CHAPTER ONE

It was almost eleven when Carly went home and Langly sighed wistfully. He's been in love with Carly for almost a year. For the first five years he just liked as a pal, but lately he's been seeing her in a different light; she was very attractive with collar-length brown hair and soulful hazel eyes that had a little bit of green in them. She was slender and petite, only a few inches taller than Frohike. He wasn't the only one in love with her. Frohike adored her and made no secret of his attraction to Carly, unlike Langly who preferred to keep his feelings private. Byers was the only one who wasn't attracted to her, mostly because he still carried a torch for Susanne Modeski.

A hand slapped his shoulder, making him jump, " Jeez, Byers, don't sneak up on me like that." Langly snapped.

Byers raised an eyebrow, " I wasn't sneaking…you were daydreaming and didn't hear me that's all."

" Sorry," Langly took off his glasses and wiped them on his black Dungeons and Dragon's t-shirt.

" You were thinking about Carly weren't you?" Byers asked, " I can always tell because you get this dreamy look on your face."

" I do not," Langly protested as he put his glasses back on.

" Yes you do. Why don't you tell her how you feel?"

" No way man, I can't do that."

" Why not? You're closest to her than any of us. You've got to tell her before somebody else comes along. What have you got to lose?"

Langly didn't answer, " What about Frohike?"

" What about him?"

" He has the hots for her too and Carly knows it. What if she fell for him instead?" Langly shook his head, trying to clear his jumbled-up thoughts.

" I doubt that will happen." Byers stroked his beard, " but then again, stranger things have happened."
The following morning, Carly received a visitor-Langly. Langly had tossed and turned for several hours, trying to decide wether or nor to confess all to Carly. He finally fell asleep around 2 am.

" Oh hi Langly. " she said letting him in her apartment. She lived in Mulder's apartment building, right across the hall from Mulder.

" Did I catch you at a bad time?" Langly asked as she flitted around the living room, trying to find something.

" I'm about to leave for a writer's conference," she explained, " and I can't find my car keys." She rubbed her eyes which were looking blood-shot and tired.

" Oh…I'll come back later," Langly decided as he started to back towards the door.

" No, it's ok, you can stay. You can help me look for the blasted keys." Carly picked up her notebook carry case and put it on the kitchen table and began filing through the kitchen drawers.

Langly spotted the keys on top of the refrigerator and gave them to her.

" Thanks," Carly said relieved, " Is there something you wanted?"

" Not really, I just came to see if you were Ok after last night," Langly explained.

" I have been better. I didn't sleep much last night," Carly admitted, " Madeline will come looking for me once she got out-she knows where I live."

" You're not safe staying here," Langly relied as an idea began forming in his head, " Maybe you can stay with us for awhile?"

" Thanks, but I'm safe here…my neighbour is an FBI Agent remember?"

" I know, but he's always away on assignments," Langly reminded her, " I'll talk to Byers and Frohike about it, I'm sure they won't mind. You can stay in the guest room."

" I'll think about it. Right now I have to go," Carly picked up her carry case and ushered Langly out of her apartment.

Langly watched her drive off with longing. She was beautiful but she could never be interested in someone who looked like he came from Woodstock.

Don't give up Langly, he told himself as he made his way back home, if you give up, you will lose her.
One week later

Madeline Garrett got out of the cab and entered the apartment building where her older sister lived. One week ago, Madeline was let out of Baltimore Women's Prison with a word of warning from her lawyer-if you screwed up your parole, you're going right back to prison.

I'm never going back to that place, Madeline vowed; I will do what I need to do then disappear for good.

Madeline smoothed back her long brown hair. She had bought some new clothes once she got out of prison. She wore skin-tight black jeans and a low-cut red top with a black leather jacket. It was so good to wear normal clothes instead of the drab, shapeless orange jumpsuit she was forced to wear for six whole years.

She took the elevator to apartment no 32 and knocked, but there was no answer.

" Sorry," a voice said making her jump, " Nobody home." She whirled around and found herself facing Special Agent Fox Mulder.

" Well, well, if isn't Agent Mulder," Madeline greeted him.

" I heard you were getting out of prison," Mulder answered, " but I never thought you had the gall to come back here."

" Why not? I came to see my big sister, what's wrong with that?"

" You tried to murder her," Mulder reminded her, " so I doubt she'd want to see you."

" Where is she?"

" She won't be coming back here in awhile because she knows you'd come back here. She's staying with some friends."

" And where do these friends of hers live?"

" You expect me to tell you?" Mulder shook his head, " I'm not that stupid Madeline."

Madeline reached into her handbag and fingered her pistol, she could shoot Mulder anytime she wanted to, but he wasn't the one she intended to kill.

" Well, if you're not going to tell me, I'll have to find out for myself." Madeline said, " and believe me, nothing will stand in my way." She gave Mulder a pointed look.

" You do know that if you try to harm your sister again, you'll go right back to prison." Mulder reminded her.

" Who says I came back to harm her?" Madeline gave Mulder a hurt look, " I only came back to get myself reacquainted with her. She's my only family now…my only living blood relative. See you around Agent Mulder." Madeline disappeared down the hall and was gone.