October 1999

"Tali-Keno," Mulder said excitedly as he opened the door to the office, causing Scully to startle and glare at him.

"Jesus Christ, Mulder," she said, letting out an exasperated breath. "Whatever happened to good morning. How are you today?"

"Good morning, Scully," he replied with a grin, hanging up his coat as she crossed her arms and stared at him. "How are you today?"

She rolled her eyes, but could not stop her lips from quirking as she shook her head.

"I was doing well until you burst in here like an overly sugared toddler," she stated and he laughed as he stepped closer to her. "What were you saying? Something about a teddy corn?"

"Tali-Keno," he corrected her and she shrugged as he grinned.

"Who, or more than likely what, is a Tali-Keno?" she asked and he chuckled.

"The Tali-Keno is believed to have lived hundreds of years ago-"

"Hmm," she hummed, shaking her head.

"And recently it's been spotted."

"Has it?"

"Yup!" he said excitedly, turning to the filing cabinet and rifling through the drawers. "It was believed to only appear in October, around Halloween, scaring children and causing adults to take caution, staying home to avoid being killed or maimed."

"Sounds like a story told to keep townspeople in line. Most likely as a balance between God and the Devil. Good and evil."

"Oh, Scully," he said, taking out a file and slamming the drawer. He smiled and opened the file, handing her a piece of paper with an old drawing of a large gargoyle type creature.

"Mulder," she scoffed, laughing slightly. "You can't be serious. This is a generic drawing that could be anything aside from what it is supposed to be. It could be a large dog, perhaps a person in a cloak or a jacket. Perhaps the person who claimed to have seen it was drunk or suffering from a sickness. There are many things it could be aside from this… tall, grotesque… are those wings?" She looked at him and he nodded happily. "Mulder…"

"Okay, I can see that drawing hasn't won you over."

"Hardly," she murmured, handing him back the paper and he chuckled.

"How about this one then?" He handed her another one and it was almost identical, except this creature had red eyes and claws dripping with blood. She looked at him and sighed. "Or this one?"

Another drawing, very similar to the other two, was handed to her and she shook her head with a smile as she gave them both back to him.

"What?"

"Mulder, no."

"What do you mean, no?"

"I mean," she said, pointing to the file. "This "creature"-"

"I don't think there's a need for air quotes here, Scully," he deadpanned and she fought back a laugh.

"This… idea," she said, raising her eyebrows and he nodded with a small smile, accepting the change. She rolled her eyes and licked her lips to stop from smiling back at him. "This belief, or legend, is not unlike the hundreds we've investigated already."

"No, it's different."

"How?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"It only appears around Halloween."

"And?"

"And? You need more? It's Halloween, Scully," he said, giving her an incredulous look.

"And?" she asked again.

"What do you mean? How are you not getting this? It's a creature. It's Halloween."

He stared at her and she blinked a few times before shrugging her shoulders and making a face. His mouth dropped open and she laughed, reaching out to pat his arm.

"Mulder, we have investigated many "monsters and creatures"-"

"Again with the air quotes," he said, sighing as he shook his head and she laughed again.

"We've investigated many unbelievable things and often it's not a monster, it's simply a person or… an alligator."

"How dare you," he said quietly and she laughed harder, shaking her head at his expression of mock outrage.

"Mulder…" she said, smiling and placing her hands palms up as she shrugged again. "I don't see how Skinner is going to allow us to go chasing after this thing without any cause."

"It's been seen, Scully. Eyewitness accounts."

"Not by a lake," she said teasingly and he narrowed his eyes at her. "Because we've already solved that one."

"I refer you to my previously stated comment," he said and she smiled.

God, but he is cute, she thought, her eyes flicking quickly to his lips then back to his eyes.

"I'm not going to some lake to hunt down a monster," she said. "I have no desire to end up stuck on a rock watching our boat sink."

"Well, you're in luck. It's not been spotted near a lake."

"That's good."

"It's been seen in a graveyard."

"Mmm," she growled, her eyebrows knitting together.

"An old graveyard at the edge of a forest."

"Ughhhhh," she drawled out and he could not suppress a grin.

"Always after midnight."

"Mullllllderrrrr," she whined and he laughed, squeezing her upper arm. "Noooooo…"

"It will be quick, hopefully, as Halloween is in five days."

"Noooo," she said softly, groaning as she stared at him.

"Four people have reported seeing it in the graveyard before it then hurries at impossible speed back into the forest."

"Oh, that sounds like it will be super easy to solve," she said sarcastically. "Why are we still talking about it? Why aren't we on our way to… where is it?"

"Vermont."

She blinked at him then exhaled loudly through her nose.

"Vermont," she said flatly.

"Mm-hmm."

"Vermont. In the fall. In a graveyard near a forest."

"Colonel Mustard with the lead pipe," he teased and she inhaled sharply.

"Do you have any idea how cold it's going to be if we do go gallivanting off?"

"Not if, when."

"Mulder," she said, shaking her head. "No."

"Scully, yes," he said gleefully. "We have a briefing with Skinner in… twenty minutes."

"What? No. Why? Noooo. Mulderrrrr," she whined again and he laughed, now squeezing both her arms.

"Make sure to pack some warm clothes, Scully. We're heading off to the beautiful state of Vermont."

She groaned and he laughed once more as her shoulders slumped and she hung her head in defeat.