From: bcfan@shaw.ca   
      
   TITLE: None So Blind (1/5)   
   AUTHOR: bcfan   
   FEEDBACK:  bcfan@shaw.ca   
   WEBSITE:  bcfanfic.tripod.com   
   RATING: strong NC-17 for disturbing content.  Please heed the   
   warning.   
   SPOILERS: post-episode, Fallen Angel   
   CATEGORY: X (casefile), M/S UST   
   SUMMARY: Child sexual abuse cases leave Mulder and Scully struggling   
   for resolution.   
   NOTES at the end.   
      
      
   ***   
      
      
   Mulder leaned back in his desk chair, scratched around his ace   
   bandage and sighed, shoulders slumping. Looking at his watch, he   
   began drumming his fingers on the nicked wooden surface.   
      
   Where was Scully?   
      
   He carefully stood, balanced, and hopped on one foot to the lights   
   and doused them, ignoring the crutches leaning haphazardly against   
   the wall.  Just as he slid into his chair, Scully knocked and   
   opened the door.   
      
   "Do you want me to switch on the lights, Mulder?"   
      
   "No, leave them."   
      
   "Another slideshow?"   
      
   "A video.  I've got it set to the right spot.  Could you turn it on?"   
      
   The television lit to a large, sinister, singing bag other misshapen   
   creatures called Oogie Boogie.  Suddenly, a cascade of wriggling   
   insects surged out when Oogie Boogie's seam was split.   
      
   Mulder grinned at Scully's surprised face.  "Gross, huh?"   
      
   "Where did you get this?  Isn't this the new Tim Burton film?"   
      
   Mulder nodded.  "I've got some friends doing research for me.  I   
   asked them to find out about boogymen, and this was in the   
   package.  Must have snuck a camcorder into the movie theatre."   
      
   "You hang with a bad crowd, Mulder."   
      
   Scully's teasing focused Mulder's attention away from his throbbing   
   ankle and firmly on his partner.  She looked rested and upbeat, he   
   realized - a fizzy sparkle of champagne to his dull, flat beer.   
   Would they ever be on the same page?   
      
   Mulder shuffled through his papers as Scully watched the rest of the   
   Oogie Boogie scene before switching off the t.v.  She turned in her   
   chair.   
      
   "Okay, why are you researching boogymen?"   
      
   "I've been doing some reading," he held up the National Enquirer and   
   Scully softly moaned, "and there have been three disappearances in   
   California in the last month.  All children.  And - this is the   
   kicker - witnesses claim it was the boogyman who took them."   
      
   "Witnesses?"   
      
   "None in one case.  In another, the sibling of the victim.  And in   
   the third, it was a neighbour girl who heard a noise and looked out   
   the window."   
      
   "Mulder, as sad as this is, children are hardly credible witnesses.   
   Are you sure the missing children weren't runaways?"   
      
   "None of the three are over six.  The National City police couldn't   
   find any evidence.  I spoke to Captain Ortega yesterday, and he   
   asked me to consult."   
      
   An expression of disquiet seemed to flit across Scully's face, so   
   quickly he wasn't sure he'd really seen it.   
      
   He paused.  "Something wrong?"   
      
   Scully shrugged slightly.  "National City, California?"   
      
   He nodded.   
      
   "I used to live in base housing near the San Diego Naval Station.   
   National City is a bit further south."   
      
   "Good, you're familiar with the area.  You'll have to do the   
   driving."   
      
   Mulder snagged his crutches as he stood.  "Our flight leaves in two   
   hours."   
      
   Scully appeared troubled.  Mulder knew the feeling - missing   
   children cases were always the worst.  But the concern in her   
   eyes didn't stop her questions.   
      
   "I don't suppose it matters that you're supposed to be on desk   
   duty," Scully asked, but began to gather Mulder's file folders   
   and notes.   
      
   "Nope.  They need our help.  Let's go catch us a boogyman."   
      
   xXx   
      
   Scully's first genuine smile of the day had been when he left the   
   details of hotel booking up to her.  Since she knew the area, it   
   made sense to delegate, Mulder thought.   
      
   He relaxed as Scully negotiated the route from San Diego airport to   
   National City.  As they passed the San Diego Naval Station, Scully   
   spoke fondly of her childhood - hopscotch and skipping rope, tag   
   after dark on a summer's night, swimming at the local beach.   
      
   "I made friends there and I still see some of them from time to   
   time.  All the families moved a lot, so we tried to keep in touch.   
   I had four pen pals by the time I finished high school."   
      
   "I didn't know you were a Navy brat."   
      
   Scully smiled.  "Yes, and San Diego was one of my favourite places.   
   National City is close by, but it always seemed like another world."   
      
   Mulder understood what she meant.  As he looked out the window, a   
   public swimming pool and golf course were side by side with shabby   
   apartments and run-down single homes. And car lots.  Many, many car   
   lots.  "This isn't what you expect when you think of California," he   
   murmured.   
      
   "No," Scully agreed, "National City has urbanization and pollution   
   problems without a strong median income.  I know the unemployment   
   rate is above the state average.  If someone decided to   
   victimize children in an area without fear of reprisal, this would   
   be a place to start."   
      
   "Not just someone, Scully.  A boogyman."   
      
   Scully's expression warred between exasperation and amusement.  "Do   
   you know where the phrase, 'Don't let the boogyman get you' was   
   coined, Mulder?  The tribal pirates of the south sea islands - whose   
   commodities included kidnapped children - were called Boogymen.   
   We're a long way from the south seas.  Isn't it possible that   
   we're looking for a human perpetrator?"   
      
   In his delight over Scully's repartee, Mulder couldn't stop the   
   admiring, "You're turning me on here."   
      
   Scully ignored his comment.  "My father's a naval captain.  I've   
   heard the stories - and their explanations."   
      
   "I'm betting you were the kind of kid who always wanted an   
   explanation."   
      
   "You'd win that bet."   
      
   Their car pulled to a stop in front of the National City Police   
   Station.  Mulder turned and hoisted his crutches out of the back   
   seat.   
      
   His lips tightened as he navigated the uneven sidewalk into the   
   reception area.   
      
   "Captain Ortega?"  Mulder nodded, as a neatly groomed man came out   
   to meet them.  "I'm Agent Mulder and this is my partner, Agent   
   Scully."   
      
   "Come in and take a load off."  Ortega stepped through the short   
   hallway into his office, and Mulder sank gratefully into a chair.   
      
   "I called you yesterday, sir," Mulder began, "regarding the   
   disappearance of three local children."   
      
   "Yes - and frankly, we're happy for the FBI's help.  We've gotten   
   nowhere with the cases, and we're not sure if they're even related."   
      
   "Captain," Scully leaned forward.  "We've read your report.  Would   
   we be able to talk to the families?"   
      
   Ortega gave a helpless shrug.  "Of course.  All three families have   
   been thoroughly investigated - there wasn't a hint of suspicion with   
   any of them.  However, I know the Parraz family has already moved   
   on.  They're migrant workers, and despite what happened, they   
   gotta eat.  I have a list of where they plan to be in case we   
   find their son, Tomas.  They're very upset."   
      
   "And the others?"   
      
   "Mrs. Findlay comes in every day.  She just stands in the lobby and   
   cries.  She's a young widow and Jimmy is her only child.  Mr. and   
   Mrs. Andros live across town - they've got four kids, and little   
   Richie was their youngest.  This is a terrible tragedy for us,   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)