From: msk1024@yahoo.com   
      
   Title:   Out of the Everywhere   
   Author: Kel and Michelle Kiefer   
   Email: ckelll@hotmail.com   
          msk1024@yahoo.com   
   Category:  Casefile   
   Spoilers: Conduit, En Ami   
   Rating: R   
   Archive:  Just ask.   
   Disclaimer:  Not ours.  Sigh.   
   Summary:  A missing child and a family   
   with something to hide.  In the aftermath   
   of "En Ami," Mulder and Scully investigate   
   a "classic alien abduction."   
   Comments: Writers know what they wanted to   
   say, and that makes it hard for them to see   
   when they haven't succeeded in saying it.   
   That's where betas come in.  "Out of the   
   Everywhere" is stronger and clearer because   
   of the efforts of our betas.  Thank you to   
   Marasmus, Syntax6, MaybeAmanda, Sdani and Linda.   
      
   Out of the Everywhere - part 8   
      
   Scully was supposed to be the skeptic while he was the   
   believer, but something about this case had made them   
   switch personas. Scully searched for little green   
   abductors while Mulder played the odds that Destiny   
   Morris had vanished at the hands of a relative.   
      
   Blinded by preconceptions and preoccupied with their   
   own wounds, they'd both been sloppy. If Destiny was   
   dead in a ditch or ringing 'round the moon in a UFO,   
   then time didn't matter. If she'd been kidnapped,   
   then time was everything.   
      
   "We had her and we let her go," Scully said bitterly   
   as she pulled the seatbelt across her chest and   
   clicked it into place.   
      
   "We still don't know that Tessa is involved," Mulder   
   reminded her.   He turned the ignition key and the   
   car roared to life.   
      
   "She was released from jail about a week before   
   Destiny disappeared.  I'm not ready to chalk that up   
   to coincidence."   
      
   "We'll find her."   
      
   "She's not at the address that's registered with her   
   parole officer, and she walked off her job the second   
   day," Scully said.  "We should try her mother's   
   address."   
      
   "I'll call the sheriff to run her down for us," Mulder   
   said, flipping his cell phone open.   
      
   Scully's eyes narrowed.   
      
   "The sheriff?"   
      
   "I want to talk to Dan Walden."  He turned to face   
   her.  "I want *us* to talk to Dan Walden."   
      
   "Do you think he's involved?"   
      
   "Ruby tried to hide him from us," he reminded her.   
      
   Scully seemed satisfied.   
      
   "And we can follow the route Ruby took coming home."   
      
   ************X*************   
      
   "Your father is going to kill you," an obviously   
   furious mother hissed at her bored-looking son as   
   they left Principal Walden's office. "What were   
   you thinking, Tyler?"   
      
   Tyler shrugged, ambling past Mulder and Scully as   
   he left the area. His mother hurried after him,   
   shaking her head in disgust.   
      
   "The principal will see you now," the secretary   
   announced, tripping Mulder into a vivid high school   
   flashback.  A meeting with the principal about a very   
   serious matter.  His mother's mortification and tears   
   on hearing he'd been caught with a Penthouse magazine   
   hidden inside his notebook.   In the end it was the   
   principal who had to reassure her that Fox was most   
   probably a normal boy.   
      
   Mulder filed into the office after Scully, reminding   
   himself that he'd grown up to be a federal agent and   
   not a sex offender.   
      
   "Mr. Walden, I'm Agent Mulder and this is Agent   
   Scully."   
      
   Dan Walden stood to greet them.   He was a small man   
   with a high forehead, and at first glance he seemed   
   to defy Tessa's description of "old" and "rich."   
      
   "Please, sit down." he asked.  "Is this about one of   
   my students?"   
      
   "No, sir, this is personal," Scully said.   
      
   Dan Walden gave a nervous smile.   
      
   "I didn't know the FBI investigated stolen credit   
   cards," he said.   
      
   "We're investigating the disappearance of Destiny   
   Morris," Scully said.   
      
   Mulder watched the man's face at the news and saw   
   total surprise.   
      
   "Destiny? That's terrible," Walden said.   
      
   "Then you know her?" Scully asked.   
      
   "I met her, yes. And I know her mother. My god,   
   they were just at my house."   
      
   "You were one of the last people to see the girl   
   before she went missing," Mulder said. He had no   
   reason to pressure the mild-mannered principal,   
   but it might be productive.   
      
   "That was a couple of weeks ago. They both came for   
   supper," Walden said.   
      
   "What did you think of Destiny? Lots of people find   
   her difficult," Mulder said.   
      
   "I only met her the one time. I thought she was a   
   cute kid," Walden said. "What happened to her?"   
      
   "That's what we're trying to find out," said Scully.   
      
   "Destiny's been missing since that night?" Walden   
   asked, shaking his head. "I had no idea. Ruby   
   didn't return any of my phone calls. I thought...   
   I just figured Ruby didn't want to see me anymore."   
      
   "Was the age difference a concern?" Mulder asked.   
   "I mean, you seem like a settled kind of guy.   
   Ruby's not much older than your students."   
      
   "I thought about it.  I knew we'd attract a lot of   
   gossip," Walden said, his face reddening.   
      
   "Did anyone know Ruby and her daughter were having   
   dinner with you?" Mulder asked.   
      
   "I don't think I mentioned it to anyone."   
      
   "How did you make the arrangements?" Scully   
   asked.   
      
   "I knew she moonlights at a scruffy bar and I drove   
   down to talk to her there."   
      
   "When was this, sir?" asked Scully.   
      
   "The weekend before.  That Friday."   
      
   "So you met her in the bar and invited her to dinner."   
      
   "Her and Destiny.  She was nervous about letting me   
   meet her daughter.  I, uh, thought it was about time."   
      
   "Did anyone seem particularly interested in your   
   conversation?" Scully asked.   
      
   "Well, it was a biker bar.  I stuck out like a sore   
   thumb."   
      
   A crowded Friday night with a meek-looking stranger   
   talking to the popular young waitress.  Mulder could   
   picture the scene.   
      
   "Everyone was watching, but did anyone try to get   
   closer?" he asked.   
      
   "Well, not that I noticed at the time.  But later I   
   had some suspicions."   
      
   "Go on," Mulder said.   
      
   "A couple of days later I realized my Visa card was   
   missing.  I thought I just lost it, but when I   
   reported it they told me about some pretty strange   
   charges."   
      
   "Charges you didn't make," Scully prompted him.   
      
   Walden actually smiled.   
      
   "Size seven ladies' biker boots with buckles up the   
   side.  Princess Dahlia's night-time collection.   
   Leather motorcycle jacket with custom ace-of-spades   
   lapel insignia.  And express delivery on all of it."   
      
   "Not your style," Scully acknowledged, but she was   
   sending frantic signals to Mulder.   
      
   He didn't need Scully's coaching.  Tessa's short   
   leather jacket was unforgettable.   
      
   "We're going to need to to contact your credit card   
   company," he said.   
      
   "I have the numbers right here."  Walden passed a   
   stack of papers across the desk and then his   
   telephone.   
      
   "Thanks," Mulder said as he started to dial.   
      
   "Will this help you get Destiny back?" Walden asked   
   Scully.   
      
   "I hope so."   
      
   "If I hadn't been so pushy about meeting her, this   
   wouldn't have happened," Walden said.   
      
   Scully gave the expected response, but Mulder was   
   focused on his own conversation with the anti-fraud   
   division at Visa.  For once his FBI credentials   
   brought him cooperation, but the answer he found was   
   a dead end.   
      
   Tessa's purchases had been shipped to an address he   
   already knew.  Her mother's house.   
      
   He was about to tell Scully the bad news when she   
   snapped her cellphone shut and put it away.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)