By, Allison McKenzie (aka M.F.Luder)

PG13

MSR/XF

Summary: A case brings danger to our duo. Monica joins the fun and we see something new.

Author note: different universe even if Monica and Brian are in this.

Disclaimer: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Maggie Scully, and Samantha Mulder don’t belong to me. Monica and Brian are my own, not to be used without my permission. Mulder, Scully, Maggie, and Sam all belong to FOX, 1013, and Chris Carter, no copyright infringement intendment.

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"Alright Al. Tomorrow we’ll go and get the spotted one for the new marine show thing in Miami." The man said as he stepped off the boat. He was tall, about six feet, his silver hair moved as a breeze caught it. A chill ran down his back and his green eyes darted around the dock.

"Alright man. See you tomorrow." The carrot top jumped of the boat and slung his knapsack on his shoulder. He nodded and walked away. The old fisherman pulled the collar up on his coat. Cursing the cold under his breath he made his way up the dock.

He didn’t see it behind him. Not at first, anyway. It followed him as he walked through the dark streets. It growled and the man stopped. Turning around he saw a dog. Smiling gently he crouched down and offered his hand to it. The dog began to growl and crouched down on its hind legs.

"What an ungrateful mutt." The dog lunged out and bit his hand. "Stupid dog!" the man roared and shook a fist at the dog. Barking the dog backed up and the turned to run. It dropped down behind him as the man inspected his hand. Turning around the man walked into it. Looking up slowly the man’s eyes filled with terror, as a boat hook went through his skull.

"Well, I’ll give two guesses on how he died Scully." Shooting him a look, Scully stared at the body in front of her. Fighting back the bile that caressed the back of her throat, she covered the body back over. "An old lady found him on her way to work. He lives up the street from here. They dusted it for prints but found none but paw prints."

She raised an eyebrow. "Paw prints?"

"Yep. And I know your just going to love what this guy does for a living." He leaned against the tree and smiled as he looked at the sheet in front of him.

"If you say he’s a Dead head, I will shoot you again…"

"I thought it was my turn to do that." A voice came from behind Scully, she turned and smiled as Monica walked up.

"And why are you here?" Scully asked with a tilt of her head.

Well, I made it through the academy." She smiled slightly. "Plus Skinner thought it would be a good first case for me. So here I am."

"Where’s Brain and Rose?" Mulder asked cocking his head slightly.

"Brian is home, still upset with me but he’ll get over it. Rose went home." Scully’s eyebrows lifted. "Yeah, She is taking he life back. She found out her mother’s sick. So I’m here on my own. What do we know so far?"

"Boat hook through the brain, dusted for prints and they found paw prints, and this guy is hated by a couple hundred green peace members." Mulder said rather casually. "He hunts and captures wild dolphins and whale for big marine facility’s. You can just about guess how many people would have a motive to kill him."

"Mulder?" Scully held up the man’s hand. Gold sparkled brightly in the sun, watching his face drop slightly in realization.

"He’s married." The two women nodded. "Maybe she could tell us a few things that we don’t know. Oh yeah, welcome to hell Monica." Mulder brushed pasted the two confused ladies.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Monica asked looking to Scully for an answer.

"I don’t know. He’s been like this for the past few days that we’ve been down here. The last case must have really taken a toll on him. I mean we just solved the last one and now we’re back out in the field without being home."

"Maybe he just misses his fish."

Scully stared at Monica then shook her head. "Sometimes Monica, you’re harder to understand then him."

"Is there anything you could tell his about your husband, Mrs. McDonnell? Did he ever tell you about what he did at work?" Scully said gently as she watched Mulder pace the room. That was beginning to worry her, he hardly ever paced, especially when they we’re interviewing.

"No…he never liked to talk about his work. And I never asked him. Our daughter and John used to fight about it a lot. Before she left…But I didn’t think it was my place to ask him about his work. I just stayed home or worked with the church ladies." The woman’s sad blue eyes glistened with fresh tears.

"Did you or John receive any threatening phone call’s, letters, anything like that?" Monica asked from beside Scully, watching the woman closely, for hesitation or something of the sort.

"No. I don’t think…Wait! The other night someone called the house while John was at work and they said…that the day of my release would come. Yes. I called Hank-"

"Hank?" Mulder asked stopping for a second.

"He’s the police chief. I called him and told him and he said that there wasn’t much he could do. I was going to tell John when he came home." He voice died out over the last few words. Scully reached out and patted the woman’s hands.

"I have one last question, miss. You’re daughter, what’s her name? We’d like to talk to her" The woman smiled and nodded.

"My daughter, Carol." A small smile crossed her face. She stood and walked across the room. She pulled a series of envelopes from a book. "She’s been sending me letters since she left. She was going to surprise John on his birthday, next week, by coming home. I believe she lives in Burlington, West Virginia." Scully nodded, writing the return address down n her note pad. "Listen I know what you’re thinking... My baby’s not like this. She’s not a killer."

"We just want to ask her if she knows anyone that might want to hurt her father. We don’t have enough facts to blame anyone yet." Smiling she followed Mulder and Monica out the door. They walked over to the two, parked, rental cars. "Ok, we might as well split up. Mulder, we’ll go check out the harbor where he worked. Monica why don’t you go down to the police headquarters, and call Brian, see if he can contact the daughter."

Nodding she climbed in her car and started it, pulling out her cellphone and dialed the familiar number. Giving the two a wave she pulled away from the curb and head towards the middle of the quiet town. Mulder and Scully stood at the car for a few minutes, watching her drive away.

"You think he’ll assign her to us?" She asked look up at him. He nodded. "It will be different."

"That’s not what I’m worried about." He said, watching the car still, not moving. Before she could speak he explained. Looking down her spoke, "I’m worried that she can’t handle it."

He sat, starring at her picture. He was such an asshole. Not supporting her when she needs him to say that she could handle it. He had yelled, instead. He had told her that it had been a stupid idea. Applying for the FBI, she could get transferred anywhere. Away from him, from his life. He didn’t want to lose her, but by not letting her do what she wanted he had probably lost her already.

The ringing phone jolted him out of his self-pity. Probably Rose calling to see how he was doing.

"Hello?"

"Brian?" The voice sent a surge of happiness through his body.

"Hey. Listen, I want to apologize." His jaw hit the floor. She was apologizing.

"No! It wasn’t your fault. I was being an selfish prick!"

"You know you’re so hard to fight with? You apologize to much." He smiled.

"I know. Is that all you called about?"

"No. I need you to find some one up there for me. Her name is Carol McDonnell. She lives in at 23 Elmwood lane, Burlington West Virginia. Think you could find her and call me?" She pulled into an empty parking space and turned off her car. Climbing out she locked it and slipped the keys in her pocket.

"No problem. Hey, I sold one." A smile leapt to her face and she stopped just outside the police station.

"Congratulations! Which one?"

"The naked one of you…"

"You what?!?!"

"Kidding! Listen I’ll find the girl then get back to you."

"You better be kidding. Love ya."

"Love you too. Be careful." She hung up the phone and walked into the police station. It looked like one of those old fashioned small town police stations. A bar was separating the visitor section from the actual working area. Three desks sat behind the bar and a switchboard sat to the left of them. The place had an old feeling to it except for the fact that one the desks sat three brand-spanking new computers. An old, fatter men, with a brown officer uniform swankered over to her.

She watched as he took in her appearance. She was wearing lightly faded jeans, a dark brown T-shirt, and a leather pilot’s jacket over that. Her dark black hair moved whenever she did, hanging loosely on her back. Her running shoes didn’t take much away from her height and she stood over the officer.

"Hello, young lady. How can I help you?" He spit a large wad of tobacco juice into a tin pale at the foot of the bench.

"Yeah, I was looking for the reports about prank calls to a Mrs. McDonnell. And any reported threats to any other homes in this area." She smiled down at the officer, usually people just did what she want because of her height, but here the man was join to try and pull rank.

"I’m sorry but I can’t give out that information. Shouldn’t you be home cooking or something?" The man hooked his fingers through his belt loops and rocked back on his heals, glaring up at her, daring her to challenge his authority. ‘Well pal, this is your lucky day.’

"Oh well, as one of the agents in charge of this investigation, I am requesting this information. Now you could just make it easier by giving it to me but we can pursue this through" Pause "other methods, but why just not make it easier on use both and you hand over the records?" She pulled be badge out from her inside coat pocket. Smiling she showed it to the man and happily watched his face fall. He left and quickly returned with a medium sized folder.

Handing it to her he said, "This is where we keep any and all life, well being, and kidnapping prank calls. If you need any thing else just let me know."

"Thanks. Oh yeah, you really don’t want me in the kitchen baking. I’m more dangerous there then any place else." Smiling, she left the station. Tossing the folder on the passenger seat she pulled out her keys and her cellphone. She started the car and pressed the familiar number of Scully’s cellphone.

"Scully."

"It’s me. I called Brian, he’s looking for the woman. The cops gave me all the information about any life threatening prank calls made to anyone in the past year."

"Great. It took some digging and bribing but we found out that our little friend was going to be heading out for a dolphin today. He must have paid all his workers under the table because we can’t find any record books about what the caught or who helped him." Turning her car towards the docks, Monica nodded her head.

"I’ll be there in a few minutes. Hold on a second. Another call is coming through." Pressing a button, she flipped to the other line. "Yeah?"

"I found the woman you were looking for. You want me to give you the number or head over there?" Brian’s smooth voice came over the line.

"You should head over there. Call me when you get there ok? That way she just can’t hang up the phone or not answer it. I’ve got Scully on the other line, you will call?"

"Yeah." He hung up and she switched back to the other line.

"He found her. He’s heading over there and going to call be back."

"Mon, I’m sure that’s a good idea." Scully said as Monica turned down a street that right up to the dock Mulder and Scully where on.

"Come on, Dana. This is Brian we’re talking about. He handled a angry mob once. I think he can handle a little Q and A." She turned off the car and stepped out. She strode down the dock to where Scully stood. She flipped of her phone and put it in the pocket. Mulder was nowhere in sight. Monica raised and eyebrow to Scully and she said, "Inside."

"So, what do you think is up with Mr. Party pooper?" Scully shrugged

"I don’t know if its this case or he found some information. And wants to get right on that." She sighed and looked out over the water.

"You guys have a fight?" Scully shook her head. "That’s not what he’s thinking."

Scully looked at her, arching her eyebrow. "Since when do you read minds?"

"Rose taught me. I could probe deeper into his mind if you want…" Scully glared at her. Monica held up her hands in defense.

"Probe whose mind?" Monica looked over her shoulder. Mulder stood holding a black ledger in his hands.

"Nobody’s...well, just yours but you don’t count. You’re not a challenge." Mulder glared at her. Scully looked at them.

"You knew she could read minds?" Mulder nodded. "Since when?"

"Oh, only a week. Sent me and e-mail asking what I was thinking and I said nothing, but she said that I was thinking about…" he drifted off, realizing what he was about to say.

"About what?" Scully asked, she was being very defensive. Monica seemed to pick up on this. "About the movies that aren’t his, and how to get them out of the drawer without you noticing."

Scully started laughing and Mulder blushed. He opened the book and skimmed the first three pages. "Scully look at this."

The ledger, stated pay, names, and where they could be found. "I thought you guys said this man was smart?"

"We thought he was."

"Why not look and see if a name only appears once of just a few times. Then we can cross it with the threatening phone calls." Monica moved away from the two older agents as they talked about how to find the killer. She stopped at the edge of the dock and looked into the water. Mulder came up beside her. "Monica?"

She moved her head but her eyes remained on the water. "I feel something." Mulder came up and stood beside her and looked out over the water. Scully stood back, watching them. They were standing too close together for her comfort. "And why does this bother you, Dana, huh? Are you jealous?" Scully asked herself, she quickly shook the thoughts out of her head.

"I don’t know. I want to get in there and check it out but there’s too many people around."

"Want to get a boat that way one of us could go with you?" She nodded.

"I get the feeling that it will only come out in the dark. It’s afraid of light I think that’s why he was killed by the tree. The tree shaded the street light from it and it’s victim." Monica shifted uneasily, she could feel the eyes of someone watching her. He cellphone trilled and she pulled it out of her pocket and flipped it open. "Monica."

"It’s me. I’m at the house." Brian’s deep voice came across the line and She turned from the edge of the dock.

"Did you go in yet?"

"They won’t let me in." Monica stopped, Scully gave her a questioning look.

"Who?"

"Police. Someone broke into her house and killed her. Nothing seems to be stolen."

"What?!" Mulder, Scully and a few passers by looked at her funny. She covered the phone with her hand and said, "She’s dead. Robbery." Mulder shook his head.

"Monica?" She uncovered the phone.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful." and he hung up.

The icy wind whipped Monica’s hair into her face. She shivered and stepped back into the small covered area of the speedboat they had rented for the night. She smiled as she remembered the faces the rental guys made at Mulder when he asked if they could rent a boat. The guys obviously thought Mulder was going to get lucky. Scully sat next to Mulder as he steered. Monica watched the small waves, waiting for something to jump out and kill her.

Suddenly her senses went into over drive. Had she imagined it? No! There it was again, movement in the water and there was no familiar whooshing sound, like you would get with Whales or Dolphins. She tapped Mulder on the shoulder and said, "Here. This is it."

The boat slowed to a stop and Mulder dropped an anchor, the water was rather shallow for the Gulf of Mexico, but they weren’t far from shore. They all moved to the back of the boat and looked into the dark water. Monica stripped down to the wet suit she was wearing for just this, she slipped into the water and closed her eyes. A bird called from above and landed on the boat. Artimus came into full view and he called to Mulder and Scully.

"What has she done?" Mulder pointed to the water.

"Where have you been Artimus? Monica showed up without you." Scully asked the bird, feeling very silly about asking a bird a question.

"She ditched me. Did she shift into a dolphin and go looking for it?" Mulder nodded, but before Artimus could respond the boat rocked suddenly and violently. Mulder fell backwards, into the water and Scully fell to the floor of the boat. Something shifted and the boat began to move sideways and rise up. Mulder shouted up for Scully to jump but she couldn’t hear him. Monica’s body came to the surface not far from Mulder, he swam to her and flipped her up right. "Monica! Wake up!"

Up on the boat, Scully had managed to rise to her feet and stumble to the back of the boat. She felt dizzy as she look at what had to be a 10 foot drop into the water, and it was growing. She saw Mulder look up and yell, "Jump Scully!"

She took a deep breath and jumped. She fell, and fell. At one point she was able to take another quick breath as she hit the water. Hard. She felt the water pressure grow on her ears and then a arm encircle her waist. Next thing she new she was opening her eyes to a bright hospital room. Her hand felt warm and she looked down for find Fox Mulder’s hand clasped in hers. He had sleeping like that; she gently ran her fingers through his hair. He stirred at her touch, but didn’t wake up.

"Scully…" he whimpered. And she almost woke him but he continued and she was very curious. " I have to tell you something Dana! No please don’t leave! Scully! I need you. I love you Scully! NO!!"

He bolted awake. Dana stared at him, her heart stuck in her chest, not moving, not beating. He ran a hand over his face and sat with his eyes covered for a few minutes. During this time Dana was growing tired. The nurses must have given her something. She fought it as long as possible but in the end she fell back asleep before Mulder even noticed she’d awaken.

Next time Dana awoke from her slumber the room was darker and there were two people instead of one. Mulder was still at her side, only he looked different now, Older. And a woman, She stood in the shadow but when she noticed that Scully had woken she moved closer. It was Monica; she had a nasty scare over her eyebrow. It was something Dana had never seen before, it was to early for the scare to have formed from their boating accident, or was it? Scully didn’t know how long she’d been asleep.

"Welcome back Dana." Monica’s voice was smooth and musical. "Almost thought you’d never come back to us."

"What do you mean? I’ve only been asleep a few hours, day at the most." Monica shook her head.

"It’s been two years since you where brought into that hospital back in Florida. You had fallen over 25 feet…at least that’s what Mulder said it looked like. I was passed out, Mulder saved us both, I woke up and was released a week after the incident. Since then they moved you here, St. Peter’s medical center. You’ve been in a coma for a very long time. You missed a lot of things."

"Like what? How’s mom?" Scully immediately thought of her mother.

"You’re mother’s fine. You missed our wedding, Brian and me. And Samantha, she contacted Mulder though MUFON. She was wondering if there was a chance that he could help her remember things from her past and Tada, Samantha’s back. That took some time to adjust to, but the real amazing thing is that he came to see you everyday. We all thought you would never wake up, but you became his obsession. He give up for 13 months on the X-Files, I covered for him when he want to visit you his obsession. He give up for 13 months on the X-Files, I covered for him when he went to visit you, he found Sam by accident." Mulder mumbled something in his sleep and she gazed at him.

"What day is it?" Scully asked feeling very out of place.

"December 25, 2000. Merry Christmas Dana." She smiled.

"What a great Christmas present." Monica sighed and she pulled out her cellphone. She dialed a number and a slow smile crossed her face.

"Brian? You have to come down here and get Mulder. I’ve got a great idea."

"Fox!" Mrs. Scully engulfed Fox Mulder in a hug. He hugged back, but his heart wasn’t in it. It was going to be another horrible Christmas. Brian hugged Mrs. Scully next and they joined the rest of the family in the living room. Monica’s two kids raced around and played with Sam’s two kids. Mulder moved to the couch and Brian sat next to him, Monica had said something about a special gift she had to pick up so she’d be late. Mulder looked at his watch; noon. He couldn’t wait for the day to be over.

At seven o’clock things began to quiet down at the Scully house. The kids settled in with a board game in the other room and the adults settled in for coffee and tea. The front door opened and Shut and Monica’s voice called from the hall. Mulder was looking out the window, not paying attention until he heard Mrs. Scully gasp. He turned and froze as he saw the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Dana Scully alive and awake.

"Dana!" Margaret rushed to her daughter and hugger her fiercely. Scully closed he eyes briefly but when they opened they remained on Mulder. Sam and her husband introduced themselves and then it was Mulders turn. She crossed the room to him and he felt as though he couldn’t move again. She lifted her hand and touched his arm and Mulder was amazed that he could feel her touch. Suddenly he was filled with a overwhelming desire to kiss her and hold her and never let her go. So he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips, her lips moved against his and soon their tongues danced across each other.

"I love you Mulder." She said quietly and he pulled he against him, he felt as if he could snap her he was so happy to have her back. "I love you too."

Mulder smiled to himself. It was going to be a merry Christmas after all. Scully turned back and hugged her mother again. Sam stuck her tongue out at Mulder and Monica fell out of her chair because she’d had too much eggnog. "Yes," Mulder said to himself, "It would be a very good Christmas After all."