Title: Ariadne "Sweet Girl" Author: Eileen S. Whipple Rating: R for mature subject matter and language Classification: X-File, sort of Summary: A young girl with a questionable past assists Mulder and Scully on a kidnapping case. DISCLAIMER: Chris Carter is this guy that came up with these really neat people and cool ideas, and hired more writers to help him come up with great adventures for these people. Unfortunately, I was overlooked. But hey, I do it for free! Author's Notes: I don't know what possessed me to start writing this story, but it's been in progress since May of 1998. However, a story got me going and it was "Sinners, Saints or Angels" by Olivia Williams. **1** It was a glorious summer afternoon in Washington, D.C. The city was under attack by a heat wave. Tourists were walking around the Tidal Basin, snapping pictures of the shimmering water and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial on its south shore. Little children sat on park benches, swinging their legs while their parents chatted with friends. FBI agent Fox Mulder said to his partner Dana Scully, "I promised you I'd buy lunch today and this is better than being cramped up in a hot restaurant." Scully carried her grey blazer over her arm. "I guess the occasional breeze is nice and it's cooler than our basement office." "*Our* office? You consider it *our* office?" Mulder said, catching up to her. "I do. Now that I have a desk down there, it's *our* office." Mulder loosened his tie. He'd left his suit jacket at the J. Edgar Hoover Building. He spotted a hot dog vendor. "How about a hot dog? Or perhaps a big pretzel?" "Anything's fine as long as it includes a drink." Mulder pulled out his wallet. "Get a bench. I'll be right there." Scully grabbed a bench in the shade. She crossed her bare legs; she hadn't worn pantyhose and was glad she'd made that decision. She would be dying of the heat if she had worn them. Within minutes, Mulder returned, balancing two chewy pretzels on top of cans of soda. "Chow time." "Thanks." She tucked strands of her red hair behind her ears, then took her lunch. "It's such a beautiful day. Would you like to join me for a swim at Quantico?" Mulder asked. "Nah. I'll just take a cool bath when I get home. After that, I'm turning on all my fans." They ate their lunches in silence. Once they were done, Scully said, "Let's head back to work now." "Sure." Mulder stood up. "Air conditioning in the Hoover Building is great since it gets cold in the basement." "It's just hell during the winter." They started walking slowly. As they strolled along the path, they heard birds squawking in the trees. Mulder noticed a young girl sitting against a tree, tossing pieces of bread to the birds. She turned her head, spotting the agents. She got to her feet. "Sir, can I interest you in a psychic reading?" "Hmm." He stopped. "Mulder, no," Scully whispered. "She's not psychic. She's looking to make quick money. Don't humor her." "I'll just give it a try." He turned to the girl. "How much?" She moved closer. "Two dollars. I can guarantee you that you won't be disappointed but if I'm wrong, you don't have to pay." "Okay. Do I just stand?" "Yeah. This is quick. Give me your hand." Mulder did as told. Scully looked closely at the girl. She had long brown hair with blonde and purple streaks, and deep blue eyes. She wore short denim cut-offs and a white blouse tied in the front, displaying her midriff. She had a slightly rounded face, giving her a childish, innocent look but her body was that of a grown woman's, and her eyes were huge, serious. "You're thirty-six or so. I can see it in your eyes. Your face looks younger but true age is in the eyes. You're a government worker; you have an authority status." She let go of his hand. "You've lost someone. A sibling, a sister, but don't worry, you'll find her eventually." Mulder bit his lip. His younger sister Samantha had been taken from him when her was twelve. It still pained him. "How'd you know all that?" "I'm psychic," she said simply. "Are you satisfied?" Mulder pulled two dollar bills from his wallet. "How long have you been giving readings?" "For six years, since I was nine." Scully rolled her eyes and began walking. Mulder kept talking to the girl. "Do you have any other psychic abilities?" "Yeah. I can see stuff that's going on in other places. Sometimes, I can see the future." Mulder pulled out a business card. "I'm Fox Mulder, an FBI agent. My partner and I work on paranormal cases. If you have any visions of crimes, call me. My home number's on the back." "Um, thanks." She put the card in her pocket. "Mulder, are you coming?" Scully called. "Yeah." He smiled at the girl. "What's your name? I need to know who you are in case you call." "My name's Ariadne. Folks just call me Ari." She looked at her watch. "Oh crap. I have to start work in an hour. See you." Ari hurried away. Mulder caught up with his partner. "Sweet girl," he said. "Her name's Ariadne--Ari." "Where did she rush off to?" "She had to go to work." //The young runaway from Virginia stood in front of the diner by the Richmond bus station. She didn't have very much money so she hoped to hitchhike to Washington. That's where her father lived. Every time a car splashed by, she stuck out her thumb. After doing that for a long time, a car finally stopped. The man rolled down his window. "Where are you going?" the girl asked. "I'm headed to D.C. Hop in." He opened the passenger side door. The girl walked around the car. She saw a girl her age sleeping in the backseat. "Is that your daughter?" "Uh, yeah," he said as the hitchhiker slid into the front. "Why are you going to Washington?" "To see my dad. I'll be staying there for a while." "Really?" "I hope so."// Ariadne saw this as she stood on the curb. Sometimes, she saw things as they were happening but she hadn't in a long time. She usually witnessed crimes, like when her friend got beaten up by her boyfriend but she was at work when it happened. Ari whispered into the wind, "Why am I seeing this?" She shrugged it off and took off her jacket. Mulder had his TV on the next morning. "Another child is missing," the news reporter said. "Fourteen-year-old Milan Brady ran away from her home in Richmond, Virginia, on a regular basis but her mother always found her. It's not the same this time. Milan left home yesterday and her mother Saundra Brady was quite sure she'd been on her way to her father's house in Washington. Milan's father, Thomas Brady hasn't seen her." Mulder had heard the news report from his kitchen. Since Samantha had been abducted, missing children affected him deeply. As he started buttering his toast, his telephone rang. He tossed his knife down and ran to answer the phone. "Hello?" "Agent Mulder, it's Ariadne." "Oh, hi. What can I help you with?" "Are you watching the news? The story about Milan Brady?" "Yeah. Why?" Mulder asked. "She was kidnapped last night." Mulder nearly dropped the phone. "How do you know?" "I saw it. I was working and I saw the whole thing. She was picked up by a man who also had another girl with him. The other girl isn't from around here. The man is." "How do you know it was Milan?" He went back into his kitchen. "She looks exactly the same as the girl on the news." "That's amazing." He bit into a piece of toast. "Where do you work?" "North of the White House. I work almost every day." "What about school?" "It's the summer. I can work longer hours." "What do you do?" "Um, I have to go." "Can I have your work number?" "I'll call you. I have to go." Ariadne hung up. "That girl is so strange," he said. He took the rest of his breakfast and went into his living room to watch the rest of the news. He could hardly concentrate. He was too busy thinking about Ari's vision and where it could lead. He was wondering if her premonition could help find Milan Brady. "Hey, Scully, did you hear about that missing girl, Milan Brady?" Mulder asked later that morning as he entered his and Scully's basement office. "Yeah. It's a shame." "Ariadne called me. She saw the kidnapping." "Let's say she did see Milan Brady being kidnapped. Why didn't you bring her in?" "I wanted to pick her up but she didn't tell me where she worked. She said it's north of the White House." "I wonder what jobs a girl could have there." Mulder knew what Scully meant. There were prostitutes north of the White House. He was not impressed with her insinuation. "Scully, that's cruel." "I know. I'm sorry. I just realized what you assumed I meant." She bit her lip. "Do you want to look for Ariadne?" "No, not yet, but I'd like to get involved with this missing child's case. One thing troubles me though. Ariadne said the man who allegedly kidnapped Milan had another girl in the car. Let's say you believe that Ariadne saw everything. Who do you think this other girl could be?" "Another abduction victim. His daughter, perhaps." "It's probably another victim. Ari said the other girl isn't from around here but the man is. I'm not going to get Ari involved in this until it's certain her help is truly needed." Scully took a seat behind Mulder's desk. "Don't you frequent certain businesses north of the White House?" She knew about his penchant for adult entertainment. "Yeah, and I'll look for her if I head that way," he snapped. The phone rang and Scully answered it. "Scully." "Is Agent Mulder there? It's Ariadne." "Speak of the devil," Scully said after covering the phone. Mulder grabbed the receiver. "Ari, what can I do for you?" "I just wanted to apologize for being so rude with you earlier." "I just want to know where you work and perhaps where you live, in case I need your help with the Milan Brady case." "I can only help you unofficially, off the record. I don't want to get entangled in this. The last thing I need is a kidnapper coming after me." "I understand that but if you could assist me in any way, I'd really appreciate it." "I know you would and I'll help you as much as I can without getting too deep in it. The last thing anyone needs is a missing child." Her voice was soft. "Are you okay, Ari?" Mulder asked. "Yeah, I'm fine. Um, I'll give you my home number but I'm rarely home. I have an answering machine so just leave a message." Mulder got a pen and a piece of paper. "Okay, what's your number?" "It's 555-2596. The machine's on all the time." Mumbling interrupted Ari. "I have to go, Agent Mulder. I'll talk to you soon." She hung up and Mulder did as well. "What did she want?" Scully asked. "She wants to give us a hand on this case but only off the record. She doesn't want the kidnapper to find out who she is, being that she's a young girl." "I don't know how she knows. I don't think she's psychic but if she can help, that would be great. We should go talk to Skinner about getting on the case." Assistant Director Walter Skinner was the agents' superior. "I'll go see him now." Mulder picked up his jacket and left the office. The assistant director was busy with paperwork when Mulder walked in. He looked up. "Excuse me, sir. I was wondering if I could ask a favour of you." "What is it, Agent Mulder?" Walter Skinner took off his glasses. "I'm requesting that Agent Scully and I be assigned to the case of the missing girl, Milan Brady." "Why? It's not an X-file." "I know but we would like to work on it." "Sure. I'll get in touch with the Richmond office and say you and Scully are on your way." "Thank you, sir." Mulder left the office and went back to find his partner. **2** Saundra Brady's house was flooded with reporters and police when Mulder and Scully pulled up in their white Ford Taurus. This whole thing was eerily familiar to Mulder. It was like when his sister disappeared. Neighbours were helping to look for Samantha and the police were out, asking everybody questions: if they'd seen anything, how they knew the Mulders. He bit his lip as he remembered. Scully noticed and said, "If this is too hard for you, we don't have to investigate." "I want to. We have Ari helping us." Scully didn't say anything. She opened her car door and got out, tugging along her soft leather briefcase. Mulder followed her onto the lawn. Scully dug into her blazer's pocket with her free hand and pulled out her ID. A police officer approached them. "Can I help you?" he asked. "I'm Special Agent Dana Scully." She held up her credentials. "This is Agent Mulder." He held up his ID. "We're here to help on the case." "Yeah, the Richmond field office said you'd be coming." He led them through the mass of reporters and police officers. "I'll take you in to see Ms. Brady as well as the team of agents that have been sent out." As they went up the front walk, reporters swamped them. "Excuse me," the police officer said. "Are you helping to investigate the disappearance of Milan?" a female journalist asked Mulder. "No comment." When they were in the foyer, Scully said, "We made it through alive." The officer said, "It's been like this since this morning. I'm part of the crowd control but if you need anything, my name is Officer Frederick." "Thank you, sir," Scully said. "Ms. Brady is in the kitchen." Frederick went back outside. "This is surprising," Mulder commented. "You wouldn't expect a media circus with a missing child." He followed Scully into the kitchen. A teary-eyed, raven-haired woman sat at the table. She was being interviewed but she looked as if she was a million miles away. Her face was pale and she was dressed neatly in a red sweater and a black skirt. She had a cigarette going and the ashtray it was resting in was filled with filters. Mulder waited for the reporter to finish before introducing himself and Scully. "Ms. Brady, my name is Fox Mulder and this is Dana Scully. We're agents with the FBI and we've been assigned to your daughter's case." "Oh, hello. Thank you for coming." Saundra Brady gave a small smile. Mulder wanted to tell her about the lead he had from Ari's vision but he didn't want to frighten her. "Ms. Brady, I promise you I will do my best to find your daughter. I know how it feels to lose a loved one and how you must be feeling." Saundra picked up her cigarette and took a puff. "Thank you." Scully spoke loudly to all the reporters crowded in the kitchen. "Can you please leave the room, all of you? We need to speak to Ms. Brady. It's FBI business." After some prodding, the mob filtered out. "I couldn't wait for them to leave," said Saundra. "They want to help with finding Milan but they are the most annoying people around." Mulder sat down. "Ms. Brady, I'm going to cut to the chase. Why was Milan always running away?" "Because she wanted to see how far she could get without me noticing she was gone. She's been like this since her father and I divorced just over a year ago." "Have you talked to her about it?" Scully sat beside her partner. "Every time the police bring her home. I can't watch her all the time because I work late at the office almost every night. I'm an executive at a small computer software company." She took a drag off her cigarette. "I'm not too keen on letting her stay with her father." "Perhaps that's who she's always running away to see." Mulder frowned. "I'm sorry to say it but perhaps she isn't happy here." "I was trying to get her to come to counselling but she's so stubborn." Saundra paused. "I don't want her living with her father. He spoils her rotten and wants to send her to a private school. I do not want that for my daughter." Scully said, "But what does your daughter want?" Saundra blinked hard, her eyes becoming shiny with tears. She didn't answer. Mulder asked, "Is there anybody you know who could have picked Milan up? She wouldn't have gotten into a stranger's car, would she?" "I don't know. She's a troubled child." Mulder looked at Scully and they knew they weren't getting anywhere. They'd only found out that Milan wasn't particularly fond of her mother. "Thank you for talking to us, Ms. Brady. We'll stay with this case," Scully said. Ariadne looked at her boyfriend Riley Hall as she crawled into bed beside him. The sun was still out but Riley usually had a nap during the day, as he had to work late. "How much did you make so far?" he asked, slipping his hand down Ari's jeans. He began stroking between her legs. "About fifty. It's slow during the day." She bit her lip as he fondled her. Riley then slipped two fingers into her and moved them in and out. "Don't," she said. "I have schoolwork to do." "You love it, Ari," Riley said as she pulled his hand out of her pants. She scowled. "Not when I have schoolwork to do and another *shift* later tonight." Ari rolled off the bed and marched into the kitchen. Her correspondence math book lay open on the table. She was nearly finished the entire book. She just had a few more courses to complete until she could get her diploma and yet, she was only fifteen. Ari was busy working when the cordless phone on the table rang. She answered it quickly. "Hi, Ari. It's Agent Mulder." "Uh, hi." She continued working on her math problems. "You sound busy. Would you like me to call you back?" he asked. "No. I'm just working on my math homework." "I thought school was out for the summer." "I have summer work to do, to catch up." She put her pencil down. "Did they find Milan?" "I thought you would know if they did, since you're psychic." "They didn't? Well, I know you and Agent Scully went to see her mother. You just have to keep with the case and search the city. You'll find her." He said grimly, "Dead or alive?" "I don't know that yet. I don't want to think about it." "Well, you're the only strong lead right now. If you see anything else, please call me." "Sure." Just before Ari hung up, she said, "Fox, don't give up looking for Milan. She needs your help. And don't stop looking for Samantha because one day, you *will* find her." Mulder let the phone fall to the floor. He was shocked that Ari knew his sister's name. Scully walked into their office and saw him standing still. "Mulder, what's wrong?" "I called Ariadne and she told me to keep looking for Milan here in the city." He sat down. "She also told me to not give up on Samantha because I will find her." "Mulder, don't get too hung up on this girl's 'visions'. She's just saying what she knows you want to hear." "I never told her my sister's name. How would she know it?" "I don't know, Mulder." She didn't even provide a rational explanation. "Well, I told her to contact me if she has any more visions about Milan and her location." Scully tapped her pen on the desk. "I'm not sure how she does it but if she's our only lead, I guess we'll have to use what she gives us." //The young Milan was holed up in a small room with the girl from the backseat of the man's car. She wasn't his daughter after all. Shewas quiet as Milan cried. Their only connection to the outside was a tiny window, too small for either of them to get out. Milan smiled with hope as she heard cars honking their horns. She was in the city. She knew somebody would find her.// ******* Ari looked up as the image in her head disappeared. She was on the job but she had to get to the phone. Riley would be angry with her if she took time off work but he got some of her money so he had no right to complain. Ari walked as fast as her three-inch heels would carry her. She passed the other girls on the street as she went to the phone booth. She dug in her purse for a quarter. She deposited it in the phone and dialled Special Agent Mulder's home number. He answered it after one ring. "Agent Mulder, I saw something but I'm at work so I'll have to talk to you about it later." "Ari, please, tell me now." "No, I have to go. I promise I'll call you later." "But--" He was cut off by Ari hanging up. Ari knew how desperate he was to find Milan. She knew about the pain of his sister's abduction and she knew she should help him but she had to work. Mulder hung up the phone. He had to find Ariadne. He had to talk to her about what she saw. It was crucial to his investigation. He rummaged around on his coffee table for his car keys. He was going to attempt to find where Ari worked, despite her being so secretive. He wasn't going to tell Scully because he knew she wouldn't believe. He'd tell her after he found out what Ari knew. Ari moved closer to the curb as a car rolled up. She bent forward and the car's passenger side window opened. "What can I do for you, sweetie?" she asked. "Ari!" It was Agent Mulder. "Oh God! What the hell are you doing here?" "I needed to talk to you and I knew you worked by the White House so I decided to look for you." He leaned back in his seat. "So this is what you do. You're a prostitute." She opened the door and got in the car. "Take me somewhere and I'll tell you what I saw." "I don't think so. I don't want to be seen picking up a hooker. Besides, wouldn't your pimp be angry if you didn't get paid for your time?" "Do you want to know what I've seen or not?" she asked rudely. Finally, he said, "Sure. I need as much help as I can get."