Monty couldn't believe her luck.

It was the middle of the night, and she hadn't had a bite to eat since the day before yesterday. There just weren't that many humans staying in the motel anymore. Honestly, she couldn't blame them. The Brightside Motel was not located in the most reputable part of town. That and it was practically falling apart at the seams. But the fact remained that Monty's main source of food came from the scraps left behind by others. She wouldn't survive for much longer if the humans kept turning up their noses at the bedbugs.

She crept through the ventilation shafts that ran through the motel. They were the easiest way to get around the place when you were only three inches tall. So long as she didn't run into any rats, that is. Monty had come across a few in the vents since they were hardly ever used. The manager liked to save money where he could.

Checking each room as she passed, Monty let out a sigh at yet another disappointment. The place seemed abandoned. One more room, she decided. I'll check one more room and then...

She wasn't sure what then, but Monty was determined. Whatever happened, she would find a way to survive.

When she glanced down through the vent into the next room, she nearly jumped in the air and shouted for joy. There was a man there, talking to someone on the phone. Monty watched him through the slats in the vent, a huge grin plastered on her face. Maybe her luck was changing.

The man seemed to be just staying for a night or two, judging from his small case of belongings. Monty settled down by the vent to wait for the evening to turn to night. With nothing else to do, she listened to the man down below her. Apparently he was some kind of human official. He talked in great length about an investigation and a homicide and other important-sounding things. Monty didn't pay much attention. Human matters didn't concern her, so she didn't worry about them. She /did/ pay attention to the snack bar he started eating after he hung up the phone. With baited breath, she waited to see where it would end up, hoping he didn't finish it completely.

The man seemed preoccupied, and it wasn't long before he put aside the half-eaten bar in favor of focusing on his work. Monty nearly cried tears of joy. He'd placed it on the bedside table, directly underneath the vent where she sat. It would be a simple matter to retrieve once the human was asleep...

Monty's eyes snapped open. She lurched upright, dazed and disoriented. Once she realized she was still in the vents, she relaxed a little. She must've dozed off for a minute there. It had been a while since she'd had a decent amount of shuteye. Rubbing the remnants of sleep from her eyes, Monty gazed down into the occupied room once again. The human was preparing to retire for the night. He was no longer wearing his suit and had a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth. Even still, he rifled through the papers strewn out on the table. Studying pictures and reading and rereading the same files. He seemed so fascinated by whatever it was he was investigating.

Finally, he did settle down and switched off the lights. Monty began to prepare for her decent once he was lying down in the bed. Still, she waited a good hour before doing anything else, just to be safe. The silence settled around her as the night progressed. Her senses tuned into the quieter sounds that normally went unheard. The wind drifting in through the many drafts, cockroaches scuttling through the walls and vents, the many creaks and groans of the motel itself settling. Monty focused in on the room below her, picking up on the human's breathing. It was deep and steady, meaning he was fast asleep.

She smirked, satisfied. Uncoiling the long thread she always kept on her, Monty twisted the bit of wire tied to the end and secured it around one of the slats in the vent. She gave it a few firm tugs to make sure it would hold her before carefully slipping out into the open.

It was always a bit unnerving to hang so far above the ground, with nothing but open space surrounding her. But Monty shoved the feeling aside, focusing on lowering herself safely down. Still, she breathed a sigh of relief once her feet finally touched the solid surface of the bedside table. Monty immediately made her way to the food the human had forgotten. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head at the /size/ of it. What was only a snack to the man sleeping mere feet from her could feed a whole family at her size for days!

Pulling her handmade bag from her shoulder, Monty set it down at her feet. At first, she tried to break pieces off with her hands, but it was one of those heathy kinds of bars that were hard and did not crumble easily. In the end, she had to resort to stomping down on the food to break it apart.

Just as she began stuffing as many crumbs as she could into her bag, the phone on the table suddenly began to ring. At the harsh sound, Monty jumped so bad she tumbled over with a curse. It was so loud and right next to her she thought she might go deaf. Scrambling to her feet, Monty covered her ears even though it did nothing to block out the obnoxious noise.

The human rolled over, groaning in his sleep. If she didn't get out of sight fast, he was going to see her.

Glancing around quickly, Monty spotted the alarm clock a few inches away. With one last look at the gigantic form of the human stirring, Monty dashed behind the clock, taking shelter in what little cover it provided. She held her breath when the shrill sounds were finally silenced as the man picked up the phone and spoke.

"Hello?" He said in a voice that was husky with sleep.

Monty couldn't suppress a slight shiver at the sound of his voice. It was so deep and so close to her. He must have been leaning over the phone receiver. If he moved just a little further, he would be able to see her over the alarm clock.

"Yeah, this is Agent Mulder... Uh huh... Another victim...? Alright, I'll be over there as soon as possible."

The phone hung up with a loud /clack/ right next to her. She heard the man sigh, and then cloth shifting as though he were getting up. But then there was a pause. She waited with baited breath as the seconds ticked by. Then, a shadow passed over her and she listened as he picked something else up off of the side table.

Monty realized with a wave of dread and horror that she had left her bag lying next to the bar. Not only that, but her hook and line were still dangling from the vent. The human must have seen them. She swallowed thickly, her back pressed against the plastic of her only protection. Her heart pounded so loudly in her ears she wondered briefly if the human could hear it.

Then the world seemed to freeze.

Apparently, the man guessed her hiding spot as his fingers descended into her view. Monty stared in horrified fascination as the enormous digits came closer. They brushed against her and then froze. This was enough to snap her out of her stupor as panic gripped her anew and caused her to act. Monty dove away from the intruding hand, nearly tumbling down the crack between the table and the wall. She steadied herself, eyes spotting her one last chance of escape.

The alarm clock wire trailed down to the floor, if she could climb down it she just might be able to stay out of sight. Wasting no time, Monty threw herself onto the cord and practically slid down it. She didn't get far, however.

Suddenly, her whole world was lurching upward. She let out a small shriek of terror. That was the exact opposite direction she wanted to go! Monty squeezed her eyes shut tight, just waiting for the inevitable end to this madness.

Soon, the movement came to a stop. Monty could feel herself swaying gently back and forth, like a fish dangling from a hook. She gripped her only lifeline tighter, eyes still closed. It was only when she felt a warm breath wash over her that she looked up again. Wide and frightened bright, blue eyes met soft brown ones. Monty suddenly found herself trembling under their scrutiny. For what felt like an eternity, the man only stared at her in slack-jawed amazement. Finally, he seemed to collect himself, blinking slowly and tilting his head.

"Huh..."

She shivered at the curious expression on his face and looked away. It was so /big/ and overwhelming. To have his attention focused solely on her made her feel sick to her stomach. Glancing around, Monty took in her new surroundings. She still held out some hope of getting away safe. Below her, the cord led downwards to safety, but there was no way she could get down fast enough. And a fall from this height would most likely kill her, she told herself grimly. Above her, Monty could see the underside of the alarm clock and the human's large hand holding it suspended in the air. She shuddered to think what would happen if he dropped it.

"What are you?"

The question, so earnestly asked, snapped her attention back to the giant before her. Monty swallowed thickly, suddenly becoming intensely aware of how close his face was to her. When no reply was forthcoming from her, the man shifted. His free hand approached her, causing her to flinch away. Or at least as best she could from her position. Enormous fingertips bigger than her head brushed against her back. Before Monty knew it, his hand wrapped around her. His thumb pressed into her waist, prying her away from the electrical cord.

"No!" She shouted before she could stop herself. Monty tried to struggle against him, but her hands were slick with sweat and she couldn't hold on much longer. Soon she was held entirely in the human's hand. Completely at his mercy.

Monty tried to struggle free, but froze as the man's gargantuan form shifted around her. He placed the alarm clock back on the side table before turning once more to her.

"So, you can talk." He said, his voice full of wonder.

Monty bit her tongue at that, starting her struggles anew. She couldn't let this human find out any more about her. Or else she might end up endangering others just like her.

"Do you have a name?"

She ignored the question. Opting instead to glare up at him when her struggling got her nowhere. He frowned, reaching towards her with his other hand. Gasping, Monty flinched away. Her heart rate spiked in fear and she squeezed her eyes shut. Noticing her reaction, the man froze. Glancing around, he considered a difference approach.

When nothing happened to her after a moment, Monty cautiously opened her eyes again. The human was no longer looking directly at her. Instead, his attention seemed to be diverted by something on the side table. Before she could even considered what it was, however, her world suddenly became a blur. The man had stood up and begun to move around. But even just him walking around was too much for Monty to comprehend at the moment. Before she knew it, his hand was suddenly gone and she was left stumbling on a hard surface.

A quick look around told her that she was on the larger table in the apartment. Well, large to her, small for him. He was sitting close, and watching her closely. But at least he was no longer grabbing her. Without her climbing rope, however, she had no hope of getting down to the floor from here.

Monty didn't have much time to collect herself before the human's hand was approaching her again. She jumped back in fear, but he didn't even reach for her. Instead, his hand stopped a several inches from her and placed something on the table. It was her bag, still full of crumbs. Monty eyed him suspiciously, wondering if this was some kind of trap. He only watched her. Big, cow eyes full of curiosity.

"I mean you no harm." He said, "I just wanna talk."

Shooting daggers at him with her eyes, Monty stalked over to where he'd left her bag. She scooped it off the table, examining it for damage. Once satisfied it was still in one piece, she pulled it over her shoulder. Monty was surprised by how much better she felt once its familiar weight was hanging by her side once again.

"What's your name?"

She flinched. His voice was a grim reminder of her situation. However, when she searched his face, Monty saw only sincerity and not a trace of bad intentions. There was no harm in going along with what he wanted. For now.

"M- Monty," she stuttered, a little embarrassed by how much her voice trembled. "It's Monty."

"Mulder," he responded, smiling. His eyes practically lit up at her words. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Monty."

She shrugged, not quite sure how to respond to that.

Slowly, so as not to startle her so much, Mulder leaned forward. He rested his chin on his arms in an attempt to be more at eye-level with her. Monty watched him carefully, but did not flinch away.

"I hope you don't mind this next question, but... What, exactly, are you?"

She crossed her arms defensively.

"I'm a person." Monty answered simply, but with a great deal of venom.

His eyebrows shot up at this response. "Alright, I can see that. I just wasn't sure if there was a name for, people like you."

"Who's says there're people like me?"

"Aren't there?"

At his last question, Monty deflated a little. "No," she shook her head. "At least, none that I've ever met."

"I'm sorry," he said. And he looked like he meant it.

"Don't be." Monty laughed bitterly, "no one else like me means no one else has to go through being captured and treated like- like some animal."

He actually winced at that, but otherwise didn't respond. Monty shivered, afraid maybe she had gone too far. After a moment of silence and them simply studying each other, he seemed to reach a decision.

"Listen, I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to. And I'm really sorry about what I did earlier. I had no idea what you were. But... I have to get ready to go investigate a murder, aaaand I'd like to make you an offer."

Monty stared at the man smirking over her in shock. She could hardly believe the words coming out of his mouth.

"Wha-"

Before she could even begin to start, he cut her off. "You can come with me," he shrugged, "if you want."

Then he stood and walked away from her. Monty continued to stare after him, completely speechless. He went about his business, getting dressed and whatnot, before she found her voice again.

"Are you insane!"

"Depends on who you ask."

"Do you honestly think I'd choose to go with you?"

"Oh, I don't know. I don't really like the idea of living in some dingy, old motel for the rest of my life. And yet, here you are. The case I'm working on is very interesting, I could fill you in on the way to the crime scene. Besides," he continued, coming up to the table again, ready to go, "I'm not so bad once you get to know me."

Monty glanced between the hand being offered to her and Mulder's face. She couldn't believe that she was actually considering this.

Maybe her luck had changed after all...