Chapter 1
(DISCLAIMER: I do not own X-Files...*tear*)
The first thing he noticed when coming into the slightly darkened office were all the clippings hanging on the walls. They were marked with different colors of pens and highlighters. He adjusted his bag on his shoulder and stepped closer. There were news clippings and printouts of aliens, UFOs and other unexplained phenomenon. In the middle of all of it was a photo of a UFO over a field with the words 'I WANT TO BELIEVE' taking up most of the page.
"You can tell Skinner that I already sent him that file." came a voice from the other side of the room. He turned to see a man leaning over a file, filling something out.
He cleared his throat.
"Actually, if you're Agent Fox Mulder, then I'm your new partner. I'm Kip Foley." he said.
Mulder looked up, pausing in his work. Kip took the opportunity to observe his new partner. Mulder had brown hair much like his own although his lay more flat, the front flipping up defiantly no matter what he did. Mulder's eyes were an obvious brown, in stark contrast to his own blue gray ones.
Mulder stood up from his seat and circled around to the front of his desk. He was taller than Kip, that was for sure. Kip crossed his arms over his chest. Everyone had told him that Mulder was crazy. They said he was better off going on suspension than choosing to work with Mulder. But Kip knew that he would go stir crazy with nothing to do. So he decided to take a chance on the X-Files.
"Skinner assign you?" Mulder asked.
Kip chuckled.
"It was either this or suspension. I was willing to take a chance." he said, depositing his bag on the empty desk in the room. He could feel Mulder watching him intently.
"If Skinner sent you then there hast o be a catch." Mulder said almost too casually. Kip looked up to the ceiling. Although there were many stories about the crazy 'basement guy', Kip felt that there were more to this agent than met the eye.
"I'm supposed to record your every move and report to him." Kip told him, turning to him with a small smile on his face.
"Aha!" Mulder yelled, surprising Kip. He watched the older agent almost dance around his desk.
"That I don't care about, Skinner can do what he wants but so will I. But kid, you should have taken the suspension. Not only do I not need a partner but this probably isn't your kind of work." he said, going back to his paperwork.
"Well, this is what I chose. Besides, someone has to watch your back and I told you, I figured I'd take a chance." Kip told him, hopping up to sit on his desk.
"You must have a death wish kid." came the voice of one Richard Krandall from the doorway. He was a tall agent who always seemed to have a scowl on his face. He was carrying a box as if it had been a disease.
"Krandall, just leave the box and get out." Kip said shortly.
Krandall let the box drop by the desk but didn't leave.
"They should have let you go. You don't deserve to be here after what you did." he hissed, leaning over Kip.
"Why don't you just leave it alone?" Kip growled.
"If it were up to me, I'd beat your face in." Krandall hissed.
By that time, Mulder had made his way around his desk and was pushing himself between the two.
"Hey, don't threaten my partner." he warned, his eyes boring into Krandall's.
Krandall backed up to leave but gave one more glance to Mulder.
"Watch him.. He'll stab you in the back." he said before leaving.
Mulder and Kip were quiet for a few minutes. Kip didn't even realize that Mulder had called him his partner. He stared at the now empty doorway before picking up his bag. He shook his head.
"I'm just gonna go. Sorry to bother you." he said, backing up to the door and turning to leave. He slung his bag over his shoulder and continued down the hall to the stairs. He didn't look back as he topped the stairs and moved passed the other agents. He could feel the eyes of various agents boring into his back. He knew this was a bad idea. Every agent in the building knew what had happened and while many of them didn't care what happened, there were still many who did and were determined to make his life a living hell.
But Kip wasn't gonna let it get him upset; at least until he got home. Then he would kick a trashcan or find something else to beat the crap out of. Anything to get his anger out.
He guessed he would have expected this to happen. After what happened, there was no way that anyone would trust him again. Although it was nothing new. He was always the screw up that no one trusted. Compliments of having an abusive father's influence on everyone.
Kip made it to his car, throwing his bag in the back seat. He sat in the front seat, his hands gripping the steering wheel. He threw the thoughts of the FBI out the window so to speak and stared out the front window, his mind completely blank.
What would he do on suspension? There wasn't much he could do. He was still getting paid at least. But he was going home to an empty house. He had a few friends, most of which were out of town. He would be left to his own devices.
Smacking the steering wheel, he pulled out of the parking garage and joined traffic at a leisurely pace towards his home.
I-WANT-TO-BELIEVE
The sky was beginning to show signs of approaching rain. The weather reports had predicted heavy rainfall. It was usually a comforting time for Kip and yet it only caused more grief. After he had gotten home, he had carelessly thrown his bag by the front door and gone upstairs for his running gear.
He usually ran four or five miles after work or when it was convenient. He was in great physical shape and loved to run. But tonight, when he started running, he knew he had gone well over five miles.
Halfway through his run, the sky had opened up, allowing the downpour to begin. It came down in sheets, not leaving an ounce of dry landscape. Kip's running gear was soaked and yet he didn't care. The rain cut into his eyes and he blinked harshly. The sun had set an hour ago and the only thing of light that Kip had to see by was the street lights. He could see his breath in front of him. There was a tinge in his side but he ignored it in favor of one more chance of remembering everything. The sky flashed with lightning and thunder, startling him out of his thoughts. He pushed himself to return home. Gritting his teeth, he turned down his street. The porch lights of neighbors were on and the rain was reflecting in them.
In front of his driveway, he bent down, resting his hands on his knees, panting heavily.
"New Jersey's had two mysterious college deaths in the past two months." came the startling voice of Fox Mulder. Kip ignored his startlement and glanced up, the rain dripping into his eyes. Mulder stood in front of Kip's house with an umbrella. The rain came down around the umbrella like water from a faucet.
Kip stood up and walked through the rain towards his front steps. He had no idea if Mulder was following and at that point, he could care less.
"What do you know about the Jersey Devil?" Mulder asked. He followed Kip into the house and left the umbrella at the entry way.
Kip trotted up the stairs to his bedroom, stripping off his wet clothes and going to the bathroom to shower.
X DOWNSTAIRS X
Mulder hung his wet jacket on the coat rack and glanced around the living room. It was quaint yet felt warm. There were very few personal pictures or what could be taken as family memories and yet there was artwork, bookshelves, and an impressive CD/DVD collection. Most of the furniture was blue, dark blue. A large TV sat in a beautiful oak entertainment system. An antique clock sat atop the system, ticking away quietly. There was a wood coffee table and a few plants had taken over a corner. The couch was large and soft and a matching chair, well worn, were up against the wall. It was a nice living room.
The storm pounded mercilessly on the windows. Mulder stared out at the pouring rain. Kip was an interesting agent. After the young man had left his office that afternoon, he had looked up his file. Kip had graduated high school at 16 and immediately started medical school. It was quite a feat. He began the FBI academy right after graduating at 24 years old. He had been an agent now for 5 years. Almost to his 30th birthday. He had an exceptional record with honors.
Then came to a couple weeks ago. The case was classified. Even with Mulder's background, his clearance into most classified areas, he couldn't get in. Access was denied.
This just made Mulder even more interested.
He paused as he noticed a folded piece of paper stuffed next to the TV. Glancing at the stairs, he moved forward and slipped it out of it's hiding place. Unfolding it, he saw it was a photograph. It was two boys. They were in a backyard, a house in the background. Both boys were smiling and seemed happier than ever. It seemed like the only personal item in the room.
The footsteps on the stairs alerted him to the need to put the picture back.
"So what the heck were you talking about?" Kip asked.
He was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt and socks.
Mulder followed him into the kitchen.
"The Jersey Devil. Wikipedia's definition is that it's a legendary creature or cryptid said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey." he started.
Kip laughed.
"Wikipedia is a load of bull Agent Mulder. Anyone can change things on there. If that's where you get your info then I can see why the agency thinks you're off your rocker." he reported, handing over a cup as he began to brew coffee.
"Not all of it's fake. But that's not the only place. Reports have come from as far back as 1909. The creature was described as being a kangaroo like creature with the head of a goat, leathery bat like wings, horns, small arms with clawed hands, cloven hooves and a forked tail. In 1909, over a thousand people saw it."
Kip had trouble thinking of a reply. Of course he had heard of the Jersey Devil. Practically everyone had. Not that it was a topic widely discussed. It was just an urban legend. Yet Mulder was seemingly convinced it existed.
Behind him, the coffee maker made a slight noise, signaling that it was finished. He quickly filled his own mug before gesturing for Mulder to help himself. He grabbed the creamer out of the fridge and poured a bit in his cup, being quiet as he leaned against the island.
"So what's this urban legend have to do with the college deaths?" he asked, taking a sip of piping hot liquid.
"Recently, there've been sightings of the Jersey Devil, especially both nights the college students were killed. I think that they were caught by the same creature." Mulder told him, gauging his reaction.
Kip took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Mulder really was a head case.
"Don't you think there could be, I don't know, a real explanation to it?" he asked.
Outside, the storm raged on, showing its fury by pounding the wind against the side of the house. The walls creaked and yet both men ignored it.
"They went to separate gyms, shared no classes, didn't even come from the same side of the country. One was killed in the evening, the other in the early hours of the morning. No connection whatsoever." Mulder explained.
"So your explanation is an unnatural creature with bat wings?" Kip asked doubtfully.
Mulder smiled.
"Yes."
Kip pulled a stool out and sat down. He had two choices. One was to let Skinner know that he had changed his mind and would take the suspension. The other was to follow Mulder on his wild goose chase. Either way, he was getting paid so he could sit at home and brood or travel to New Jersey with the crazy basement man.
"Okay I'm a little interested. What's your next move?" he asked. He abandoned the coffee mug on the table and leaned on his elbows.
Mulder seemed surprised that Kip was asking the questions he was. Most people would have told him to piss off by now and yet while the younger agent didn't look too excited, he hadn't thrown Mulder out yet.
"I planned to get on a plane to New Jersey tomorrow and poke around. See what I can figure out." Mulder told him, finishing off his coffee and refilling it.
"So you think the local police are just going to let you get involved in their investigation?"
It was doubtful. No local law enforcement agency would be okay with the FBI snooping in their cases. Especially with murders and serial killers. Kip knew that they didn't enjoy the FBI taking the limelight from them.
"I can be persuasive. Besides, they'll never prove what I know is true. They're looking for someone, not something." Mulder was getting excited.
"Mulder, this is just all... oh I don't know!" Kip was still hesitant.
"Can't we just take a simple case? A kidnapping? Human serial killer?" he asked.
"I know you're interested. And if we're going to do this, I'm the agent in charge." Mulder encouraged.
"Skinner didn't assign this case to you or anyone else did he?"
Mulder just smiled.
TBC