She hung up with a shake of her head. Did he really think she was buying that? She had no idea what he had really been doing, but it had sounded like he was bouncing a ball against something. She didn't even want to picture that. Where in his apartment did he have the room?

He was bored. She knew that. Anytime her partner for the past five years called her with possible scientific explanations for something she was suspect. In fact, she couldn't recall it happening before now. That's just how suspect it was.

She ran a thumb along the piece of broken record contained in an evidence bag. The murder weapon. Of all things to kill yourself with, she didn't think a piece of a 45 would be top choice for her. Then again, the idea of taking her own life was abhorrent to her. It was a sin, one that was not forgiven easily - if at all. She may have strayed from her Catholic upbringing some, but that was one thing that she never wavered on.

She was irritated more by the fact Mulder was hunting her down, calling the local police to get to her because she wasn't answering her phone. She hated her weekend away was ruined, but she couldn't have it on her conscious that crimes like these might go unsolved.

Not that she considered herself superior to the likes of Jack Bonsaint. He seemed decent and detail oriented enough. He just didn't run across these things every day like Scully did. It was times like this, she had to remind herself that people didn't live their lives steeped in paranormal. Aliens, ghosts, unexplained phenomenon. These were the things that Scully was made of now, what encompassed her life, what made her who and what she was. That didn't mean she needed Mulder's help.

She sighed, handing the evidence bag back to Jack and rubbed her forehead. She had called him, looking for ideas. She thought he'd have an open mind, hadn't counted on the fact he'd be bored and pester her for having a potential X-File dropped in her lap.

As if she'd come to Maine for the weekend with this in mind! Hardly. She'd come here to get as far away from the Bureau and Mulder as possible. To clear her head and get some much needed R&R. She should have known better. It just wasn't in the cards for her any longer. She had no doubt once she'd helped Jack solve this case she'd turn around and head back to DC. There would be no rest or relaxation here. Not after seeing the dead, witnessing the taking of life unnecessarily. She'd tried over the years not to let it bother her, get to her, to leave her cases at the door. She just didn't have it in her to do that, and liked to believe she was a better agent for it. Took better care of those involved in the cases she and Mulder investigated, dead and alive.

"Jack," she says, choosing to dismiss Mulder's attempt at explaining this off scientifically. "Can I call you Jack? Well, maybe we need to keep our minds open to... extreme possibilities."

~The End~

Story ©Susan Matthews/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com