Scully sighed beside him as she closed the car door, waving goodbye to Harriet who was standing in the doorway and seeing them off.

"I really hope we find Trevor," she said quietly as Harriet shut the door and Scully looked at him. "For her sake above all others. She's lost so much and she's strong for everyone else, but…"

"Yeah," Mulder said in agreement. "She's incredibly kindhearted. She doesn't deserve to have that sadness lingering in her life."

"No."

"Speaking of that kindness… how's the coat?" he asked, smiling at her and she looked down as she shook her head.

"Unbelievable," she replied and he laughed.

As they had ended their meeting with Harriet and she was walking them to the door, she had clucked her tongue at the thought of Scully going out without a coat.

"I'm telling you, snow is on the way," she had said and shook her head. "You're going to be freezing, popping in and out of places today."

"I'll be okay," Scully had promised her, smiling and gently squeezing her arm.

"You won't be, of that I'm sure. You're not from here, you don't know how quickly the cold can set in," Harriet had warned and then put a finger up. "Hold on a moment."

She had opened her front closet and searched through the many hanging coats until she pulled out a black one and held it up to Scully.

"You're about the same size as my youngest granddaughter, Amy. She's away at college and won't be needing this coat. You take it, in case yours isn't clean soon enough."

"Oh, no. I can't," Scully had said, shaking her head and trying to stop Harriet from handing it to her. "That's very kind of you, but-"

"Pshh," Harriet had said, holding the coat open and raising her eyebrows at Scully. "I insist. I won't rest easy knowing you're out and about in only that thin blazer. Go on, put it on."

Scully had looked at Mulder, silently asking for his help, but he had only grinned. She had smiled tightly and slid her arms in the sleeves, fixing the collar and then tugging at the front.

"Let's see," Harriet had said and Scully turned to face her. "Yup. Just as I thought- a perfect fit. You keep that one until your own is free of mud. Like I said, my Amy won't be needing it and you will. There might even be a pair of gloves in the pocket too. I always insisted on that when they were younger and they still make sure to keep them there so they know where to find them."

Scully had put her hands into the pockets and pulled out a pair of fuzzy black gloves and Harriet had clapped with a smile.

"Just as I thought," Harriet had said, nodding at Scully. "Now I will know you're warm and okay. My knees have never lied before and they have been aching the past two days."

"Thank you," Scully had said with a smile. "I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Harriet had said, opening the door and shivering as the cold air blew inside.

"She reminds me of my mom," Scully said, smoothing down the borrowed coat as she looked back at the house. "I could see her doing something like this. Must be their generation."

"That and who they are as people," he said with a nod.

"Yeah." She smiled at him and sighed again. "I know it hasn't been long since breakfast, but after that hike, I'm hungry. How about we get some lunch and you tell me that theory you've been mulling over?"

"What theory?" he asked, trying to keep the smile off of his face.

"Don't bullshit me, Mulder," she said, tapping the vents to let him know to turn on the car to get the heater going. "Seven years I've known you. I can practically hear your brain whirring like a machine spitting out facts and figures. Except in your case it's facts with a touch of fantasy."

He laughed as she glanced sideways at him and he started the car, turning the heater on full blast and she hummed happily, holding her hands in front of the vents.

"So let's hear it," she said after they had ordered and they sat on the enclosed heated porch of a small cafe. Not many people were around so they were able to speak freely. "I've not heard one word about the Tali-Keno since we got here and I'm beginning to think you've lost your touch. Have you accepted my theory that this might be some doctor gone off the grid?"

"A doctor who performs a miracle and expects no praise or recognition? I've not met many doctors like that," he said and she raised her eyebrows, blinking slowly. "Present company excluded, of course."

"Mm-hmm," she said, moving her napkin-wrapped utensils to her right side. "Let me hear the extreme, so I can counter with reason." He smiled and nodded, sitting forward as he clasped his hands.

"You'd be slipping if you didn't think I believe that Sarah Blackwell had something to do with the four disappearances."

"I would indeed," she said with a look and a sigh. "Just as you would be slipping, if you didn't think I would tell you that was beyond impossible."

"Yeah. But, hear me out first. Then we can discuss it. Deal?"

"Against my better judgment, I will agree."

"Fantastic," he said sarcastically with an eye roll.

Clasping her own hands on the table, she nodded at him and let out a breath.

"Go."

"You're right that I don't think this is the Tali-Keno. That was believed to be more evil, scary, fear inspiring. This… I don't believe what Peter experienced, or what the others may still be experiencing, is evil or scary. They may be scared, but the intent is not to cause harm or fear."

"Because you think… what?"

"I think Sarah's trying to heal them. That she's trying to do in death, what she couldn't do in life, which is save people."

"That's why you asked Harriet about Trevor having any known health problems," she said and he nodded. "But he didn't."

"No. No, he didn't."

"So…" She waved a hand around and raised her eyebrows again.

"Not any known health problems, Scully." He stared at her and she blinked back at him.

"So, you think maybe he had some condition that that coat lending, saint of a woman, didn't know about?"

"Well," he said with a chuckle. "I don't think I'd put it that way, but yeah, it's possible. Maybe he never complained. Maybe he didn't even know, but something is there that could may be causing him harm."

"Okay… and he was taken by Sarah Blackwell's spirit?"

"Into the forest by the cemetery, as he was at the same party with Peter."

"The forest? The forest that was searched? You think Trevor, along with the others, were taken into the woods, but not seen by anyone even as the forest was searched?"

"I do."

"Because?"

"Because the forest holds something within it."

"Magic?" she asked, staring at him in disbelief, and he shook his head.

"Magic is subjective, especially as we determine it, with all its smoke and mirrors. I could show you a card trick and you might know how I did it, while another person might find the wonder in it."

"Is that what Peter meant? That you had felt the… magic… in the forest?"

"Yes and no," he said. "I still don't know exactly what he was referring to as I don't know what he experienced while he was missing."

"But you felt something. In the forest. You already said as much."

"It was just a feeling."

"And you're convinced that feeling was Sarah in the forest, her spirit I mean?"

"Well, I didn't know about her at the time, but now that I do know… I do think that it's her. Or her spirit."

"And you think that her spirit could have taken those men and… hidden them somehow out of view from the many people searching the forest, multiple times I might add, as there have been multiple people taken? You think a spirit could do that?"

"Is it so hard to believe?"

"Yes. Extremely."

"Why?"

"Mulder," she said, sitting back and shaking her head. "Let's say that instead of the spirit of two hundred year old dead women, it was the spirit of the Lord. That people who had disappeared and reappeared, claimed they had been in the presence of God and I told you that I believed them, because I had felt it too. What would you say to me? Be honest. What would you say?"

He stared at her and opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"I'll tell you what you would say. The same thing you have told me any time religion, my religion especially, plays a part in a case that we are investigating. You scoff, act disinterested, or poke fun at a theory I might have because it's based in a religion which you do not believe. You would be more willing to believe that a ghost, or a spirit of a person, dwells somewhere, instead of in the higher power of God because you do not claim a religion." She swallowed and exhaled through her nose, staring into his eyes.

She was right, of course. But did she also not hear that what she accused him of, was exactly what she was doing to him?

She suddenly laughed softly and shook her head again as she closed her eyes.

"It's the same thing, isn't it?" she asked, nearly in a whisper, opening her eyes. "A spirit, in any form, is still just that, but we both believe the other is incorrect when it comes to their own personal feelings."

"Except in this case, I know I'm right," he teased and she exhaled another laugh as she stared at him. He smiled and she exhaled again.

"I can't agree wholeheartedly with this theory. I still… still feel it's a doctor of some kind, practicing medicine of which he has no right," she said and he nodded.

"Then, I'll just have to work hard at proving that my theory is correct," he said as simultaneously, the waiter brought their food and his cell phone began to ring. He stood from the table and stepped away to answer it.

"Mulder."

"The law is doing nothing," said a voice, loud in his ear. He pulled the phone away and stared at it, before putting it closer, but not directly against his ear.

"Hello?"

"Agent Mulder! Can you hear me?!"

"Trevor Jones has been gone for over a month. Where is he?!" said the loud voice, on what Mulder now realized was a megaphone.

"Hello?" Mulder asked again, glancing at Scully and frowning.

"Agent Mulder, it's the sheriff! We've got a situation over here!"

"The men missing are our friends, brothers, sons. They are confused and scared! But what has the sheriff done? Not enough! I don't have time for your incompetence, Sheriff! They don't have time for it! We need to find them!"

Mulder heard a crowd cheering as the loud voice quieted somewhat and the sheriff sighed wearily.

"We got a large crowd gathered outside the station. I could really use some assistance from you and Agent Scully."

"Hell no! We won't go! Hell no! We won't go!"

The crowd began chanting along with the speaker using the megaphone and the sheriff swore.

"We're on our way, Sheriff. Be there soon."

He hung up and walked back to the table, looking down at his club sandwich and fries, his stomach growling.

"What's going on?"

"We're going to need to get these to go," he said, popping a fry into his mouth. "There's some trouble brewing at the sheriff's station."