head. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Mulder sat at a desk in a small hotel room. He had a pen in his hand, poised to write. A small notebook lay on the desk. He was very tired. "It is the third day of our trip to Belleville. There is no sign of the girl, Samantha Hatching. She was abducted by an unknown person or persons at approximately 8:45 PM, Saturday. There is no evidence of forced entry, but several objects inside the house were destroyed. "Attempts to contact the girl's mother were unsuccessful. We learned from neighbors that she goes up North to a cabin every weekend. The neighborhood assumes it's to get drunk. The local police department has been notified, as well as the volunteer police department, who have started to make missing posters. "It is my personal belief that Samantha Hatching had telepathic abilities. She had agreed with this assumption, but gave no examples or instances when this occurred. I also believe that she was an alien abductee, although gave had no knowledge of this. "I came here to investigate a possible connection between psychic ability and UFO phenomenon. Now, all I have to show for it is a missing child. She had threats not to talk to me and my partner. Instead of taking her care as the first priority, I kept up communications. "Agent Dana Scully and I were drugged in some unknown manner. She slept for seven hours before the substance wore off. I believe that whoever did this, wanted me to wake up and come to the house. He warned the girl that he was coming, and gave her enough time to call me. "The whereabouts of Samantha Hatching are a mystery, as are the people responsible for her disappearance. Scully told me it wasn't my fault, but I can't believe that. I knew the risks, so did Scully. She didn't know. "I should have been more careful! Dammit! This is all my fault. I no longer care if I'll get repercussions from my superiors. I don't care if this is a reason to discredit the X files. I just want a 14-year-old girl to come home..." *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Mulder lay on his bed. He was tired, but couldn't sleep. He and Scully had talked to the local police all day. He wanted to leave, but he and Scully couldn't find a flight until Monday morning. They would never know how or with what they had been drugged. All attempts to classify the substance destroyed it. Mulder was certain the government was behind it, but he wasn't sure why. Mulder heard a soft knock on the door. "Scully coming to cheer me up," he thought, although the idea wasn't totally unpleasant. He slowly got up to his feet and walked over to the door. Again a shy tapping came from the other side. Mulder unlocked the door and opened it. "Samantha!" he exclaimed. She was barely standing and was wearing the same clothes as when she left. She recognized Mulder but couldn't talk. Mulder reached forward quickly as she started to fall. He half led half carried her to a chair and guided her slowly into it. She seemed very weak but smiled at him. He crouched down to her level. "Samantha, what happened? Where have you been?" She shook her head slightly and winced. She cleared her throat. "I don't know," she said. "The last thing I remember is getting thrown into a van and a needle in my arm." She pulled up her sleeve and pointed to a small red dot. Mulder nodded. He swallowed hard and tried to keep her gaze. His first instinct was to look at the floor. "Mulder," she said with a broken voice. He rubbed his lips with his hand and looked at her. "I can't... see... anymore." She shut her eyes painfully leaned her head down. "They took it away from me." Mulder stared at her hard. Those words were so much like his own. He had known the risks. "Samantha, I -" Samantha held up her hand to silence him. She looked at him with sorrowful eyes. Mulder thought she was going to cry, but she never did. She just looked at him, and smiled. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "I doubt I'll see any more UFOs," Samantha said cheerfully. Mulder and Scully were happy with her recovery. It had been three days since she appeared on Mulder's doorstep, and seemed to be perfectly healthy. "I hope not," Mulder muttered. They were standing in Samantha's front yard. He had wanted to say good-bye and Scully understood. Samantha was smiling and showed no signs of trauma. Scully was relieved. "If you ever need any, help, just call us," Scully told her. She smiled at the girl. She didn't know her as well as Mulder, but she liked her. "Okay," Samantha replied and shrugged. Scully glanced down. Samantha seemed sad to say good-bye, but obviously wanted to put the whole thing behind her. Mulder looked at his watch and then to Scully. "We'd better go now." Samantha smiled and said, "Thank you." At first Scully assumed she was talking to Mulder, but Samantha was looking at them both. "Anytime," Mulder replied. Samantha watched Mulder and Scully turn and walked to their car. In a few seconds the engine started and the car drove down the street. Samantha stood in her front yard. The smile melted off her face. She looked at the ground and closed her eyes. Then she titled back her head and stared up into the sky. The End I have been a fan of The X Files since it began. I love to act, so I made up a character and plot for me to be in. Since the show doesn't except unsolicited scripts, I thought I would at least let other fans read it. Sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes.