Samantha has had her fair share of night terrors. Her ability to cope with the various monsters of her dreams with ease was something her parents had always been grateful for. No matter how scary the shadows of her room looked, or how fast her heartbeat quickened, Samantha chose to sit with her fear rather than go running to her parents. The last thing she wanted was to be a burden to them. Today was different. The creature on the laptop screen in front of her wasn't from her nightmares. It was a paranormal creature that had almost killed two high school girls. The Ghouli.
She stared at the picture for a long while, studying the multi-legged monster as if it was the most fascinating thing she'd ever witnessed. Despite the mess the alien looking creature had created, it had given her the chance to go on a real case with her parents. With her identity a secret, she could jump into the face of danger with no warnings or restrictions from the infamous Scully and Mulder. (Okay, maybe some warnings since she was still a teenager. But she wouldn't get as many since they didn't know she was their kid.) As she took her eyes off the picture, Samantha caught her dad's last words.
"Teeth? Mucus? Probably feeds on human flesh…" Mulder threw an exasperated look at Dana.
Samantha chuckled behind her raised hand. Even in the past, her dad couldn't help but be dramatic. Her hand helped hide the growing smile on her face, but it didn't do anything to conceal her laughter from Mulder.
He raised his eyebrows. "Is there something funny?"
His comical expression made it harder to hold in her laughter. "Nope. Nothing funny." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. A serious look on her face. "I'm super serious about figuring out what that thing is."
Dana shook her head, focusing her efforts on the case rather than whatever was happening between Mulder and Samantha.
"The site has only been active for the last couple of months," Dana interjected, scrolling through the website dedicated to Ghouli. "Mostly fanfiction."
Mulder wasn't fazed by the recent popularity of Ghouli. Instead, he was more disappointed in the lack of emotional investment in modern day monsters. What does that even mean? Samantha thought. Did he expect to be chasing the same type of creatures he and her mom investigated in the 90's? That was decades ago! She was more focused on there being fanfiction of this disturbing, bloodthirsty monster. How messed up were the stories? Were they sexual? She didn't want to know.
Samantha sighed heavily. What were the chances that this monster had a connection to Jackson? She hoped there was. Sometimes she wondered if Jackson would have an easier time with sudden time travel than she did. He would've been able to hide in plain sight, concealing his appearance via his alien superpowers. Samantha thought back to the time when Jackson had disguised himself as their dad, forcing her to clean his room for no reason at all. It seemed weird at the time, but her dad was a weird person. Even though she didn't have any paranormal abilities, she wouldn't rest until she made it back home. Besides, she owes her mom a long apology.
"Sabrina? Sabrina!" Her mom's voice met Samantha's ears. She was still getting used to Dana addressing her without being condescending. Samantha snapped back to reality, shaking her head. She reminded herself to remember her fake name.
"Sorry. I wasn't paying attention," Samantha said quietly, embarrassed by her forgetfulness. A light blush spread across her cheeks.
"While you were busy daydreaming, we put together a profile," Dana informed her. "We didn't bring you along to sit there. The least we can do is teach you something." Samantha tilted her head to the side because she couldn't remember hearing her parents discuss a profile. Her eyes darted to Mulder, amazed at how fast they worked together.
Mulder shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "Don't look at me. It was her idea."
"What idea?" Samantha asked, completely in the dark about what was going on. In fact, her parents were communicating with each other right now, silently exchanging glances. They were in sync. "What's going on?"
"We think this 'Ghouli' could be manipulating those girls," Dana said. "We don't know how, but it's definitely a possibility."
Samantha nodded slowly, processing the existence of a Ghouli. "I hope they're okay," she said, glancing at the picture on the laptop again. "There was a lot of blood on the ship."
"It must be heartbreaking for their parents, finding out their child was in danger and they couldn't do anything about it," Dana said softly. Samantha felt guilty, experiencing a sharp pang in her heart. Dana didn't know she could have more kids and she hasn't run into Jackson yet, so she doesn't know her kids are in danger. If she knew Samantha was her daughter, she would lock her in a room until she and Mulder figured out how to bring her home. Samantha had purposely avoided telling them the truth, had avoided giving away too many facts about herself.
"We know how that feels," Mulder whispered, placing a hand on Dana's shoulder.
"How so?" Samantha frowned. "I didn't know you guys had children."
She knew Jackson had originally been named William, giving him up for adoption for his own safety, but her parents had never told her why.
"Yes, we share a child, but we had to give him up. We had too many enemies and it wasn't a safe space for a baby. Besides, we had to go on the run about a year after he was born."
Samantha felt light-headed, closing her eyes as tiny shocks traveled up and down her spine. Her parents used to be fugitives. Years ago, the government wanted one or both of her parents in jail. This couldn't be right. Her mom was a rule follower, scolding her for the tiniest things. There was no way in hell that her mom would do something illegal. "On the run? You were fugitives? Isn't that illegal?" Samantha asked quickly. Her eyes darted between Mulder and Dana.
She nodded. "It is very illegal," Dana agreed, "and I wouldn't recommend doing anything illegal unless it's for the right reasons."
"Do you think we had the right reasons?" Mulder asked Dana. "I mean...sure, I had to run or else they would've killed me. You didn't need to run away. You could've stayed with your family. You could've spent more time with your mom."
Dana moved Mulder's hand from her shoulder, clutching his hand in a tight grasp. "I don't regret anything, Mulder. After you were abducted, I couldn't function. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't breathe without wondering where you were. It was torture. I can't imagine what it would've been like if we had to be apart for years on end."
"I don't want to imagine that either,"Mulder replied, staring into the depths of Dana's soul.
In fact, Mulder was staring at Dana as if they were the only two people on the planet. Respect and love displayed in his hazel eyes, making it difficult for Samantha to deal with the awkward silence. With his head in the clouds, it took a text message to bring him down to Earth.
He looked down at his phone, bringing it closer to his face. "The girls are awake."
Dana closed the laptop, putting it away. "Perfect timing. Let's go."
Just as the three of them stood to leave, someone's order was announced. The waiter's call echoed in the loud cafe.
"Bob? I have a hot coffee for Bob!"
Mulder was the only person who turned toward the counter, raising his hand in an effort to retrieve his coffee. He told Samantha and Dana that he would be right back and walked away. The girls had only just woken up, so they didn't necessarily need to rush. Samantha figured Mulder would get his coffee and they would head straight for the hospital. The girls wouldn't mind. They probably didn't even know that two FBI agents and a teenage girl were on their way to interview them.
"Why Bob?" Samantha asked.
"Fox isn't exactly a normal name," Dana told her, adjusting her laptop bag on her shoulder.
Mulder returned, clutching his hot coffee in one hand and phone in the other. "You bet it isn't," he said, "and I wasn't having that conversation again."
Dana stepped forward, caressing his bicep. "I happen to like your name."
"Oh, come on Scully. It's a ridiculous name."
Her eyes darkened, pupils dilating as she gazed at Mulder. "I think it's sexy. In fact, it reminds me of that one time in front of the window. Remember?"
Mulder's eyes widened at the mention of the memory, nodding his head eagerly. "Ye-yeah," he stuttered.
"Do you remember when I did that thing? When I said you were-"
"God, yes," Mulder leaned closer to Dana, wrapping an arm around her waist and placing his hand on her lower back.
"Well, if things go well then maybe we could-"
"Um, guys?" Samantha interrupted, pointing toward the door. "Shouldn't we get going?"
Samantha's voice had broken their connection, waking them up from their trance. They separated and agreed that they needed to leave. Samantha let out a sigh of relief. She loved her parents, but she didn't want to hear them talk about their sex lives. Gross.
Mulder motioned for Dana and Samantha to go ahead on him, unlocking the car from a distance. This gave Samantha enough time to give her two cents on her parents' weird non-relationship.
"What happened to the whole 'I wasn't ready for a relationship' thing?" Samantha whispered to Dana, wary of having Mulder overhear her. She didn't know a lot about relationships, but she did know that ex's don't talk about their past sex escapades.
Dana did a double take and leaned closer to Samantha. "Keep your voice down."
"Why? Do you feel guilty? You know, it's pretty obvious that Agent Mulder is in love with you and it isn't fair for you to keep stringing him along."
Dana closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. Tears were spilling down her cheeks. "Don't you think I know that?" She whispered angrily. "I love him so much but how do I know that he's changed? How do I know that we're ready to be together again?"
Samantha put her hand on Dana's shoulder, squeezing it as a form of comfort. "I can't answer that for you."
Dana chuckled, wiping away her escaped tears. "How did you get so smart?"
Mulder unlocked the car and climbed into the driver's seat. Dana followed him, leaving her question flouting in the air.
Samantha sighed heavily. "It's because I have a pretty great mom."
No surprise, Samantha wasn't allowed in either of the injured girls' hospital rooms. Despite tagging along with the agents in charge of their case, she was ordered to wait for Agents Mulder and Scully in the waiting area. That didn't stop Samantha from following them once their backs were turned.
Dashing between hallways to avoid detection, Samantha had to make a choice. Eavesdrop on Agent Mulder's interview across the hall or continue to follow Agent Scully. Considering she hasn't spent much time with her younger dad, she decided to stick with him.
She peeked her head around the corner, waiting for Dana to disappear from her sight. It was bright and there was nowhere for Samantha to hide if she were to get caught. Raising her hand, she wiped the sweat off her forehead. She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves as she moved around a stray cart. Even though the hallway was crowded with doctors and nurses coming in and out of rooms, Samantha was invisible. With any luck, Samantha prayed that it would stay that way.
She moved cautiously, being careful not to make any weird or outrageous movements. With the door still open, she slid into the gap between the door and the wall. She could hear Mulder's conversation with the bedridden teen perfectly, peeking through the small window on the door.
"You don't understand," the girl said quietly. "The thing was an inch from my face. So close I could smell its breath. It had rows of sharp teeth and this...goo was dripping out of its mouth."
Mulder nodded. "And what did it smell like? Its breath."
The girl paused, thinking back to her attack. "Like cinnamon."
Samantha shook her head. This didn't make any sense. What monster had time to freshen their breath?
Mulder must've had the same thoughts, choosing to give her a follow up question. "Cinnamon? Doesn't that seem a little odd to you?"
Frustrated, she rubbed her eyes. "I don't know what to tell you. Its breath smelled like cinnamon. Why would I lie about that?"
Mulder raised both his hands in an attempt to calm her down. "Alright, alright. I believe you."
She looked away from Agent Mulder, turning her head toward the open door and making direct eye contact with Samantha. Unfortunately for our out of place heroine, that meant "duck and cover."
"Did you see that?" Samantha heard the girl ask Agent Mulder.
"See what?"
"That girl. She was staring at me through the door. She looked kind of spooky."
"Who is she calling spooky?" Samantha whispered to herself. Crouching behind the door, she didn't have any places to hide. She could stay here and wait for her dad to eventually find her or… she could sneak into the neighboring room. She needed more time to think this through.
"I'm sure there's no one there. I'll check right now."
Shit. She could hear his footsteps as he got closer to the door. It was now or never. Taking a large step to her left, Samantha stepped into another room and cracked the door.
Through the gap, she could see Mulder stick his head outside the hospital room. Shaking his head, he replied to the girl. "Like I said, there's no one here. Hallucinations could be a side effect of all those fun drugs you have running through your system. I'll make sure to tell Doc to tone it down. Now, can we get back to my questions?"
"Yeah. Thanks for checking." Mulder then closed the door. He may have not seen anyone, but Samantha knew he would never rule out extreme possibilities.
By the time Mulder shut the door, Samantha was so exhausted by the adrenaline of almost getting caught that she felt her knees buckle. She dropped to the floor, brought her knees to her chest, and let out a long exhale.
She didn't know how her dad managed to break into so many high security places. It was too much pressure to do on a weekly basis.
"Are you okay?"
Samantha felt her heartbeat rise again. "I'm-I'm fine," she stuttered.
"Are you sure about that?"
She raised her head from between her knees. Through her tears, she could make out a woman standing in front of her. She frowned, blinking her eyes several times. As her vision cleared, she could feel her eyebrows raise in shock.
The woman wasn't a doctor. In fact, she wasn't even an adult. She had dark brown hair and looked to be in her late teens. Dressed in a hospital gown, there were some nasty scratches on her face.
"Okay, I'm not so fine," Samantha sighed.
The girl sat down next to her, making sure her gown didn't ride up and show her underwear. She extended her hand to Samantha. "I'm Brianna. Brianna Stapleton."
She shook her hand. "Sama-Sabrina. Nice to meet you."
"So…" Brianna began, folding her hands in her lap. "Why were you crying?"
Samantha looked away. "It's nothing."
"I won't tell anyone you snuck in here," she offered. "I've been stuck in this room for hours and I'm desperate to talk to someone my own age. Agent Scully is cool and all, but—"
"Did you just say Agent Scully? She was here?" Samantha whipped around and faced Brianna, confused. The last time she checked, Agent Scully was interviewing
"How do you know Agent Scully?" Brianna asked.
"How do you know Agent Scully?" Samantha pointed at Brianna's chest, ignoring her question.
"She wants to ask me a few questions about my attack. Can you answer my question now?" Her eyebrows furrowed and she crossed her arms.
"Is she coming back soon?" Samantha asked urgently, grabbing hold of Brianna's shoulders. "I can't be here when she comes back. They'll send me away."
Brianna's eyes widened. "Why would they do that? Did you do something bad? Did you kill someone?"
Samantha chuckled. "Calm down. I haven't killed anyone. I'm just…not supposed to be here."
The tension left Brianna's body, soothed by Samantha's reassurance. "Good to know," Brianna muttered.
They both scooted back and leaned against the closed door, sitting in awkward silence.
"She went to get me water, you know," Brianna said, turning to face Samantha. "So you should probably go before she gets back."
Samantha thanked her for her discretion, hugging her tightly. "Take care of yourself."
Brianna wrapped her arms around Samantha, hugging her back. "I will. Plus I won't be alone. I have a boyfriend."
Samantha pulled back from the hug. "Boyfriend?"
Brianna had a dreamy look in her eyes. A goofy smile spread across her cheeks. "Yeah. His name is Jackson Van De Kamp."
Poor girl. She has no idea how much of an ass her brother was. He didn't just cheat on Brianna. He had to go the extra mile and scare the hell out of her by impersonating a fictional monster.
Samantha decided to let her down slowly. "I'm not sure how to tell you this," she began. "You shouldn't trust Jackson."
Anger flashed in Brianna's eyes. "Why should I trust you over Jackson? I just met you!"
"You don't have to trust me," Samantha argued, standing up from my sitting position. She pointed to her right. "Talk to the girl in the next room. Jackson was dating her too."
"You're lying." Brianna then stood up, refusing to let Samantha stare down at her.
"Why would I lie about that?" Samantha threw her hands up in exasperation.
Brianna gasped. "Because you want Jackson for yourself!"
Samantha wanted to vomit at the thought of dating her own brother. "That's disgusting!"
"Then why-"
She didn't have much time. Samantha had to leave the room and find her way back to the waiting area without running into Agents Scully and Mulder.
"Because he doesn't care about you," Samantha interjected. "He cares about staying alive and he can't do that if he gets attached. I would know…I'm his sister."
Before Brianna could so much as gasp, Dana
walked into the room, carrying a cup of water. She didn't notice Samantha's presence at first because she was sending a text message. "Alright, one cup of water. Are you ready to answer some questions now Ms. Stapleton?"
Brianna's eyes darted to Samantha's, silently asking what to say. Samantha raised her hand and gestured for her to respond to Dana. "Yes," she said shakily.
Dana looked up, locking eyes with Samantha. She passed the water to Brianna. "Sabrina? What are you doing back here? I thought I told you to stay in the waiting area."
"I got lost while searching for the bathroom," she replied smoothly, lying through her teeth.
Dana eyed her suspiciously. "And you just happened to find one of the two hospital rooms for the Ghouli attack victims?"
Samantha smiled, shrugging her shoulders. "What can I say? It was a pure coincidence."
Author's Note
Sorry that I haven't posted in the last 2 months. To be honest, I wanted to take a small break from fanfiction and focus on my original work. Currently on season 5 of the Big Bang Theory (Go Shamy!) and I'm about to go on vacation to Florida in the next couple days. Hope everyone is doing great and having a great summer. Remember to like and comment!