Disclaimers in Part 1. Part 11 of 11. Katie's room Rutherford, NJ 10:39 a.m. "Hi Katie," Agent Mulder said when he entered the room. Katie was lying on her stomach on the floor, playing solitaire. "Hey. Um, I need to talk to you." She sat up and turned around to face him, while motioning for him to take a seat on the bed. Mulder complied and she added, "Actually, my friend needs to talk to you." YES TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, KATIE, ME TOO "Okay, what you need to do is concentrate really hard," Katie told Mulder. "You're gonna hear a voice talking to you, like it's inside your head or something. When you want to answer back, DON'T TALK OUT LOUD. _Think_ what you want to say. She'll hear it." Mulder smiled a little, half-amused, half-befuddled. "Who'll hear it?" ME Katie saw him jump. "Remember what I said, just talk back to her in your head," she said softly. Mulder thought. GUESS. I THINK YOU KNOW C'MON. I'LL GIVE YOU THREE GUESSES. JUST TELL ME WHO YOU THINK I AM... JUST GUESS Mulder thought. The Kitchen Rutherford, NJ 10:49 a.m. Mrs. Martin had been babbling for the last ten minutes and Scully was getting annoyed. After she had brought up the subject of Mulder, she launched into other subjects, including her concern for Katie. Scully keep looking for a way out, but was finding none. She endured another ten minutes of talking, then decided she had had it and she wanted desperately wanted to catch up with Mulder. “Um, can you direct me to your bathroom?” Scully asked innocently, hoping the question would buy her freedom from this conversation. Mrs. Martin seemed to think about it for a minute, almost as if she didn’t want to tell her where the bathroom was. Finally she said, “First door at the top the stairs. You can’t miss it.” Scully thanked her and breathed a sigh of relief as she climbed the stairs. Realizing she really _did_ have to make a stop in the bathroom, she found it and closed the door. A few minutes later, she was washing her hands, when she could hear voices from Katie’s room. “Really?” Mulder’s voice was doubtful. “Think, don’t say it!” Katie’s voice sounded worried. Scully quickly placed the hand towel back to it’s place on the sink and peered out the bathroom door and glanced toward Katie’s room. She started to walk toward it when Mrs. Martin blocked her path. “Dana, how strange do you think someone can act?” Mrs. Martin asked and steered Scully away from Katie’s room with those words. “Depends on what you think strange is,” Scully replied with a hint of a smile. Mrs. Martin walked down the stairs and Scully followed her out of curiosity. “As in the behavior of a twelve-year-old girl.” At first Scully thought this may be a ploy to get her away from Katie’s room, but she saw the serious look in the other woman’s eyes. A look that resembled fear, but not quite. Scully couldn’t pinpoint Christina’s exact emotion but it sent a chill down her spine. This case was getting stranger and stranger. As much as Scully wanted to go up into that bedroom, she knew she needed to ask Mrs. Martin a few more questions first. Katie’s room 10:58 a.m. “Really?” Mulder said aloud, doubt all over his voice. His illness shifted to the back of his mind. He doubted that Michael Austin was responsible for Sarah’s death, let alone Joanna’s. “Think, don’t say it!” Katie said, afraid that Agent Scully would hear him from downstairs. Mulder thought and glared at the walls. AGENT MULDER, I DON’T LIE. I SAID HE WAS RESPONSIBLE, AND HE IS. LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE, EVEN IT POINTS TO HIM. YOU CAN’T DENY THAT. Mulder argued. His head still throbbed and his was certain Joanna was hiding something. And why wasn’t Scully up here? AGENT MULDER, HE _DID_ IT! YOU HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO BRING HIM IN. END THIS CASE AND MAKE YOUR PARTNER HAPPY. YOU’RE TOO SICK TO KEPT WORKING LIKE THIS ANYWAY. Katie thought worriedly and glanced at Mulder. Mulder challenged, and emitted a series of coughs. Joanna paused long enough to let him finish. AGENT MULDER, ONE LOOK AT YOU AND ANYONE COULD TELL THAT YOU ARE READY TO COLLAPSE. YOUR PARTNER LOOKS LESS THAN THRILLED TO BE HERE. THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. I _AM_ PRETTY SMART FOR A TWELVE-YEAR-OLD. Katie breathed a sigh of relief, when she saw Mulder silently digesting that information. Katie thought all was well, but then Mulder suddenly narrowed his eyes. Mulder winced at that memory. His twelve year was _not_ a happy one. Silence filled the room. Katie thought to the white walls. Living Room 11:15 a.m. “My daughter has always been strange, but never like this.” Christina Martin handed Scully a cup of coffee and settled into the chair across from her. She placed her own coffee on the table next to her and seemed to play with hands. She seemed nervous now. “What do you mean?” Scully asked, and glanced at the stairs. “Katie was different. A tomboy. She was always a little unusual, but that’s what made her unique. But now, I can catch her always watching the walls, almost as if they could talk.” Christina continued to wring her hands together. Scully thought. Years of working on the X- Files had he thinking about a girl being able to communicate with the dead. “Then one day, she trashed her sister’s room. She didn’t give me a reason. I never would have known if I hadn’t caught her walking out of Sarah’s room.” At the mention of Sarah’s name, Mrs. Martin’s eyes took on a faraway glaze. “Dana, it seems that I haven’t just lost one daughter. It feels as if I’m going to lose two.” Her words were soft, and had a sad quality to them. “Maybe you should take Katie to see a counselor,” Scully suggested. Mrs. Martin shook her head. “Dana, I once caught her talking to the walls. She called the walls ‘Joanna’.” Silence feel between them. “Maybe I should go upstairs,” Scully suggested, but Mrs. Martin shook her head. “Katie wanted you to stay away. She mumbled something about ‘not understanding.’ I don’t know what that means, but....” Mrs. Martin let her voice fade away and Scully had an even stronger desire to run up those stairs. “Christina?” Scully laid a hand on her shoulder. Christina looked up and Scully noticed a determined look on her face. “But, she didn’t say anything about the both of us going.” Christina lifted her head higher. “I just want my little girl back.” Scully nodded. “I know you do.” On the road Rutherford, NJ 11:59 a.m. Scully looked over and her partner. His eyes flew open. "Scully, will you quit staring at me?" She jumped. She had thought he was asleep. "Sorry. I was worried." Mulder scowled. "No you weren't. You just want to know what Joanna said." Scully looked at the road, then at her partner, then at the road, then back at her partner. "Fine." She smiled a little but Mulder was not amused. "Fine, I _do_ want to know. How could you blame me? So, what'd she say?" "Nothing." Scully's shoulders slumped. "_Nothing_?? You didn't talk to her?" "No, she said something. Just nothing good." At Scully's inquiring look he said, "Joanna said that Michael Austin killed Sarah Martin. He was hiding behind the piano and Joanna happened to be watching over Katie-- she said something like 'watching over' and saw Michael Austin hiding there but she wasn't quick enough to stop him. His fingerprints are all over.... Scully, I hate to say this, but I think she might be right." "Wait a minute, here, Mulder. You just had a conversation with a girl that's been dead for.... _years_ and you're ready to just _go_ with the conceivable answer that Michael Austin killed this girl?? That is _not_ like you. C'mon, what's up?" Mulder took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, coughing a little as he did. "I don't know. I don't.... it's just something about this case. We're not _getting_ anywhere and, as Joanna said, Michael Austin is the only plausible explanation. I think we need to get him in and interrogate him." After a minute he said, "I didn't mean _we_, us. I mean _someone_, I just don't know if I'm up to it." Scully had pulled the car into their parking space outside their motel room. "Alright, I'll call Skinner and tell him that we want Michael Austin in for questioning," she said gently. "Now let's get you inside and let me check you out." Scully's Motel Room Rutherford, NJ 12:21 p.m. Mulder's mood seemed to be a little better after Scully had promised to call Skinner. Before, he had wanted to collapse into bed and sleep for a week, but now he had collapsed into an armchair in Scully's room so he could listen to her conversation with Skinner. However, he'd passed out in the chair before she'd even picked up the phone, so she guessed he wouldn't be an active member of the discussion. "Hi, Kim? It's Agent Scully, can I talk to the AD please? Thanks. Okay, I'll hold." A few seconds later, Walter Skinner's voice came on. "Agent Scully." "Yes, sir, it's me." "Do you have any news on the case?" Skinner sighed. It had been a tedious and frustrating case for him as well. "Uh, yes sir, Mulder thinks we may have a break." "Oh, good." He was relieved. "Let me talk to him then." Scully glanced over at the chair. "I don't think that's possible right now." "Hm....?" "He's sleeping. In the chair right here. I could wake him up if you want..." "No, don't, I'm sure he needs it. Is he still sick?" "He's doing a little better. I'd like to get him back to D.C. though for some serious rest and recuperating." "All right, we'll see what we can do about that. So what's going on with the case?" Scully thought. "Well, we checked out the rope, a piece of evidence found in the piano, with Michael Austin's fingerprints on it. Michael Austin is a wanted criminal. He strangles his victims when they're alone, so it seemed strange that he was able to kill Sarah Martin with everybody around, but we found a place where he could've hid behind the piano without anybody seeing him and then slipped out the back door. His fingerprints are _all_ over, so it's really the only plausible explanation." Scully wondered whether it was. "All right. Look, I'll get two agents on Michael Austin and you two come home. And, for God's sake Scully, do something about your partner. He's been sick for weeks now, and we're gonna need him well for the paperwork and possibly court trial." "Yes, sir." Katie Martin's Room Rutherford, NJ 12:30 p.m. There was a long pause. Then, YES. Katie relaxed and smiled at the walls. Scully’s Motel Room 2:15 p.m. Scully was glad she hadn’t really even bothered to unpack. She had called the airlines and gotten tickets for the 7:30 flight back to D.C. as soon as she had gotten off the phone with Skinner. She just wanted to get out of here before Mulder could change his mind about the case. she thought as closed her suitcase. She glanced over at Mulder, who was still asleep in the armchair. He had even stirred in the last hour and a half and she was getting worried. It was all the more important that they got home. She passed Mulder and walked into his room, and packed up the few things he had laying out. She carried his bag back into her room and stole another look at him. This time she was greeted by a pair of hazel eyes. “Did you call Skinner yet?” Mulder rasped, and he wondered when his voice had decided to take a time out. Scully looked at him, her gaze dripping with concern “Two hours ago, Mulder. I told him what you said, and-” “You told what I said?” Mulder sat up a little straighter, but grimaced when the slight movement of his head sent pain waves down his body. “Well, not really. I said we had enough evidence to investigate Michael Austin further, and he told me to get you well. So we are going back to D.C., Mulder. Case solved.” Mulder frowned. “But it’s not closed, Scully.” Scully walked closer to him. “Yes it is, Mulder. Even you said there is just not another explanation.” Mulder shook his head. “No, Scully. Joanna’s lying. Katie’s lying. We have to prove it.” “We can’t, Mulder,” Scully said gently. “So we are going to catch a 7:30 flight and then as soon as we get back to D.C., I’m driving you to Georgetown. No questions asked. Just worry about getting better, Mulder.” She offered him a hand out of the chair and he took it, swaying slightly when he got his feet. Scully helped him get over to the bed, which he promptly sat back down on. “No, Scully. Now that I think about it, Joanna’s lying. She can communicate with anyone. I mean it’s possible she got Michael Austin to do her dirty work, but that doesn’t make any sense. Why get someone to do it for you when you can do a better job yourself?” Scully laid a hand on his forehead. “Mulder, you’re delirious. Even if anything you are saying make any sense, we are talking about a twelve-year-old girl here.” “Haven’t you heard of a juvenile delinquent, Scully?” Mulder sighed and began another series of coughing. “Yes, I have Mulder. But most of them commit crimes when they are _alive_. I may be able to buy a _little_, and I mean a little, into the fact Katie claims to talk to Joanna, but Joanna, a dead twelve-year-old girl, being able to kill people at will? It sounds like the makings of a great science fiction novel.” “Yes, but don’t most of the cases we investigate have the makings of a great science fiction novel?” Mulder commented with a smile. Scully just shook her head and smiled back. Scully’s Motel room 3:50 p.m. “Be careful what you wish for.” “That’s a stupid saying, Karen. Wishes can’t come true.” Mulder blinked and stared at the TV screen. Scully had gone to check out of the rooms, so he passed the time waiting for her by watching TV. This program had caught his eye. “My sister says wishes can come true. But that every time they do, something bad happens. Like you wish you were an only child and your sister dies, making you become an only child. Things like that.” “Oh come on! I wish my brother was dead all the time, and it never happens.” “It could.” “Yeah, and my brother will start cleaning his room.” “It could happen.” “My brother would never clean his room.” “No, I meant the wishes!” Mulder didn’t take his eyes off the screen. He held back a cough and thought about the scene he just watched. Bingo. Mulder had a feeling his last thought was right. Suddenly Scully came into the room. “We’re all checked out,” she announced and picked up the bags off the bed. “Joanna did it.” Scully looked confused, so he tried to explain. “Katie did something most kids do. She jokingly wished her sister dead. Only Joanna made her wish come true. So now Katie has to stick by Joanna or else someone will discover her secret. Katie changed. She needs to stop listening to Joanna and get on with her life. I don’t think this case will find a real murderer, Scully. If we could manage to get Katie to push Joanna away, then maybe....” Mulder’s voice drifted off exhausted. He had hardly any strength left. He needed rest. “Mulder, I suggest we go eat something before we head to the airport to wait,” she said carefully, hoping she force some food into him. “We have to tell Katie, Scully. We have to.....” His eyes were determined. “We have to get her to say she made up the story about Michael Austin. Then maybe she could ignore Joanna and...” He started coughing. Scully went into the bathroom and returned with some water. She handed it to Mulder and he drank most of it. “Then we can go back to D.C. We have enough time in-between our flight. Then we go home, case closed.” Scully didn’t know why, but she nodded and said, “Ok” as she took the empty glass from Mulder’s hands. Martin’s house 4:17 p.m. Katie stared lazily at the walls, bored. Her parents had gone furniture shopping, and had asked her to join them, but she declined. Katie half-expected Joanna to answer, but knew Joanna was somewhere else. she reasoned. She could hardly believe that Agent Mulder was leaving them alone. It was over. Joanna had gotten away with. Now she had a friend, a partner. But when she thought of all the things Joanna was capable of, it sent shivers down her spine. She moved from her place on the couch and walked to the window. Of course he is, a voice inside her answered. He’s a killer, though. One more mark on his record won’t matter. But it did matter. At least to Katie. Before she meant Joanna she did one thing better than her sister. She was more honest. But now, even that was gone. She smiled a little at that, but the smile was uneasy. She liked being honest. It was the one thing she was proud of. No this wasn’t working out. She wanted to get Joanna out of her life, but knew she couldn’t. Katie was a partner in crime. And partner stick together, or else. The “or else” was the thing Katie was afraid of. Outside the Martin’s house 4:23 p.m. “Let’s get this over with,” Scully said as she pushed the doorbell. Mulder stood next to her, not looking very steady on his head. But his eyes were determined and somewhat lucid. “If we can,” he muttered to himself as the door opened. Dallas, Texas 4:30 p.m. MICHAEL Michael Austin grit his teeth. "I am _not_ going crazy, I am _not_ going crazy. I am a perfectly sane man. I am not what I was before." At this a sob escaped him and he let his head drop to the steering wheel. He had been driving home from the office had come again, intruding, frightening, deathly serious for such a sweet, young voice. MICHAEL. LISTEN TO ME "No!" The sharp outcry echoed around the walls of the car. "What do you want? Why won't you leave me alone??" I'M... I'M SORRY, the voice said resignedly. PLEASE LISTEN, JUST FOR A MINUTE? I'M... I'M JOANNA. I WANT TO HELP YOU BUT I NEED YOU TO HELP ME FIRST "I don't want your help!" he screamed. This time his wife, in the kitchen nearby, heard him and came running out. "Michael, what's the matter?" She pounded on the window. Michael opened the car door, got out and she wrapped her arms around him. "Nothing. It's nothing." He was trembling in her grasp. "I need to go. I'm going. I'm going to go upstairs for a little bit." Michael broke away and ran into the house and upstairs where he locked himself in his room. Katie's Room Rutherford, NJ 4:30 p.m. Scully was once again forced to hold small talk with Mrs. Martin while Mulder conducted the dirty work upstairs. Or maybe Scully's small talk was the dirty work. At this point, Mulder wasn't quite sure. All he knew was that his head was _pounding_. "Where is she?" he asked for the millionth time. "I don't know!" Katie insisted. "She's been gone all afternoon. Why do you need to talk to her, she told you everything already." Mulder sighed. "Alright, Katie. I'm gonna have to trust you because, frankly, I don't _ever_ want to have to talk to Joanna again. I came to talk to you, I just wanted to make sure she wasn't listening in. Katie..." Katie was staring down at her hands. "Look, I know you're fingernails are quite interesting but could you listen to me for a minute please?" Katie giggled a little and looked up at him. "Yeah, sure." "Thanks." He managed a weak smile. "Now, I _know_ about you and Joanna. Or, I've been making an educated guess. I know she's helping you..." Now that it was time to actually confront Katie, Mulder was drawing a blank. "Yeah," she said softly and he jumped. He hadn't expected her to cooperate at all. "Yeah? Could you tell me what you've been doing? What _she's_ been doing?" Katie bit her lip. "I don't know." "I promise I won't tell her," Mulder said gently. "Oh. Well...." Katie was staring at the ground now, speaking shakily and uneasily. "That day at the... at the recital. That day, I was mad at Sarah, I... I said I wanted her to die. You know! Don't you have a sister you've ever wanted to die?" Mulder shuddered. "No, but I think I get what you're saying." "Oh. Well, I just, I kinda wished it to myself and...." "I know," he said softly. "Then what?" "Well, then Joanna started talking to me. And she helped me and she was my friend and she was gonna make it so nobody knew I killed her--" "You didn't kill your sister, Katie." "Yeah. I know. So anyway, she was a good friend but sometimes she did things I didn't like. She..." "She what?" Mulder prompted. "Oh, just mean things! And then she wants to blame it on this guy, Michael Austin, who she said he's her 'inspirating'. She wants to blame my sister's death on this poor guy!" "So he didn't really do it." "No! I did. Or.... I mean.... I guess I did. But I didn't mean it. You know I didn't mean it, right?" "Yeah. I know." "Okay... good." Katie slumped back and let out a relieved sigh. Michael Austin's room Dallas, Texas 6:47 p.m. "Honey, are you coming down for dinner? Sweetie? You've been lying there an awfully long time..... why don't you come down for a little bit?" Michael lifted his head from its burial place in the pillow. "Um, no, I think I'm gonna skip dinner." His wife leaned against the doorjamb. "Aren't you feeling well?" "Yeah, I'm okay. Maybe I'll be down later." He pushed his face back in the pillow. After a few minutes he heard the door click shut. MICHAEL, STILL THERE? "Shut up, I'm not talking to you. Whoever you are." I TOLD YOU, I'M JOANNA "I don't care! I'm not talking to you, I told you that. I'm not listening to you..... listening to who?? There's nobody in the room!" SHH, DON'T TALK, JUST THINK WHAT YOU WANT TO TELL ME-- "I don't want to tell you anything! I just told you that!" SHHHH! THINK IT. MICHAEL, YOU'RE GOING TO ENCOUNTER SOME PROBLEMS..... SOME PEOPLE, SOME FBI AGENTS ARE GOING TO BE COMING AFTER YOU IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. BUT YOU NEED TO PROVE YOURSELF INNOCENT AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO HELP YOU DO. I'M GOING TO HELP YOU BLAME IT ALL ON-- "Blame all of _what_? I didn't _do_ anything, remember??" YES YOU DID! YOU'RE A WANTED MURDERER! "I used to be," he said softly. "Not anymore though. No, not anymore. Now I've got Elaine..... and the kids, I've got my life straightened out. And no voice in my head is going to bring me back to being a wanted murderer." I JUST WANT TO HELP. I JUST WANT TO.... Martin Household 4:37 p.m. "Just stop?" Katie was confused. Mulder raised a hand to his head and rubbed it. "Yeah, then this whole thing can get put behind you." "But what about Joanna? And my sister? Who’s going to...?" Katie’s voice was close to tears. She was deadly afraid that she would be blamed for Sarah’s death. Mulder shook his head. "Don’t worry, many cases stay unsolved. I just think your parents would be a lot happier if Joanna left." His excuses where sounding lame, but he didn’t now what to do. He _knew_ who killed Sarah, but he doubted a dead person could be tried. "But....," Katie protested, when a voice interrupted her. KATIE, WE NEED TO TALK....... "No!" Mulder said, a decible too loud for his head to handle. Katie eyed him and started to walk toward the door. She opened it and stood away from it. "Go away, Joanna. I mean it. I don’t need your help. I never did!" Katie was getting closer to tears each minute and Mulder really wished Scully was up here. His head was still pounding, and he started to feel a little unsteady on his feet. KATIE, YOU DON’T MEAN THAT. THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING WE HAVE DONE. ALL THE THINGS WE CAN ACCOMPLISH. I _MADE_ YOU INTERESTING! I BETTERED YOUR LIFE! "No, you didn’t. You made it worse. Sarah’s dead and I’ve lost who I was. And I realized, I liked who I was." Katie was no longer close to tears. She stood up straight and looked much older than her twelve years. Mulder blinked to steady the dizzying circle of lights he saw. His vision cleared and he didn’t know what else to do. He was witnessing a battle between two twelve- year-olds, but this went beyond your simple playground fight. This wasn’t some bully you could tell the teacher about. He sat down on the bed and watched Katie, wishing he had that much conviction when he was twelve. "And you know what! I could care less about bettering my life!" Katie suddenly stopped and looked thoughtful. Then her lips turned into a smile. "I think that you’re nothing without me! I’m sorry you had a nad life, but I don’t!" Katie stopped shouting. "I’ve realized that wishes can come true. But only in the worst way. Nad if that’s how it works, I don’t want to make only more wishes!! Well, maybe just one." She paused. "I wish you would get the hell out of my life." Only silence followed her statement. Mulder watched the scene unfold before his eyes. Then the roon blurred a little. He didn’t know how long he sat there, but the next thing he was aware of was Scully tapping his shoulders. "Mulder, we’re going to miss our flight." He nodded absently and got up, shaky on his feet. Scully eyed him suspiously. "I’m going to call Georgetown as soon as we get off the plane," she announced and for once Mulder didn’t agrue. 1 week later Georgetown Medical Center "I’m not eating that." "You are if you want to get out of here." Mulder eyed the green jello again with disdain. "But it moves...," he whined. "Mulder..." "Ok, ok, I’m eating it," he said as he dipped his spoon into it and reluctantly swallowed some. "I really, really hate jello." Scully laughed. "That because you’ve had to eat so much of it." "Well, not any longer. The next time I’m in the hospital, it’s going to be a nice one that’s never heard of jello." "Well, Mulder you exhausted most of the U.S. hospitals already..." Scully ducked and narrowly missed getting hit by a pillow. Scully was straightening up when she heard Mulder’s voice turn serious. "You think the Joanna’s of this world are still out there?" Scully just shrugged her shoulders. "Well, for everyone’s sake, I hope not." Mulder nodded in agreement. **************** Field Report, X-File 453697-3 Dana Scully, reporting field agent No more incidents have occured at the Martin home and Katie Martin has withdrawn her claim that Michael Austin committed the murder. Additionally, Mrs. and Mr. Martin have also dropped the civil suit against Mr. Austin, and he has been released, all charges dropped. Agent Mulder’s illness does not seem to be case related, though the stress may have added to it. With no other suspects have been investigated in the crime, I recommend that this case, X-File 453697-3, remain open. Somewhere in Ohio Susan watched as her brother got congratulated over and over for the 21 points he scored in the basketball game. She narrowed her eyes at him. PROBLEM SOLVED, the walls echoed.......... End of Part 11 of 11. Send all feedback to JenR13@aol.com and JRDG1013@aol.com. :-) --------------------------------------------- To be removed from the list, send email to xfcreative-request@pnx.com with one word: LEAVE in the body of the message.