Hey guys, thanks again for the reviews. They would also be appreciated on this chapter, especially because I'm not sure if I like this one or not. I don't really like the way the story is headed but I couldn't think of anything better, so we'll just have to see how this turns out. Without further self-doubting, here's chapter 3...

Chapter 3

"So, what's the case?" Monica questioned, glad to be rid of the awkward moment.

"Oh, just your garden-variety alien abduction," John replied smugly.

"Well, it appears to be more complex than that, if you look at the files," corrected Scully. "A teenage girl somehow disappears on her way home from school…"

"See, that's what I don't get – it could be a host of other things besides abduction," John interjected.

"But police have been frustrated with it for months and they've had no leads, so that's where we step in to explore other options," Scully answered.

"Sounds interesting," Monica mused, leafing through the file. "But challenging… there really don't seem to be any hints."

"I have a feeling when we talk to the family we'll be able to dig some up," John suggested.

"So where are we headed?"

"Nowhere, the case is right here in DC."

"That's good, I didn't want to leave right away before I really had a chance to settle in," Monica added.

With that, Monica scooped Jane up from the carpet. Soon, she was in daycare and the three were off to find a lead in the case.

They soon found themselves seated in the messy living room of Don and Julia Hawthorne, the parents of the victim, and Emily, her younger sister.

"I know you have already talked to the police, but we are here to investigate an entirely different aspect of the case, so I hope you don't mind if we talk to you again," Scully explained.

"Sure," Don replied.

"What happened the day your daughter disappeared?"

"Well, Alison is usually here when we get home from work," Julia began. "After awhile, I started to get worried because it was already 7 and she's never home after 5 without telling us first. I tried her cell phones it wasn't turned on, and around 8 I was so nervous that I called the police. They told me to come down and file a report, I think you have it with you,"

Dana nodded. "Then what happened?"

"The police said they would file a missing persons report and they said they would start looking for her that night," Julia continued. "But they never found her. I went back every day but they never had any news. Finally they decided they wanted to get the FBI involved. I just hope you guys can help. She was accepted for your summer internship, you know?"

"Really?" Monica seemed interested.

"Yeah she went to meet with a director and everything; it was a big deal for her."

"Do you remember his name?" Now Monica knew she was onto something.

"No, I really don't. She only mentioned him once or twice, but boy was she into the FBI, let me tell you, she went over there many times before she disappeared. For the longest time she's wanted to be an FBI agent, wanted to help people, you know."

"Do you mind if I look in her room?" Monica needed evidence to back up her worst suspicions.

"Go ahead, but the police have already taken a lot of her stuff, including her computer," Julia said.

Monica heard the slow murmur of John's voice as she stepped into Alison's room. At first glance it looked pretty normal, but Monica had a feeling there was some great evidence hiding somewhere. She started by looking under her bed, but only found a few socks and a math book. Then she turned to the closet, and started digging around in a massive pile of flip flops that had settled slightly to reveal a plain brown cardboard shoebox. Instinctively Monica knew to open it. On the very top were several "Happy 18th Birthday" cards from Alison's friends and family, but under that layer Monica found a very telling letter. Monica's stomach tensed up as the glanced it, and she felt her legs give in, forcing her to sit back on the carpet.

Baby,

I love you so much and want you so much right now, so I arranged another meeting between us for Friday. I said it was with Kersh this time so people don't get suspicious, but he's out of town the entire week, so it'll be just you and I. I can hardly wait until your summer internship here so we can solve cases and help people, and of course so I don't have to keep sneaking you over here every time I want to see you… and do a bit more than that. I can hardly wait until Friday to see you.

Love,

Brad

Monica placed a shaky hand to her throbbing head. She couldn't believe this was happening again.