A/N Sorry! Life got in the way of my fantasy world again. Thanks for all the reviews! As most of our stories, my tale took a twist that I wasn't expecting. I aplogize for any typos.

Chapter 14

Agent Scully's face was illuminated by the computer screen in front of her on the desk at the Sheriff's office. The room was a flurry of activity but the only sound she was focused on was the rhythmic cadence of her fingers on the keyboard. The stern expression on her face told passerby's that she was drawn into the story that was unraveling on the screen. She was oblivious to anything but the "movie" that was playing in her mind.

Her firm focus on the computer allowed Agent Derrick Behnke to walk behind her and around her desk a couple of times. He even had a one-sided conversation with her until he realized she wasn't listening. Finally he picked up his interrogation notes and the case file and quietly stepped back from the desk. He stood next to her admiring the view in silence for a few moments. He savored the serene presence about her and then chuckled to himself as he slammed the file down on the desk. Her reaction was priceless.

"Geezus Christ!" she screamed nearly jumping out of her skin. She turned to find Agent Behnke nearly doubled over in laughter at her expense. "You ass!"

Behnke continued to laugh for several minutes while Scully scowled at him. "I'm sorry Dana," he finally choked out. "I couldn't resist." He leaned against the desk and cleared his throat. "So much for your FBI training Agent Scully."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Scully stuttered still feeling her pulse in her throat. "I was working…typing Mulder's statement," she over-explained gesturing at the computer screen.

"I was talking about your heightened sense of awareness or lack there of," Behnke said moving around the desk and turning on the computer. "I walked into the room, set my notes on the desk, walked over to the coffee pot and attempted to have a conversation with you ….none of which you even noticed." Behnke commented as he sat down in the chair.

Scully slumped back in her chair. "It was noisy in here," she conceded.

"It was noisy?" Behnke laughed. "I hope you aren't my backup in a stakeout." He started typing on the keyboard and then stopped flipping open the case file. "You're working on his statement huh? How'd that go?"

Scully sighed and pushed back from the desk. She stood and walked to the coffee pot. "He doesn't remember much," she commented as she poured a fresh cup.

"Is that your objective summation Agent?" Behnke asked from behind his computer. He leaned forward to see her around the computer monitor. "Just asking."

Scully flashed him the death scowl and walked back to her desk. She pulled the chair out and sat down facing his desk. "He remembers very little about being in Stower's apartment. Woke up and found himself tied to a cot, which by the way he described in detail, managed to get free and then had a botched escape attempt."

"Hmm, that's pretty cut and dried," Behnke commented inclining his head to the side. "That's the way he told it to you?"

"No," Scully remarked ruefully. "That's just the basic details. What little he remembers corroborates the evidence."

Behnke nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "Do you think he could pick Stower out of a line up?"

"Ahh, I don't know," Scully replied biting her lip. "Some of the details are pretty clear … the description of the cot, the dentist office loopiness, the pocket knife, and attacking his abductor … I don't think he got a good look at him. He said he punched him, stabbed him with the knife and dashed into the hallway where he blacked out."

"I think we should still try a photo line up," Behnke said as he moved some papers around on the desk. "What about the cabin?" He looked over at his partner and watched her facial expressions as she struggled to be impartial.

"When he woke up at the cabin, he thought he was there with Julia at first," Scully paused and took a drink of her coffee.

"Kraft does kinda resemble Julia," Behnke commented. "Although Julia was much more personable." He caught Scully glaring at him again. "She worked at the coffee shop down from the office," he explained sheepishly suddenly feeling like he was explaining himself to his girlfriend. "I drink a lot of coffee."

"Ah huh," Scully said mildly amused that he was getting defensive. "He said he fought her at first, but she was drugging him and it made him weak," Scully said taking another sip of her coffee. "In the end he just let her do it because it was easier..." Her voice trailed off and there was a moment of awkward silence between them.

Behnke contemplated the account. That calculated bitch prayed on every man's sexual fantasy, he thought to himself as he drummed his fingers on the desk top. He took a sip of the coffee and tried to calm his nerves. There wasn't a word to describe his emotion and he could only imagine what Scully was feeling let alone how Mulder was holding it together.

The silence between them was deafening despite the activity in the room. He cleared his throat. "That's a typical response Dana," Behnke finally blurted out. "It's instinct to fight and defend oneself but at some point the need for survival takes over. It's not like he was in a position to fight back or could overpower Kraft. He was restrained and medicated….sounds like he made the best decision considering the situation."

"Well, it doesn't make it any better," Scully mumbled ruefully and slumped in her chair.

"I'm not saying that, Dana," Behnke remarked turning his focus back to the computer. "I'm just saying that it's understandable for the victim to choose the path of least resistance."

"Victim? That's a clinical way to describe your friend," Scully retorted defensively.

"Dana, how many more times am I going to have to remind you that we aren't working this case because Mulder is our friend or partner. We are working a capital abduction and sexual assault case where the victim just happens to be our friend and partner," Behnke fired back at her. He sighed in irritation and stared determinedly at his computer screen.

The words stabbed Scully in the chest and she said nothing in response. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Behnke was right. Just when she thought she was being objective and treating this like any other case, she slipped and let her emotions get into it. Her mother had told her that Mulder was the same way during her abduction. He kept his objectivity and his optimistic attitude until the day she appeared in the hospital … then he was an emotional wreck. She berated herself for losing control and turned back to the solitude of her computer screen.

Silence fell between them for several minutes as they both banged out statements on their keyboard. Finally closed her file and walked to the printer to pick up the copies. On her way back to her desk, she walked behind Behnke and read his screen over her shoulder. After mumbling a paragraph to herself she picked up some pages of Stower's statement from the desk and skimmed the paper.

"Looks like he said- she said," she remarked leaning on the side of his desk.

"Oh yeah, the two of them are a wealth of information," Behnke scowled saving the file to disk and pushing back from the keyboard. "Thank god the Phillie office is taking over the case. I've about had it trying to piece-mill this thing together."

"Maybe I should talk to Kraft," Scully suggested without looking at him.

"You? Because you were so helpful in our last joint interrogation?" Behnke chuckled shaking his head.

"We found Mulder didn't we?"

Behnke leaned back in his chair. "No Trooper Miller found Mulder. You…. You just managed to piss Miss Kraft off." Behnke stated looking up at her.

"I pissed her off?" Scully questioned him. "Don't get me started about who is pissing whom off."

Behnke smiled smugly and picked up his notes. "Its kinda a funny actually to watch. Ah, here it is … her exact quote to me this morning was…Don't let that red haired bitch near me again."

Scully glared at her partner as he laughed. Oh, you're just too full of yourself, she thought biting her lip. "Where is she now?"

"Back in her cell," Behnke mumbled tossing the file back on the desk. He caught Scully walking around the desk toward the door. "Where are you going?"

"To have a lil'chat with Miss Kraft," Scully replied dryly. She caught his eye and winked. "Are you coming?"

Behnke scrambled up from his desk and grabbed his notes. "If you think I'm letting you go in there alone, you're crazy."

Scully picked up a note pad and started down the hall. "Who are you worried about? Her or me?"

"Honestly? Both of you!"

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Leslie Kraft rolled over on her cot and stared blankly at the floor of her cell. Her eyes darted from the stainless steel toilet to the sink to the barred opening at the end of the small room. The musty odor from the paper thin mattress filled her nostrils and she turned her head upward for fresher air. I'm screwed, she thought changing her view to the cement ceiling. How the frick did I know the guy was an FBI agent? She covered her eyes with her forearm trying to hide her frustration and attempted to block out her thoughts by drifting off to sleep.

The clang of the main cell door slamming shut jolted her body and she cursed under her breath at her jumpiness. Need to get used to that, she thought as she shifted her weight on the mattress. She listened carefully as the footsteps echoed on the cement as they walked closer to her door and then stopped.

"Kraft! Get up!" the female voice of the guard bellowed through the bars.

Leslie sighed heavily before responding. "Why?" she grumbled. Geezus, can't a person lay around in silence once in a while? Get up, go here, do this, go back … crickey!

"You're not entitled to know why … just get your butt up!"

Kraft rolled over and pushed herself into a sitting position. "Come on, just humor me a little," she plastered a fake smile on her face and looked at the guard.

"Agent Behnke wants to talk to you," the woman replied flatly.

"Wha?" she gasped dropping her head. "How many more times do I have to talk to the guy? I spent four hours with'em already!" She stood from the bed and walked toward the cell door.

"You'll talk to him as many times as he wants until you give him the correct answers," the guard replied waving at the security camera to signal that she was ready for the door to be buzzed open.

Kraft stood motionless as the guard fastened the arm and leg shackles to wrists and ankles and then shuffled silently next to the woman as she was led down the hall to the interrogation room. She glanced sideways at the other cells and considered her fellow inmates plight as she passed. Crap! You clutz! she cursed as she attempted to take a bigger step than the chain connecting her ankles would allow. Friggen handcuffs! What a drag! After a few more moments of trudging down the corridor Kraft and the guard arrived at the door to the interrogation room. The guard opened the door and led Kraft into the room.

Leslie glanced into the room as she passed through the doorway. Agent Behnke was leaning again the table in the middle of the room was his arm crossed at his chest. He had a strange grim on his face and she looked at him with a perplexed expression on her face. Kraft was startled and jumped as the guard slammed the door behind her.

"Well, Ms Kraft, why don't you have a seat," remarked a female voice from behind Kraft.

The voice caught Leslie off guard and she spun on her heel to face it. She sucked in air as she felt the color drain from her face and heard sinister laughter echoing off the walls.

Frick! Kraft thought as she back peddled toward the table. It's the red-haired bitch!!!!

TBC