Disclaimer: I don't own Mulder and Scully, nor do I own the X-Files. But I do, however, own anyone you don't recognize from the show. No infringement, don't sue: I'm a poor kid who's not even out of high school yet.
Scully raised an eyebrow at Mulder's sketchy answer. They walked up the steps to the porch, and she stood a bit behind her partner.
Mulder rang the doorbell, and Scully was fidgeting endlessly with her clothes and hair.
"Are you okay?" he asked, watching her fumble with her hair.
"What? Oh, yeah." Scully nodded. The door opened.
"Can I help you?" A boy with messy brown hair and dull blue eyes stared the agents down through the screen door. He was taller than Mulder, and looked to be about 18 or so. Scully studied the look on Mulder's face.
"Yeah, hi." Mulder said, turning to the door. He saw a young girl sitting on a couch, looking at him and Scully. Mulder lowered his voice. "Is this the home of Jenn and Michael Galt?"
"Yeah. Just one second," the boy said nodding, and he turned towards a hallway. "Mom!"
"What!" A voice came from the hallway.
"Wait here." He walked away from the door, and back into the hallway.
"Mulder I still have no idea why you insist on doing this." Scully said. She didn't want to come out and say what she was thinking, but depending on his answer, she might have to. "You know we're not supposed to."
"Because, this is something that just…called out to me. I don't know."
That was the answer she was afraid of. Scully decided she would talk to Mulder after they left the house. "Well that's a great reason for Skinner to have our asses when we get back."
"He won't say anything, and if he does then he does. Now would you quit worrying, Scully? I don't see why--"
After what seemed to be forever but was actually about two minutes, the messy-haired boy came out with a woman who seemed like a shrimp next to him. She was about Scully's height, brown eyes, and a bottle blonde.
"Ah, marital bliss, huh?" The woman smirked at the two standing on the porch.
"We're not married." Scully was quick to inform her of this.
"No kidding. Had me fooled." She said, eyeing Mulder. "Can I help you?"
Scully nodded, and Mulder spoke. "Yes. I'm Special Agent Mulder, and this is my partner Special Agent Scully." Scully waved, and mouthed a 'Hi' to the woman, and received a nod in return. "We were wondering if it was too much trouble to ask you about the article in this morning's paper."
"What article?" Jenn Galt asked, looking confused. "I didn't hear anything about an article."
Scully spoke up. "You mean you haven't read it?" Jenn shook her head. "I have it right here if you'd like to."
"Yeah, let's see it." She opened the screen door and stepped outside. "Keep an eye on your sister," she told the boy, and he nodded, stepping away from the door.
Her eyes got really wide, and Jenn Galt quietly murmured the words she was reading. "Monday morning, a big discovery was made. "Chardonnay Galt and Honoria Greenwich were found early yesterday morning--alive. They were found wandering the streets by Herald Park in nothing but over-sized shirts and underwear. People who saw he girls said they looked like the living dead: extremely thin and…" her voice trailed off.
Mulder and Scully silently waited for the woman to finish reading the article. When se had done so, Scully took the paper back.
"Oh my god. I can't believe this. You mean to tell me that Jerry didn't kill the girls?" She asked the pair, looking at them astonished.
"I…guess not, Mrs. Galt." Scully said almost reluctantly.
"Please, call me Jenn. Would you like to come in?"
Mulder and Scully nodded in sync, and Jenn opened the screen door for them. "Allie, will you go play in your room please?" The little girl ran off with out a word. Jenn turned to the boy who answered the door. "Ash, go in the office and call your father."
"He's not my father. But whatever." He left the room.
"Teen angst," she mumbled with a sigh. "So you're here about Chardonnay and Honoria."
"That we are. And we're going to need details about the case."
"Well…please, have a seat." Jenn told them. They all sat down at the dining room table. "You probably know that the girls disappeared in '97." Scully and Mulder nodded. "They were in second grade, and they were best friends. So when I was married to Honoria's dad, we spent a great deal of time with Michael and Chardonnay's mother, Christine."
"But weren't Chardonnay's parents divorced?" Scully asked.
Jenn nodded. "They were, and we never hung out with them together. It was one, or the other. Whoever Chardonnay was with, really. The only time we ever saw them together was birthdays. So after Brian passed away, Christine and Michael were so supportive. Eventually, Michael and I started dating, and then moved in together, and the girls were so excited." She smiled at the memory.
Scully pictured the two small girls pictured in the paper running around the house playing dress up.
Mulder pictured them running around the house playing cops and robbers.
Jenn continued. "And then, a month after the wedding, the girls disappeared. We had no idea what happened to them. We woke up one Thursday morning, Michael and I, and went to wake the girls up. But neither one was there. I checked on my sons, and they were sound asleep."
Scully noticed that Mulder looked like he had quit listening. She kicked him under the table. He snapped back to reality.
"And why did you suspect Jerry?" Mulder asked.
"Because he had always had an interest in both girls. He was actually the second grade class teacher, and he had taken an interest in pretty much any girl in his class. Michael, Christine and I always thought he was extremely creepy. He always had that air about him."
"So when the police arrived, asking for people who might have done this, he was the first person who came to mind?" Scully inquired.
"No ma'am." She looked at the confused agents. "The first person who came to mind was Ira Peterson. He's a registered sex offender, and he lives on the street behind us."
"And what cleared him of suspicion, Jenn?" Mulder asked.
"Well, he had an alibi. He said he was working at the drive-in that night. It checked out."
"So why wasn't Jerry arrested?"
"Nothing could place him in the girls' bedrooms. Or even in the house. There were no prints, no signs of forced entry, nothing."
"So it became a cold case." Scully sighed, and Jenn nodded. "I hate hearing about cases like this. So sad." Scully looked depressed, scowling as she retucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "And nothing has surfaced from then until now, am I correct?"
"Yes ma'am." Jenn nodded again. She was genuinely distressed. It was obvious that she was close to both girls.
"Well, Jenn, I think this is just about going to finish us up." Mulder said.
"Agent Mulder, excuse me for asking, but...have we met before? You look very familiar." Scully cocked an eyebrow.
"N-no, I don't believe we have, but for what it's worth, I used to know someone who lived in town years ago."
"Oh. Well." Jenn, Scully and Mulder stood up. "Sorry about the mix-up. I must be thinking about someone else. But thank you for stopping by,"
"No problem. Scully?" Jenn held the door open for them. Mulder put his hand on Scully's back, and escorted her out. Climbing in the car, Scully turned on Mulder.
"What is your problem today?" she asked. The question came out a little harsher than she meant it to.
"What?" Mulder asked back, clearly confused.
"First you're acting weird when I show you the article. Then you go to the police station, asking for a number. You made me go into a building, get oogled by some pervert, all for an address. You somehow know your way around town with an excuse that I'm sure is a lie. And then you're not paying attention once we're talking to the woman you've been dying to get a hold of all morning."
"Scully." He took her hand, and leaned over the console of the car.
"Mulder." She sighed.
"You, my dear, are reading too much into this. I'm not doing anything differently than I normally would, any other day."
"Mulder, you say that because it's you we're talking about. If you had to watch you, then you'd say the same thing I am. Mulder, I'm concerned that you know more than you're telling."
"Why would you say that?"
"Because. When that boy answered the door, you knew who he was. I could see it on your face. You had seen both him and Mrs. Galt before."
"Scully. Like I said." Mulder sighed. "You're reading too much into this," he said slowly. Scully pulled his hand away from his, and Mulder started the car.