Very important Author's note: As the school year comes to a close, I will
not be able to update as much as possible, as I rely on the school
computers for my typing needs. I will try while at my dad's house, where I
don't have to worry about downloads because we have our own computers, but
it isn't a sure thing. Ciao for the summer, and have a fabulous one!
-D.E. Lewis
The Tree, The Agent, And the Girls
Scully rushed up to hug Mulder fiercely. She was still sobbing, and he was sitting on the bed, looking rather bewildered.
"If you ever EVER do that again, don't you dare worry about coming back, because I'll kill you!" She said through her tears. Scully gently laid Mulder back on the bed, and he gazed at her. His eyes were watering.
"She's really dead, Scully. She's really dead." Scully knew he was talking about his sister, Samantha Mulder. "She told me something. The girl's name. It's Avery Shiredon."
"I'll look it up." Scully said, her voice cracking.
~~
An hour or so later, Scully found herself in her office at the FBI. Searching the files, she got a hit. Avery Shiredon had disappeared two weeks before, and the case was being investigated by Special Agent Rochelle Dunsmay. Scully left a message on Dunsmay's voice mail, and got ready to return to the hospital.
On the way, her cell phone chirped.
"Scully." She said into it.
"Greetings, earth creature." A tinny voice said back.
"All I want to know is who the heck put you up to prank calls." She snapped.
"Chill, will you? That's how I say hello over the phone. I'm Special Agent Dunsmay, but call me Ro. I just got your message."
"Can you meet me at the hospital? That's where I'm headed. I may have a lead for you."
"Sure thing. See y'all there and later daze!" Scully was a little worried about the formality of this agent. A nickname only, odd ways of speaking, almost no phone respect. Scully smiled to herself. Maybe she grew up with brothers.
~~
Sitting in the hospital room with Mulder, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Scully called. The door opened and a very tall woman ducked under the doorframe. She was just shy of seven feet, and wearing black slacks and a button up shirt covered by a dark cotton sweatshirt. Her dark hair was braided and held up in some form of bun. Her feet were clad in tennis shoes, and she was painfully thin and gangly. She wore an absurd half smile on her face.
"Hey, I'm Ro." She said, extending a hand. Scully shook it, staring upward at the young woman. "You know, last I checked, just standing there with your mouth open was rude." She said, still wearing the absurd half grin. Her green eyes held a glittering of laughter in them, making them her prettiest feature.
"I'm sorry, I'm Special Agent Scully and this is my partner Special Agent Mulder." She said, gesturing to her partner on the bed.
"H-hi." He stammered. Ro's smile got bigger.
"How y'all feelin'?'" She asked, a sprinkling of southern accent coming through her words.
"I've felt better."
"Well you've looked better too. So, as turnabout is fair play, how's the weather down there?"
"You're funnier that my Uncle Level's Bavarian Polka Band." Both women looked at him strangely.
"I take it we had to be there." Scully said. Mulder smiled.
"So, you said you might have a lead for me." Ro said, getting down to business.
"Yes, actually." Scully said to the tall woman. She explained the story as far as she could, with Mulder putting in the details she didn't know. After a bit, Ro sat forward, her elbows on her knees, index fingers pressed against her lips.
"The place you're describing is a graveyard in my hometown. I actually took this case on because I knew this girl's older sister." She sighed. "It's pretty sad. Her father killed her mother, but he was never convicted. He was pretty into drugs, and she got into them too. One of her younger sisters didn't get into drugs, but the youngest did. Avery. She practically worshiped Caroline. Janet was the only one to turn out at all well." Ro shook her head. "It's awful for a family to end up like that."
"So what course of action do you propose?" Scully asked.
"Actually, I think we should head down to South Carolina. It sounds like the most logical answer to me."
~~
The next morning, the three agents found themselves on an airplane to the southern state. Mulder had been wheeled in by wheelchair on doctor's orders. Scully had pushed him, since Ro looked absolutely absurd when she tried leaning over the good three feet or so to push the wheelchair. It had taken Scully a good five minutes to calm down from laughter. On the plane, Mulder slept very soundly, completely unaware of his surroundings.
"If you don't mind my asking, did you have any siblings, Ro?" Scully asked.
"Actually, yes. I'm the only girl of fifteen kids." Scully's eyes got wide. Fifteen was a lot. She had been expecting two or three. "I'm the shortest of them." Ro put in.
"Somehow the prospect of meeting your family is a little nerve- racking." She joked. Both laughed. Maybe this case wouldn't be so bad.
The Tree, The Agent, And the Girls
Scully rushed up to hug Mulder fiercely. She was still sobbing, and he was sitting on the bed, looking rather bewildered.
"If you ever EVER do that again, don't you dare worry about coming back, because I'll kill you!" She said through her tears. Scully gently laid Mulder back on the bed, and he gazed at her. His eyes were watering.
"She's really dead, Scully. She's really dead." Scully knew he was talking about his sister, Samantha Mulder. "She told me something. The girl's name. It's Avery Shiredon."
"I'll look it up." Scully said, her voice cracking.
~~
An hour or so later, Scully found herself in her office at the FBI. Searching the files, she got a hit. Avery Shiredon had disappeared two weeks before, and the case was being investigated by Special Agent Rochelle Dunsmay. Scully left a message on Dunsmay's voice mail, and got ready to return to the hospital.
On the way, her cell phone chirped.
"Scully." She said into it.
"Greetings, earth creature." A tinny voice said back.
"All I want to know is who the heck put you up to prank calls." She snapped.
"Chill, will you? That's how I say hello over the phone. I'm Special Agent Dunsmay, but call me Ro. I just got your message."
"Can you meet me at the hospital? That's where I'm headed. I may have a lead for you."
"Sure thing. See y'all there and later daze!" Scully was a little worried about the formality of this agent. A nickname only, odd ways of speaking, almost no phone respect. Scully smiled to herself. Maybe she grew up with brothers.
~~
Sitting in the hospital room with Mulder, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Scully called. The door opened and a very tall woman ducked under the doorframe. She was just shy of seven feet, and wearing black slacks and a button up shirt covered by a dark cotton sweatshirt. Her dark hair was braided and held up in some form of bun. Her feet were clad in tennis shoes, and she was painfully thin and gangly. She wore an absurd half smile on her face.
"Hey, I'm Ro." She said, extending a hand. Scully shook it, staring upward at the young woman. "You know, last I checked, just standing there with your mouth open was rude." She said, still wearing the absurd half grin. Her green eyes held a glittering of laughter in them, making them her prettiest feature.
"I'm sorry, I'm Special Agent Scully and this is my partner Special Agent Mulder." She said, gesturing to her partner on the bed.
"H-hi." He stammered. Ro's smile got bigger.
"How y'all feelin'?'" She asked, a sprinkling of southern accent coming through her words.
"I've felt better."
"Well you've looked better too. So, as turnabout is fair play, how's the weather down there?"
"You're funnier that my Uncle Level's Bavarian Polka Band." Both women looked at him strangely.
"I take it we had to be there." Scully said. Mulder smiled.
"So, you said you might have a lead for me." Ro said, getting down to business.
"Yes, actually." Scully said to the tall woman. She explained the story as far as she could, with Mulder putting in the details she didn't know. After a bit, Ro sat forward, her elbows on her knees, index fingers pressed against her lips.
"The place you're describing is a graveyard in my hometown. I actually took this case on because I knew this girl's older sister." She sighed. "It's pretty sad. Her father killed her mother, but he was never convicted. He was pretty into drugs, and she got into them too. One of her younger sisters didn't get into drugs, but the youngest did. Avery. She practically worshiped Caroline. Janet was the only one to turn out at all well." Ro shook her head. "It's awful for a family to end up like that."
"So what course of action do you propose?" Scully asked.
"Actually, I think we should head down to South Carolina. It sounds like the most logical answer to me."
~~
The next morning, the three agents found themselves on an airplane to the southern state. Mulder had been wheeled in by wheelchair on doctor's orders. Scully had pushed him, since Ro looked absolutely absurd when she tried leaning over the good three feet or so to push the wheelchair. It had taken Scully a good five minutes to calm down from laughter. On the plane, Mulder slept very soundly, completely unaware of his surroundings.
"If you don't mind my asking, did you have any siblings, Ro?" Scully asked.
"Actually, yes. I'm the only girl of fifteen kids." Scully's eyes got wide. Fifteen was a lot. She had been expecting two or three. "I'm the shortest of them." Ro put in.
"Somehow the prospect of meeting your family is a little nerve- racking." She joked. Both laughed. Maybe this case wouldn't be so bad.