"So how did you guys meet?"
Samantha sat across from Dana and Mulder, happily chewing on a burger and fries. Even though her mouth was occupied, she couldn't take the awkwardness. Besides, why was her dad staring at her as if she was an extraterrestrial?
"You know, now that I think about it, you look a lot like Scully," Mulder said, ignoring Samantha's question. The gears were shifting in his head and he was a few seconds away from blowing Samantha's cover.
She awkwardly laughed, uncomfortable with the attention focused on her. She needed information on her parents. It didn't occur to her that they would want information in return. Thankfully, she didn't have to take matters into her own hands. Her mom already had that covered.
"I don't see it," Dana replied, digging into her salad. Mulder shrugged his shoulders, trusting Dana's judgment. He continued to bite into his burger, choosing to follow Samantha's lead.
"Well, anyways," Mulder started, moving on from Dana and Samantha's similar appearance, "We met in 1993. She was assigned as my partner in the X-Files."
Samantha's eyes lit up. She wanted nothing more than to circle around the table and snuggle into her dad's arms as he told the story about how he met her mother. No matter what she was feeling, she could always count on her dad's hugs to make her feel better. He used to tell her that he would squeeze the bad emotions out of her, causing her to hysterically laugh until she was content again.
"What did you think of her?" Samantha asked. She had finished her burger and was moving on to her fries.
Mulder was about to answer her, but Dana had other plans. "You don't have to answer that, Mulder," Dana interrupted, wary of airing their dirty laundry in the middle of a rusty diner. Samantha knew they didn't trust each other at the beginning of their partnership but how bad could it have been?
"No, it's fine," Mulder replied to Dana, placing his hand over hers. He turned back to Samantha. "I thought she was insanely beautiful." They may not be in a relationship, but they sure did look like a couple in Samantha's eyes.
A light blush spread across Dana's cheeks in response. "Mulder," she whispered, "You couldn't have possibly thought that when we met. We didn't even know each other."
"I didn't have to know you to think about how beautiful you are, Scully," Mulder said, a serious tone in his voice. His fingers caressed the back of her hand, forgetting about Samantha's presence.
Samantha wasn't the only woman in the diner drawn to the "couple" in front of her. All the women in the room melted at the sound of her dad's utter devotion to her mom. It also helped that they were both incredibly attractive people. She wanted to tell them to get back together. They obviously belonged with each other, but her mom was adamant in taking their relationship slow. Those plans would inevitably halt as soon as they find out her mom is pregnant with her.
Dana snapped back to reality and removed her hand from Mulder's grasp. She may be in love with him, but she still wasn't sure if a relationship with Mulder was the right idea. Samantha didn't understand why her mom was so hesitant. They've broken up and gotten back together in the past so this time shouldn't be any different. How did the two stubborn love birds in front of her transform into the loving couple she knew in the future?
Samantha stared at Dana. She was unsure how to address her. First name basis was definitely off limits. Dr. Scully? No, she wasn't supposed to know she was a doctor yet. Scully? Too informal. Only her dad reserved the right to call her mother by her maiden name.
"So, Agent Scully," Samantha said, twirling a strand of hair, "what did you think of Agent Mulder when you first saw him?"
Dana placed her fork to the side, finished with her salad. "Why do you have so many questions?"
"Come on, Scully," Mulder whined, "we have some time before we have to hit the road. Just answer the damn question."
"Fine," Dana said, throwing up her hands, "I thought you were extremely attractive in those glasses."
A pink flush spread across Mulder's face, identical to Dana's earlier reaction. "Really? The black framed ones?"
Dana nodded her head. "Yeah."
Samantha tilted her head to the side, confused at the mixed signals she was getting from her parents. She could feel their sexual tension from the other side of the booth. It was making her really uncomfortable.
She started to slide out of the booth. They needed some alone time, and she desperately had to use the bathroom. Unfortunately, her mom had eyes like a hawk.
"Where are you going?" Dana asked, pulling away from Mulder once more.
Samantha paused her movements. "Oh, I was going to use the bathroom."
"You can hold it. It's our turn to ask you some questions." Dana insisted, crossing her arms. She had the same look in her eyes that Samantha saw every time she got into trouble. She slid toward the middle of her booth, leaning forward on the table.
"Scully, let the kid use the bathroom first," Mulder reasoned with Dana, turning to face her, "We could always ask her questions on the way to Norfolk."
"She's fine, Mulder," Dana argued, "Besides...this won't take too long."
Mulder shrugged his shoulders, moving toward his leftover fries. They could eat and interrogate her at the same time.
"What happened to your parents?" Dana asked.
Samantha's smile faltered, and a familiar tug came to her chest. She took a deep breath. Mulder choked on the fries that were lodged in his throat, shocked that Dana would start off with such an intimate question. She wanted to say that she was sitting in front of her parents and that she was sorry for treating them like shit for the past couple of years. But she couldn't say that, so she settled on the first lie that popped into her head.
"I don't know," Samantha answered, crossing her arms, "The adoption agency said they gave me up when I was a baby. I've only ever lived in foster homes."
Dana's eyes softened. Samantha guessed she was thinking about Jackson. She had to give him up in a closed adoption in order to save his life. He ended up coming back into their lives years later, but she knew her mom still felt guilty once in a while.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Dana said. Samantha kept her eyes focused on the table, afraid of looking up and seeing pity in her mother's eyes. She hated that she had to lie about her background. They already pitied her enough in the future. She didn't want them to do it in the past too.
"Wait," Mulder began, leaning back against the booth, "Where are you supposed to be right now? Don't they do bed checks or something?"
Samantha wracked her mind for an answer. How was she supposed to know if anyone would notice her absence? She wasn't a foster kid.
"Um, I don't think they do bed checks," Samantha said quickly, wary of telling too many lies.
"You don't think they do them?" Mulder questioned. His eyes widened. "Oh my God, we just kidnapped a kid."
Dana's eyes shot to meet Mulder's, pure anger displayed in them. She clenched her fists. "What?! Mulder, I told you we shouldn't have let her come."
Samantha raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Wait a second before you start freaking out," she defended herself, "I'm usually gone for a few days at a time."
"A few days?! Dana exclaimed.
"What?" Samantha asked. "I'm my own parent."
Dana slapped a hand against her forehead. "Dear God. This can't be happening."
Mulder started to hysterically laugh, clutching his stomach. Dana then punched him in the shoulder, annoyed at his blatant disregard for such a serious situation. "This isn't funny, Mulder," Dana snapped at him.
He continued to laugh. "You have to admit...it's kind of funny, Scully."
Samantha smirked, amused by her angry mother. Her parents were adorable. "Don't you think we should get going?"
Mulder caught Dana's fist midair, pulling her into his chest. She continued to berate him, but Mulder's mind was preoccupied. She used her other hand to smack his chest. "Agent Scully, we have a crime scene to get to."
Their car rolled up to a police station. Outside it was an officer waving their hand. Samantha didn't recognize him nor the station.
"Alright, kid, we'll see you afterwards," Mulder said, putting the car in park. He turned back and looked at Samantha. "They told us Scott is really nice. He just works on police reports all day so no danger for you."
"What happened to me being an FBI agent for the day?!" Samantha gasped. Looking at Scott, he did seem to fit the description her dad gave her. Boring and dull.
"Yeah, an FBI agent at heart for a day," Mulder replied and then told her seriously, "Sabrina, realistically we can not take a kid, let alone a kid we just met, to a crime scene."
Samantha looked down at her lap and sighed. She knew he was right. She was never going to be able to get there through the correct channels. I guess this means she'll have to get creative.
"Fine, I'll see you later," Samantha said. She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car.
"Hello, nice to meet you," Scott said, smiling as wide as he could. Ugh, he was already annoying her and he hasn't even done anything yet. "I was told you were an orphan. Do you have a phone? If you don't, we have puzzles in the back of the station -" She spoke too soon.
She looked back at her parents as they left, rolling away and leaving her one step behind on finding Jackson. She turned back around when Scott opened the door. She had to get out of here. At least to see where this ship her parents were talking about is. The question is how? By the time she stopped thinking about it, they made it to Scott's desk.
The desk was a complete mess. Old food rotting in each corner of its surface. Papers upon papers stacked on top of each other. Were they organized? Did Scott ever care to even do his work? She didn't know. He seemed generous though. Generous enough to not notice is some cash was missing…
"Officer Scott, you were right. I am bored." Samantha started, exaggerating every vowel and consonant. "Could you get me those puzzles you were talking about? Please?"
"Yeah, sure," Scott says happily, "I'll be right back."
As he walked away from her, Samantha hurriedly stood up and got to work. She had a few seconds before Scott came back and caught her red-handed behind his desk. She opened several drawers before finding the jackpot. Two twenty dollar bills, hiding underneath a pile of old pictures. She looked up and saw Scott heading in her direction, only this time he was looking down at the puzzle and completely oblivious to her positioning.
"I've always really liked this one," Scott said, still looking at the picture on the front of the puzzle. "So I bet you'll really like it."
Samantha crept around the desk and back to her seat, crossing her legs and folding her hands. "Thank you, Officer Scott."
Scott placed the puzzle box on top of an old box of donuts. He blushed at the compliment. "Oh it was nothing," he brushed it off, "and you can call me Scott."
"Okay, Scott," Samantha agreed, flashing him an award winning smile. She then made a show of huffing and puffing as she clutched her stomach.
"Are you okay?" Scott asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I think I just got my period," Samantha lied, "and whenever that happens I tend to spend hours in the bathroom. You know, because of cramps."
"I don't know anything about periods -"
"Yeah, so that means I'm probably going to be in the bathroom for the next hour or two," Samantha said.
"Do you want me to check on you at all? Maybe get you some Advil?" Scott offered nicely.
"No," Samantha responded quickly, "I mean, I don't really like it when people constantly check on me. I'll only be okay if you leave me by myself. You understand?"
"Of course! I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable," Scott agreed.
"Alright, well I'm gonna go now," Samantha began, "to the bathroom. I'm gonna go to the bathroom and nowhere else."
Scott waved at her as she left for the "bathroom." She turned the corner for the restrooms, waiting a moment, and then looked back at Scott. He was looking down at police reports and not at all checking the front door. Making sure not to bump into anyone or anything, she made her way to the front of the station and out the door.
At the front, she pulled out her phone and booked an Uber. If she was at home, she could've used her car but no she just had to get herself lost in time.
A few minutes later the Uber arrived and off she went to the crime scene. Her parents didn't know this, but she had taken a quick peek of the location they were going to before they left the Hoover building. That was before her dad got her hopes up about exploring the crime scene together.
She knew she couldn't go into the crime scene. No, there were too many cops around for her to do that. They would instantly spot her and her parents would send her back to DC faster than she could explain herself. Speaking of her loving parents, she wondered what the infamous Mulder and Scully were doing right now.
"You did the right thing," Scully said.
"I know, but it doesn't make me feel any better," Mulder sighed. "Did you see the look on her face? She looked so sad we were leaving her behind."
"You've always had a soft soft for kids, Mulder," Scully pointed out, causing a halt in the conversation. She knew they were both thinking about William. Did he feel guilty for not spending much time with his son? Did he ever blame her? She knows the answer is no, but she still ponders the questions.
"You know me well, Scully," Mulder replied, a ghost of a smile spreading across his face.
Scully pulled one of Mulder's hands away from the steering wheel and held it in her own hands. Mulder smiled at her touch. After their break-up, they didn't see each other for a long time. Therefore, he didn't get to touch her for a long time. It was hard coming back to the house and not seeing her eat her nonfat tofutti dreamsicles. They were disgusting and he still doesn't understand why she eats those instead of real ice cream, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that she was there and that she stayed there.
Parking by the road and stepping out of the car, they made their way to the crime scene. It wasn't hard to miss considering it was a huge, rusty boat sitting at the edge of a lake. Around it, they could see detectives were going in and out of the boat, searching for evidence. A middle-aged man stood next to a sleek, black car, waiting for Agents Scully and Mulder to approach him. Dana held out her hand for a handshake.
"Hi. Detective Costa," He introduced himself, shaking Dana's hand. Dana and Mulder introduced themselves as well, followed by showing their badges.
Detective Costa led them into the boat. Unknownst to them, Samantha had just arrived. She made sure to have her ride drop her off about a half mile from the boat, giving her enough leeway to see what's happening and maybe even hide in some bushes.
Thanking her driver, she started her walk. There weren't any detectives or cops this far back from the crime scene. Only the fresh air and the trash that were no doubt discarded by some drunk teenagers. It wasn't until she reached the edge of the greenery that she noticed how there were zero places to hide close to the boat. God, these times she wished she could just be invisible. It would make everything so much easier.
"Who's there?" A cop yelled.
Her heart stopped. This could not be happening. She couldn't see if the cop was shouting at her or something in the distance. Something tells Samantha they were yelling at her.
"I said, who's there?" The cop repeated. Their voice was clearer. They were closer.
She crouched down and placed a hand over her mouth, trying to calm her breathing. All she could do was wait. If she ran, they would catch her. If she stood up, they would catch her. It was a lose lose situation.
The leaf filled tree branch that was covering her was aggressively pulled back, exposing her to everyone and anyone. This was it. She wasn't going home. She was going to be stuck here forever and it was all because she couldn't hide at the edge of a crime scene. Pathetic. She looked up and accepted her fate.
The cop was a woman. Her gun was still holstered and her face was relaxed. The cop had sighed in relief, for what Samantha didn't know. Even weirder, she didn't make eye contact with Samantha. It was as if she was staring right through her. As if she wasn't there at all.
"You guys were right," she yelled back to her colleagues. "There's nothing here." Releasing the tree branch, the cop made her way back to the boat.
Samantha couldn't breathe. She clutched her throat and tried to force herself to take a singular breath. Why would the cop say that? She was right here in front of her! Now she was taking shallow breaths. It was still bad but at least it was something. Pulling out her phone, she clicked on the camera app. She couldn't see herself. She had made sure her phone was facing her and she couldn't see herself! What was happening?!
Taking a leap of faith, Samantha stood up. She was close enough to the boat that the officer going in and out of the old thing would see her if they were looking her way. She was practically making eye contact with one of the guys and he wasn't doing anything.
Maybe this was a good thing. Her parents wouldn't get in trouble for bringing a kid with them (even though she most definitely was not a kid) and she would be able to overhear everything they say. Moving closer to the boat, she passed by a few officers. Could they hear her if she talked to them?
"Who in the hell is whistling in my ear?" An officer complained to the people around them. They all shrugged their shoulders.
"There's no one next to you, sir," another officer replied, gesturing in Samantha's direction.
So they can hear her, but they can't see her. Interesting. Very interesting.
Samantha caught snippets of the case as she entered the boat. Two high school girls, both seniors and from different schools, had cut each other with knives. Blood splatters covered the walls and floor. It was gruesome.
She could already tell she didn't like this place. It was old and looked like it could fall apart at any minute. Plus it seemed really creepy. She couldn't understand why anyone would ever want to come here. Let alone in the dead of night.
She could hear her parents talking to someone down the hall. She quickened her pace, not wanting to miss any part of their conversation.
They were in a large room, talking to what she assumed was another detective. There weren't many officers around the actual crime scene. It was just Dana, Mulder, and the detective. Samantha cringed as she stepped over the sticky, days-old blood. Dana, Mulder, and the Detective were stone-faced, used to the amount of blood their jobs see on a daily basis.
"Who reported the attack?" Mulder asked while Dana examined the blood splatters on the window.
"An anonymous 911 call," the detective answered. Samantha still didn't catch his name. "They didn't leave a name."
She gasped and then slapped a hand over her mouth, quieting herself. She didn't need a name. Jackson was here. He had told her the story of his two girlfriends plenty of times. It wasn't until right now that she realized that the very same story was playing out in front of her.
Dana and Mulder exited through a side door, listing possible theories. Samantha trailed behind them, making sure her footsteps were light. Dana knew the two girls couldn't have tried to kill each other by pure coincidence. Mulder nodded his head in agreement and replied that they could have reacted out of extreme fear.
Samantha's eyes flickered from her mom to her dad, wishing she could ask their future selves what to do. She couldn't remember the specific details behind how the girls got hurt. She only knew that Jackson was behind all of it. How did Jackson manage to get away with almost murdering two girls?
They moved toward the top of the boat, climbing rusty, metal stairs that creaked with each step. Samantha tried to stay away from the railing, noticing the brown coloring. She could hear someone speaking through a radio, but their voice wasn't clear. Samantha decided to block it out, focusing on the brewing conversation between her parents and Detective Costa.
"The EMT's said the girls asked him if he had seen Ghouli," Detective Costa told them, studying their faces for signs of recognition. Seeing none, he carried on a conversation with Mulder.
Her mom, on the other hand, was looking out into the distance. She was squinting at something and decided to take a step closer to the took notice and followed her lead. She made direct eye contact with a middle-aged Asian man. He was standing on the edge of the dock, looking way too ominous to be there alone. Samantha gripped the rail tighter, wondering why she somewhat recognized this man. Was he in a picture from the future? What was his role in all of this? Before her brain could process any more questions, she felt a shock at the front of her head. It was similar to a headache but more painful. She pressed a hand to her forehead, closing her eyes from the pain. When she looked up, the man was gone.
Samantha wasn't the only one confused by the strange man's absence. Her mother had the same confused look on her face. Neither of them knew what to think, and she knew it was too weird of an experience for her mom to share with her dad. At least while their relationship is on the rocks.
She figured this is all the information she was going to get for the day. Booking an Uber, she turned back around to go down the rusty ladder. She stopped when she overheard her parents talking about her.
"I feel like we should go back and get the kid now," Mulder said, leaning into Dana's personal space. He was so close that her mother had to look straight up in order to look him in the eyes. It would've looked comical if Samantha wasn't currently panicking about if her ride would get there in time.
"I guess we have learned all this is to know," Dana agreed and then smiled. "Okay, let's go get the kid."
Samantha quickly made her way down the ladder and through the boat. She was jogging as she passed officers going in and out of rooms. Her driver was still two minutes away and her parents were making their way back to their car. When she made it to the exit, she moved out of it so quickly she was surprised she didn't knock anyone over. By the time she reached her meetup spot with the Uber, Samantha was so exhausted she felt her knees buckle, and dropped onto the side of the road. She took deep breaths, willing herself to calm down. Everything was going to be fine. She just had to make sure she got to the police station before her parents.
Looking into a puddle, her eyes widened. She had completely forgotten about her newfound power and problem. She was invisible. The Uber was less than a minute away and she was still invisible. Oh this is just great.
"Come on. Come on. Come on," Samantha begged, yelling at the sky."Please, just let me be visible again. Please!"
"Are you okay?"
Samantha looked to her left. Her driver was here and looking straight at her.
"You can see me?" Samantha asked in disbelief.
The driver raised an eyebrow. "Um, yeah."
Standing up, she got into the car. "Oh thank god," Samantha exclaimed with her hands in a prayer position. "For a second I thought I was gonna be left out here."
The driver started their route to the police station. "Teenagers," the driver muttered, shaking their head.
"Where is she?" Dana asked. She crossed her arms and stared down Scott.
"She's been in the bathroom -" Scott started and then trailed off as Dana left for the restrooms, leaving Mulder and Scott behind.
"That's okay, Scully," Mulder yelled after her, cupping a hand around his mouth to project better. "We'll wait here."
Dana was once a teenager herself. After hearing Officer Scott drone on and on about respecting the teens boundaries and not checking on her for the past hour, she knew what she was in for. Why would Sabrina be asked to be left alone for an hour if she wasn't doing anything wrong? She understood a teens need for space but this was a bit too much.
"Sabrina?" Dana called out. "Sabrina, are you in there?" She moved to open the women's restroom door when it was pushed open from the other side.
"Hey, what's up?" Samantha asked, casually leaning against the door frame.
Unfortunately for her, she had gotten here after her parents. She could see them park, so she had instructed her Uber driver to drop her off on building over. She had waited for them to enter the station before sneaking her way in and to the restroom. She waited a total of ten seconds before she heard Dana calling her from the hallway.
"We're leaving," Dana said, turning around and expecting Samantha to follow her. As the three of them exited the station, they were all unknowingly thinking the same thing. What the hell is a Ghouli?
Author's Note
Samantha can turn invisible now! With how much Jackson teases her in the future, I figured I'd give her something stealthy. Something that is useful and yet fun at the same time. Well, it's not fun to her right now. Right now she is understandably freaking out. All mistakes are mine. Remember to like and comment!