~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chapter Three ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ With the snow quietly drifting down, a fire roaring in the fireplace, and a golden retriever snoring at their feet, Scully and Amelia should have been enjoying a perfect winter evening. But Amelia had her rocking chair pointed toward the front door, not the fire, and she shivered under her quilt despite the warmth. Every five minutes she got up and went to check on Natalie. "You know what I keep thinking about?" she asked Scully. Scully sipped her coffee and shook her head. "What?" "Lily's parents. I was the one who interviewed them sixteen years ago after she was taken. They lived on a small ranch in California, north of San Francisco. Lily's dad had switched jobs after she was born so they could move out of the city. Two weeks before Christmas, her mom was baking a fruitcake one morning while Lily played outside in view of the kitchen. Her mom leaned down to take the cake out of the oven, and when she stood up, Lily was gone." Amelia paused and contemplated her coffee mug. "I remember thinking, who the hell bakes fruitcake any more?" "My mother," Scully told her. "But my brother is the only one who eats it. Well, him and Mulder." Amelia smiled. "Mulder will eat anything put in front of him. I once saw him eat a yogurt that was three weeks past its expiration date." "Yes, well, I think the X-Files have proven that Mulder has an especially hardy constitution." "With all that alien slime and such," Amelia agreed. She checked her watch and walked to the window. "I wish they would call," she said as she peered around the curtains. "I think if they had found something by now, they would have called." "The snow is probably slowing things down." Amelia let the curtain fall. "It's stupid. You think, 'If I don't bake fruitcakes, this will never happen to me.' Or you think, 'I tracked these animals for years. I'll see them coming a mile away.' But really it's all a bunch a lies you tell yourself just so you can sleep at night." Scully set aside her mug and hefted her tired bones from the chair. The clock on the mantel read nearly eleven. "He's not going to hurt Natalie," she said as she joined Amelia by the window. "We won't let that happen." Amelia nodded but she did not look too sure. "I feel like I should be out there, doing something." "You are doing something. You're taking care of your daughter." "I know, and believe me, I don't want to leave her. But I know this guy. I've been inside his head. Adam and Mulder and I, we worked this case so hard, and now they're out there and I'm in here." "Did you ever figure out why Pittsfield picked Lily?" Amelia's lips thinned. "He'd been stalking her," she whispered hoarsely, "for months." There was a heavy silence as Scully contemplated this. It made sense. Pittsfield knew everyone's email addresses; he had a picture of Natalie. This was a man who did his homework. "But how did he find her in the first place? Do you know?" "He--" Amelia stopped short at the sound of clomping feet outside. "They're back," she said with relief. She started towards the door, and Scully drew back the curtain. "Amelia, wait!" The other woman turned. "What is it?" "That's not Mulder's car outside. Or Adam's." Their visitor banged on the front door. Amelia approached cautiously and peered through the peephole as Scully drew her gun. "It's a woman, I think," Amelia reported. "I don't recognize her but she's all bundled up." "Who would be calling at this hour?" The woman outside banged again. "Hello?" she said, muffled through the door. "Amelia, it's Penelope. Are you there?" "Shit," Amelia said as she rubbed her eyes with one hand. "This is just what I needed right now." "Penelope?" "Adam's girlfriend. And here I am, all out of milk and cookies." Amelia heaved a sigh and opened the door. "Hi, Penelope. Come in out of that snow." A leggy young woman stepped into the front hall, stamping snow from her feet and unwinding a fuchsia scarf from her head. "Sure is coming down out there." "Yes, most people are staying home safe and dry," Amelia replied pointedly. "I called Adam and he said that you guys were having some sort of emergency." Penelope noticed Scully and eyed her with curiosity. Scully had not holstered her weapon. "I wanted to see if there was something I could do to help." "Everything's fine." Amelia hadn't let the girl farther than the hall. "I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing." Penelope's face fell. "I tried calling first, but the line was dead. I figured--" "It's what?" Amelia rushed to the phone and picked it up. "It is dead," she told Scully. "Probably the storm," Penelope supplied helpfully. Amelia was already running out of the room to Natalie. "Stay here and don't move," Scully told Penelope. She followed Amelia to the back of the house, where Natalie was whimpering half- asleep in her mother's arms. "She's okay." "Where does your phone line come in?" "I have no idea. The basement, maybe? The door going down there is in the kitchen." "You go stay with Penelope. I'll check it out." Scully moved slowly through the house, listening for anything that sounded amiss. The howling wind beat at the windows like an enraged lover, but the only footsteps Scully heard were her own. Amelia's house was old, creaky. The uneven floorboards creaked. Scully's pulse beat high in her throat as she reached the darkened kitchen. She flicked on the lights but saw no one. The basement door was ajar slightly. Scully toed it open and the cold draft grew stronger. With a shuddering breath, Scully started her descent into the cellar. ~*~*~*~*~*~ Grenier leaned forward to see out the snowy windshield as Mulder neared the house. "Oh, hell." "What?" Mulder squinted for any sign of trouble. "That's Penny's car outside of Amelia's house." "But isn't it a school night?" Grenier scowled as Mulder stopped the car. "Don't you fucking start with me, too." "Sorry. Looks like she must have just gotten here. The car's still clean." "Great. Maybe we're in time to stop the bloodshed," Grenier yelled over the wind. They trooped up the front steps as Grenier fumbled for his keys. "You have a key?" Mulder asked, somewhat surprised. "Because of Natalie." Grenier opened the door. "Hello?" "Adam!" Amelia, holding Natalie, was on them in an instant. "Thank god you're here." "What is it?" Grenier asked, gathering them both protectively against him. "What happened?" "The phone is dead. Scully's checking the basement now." Mulder pushed past them to go find her. He took the steps two at a time. "Scully?" "Over here," she called. She had her flashlight out and was examining the fuse box. "What did you find?" "Everything looks normal as far as I can tell, but I'm no expert." Mulder stared at the box and the wires around it, nodding. He was no expert, either. "They were saying the storm has knocked out lines all over the city." "Maybe. But you should see this." She led him across the basement to the back door. On the cement floor at their feet lay a small puddle of what looked like melted water. "A leak?" "That or someone was in here recently." Mulder looked back. "No footprints." "What do you think? Call in the techs?" Mulder hesitated a moment, turning around once more to study the basement. "Let's check the outside for footprints. I don't want to be crying wolf on a night like tonight." They walked up the rickety wood steps to the kitchen, where Adam, Amelia, Natalie and Penelope had gathered. "Anything?" Adam asked when he saw them. Mulder shook his head. "Nothing obvious." "I'll check outside just to be sure," Scully said. "But right now it looks like the storm probably knocked out the lines." "I can't stand this," Amelia muttered, and Adam rubbed her back. Natalie wiggled to signal she wanted to be put down. "No, honey," Amelia told her. "Stay with mommy." Natalie struggled some more. "Mul-der," she said, pointing. "Fine," Amelia sighed, giving in and setting the toddler on the ground. "What am I? Chopped liver?" Grenier asked as his daughter crossed the room with her footed pajamas scraping the floor. Natalie stopped inches from Mulder and beamed up at him. Mulder shifted. "Hi," he said, feeling huge and awkward in front of such a small person. "Mulder," she affirmed, pointing at him again. "That's right. I'm Mulder." She reached for his holster, which was visible through his gaping overcoat. "For me now?" she asked hopefully. "No," Mulder replied sharply, drawing back. "Not a toy." Natalie's eyes welled up and her chin quivered. "Oh, geez," Mulder muttered to himself. He groped frantically in his pockets and came up with half a pack of LifeSavers and a wrinkled handkerchief. The latter at least was clean. "Here," he said, holding it out to the little girl. "This you can have." She studied it suspiciously for a second before snatching it from his hand. She turned it over and over until it unfolded, at which point she waved it in her little fist. "Mine," she told him with a grin, and Mulder knew that was the last he'd seen of the handkerchief. "That's not used, is it?" Grenier said with a frown. "Say thank you," Amelia prompted Natalie. "Thank yew," Natalie sing-songed, and leaned against Mulder's leg. She wrapped one arm around his knee, still holding her treasured hankie, and stuck the thumb from the other hand in her mouth. Mulder's insides felt like a chocolate candy left out in the sun too long. He tentatively stroked the top of Natalie's head as Scully reentered the room. "All clear," she said, breathless and pink from the cold. She eyed Natalie. "I see you've got a new friend," she told Mulder. Amelia let out a long breath. "Not even two years old and already picking out men that Daddy doesn't approve of," she said. "I look forward to puberty with great relish." "Hey, I approve of Mulder!" Grenier protested. He caught himself. "Not, not for dating, of course. She's a little young for that." Amelia coughed pointedly, and Mulder traded an amused look with Scully. No one dared look at Penelope. "Okay, you," Amelia said as she reached for Natalie. "It's back to bed now." Natalie went willingly, still holding her handkerchief, which she waved in sleepy surrender as Amelia carried her out of the room. "I think I'm the only one here without a gun," Penelope remarked as she looked around. "I guess I wasn't going to be of much help after all." Grenier rubbed his eyes. "You tried, Penny. I appreciate it." "Did you get anything from the street where the webcam was mounted?" Scully asked. Mulder nodded. "It's Pittsfield, all right. His prints were everywhere. So far no there's no match to Lily, though." "She didn't touch anything on camera," Grenier pointed out. Penelope looked uncomfortable. "I think maybe I should go." "No one is going anywhere," Amelia said as she returned. "It's late, and the snow is still coming down. I haven't seen a plow go by yet." "No, I couldn't," Penelope said. "I don't live that far. It's no problem, really." "I insist," Amelia replied through somewhat gritted teeth. "Morning is only a few hours away at this point, anyway." "Amelia, I can drive her home," Grenier said. "It's all right." Amelia looked pained. "I'd rather you stayed," she said softly. "Just for tonight." "Of course." He squeezed her and kissed her forehead. Mulder would have protested that he could drive home too, but Scully looked ready to drop. Amelia rounded up nightclothes for the women and blankets all around. Penelope took her bed, Amelia camped out on the floor in Natalie's room, Mulder and Scully shared the guest bed, and Grenier stationed himself like a bulldog on the living room couch. The battered pine headboard had seen some wear. "I can't believe she still has this thing," Mulder remarked as he undressed. "It was falling apart fifteen years ago." "Spare me the sordid details," Scully replied, slipping under the quilt. "Sorry," he said as he joined her under the covers. "I didn't mean it like that." "Forget about it. I was kidding." She snuggled into him, nose cold from the chilly room. "You know, Amelia was saying earlier that she thinks Penelope must be some cosmic payback for you." "Huh?" "I think maybe she has some idea of what Adam was feeling back then." "But they're divorced now." Scully squeezed him. "A piece of paper doesn't mean you stop caring. Plus, they have a child together. I imagine that changes things." Mulder hummed a reply and stroked her idly as he considered the day's strange events. Pittsfield had not wasted any energy on a charade. He'd come right out and announced both his presence and his intentions. Scully sighed into his chest. "What?" she asked finally. "Hmm?" "I can hear you thinking. What is it?" "The fact that Pittsfield was so bold bothers me. He didn't give any sort of warning when he took Lily. Why the dog and pony show this time?" "You think it's a distraction? That he's after something else besides Natalie?" "Could be." He gathered her closer and stared into the darkness beyond. "I just wonder: if he takes a new little girl, what's going to happen to the one he has now?" ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Breakfast convened just after the gray dawn, with five adults and one child crowded into Amelia's kitchen. Scully ended up bumping elbows with Natalie's high-chair tray as Amelia made pancakes. "Hello," Scully said, nodding formally. Natalie just stared at her for a long minute, and then moved her baby fork and spoon to the other side of her tray, as if Scully might have designs on them. Scully sighed and Mulder grinned at her from across the table. "This man you're after," Penelope said, "you say he's done this sort of thing before?" Scully looked sharply at Mulder, who had also caught the slip. None of them had said anything to Penny about the case, which meant that Grenier had talked. Grenier cleared his throat. "We can't discuss the details, honey. You know that." "I was just thinking that if I knew what he looked like, I could help you keep an eye out for him," Penny explained, and Grenier patted her hand. "Don't you worry about anything, okay? We're on top of it." Penny frowned, perhaps at Grenier's patronizing tone, perhaps because she was being left out of the action. She withdrew her hand and started to speak again when Amelia rescued the situation with a plate of pancakes. "Adam, can you cut one for Natalie?" she asked. Adam reached awkwardly but couldn't make contact. "I can do it," Scully said, determined. Natalie picked up her fork in her fist and squinted at Scully. Scully moved in slowly. "I'm going to cut you some pancakes, okay?" Natalie watched as Scully sliced her breakfast. Scully breathed a sigh of relief when she escaped without a baby fork in the eye. "What do you say?" prompted Amelia from across the room. Natalie stared at Scully again, then arched her back in joy and smiled. She stretched out a small hand and patted Scully's arm. For Scully, this was thank-you enough. "I think our best bet is to go back to Elliot Street," Mulder was saying. "Some one must have seen something." "The other stores might have security cameras that caught him on tape," Grenier agreed. "At what point do we contact Lily's parents?" Amelia asked, and the clatter of the forks stopped. "What?" she asked as they refused to look at her. "Someone has to tell them, don't you think?" "Tell them what?" Grenier asked mildly. "We don't know anything yet." "We know he's back." "Yes, and that's it. We don't have anything else we can tell them at this point." "Adam, you saw the tape." "We don't know it's her." He tightened his grip on his silverware. Amelia was silent for a moment. "If it were Natalie, I'd want to know." "It's not Natalie. It's not going to be Natalie." At her name, the girl stopped eating to watch her parents. "Eat your pancakes, sweetie," Amelia said, forcing a smile. She lowered her voice. "All I am saying is, those people went through hell, and we promised -- no, *I* promised -- that I would keep them informed of anything new. I don't care if that news comes six months or sixteen years later. They deserve to know." "As far as the Tuckers are concerned, this case closed sixteen years ago. Before I go to them and stir everything up again, I want to make damn sure I have reason to." "Adam--" "Uh-oh." Natalie's small voice echoed over the din. All eyes turned to her, but she was pointing at Scully. "Boo-boo," Natalie explained. "Jesus, Scully," Mulder said, lurching over the table and nearly upending everything. "What?" Scully asked a second before she felt the trickle. Her fingers flew to her nose, and they came away with blood. "Excuse me, please," she said, standing up and heading for the bathroom. She heard Mulder's heavy footsteps behind her. "Scully?" "It's fine, Mulder," she called back. She reached the gleaming white sink and bent slightly over it so the blood did not go down the back of her throat. She pinched her nose with one hand and grabbed a bunch of tissues with the other. "You okay?" Mulder asked from behind her. She met his eyes in the mirror. "Yes, it's not that bad. Really. This happens sometimes in the dry winter air." Mulder hesitated and then crowded into the small room with her. He shut the door behind him. Scully let him loom there as she rinsed the sink free of blood. "Better?" he asked after a minute. "It's stopped, see?" She threw the tissues in the garbage. She would have left but Mulder was blocking the door. "Maybe," he said, "maybe you shouldn't skip the tests today." "Why?" She gave him her best challenging glare. "Because of one nose bleed?" "Because there's no reason for you to skip them. Take the day, Scully. The case will still be here when you get back." "I already cancelled." He frowned. "So uncancel." "Mulder, if you want the tests so badly, you should have them yourself." "I'm not-- I wasn't sick." Her shoulders sagged. "Mulder," she said, rubbing her eyes like a tired child, "You know how this works. The tests are there purely to monitor my health; it's not like we could do anything with the results one way or another." "But if they're clean..." He broke off when she looked him in the eye. "And if they're not?" Mulder swallowed visibly. "Is that--is that a possibility?" "It's always a possibility." They stared at each other for a minute until Mulder grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her against him. She closed her eyes and hugged him back. "Hello?" Amelia knocked lightly on the door. "Everything okay?" Scully sniffed and pulled away. "Yes," she said. "I'm fine." ~*~*~*~*~*~ Grenier walked Penelope to her car as Mulder and Scully retrieved their coats. Natalie, caving to the tension in the air, clung to her mother. "Call me the minute you know anything," Amelia said to Mulder as she rubbed Natalie's back. Scully's phone rang from inside her coat pocket. She fished around for it and ignored the sharp poke of the "reminder" card for her now-canceled appointment. "Hello?" she said when the phone was free. Amelia and Mulder stopped talking to watch her face. "You did? And what did you find? I see. You're absolutely sure? Okay, thanks for rushing this one. I appreciate it." She clicked off with a sigh. "What?" Mulder asked. "They compared the little girl from the webcam to old pictures of Lily. It's not her." "You're positive?" Amelia said, holding Natalie closer. "The computer doesn't lie. The facial measurements of the two girls don't match." "Okay," Mulder said. "Then who the hell is she?" ~*~*~*~*~*~ End chapter three. Continued in chapter four. Sorry for the longer wait this time! Between the holidays and a recurrence of bad eyestrain, I haven't had much time at my computer lately. Thanks for bearing with me! Happy holidays. :-) Feedback always welcome at syn_tax6@yahoo.com