Elle m'appartient

Chapter one

Lexington, Kentucky

December 12th

4:21am

"Avouer su péché!" The man screams, "Avouer su péché!"

(confess your sin)

The girl looks up at him tears clouding her brown eyes, "what sin? Confess what sin? I don't know what your talking about. Please, let me go." She tugs at the ropes around her wrist, the hard material cutting into her skin, burning it.

"Avouer su péché!

"What sin!"

The man raises his hand and slaps her across the face, "avouer." He hits her again. "Avouer!"

"Quelle péché?"

(what sin?)

"Les péchés d'un non-croyant."

(The sins of a nonbeliever)

"Je ne comprends pas, je suis Catholic."

(I don't understand, I'm Catholic)

"Menteur! Vous êtes un faux."

(Liar! You are a fake)

"Faux? Non, je ne suis pas."

(Fake? No, I'm not)

"Oui. Vous êtes."

(Yes. You are.)

"Non!"

"Avouer péchés de beaucoup"

(confess the sins of many)

"Non! J'ai non indicio quelle péché."

(no! I have no idea what sin)

"If you don't confess you will die." He snarls speaking to her for the first time in English.

"I don't know. Please, just tell me. What sin? Sins of a nonbeliever? I am a believer! I don't understand what your asking of me!"

"Avouer!"

"S'il vous plaît ne me teur pas."

(please don't kill me)

"Avouer les péchés d'un non-croyant."

(confess the sins of a nonbeliever)

"Je n'ai pas de péché!"

(I have no sin)

"Toute le monde a le péché."

(everybody has sin)

"Bien, ouais, ils font. Mais je n'ai pas de valeur de péché meurt pour!"

(well, yes, they do. But I don't have any sin worth dying for!)

"Est toute valeur pas de péché meurt pour? Vous etês Catholic, vous savez que Jesus est mort pour tous péchés, grands et petits?"

(Isn't all sin worth dying for? Your Catholic, you know Jesus died for all sins, big or small.)

"Votre drotie de cela. Mais pourquoi allez-qu'est-ce. Vous me teur pour mes péchés, j'ai fait. Quel péché horrible j'ai-t-il committed?"

(Your right about that. But why are you going to kill me for my sins what did I do? What horrible sin have I committed)

"Je vous ai dit, le péchés d'un non-croyant."

(I told you, the sins of a nonbeliever.)

"Que signifie-t-qui? Les péchés d'un non-croyant, je ne comprends pas."

(What does that mean? The sins of a nonbeliever, I don't understand."

"Alors vous ne meritez pas pour savior."

(Then you don't deserve to know)

She says nothing, just stares at him with a hatred she never thought she could feel in her entire life, this man was crazy. He was going to kill her, no matter what she did. No matter what sin she confessed to, because she didn't know what sin he was talking about, how could she confess when she didn't know. "I don't know." She growls, her eyes blazing.

"Confess or die!"

"Go to hell you sick fuck." She snarls at him.

Then the lights went out.

********************

Chapter Two

Washington D.C.

December 19th

9:03 am

The elevator dings indicating my arrival in the basement. I briskly walk out the doors although nobody's there to see me in my rush, but I really don't care. The call I got from Mulder this morning was a bit confusing. It's a Saturday, the Saturday before Christmas no less. Im not suppose to be at work, im suppose to be shopping. Why do I have to be pissed off at work, why can't I go be pissed off at the mall like every other person in this godforsaken tourist trap.

Excuse me for my bitchiness, its early, cold, and snowing like mad outside. Mom and I were suppose to go shopping. But of course, with the X-files I never get a moments rest.

I push the door to the office open and see Mulder staring at a piece of paper in his hand attentively. He looks like he hasn't slept in at least a day. "Mulder, what's so important that you had to call me here? At 9 o'clock on a Saturday? Is it an X-file?"

"Im not sure, im at a loss. It's an X-file in the sense they put it in the cold cases but im not sure if the crime in itself is an x-file. Here take a look at it."

He hands me the file he was looking over and I leaf through paperwork until I come upon the pictures of the crime scene. She was a murder victim that's for sure, her name was Diane Thomson, 19 years old, philosophy major at UK in Lexington, Kentucky. Home of the Wildcats. She had long blonde hair reaching to her waist, and brown eyes. From what it says in the file she's an honor student, graduated in the top 5 percentile of her senior class at Louisville High School. Her clothes were ripped from a struggle but no trace evidence was found. No fingerprints, no skin beneath her fingernails, rape kit came back negative. Cause of death, unknown.

"Did you look at the last page yet?" Mulder asks looking at me.

"No, why."

"Flip it to the last page."

So I did, and on the last page was a zoomed picture of the small of the deceased's back, where there were words on her back that I didn't recognize. It looks as if somebody took a hunting knife and carved words into her. I squinted my eyes, "is this French? So what does, elle m'appartient, mean?"

"Yes, its French. Elle m'appartient means 'she belongs to me.'," he passes me some more pictures, "these are some of the walls of the crime scene. What's written here is also French."

I look at the pictures and written in what looks like blood all over the walls is two sayings. One is 'avouer su péché' and the other is, 'pérchés de beaucoup'. "What do these mean Mulder?"

"Well, they pertain to the same thing. Sin. The first one, 'avouer su péché' means confess your sin. The other one 'pérchés de beaucoup' means sins of many. Did you happen to notice she was a philosophy major? From what I gathered she was also a very strong catholic. The only piece of jewelry found on her still intact was a gold cross with a purple drape necklace. I think it's a clue, that this man, the killer is also religious. Why else would he break all over her jewelry besides the necklace?"

"Im not sure Mulder, but, what makes you so interested in this case? It seems like a regular homicide. Nothing in this relates to the x-files."

"None of the circumstantial evidence does, but, Diane's roommate, Mandy, got a call only a few hours before they found the crime scene."

"From who?"

"Diane Thomas. But, the thing is from what the coroner says it would've been impossible for Diane to call Mandy, she'd been for well over 10 hours by then. She said that Diane, or whoever called, spoke only one sentence, it was in French and Mandy didn't speak French, but she remembered what, Diane, or who she thought was Diane said."

"What?"

"M'aider."

"What does that mean?"

"Help me."

********************

Lexington, Kentucky

December 20th

2:21 am

Chapter Three

Whitney couldn't remember a time when her head hurt worse, or when she'd been this scared. The man was gone for now, but she knew that he'd come back. And deep down she knew there was no getting out of this alive. She'd struggled as hard and as long as she could until he eventually got pissed off and knocked her out. She had no idea when that'd been or how long she'd been out. But from the way she felt she was sure that she had a concussion, or worse.

Movement in the room made her heart beat so loud she was sure it could be heard miles away. It was pitch black in the room so she couldn't see anything but she knew it was the man. It had to be, who else would be there?

"Avouer." The deep voice beckoned. "Avouer péchés de beaucoup."

"I…I don't know what your saying. I don't understand."

"Avouer des péchés d'un non-croyant."

"I don't know what that means…please…let me go…please let me go. I don't want to die." Tears fall down her face and sobs escape her throat. "I don't know what your saying!"

"Ecouté!"

(listen!)

"Please, don't kill me."

Something hard hit's the side of her head and pain spreads like wildfire. She does the only thing that she can think of, she screams.

"Cris silencieux, personne ne peut vous épargner."

(silent screams, nobody can save you)

She whimpers and shuts her eyes, hoping that when she opens them this will all be a bad dream. She's not that lucky however, because when she opens them another blow to the head sets her aback. "Stop it you asshole!" She screams in pain, "I don't know what your saying! Why are you doing this! What is wrong with you, why are you doing this to me!"

"Confess or die!"

"Confess what!"

"Des pérchés d'un non-croyant."

"I don't know what that means."

"Confess or die!"

"Go to hell you crazy bastard."

Just like Diane the lights went out. And they never came back on.

********************

Chapter 4



Washington DC

December 21st

8:52am

Here I am again, at work when I shouldn't be. But this time its on one of my vacation days, im suppose to be spending today with my mother, its Monday and Christmas is on Thursday. I shouldn't be here, I should be with Charlie and his family, who for once, is spending Christmas with mom.

I'll just have to make this as quick as I can so I can go to moms house. But with Mulder, that's highly unlikely. So it looks like one of my vacation days has just gone down the drain. Maybe, if im lucky, I won't have to come to work tomorrow, and will actually put my vacation days to good use.

"Mulder," I whine as soon as I enter the office, "what am I doing here? I should be getting ready to go to see my brother at my mothers house."

"If it's Bill you were going to see I believe you owe me a thank-you."

"Be nice Mulder, and it wasn't Bill. It was Charlie, who I haven't seen in oh the lighter side of 5 years. He doesn't visit often seeing as he lives very far away. So, excuse my bitchiness, but I would rather be at my mothers visiting my brother than stuck in this damn office."

"Scully, there was another murder."

Great, now I do feel like a bitch. "Oh. Then im sorry for saying that, what can you tell me?"

"Same MO, philosophy student at UK, blonde hair brown eyes, and Catholic. But she was 20, and didn't speak French. I think that's not what this guys going after though, he's targeting girls who look the same, believe the same, and study the same. And Rachel, the deceased's roommate, also received a phone call."

"From the victim?"

"Yes, same as before, Rachel claims that Whitney, the victim, called her around 5 hours before Whitney was found dead, and only spoke one sentence."

"What was the sentence?"

"Helfen Sie mir."

"Help me." I whisper remembering my college course in German.

Mulder looks at me for a second, like he's surprised I knew that.

"I told you once before Mulder, remember unruhe? I took German in college."

"Nazi," he whispers jokingly under his breath. I shoot him an evil look and he says very innocently, "what?"

"Nothing, just continue with your story." I sigh, then under my breath say "retreat, retreat" making fun of the fact that in college he took French.

He smiles at me but then continues, "anywho, before I was so rudely interrupted I was getting to a point."

"You? A point. Ha. That's funny Mulder. But this is no joking matter. Shame on you."

"Scully."

"What?"

"Femme-en haut."

"What the hell did you just say?"

"If you'd taken French you'd have known."

"Sicher. Geldstrafe. Was auch immer."

"Ok, what in the hell did you just say?" He says mocking me.

"If you'd taken German you would've known."

He snorts at me, "again. What I was going to tell you before was that the call came a little after 8 in the morning. Which is impossible because from the rigor mortise on the body the cornier said that when she was found at 10 o'clock she'd been dead for a least over 7 hours. I think that this is turning out to be an x-file. And, I have a few theories. I think that these girls are calling and asking for their roommates help."

"You think that these girls ghost are calling and asking for help? Why would they need help Mulder? They're dead. Nobody can help them."

"Maybe the help they seek isn't for their lives, but help finding this guy, keeping him from killing again, because Scully from what im seeing I think we have a serial killer on our hands."

"Where are the crime scene photos?"

"Right here." He hands me a manila folder and I open it up. Inside are the photos from the scene. I flip through them haphazardly and stop abruptly at a particular photograph. It's a picture of the small of Whitney's back, the same occurred with Diane's. There on the small of her back are the words elle m'appartient. "Elle m'apparient. She belongs to me. Mulder I think your right, this does look like a serial killer. Have you informed the local PD there in Lexington?"

"Yes, and I also informed them that we'd be coming down there to investigate. We leave today, if you'll come with me. If you don't want to I understand, its Christmas, you should spend it with those you love. I can always go alone, I don't want to take away from your family time."

Those I love, he has no clue. I sigh outwardly, "no Mulder, I'll go. Bringing this man to justice is more important than seeing my brother, he understands the extent of my work, he knows there are some things I just can't condone, that I have a obligation to my work. He's not like Bill at all, he's more perceptive."

"Sounds like. Well, our plane leaves today at 10. You think you can be ready by then?"

"Well, yeah. But it'll be a stretch, its already after 8."

"Well, I have my things already in my car. We can take your car over to you place then go in it to the airport. I can always get my car when I come back to work."

"Ok, then we'd better go. You already told Skinner?"

"Yeah, Skinner knows. He's the one who came to me this morning. You should call your mother and let her know what's going on."

"My mother doesn't keep tabs on me Mulder, but your right, I should call her and let her know I won't be coming over, at least not until we have this worked out."

He nods and we walk to my car, then drive to my house where I pack and call mom. After that's all done with we leave for the airport, our flight takes off in 10 minutes when we arrive and they're already boarding. We quickly take our seats and set off for Kentucky.

*to clear any lingering questions here are the translations for the above sentences:

(just in case you weren't paying attention) Helfen Sie mir: Help me (German)

Sicher. Geldstrafe. Was auch immer: Sure. Fine. Whatever (German)

Femme-en haut: Shut-up (French)*

********************

Chapter 5

Our plane touches down just a little bit after 1. We immediately rent a car and take off for our hotel. It's snowing pretty hard here in Lexington, it wasn't snowing in D.C. when we left but the news said that it probably would. Here though, there's got to be at least 3 inches already on the ground. "Mulder who are we going to talk to?"

"Detective Andrews, with the Lexington PD. He's the one running the case. We have a meeting with him at 2:30. Were going to go to the two crime scenes after that."

"Where were they found?"

"Well, Diane was found in a local park, and Whitney was found in a hotel room, under a false name. John Doe, how original right? Well anyway the room was paid for in cash and the lady at the front doesn't remember what the man looked like, he was wearing dark classes and a hood. So we have really not to much to go on. The bodies had been moved to their location, they weren't found at the true crime scene. Then after that were going to talk with the roommates. See if we can get anything from them, who they hung out with, where they went after class, things like that."

"Do you think the murder is a philosophy major? And that's how he's picking the victims?"

"It could very well be, but College is out for break. Not everybody's still here. We wouldn't be able to talk with everybody, most of the students have gone home for the holidays."

"Then we should talk with the ones left."

"We'll have to get a list of them first, so we probably won't be able to until tomorrow, but we can do that."

About that time we pulled into the Lexington PD, the secretary at the front desk pointed us in the direction of Detective Andrew's office. As we walk back Mulder's hand finds its rightful place on the small of my back and his touch sends a warm sensation through my entire body. I hold back a shiver and twist the knob on the door to Detective Andrews office.

A man who looks around my age is sitting at the desk, he's got dirty blonde hair and when he looks up at me his piercing blue eyes take me back. This man is gorgeous. Detective Andrews stands up and shakes my hand wearing a warm smile. I smile back at him and introduce myself, then Mulder. "Detective Andrews, im Agent Scully, this is my partner Agent Mulder."

He nods at Mulder and shakes his hand as well. Then he looks back at me and smiles once more. From the corner of my eye that I can Mulder isn't to happy about the way the Detective is looking at me. Well, good. Maybe I can make him squirm a bit, should be fun.

"Detective Andrews," I start in a professional but seductive voice. Mulder looks over at me for a second with a questioning gaze then turns back to the Detective. "What can you tell us about this case? Im not sure about my partner here but im pretty much in the dark, I only know the specifics."

"Well, our two victims were both philosophy major, in the same class, taught by Professor McDuff. Their class met every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9:15am-10:45am. We've got a list of the people in their class for you, and Professor McDuff is still here in Lexington, and should be at the school. Diane was found at a park a few miles from the school and Whitney was found at a Motel 6 down the street from her apartment. We have the locations of those places for you, and their home address. Now Diane lived on campus but Whitney and a few of her friends shared a apartment off."

"What about the phone calls, has anybody found out about them?" Mulder asks, getting straight to what he thinks is the paranormal aspect of this case.

"We have no developments on those."

"And the carvings on the girls back?"

"Swiss Hunting Knife is what it looks like, nothing was found at the scenes so we can't be exactly sure. But from what forensics has that's their guess."

I nod my head at him and turn to look at Mulder who is already standing up. He shakes Detective Andrews hand once again, "thank you Detective Andrews, we'll get back to you if we find anything of interest. Is there a number we can reach you at."

He nods, takes out a card and hands it to Mulder. Then I stand up and shake his hand as well. He flashes me a grin and I smile back. "Goodbye Detective Andrews."

"Please call me Matt."

I nod at him and turn to walk out the door. I see something flash in Mulder's eyes but as soon as it appears its gone. Is he jealous? Good, then my plan is working. He lets me pass him and makes a point to place his hand on the small of my back before we leave Detective Andrews office. (He may have asked me to call him Matt, but I think Detective Andrews will do)

"What was that?" Mulder asks when were safely outside the Police Station.

"Excuse me? What was what?" I say innocently. Ha, this is too easy.

He swings his hand back towards the station, "that."

"I have no idea what your talking about Mulder. I don't know what 'that' is. Now come on we need to get to the crime scenes. I'll drive."

"You sure you'll be able to reach the pedals?"

"Shut-up Mulder."

He throws his hands up in mock defeat, "sure. Fine. Whatever."

*******************

Chapter 6

Crime Scene #2

7:04pm

The first crime scene was a bust, but I really didn't suspect to find much, seeing as it was a park and was already cleaned up. I have a feeling we'll find something here. "Mulder, where is the luminescence?"

"Why what are you looking for?"

"Any blood splatter I can find. Was there any blunt force trauma found when they did the autopsy?"

"Uh, Scully, they didn't do an autopsy. On either body. I was kind of hoping that you would."

"Were exhuming the bodies?"

"Well your half right, Diane's been buried already but Whitney's still at the morgue. I was hoping that you'd go by after we got done here or in the morning."

"I'll go after we get done here, on one condition. You go back to the hotel and order some kind of food. That way when im done it'll be there."

"It's a plan."

I finally find the luminescence and gesture for Mulder to turn off the lights. He flips the switch and the room goes black, save for the glowing purple spots all over the room. I look around amazed. "We need to test for blood."

He tests the various stains around the room and looks back at me shocked, "it's all blood Scully."

"Mulder, I think they were wrong. This is the crime scene. Look at all the blood. We need to test this and compare it to Whitney. I'll drop the samples off at the lab when im done with the autopsy."

"I don't understand, why leave her at the scene of the crime? Why not move her like he did Diane. Unless…this is a copycat. No, it can't be. The phone call, that information wasn't released to the public, nobody except the detectives working on the case knew. He must have been in a hurry, or out of time. That's the only explanation."

From the look in his eyes I can tell that he's in profile mode. I decide not to answer him and let him shift through his theories in silent. I go back to checking the scene for clues. I don't find anything else besides the blood but the pattern of blood spatter indicates that this poor girl was probably bludgeoned to death, by something big.

I finally decide to break the silence, "Mulder, was there any blood found here?"

"Well, not any that was visible to the naked eye."

"He cleaned up after himself."

"Scully, this guys more twisted than we thought."

I looked around at the glowing stains once more, so much blood, why was this man doing what he was doing? What was his motive? What does elle m'appartient mean?

Would I ever find the answers to these questions?

********************

Chapter 7

Lexington, Kentucky

December 22nd

2:32am

"Please don't hurt me." Michelle whimpered tugging at the ropes that were cutting into her wrist and ankles. "Don't hurt me." She pleaded once again, "please."

"Avouer péchés de beaucoup." The man growled from the corner of the room.

"You're the one who killed Diane aren't you. Oh God, please, don't hurt me. I'll do anything, just don't hurt me. I swear if you let me go I won't tell anybody, I swear. Just let me go. Please-"

"Femme-en haut!"

(shut-up)

"What do you want!" She screams, getting tired of being the helpless victim.

"CONFESS!"

"TO WHAT!"

"You know what im talking about!" He screams still lingering in the pitch blackness of the room. She squints her eyes and tries to adjust them so that she can see where he is. But its to no avail.

"I don't know what your talking about."

"Menteur! If you don't confess, he'll kill you."

*Menteur-Liar*

"Who? Who will kill me! It's only you! Only you." The scared 20 year old comes rushing back, "I only see you." She whimpers. 'Is this guy crazy?' she thinks, 'oh God, that has to be it. He's crazy, and he's going to kill me. There's nothing I can do to save myself, nothing.'

So she screams. Her screams are short and painful at first because of the long time she's been without any sort of liquid whatsoever but after a while her screams become longer and more shrill. From what little she can see in the dark room the man is covering his hands with her ears.

"Stop!" He screams at her, "if you don't stop he will--"

He stops in his sentence and then in a deeper, more threatening voice than before, speaks again. Once again in a language she doesn't understand. She silently curses herself for not taking French and instead opting for the easier course of Spanish, and even more still curses herself for getting into this predicament in the first place. If she had just gone home like her mother had wanted her too--

"Il ne peut pas vous aidez plus." He growls, "personne ne peut vous épargner maintenant."

(he can't help you anymore) (nobody can save you now)

She can feel his hot breath on her face and she grimaces. The sour smell like poison, suffocating her, killing her. Her walls once again reconstruct themselves and she spits in his face, "get away from me you sick fuck!" she snarls at him.

"Chinne!" He screams at her, she doesn't have to understand the language to know that what he said could not have been nice. He slaps her across the face leaving a sharp stinging feeling on her right cheek. She winces from the pain but once again regains composure.

"Burn in hell."

He touches the cross that hangs around her neck, chuckles, and whispers in a husky, evil voice, the grin in his words apparent, "you first."

A heavy object hits her head and she screams in pain, then the object comes in contact with her cranium once again, sending sharp throbbing through her whole body. The last time the object hits her skull the lights go out. Never to turn on again.

"Au revior." He laughs as her lifeless body slumps into the chair.

*translations:

Chinne: Bitch (French)

For you mentally challenged people out their who've been living under a rock your whole lives; au revior: Goodbye (French)

********************

Chapter 8

December 22nd

Holiday Inn Rm. 132

6:34am

'RING! RING! RING!' The phone on the side of my bed screams, damn-it it's too early in the morning for this! After whoever is calling doesn't hang up after the 7th ring I decide I should pick it up. Anything to stop this goddamn ringing. "Hello?" I say--in a bitchy tone--into the receiver.

There's a bit of a pause, then Detective Andrews' voice comes on the line, "Agent Scully. This is Detective Andrews, im sorry to call at such an ungodly hour, but we found another body."

Im instantly awake and shoot forward into my bed, "where?"

"Same place as the first. Do you and Agent Mulder remember how to get there?"

"Yes. We'll be there soon."

"Goodbye then."

I hang up the phone and in a haze im at the door that connects Mulder and my room. Before I realize I didn't put on my housecoat--and needless to say tonight im not wearing those long satin p.j.s of mine, its more like a mid thigh silk nightie, not a teddy mind you, but not professional nevertheless--Mulder opens the door. Like me not really dressed normally. All he's got on are his boxers. And God does that man have the sexiest stomach or what?

Calm Dana, crime remember? Focus on the murder.

Shit, not working. Damn-it, damn-it, damn-it. Murder, murder, murder…think about the murder.

Then I notice that Mulder too is having a hard time dealing with what im wearing, he's just standing there seemingly gawking. "Uh…um…Scully…what is it?" He finally stammers.

"Another murder." I quickly spit out and slam the door between our rooms shut. I instantly want to open it again and stand there gazing at Mulder the way he was at me. God that mans body, God really does love me, because…hot damn the things that man does to me.

Get dressed Dana, you have a crime scene to go to.

Damn-it it'll be the hardest thing ever to keep me from mentally picturing Mulder standing there in those blue boxers. My day just got better.

God, can you say hormones?

Ok, dressed now. Now I should see if Mulder's done yet.

Knock, knock, knock.

Once again the door swings open. This time Mulder's a bit more dressed than before, he's buttoning up his shirt, and I can still see the outlines of his abs, which by the way are perfect. "Mulder," I whine, "your not dressed yet? Hurry up. We've got to go."

"Why don't you go start the car, let it warm up so its not freezing when we leave."

"If I do that then im driving."

"Ok." He walks into the room and grabs the keys, places them in my hand and then curls my fingers to cover them. I shiver at his touch. "Hop to."

I pull my hand away and quickly run out the door, start up the car, and run back into my room. Mulder is sitting on my bed and tying his shoelaces. When the cold air hits his face he looks up towards the door and sees me enter. "Where is the victim at?"

"They probably already took her to the morgue seeing as the temperature outside has to be no more than 20 degrees. Even though she's probably been dead for a while the body will still have damage due to exposure. Do you want to drop me off there first and then go to the scene yourself? It's the same place we visited first, the park a few miles off campus."

"No Scully, I freeze my ass off you freeze your ass off. Comprende?"

"Sure Mulder, you freeze I freeze everybody freezes. Happy now? Lets go. Detective Andrews thought we were coming right away."

"Detective Andrews is the one who called?" He looked like a hurt puppy.

"Yeah, and I kind of snapped at him. Oops." I chuckled a bit, "I think he's scared of me. I was being very bitchy."

"Well, you get use to it."

"And what exactly are you implying?"

"Nothing. Lets go. Remember crime scene?"

"Ok. But like I said. I drive."

He got a devious look on his face and lunged for the keys in my hands. However, I had planned on this and. Plop. The keys went down my shirt. I raised my eyebrows and he followed suit. A sly grin spread across his face, "you want me to go after them don't you Scully?"

"Ugh, it's to early in the morning for your games Mulder." Oops. Did I just say that out loud? Well, from Mulder's look I did.

"What games?"

"Don't start Mulder. We've got a crime scene to go to." I reached down into my blouse and pulled out the keys. I turned quickly from the door, ran into the falling snow, and jumped into the front seat. Mulder followed me and got in the passengers side. I cranked the heater up more so that it was and took off down the highway.

********************

Chapter 9

Crime Scene

7:04am

Mulder shifts through the snow quietly, looking for any clues that could possibly lie hidden under the blanket of white, but ultimately coming up with no more than they had before. Every time he'd glance at Scully she would be shivering from the harsh freezing wind that winter produced. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and use all of his body heat to keep her warm, but thought it inappropriate at a time like this…they were investigating a murder for God's sake.

A murder that seemed to produce no clues. Maybe their serial killer had found a way to commit the perfect crime. He'd already killed 3 young women without leaving a single clue behind, nothing to incriminate anybody. Everything came up at a dead end.

They searched until the temperature dropped below 15 degrees and on the way back to the car Mulder noticed Scully shiver once again. He hesitated for a second but then put an arm around her shoulder and drug her closer to him willing his body heat onto her. She tried to smile at the gesture but the freezing weather made it impossible.

He drove to the morgue against her protest, but seeing as he knew the way she agreed to letting him. When they arrived they instantly went to the body, seeing as it was being saved for her to do the autopsy on.

As she was putting on her gloves an innuendo passes through his mind, he speaks before thinking, "I always knew you loved to slap on the latex Scully." He smirks.

"I could say the same about you." She throws back at him.

"Come on Scully, that chick jumped me. I was trying to get her off when you walked in. And besides, it wasn't my fault, it was the astronomical alliance. That was the reason you were being so bitc…er…cranky. I didn't complain then."

"Because you were being a bastard yourself Mulder. The little latex pun proves it. And this is my job, you can't really say anything about that."

"Oh, yes. The ever popular task of slicing and dicing."

"Shut-up Mulder. You know that if you didn't have me you'd be shit out of luck. And you know it. And don't blame your testosterone levels on the planets. Im not buying."

"That cuts deep Scully."

"Ooh, poor baby. Did I damage your male superego? Point one for me."

"I didn't know we were playing a game."

"Well, now you do." She says lifting her hands to tie her hair in a hair tie, her shirt riding up along with it, and he catches a glimpse of her tattoo. He takes his hand and traces the symbol on her back.

"What does it mean Scully?"

She brings her hand around to her back as well, "it's a cycle. But it's not a part of my life anymore. It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me."

She sighs at his question and turns around, "you really want to know?"

"Yeah."

********************

Chapter 10

Morgue 8:21am

Is he really asking me this? Why are we having this conversation? In a morgue no less. I regain my thoughts and start on the long talk I knew we would one day have. "Like I said, Mulder, it's a cycle. One that I no longer live by. I would find an authority figure, live they was that was expected of me and then one day, I would rebel. Do something that nobody would ever guess. It was what I did when I told Ahab that I was joining the FBI instead of becoming a doctor, then with you when I went to St. Louis (ok, if its not St. Louis, I am sorry. But I don't remember what town it was in a St. Louis sounds right), that's not me anymore though, the only reason I did it was I felt so smothered--"

"I know, and im sorry for that Scully. You don't have to do these things for me, then or now. I'll understand if you don't. You have a life of you own, I can't make you do something you don't want too--"

I turn around to face him and place a finger over his lips, "im not finished Mulder. That's not me anymore because it doesn't need to be me. Because of work, because of you, I don't feel the need to rebel. Im content with my life, and it took what happened in St. Louis for me to figure that out."

"So what happened with Ed--"

"Was the product of too much drinking. Nothing else, has anybody ever told you that you think to much? Because you do." I laugh trying to change the subject.

"You don't feel the need to rebel because of me?"

"You rebel enough for both of us Mulder." I smile at him, "in all seriousness Mulder, yes. Because of you I don't need to rebel. Because of work, because when I was brought onto your quest it became my quest. I rebel when I feel I need a change, I don't think I'll need to change anytime soon. I like the me now, not the me then. The me then was confused, tired, and frustrated. The me now sees things clearly."

"And what do you see Scully?"

"An innocent life that died in vain, one that needs liberation, one that deserves more than this. More than being subjected to an examination just so we can find the reason she's on this table. She needs justice. And I intend on finding it for her."

Mulder says nothing and I turn back to the table, "what's her name?"

"Tisha Robertson. She was 20."

"How is this guy doing this? How is he killing these girls so effortlessly? How could somebody stand to live knowing they took away the most precious thing in the world, knowing they took somebody's daughter away from them. This guy is truly a sociopath. What could possibly drive somebody to murder? I just don't understand."

"That's because your better than that, you would have to sink to low to understand their reasoning."

"But isn't that what you do as a profiler? Sink to their level? What do you see about this man Mulder, why is he doing this?"

"Honestly Scully, I just don't know. This man is truly a mystery."

********************

Chapter 11

Lexington, Kentucky

5:32pm

December 22nd

"Avouer péchés de beaucoup."

"Please don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me, I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt me."

"Femme-en haut!"

"I don't want to die." She whimpers tugging at the ropes around her wrist, "please."

He slaps her across the face and she blinks back tears, "dear Lord, please save me." She whispers silently to herself, "God help me. Please help me."

"Il ne peut pas vous aidez plus."

(he can't help you anymore)

She searches her mind and comes up with what she was looking for, she whispers softly to herself, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not parish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth in him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." She repeats the first verse again, "for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not parish but have everlasting life." She rocks as much as the ropes will allow, "I will not parish, I will not parish, I will not parish."

"Femme-en haut!"

"I will have everlasting life! I will not parish! For God so loved the world you sorry son of a bitch. You cannot kill me, my soul belongs to God, my soul shall live forever!" She yells at him, "I will not perish!"

"Vous m'appartenez."

(you belong to me)

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul, he leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surly goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Amen."

"Menteur." He says as he grabs the cross that hangs around her neck, "ne ceci signifie rien à vous."

(liar) (this means nothing to you.)

"That means everything to me!" She screams, surprising him. She's his second victim who knows French.

"Menteur."

"No! That cross means the world to me, you couldn't possibly know how much it means to me. You couldn't possibly know."

"I do know. It's you who doesn't, you couldn't possibly know. I watched you. You are a fake, just like the others."

"A fake what?"

"Croyant."

(believer)

"I am not a fake believer. I trust in the Lord God my savior. What do you know about trust? You are just a sick bastard who thinks what he's doing is justified somehow, I see through you. You're a sociopath, you son of a bitch. You deserve to rot in prison. And I hope you do."

"Is that your final request?"

"My final request is that you burn in hell, where you belong." She closes her eyes, "the Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. He maketh--"

A large object slammed into the side of her head and she kept on talking this time louder than before, "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me--"

Another slam sent her into oblivion, and all the lights went out.

This time, however, they came back on.

*******************

Chapter 12

Lexington General Hospital

December 22nd

11:58pm

I run up to the desk and show my badge, "where is she?" I demand of the night nurse.

"Who?"

"Rebecca Washington. Where is she?"

"In the ER. Are you immediate family?"

"Do I need to show you my badge again? We are looking for a serial killer mam, and Rebecca very well may be one of his intended victims. I need to see her." I push past the people crowding the hallways to get to the elevator, the night nurse and Mulder on my heels. I turn and give Mulder a knowing glance and he stops the nurse from following me, signaling for me to go on with a simple nod.

I impatiently wait for the doors to open and when they do I rush inside and push the button ignoring the people running to try and catch the elevator before it makes it journey to the ER. The doctors in the ER allow me to enter and I rush to Rebecca's bedside.

"Rebecca." I say quietly, she looks up at me sadly, "Rebecca. My name is Dana Scully. Im an Agent with the FBI. Can I ask you a few questions?"

She nods, "go ahead."

The door behind me opens and I turn to see Mulder walk in, Rebecca moves backwards a little bit as if she's scared of Mulder's presence.

"No, its ok. Rebecca this is Fox Mulder, my partner. He won't hurt you."

She relaxes a bit and Mulder sits in the chair next to me, "Rebecca. Do you know who did this to you?"

She shakes her head, "no. But he said that he had been watching me, and that I was just like the others. He said I was a fake, a fake believer. He spoke mostly in French. I took French in High School so I knew what he was saying, he was surprised that I knew. He told me to confess the sins of many, I didn't know what that meant. I was reciting the Shepherds prayer when he knocked me out. I woke up while he was etching something into my back, it hurt, oh God it hurt. But I asked the Lord to protect me and he did."

Mulder leans into my ear, "they found a print. George Powers."

"Rebecca, do you know one George Powers?"

"I don't think so, but the name sounds familiar. I think he might be in my philosophy class. Why?"

I shake my head, "you get some rest Rebecca. You need it. Thank you for your help."

Mulder and I walk out the room, "where is he?"

"The station. They're waiting for us now."

This may be over soon, God I hope it is.

********************

Chapter 13

Lexington PD

December 23rd

12:24am

We walked into the room where Detective Andrews has the boy, George Powers, and is interrogating him. I sit down in the cold metal chair and glare at him coldly, "why?"

"They needed to die. I gave them a chance, they didn't listen. He doesn't like when they don't listen."

"Who?" Mulder says.

"Wouldn't you like to know? I gave them a chance to repent, they didn't take it. None of them did, I tried. I tried as hard as I could, but they just wouldn't listen."

"Are you trying to say that you didn't kill these women?"

"I didn't kill those women."

"Who did?" Detective Andrews muses.

He looks down and then back up, his cold eyes somehow more so than before. "I did." he speaks in a deeper more husky voice. "I killed them."

"Who are you?"

"Elles m'appartient."

"They belong to you? Why?"

"They didn't believe, therefore they belong to me."

"Who are you?"

"For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many."

"St. Mark; 5:8-9."

"You know your scripture."

"So that's why you asked Rebecca to confess the sins of many? You think that these women are possessed?"

"They were. I cured them."

"By killing them? Who are you?"

He chuckles, "you cannot tell who I am? They belong to me know, they are mine."

A knowing look spreads across Mulder's face, "are you the Devil?"

"Incarnate."

Im at a loss for words, I lean into Mulder, "DID?"

"I think so." He whispers back.

This is turning out to be stranger than we thought.

a/n: DID is reference to Disossiative Identity Disorder. In lamens terms, Multiple personalities.

As for the scripture references, those are all legit, I made sure I had everything right there.

********************

Chapter 14

Mulder and I left the room a little after that, this other personality of George's had confessed to killing the 4 and trying to kill Rebecca. Although we didn't let him know she was still alive. It was taking me a while to process all the information that ran wild in my mind.

"God Mulder, this guy is psychotic."

"They want the death penalty."

"I agree. This man, he doesn't deserve to live. Did you hear how he quoted the scripture like that? I remember that story from when I was younger. It was right after Jesus calmed the storm. St. Mark chapter 5. In the scripture it states that there were around 2,000 of Legion."

"And it was in that Steven King movie."

"Mulder, don't joke."

"Im not joking."

"I know that Mulder, just don't…don't act like this isn't a big deal. It is, four girls are dead, one girl might not make it through the night, all because this man thought he was the Devil. It's not something to be taken lightly."

"I know Scully. I…im just trying to lighten the mood. Excuse me for being a jackass."

I sigh, "it's ok Mulder, this just, it cuts deep. I hate it when people try and use the Bible to justify themselves. When they twist the scripture around so it works for their benefit. It's not like that."

He puts a hand on my shoulder, "come on Scully. Lets go to the hotel. It's late."

I nod at him and we silently walk to the car, minds buzzing with all that's gone on in such a short amount of time.

"Looks like you'll be able to spend Christmas with your family after all."

"Yeah, looks like." I think for a moment, "hey Mulder. Why don't you spend Christmas with my family and I? Im sure mom would love to have you there, and Bill's not going to be here this year. Im sure you'd love Charlie. He's nothing like Bill. I'd hate for you to spend the last Christmas of the 20th century alone."

"Sure, Scully. That sounds like fun."

I smiled warmly at him. With all that had gone on it looks like maybe Christmas might not be such a disaster after all.

END

a/n: That's the end. I think I might do a fic for where this one leads off. But only if I get good reviews. Anyway, I hope you liked it. And if I screwed up on some of the translations im sorry, it wasn't my fault. For the things I didn't know, (all the German, a bit of the French) I went to freetranslations.com. Blame them not meJ. And like I said before, the references to John 3:16-18, Psalm 23, St. Mark 5:8-9 are legit. I didn't get the reference to St. Mark from 'The Storm of the Century' (the Steven King movie mentioned) I was just looking for something that I could use with 'the sins of many' and it seemed to fit. Anywho, that's about it. Please review!