TITLE: Skye Blue
RATING: PG-13
KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully Romance, Angst
SUMMARY: Mulder is kidnapped with no chance of escape. Can Scully find him in time?
Disclaimer: The characters don't belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own therapeutic purposes. They will be returned relatively unharmed to Chris Carter, or whoever wants to borrow them next, when I'm done.
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Skye Blue
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Prologue
It all started the summer of her seventeenth year. It was supposed to be the best time of her life. Instead, it turned out to be the worst. It started off with a bang. She went to parties and hung out with her friends. But by the end, she was very well aware that she had ruined her life for good.
"You're pregnant, Olivia," the doctor at the clinic had told her. She could hardly believe what he was saying. But the changes in her body were proof enough that his words were true.
She tried to hide it from her parents. For a while it worked. They eventually figured it out, though. Even the big sweaters at Christmas time weren't bulky enough to hide her stomach. The baby was big, like her daddy.
Yes, she knew it was a girl. When her parents found out about the baby, they made her start adoption proceedings. Finding out the baby's sex made it easier to pick prospective parents. Her parents helped her find a nice enough couple to take the baby. The only problem was that she didn't want to give her baby away. She wanted to keep it, even though her parents threatened to cut her off from their fortune without a dime.
She wishes now she had taken them up on their offer. She wishes now she hadn't run away. At least she would know her baby would be going to a good home. And she would not be under the distinct impression that her days on the earth were drawing to a quick and hasty end.
Olivia looks up at her captor one last time with her last bit of strength. The labor was long and hard and she has lost a lot of blood. She can feel her life draining away with each drop leaving her body.
"Please. Don't take my baby," she begs. "Let me take her and go."
Although fatigued, she tries again to break free from her shackles without any luck. There's no escape. She can only hope to be rescued or set free.
"You are free to go. Now that I have what I need, I will set you free."
Olivia's eyes widen at the size of the needle approaching her. Something tells her that wherever she's going, she won't be taking her baby with her. All she can do is mutter a quick prayer for the life of her child before the needle sticks her and everything starts to turn gray. Her eyes drift shut and the last thing Olivia Champion ever hears is a voice that follows her to her death.
"Hush now, baby. Don't you worry. I'll take good care of you because I'm your momma now. We just have to go out and find you a daddy."
Chapter 1
Fox Mulder speeds down the highway, the silence in the car only a reminder of his solitude. With Scully away on a retreat for the weekend, he decided to follow up on a missing persons report to pass the time away. He really didn't think he would convince the local police that the girl had been abducted by aliens, but it was the only way he could explain her complete disappearance without a trace.
"Hey Scully," he says into his phone, talking to her answering machine. If he can't get the real thing, then a recording of her voice will have to suffice. "I'm on my way back from checking on that missing girl in Virginia. It turns out, she's a runaway. They tracked down a boyfriend who gave her money to leave town. Get this, she's pregnant with his kid. Or was. The baby was due a few months ago."
He sighs, still feeling the emptiness that always fills him whenever Scully's not around. He misses her so much, and has to catch himself from saying it out loud.
"Anyway, I guess I'll see you in the office on Monday," he says instead, hitting the end button on the phone before he's tempted to admit his true feelings for her. That he loves her. That's he's lost without her. That he can't even get excited about a possible alien abduction case without her by his side. If only she felt the same way about him.
He lets out another sigh as that thought brings him back to earth. He loves her. But he knows she doesn't feel the same way about him. It used to depress him, but he's gotten used to it. It still saddens him a little, though.
He continues on up the road heading for home. He looks down for a moment to find his bag of sunflower seeds. When he looks up again, he has to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the woman standing on the side of the road. He pulls his car in front of her disabled vehicle and gets out, putting a non threatening smile on his face.
"Hi. Do you need some help?"
"Actually, I do," she says shyly, taking a step back when he gets a little too close to her. "The tire just blew out on me. I was trying to call AAA, but I can't get a signal back here."
Mulder just nods and reaches inside his own car for his cell phone. The 'No signal' light flashes at him, letting him know that he won't be able to call out either. He frowns and sticks the useless phone into his pocket before looking at her demolished tire.
"There's no patching this tire," he determines. "If you have a spare, I could put it on for you."
"Unfortunately, that is the spare," she says, giggling nervously. "That's why I was calling AAA - for a tow and a ride into town."
"I can't tow this, but I can take you to the nearest gas station, if you'd like."
"I'm not so sure." She bites her lip in indecision and gives him the once over before giving him a nod, apparently finding him harmless enough. "Okay. Thank you."
She gets her bag from her own car before walking over to his, allowing him to open the passenger side door for her. It's a manner he doesn't get to use on Scully very much, but he does in fact know how to be a gentleman. She smiles her thanks and gets into the car, nervously holding her bag in her lap.
"My name is Fox Mulder," he tells her after getting in on his side. He starts the car and pulls back onto the highway.
"Mary Simpson," the reserved woman says quietly, a blush rising in her cheeks. "Thanks again for the ride, Fox."
"It's no problem," he smiles. "And please, just call me Mulder. I'm not a big fan of my first name."
"Why not? It's so unique and I think it fits you." She blushes again as she realizes what she said. Embarrassed, she drops her eyes to her lap. "I think it beats plain old Mary any day."
"Well, I'm glad you think so," he chuckles, letting the conversation go.
After about twenty minutes, she points out a sign letting him know the gas station is coming up. He fills his tank while she calls for the tow truck. He waits until she's finished on the phone, not wanting to leave her stranded.
"Is the truck on the way?" he asks when she returns to the car, a cup of coffee in each hand. He eagerly accepts her offering and takes a big sip, draining almost half the cup of the hot liquid.
"Not until morning," she frowns. "I'm going to call for a cab to take me home."
"A cab? Way out here?" he asks, looking around at the rural surroundings. "No offense, Mary, but I'm pretty shocked that this gas station is here. I doubt very seriously a cab will come here. How about I take you home?"
"I couldn't ask you to do that," she says, shaking her head. "You've already done so much."
"You're not asking. I'm offering," he smiles. "Get in, Mary. I was taught never to leave a woman stranded. You wouldn't want all those manners I learned growing up to go to waste, would you?"
"I guess not. Thanks again," she says, getting into the car. She points him in the right direction they head towards her house. "This is so nice of you. I just wish I could have offered you something more than coffee."
"No, this is great," he says with a yawn. "Just what I need to keep me awake."
He lets out another yawn, trying to shake off the sudden attack of sleepiness that strikes him. He's finding it harder and harder to stay focused on the road. His eyelids start to feel heavier and heavier. With his slowed reactions, he finally figures out something is wrong and turns to his quiet passenger. The look in her eyes says it all.
"You," he gasps. "What did you do to me?"
"Sleep now, my Fox," she says, leaning over to grab the steering wheel from his numb limbs. "Let Momma take care of you."
He can't help but obey as the darkness fully takes over, rendering him completely unconscious.
Chapter 2
Mary Simpson was a woman who wanted what most women want. Love. Marriage. A family. She didn't receive much formal education growing up, being raised with the sole objective of becoming the ideal wife. But Mary found that task increasingly difficult as time went by. Because as she grew up, she became more and more invisible.
She was the middle child of five, the middle daughter of three girls. With her common name and even more common looks, it was very easy to overlook her. She often times would just disappear into the background.
Thomas Joffrey was the first man to ever pay attention to her. She married him as soon as he asked her. She made a good home for him, but couldn't give him what they both really wanted - a child. He wanted a son, a little boy to carry on the Joffrey name. She dreamed of a little girl who would be everything she never was - beautiful and loved. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be for them. She was never able to conceive. Her husband blamed her and soon began to ignore her, much the way she had been ignored her whole life. Unwilling to live like that again, she did the only thing she could do to get his attention. Then afterwards, she buried his body in the back yard to make sure she had his undivided attention for all eternity.
Her second husband was able to give her what Thomas hadn't. Mary's son was born about a year into the marriage. For a short time, life was perfect. Her child was perfect, as was his father's devotion to him. Mary again felt neglected. And her new family soon joined her first in the back yard.
This time, however, Mary feels will be different. The child this time is a girl who will hopefully be as beautiful as the woman she came from. Mary was almost sorry to have to bury the woman out back with the others, but it couldn't be helped. She could have too easily turned the head of Mary's latest acquisition. There's no way she was going to risk the affections of her new mate.
At that moment, as if he heard her thoughts about him, he begins to stir in the bed. She smiles at the way the sheets stop at his waist, leaving his broad chest bare.
"Good morning, Fox. How did you sleep, my love?"
She smiles at the look of confusion on his face. It's always like that at first for the new ones.
"Mary?" he whispers, his voice raspy from disuse. She gave him a pretty strong dose of the sedative. He's been out for almost two days.
"Good. You remember me," she smiles, feeling it's a good sign he still knows her name. She feels as if her family is finally complete. First she got the new baby and now she's found a daddy to add to the picture. She's finally going to get to live her dream. Life will be perfect.
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Mulder lifts his head and looks around the room, trying to remember how he got there. He comes up blank with the how and his eyes land on a who. The woman from last night.
"Mary?" he whispers, startled at how raspy his voice sounds. It's almost as if he hasn't used it in days.
"Good. You remember me." She gives him a dreamy smile that kind of scares him. It's almost as if she expects him to be in love with her or something.
Looking around again, he notices he's in a bedroom. But he doubts he would have slept with this woman. He tries to run his hands through his hair, but finds he can't lift his arms. Panic finally sets in.
"Mary? What have you done to me?"
"Don't worry, Love. I just have you tied up until you remember the love we share."
"Mary, I only gave you a ride," he tries to reason with her. "I don't even know you."
"Fox," she giggles. "You're so silly. Of course you know me. How else do you think we ended up with this?"
Mulder almost passes out when Mary lifts a baby from a basket by her feet and places it on his chest.
"I don't understand," he says, shaking his head. "What's going on? What have you done? Whose baby is this, Mary?"
"She's ours, of course." Mary looks at him as if the answer should have been obvious. Apparently in her mind, it is obvious. Mulder realizes he needs to stop thinking rationally because this woman does not live in a rational world. Besides, maybe if he plays along, she'll untie him and he can get away.
"Of course," he smiles, suddenly switching to agree with her. "I guess I'm having some trouble with my memory this morning . . . Sweetheart." He adds the term of endearment through clenched teeth, hoping she won't notice his revulsion.
"I understand, Love. You've been asleep for a long time."
"Maybe you can explain to me what happened," he tries, hoping for a lucid answer from her. "Maybe that will jog my memory. Let's start with the baby. Where did she come from? What's her name?"
"This is little Skye Blue. You said her eyes remind you of the sky on a clear, beautiful day and that her hair reminds you of the sun," Mary smiles, reliving her delusions.
"It's so blond," he notes. "But we both have dark hair, Mary. How is that? She doesn't look like either of us."
"She looks like the fairy that gave her to us, Silly Fox."
Mulder can't stop his mouth from dropping wide open this time. This woman was much farther gone than he originally thought.
"Fa-fairy?"
"But let's not talk about her. She lives in a hole out back now," Mary explains. "And her soul lives in Skye. Isn't she a beautiful baby? Much prettier than I ever was."
"No, Mary. You're beautiful too," he tells her, although it isn't true. Sure, she's not entirely ugly. But she's rather plain. He can see how she'd have issues with her looks. Those issues are probably the source of her delusions. But he doesn't have time to deal with those now. He has to find a way of escaping and taking the baby with him. It's obvious the baby doesn't belong to her. It sounds as if she killed the mother and buried her behind the house. He can't prove it, but coloring of the child and her age point to her belonging to the missing teen he was looking for. It looks like his case is solved, but he may not be able to get away to tell anybody.
He looks up at Mary again and sees that she's crying.
"What's the matter, Mary?"
"You're so sweet," she sighs. "No one has ever told me I'm beautiful. I knew you were special the moment you stopped to pick me up."
"So you do remember that," he exclaims in a bit of an 'aha!' tone. "You were having car trouble and I pulled over to help you. How did I get from there to here?"
"That isn't important, Fox. What's important is that I finally have the family I deserve. Me, you, and little Skye are going to be so happy." She picks the baby up and walks to the door. "I'm going to change her and then come back to help you get washed up. Be a good boy and no one will get hurt."
He flinches at the threat and manages a weak smile as she walks out the door. After she leaves, he tries to break from his bonds again, but finds that his hands are tied securely to the bed and his left foot is chained to the wall. He won't be going anywhere. Not until she's good and ready. Like it or not, he might just have to live this psycho's dream for a while. Long enough to keep himself and the baby safe. He can only hope that someone will notice him missing soon and start to look for him. That might be his only chance at survival.
Chapter 3
Scully glances at her watch once more before letting out a big sigh. She's getting the feeling she doesn't like. A feeling that tells her she's been ditched.
"I can't even leave him alone for one lousy weekend," she mutters to herself. She's so annoyed she can barely think straight.
It's been awhile since Mulder has ditched her last. She was starting to think that maybe he'd gotten over it. But apparently not. Apparently, he was just waiting on a chance to make his break.
She was invited by her mother to go on a church retreat over the weekend. She was a bit alarmed to hear the message Mulder left her on her machine about checking into a missing persons case. But he assured her he was on his way home and would be in the office today. So where was he?
The ringing phone breaks her from her thoughts and she has to fumble to answer it.
"Scully."
"Agent Scully, I need to speak with Agent Mulder now."
The booming voice belonging to Assistant Director Skinner wasn't what she was expecting. She was half expecting it to be Mulder calling for her to come bail him out of his latest jam. Now, not only does she have that phone call to anticipate, she also has this one to deal with. She's getting really tired of making excuses to their superiors for Mulder.
"Sir, Mulder's still checking into a lead. Can I have him call you later? Or maybe I can help you with something," she offers.
"A lead? You mean with that girl getting abducted in Virginia?"
"He told you about that?" She's surprised at that. Mulder tends to leave Skinner out of the loop in cases like this. Perhaps he hasn't ditched her after all.
"I did, actually. The missing girl is a daughter of a close family friend. When the police couldn't come up with much, they called me. I asked Agent Mulder to check into while you were away this weekend. Is he not back yet?"
"No, Sir," she says, her previous anger turning into concern. "Do you think something happened to him? He said he'd be back by today. Actually, he left me a message Saturday night that he was on his way home."
"We shouldn't jump to conclusions. You know how Mulder is," he reminds her. "I don't think we should send search and rescue out just yet. I'd hate to be embarrassed because he decided to take a side trip to Graceland or something."
"Sir, but what if something's wrong? I'm not getting a good feeling about this."
"You didn't let me finish, Agent," he snaps.
"Sorry, Sir."
"What I was going to say is that we shouldn't do anything officially. Your partner isn't in the office today, so I think it would be all right for you to take the day off, yourself, if you know what I mean," he hints.
"I think I understand, Sir. And thank you."
"No problem, Agent Scully. Just let me know what you find out, okay? I may not be a part of this unofficial search for Agent Mulder, but I'd still like to know what's going on."
"Yes, Sir."
She hangs up and lets out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. She's really worried now. The more she thinks about things, the more worried she gets. Where could Mulder be? Well, she won't find any answers sitting around the office. She gathers her things to leave. Right now, she has no idea where to start looking for him. But she knows some guys who could point her in the right direction. She just hopes the Lone Gunmen will be able to help with this. Otherwise, Mulder could very well be in too much trouble to get out of.
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Mulder continues to work on his bindings while Mary's out of the room. But, he doesn't really know what good it'll do him to have his arms free since his leg is still chained to the wall. He may be able to overcome her, though. And maybe if she has the keys to his leg shackles, he'll be able to escape. He'll have to make sure to keep an eye out for any openings.
He stops abruptly when he hears Mary's singing voice coming back towards the room. He hides any evidence of him trying to get loose and pastes a phony smile on his face.
"There he is, Skye Blue. There's Daddy."
She tries to put the baby in his arms, but then realizes he's still tied up.
"Silly me," she giggles. "I've got Daddy all wrapped and trussed like a turkey. Let's untie him."
Mulder gets set, ready to pounce on her at any moment once she unties him. He's disappointed that she doesn't even come near him. The knots in the ropes all converged on the back of the headboard on the other side of the bed. All she had to do was slip one knot free and he was loose. He'll just have to wait for another opportunity.
Mulder only gets the chance to sit up in the bed before she's shoving the baby at him. He takes the child to avoid dropping her and instinctively pulls her close to his chest, away from the crazy lady holding them hostage.
"How sweet," she gushes, smiling at the sight of Mulder with the baby. "I have to get a picture. Let me get my camera."
With one last smile, she's out the room. Mulder hears it lock from the outside, although he doesn't know why she even bothers. He won't be going anywhere while he's chained up.
Mulder and the baby sit quietly for a little while before he starts to wonder where Mary is. They sit a little while longer and the baby starts to fuss, rooting her mouth on his chest.
"Sorry, little one. You won't be getting anything to eat from there," he chuckles lightly, not wanting to scare her with his deep voice. "Let's check out the room and see what's in here."
He carefully holds the baby while rising from the bed, testing his legs for steadiness before attempting a step. He spots a few bottles on the dresser across the room and walks over there to get one, surprised that his chain stretched that far. He makes a quick circuit of the room and discovers that he can reach everywhere, including a small, windowless bathroom in one corner. He makes a mental note to visit there later to relieve himself. But right now, his first priority is to the hungry little bundle in his arms.
"I'm sorry. I know you want this," he says, sitting down in a rocking chair and offering the baby the bottle. He laughs at the way she eagerly accepts it, greedily gobbling at its contents.
While she eats, he has a chance to take a closer look at her. She's small. She can't be more than a few months old, he figures. Like Mary pointed out earlier, her eyes are startling blue, even bluer than Scully's. One look into those eyes and he knows he's gone. He's fallen hard in just that quickly. He knows now he'll do anything in the world to protect that little girl in his arms.
"I'll get you out of here, Skye," he promises, holding the now drowsy baby up to his shoulder and rubbing her little back. "I'll get us both out of here."
He laughs at the delicate burp she lets out before laying her on the bed, pillows surrounding her small body. If he plans in keeping his promise, there's a lot of work to be done. He can't just sit around and wait to be rescued. One day, Mary's going to make some kind of mistake that will mean his freedom. He just has to wait and be prepared for that day to come.
To be continued . . .
RATING: PG-13
KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully Romance, Angst
SUMMARY: Mulder is kidnapped with no chance of escape. Can Scully find him in time?
Disclaimer: The characters don't belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own therapeutic purposes. They will be returned relatively unharmed to Chris Carter, or whoever wants to borrow them next, when I'm done.
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Skye Blue
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Prologue
It all started the summer of her seventeenth year. It was supposed to be the best time of her life. Instead, it turned out to be the worst. It started off with a bang. She went to parties and hung out with her friends. But by the end, she was very well aware that she had ruined her life for good.
"You're pregnant, Olivia," the doctor at the clinic had told her. She could hardly believe what he was saying. But the changes in her body were proof enough that his words were true.
She tried to hide it from her parents. For a while it worked. They eventually figured it out, though. Even the big sweaters at Christmas time weren't bulky enough to hide her stomach. The baby was big, like her daddy.
Yes, she knew it was a girl. When her parents found out about the baby, they made her start adoption proceedings. Finding out the baby's sex made it easier to pick prospective parents. Her parents helped her find a nice enough couple to take the baby. The only problem was that she didn't want to give her baby away. She wanted to keep it, even though her parents threatened to cut her off from their fortune without a dime.
She wishes now she had taken them up on their offer. She wishes now she hadn't run away. At least she would know her baby would be going to a good home. And she would not be under the distinct impression that her days on the earth were drawing to a quick and hasty end.
Olivia looks up at her captor one last time with her last bit of strength. The labor was long and hard and she has lost a lot of blood. She can feel her life draining away with each drop leaving her body.
"Please. Don't take my baby," she begs. "Let me take her and go."
Although fatigued, she tries again to break free from her shackles without any luck. There's no escape. She can only hope to be rescued or set free.
"You are free to go. Now that I have what I need, I will set you free."
Olivia's eyes widen at the size of the needle approaching her. Something tells her that wherever she's going, she won't be taking her baby with her. All she can do is mutter a quick prayer for the life of her child before the needle sticks her and everything starts to turn gray. Her eyes drift shut and the last thing Olivia Champion ever hears is a voice that follows her to her death.
"Hush now, baby. Don't you worry. I'll take good care of you because I'm your momma now. We just have to go out and find you a daddy."
Chapter 1
Fox Mulder speeds down the highway, the silence in the car only a reminder of his solitude. With Scully away on a retreat for the weekend, he decided to follow up on a missing persons report to pass the time away. He really didn't think he would convince the local police that the girl had been abducted by aliens, but it was the only way he could explain her complete disappearance without a trace.
"Hey Scully," he says into his phone, talking to her answering machine. If he can't get the real thing, then a recording of her voice will have to suffice. "I'm on my way back from checking on that missing girl in Virginia. It turns out, she's a runaway. They tracked down a boyfriend who gave her money to leave town. Get this, she's pregnant with his kid. Or was. The baby was due a few months ago."
He sighs, still feeling the emptiness that always fills him whenever Scully's not around. He misses her so much, and has to catch himself from saying it out loud.
"Anyway, I guess I'll see you in the office on Monday," he says instead, hitting the end button on the phone before he's tempted to admit his true feelings for her. That he loves her. That's he's lost without her. That he can't even get excited about a possible alien abduction case without her by his side. If only she felt the same way about him.
He lets out another sigh as that thought brings him back to earth. He loves her. But he knows she doesn't feel the same way about him. It used to depress him, but he's gotten used to it. It still saddens him a little, though.
He continues on up the road heading for home. He looks down for a moment to find his bag of sunflower seeds. When he looks up again, he has to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the woman standing on the side of the road. He pulls his car in front of her disabled vehicle and gets out, putting a non threatening smile on his face.
"Hi. Do you need some help?"
"Actually, I do," she says shyly, taking a step back when he gets a little too close to her. "The tire just blew out on me. I was trying to call AAA, but I can't get a signal back here."
Mulder just nods and reaches inside his own car for his cell phone. The 'No signal' light flashes at him, letting him know that he won't be able to call out either. He frowns and sticks the useless phone into his pocket before looking at her demolished tire.
"There's no patching this tire," he determines. "If you have a spare, I could put it on for you."
"Unfortunately, that is the spare," she says, giggling nervously. "That's why I was calling AAA - for a tow and a ride into town."
"I can't tow this, but I can take you to the nearest gas station, if you'd like."
"I'm not so sure." She bites her lip in indecision and gives him the once over before giving him a nod, apparently finding him harmless enough. "Okay. Thank you."
She gets her bag from her own car before walking over to his, allowing him to open the passenger side door for her. It's a manner he doesn't get to use on Scully very much, but he does in fact know how to be a gentleman. She smiles her thanks and gets into the car, nervously holding her bag in her lap.
"My name is Fox Mulder," he tells her after getting in on his side. He starts the car and pulls back onto the highway.
"Mary Simpson," the reserved woman says quietly, a blush rising in her cheeks. "Thanks again for the ride, Fox."
"It's no problem," he smiles. "And please, just call me Mulder. I'm not a big fan of my first name."
"Why not? It's so unique and I think it fits you." She blushes again as she realizes what she said. Embarrassed, she drops her eyes to her lap. "I think it beats plain old Mary any day."
"Well, I'm glad you think so," he chuckles, letting the conversation go.
After about twenty minutes, she points out a sign letting him know the gas station is coming up. He fills his tank while she calls for the tow truck. He waits until she's finished on the phone, not wanting to leave her stranded.
"Is the truck on the way?" he asks when she returns to the car, a cup of coffee in each hand. He eagerly accepts her offering and takes a big sip, draining almost half the cup of the hot liquid.
"Not until morning," she frowns. "I'm going to call for a cab to take me home."
"A cab? Way out here?" he asks, looking around at the rural surroundings. "No offense, Mary, but I'm pretty shocked that this gas station is here. I doubt very seriously a cab will come here. How about I take you home?"
"I couldn't ask you to do that," she says, shaking her head. "You've already done so much."
"You're not asking. I'm offering," he smiles. "Get in, Mary. I was taught never to leave a woman stranded. You wouldn't want all those manners I learned growing up to go to waste, would you?"
"I guess not. Thanks again," she says, getting into the car. She points him in the right direction they head towards her house. "This is so nice of you. I just wish I could have offered you something more than coffee."
"No, this is great," he says with a yawn. "Just what I need to keep me awake."
He lets out another yawn, trying to shake off the sudden attack of sleepiness that strikes him. He's finding it harder and harder to stay focused on the road. His eyelids start to feel heavier and heavier. With his slowed reactions, he finally figures out something is wrong and turns to his quiet passenger. The look in her eyes says it all.
"You," he gasps. "What did you do to me?"
"Sleep now, my Fox," she says, leaning over to grab the steering wheel from his numb limbs. "Let Momma take care of you."
He can't help but obey as the darkness fully takes over, rendering him completely unconscious.
Chapter 2
Mary Simpson was a woman who wanted what most women want. Love. Marriage. A family. She didn't receive much formal education growing up, being raised with the sole objective of becoming the ideal wife. But Mary found that task increasingly difficult as time went by. Because as she grew up, she became more and more invisible.
She was the middle child of five, the middle daughter of three girls. With her common name and even more common looks, it was very easy to overlook her. She often times would just disappear into the background.
Thomas Joffrey was the first man to ever pay attention to her. She married him as soon as he asked her. She made a good home for him, but couldn't give him what they both really wanted - a child. He wanted a son, a little boy to carry on the Joffrey name. She dreamed of a little girl who would be everything she never was - beautiful and loved. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be for them. She was never able to conceive. Her husband blamed her and soon began to ignore her, much the way she had been ignored her whole life. Unwilling to live like that again, she did the only thing she could do to get his attention. Then afterwards, she buried his body in the back yard to make sure she had his undivided attention for all eternity.
Her second husband was able to give her what Thomas hadn't. Mary's son was born about a year into the marriage. For a short time, life was perfect. Her child was perfect, as was his father's devotion to him. Mary again felt neglected. And her new family soon joined her first in the back yard.
This time, however, Mary feels will be different. The child this time is a girl who will hopefully be as beautiful as the woman she came from. Mary was almost sorry to have to bury the woman out back with the others, but it couldn't be helped. She could have too easily turned the head of Mary's latest acquisition. There's no way she was going to risk the affections of her new mate.
At that moment, as if he heard her thoughts about him, he begins to stir in the bed. She smiles at the way the sheets stop at his waist, leaving his broad chest bare.
"Good morning, Fox. How did you sleep, my love?"
She smiles at the look of confusion on his face. It's always like that at first for the new ones.
"Mary?" he whispers, his voice raspy from disuse. She gave him a pretty strong dose of the sedative. He's been out for almost two days.
"Good. You remember me," she smiles, feeling it's a good sign he still knows her name. She feels as if her family is finally complete. First she got the new baby and now she's found a daddy to add to the picture. She's finally going to get to live her dream. Life will be perfect.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mulder lifts his head and looks around the room, trying to remember how he got there. He comes up blank with the how and his eyes land on a who. The woman from last night.
"Mary?" he whispers, startled at how raspy his voice sounds. It's almost as if he hasn't used it in days.
"Good. You remember me." She gives him a dreamy smile that kind of scares him. It's almost as if she expects him to be in love with her or something.
Looking around again, he notices he's in a bedroom. But he doubts he would have slept with this woman. He tries to run his hands through his hair, but finds he can't lift his arms. Panic finally sets in.
"Mary? What have you done to me?"
"Don't worry, Love. I just have you tied up until you remember the love we share."
"Mary, I only gave you a ride," he tries to reason with her. "I don't even know you."
"Fox," she giggles. "You're so silly. Of course you know me. How else do you think we ended up with this?"
Mulder almost passes out when Mary lifts a baby from a basket by her feet and places it on his chest.
"I don't understand," he says, shaking his head. "What's going on? What have you done? Whose baby is this, Mary?"
"She's ours, of course." Mary looks at him as if the answer should have been obvious. Apparently in her mind, it is obvious. Mulder realizes he needs to stop thinking rationally because this woman does not live in a rational world. Besides, maybe if he plays along, she'll untie him and he can get away.
"Of course," he smiles, suddenly switching to agree with her. "I guess I'm having some trouble with my memory this morning . . . Sweetheart." He adds the term of endearment through clenched teeth, hoping she won't notice his revulsion.
"I understand, Love. You've been asleep for a long time."
"Maybe you can explain to me what happened," he tries, hoping for a lucid answer from her. "Maybe that will jog my memory. Let's start with the baby. Where did she come from? What's her name?"
"This is little Skye Blue. You said her eyes remind you of the sky on a clear, beautiful day and that her hair reminds you of the sun," Mary smiles, reliving her delusions.
"It's so blond," he notes. "But we both have dark hair, Mary. How is that? She doesn't look like either of us."
"She looks like the fairy that gave her to us, Silly Fox."
Mulder can't stop his mouth from dropping wide open this time. This woman was much farther gone than he originally thought.
"Fa-fairy?"
"But let's not talk about her. She lives in a hole out back now," Mary explains. "And her soul lives in Skye. Isn't she a beautiful baby? Much prettier than I ever was."
"No, Mary. You're beautiful too," he tells her, although it isn't true. Sure, she's not entirely ugly. But she's rather plain. He can see how she'd have issues with her looks. Those issues are probably the source of her delusions. But he doesn't have time to deal with those now. He has to find a way of escaping and taking the baby with him. It's obvious the baby doesn't belong to her. It sounds as if she killed the mother and buried her behind the house. He can't prove it, but coloring of the child and her age point to her belonging to the missing teen he was looking for. It looks like his case is solved, but he may not be able to get away to tell anybody.
He looks up at Mary again and sees that she's crying.
"What's the matter, Mary?"
"You're so sweet," she sighs. "No one has ever told me I'm beautiful. I knew you were special the moment you stopped to pick me up."
"So you do remember that," he exclaims in a bit of an 'aha!' tone. "You were having car trouble and I pulled over to help you. How did I get from there to here?"
"That isn't important, Fox. What's important is that I finally have the family I deserve. Me, you, and little Skye are going to be so happy." She picks the baby up and walks to the door. "I'm going to change her and then come back to help you get washed up. Be a good boy and no one will get hurt."
He flinches at the threat and manages a weak smile as she walks out the door. After she leaves, he tries to break from his bonds again, but finds that his hands are tied securely to the bed and his left foot is chained to the wall. He won't be going anywhere. Not until she's good and ready. Like it or not, he might just have to live this psycho's dream for a while. Long enough to keep himself and the baby safe. He can only hope that someone will notice him missing soon and start to look for him. That might be his only chance at survival.
Chapter 3
Scully glances at her watch once more before letting out a big sigh. She's getting the feeling she doesn't like. A feeling that tells her she's been ditched.
"I can't even leave him alone for one lousy weekend," she mutters to herself. She's so annoyed she can barely think straight.
It's been awhile since Mulder has ditched her last. She was starting to think that maybe he'd gotten over it. But apparently not. Apparently, he was just waiting on a chance to make his break.
She was invited by her mother to go on a church retreat over the weekend. She was a bit alarmed to hear the message Mulder left her on her machine about checking into a missing persons case. But he assured her he was on his way home and would be in the office today. So where was he?
The ringing phone breaks her from her thoughts and she has to fumble to answer it.
"Scully."
"Agent Scully, I need to speak with Agent Mulder now."
The booming voice belonging to Assistant Director Skinner wasn't what she was expecting. She was half expecting it to be Mulder calling for her to come bail him out of his latest jam. Now, not only does she have that phone call to anticipate, she also has this one to deal with. She's getting really tired of making excuses to their superiors for Mulder.
"Sir, Mulder's still checking into a lead. Can I have him call you later? Or maybe I can help you with something," she offers.
"A lead? You mean with that girl getting abducted in Virginia?"
"He told you about that?" She's surprised at that. Mulder tends to leave Skinner out of the loop in cases like this. Perhaps he hasn't ditched her after all.
"I did, actually. The missing girl is a daughter of a close family friend. When the police couldn't come up with much, they called me. I asked Agent Mulder to check into while you were away this weekend. Is he not back yet?"
"No, Sir," she says, her previous anger turning into concern. "Do you think something happened to him? He said he'd be back by today. Actually, he left me a message Saturday night that he was on his way home."
"We shouldn't jump to conclusions. You know how Mulder is," he reminds her. "I don't think we should send search and rescue out just yet. I'd hate to be embarrassed because he decided to take a side trip to Graceland or something."
"Sir, but what if something's wrong? I'm not getting a good feeling about this."
"You didn't let me finish, Agent," he snaps.
"Sorry, Sir."
"What I was going to say is that we shouldn't do anything officially. Your partner isn't in the office today, so I think it would be all right for you to take the day off, yourself, if you know what I mean," he hints.
"I think I understand, Sir. And thank you."
"No problem, Agent Scully. Just let me know what you find out, okay? I may not be a part of this unofficial search for Agent Mulder, but I'd still like to know what's going on."
"Yes, Sir."
She hangs up and lets out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. She's really worried now. The more she thinks about things, the more worried she gets. Where could Mulder be? Well, she won't find any answers sitting around the office. She gathers her things to leave. Right now, she has no idea where to start looking for him. But she knows some guys who could point her in the right direction. She just hopes the Lone Gunmen will be able to help with this. Otherwise, Mulder could very well be in too much trouble to get out of.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mulder continues to work on his bindings while Mary's out of the room. But, he doesn't really know what good it'll do him to have his arms free since his leg is still chained to the wall. He may be able to overcome her, though. And maybe if she has the keys to his leg shackles, he'll be able to escape. He'll have to make sure to keep an eye out for any openings.
He stops abruptly when he hears Mary's singing voice coming back towards the room. He hides any evidence of him trying to get loose and pastes a phony smile on his face.
"There he is, Skye Blue. There's Daddy."
She tries to put the baby in his arms, but then realizes he's still tied up.
"Silly me," she giggles. "I've got Daddy all wrapped and trussed like a turkey. Let's untie him."
Mulder gets set, ready to pounce on her at any moment once she unties him. He's disappointed that she doesn't even come near him. The knots in the ropes all converged on the back of the headboard on the other side of the bed. All she had to do was slip one knot free and he was loose. He'll just have to wait for another opportunity.
Mulder only gets the chance to sit up in the bed before she's shoving the baby at him. He takes the child to avoid dropping her and instinctively pulls her close to his chest, away from the crazy lady holding them hostage.
"How sweet," she gushes, smiling at the sight of Mulder with the baby. "I have to get a picture. Let me get my camera."
With one last smile, she's out the room. Mulder hears it lock from the outside, although he doesn't know why she even bothers. He won't be going anywhere while he's chained up.
Mulder and the baby sit quietly for a little while before he starts to wonder where Mary is. They sit a little while longer and the baby starts to fuss, rooting her mouth on his chest.
"Sorry, little one. You won't be getting anything to eat from there," he chuckles lightly, not wanting to scare her with his deep voice. "Let's check out the room and see what's in here."
He carefully holds the baby while rising from the bed, testing his legs for steadiness before attempting a step. He spots a few bottles on the dresser across the room and walks over there to get one, surprised that his chain stretched that far. He makes a quick circuit of the room and discovers that he can reach everywhere, including a small, windowless bathroom in one corner. He makes a mental note to visit there later to relieve himself. But right now, his first priority is to the hungry little bundle in his arms.
"I'm sorry. I know you want this," he says, sitting down in a rocking chair and offering the baby the bottle. He laughs at the way she eagerly accepts it, greedily gobbling at its contents.
While she eats, he has a chance to take a closer look at her. She's small. She can't be more than a few months old, he figures. Like Mary pointed out earlier, her eyes are startling blue, even bluer than Scully's. One look into those eyes and he knows he's gone. He's fallen hard in just that quickly. He knows now he'll do anything in the world to protect that little girl in his arms.
"I'll get you out of here, Skye," he promises, holding the now drowsy baby up to his shoulder and rubbing her little back. "I'll get us both out of here."
He laughs at the delicate burp she lets out before laying her on the bed, pillows surrounding her small body. If he plans in keeping his promise, there's a lot of work to be done. He can't just sit around and wait to be rescued. One day, Mary's going to make some kind of mistake that will mean his freedom. He just has to wait and be prepared for that day to come.
To be continued . . .