Title: Little Snow Angels Author: Eileen S. Whipple Rating: PG Classification: VA Spoilers: None Summary: A new case gets Scully thinking about the evil in the world. Disclaimer: CC owns all the characters. We all know the drill. Archive: Gossamer and Xemplary, sure. Anywhere else, please ask. I will say yes. I just want to know where everything is going. Notes: It took a few months to come up with an idea for and enough time to write it. Though it's only a vignette, it took nearly two months to write. This was also inspired by the many walks to and from school on the days I had my spare. The massive amounts of snow covering our school field made me think of how snow can symbolize innocence, and how blood on snow reminded me of lost innocence. But I am very glad I finished this story when I did because all our snow is starting to melt. I wouldn't have had any more inspiration. Special thanks to Laura. She helped me with the geography and weather. And thanks to Silvy for beta reading this baby! **Little Snow Angels** The snowflakes drifted down to the earth. It was feather-like on my cheeks. The sky was white and the new snowfall coated the ground. However, I couldn't take time to appreciate the beauty and serenity of my surroundings, not as this tragedy was strewn about in front of me. I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Scully, you're here." It was Mulder. "I didn't want to come but Kersh said it was an order that I work on this assignment." I didn't understand why Assistant Director Kersh would assign us to a homicide after we'd been assigned to investigate domestic terrorism and do background checks. I was just getting used to the checks and Mulder was excellent at them. Now we were investigating the most heinous crime imaginable: the death of children at the hands of a parent. Murder is horrible in any form but I didn't know how any parent could kill their own child, their own flesh and blood. No matter how hard I tried to understand the reasons why, I never could. A sharply dressed man approached us, his long strides carrying him quickly over the field to the edge where Mulder and I stood. We both dug into our pockets to provide our identification. "I'm Detective Stan Marcos with the Norfolk PD." "Norfolk?" I said. "The Suffolk PD is here as well. The victims are from Norfolk but this field is near Suffolk." He looked over his shoulder. "This case is a damn shame." He noticed me looking around. "Do you want to come take a look?" "Sure," Mulder said for both of us. He pushed me along gently. I didn't want to see this and he probably didn't either. I saw the blood as we approached the covered figures. Two of the bodies were small and the third was an adult. Detective Marcos said, "The larger body is Judith Summer, age twenty-four. The two others are her children, Hannah and Elisa, ages five and two, respectively. They were shot at close range. Judith died from a bullet to the back of the head. The two girls were shot in the back." I felt absolutely sick, and I hoped he didn't lift the sheets. I'd seen murder victims before but I rarely saw young children. "Any suspects?" "Judith's husband Geoffrey's fingerprints were found all over the murder weapon. The gun was picked up in a ditch over there." Marcos pointed over to the dip near the road; it was close to Mulder's car. "We ran the serial number and found it was registered to Geoffrey Summer as well." "I guess we're lucky we have so much evidence," Mulder said. "Why did he kill his wife and children?" "We don't know, Agent Mulder. I think he just did it for no reason at all. I don't know how anybody could kill two sweet little angels like those girls. He speaks about them as if they were still alive." Marcos shoved his hands in his pockets. "It could break anybody's heart." Mulder nodded, and I wondered if he was as determined as I was not to become emotionally involved with this case. One had to be tough in our line of work, but not unfeeling. I felt but didn't let it get in the way of my judgement. The covered bodies were close together. The little girls' hands were sticking out from underneath the sheets; they'd been clutching each other before they died. I felt an ache in my heart when I realized that. "Agent Scully, I was told you could do the autopsies," Marcos said. "Could you please get somebody else?" I closed my eyes tightly, trying not to look at the tiny hands. "Mulder, I have to go." I could tell he thought I was uncomfortable. Actually, I was disturbed. I walked to the car quickly. Mulder caught up with me there. "Scully, I'll take care of this case if you want me to. I know it's awful to see something like this when it's not your usual job, but I think I can handle it better than you can." I stared at him for a moment. "No, I'm fine. I'll be okay." The little girls' hands had been hard to get apart, due to the rigor mortis that had set in. That's what the chief pathologist said to me. I'd told him to call me once he was finished the autopsy reports. He showed up at the scene of the crime, but I'd left before he actually loaded the bodies into his vehicle to take them to the morgue. Little Hannah and Elisa, dead before they'd had a real chance to enjoy life. Their mother killed the same way by the man that was supposed to love her. He'd murdered her and the children they'd conceived in love. What could ever possess a man to do that? Marcos had spoken to Judith's mother, and he'd told me about what he'd found out. Hannah was a budding artist who liked to draw pictures of horses, and little Lisi was her grandmother's helper, even though she was only two years old. I sat at Mulder's desk in the bullpen, staring down at the digital clock. The numbers glowed 7:46. Mulder was supposed to be showing up with the autopsy reports he'd gotten delivered to his apartment. We were also supposed to receive a copy of Geoffrey Summer's psychological evaluation. I was praying that the man had some sort of mental problem, that he didn't kill his wife and his children just because. The world was becoming overrun by people who hurt "just because". I knew it because I saw it nearly every day at my job, if I investigated the crime or not. Other agents spoke about their cases. The disturbing cases got the most talk because of everybody's uneasiness about them. They usually had to go to see a counsellor after the very distressing assignment. I only had to see a counsellor a few times but I didn't feel comfortable talking about how I felt with someone I barely knew. "Scully?" I looked up when I heard my name. It was Mulder. He had several folders in his hand. "Do you have the results of the psych evaluation?" I asked eagerly, jumping up. "Don't you even say 'Good morning'?" I gave him a look saying I meant business. I wasn't up for any jokes at the moment. "Mulder, I'd like to see it. I've been waiting all morning to see it." "Well, Geoffrey Summer could have been crazy when he killed his family but this report says he's mentally sound. He cannot give any insight to why he killed his wife and daughters." I bit my lip and he said, "Scully, this case is really bothering you, isn't it? I told you I could take care of it." "And I told you I was fine with it. The only thing that's bothering me is the idea that a father could murder his children. His little innocent daughters." "Scully, there are people in this world that do things for no reason. Mr. Summer is one of those people." "How is Judith's family dealing with it? I heard her mother adored the children." Mulder pulled a chair up to his desk and sat beside me. "The grandmother called them her 'little snow angels'. She said they were where they belonged." That name was appropriate, even in death. Both girls had their arms outstretched, like they were making angels in the snow. They were holding hands and making snow angels like little girls should. I stared at the clock again. I didn't know what to do. I wasn't going to cry, but I think Mulder sensed how I was feeling. "Scully, these cases get easier. I saw awful things while working in Violent Crimes but I got used to it after I realized that it was my job to investigate these crimes without getting too involved." I knew he was right. Things like this would get easier. I just had to work on this case and try not to let it affect me, but it was just a shame that the "little snow angels" had to die. END Send feedback to: whipples@connect.ab.ca You'll feel better.