TITLE:   Conhouse - Chapter Thirteen
e-mail Address:  ErinStone1@aol.com
RATING: NC-17
CATEGORY:  Scully/Slash
SPOILERS: None
Keywords:  Scully Slash/Other Romance
Archiving:  You bet - just let me know where.

Disclaimer: Fox, Chris Carter and 1013 own them ALL, ***except Lena Conhouse,
she's mine, and of course, Wanda, who is mine in the literal sense.***

Comments are welcomed. Please send them to ErinStone1@AOL.com




Scully pulled in behind several police cruisers that were parked on a tree-
lined street near Georgetown. The neighborhood was dotted with upper middle
class homes, and people were out on their lawns in the dusk looking to the
home that was surrounded by police tape and flashing lights. Children rode
their bikes past the police cruisers, trying to get a glimpse at the activity
occurring around the front door of the large ranch home.

Lena and Scully both placed their ID's inside out and stepped out the car, in
search of Mulder.

"He's probably inside." Scully stated simply, flashing her ID at several of
the officers that surrounded the front porch.

Lena had started to concentrate the minute Scully turned the ignition off. Her
mind searched the landscape of the front yard, opening to the possibility of
any random thought from victim or perpetrator. Scully tapped Lena's arm and
handed a pair of disposable rubber gloves to her.  She took them, slipping
them on out of habit more than conscious action.

As the women made their way through the front door Lena stopped. She rested
her hand on the handle of the screen door, standing in place, not realizing
that she was blocking the entrance for two policemen who nearly ran into her.
Her stomach flipped as she saw a gloved hand turn the knob. She got nothing
more from the killer himself, feeling only certain that it was a man.

Scully was staring at her intently when she came back to the present. She
shook her head slightly and turned to see the two men in uniform behind her.
She mumbled an apology and walked into the room behind Scully.

"You okay?" Scully had hold of Lena's elbow.

"Yeah." Lena visualized a gate in her mind opening again. She was flooded with
images of the two children. They looked startled, but not frightened. The boy
even seemed to be smiling.

"I think it was someone the family knew." Lena made the statement to no one in
particular, ignoring the fact that next to Scully stood two uniformed
officers. Lena sensed that the perp and the children had moved away from the
front room into the kitchen, and her feet seemed to move of their own accord.
She picked up random thoughts from the boy, and unknowingly followed his exact
path into the kitchen, and ultimately to his death.

She stopped in the kitchen door, again to the surprise of Scully and the
officers that trailed closely behind her. She was vaguely aware of Scully
asking the uniforms some questions. Who called in the original 911? Where was
the mother when the officers first arrived? Had anything been touched or
moved?

Mulder was on the other side of the large kitchen. He was looking down at a
body of which Lena could only see the feet, the rest hidden behind a chopping
board island that sat in the middle of the room. He looked at Scully and
nodded; she walked to him carefully, not wanting to step in the pools of blood
that were drying on the linoleum floor.

"Mulder, where is the boy?" Scully asked.

"He's in the dining room. The mother moved him, apparently. We're not sure yet
why."

"The blood spatters would indicate extreme violence. The patterns here on the
refrigerator are wide."

"It looks like the father was stabbed repeatedly. The perp rolled him over.
His wounds are probably in his chest and abdomen. I asked the officers to wait
until you got here to flip him over."

"Let's take a look. Step back a little Mulder, it's probably going to be
messy."
She put on a pair of rubber gloves and handed a pair to him.

He put the gloves on and stepped around the body, pulling the shoulder back as
Scully pushed the man's hips over.  The body thumped onto its back.  What had
been the abdomen of the victim was a mass of gore and blood. The amount of
stab wounds impossible to determine through the minced flesh.

Mulder covered his mouth and nose, "Jesus."

Scully leaned over the body, lifting the eyelids of the victim, then looking
closely at the wound mass at his middle.  "This man must have been stabbed at
least 30 times. It's going to take a while to determine exactly how many, if I
can at all. And the trajectory will be hard to figure out too, there's no skin
left intact here around the opening."


While the partners were examining the father Lena ran her gloved hands over
several items in the kitchen.

She saw the father with the girl in his arms, tickling her lightly. He kissed
her forehead and sat her down on the center island, her little feet kicking
back and forth in the air. He was talking to someone then, smiling. The mother
stood behind him. She had a sack of potatoes in her hand.

Dinner, they were making dinner for the killer.

"He was here for dinner." Lena said it louder than she meant to, the words
reverberated back at her.

She looked up to see Mulder and Scully staring at her; she ignored it, walking
to the refrigerator and resting her hands on its door handle.

Scully could tell that she was nearly unaware of her present surroundings. She
walked over to Lena and again grasped her elbow. "The blood Lena, don't walk
through the blood."

Lena looked at her with vacant eyes. She registered her comment after several
seconds and looked down at her feet, seeing that she had just missed a large
puddle of blood. Her jacket was dangerously close to brushing against the
blood spattered on the front of the refrigerator.  She let Scully lead her
away from the spot slowly. Her feet felt like they were not her own. "Scully,
take me to the son."

"Lena, I think you should·"

"Please. While his body is still in the house. It's important that I see him
while he's still here. I'll get a better read."

The tone of Lena's voice chilled Scully to the bone. She nodded and looked to
Mulder to lead them. Gently they both led Lena to the dining room where the
boy's body was lying.

His body was in much the same state as his father's. He was on his back, his
small face void of life or expression. Lena stared hollowly at his small hand.
She knelt down and reached for it, holding it where it sat against the wood
floor.

Her head snapped back and her eyes closed. She was unaware, but Mulder had
fallen to his knees behind her, in an effort to hold her upright. Her head had
smacked his chin when the flash came stronger still.

Betrayal, terror· the little boy was crying. No no no no · this didn't happen
to his family· it happened to other people's· TV people·

Scully watched as Lena's face contorted in anguish. She panicked and grabbed
her upper arms, shaking her. "Lena, stop! Come back. Lena!"  The woman didn't
seem phased by Scully's strong admonitions. Her head slumped onto Mulder's
shoulder. Scully tried to pry her hand from that of the dead boy's, but it was
like a vise.

· his father hung onto the refrigerator door and it was like a movie· at first
Danny thought it was a trick· Cook had done a trick and it was· a little too
real and too scary· but then he saw his Dad fall forward· and he thought
wildly that they must be in on it together· Cook and his dad had somehow
gotten together and come up with this trick· but then he saw his Dad's face·
and he knew it wasn't a trick·  and then Cook took that knife and stabbed his
Dad until Danny could see guts· his Dad's guts·

Lena was sweating and twitching in Mulder's arms. Dana continued to yell at
her; she was too far in to hear.

And then Lena saw his mother· crying and pleading· 'No! No! You fucker· I
can't god don't make me I can't· why are you doing this?!·  she looked at her
daughter· crying and screaming and spit flew out of her mouth and Danny
thought that she looked wild, like an animal· and the knife was at his throat·
then at his sister's· and he could feel the strong arms around them both· and
his sister was smashed against him· then his mother's hand came up and the boy
saw her finger point to him and the knife flashed·  up to it's hilt in his
belly· he felt it burn· but it didn't hurt· he was surprised that it didn't
hurt· and he was going to tell his Mom that it was okay because· 'momma it
doesn't hurt· it's warm but it doesn't hurt·' and he looked at her and tried
to be brave· he wanted to smile but he couldn't feel his face· and everything
was fuzzy· and then his sister screamed·


Lena stood suddenly and Mulder was knocked backward. "Get these people OUT OF
HERE!" Lean snarled, she pointed at the policemen who lined the doorways to
the dining room. "NOW!"

Scully turned to them, "You heard her, OUT!"

She watched them scramble and reached out to Mulder to help his stand up,
"Lena, what is it?"  Scully was now actively frightened.

"He's still here." She looked at both of them with ferocity. Both agents
reached instinctively for their guns. Lena shook her head at them, "Not the
killer."

"Wh·" Mulder was confused, adrenaline racing through his system.

"Danny." Angry tears streamed down Lena's face. She was sickened by the horror
of the crime, enraged at the violence inflicted on the 7-year-old boy. "I need
some time. Please. Stand by the doors. Don't let anyone in."

Lena pulled a chair from the table and sat it down with a hard thud. She
pushed the dining table away with such force that it smashed into the wall on
the other side of the room, leaving a deep dent. She then moved the chair to
the center of the room and sat in it, eyes closed tightly.

Scully stood between the kitchen and the dining room, her back to Lena. Her
jaw clenched and unclenched. This was not protocol for a homicide
investigation. She worried that the officers who now congregated in the front
room would take issue with their sudden dismissal. She glanced over her
shoulder at Mulder. He stood watching Lena from his doorway; his back to what
she imagined was a family room. She noticed suddenly that his features were
changing, lightening. She craned her neck further and saw Lena in the chair,
her face lightened too, with a warm golden light that emanated from the far
ceiling corner of the small dining room.

Dana surprise manifested in an unspoken 'oh' left on her lips· then fading.
Her eyes filled with tears.

Lena could see him now. Frightened, he stayed in an upper corner of the room.
Horror played across his face as he sobbed silently.  She concentrated on him
until she knew she was visible to him. He stared at her; terrified that she
was another part of the nightmare he had witnessed hours before.

She looked at him, smiling gently, "Come here Danny. I won't hurt you."

The boy stayed where he was. His small mind unable to comprehend what had
happened to him, to his family.

"Please Danny. It's over now. I promise."

His need for comfort overwhelmed him and he finally took her at her word,
slowly moving into her arms.

Dana watched as Lena spoke. Her eyes were closed tightly, arms held out in
front of her. It took several minutes, but the soft light seemed to float
toward her, and she gently wrapped it in her arms.

Mulder watched from his post soundlessly. He was vaguely aware that some of
the officers had crept back into the family room behind him, but he refused to
move his eyes from Lena. He would rather risk her being angry with him than
risk missing what was the closest to the paranormal he had ever seen.

As the agents watched Lena began to gently rock her body in the chair. She
held Danny close and he relaxed in her arms. She knew that feel of his small
warm body was just a phantom feeling to her senses. He cried softly against
her, she saw the tears but could not feel them, they were small beads of light
traveling down his face.

"Danny, you need to go to your Dad. He's waiting for you."

"My mom though· she needs me I think· and Ruthie· "

"I'll take care of that. I'll find Ruthie." Lena nodded toward Mulder and
Scully, "See honey, I have lots of people to help me." Lena tipped back to
look in his eyes. He was fading slowly, the light was now showing through him
in small bright pinpoints. His resolve was fading as well. "Your Dad needs
you. And he's waiting."

Scully could see him then. A small translucent shape in Lena's arms, his hands
clasped behind her neck. She sucked in her breath as he looked directly at her
and then over to Mulder, her eyes wide. Her quick glance at Mulder revealed
that he too was stunned. He looked back at the boy in wonder. Tears streamed
down both of their faces. Several of the officers were now standing directly
behind Mulder. Scully heard one of them whisper to himself, 'sweet jesus', his
hat clenched in his hands.

The boy looked directly into Lena's eyes, his form shimmered slightly, more
light coming through him now, "It was Cook·" he said, then he disappeared
completely.


End - Chapter 13