Chapter Three

Scully stared at the photo of her mother and herself. She brushed a tear away as she saw that she was just a baby, a little tiny being of this world in her mother's arms. She sighed heavily and pushed the photo to her heart, as if she could hold on to the memory even though she had been too young there for her to remember it now.

She put the photo down into the box that she was going to keep, and picked up the next one. It was of her and her sister; Melissa, playing in the garden. She laughed to herself, remembering the warm summers that they had shared at their family home. She remember the smell of her Mother's cooking, and the warm embrace of her Father as she ran up to him when he was cooking sausages on the barbeque. This was a happy childhood. She was grateful.

Suddenly her thoughts turned to her Mother's comments before she died. They had been to Fox, about William. She had never imagined her life to have turned out the way it had. Scully blinked back a tear and put the photo down, being careful not the damage it. She put it in the 'keep' box.

'Mom..' She said between a sob. 'Missy….'

She felt her heart breaking.

'I miss you..'

Mulder knocked on the door. He squinted in the morning sunlight. The door swung open and in the door way stood a young woman with a pretty face and dark hair.

'Tessie?' He asked.

'Yes..' She said in confusion. She looked like she was ready to leave the house.

'My name is Agent Mulder. I'm from the FBI. Am I able to speak to you for a moment?' He asked, flashing his badge.

'I erm.. I was just about to go to work..' She started looking startled.

'It will only take a moment. May I?' He asked, motioning for her to let him in. She looked around nervously.

'What's this about?'

'It's about the.. deaths that you witnessed.' He said carefully, not sure whether to call them suicides. Tessie's eyes opened wide with fear. Mulder frowned in concern as he saw her reaction and to his surprise she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him inside the door.

'Please, come inside.' She said in a hushed voice, and shut the door behind them.

Mulder stepped into her home and looked around. She looked flustered.

'Look, Agent..' She started, forgetting his name.

'-Mulder.' He finished.

'Agent Mulder. I have work in half an hour. I don't have long.' She said.

'This will only take five minutes of your time.' He said. After a moment of hesitation she gave in and motioned for him to sit down. Mulder smiled a little and sat down in one of her arm chairs.

'Tessie, you witnessed the deaths, yes?'

She nodded.

'Can you tell me what you saw?'

'You wouldn't believe me if I told you.' She sighed. Mulder almost laughed out loud.

'Trust me, I believe just about anything.' He said, and Tessie looked up at him. There was a pause.

'I can't explain it.' She started. Mulder held her gaze. 'I saw him, the hooded figure.' She said, fear filling her voice.

'What hooded figure?' Mulder asked.

'He was there – at each death. They said it was suicide..' She said, and laughed nervously. 'But it wasn't. Agent Mulder, he made them do it. He controlled them.'

'Who's 'he' Tessie?' He asked, frowning in thought.

'I don't know who he is.' She whispered in fear. 'But I know that it was him, he made them do it. They were screaming.. pleading, like they were begging someone to make them stop. Who does that when they are trying to commit suicide?

'But how do you know this?' Mulder asked.

'I saw him. He was controlling them. I don't know how – it was like they were under a spell of something. It freaked me out.' She said, shivering. Mulder nodded. 'I don't know why I was there for every murder!' She exclaimed, tears filling her eyes.

'It's ok Tessie.' He started.

'No! I'm scared.' She said desperately. Mulder frowned.

'Of what?'

'Of him.' She said with dread. 'I can feel him… I think that he's watching me.'

Mulder felt his stomach rise into his chest.

'You think that he's after you next?' He asked.

'No, I don't think I'm next.' She said weakly, and clasped her hands together. 'I can just feel him around me. It's like he knows that I know it was him. He's afraid that I may tell people about him..' She said, then looked up at Mulder with fear. 'People like you!' She said, and rose from her seat.

'Tessie, it's all right. I am going to make sure you are protected.'

'How?' She exclaimed.

'I promise.' He said with sincerity. Tessie looked at him and nodded.

'Ok… I have to go to work.'

'I will follow you and stay outside your work place until I get some more officers to watch you.' He said to reassure her. She nodded and reached over to grab her hand bag.

'Ok, lets go.'

She stared at the box that was labelled 'Clothes.' She feared opening it, because the scent of her Mother would fill her apartment and it would be like she was there. Scully blinked back tears as she tried to gain enough strength to open it. She knew that she would have to, it was only a matter of time..

Suddenly her phone rang, and she was glad to be distracted. She grabbed it and looked at the caller. It was Mulder. She swiped the arrow over and raised it to her ear.

'Mulder?'

'Hey Scully. How's it going?' He asked casually. Scully swallowed the tears down and let his voice resonate in her ears. It made her feel warm and comfortable again.

'Oh erm.. OK..' She said unconvincingly. Mulder paused.

'What are you doing?' He asked.

'Oh.. nothing. Just sifting through a few of my Mom's belongings. She had a lot of things.' She said, and tried to sound casual. Mulder lowered his head in sadness as he knew she was upset.

'Find anything that you want to keep?' He asked cautiously.

'A lot actually.' Scully replied, and stared again at the box. 'I haven't opened it all yet.'

'Take your time.' He said softly. Scully felt her heart race at his concern. She wiped away a tear from her eye in frustration.

'So.. how's the case?' She asked, trying again to change the subject.

'It's interesting. I've interviewed the main witness, she says that she saw the hooded figure at every murder. She's also afraid of him; that he is watching her somehow.'

'Mulder, are you saying that she is in danger?'

'She thinks that she is, so that is why I am sitting in my car outside her work place right now.' He said, biting into a sunflower seed. 'Hey Scully, shall I get a cheeseburger or a chicken sandwich for my lunch?' He asked, looking at the menu on the window.

She smiled a little, imagining him sitting outside the fast food restaurant.

'Do they do wraps?' She asked playfully.

'Erm.. may be.'

'Ok, well you can get me one of those.' She said with a smile.

'I don't think it will taste that good by 4.30pm.' He said, smiling to himself now. Scully sighed as she felt her heart reach out for him.

'Uh oh.. the cavalry's here.' He said as he saw the police cars pulling up in front of him. 'I gotta go Scully. I will see you soon.'

'All right, keep me posted.' She said, not wanting him to go.

'Sure.' He said and hung up.

Mulder stepped out of the car and walked over to the police officers. He flashed his badge and they nodded and let him through.

'Who's the superior?' He asked.

'I am.' A voice came from his left. He frowned as he looked over to see an older looking detective.

'Agent Fox Mulder, FBI.'

'Detective Daniels, nice to meet you Mr Mulder.' He said, and held out his hand for Mulder to shake. Mulder obliged.

'Detective Daniels, I want officers keeping eyes on Tessie at all times. She fears for her life.'

'Yes, I heard. A hooded figure controlling her? Do you really think that this man caused the deaths of these victims?'

'Tessie said that they looked like they were being controlled, and she saw this mystery man at each death.'

'And why was she at every death Agent Mulder?' He asked with a raised eyebrow.

'She believes that the man was forcing her to be there, and that she is being watched now by him. This is why I need people watching her.' Mulder said. The detective sighed.

'Well I guess you have authority here Agent Mulder.' He said with difficulty. Mulder nodded. 'Ok. We will keep watch over her.'

'I will be back tomorrow. I have a personal matter I have to go home for, otherwise I would stay.' He said, heading back to his car. Detective Daniels nodded and waved him off.

He heard the sirens and looked to see what was happening. He thought it was just the one Agent looking for him?

But no, there were police officers now, lots of them. All near Tessie.

He ground his teeth together in frustration.

He wanted her alone so he could finish this, not surrounded.

Taking a deep breath and tried to calm himself - his mind was over running. The rage and hatred burned inside him.

He leaned around the corner of the wall, catching another glimpse of the FBI agent as he walked over to the police.

He was the problem. He was going to destroy his plan and try to save Tessie.

He watched in disgust as the FBI Agent walked back to his car.

'Well not if I kill him first.' He muttered to himself.

Thanks for your reviews!