1Title: The Lost and Forgotten

Authors: Shadow's Echo (also known as Cindy from CindyandSandy)

Rating: PG-13 (some swearing!)

Disclaimer: You know what I own and what I do not own. If you cannot tell this with your intelligent little x-phile minds...then you are clearly dumb. But go ahead and read anyway...I like it.

Chapter 20 – Answers

Amelia's little breaking-into experience went terrible. She locked herself out and realized that if she couldn't get in she would need help. She tried for at least an hour before she got in. Luckily by then she knew what and what not to do. She tried it a couple more times with flying colors.

'Great,' she thought to herself, 'my criminal career is already starting.'

It was much easier than she had thought it would've been. She waited until late that night. She hoped that the FBI agents had left by then. She didn't want them sneaking up on her like they quite often did. She didn't want to answer any more questions, especially while she was breaking and entering.

It was around midnight when she slowly opened her door. It made a slight creak, and she stopped and waited in case anyone had heard. Nothing happened so she crept out of her room and left her door about an inch open. She tip-toed to the neighboring room, and she stopped at the door. Glancing at the gold 213 on the door, she considered running back to her room. She could close her door and forget about room 213 and all the sorrow that it held within its dark confines. But that sorrow now concerned her. It took her friend. That alone made her want to go in. She had the door unlocked before she knew it.

She took a deep breath and threw the door open. This was not a matter that involved a slow process; it had to be done fast before Amelia could second-guess herself.

She peered into the darkness. She couldn't even make out the outlines of the bed. Out of instinct she went to switch on the light, but when her hand hit the light switch she realized that she needed to be in the darkness. He probably wouldn't come out in the light. Even though she was afraid she shut the door behind herself and stepped into the shadows. Once she figured she was in the middle of the room she stopped. It was time.

"Cael? Come out, Cael. I know you're here," Amelia said, not shouting but perhaps louder than she should have. She got no verbal response, but she suddenly felt cold. Very cold. "You took Libby, Cael. Why? Why did you take her? Tell me!"

Suddenly there was a pale light that slowly got brighter and bigger until it took the shape of a boy. He was about Amelia's height, maybe a little taller, and he had deep blue eyes. It wasn't a frightening blue, but rather the calm blue of the ocean or the happy blue of the sky on a clear day. Amelia tried not to show her fear. Although this is what she had wanted, she had not really expected it. She didn't believe in ghosts.

"Cael?" Amelia whispered, her lips quivering. The boy stepped closer and nodded. "Did you take Libby?" He nodded and looked down at his feet as though he was embarrassed, ashamed even.

"Why?" Amelia asked. She was starting to become less afraid. He was just a child, like her.

"I wanted a friend," he whispered, so quietly that Amelia could barely hear him.

"But what about all the others? All the other children you killed?" She was starting to get angry.

"No, No! I didn't kill them, I didn't even touch them. I just wanted them to stay with me, but they always go away. They aren't like me, they don't stay."

"Why are they killed then? Why do you pick them?"

"They try to see me. They want to be my friend too."

"So if you don't hurt them, who does?"

"I tell the lady I want them to be my friend. The lady gets them for me."

"What lady?"

"She won't tell me her name. She likes me."

"What does she look like?" Amelia needed to know. Was she real? Or a ghost too?

"She is tall. She isn't very nice sometimes, but she wants to help me. She wants to get friends for me."

"Tell me more."

"She always smiles."

"No, what does she look like? Does she have long hair? Short hair? What color is it?"

"Short hair. Brown I think. But she always smiles, even when she's not happy," he looked away, apparently remembering her. Amelia couldn't think of who this 'lady' was, but she had time to think. Her problem at hand now, was making sure she was not the next victim.

"Cael," she said, gaining his attention, "I'll be your friend, but I don't have to die, okay? I live right next door. You can come see me whenever you want, as long as I'm not in class."

He smiled. "Promise?"

"Of course, but don't tell the lady about me, okay? Whatever you do, don't tell her you want anyone to be your friend."

"What if she asks?"

"Tell her Libby stayed and that you don't need a friend now because you have one. Just don't say anything about me."

"Okay. Can I come over tomorrow?"

"Definitely, but you'll have to wait until I'm done with classes. Around 3 I'll be there."

"Okay!" He was definitely happy. Perhaps she had turned this whole thing around.

She left the room quietly, feeling that she had bettered the world and, in the process, made a friend. Locking the door behind herself, she tiptoed back to her room. The door was still an inch open. She crept inside and shut the door. She slept well that night.

The next morning she was to report Libby's keys to the front desk. Libby hid them all the time so no one would steal them. She said it had happened to other kids. Some bullies did it so they could laugh at the kids who got in trouble for losing their keys. Amelia knew exactly where they were. She brought them to the office where she had registered at just a short while ago. The woman behind the desk took Libby's keys and smiled at Amelia. Amelia found it odd that she could be smiling when she was taking a dead girl's keys. Then it dawned on her. She was always smiling.

It was her.

Amelia looked at the name on the woman's name tag. Patricia Michaels.

"Yes?" Patricia said. She looked annoyed, but smiled anyway. Amelia realized she had been staring at Patricia.

"Sorry, I was just spacing off. Thanks." Amelia left and went straight to Lyla. Amelia frantically knocked on Lyla's classroom door, glad that Lyla didn't have a class at the time. Lyla opened the door with a confused look on her face.

"What is it, Amelia?" Amelia rushed in.

"Shut the door! I have to tell you something!" Lyla shut the door and sat down at a desk next to Amelia.

"What? Calm down, Amelia, and tell me what is going on." Amelia sat down.

"You've heard about the haunted room right?" Lyla nodded. "Well, please don't get me in trouble, but I went in. Lyla, Cael is the ghost. I saw him. I talked to him." Lyla felt Amelia's forehead.

"Are you okay? This isn't a funny joke, Amelia."

"I'm fine. You have to believe me. You are the only one who will. Just listen." Lyla took a deep breath. Amelia was a trustworthy child, and Lyla felt that she wouldn't lie about this. Lyla nodded.

"Okay. Cael said he just wanted friends, but the children that get killed don't stay. So they keep getting killed. But he didn't kill them. He said he told a lady which kid he wanted as a friend and she killed them, so he would have a friend. He didn't know her name, but he said she's always smiling. I think I know who did it, Lyla."

"Who?"

"Patricia Michaels, the lady at the front desk." Amelia took a deep breath and waited.

"Okay. I'll get a hold of Agent Mulder and you can tell him this story. We'll see what he says."

"He might not believe me."

"We'll just wait and see about that."

A/N: Well, this is almost it. One more chapter to go and it's pretty much just a wrap up chapter. I'll try to get it in soon; obviously I haven't been doing so well on the quickness factor. R&R!