******************
Profile
by Michelle Burge
xbur@ix.netcom.com
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BASED ON THE T.V. SERIES "THE X-FILES" 
CREATED BY CHRIS CARTER 


DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these people, I wish I did. This is a 
little something that has been nagging my brain the last 18 hours.  I
had to get it down before it moved on.  MindHunter by John Douglas
does exist. It's great.  Chris Carter, you're great! BTW, America's
Most Wanted belongs to whoever, also.


AUTHOR'S NOTE: This contains a small amount of Mulder angst. Scully
gets to see a side of him, she's not really seen before. (Well, to my
knowledge anyway, in my mind.)  Shenia Magee belongs to me. Hope you
enjoy. I like feedback too. Also this has nothing to do with Jade,
which I'm still working on. I promise, I'll get it done. Shenia will
bring Mulder and Scully closer together. It's not a romance story per
se, but it could lead to that. Well, enough of my babbling.........
here goes nothing.  :) One last item, my sincere apology to all
Vietnam vets who may find this offensive. Please feel free to email me
at xbur@ix.netcom.com (flames will be used to roast marshmallows)
Well, I guess that's it. Let me know if you like. Thanks to Paula
Graves for the posting help!!!!!
RATING: NC-17 due to language. I like the 4-letter word!! 


Mulder's apt complex 
apt 41  
4:45am 

        BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, the loud annoyance of the alarm clock awoke
23 year old Shenia Magee, not that she had been sleeping long anyway.
She rolled over to slap at it, to make it stop it's insistent tone of
fury. Just a few more minutes she thought. She slowly opened one eye,
and read the clock. Damn. She threw the afghan back, sat up, and when
her feet hit the cold floor, .....well, she was wide awake then.  She
remembered falling asleep on the couch studying. She has 3 months to
go, and she'll get her doctorate in psychology.  I'll be so glad when
all this is over, so I can get a real job, she thought.  Come on girl,
get moving.....you know you gotta go run your 3 miles before you start
the day. You've got 10 minutes to get ready.  She got up, and followed
the hallway down to her bedroom. She noticed the bed was still made to
perfection, and she wondered if she'd ever sleep there again. She took
up refuge on the couch, because she really needed to study hard. She
knew she wouldn't fall asleep easily. Almost over Shea, she said to
herself. She pulled out a pair of black runner's shorts, a cut off
sweatshirt, with the Georgetown Hoya emblem on it, and got her shoes
on, and headed out the door.


5:45am 
Mulder's apt #42 

        His internal clock awoke him automatically. He started this
day just like any other, he got dressed and headed out the door, so
he could go run his 3 miles.
        By the time he got back, it was close to 7am. He stood outside
his apartment door and caught his breath, before unlocking it. He had
to be at the office by 8am, which was no problem.  He was lost in
thought when, Shenia opened her door, across from him, and set her
black backpack down, retrieved her mountain bike, and promptly closed
the door and locked it. She dropped her keys after she got on her
bike..."Shit."
        Mulder then realized that he wasn't alone. He bent down to
pick up the keys that someone dropped, "Here you go.....," he said as
he handed her the keys. He couldn't help but notice the way she was
dressed. She wore a pair of cut off camouflage pants, red cut off
T-shirt, hiking boots, and a long sleeved shirt tied around her waist.
He couldn't help but smile at her. She had medium length brown hair,
which was pulled into a ponytail extending through a baseball cap, and
he couldn't see her eyes, because she was wearing a pair of Rayban
Ballarama sunglasses, but he did notice her smile of thanks, and her
well tanned complexion as she took the keys from him.
        "Don't let my appearance scare you, sir. I'm actually quite
harmless.......unless provoked otherwise. Thanks for getting my keys.
I'd like to stay and talk, but I've got an 8 o'clock class. What a
away to start a Monday morning.....Criminal Psych....joy....what fun."
She took in his appearance, she noticed that his shirt was soaked
through and through, and his blue sweatpants were soaked with sweat
too. "You must have just got back from a run," she said.
        "Well,......yeah I did." 
        "We'll have to go run together sometime then. Listen, I'd like
to stay like I said, but I'm running late as it is. You know where I
live, stop by anytime you want to go run. Ok?"
        "Yeah, I'll do that." 
        "Well, see ya around then," she said as she took off towards
the stairs on her bike.
        "Hey," Mulder said, "what's your name?"
        "Shea," she said over her shoulder, "and yours?"
        "Mulder."
        "Ok, Mulder. Hey did your mom not like you or something," she
laughed a pleasant laugh.
        "Be careful going down the stairs on that bike," he said but
she never heard him, because she was gone in a flash.


2 Months later 

        Mulder and Shea had grown to become pretty good friends. She
knew he worked for the FBI, and was a criminal profiler. He also told
her he was into paranormal things.  It fascinated him. She thought it
was way cool. He had been helping her study when he wasn't out of town
on a case. He noticed that she had a knack for detail. She was good,
and he knew it. He thought she will be good at whatever she chooses to
do.

        Shea and Mulder were working on her thesis. They had gotten
off the subject, and were in a heated debate about David Koresh, from
the Waco Texas incident. Mulder was getting flustered with her because
she was batting his theories down left and right. So he decided to go
and cool down by taking a shower.  She went back to working on her
thesis.  There was a knock at the door, and it startled Shea. She
didn't know if Mulder was expecting any company or not, but she went
and answered the door anyway.  She opened the door and saw an
incredibly beautiful woman, with flame colored hair accentuating her
crystal blue eyes, and porcelain face.  Shea knew that she herself was
no beauty queen, but this small demure woman standing before her, was
to say the least astounding, and from the looks of it, very
professional. Hmm, Shea thought, Mulder's partner. "Dr. Dana Scully,
I'm Shenia Magee, please call me Shea though. Mulder has told me so
much about you. Come on in."
        "Where is Mulder?" 
        "Oh, he's in the shower.  I guess I pissed him off. We were
debating about David Koresh.  It got a little heated, and so we
retreated back to our corners. I never realized that a person could
be so passionate about their work, though. Boy, he sure is."
        "Well, you'd be surprised," she said as she took in Shea's
attire for the first time. She was wearing her camies and t-shirt,
with one of Mulder's long sleeve button down shirts on.  Scully looked
hard at Shea, and thought, damn Mulder, you like 'em young don't you.
        Shea noticed Scully's standoffishness, but dismissed it. She
knew that Mulder was a good friend to her only.  Hell, she was
attracted to him, but who in their right mind wouldn't be.  Those
hazel eyes, brooding dark emotions, and a passion that just wouldn't
quit, especially during a debate....wow, was all Shea could think. He
was like a big brother she never had. She was forever grateful that
she met him, and that he was helping her with her studies.  Shea began
to gather her things, "Shit, I'm running late...as usual. Please
excuse me Dr. Scully, I've got to meet another study partner in 30
minutes. Make yourself at home," she said as she went to the bathroom
door and knocked, "Hey, Mulder, your partner is here. I'm on my way,
to study anyway. I've got that meeting with Dr. Rodriguez in 30 min,
anyway."
        "Ok tell Scully, I'm almost done. Call me if you need more
help."
        "I will, see ya later," she said and walked back to where
Scully was in the living room, "He said he's almost done. By the way,
it was nice to meet you. I hope next time, we'll be able to talk
more." She picked up her backpack and left.

        Mulder came out of the bathroom, with a pair of shorts on, and
a towel around his neck. Scully was intently reading the back of a
book, that she never noticed his approach.  "Interesting book Scully?"
She jumped slightly at the sound of his voice in her ear,
        "Jesus Mulder, don't do that. It'll get you shot next time. By
the way, interesting book. I thought you knew Agent Douglas though."
        "I do Scully. Damn, that must be Shea's book." He raced over
to the window, and saw Shea half way down the street. Well, he
thought, she'll come back for it later.  "What are you doing here
Scully? I gave us the day off. I figured you'd be at your mother's?"
        "Well, when AD Skinner couldn't get a hold of you, he called
me."
        "I've been here all day Scully." Mulder thought to himself a
moment, "No I wasn't. Shea and I went to grab some lunch. He must have
called when we were out." Mulder walked over to where the answering
machine was and noticed the blinking light. He pressed the play
button, and the AD's voice filled the speaker:

        "Agent Mulder, this is AD Skinner. I have another assignment
        for you and Agent Scully. I will call her and give her the
        full report. It's a local case, so you can study the case and
        come up with a profile, then begin your investigation on
        Monday. Good day."

        "We can't even enjoy a day off can we Scully," Mulder asked
sarcastically. "I take it you met Shea?"
        "Yes, I did. She's......interesting Mulder. How come you
haven't told me about her? Little young isn't she Mulder?" Dana, her
mind thought, don't go there girl. You know he isn't that type of
person.
        "Scully, don't even think that. We have been friends about 2
months.  She'll be getting her Ph.D. next month. We bumped into each
other after I went running one morning. She was on her way to class,
and I just came back. I've been helping her study. She's had some
difficulty with certain aspects of criminal behavior. That's why I
told her to get John Douglas' book Mindhunter. It seems to have really
helped her out. By the way, she's only 23," he said with a slight edge
to his voice, as if to protect Shea.
        "I'm sorry Mulder. I just didn't expect a woman answering the
door wearing a shirt of yours. It took me by surprise."
        "What's a matter Scully? Don't you think I have a life?"
Scully's comment stung Mulder.  He didn't know why he was being so
protective of his new friend, but it seemed right to be.
        Well Dana, she thought, maybe you better leave, before you put
your other foot in you mouth. "I'm sorry Mulder. I just wanted to drop
the case off to you. Since Skinner said we didn't have to start until
Monday, today being Friday, I'm heading to my mom's for the weekend."
        Mulder realized he had snapped at Scully and apologized, "I'm
sorry Dana. I didn't mean to snap. I guess Shea got me all riled up
about that Waco incident. You know, she's a pretty passionate person
with this criminal behavior stuff. She claims its a hobby of hers. Her
attention to detail is so amazing......hell, we watched The Silence of
the Lambs, and she profiled Hannibal the Cannibal before I did. She's
that good. Look, umm....I'm supposed to help her study Sunday
afternoon, so why don't you come and join us. I'm sure she'd love your
input too. We're going to meet at the Reflection Pool if it's not
raining. If it rains, we'll meet here at my place," he said as he
stepped closer to Scully, and put his hands on her shoulders. "Please
Scully," he asked with that puppy dog expression that she could never
say no to.
        "All right, Mulder. I'll go. I want to get to know this
person. She does seem really nice.  She obviously respects people."
        "Why do you say that Scully?" 
        "Because she called me Dr. Scully. What did you tell her about
me Mulder?"
        "Well,......" Scully looked at him with the I'm not playing
look, "I told her you are a medical doctor, and my partner. That's
basically it. She said that she wanted to meet you one day. She had
thought about joining the Bureau, but she wanted to find out how other
women handle themselves with a bunch of 'bureaucratic gobbledygooks' I
believe is how she put it. In short, she asked me how much shit the
women have to put up with. I told her she'd have to ask you. I was
always a good little boy. I kept my nose clean."
        "Sure you did Mulder. Sure you did. Let me guess, that's how
you got your nickname 'Spooky' isn't it," she asked with a smile.
        "Boy, you must have all kinds of good dirt on me, Scully."
        "If she joins the Bureau, I don't think she'll have a
problem," Scully said with a small smile.  "Anyway, here's the case
file." She hands Mulder the file, "I'll come back Sunday morning and
then I'll go with you to meet Shea. Sound ok to you?"
        "Sounds good to me Scully. Have a good time with your mom.
Tell her I said hello."  With that Scully let herself out the door, as
Mulder sat down on the couch and began to pore over the contents of
the file.


Vietnam Memorial Sunday afternoon 

        Mark Webster couldn't believe he was finally free of that
damned mental institution. He said all along that he never belonged
there. All he had was flashbacks. What Vietnam vet didn't?  He knew
how to deal with them. He knew he would live out the rest of his days,
listening to the ghosts of the pasts, and wallowing in self-pity
brought on by guilt. He knew that he should never have left the
bunker. Christ, all he had to do was take a wiz. As he climbed out of
the bunker, and got no more than 10 yards away behind a tree, an
ear-shattering explosion ripped through the otherwise silent night.
All hell broke loose. He tried to get back to the bunker to save his
friends, but the flames were too hot, and the shelling was becoming
more fierce. He had to retreat, and pray that his buddies were already
dead. He awoke later in a MASH unit. He had been injured, and never
knew it. He also found out that he was going home.
        He slowly came back to reality, and tried to shake the
horrible nightmare from his mind. He searched the wall for some of his
buddies names, some that were listed as MIA.  As he found one he
recognized, he gently caressed the name of Dale Bissell. He and Dale
had gone through boot together. They had gotten separated in the field
though, and lost touch. It saddened Mark to think that his boot buddy
was still an MIA.
        In the wall's shiny surface, he saw other people's
reflections.  They were scattered amongst him.  They were remembering
lost loved ones also. Vietnam was a terrible war that no one could or
would forget. Bottom line, it should never have happened.  It was in
this wall that Mark saw his next victim. He saw a small woman, with
long black hair, sporting a very revealing t-shirt and mini skirt. He
watched in horror as her face changed to that of the enemy........the
Vietcong.  In his mind, all he knew was to kill the enemy. He would go
and wait for the enemy to present herself to him, then he would slit
her throat.
        He watched as people came and went. He finally decided to sit
down, and just 'people watch'.  He spotted what he considered a cute
couple. The man was at least six foot tall, had dark hair, and, he was
extremely handsome. The woman on the other hand, seemed much more
frail. She was shorter than he, but complimented him in such a way,
that was always meant to be. She had auburn hair, and an heir of
aristocracy about her. I know, Mark thought, she must be his soul
mate. He couldn't help but smile at the couple. He was once like that,
but not anymore. The couple sat down on a bench facing away from the
wall as if waiting for someone.

        About ten minutes later, Shea came blading down the sidewalk.
She was wearing black pants with big pockets on the side of the legs,
a black t-shirt, Rayban shades, and a black beret with an MIA patch on
it. On her back, she carried her backpack, with her boots tied to the
bottom of it.  She causally rolled to a stop in front of the good
looking couple that Mark had first noticed.  He saw the man reach out
to hug the girl dressed in black, and she in turn, hugged him back,
and they were laughing about something.  The little red headed woman
just shook her head at the two of them. She extended her hand slowly
for the girl in black to shake, which she did. Mark thought to
himself, why can't my life be that simple, and he got up and headed to
his next destination, his next victim.
        Shea promptly seated herself on the ground, after removing her
pack, and untying her boots, she then took off her roller blades, and
put on her boots. As she laced the blades together, she said, "Ok,
guys, you ready to get started?"
        "Shea, what happened to you," Scully asked with concern.
        "Oh! You mean the scratches on my elbows, and face? It's
nothing.... really."
        "Did someone assault you Shea," Mulder asked concerned.
        "No....not exactly."
        "Well, what the hell happened," he asked again growing
slightly annoyed.
        "I had an accident yesterday."
        "What kind of accident, exactly," Scully asked, in full doctor
mode now.
        "I....well...." she looked at them both, and thought I can't
lie to these people, especially Mulder, "I got hit by a car....blading
with some friends."
        "Damn. Are you all right Shea," Mulder asked as he put his
hands on her shoulders.
        She winced slightly under his touch.  "Yeah, just a little
sore."
        "Did you charge the driver," Scully asked?
        "Well, it was...umm....kind of a hit and run. I'm not worried
about it.  He wasn't going that fast anyway. Besides, it's only a few
abrasions.  I'm used to that."
        Mulder and Scully were both still concerned, and they were
scrutinizing her.
        "Hey, I'm ok. Don't worry about it ok," Shea stated. "Now lets
get to the task at hand.  Mulder you said you'd help me study some."
        "Yeah, I did say that. Where do you want to go?"  Shea looked
around and spotted a nice big weeping willow tree a few yards away.
        "How about over by that big weeping willow?"
        Mulder nodded,  "Sounds good to me, Scully?"
        "That's fine. Let's go."
        As they headed towards their destination, Shea pulled out
three beverages out of her pack.
        "Root beer for you Dr. Scully, and iced tea for you Mulder."
        "What are you drinking Shea," Mulder asked.
        "Iced tea of course. I need my daily caffeine. I live on tea
you know," she winked at him.
        "Thank you Shea, and please call me Dana. Dr. Scully is for
work. I like to be less formal when I'm away from the office."
        "Sure thing, Dana," she said as a big smile lit her face.
        "Less formal, I'm hurt Scully," Mulder said as he feigned a
wound to the heart, and smiled at her. She playfully punched him in
the arm,
        "Come on Mulder, we've got studying to do now."
        "Ok. Let's get to it."


2 Weeks later 

        As Mulder and Scully surveyed the crime scene, Mulder couldn't
help but think of the victim. She was young in her early twenties, had
beautiful long black hair and she was dressed like a prostitute. This
really got to Mulder, and it made him involuntarily think of his lost
sister. Cases like this always brought out the demons he tried
desperately to keep hidden. He knew after studying the scene, that as
usual he wouldn't be able to sleep, and if he did, he would have
nightmares. He couldn't help but feel slightly guilty because he
hadn't been able to produce the killers MO. He felt that he didn't
even have an accurate profile of the killer, but he had little info to
go on. One thing was for certain, this killer would kill again. Mulder
was sure of that.  He only hoped that he could catch him before then.
         Scully came up to Mulder, and touched him on the arm. He
flinched slightly because he didn't see her, and he was lost in
thought. "Mulder, you ok?"
        "Yeah," he said after a few minutes, "What have you got on the
victim?"
        "Her name is Kim Syung, she studied criminal law at Georgetown
and was working part time for a local law firm. She was due to
graduate in three weeks. Her boyfriend over there said he had just
dropped her off at the corner, she always walks back to the dorm, and
he realized that she left one of her books in the car, so he thought
he'd bring it to her, and that's when he found her, here in the alley.
He said he had been gone about ten minutes."
        Mulder glanced over his shoulder to look at the boyfriend. He
was still in denial, and shock. He had been upset a few moments ago,
but now, he just couldn't speak. Mulder thought to himself, he didn't
do it. He also knew the victim's throat was cut, and her right ear was
cut off. He desperately wanted to catch the killer. He and Scully
couldn't do anymore that night, so he went home to work on the
profile, and see what else he could come up with.

        There was an insistent knocking on the door. Mulder glanced at
the clock on the VCR, 8:47pm. I must have fallen asleep he thought.
It's not Scully, she would usually call, before she comes over. "I'm
coming, I'm coming," he said grumpily. "Who is it," h e asked as he
got up dumping the contents of the file on the floor, "Dammit to
hell."
        "Mulder, it's Shea. Are you all right? I heard you....well..."
he opened the door before she could finish.
        "You heard what?" 
        "Shit, Mulder. You look like hell. What's going on," she asked
concerned for him.
        "I'm fine, and what did you hear?" 
        "You sounded like you were in...pain or something. You sure
you're ok? I could call Dana if you want me to?"
        "No, Shea, that's ok. It's just this gruelling case. That's
all."
        "Maybe, I can take a look at it, you know, give you a
non-biased opinion?"
        "Shea, I'm afraid that's out of the question. You can't get
involved and you know it. This is 'police business'. Besides, what are
you doing here, instead of studying?"
        "Well, I wanted to ask you, if you and Dana wanted to go see
the 'Rocky Horror Picture Show with me Friday night, after Chinese
dinner of course. You look like you could use a break. I'm sure Dana
could too. I need to celebrate me passing my big test anyway. Studying
with you and Dana helped. I want to take you guys out."
        "I can't speak for her, but yeah, I'll go." 
        Shea walked into his apartment, over to the phone, picked it
up and dialled Dana Scully's number. "Hello Dana, it's Shea. Listen I
was wondering if you wanted to go to a movie with Mulder and me, after
a Chinese dinner Friday night. I want to celebrate, and thank you both
for all the help you've given me." Pause, "OK" Pause "Sure, that
sounds good.......ok....yeah, I'll tell him......ok...bye."  Shea hung
up the phone, and turned around to face Mulder. "She said she'd love
to go. She also told me to tell you to get some sleep."  Shea looked
at Mulder, then she looked away and smiled to herself. Dana loves you
Mulder, why can't you see that? Why can't you see that you're in love
with her too. It's so obvious. You're constantly together, she gets
jealous very easily, she looks at you with such passion, and.....damn,
I can't tell him any of this, she thought. They'll figure it out on
their own. "Mulder, why don't you go fix yourself something to drink,
to help you relax so you can sleep."
        "I don't know Shea. Sleep doesn't come easily for me. This
case has me baffled. I'm missing something, and I don't know what it
is," he said as he ran a hand through his hair, tiredly.
        "Go get something to drink Mulder. Make warm milk or
something," she said as she pushed him towards the kitchen, "I'll take
a chocolate moo if you've got the stuff to make it with," she said
with a smile as he disappeared into the kitchen. She walked over to
the coffee table and picked up the file he was reading, and skimmed it
through. She also picked up the hand written profile he must have
done, it read:

        Suspect is male, Caucasian, late 40's. He seems to pick his
        victims at random, but they all have a few things in common.
        For instance, the hair length; it's usually long, and dark.
        Then there is the last names of the victims, foreign; which
        could be Asian in nature.  The victims throats are cut, and
        one or both ears is missing. There is no evidence of rape or
        other form of assault. There are also no signs of a struggle,
        which means the victim may have known the killer, or, he has
        an ability to move swiftly and silently. I believe this killer
        is suffering from a very traumatic event in his life, and is
        seeking revenge on those who inflicted this event.

        Damn, Mulder, Shea thought, I think this guy is really a
sicko. Why are you having such a hard time finding the guy? I see the
connections, don't you?
        "What the hell are you doing Shea," Mulder said as he came to
her and took the file from her hands.
        "I'm only trying to help you out here Mulder, geezz."
        "I could haul your ass down to jail for obstructing justice,
Shea," he said angrily.
        "Fuck, Mulder, calm down. Damn, all I did was read the file. I
have the right to know things to. You know, freedom of information
act...."
        He started to move towards the door, to make her leave, "I
think you should leave Shea, before either of us does something we'd
regret later."
        "What would we regret later, Mulder? I'm not looking for
anything like that, if that's what you're thinking."
        "That's not what I mean, Shea and you know it." 
        "Then what the fuck do you mean Mulder? I'm not some damn
bimbo that can't handle myself you know. I know what I'm getting into.
I was on my own at 18 after my mother died, because she couldn't take
it anymore, not knowing whether my father was alive or not. Hell, I
don't even know if he's alive. Don't you try to tell me in so subtle
terms, that I can't take care of myself," she screamed at him, then
realized that she'd spoken to much.  "Oh, God," she said. Realizing
that she said all that, she wanted to crawl under the nearest rock,
and never be found. She tried to make a beeline for the door, but
Mulder stopped her by putting his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry,
Mulder. I don't know where all that came from. I'll go now, before I
do or say something else stupid.....,"she tried to say as her voice
broke on the last word. "Dad, I miss you," she mumbled and the tears
began to fall.

        Mulder was dumbfounded. He had no clue about Shea's past. He
never asked and she never told. He did the only thing he could think
of. He pulled her away from the door, and closed it, then held her
while she cried. She must have never grieved for her father. Yet he
felt he was missing some key information here, but for now, he just
held this young friend of his, comforting her. When her sobs subsided,
he released her, but she clung to him, like lint clings to a black
t-shirt. He was content to just hold her for a little while longer.
After a few minutes passed, "Shea, can you tell me what happened? I'd
really like to know. I want to help," he spoke to her in a soft
soothing voice, as he stroked her hair.
        "Well, first off...my dad was a fighter pilot in the Navy. He
and his rio were shot down, in the Gulf war. The Navy wouldn't tell us
anymore or less. They listed him as MIA after a month. They said they
searched for them, but I don't buy that. Anyways, after that, mom had
a hard time accepting the fact that he might be dead. I knew I had to
be strong for her, so I buried my feelings to help her. Her health
started to go down hill, and she tried to commit suicide, so they put
her in the hospital. The truth was, she was asking too many questions,
and stirring the pile if you know what I mean.  They decided to put
her in a fucking mental institution. "A fucking mental institution."
Well, soon after that, my brother and I went out to a movie like
always, and we were in the parking lot talking when some punks came up
to harass us. We tried to leave, but they insisted that we stay. I
told Brad, come on, lets just go. And then, one of the guys grabbed
me, and that was all it took. Brad cut loose on him. He punched and
kicked the guy till he was down, then did it some more. It took all I
had to pull him off. By then, the cops were on their way, and I knew
we couldn't run so we waited. The boy died in surgery, and my brother
was charged with second degree murder.  It killed my mother. She
couldn't take it anymore, and gave up. So within a period of six
months, I lost my whole family," she explained while she paced his
apartment. "That's the main reason that I am the way I am."
        "Shea, why didn't you tell me sooner. You should know by now
that you can trust me, and Dana. I may have only just met you a few
months ago, but I really like you, a lot. You're good for me, and you
certainly keep me on my toes. I enjoy helping you study too. You're
like .........a sister to me," he said as he looked away.
        "Mulder, I know that I can't and won't replace your sister,
but I do enjoy the feeling of friendship and love, not only from you,
but from Dana as well. You two mean so much to me. I'd do anything for
you guys, and you should know by now, that you, can trust me."
        "I do trust you Shea, but I just don't want you involved with
this. I don't want to see you get hurt."
        "Mulder,.....Fox," he frowned as she used his first name, "I'm
not going to get hurt.  Besides, you know this is a hobby of mine
anyway. All I did was shed some light for you.  Talk to Dana, ask her
what she thinks of my link. I'll bet you......hmmm...let me see....
I'll bet you a dinner at the most exquisite restaurant that I'm right.
Are you ready for the clincher?"
        "Uh oh. I don't know if  I like the sound of this." 
        "Trust me, you will. If I'm right, and Dana agrees, you and
her will go out to dinner at my expense," she said with a gleam in her
eye.
        "And, what if you're wrong," he asked with a twinkle in his
eye.
        "Sorry Charlie, I'm NEVER wrong," she deadpanned.
        "Okay, okay. We'll see who's right. I've got to go over her
way anyways. I'll drop by with your idea. I'll let you know."
        "Good, you do just that. I'll be home anyways, not much to do
on a Tuesday night. I'm going surf the net, and maybe watch America's
Most Wanted. Call me," she said over her shoulder as she began to
leave." Suddenly she stopped, ".....Mulder, thanks for caring. I guess
I really needed that," she said as she walked over to him, and gave
him a kiss on the cheek, and then went back to her apartment, across
the way.


Friday After the Movie 

        Mulder, Scully and Shea walked out of the theatre. Mulder and
Shea were laughing. Scully, on the other hand, wasn't. "Oh, come on
Dana. You know you enjoyed the movie," Shea managed to squeak out
between fits of laughter.

        Scully gave her the look. "Shea," she then glared at Mulder,
"I do not appreciate being bombarded by unidentified flying objects in
a movie theatre. You two set this all up," she stammered.

        Mulder gave her his puppy dog face that said 'I didn't have
any part, it was her idea.'  "Come on, Dana, you had fun, admit it,"
Mulder said through bouts of laughter, and with amusement in his eyes.

        Dana Scully was not lost when he spoke her first name. As a
matter of fact, it sent chills down her spine. Especially now, since
he was laughing and cutting up. She hasn't seen this side of Mulder in
quite a long time. Outside, she was indeed enjoying the company she
kept, and inside, she was afraid of the feelings that were being
stirred up for her partner. Yet, she did realize that she enjoyed his
company away from the office, as well as being in Shea's company
too. Finally, she gave in to laughter. "You two are so bad, I should
lock you guys up, and throw away the key."

        Mulder stood between the two women, and put an arm around
each, and said, "Come on, lets go grab some coffee. I know this great
little place, not far from here." Mulder couldn't believe the feelings
of friendship, and love that surrounded him tonight. He thoroughly
enjoyed it. He was with the two people he cared about the most. As he
walked with them dawn the sidewalk, they both had placed their arms
around his waist, and were still laughing. Mulder, thought it was the
most beautiful sound, and he was truly happy. He also realized that
something was stirring within him. It felt right, that Scully was in
one arm, and Shea in another. He began to think unpartner-like
thoughts about his partner....not for the first time, mind you.....and
he couldn't help but wonder.......*bweeep*,*bweep*, his cell phone
rang. Mulder thought to himself, as he removed his arms from the
women, I spoke to soon. "Mulder."

        "Agent Mulder, this AD Skinner. There's been another murder." 
        "Where sir," the agent spoke as he slipped back into
professional mode. Scully and Shea knew the evening was ending.
        "Printer's alley, between second and third street. Get down
there and see what's up."
        "Yes, sir. I'll let you know as soon as I know," he said as
hung up. "Well, ladies, I hate to break up the evening, but....."
        Shea interrupted, "Mulder, its ok. I know you two have duties
to take care of. Go ahead.  I'll get home ok. I had a great time
tonight," she said as she hugged each agent in turn, "go so you can
catch this maniac."
        "I'll stop by later this weekend ok," Mulder said over his
shoulder as he and Scully left, and headed towards his car.
        "That's fine. Nite guys," she waved and began her trek to the
coffee shop, alone. 'I hope they, catch this guy soon' she thought to
herself.


Crime Scene 

        The victim was another young female. From the id on the body
her name was, Hyong So. She was only 21, and was on her way home from
work, when the bouncer in the club she worked for, heard her screams.
By the time he got there, the killer was gone.  She was dressed in a
very tight t-shirt, and a very short black leather mini skirt. She was
working her way through med school.
        Dana Scully did her assessment, and found the same MO. The
victims right ear had been cut off, and the left ear was barely
hanging on. The killer must have heard someone approach, and
fled. Mulder put his hand in the small of Scully's back and led her
away from the scene and spoke softly to her, "Scully, do you think
that Shea could be right?  Could the killer really be a disgruntled
Vietnam vet?"
        "It's highly possible Mulder. When my father was home, he told
me stories of soldiers cutting the ears off the Vietcong as trophies.
It's similar to the pilots of W.W.II, who kept painting kill ratios on
their planes."
        "All right then. Our next step is to find out who has been
released from the Veterans Administration Hospital then. See if they
have anyone who fits our profile," Mulder said as they headed towards
the VA.

        Mulder and Scully had many possible suspects, but no real
leads. It has been a week, and there have been no more murders.....
yet. Shea had another roller blading accident, but only received minor
abrasions. She had gotten hit by another car, and they sped away. She
thought they were afraid because she was hit, but she didn't think
about it anymore. She dismissed it. When she told Mulder and Scully,
they hit the roof. She tried telling them she was ok, and that its a
constant danger of blading, but they were still worried. She told them
to meet her at the Chinese restaurant they all like to eat at.  She
told them they needed a break, and reluctantly, they agreed. As they
headed back to Shea and Mulder's building, a sense of foreboding came
over Shea. She felt that something wasn't right, and she couldn't put
her finger on it. She thought back to what her father told her; "Shea,
you've got to learn to trust your instincts, and go with them. Go with
your gut," he had told her, but look at where it got you dad, she
thought, sadly.
        As they waited for the elevator, Shea noticed the feeling was
stronger in the building, than anywhere else. Something was tugging on
her shirt sleeve, and speaking, "Shea, Earth to Shea, are you all
right," Scully asked her.
        "Dana," she stammered, "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought.
Yeah, I'm ok," she said as they stepped into the elevator and the
doors closed.
        The killer came out from around the corner, and began to
quickly ascend the stairs.  He already knew where this young female
lived. He was sick and tired of her, managing to get away unharmed.
This kill became personal for him, now. Deep down, he knew this would
be his last kill. He knew he was going to die tonight, and to him, it
didn't matter, as long as he took this final victim with him. As he
made it to fourth floor, he awaited for the threesome to disburse. He
waited for five minutes, after he heard two doors close, then he made
his move.

        Shea stood at her door and faced Mulder and Scully, "See, I
told you guys, that you needed a break. You should listen to me more
often. I know what's good for the both of you. Now get, so you can
work on the case some more, because I know that's what you're both
going to do. See ya later," she said as she hugged them, and gave
Mulder a kiss on the cheek, ".....thanks for everything, guys,....,"
she said as she looked at the floor,"...I love you both," she squeaked
out as she went into her apartment before they could respond.
        "That was weird, Mulder," Scully said as she entered his
apartment, and went to the kitchen to get some water.
        "Yeah, I wonder what brought that on. Hmm, I'll ask her about
it tomorrow. In the mean time, let's get back to work on this case.
I've got a feeling this guy will strike again," he said as he dove
into the file.


Shea's Apartment 

        KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK. 'It must be Mulder, well I'll give him
this profile I was working on and see what he thinks of it,' she
thought as she went and opened the door, "...Hey, Mulder," she spoke
as she put the profile into a manila envelope and sealed it.

        She looked up suddenly as the sense of foreboding became the
strongest at that moment, "Who are you," she asked then decided to
shut the door as she said, "I'm sorry, I think you've got the wrong
apartment," and she closed the door, but before she could get the
safety chain on it, the killer barged in and knocked her to the floor,
sending the envelope askew. 'Oh Fuck,' she thought. Then all hell
broke loose, before she could react, the killer pulled out a survival
knife and jumped on top of her. The only thing she knew to do was to
fight him, by kicking with her heels, and punching with her elbows. It
worked for a few seconds because he was stunned, and then he balled up
his fist and hit her square across the jaw. Shea tasted blood, and
before she could respond, he raised the knife and thrust it into her
chest. She felt a fire burn within her, and she couldn't breath, the
room was bright white, but she knew that unless she did something, he
was going to do it again. She reached down up with her right hand and
pressed her thumb into her attackers left eye. He didn't even cry out
in pain, all he did was grab he right arm, and when he did that, she
punched him as hard as she could, in the jaw, sending him sprawling
backwards.
        'GET UP', a voice yelled inside her, she grabbed the back on
the couch and pulled herself up, and found the room starting to spin
wildly out of control, and she fought the wave of nausea, as she tried
to scramble to the door. She got within an arm's length of the door,
when she felt a sharp pain in her right lower back. She staggered
backwards, and knocked the lamp off the table that was next to the
door. Crash.

        "Scully," Mulder perked up, "did you here something," he said
as he got up.

        Someone help me, please, Shea thought. She glanced over to
where the killer was. He was starting to recover and he came at her
once again. "MULDER!!!!!!," Shea screamed with all she had left.

        Mulder and Scully heard Shea's blood curdling scream. "SHEA,"
Mulder yelled back as he was on his way to her apartment, with Scully
close behind.

        Mark Webster straddled her form, once again. He saw her face
change to that of the enemy, "You will now die, you VC bitch! I've
tried to kill you twice already, but somehow you managed to survive.
They say third times the charm." Shea was barely coherent when she
heard the door get kicked in. She faintly heard Mulder saying
something, and the next thing she knew Mulder had tackled this guy,
and gotten him off of her. As Mulder tried to wrestle him to the
ground, he found the killer to be very strong, and the next thing he
knew, he was on his back, and he felt his gun fall out of his
hand. Mark now had a new adrenalin surge. He chose to attack Mulder
too. Scully stood in the doorway, but couldn't get a clear shot,
because Mulder kept getting in the way.  Through the thick haze that
surrounded Shea, she heard Mulder grunt as he was hit in the jaw. She
raised her head and saw him struggle against the killer, and then she
felt the cold piece of metal next to her left hand. She turned her
head and saw that it was Mulder's gun. She picked it up, and
transferred it to her right hand which was covered with blood.....her
blood.
        "Get away from him you fucking bastard," she growled as she
cocked and aimed the gun at him, "I'll kill you, you sick bastard,"
she spoke with vengeance in her voice.  The killer stopped his
assault and turned to look at her,
        "Ahhh....the game resumes....my dear," he said as climbed off
of Mulder and began to stalk back towards her, again.
        As Mulder stood, he heard, "Freeze, FBI," Scully said, but the
killer paid no attention. He was focused on Shea only. Then he heard
two gunshots.  Scully had fired and Shea fired, both hitting their
target. Mark Webster, however, still loomed towards Shea, clutching
the knife in his right hand, but now he was bleeding in the right
shoulder, and Shea couldn't tell where else.  Shea thought of her
family briefly, and wondered if they would have supported, in this
decision she was about to make. She knew what her father would have
told her, 'go with it Shea', and so did.....she emptied the clip into
the bastard, and as he fell, she knew she would get stabbed one.....
final....time. She felt the knife plunge into her abdomen, and she
heard Mulder scream her name, "Shea!!!" She felt the body on her, and
it weighed a ton.
        She closed her eyes, and tried to block out the pain, but her
whole body burned like wild fire, and she was having difficulty
breathing, and she started coughing, and gurgling, but she didn't have
the strength to move the body off of her. She heard feet shuffle next
to her, and then the body was lifted off.  She still clutched Mulder's
gun, but she gently lowered it to the blood soaked floor. The gun
itself was covered with her blood. She thought to herself, I didn't
think a body could bleed so much, then she started coughing again.
        Scully was in doctor mode, and rolled her to her side while
she coughed up pink, frothy blood. She knew that her lung had been
punctured. She saw Shea reach for the knife in her abdomen and began
pulling it out, "No Shea, Don't pull.........," but, she already
succeeded in pulling it out.
        "Dana," she gasped, "its ok. I'll be as good as new," she
gasped out. "Mulder...., help me sit up, I can't breathe this way,"
she sputtered as she coughed more blood up. He gently took her in his
arms, and her breathing wasn't as labored. Someone must have heard the
gunshots, because he could faintly hear sirens in the background.
While he held onto Shea, Scully scrambled up and got a t-shirt lying
nearby, and ripped it in pieces to make dressings, to apply to the
wounds, and attempt to stop the bleeding of her friend. She was having
a difficult time focusing because of the tears in her eyes. But,
somehow, she kept them from falling. She knew she had to help Shea. As
she tried to hold pressure on Shea's back, she cried out it pain, and
she grabbed Dana's hand, and said, "Dana....please, don't.....it hurts
to bad," she pleaded, but Scully still held the dressing there anyway.
"I always knew you were stubborn, but fuck....me....., I didn't
realize it was this bad.....," she spat out.
        Shea looked up to Mulder's eyes as he held her. His shirt was
covered with her blood, and his eyes had clouded over. He was absently
stroking her hair, and soothing her, "It's ok Shea, help is on the
way. Hang on, you hear me," he spoke with desperation.
        "Jesus Mulder,........it hurts....so fucking bad......," she
gasped out.
        "Don't try to talk Shea, save your strength. You're gonna be
all right," but he knew that if she didn't get to a hospital soon, she
wouldn't make it. A lone tear escaped from his left eye. Shea reached
out with her left hand and wiped the tear away,
        "Don't worry about me Mulder......," she spat out. A flash of
yellow caught Shea's eye, and she pointed towards the object and said,
"......that's my profile......I was bringing it to you when I had my
visitor," she said then cried out in pain again, as coughs racked her
body again.

        They heard shouts in the hallway and Scully scrambled to get
the paramedics, "In here," she yelled, as she opened the door. They
came in and got right to work. As they worked on Shea, she didn't let
Mulder's hand go. She kept a tight grip on it. He heard the voice of
the AD barking commands, and then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He
looked up into the face of the AD himself.
        "Agent Mulder, ....." he looked at Shea for the first time and
noticed that she had Mulder's hand grasped tight, "when you can....  I
want a full report, ASAP, but not right now."
        Mulder nodded his thanks, as they lifted Shea to the stretcher. 
"Mulder,......please don't leave me by myself," Shea pleaded. 
        "I won't Shea. I promise," he said as he stroked her hair as
they left the building, and she was put in the ambulance. Mulder rode
with her, and held her hand as promised.  Scully stayed behind to give
the report of what happened. She gave an abbreviated form, because she
knew Shea and Mulder needed her.

        Mulder had never seen so many tubes attached to one person. He
knew he had to be strong for Shea, but inside he was breaking. He
faintly heard the paramedic say, 'BP is dropping...100/70.......86/54
......he then heard Shea cough, and the paramedics suctioned her, but
it didn't help much.  "Mulder.....," her voice was soft, "tell then to
turn on the siren, I can't hear it, it sounds faraway." Shea turned
her head as if looking at something, ".....dad?...is it really you....
mom.....wait for me......I'm coming, I'm coming home....," she gasped
out.
        Mulder couldn't hold back any longer, tears were streaming
down his face. "Shea," he choked out, "you're gonna be ok, you here
me........you can't leave....me....alone....," he said quietly.
        She pulled on his hand hard, meaning she wanted him closer to
her face, "...Fox....You're not alone......you should realize that by
now. You've got Dana. She.....loves you....you know. I also know that
you're in love with her," she said as she was struggling for breath,
"you need to tell each other,.......tell Dana.....sorry....couldn't
say good- bye......remember, I love you both, and......I'll watch over
you two......always."
        The paramedic was becoming frantic, "step on it man, we're
loosing her...BP...70/45..and dropping!"
        With her last breath, "Good-bye,.....Mulder....my
brother.....love.....you."
        "Asystole," the paramedic yelled, and made Mulder move out of
the way. He watched as they tried cardioversion to restart her heart,
but to no avail....they failed. She was pronounced DOA.
        As the ambulance pulled up to the ER, they were unhooking the
equipment from her. "I'm sorry sir," the paramedic told him.
        All Mulder could do was look at her still form, then he leaned
towards her, and placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered, I love
you too...sis," and then the tears began to fall, as he caressed her
face. He didn't hear the door open, and he didn't hear Scully's voice.
All he knew and felt at that moment was a great emotional pain. Scully
saw Mulder leaning over Shea's body, and she could see his shoulders
shaking. By this time, the tears were running down her face as well.
She went and sat next to Mulder, and put her arms around him, and they
both cried over a senseless death...of their best friend....the young
girl that both of them could call a sister.

        The following week after the funeral, Mulder had stopped by
her apartment to get the profile that she had done. He bent over and
picked up the blood splattered envelope, and took one last look at the
apartment, and left. He knew the memory of that night would remain
with him always. It was at times like this, he cursed it.  He went
back to the confines of his apartment, to read the profile that Shenia
Magee had written to help him and Scully catch a killer.

        The End 

------------------------------------------
ELECTION BALLOT FOR NOV96

WALTER SKINNER FOR PRESIDENT 96'
FOX WILLIAM MULDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
DR. DANA KATHERINE SCULLY SURGEON GENERAL
FROHIKE SECRETARY OF STATE
LANGLEY SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
BYERS FOREIGN AFFAIRS LIAISON
MARGARET SCULLY WHITEHOUSE SPOKESWOMAN
-----------------------------------------