Why am I doing this

Digging my own grave

Though it's shallow

I would lie in it

Work down in the basement

In the dark

After we crashed the car

Hoping fast that my arrow

Hits the mark

So you know who we are

Brand New

She stepped into the elevator, steeling her will and reminding herself why she was doing this. She was not used to coming to this part of the Hoover building, VCU was more her cup of tea, and she liked her tea straight with a nip of gin.

The floors descended too fast, "damn it" she breathed quietly "I should have taken the stairs." The basement made her nervous, not because she had not ever been down there before, but because of Jame Gumb and his love of holes.

It was that—but also the things she had heard about that were investigated down there was a bunch of hoo-hah. Ghosts and UFO's, she had seen true ugliness, stared it in the eyes, and the one thing that she had learned—real monsters have real human faces.

The small hallway led her to her destination, she hesitated at the door, not sure whether to knock or stroll in. They weren't expecting her. She had gone to their AD; who had listened to her request, absently reminding her that this was not along the lines of their usual case load. "I understand that Sir." She answered his doubts with that clear calm voice of hers, which some at the Bureau claimed was almost robotic.

"But," he conceded, "If you need the best, then the best are in the basement.

Skinner had advised her to go on down and make their acquaintance, to field her requests to them in person. He just wanted her to get the full affect; unabridged, unannounced, undiluted was the best way to get to know Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.

"I know Special Agent Scully from Quantico Sir; we roomed together for a time. She is one of the finest Agents I have had the pleasure to get to know..."

"You won't have a problem with Agent Scully," he mused. "But, Agent Mulder is a bit unconventional."

"I am aware of his reputation Sir." She offered. "I believe the name is Spooky?" her mouth twitched slightly at this, as if trying to decide whether to smile or not.

"Yeah but I wouldn't use that name down there if I were you..."

"I understand that Sir, they do teach some classes on Protocol at Quantico.' She ruffed.

Skinner eyed the young woman, not sure what to make of her. She was tough, but on a whole different level than Agent Scully. "Ok," he began. "Good Luck, I hope they can help you." He felt the need to end the conversation with her quickly; her brusqueness was more than just a little disconcerting.

She decided to knock, entering someone's office even in the basement, warranted some of that home training Quantico had offered her.

"Nevermore?" the male voice on the other side asked.

"Excuse me?" she replied after having opened the door. The place was a mess, cases were stacked willy-nilly, cardboard boxes overstuffed in corners, and the one desk shared by the two agents was in such a state of disarray she could not imagine anyone getting any work done on it. The place was replete with a low hanging light bulb, which Special Agent Mulder banged his head on as he rose.

"Special Agent Clarice Starrling, " Mulder hummed, "to what do I owe this unexpected yet inviting pleasure?" He asked extending his hand to the young woman.

Agent Starrling had heard he was charming, and handsome, she was not the kind of woman to fawn, but Agent Mulder was more than she had expected. "Thank you Agent Mulder," she took the seat she was offered, waited patiently as he cleared it off first. "I actually came down here to ask for your help." She finished once settled into her seat.

He was not surprised, the reputation of Special Agent Clarice Starrling eclipsed even his own, she had chased after monsters, and had gotten to close to one in particular. Hannibal Lector was the only serial killer Mulder flatly refused to profile. There were some heads you could never crawl back out of, at least not without bringing the nasty pieces out with you. "I don't know if I can Agent Starrling, I was under the impression that some one had already profiled Hannibal Lector..."

"I do investigate other cases Agent Mulder, from the looks of your office I am sure you know how that goes." Her voice never left cadence, never changed rose or fell.

Ouch, he mused to himself this kitten's got claws. Everything out of that mouth was jagged, yet honey dipped with that sweet down home accent. "Ok Agent Starrling, what can I do for you?" He decided to be all business on this one; Scully could probably learn a few tips from her, mostly those involving disemboweling.

She handed him the file that she had entered with. Mulder leaned back into his chair, assuming brain mode as he placed his feet precariously on the already full desk.

"The Eater of Souls," Mulder uttered placing the file back on the desk and rubbing his hands over his stubbly face.

"Yes Sir,' she ringed.

"This one," he tapped the file, "this one is rough." He stiffened, not looking her in the face. It was a little macho for him to not admit that she had seen worse monsters than he ever had.

"Mr. Mulder," she began almost hesitantly. "I have been told that you are the best profiler in the building, possibly in the Bureau itself. Now why you choose to waste your time and God given talent down here playing Ghostbusters I will never understand. But you are a hunter Sir, and I need you to hunt.' She picked up the file and offered it to him again.

"Do you know what it takes to get into their heads Agent Starrling?" he asked

"No sir, but I know this one needs to get found. He has killed close to fourteen girls all teenagers, all A students, all from similar socio-economic backgrounds. He has worked in four different states with the bulk of them being in Connecticut." She still held the file out to Mulder.

"You have had your own run ins with Lector Agent Starrling, so I know you realize how hard it is to even be in the same room with them." He bent his head back and rubbed his eyes. "When I worked for VCU before I came down here." He made a gesture around the room. "I saw things that nightmares were made of."

"Agent Mulder," she said rising retracting the file she had been holding out. "Obviously I am wasting both of our time by being down here. I neither have the time nor the inclination to hold your hand and sweet talk you into doing this. I'll let you get back to your UFO's.' she smirked.

"Mulder, I tried to get you extra mayo but once again I think they for-" Dana Scully was struck to find Clarice Starrling in her office. "Agent Starrling," she began dropping the sub sandwiches onto the desk. In the presence of her old room mate she suddenly felt ridiculous holding them, as if she were nothing more than the basement office girl.

"Agent Scully," Clarice began, smirking at the female agent's discomfort. ""Nice to see you again Dana.' She turned and eyed Mulder.

"Agent Starrrling," Mulder had risen and come around the desk. "Leave the file; I will get back to you by end of business tomorrow with a prelim." He offered her a mile that usually worked on any woman. Special Agent Clarice Starrling was not just any woman.

After giving him the file, she made her niceties and left.

"Whew," Agent Mulder blew. "Hey Scully, remind me to call your mom and thank her."

"For what Mulder?" she asked still reeling from Agent Starrling's visit.

"Well off hand I'd start with breastfeeding," he smiled still eyeing the door which the young woman had left out of. "secondly I thought I would round off the conversation by thanking her for not potty training you at gun point."

"Agent Starrling has always had that affect on people." Scully smiled laying out the sub sandwiches.

"Man, and they call you the Ice Queen…" he stopped himself realizing he had said this out loud.

"She had been through a lot Mulder, not just Bureau induced nightmares either. I have to tell you I admire the hell out of her." She mused

"Scully, please tell me you aren't going to show up to work one day with a machete and castrate every man in the building in a show of sisterhood solidarity." He laughed.

"Mulder, you know sometimes you can be such a slug." She picked absently at her sandwich before going on. "She kind of reminds me of someone…"

"Biter your tongue woman," He stared after her. :

"I am serious Mulder, if you were female, she would be you. You're domineering, overbearing, vastly intelligent," she was going somewhere with this.

"Don't hold back Scully,' he stared. "Tell me what you really think."

"I'm just saying Mulder, she has had to fight her way in a man's world…"

"No to mention that whole thing with Dr. Lector" He added taking an over exaggerated bite of is sub sandwich.

"Mulder," she whined." That's not funny. The whole thing with Lector was not her fault. He became fixated on her." Scully had a hard time finishing her sandwich with the image of Mulder

"Yeah well you want my opinion, that goes two ways there Scully. I mean she is the only one to survive close personal contact with the man. He's in love with her."

"That doesn't mean she has returned it Mulder, I mean they have played a cat and mouse game with each other for over ten years.' She was trying to remember what started this whole conversation in the first place.

"And she hasn't caught him yet? Her heart's not in it." He stopped for a minute thinking, "or maybe it is in it too much."