Chapter Twenty One

The house was located in an isolated area, it seemed to be on a small farm without a neighbor for several miles. It was a standard farm house with nothing special about it, two levels, with grey wooden siding that was in need of paint, red trim on the exterior, and a grey roof. It was evening and the lights shone brightly from the windows in the living room, spilling into the growing darkness of the surrounding countryside.

The three spirits, Daniel, Jared and Melissa stood outside of the new house, not talking for a few moments, concentrating instead on the living people inside of the house. Their movements seemed hurried, tense, it was hard to track them because of the overwhelming emotions, something was definitely wrong within the house.

With a nod to the other two spirits, Daniel disappeared and reappeared in the house. He found himself in the living room of the small house, there were two adults there of middle age that he assumed to be married, and they were fighting. The woman was moving clothes from a nearby bedroom into a suitcase that lie open on the couch. The man watched her, arms crossed in front of him, scowling.

"Linda, we don't have to do this. Why should we do this?"

"Because we're not safe, John, he's not safe. He's better off away from us, and we're better away from him." The slight woman with mousy brown hair glared at her husband.

"But he's just a boy, maybe things will get better," her husband, an exceedingly average man, of moderate billed, but with compassionate brown eyes spoke to his wife.

"They won't. We adopted him six years ago and their getting worse. His parents must have known he was trouble."

"I don't think it's his fault, I think something's after him," John said sadly.

"You believe his delusions too?" She softened for a moment and went over to her husband and took his hands in hers. "He's a little boy that has issues, issues that we can't help him with, we've tried."

"But to give him up again? Linda, are you sure?" The man was sad

"Yes, it's for his own good. It's for our good."

"But what if we can't adopt another child? What then?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry, John, but do you really think we can take care of him? It gets worse every day, every week, every month, every year. Do you think there is anything else we can do for him? Honestly?" Her eyes searched his face.

He bowed his head and after a moment shook his head. "No."

Things were bad here, very bad, and now Daniel had to locate the other resident of the house, the boy that they spoke of in such sadness, and such fear. He felt the presence of the boy upstairs, so he appeared in the room, making sure to stay invisible to the living. If the child was indeed distressed he didn't want to startle the boy.

The shade was drawn three quarters of the way down, sun coming in through the bottom of the window, the rest of the room was dark, In a corner near the window he saw the boy, he was huddled in a corner, crying. Daniel's heart went out to him, no child should be so sad.

Suddenly the child looked directly at him in horror and whimpered, curling into an even tighter ball, sobbing helplessly. He wasn't sure what to do, it seemed that the lad had seen him even though he shouldn't be seen by any living person at the moment. Daniel rubbed his chin, pondering what he should do next. It was times like this he wished Carolyn was with him. Spirit though he was, he was concentrated on being as mild and non-threatening as possible but it seemed to have no effect.

"Hello." The Captain said and knelt down so that he was at the child's level.

The boy remained huddled in the corner.

"My name is Daniel, what's your name?"

More whimpering.

"I won't hurt you, I'm here to help you," he said but the boy didn't look up.

Perhaps he needed someone less threatening than he was, maybe Melissa? She had very little power as a spirit, and better than that, she was his aunt. Perhaps something in this boy would recognize that, and Melissa could get him to talk.

Melissa, he thought to her, come here please. I need your help. Jared, please stay where you are.

Me? He heard the disbelief in her thoughts.

Yes, you. Hurry, please. Concentrate on my location and you will be here.

Okay. Suddenly she was there, standing beside the kneeling Daniel. She gave him a questioning gaze and he pointed to the boy.

Confirm that he's William. Maybe he will talk to you.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" The boy screamed at them. "I can hear everything you're saying! Just leave me alone!"

Cautiously, Melissa walked over to him, and knelt down by him. "I'm Melissa, can you tell me your name?"

The boy stopped screaming and stared at her.

"Honey, we're here to help you, can you talk to me?"

The boy regarded her suspiciously, but at least he looked at her. "Don't want to."

"Please."

The boy stared harder. "You look like her," he whispered.

"Who do I look like?"

"Mom…"

"Your Mom is downstairs," Melissa said.

"No! My real Mom! The one that didn't love me enough to keep me!" Tears were streaming down the boy's face. "You look like her!"

"What's your name, Sweetie?" Melissa tried again.

"William," the boy said sullenly.

"Hi William, I'm Melissa."

"You already said that, and he's Daniel." He shivered as he looked at the Captain. "I don't like him."

"Why not?" Melissa and the Captain exchanged another look.

"He's scary."

"Scary?" Me?' The Captain couldn't stay quiet.

"You're strong, just like the other one," the boy murmured, fear in his eyes.

"What other one?" Daniel was puzzled, and put out his ghostly senses, trying to see if he could feel another presence, but there was no one else save the boy's adoptive parents downstairs and Jared outside.

"The one that wants me."

"Who wants you?" Daniel asked abruptly his concern outrunning his compassion, and the boy cringed into the corner again.

"He's like him," William cried into the wall.

"Shh, it's all right. He may be strong but he's good," Melissa said in her most soothing voice trying to coax him back into talking to her.

William gave her an uncertain look, but blinked and stopped crying. "He's good?"

"He is. He is here to help you, we're both here to help you."

"Why would you do that?" His tear streaked face looked at them and Daniel felt his heart break just a little, he knew he would do whatever he could to help the boy.

"Because you seem to need some help. Will you let us help you?" Daniel asked in a gentle voice.

"Maybe. But I think you're too late."

"Why?" Daniel frowned.

"My parents are sending me away. They don't love me, I don't think they even like me," he said sadly.

"William, I will help you," the Captain said.

"I don't believe you," the boy said in a sullen voice. "No one ever does what they say they will. I do things different from other kids and my parents hide me away. I don't think they ever loved me. Just like my real parents didn't love me either!" He sniffed. "Now they're sending me away, and I won't have a family again. It's not fair!"

The boy was angry now, shouting at the Captain.

Daniel exchanged a sad look with Melissa, William had seen more than his share of trouble at an early age.

"Do you know what I am, William?" The Captain asked in a soft voice.

William calmed, but looked at him through narrowed eyes. "You're a ghost, and so is she." He paused and studied them. "You're much stronger than her though.

"Can I show you a trick I've learned?"

"What trick?" the boy tried not to be interested, but he was.

"Can you touch me?"

"No."

"Go ahead, try to."

William reached out to the Captain but as expected his hand went through him.

The Captain concentrated on becoming corporeal and did. Then he winked at the boy. "Now try to touch me."

William sighed, but reached out his hand and was stunned to feel a real arm underneath his small fingers. "How…how do you do that?" he gasped.

"It's a trick, do you like it?" The Captain smiled and was rewarded with a shy smile.

"That's cool. I didn't know ghosts could do that."

"Only special ghosts," Melissa said.

"Can you?" William asked.

"No, I can't. I'm still pretty new at this," she said.

"You're pretty, you remind me of my real mother," William said.

"Do you remember her at all?" Melissa asked.

"A little. She used to sing to me though I don't remember the words. Something about a frog. She wasn't a good singer but she had red hair, like you." He sighed. "I thought she loved me but then I ended up here."

"Have they hurt you, William?" Daniel asked, blue eyes filled with concern.

"You mean, like have they hit me?" He shook his head. "No, they just don't understand me because I can do special things." He sighed. "And it's worse because he's after me."

"Who is after you?" Melissa asked.

"I don't know, him. He laughs at me, and makes bad things happen to my adoptive parents when I'm around. They think all of it's because of me, but it's not. He gets me in trouble," he finished sadly.

"Who does? Is it another spirit?"

"I don't know, but he's strong like you," William said.

"Strong isn't always a bad thing, strong can be used to protect people, children like you."

"You would protect me?" William squeaked, trying not to cry again.

"It would be my honor to do so."

"What does that mean?" William looked at Melissa for a translation.

"It means if you will let him that he will help protect you."

"Even from something bad?"

'Of course." Daniel's mind was going a million miles a minute. Was it an evil spirit or something else? And why was it after the boy?

William started to cry silently, tears streaking down his face as he regarded the Captain.

"Come here, lad," the Captain said and opened his arms, inviting the boy into a hug. William hesitated, but after a long moment stepped into the Captain's arms, and the older man gently held the crying boy close to him, letting him cry himself out. When he was done, he wiped the tears away from the boy's face.

"William, Melissa and I are going to have to leave for a while, but I promise you I will find you again, and soon." He paused and looked into the boy's blue eyes and was reminded of his mother, Dana. "Do you have something of yours that I can take with me? It will help me find you more quickly when you are no longer here."

"Here," the boy thrust a small stuffed alien toy at him. "It's called Spooky."

"My God," Daniel muttered, knowing that the well-worn toy was given to him by Mulder when William was still a newborn boy. "Are you sure you want me to hang onto this?"

"Yeah, keep him safe, he's my favorite. I'm afraid I'll lose some of my stuff when they send me away."

"I'll bring it back to you, William, I promise." The Captain sighed. "I'm sorry I have to leave you. Would you feel better if Melissa stayed with you?"

"Can she do that?" William's face was hopeful.

"Yes, but you won't be able to see her all the time and she won't be able to talk to you most of the time because she is a young ghost."

"Like I'm a young person?"

"Yes, kind of like that. She has much to learn about being a spirit."

"Are you teaching her?" William asked, regarding the Captain in a new light.

"Sort of," he chuckled and offered the two of them a smile. "So you may not see or hear her but I suspect you will know that she's around anyway, isn't that right?"

"I can tell," he said.

"This is all right with you?" The Captain finally officially asked Melissa.

"Of course," she said.

"And William, I want you to meet one more of my friends because he might check on you too when I cannot. All right?"

"All right, I guess," William said, frowning at the Captain.

"Jared," The Captain called and within moments, Jared was at his side.

"Yes, Captain?" He smiled at his friend.

"I would like you to meet William. William, I would like you to meet Jared."

"Pleased to meet you, William." He gave the boy a happy smile, and got a small smile in return.

"Nice to meet you, Jared." He studied him for a moment. "You're not as strong as he is either," he indicated the Captain.

"Not many are, so I won't be insulted," Jared said.

"Captain?" William looked at Daniel.

"Aye, I was a sea captain when I was alive. I still tend to think of myself that way."

"And so does everyone else," Jared said, and everyone laughed.

"Can you be strong, William?" The Captain asked. "Melissa will be with you and I will find a way to be with you."

"You will?"

"Aye. I will find a way to keep you safe and find you a family." He studied the boy with somber eyes.

"You promise? Cross your heart?" His earnest expression was almost more than the Captain could bear.

"Cross my heart. Melissa will keep you company and if anything happens she will let me know, all right?"

"Okay." He sighed. "Maybe it's better if I'm not here, I never fit in anyway."

"It will be all right, William. I promise. Come here," he said and pulled the boy to him in a fierce hug which the boy returned. He was no doubt willing to hold onto anyone that offered him even a shred of hope at this point in his life.

When he let him go, the Captain stood up beside Jared, and nodded at Melissa.

"You have your own personal guardian angel, my lad. She will look after you until I get back to you, all right?"

William nodded and looked at his favorite toy. "Take care of Spooky."

"I will take very good care of Spooky, I promise." And with one last look at Melissa and William, the Captain and Jared vanished.

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So many unexpected things had come up from finding William that Daniel knew he had to speak with The Powers That Be. They could provide more information about the boy and what was happening to him.

He appeared in the foyer of the Victorian home of where the Powers that Be resided and with a polite nod to one of the gatekeepers, stalked to the closed double doors that were part of Sucellos domain. He threw open the doors and walked into the large library.

The gatekeeper babbled behind him, in turn threatening and pleading, begging him not to disturb one of the great powers, but the Captain was on a personal mission and paid the other spirit no heed. Sucellos was not in the library per se, so Daniel threw his head back and bellowed for him.

"Sucellos, where the hell are you? We need to talk! Now!" The Captain spared a look of disgust for the babbling spirit beside him and pointed him to the doorway before the other spirit dissipated in fright. When the frightened spirit shut the door behind him, he bellowed again.

"Sucellos! It is important!"

"So important that you've turned my secretary into a nervous wreck?" a voice said mildly from behind Daniel.

"He's a lily livered excuse for a spirit if ever I saw one, reminds me of Claymore, he does," the Captain said.

"Claymore?"

"Never mind."

"Daniel, what is it that you're roaring about?"

"The boy, William. I have found him."

"Ahh, you took longer than I thought you would," Sucellos said and laughed at the Captain's sour look.

"The lad has had a hard time of it so far, he has some issues."

"Many humans have issues, the world is not always kind.'

"He's being given away for a second time," the Captain said, anger in his voice.

"I cannot help with that."

"And the boy seems to have abilities, powers that scare people."

"People are always afraid of what they do not understand, surely you know that?" Sucellos green eyes met Daniel's and he nodded.

'Aye, but he needs to be with someone that understands him."

"And that would be?"

"His parents," Daniel said in a steel laced voice.

"And are you going to demand that I wave my hand and fix everything."

"You can, can't you?" The anger was evident in the Captain's voice.

"Perhaps, but to undo so much that has already happened would most certainly affect a great many people, so big a ripple as to be called a wave by now. You know that is not done except for very significant and rare exceptions."

"But the boy…" Daniel sputtered.

"Surely there are things that can be done in the human world now that you have found him?"

"I think so," the Captain said, knowing he thought of several things that could be done to get the boy and his parents closer to reuniting. He would have to confer with his wife to be sure but there were possibilities.

The Captain paced the length of the room and back before stopping in front of Sucellos. "There is another problem."

"Which is what?"

"The boy is being pursued by something. It was not at the house when we were there, but I felt traces of it."

"Of what?" Sucellos bright green eyes showed an avid interest in the subject at hand.

"Something not of the material plane, an evil spirit, or perhaps even a demon?" Daniel sighed. "Whatever it was bodes ill for the child. Given all of his other problems it seems that something must be done for the lad."

"Perhaps it can be taken under consideration," Sucellos agreed. "While you were away I did check the ledgers regarding your friends Fox Mulder and Dana Scully and find that you are correct in your assessment that they are in the red. Therefore we are prepared to help you if you help us."

"And just what will that entail?" The Captain asked suspiciously.

"It's connected really. Find out what it is that is attaching itself to the boy and get rid of it. Kill it, destroy it, exile it, whatever you feel is appropriate." He offered Daniel a large smile. "After that everything should fall into place nicely."

"But you're not going to help?"

"Directly? No, of course not. I may be able to offer you bits of advice and information along the way though, and you do know how valuable good information can be."

A large sigh escaped Daniel, he was frustrated with the lack of direct help, but still pleased they were willing to offer any. Advice and information from the Powers that Be were usually worth their weight in gold.

"There is one thing that you should make sure happens, though Daniel."

"And what is that?"

"Make sure that Fox and Dana get married."

"That is up to them, not me."

"It's very important," Sucellos said, and when Daniel looked at him he saw the serious expression on his face.

"Why? They have been together for years and love each other."

"Trust me when I tell you that marriage vows are not only the paper they are written on, and that if two people truly love each other then to be married in the sight of God can only strengthen their resolve and the outcome of things in their lives." Daniel looked like he was about to protest when Sucellos held up his hand. "It is important they are married before they find William, do you understand?"

"Not completely, no, but from that tone of voice I know that it is something that has to happen for everything to move on to a best possible scenario."

Sucellos nodded. "And Dana Scully has to know about her son."

"When? Before or after the marriage?"

"I will leave that up to you, but definitely before he is back in their lives."

The Captain nodded. "Anything else?"

"When you find out what it is that is after the child I may or may not have some more advice for you. But remember that destroying the creature that is after William will help to free him. And you needn't do it alone." Sucellos patted Daniel's shoulder. "You will need to accept help to accomplish this as well, and you may all have to face some of your greatest fears. Think your crew is up to it?"

"My crew? What in the blazes are you talking about?" Daniel began to bluster but suddenly found himself back in that comfortable tavern, standing next to Jared. Blast!

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AN: I should mention that Jared and the 'powers that be' are original characters and do not belong to anyone but me; as much as any of my characters ever do. If you've made it this far, thanks for reading and I hope you stick around for the rest of the ride. Remember that reviews and encouraged and welcome.