JUDGE: If there are no further motions, the Superior Court of the State of Pennsylvania declares case number BD 237 closed. (gavel)

(ED JERSE’s lawyer hands him divorce papers for Cindy Savalas, petitioner and Ed Jerse, respondent, decree of dissolution. Wife looks happy, is congratulated. JERSE, not happy, signs.)

(Hard 8 lounge. The Pretenders music [yeah! Go Chrissie] playing loudly. JERSE at bar lights a cigarette, indicates to bartender he wants another drink. JERSE is drunk so bartender says...)

BARTENDER: No way.

(JERSE hands him credit card, then takes picture of himself and two kids out of wallet, looks at it, then stabs cigarette into his face on the picture.)

(Red neon tattoo parlor sign. JERSE starts to pass it by, then looks at the selection in the window. Lightening flashes as he sees a picture of a seductive girl, right eye winking.)

(JERSE’s apartment. JERSE enters, still slightly drunk. Pulls off his shirt and removes bandage from his right bicep, exposing the tattoo of the girl with the phrase "Never Again" printed under it. He passes out on the floor. Next shot of the tattoo shows both her eyes open.

(MULDER interviewing MAN WITH RUSSIAN ACCENT. SCULLY loses interest quickly.)

MULDER: And these unknown craft. Where were the majority sighted?

MAN WRA: On route home, me, others, walk onto minefield by base. Long black car drive up. No door handle. No window. No persons drive. We run. Mines...explosion, but...no sound. Nothing. Silent.

MULDER: You said others. Are any of them with you in America?

(SCULLY walks over to Vietnam Memorial)

MAN WRA: Yes. Three or four of us have settled in Philadelphia.

(Focus on SCULLY at the Wall. MULDER and MAN WRA are just voices)

MULDER: Can you verify each of you worked on the base?

MAN WRA: Difficult to know. KGB still held much power at this time. Keep our...uh...papers."

MULDER: "Credentials"

(SCULLY sees flowers, toy car, and card at base of wall "Dear Brother, Twenty years later, I still miss you. We know what you did was right.)

MAN WRA: Y-yes. We are each mentioned in "Thread Three" report. You check.

(SCULLY picks up a rose petal)

MULDER: If you’re mentioned in "Thread Three" you must have been there on Gray October.

(SCULLY contemplates rose petal)

Burned picture is on his desk. Phone ringing)

WOMAN: Hello?

JERSE: Hello, Mrs....Denunzio. Hi, this is Ed Jerse over at Fuller and Seigle. How are you this morning?

MRS DENUNZIO: Eh, the kids, you know. (Sound of children)

JERSE: I understand. I just wanted to call and let you in on a stock that’s going public next week.
.
MRS DENUNZIO: Oh, well it’s so hard after the holidays. Don’t hit her with that! I mean it! I’m sorry, what?

JERSE: A company in Tucson called Cryo-Cord has achieved an amazing advancement in the technology of cryogenics.

MRS DENUNZIO: Uh-huh.

JERSE: Y-you see, stem cells from the blood of an umbilical cord may be transplanted in the treatment of many life threatening diseases such as - - -

VOICE: Loser.

(JERSE looks up in shock)

MRS DENUNZIO: Such as?

JERSE: What?

MRS DENUNZIO: Diseases such as what?

JERSE: Before that, what did you say?

MRS DENUNZIO: I didn’t say nothing. You were talking.

(VOICE laughs. JERSE takes off headset and walks around to another cubicle where two women
are talking.)

JERSE: Say it to my face. Right to my face. Now that I’m in front of you, call me a loser to my face.

COWORKER: Calm down.

VOICE: Trash her desk.

(JERSE pushes everything on the desk to the floor. Female boss comes in)

BOSS: Why don’t you go home, Ed. We’ll discuss this later.

SCULLY, alone, holding MULDER’s nameplate.. MULER enters in casual clothes carrying a bag. He is in a hurry.)

MULDER: I made a last ditch effort to get out of it, but the Bureau is holding fast to its Federal Employees Vacation Policy. (Opens file cabinet) I haven’t taken a day off in four years, so either I take a week vacation now, or they start not paying me for eight weeks’ vacation time. I don’t like it, but I got to do it. I got to pay the rent. I got to eat Part of me can’t help thinking this is just another way to get me out of here. But it is only a week, and you’ll be here to keep an eye on things for me, so... here’s a few things for you to keep an eye on while I’m gone. (Sorts through files)

SCULLY: Why don’t I have a desk?

MULDER: What do you mean?

(SCULLY holds up his name plate.)

MULDER: (pointing behind him) I always assumed that that was your area.

SCULLY: (wistfully) Back there.

MULDER: Okay, so we’ll have them send down another desk and there won’t be any room to move around her but we can put them really close together face to face, maybe we can play some Battleship.

SCULLY: So what is it you want me to keep an eye on?

MULDER: That contact that we met last night at the Wall who had the distinction of being present for a first - - - that being you abandoning me during questioning. In the future, I’ll make sure that all those people being interviewed provide you with a multi-media laser show to keep your interest maintained. In any case his name is Sevlov Pudovkin. He’s a Russian immigrant with a doctorate in astronautical engineering. He and several other contacts worked at a military space center in the Republic of Karelia. They smuggled out reverse-engineered reports of two alien craft which crashed and were retrieved from the Sea of Barents.

SCULLY: And these reports are for sale?

MULDER: At a high price, yeah.

SCULLY: Mmmhmm. Have you confirmed the identity of these individuals?

MULDER: That’s your assignment while I’m gone. (SCULLY is not pleased) I want you to run an INS check and a Bureau NCIC check on these individuals. (Hands her a paper) All of whom now reside in the "Little Russia" section of Philadelphia. I’ve also made arrangements for travel so you can administer eye-to-eye surveillance on their activities. (Hands her plane ticket.)

SCULLY: I’m not going.

MULDER: (chuckles) What do you mean?

SCULLY: Your contact, while interesting in the context of science fiction, was, at least in my memory, recounting a poorly veiled synopsis of an episode of Rocky and Bullwinkle.

MULDER: Eenie, meenie, chili beanie, the spirits are about to speak?

SCULLY: Rocky and Bullwinkle are looking for an upsidasium mine. Boris Badenov alters the road signs which causes them to walk onto a secret military base, where they are picked up by a car with no windows and no door locks, and there are silent explosions from a compound called "Hushaboom."

MULDER: So you’re refusing an assignment based on the adventures of Moose and Squirrel?

SCULLY: "Refusing an assignment?" It makes it sound like you’re my superior.

MULDER: Do what you want. Don’t go to Philadelphia, But let me remind you that I worked my ass off to get the files reopened. You were just assigned. This work is my life.

SCULLY: And it’s become mine.

MULDER: You don’t want it to be.

SCULLY: This isn’t about you. Or maybe it is, indirectly. I don’t know. I feel like I’ve lost sight of myself, Mulder. It’s hard to see, let alone find in the darkness of covert locations. I mean, I wish I could say that we were going in circles, but we’re not. We’re going in an endless line - - two steps forwards and three steps back. While my own life is...standing still.

MULDER: Well, maybe it’s good that we get away from each other for a while. (Starts to leave)

SCULLY: Where will you be?

MULDER: Ironically enough, it’s personal. It’s a... place I always wanted to go. What I anticipate to be a spiritual journey. I hope to ... discover something about myself. Maybe you should do the same.

(MULDER exits. SCULLY takes rose petal out of her pocket, looks at it, then places it on MULDER’S desk.)

Close up of the tattoo, eye is winking again. JERSE is on the phone.)

JERSE: Yes, Mrs. Shima-Tsuno. Ma’am, what if I swore to you that it would never happen again? ... I just would like another chance. .... I-I need another chance, Mrs. Shima-Tsuno. ... Look, that stock I recommended, virtual gambling, is up. ... Mm-hmm. ... Mm-hmm. ... Right ... I understand. ... Thank you for your time. ... Good bye.

(JERSE hangs up, hits the phone, and shoves it off the desk. He puts his head in his hands.)

VOICE: (mocking) "Thank you for your time." (giggle) If you were any kind of man, you would have told her to kiss your ass, but no. Another woman sticks it to you. Ain’t that right ... Eddie.

(JERSE crawls on the floor, listening, trying to find the source.)

JERSE: (banging on floor) Hey! I can hear you down there. Hey! Stop it! Shut up! Shut up down there! Knock it off!

(Downstairs, woman is changing paper in bottom of birdcage. She glances up, then sits on sofa and turns on TV. The Partridge Family singing "Doesn’t Somebody Want to be Wanted")

KEITH PARTRIDGE: I go downtown, and roam all around
but every street I walk, I find another dead end.
I’m on my own, but I’m so all alone
I need somebody so I won’t have to pretend....

VOICE: You hear that? It’s you, Ed. It’s all about you

(JERSE bangs the floor harder. Woman downstairs turns the volume up. Knock at JERSE’s door. He opens it to two Jehovah’s witnesses, man and woman. Woman hold out pamphlet.)

JEHOVAH WOMAN: Good evening, my name is Hannah, and this is Spencer. Have you ever imagined what it would be like - - -

JERSE: Do-do you hear that? D-downstairs.

HANNAH: What I hear is the confusing and troubling sound of- - -

JERSE: She’s trying to drive me crazy.

HANNAH: Oh, we just talked to Miss Schilling, and I don’t believe she would do - -

JERSE: Somehow, she knows what I thinking. I don’t want to feel it --- but they know, like psychics or something, or an implant thing, trying to drive me crazy. (HANNAH and SPENCER share a look) They’ve even programmed the TV to criticize me. There, you hear it? There! There! There!

HANNAH: W-we’ll come back some other time. (They hand him pamphlet -picture of praying hands and words - "Are you a Failure?" and leave.)

VOICE: Mm-mm-mm. You see? Even the Jehovah Witness babe won’t waste her time on you. No woman would, and you just sit and take it. (JERSE clasps hands over his ears) Take it like a man.

(Downstairs, Miss Schilling hears knock at door. She ignores it. Music very loud. Ed breaks in door and advances threateningly.)

MS SCHILLING: Hey, what are you doing? Get out of here. What do you think you’re doing? Get out of my apartment! (Tattoo’s eye is open)

(Camera leaves the apartment and wanders down the hall. Under the music we hear her screaming for help. Camera goes into cellar. JERSE drags blood-stained cardboard box down stairs and opens fiery furnace door. We hear him straining, and fire sounds, then see him reach to bottom of now empty box and retrieve SCHILLINGS remote control.)

VOICE: Attaboy, lover. From now on, I’m your right-hand gal. You and me. As long as I’m with you, no one will ever hurt you, Never Again.

(JERSE looks down at tattoo, which is now winking again.) commercial

MULDER in middle of road with cel phone bending over and pacing around trying to get a clear signal.)
(X-files office phone ringing)
(Mountain highway. Machine picks up)

MULDER: Oh, hey. Scully, it’s me. (has trouble hearing) I-I’m just calling to see how you’re doing, and uh... (Xfiles office, desk with rose petal) Give me a call... Give me a call on my cel when you get a chance, just let me know where you’re at....

(SCULLY sitting in car drinking coffee. Looks in file that MULDER gave her. Picture of the guy she’s supposed to check out, PUDOVKIN. She sees him walking down street, looks through binoculars. He goes into a store. SCULLY follows. She walks to curtain at back of store where people are speaking Russian. She peeps through curtain and sees him take a wad of money from a man and woman, payoff style. SCULLY turns away as PUDOVKIN leaves. She watches him cross the street and go into the same tattoo parlor JERSE used. SCULLY follows and sees JERSE arguing with SVO, the tattoo artist.)

JERSE: No, that’s not my problem. You did good work. It’s very nice. It’s just like in the window, but ...

SVO: So what? Why do you want to cover it? Listen friend, everyone gets tattoo they deserve.

(SCULLY looks around all the pictures in the shop, especially at the ourobus, Millenium logo.)

JERSE: What if you don’t cover the whole thing? Just the eyes and the mouth?

SVO: Even if I say yes, it’s too soon. The skin must heal.

JERSE: I’ll pay you anything.

SVO: Miss, miss. You. You like this on his arm?

(SCULLY comes over to look. Tattoo’s eye is closed.)

SCULLY: Wow. (At the tattoo, or the arm’s owner, we’re not sure.)

VOICE: Eddie?.....

SCULLY: The, uh, the color ... the red on the lips. It’s extraordinary.

(Tattoo’s eye is now open)

SVO: Something I find in Soviet prison. I tell him, everyone gets tattoo they deserve. Beautiful, Cheap. Thought over. Impulse.

VOICE: Thought I was your girl.

SVO: Tattoo reflect on body what lies in person’s soul......

VOICE: You’d break my heart over a cheap redhead?

SVO: ...use the sewing needle, paperclip.....

VOICE: You talk to her, and I’m going to be bad. (JERSE covers tattoo with sleeve)

SVO: ...charcoal shavings, urine. I find grasses growing in prison yard. Rye and such. Only use now, on that tattoo.

(PUDOVKIN, man SCULLY is following opens door at back of shop.)

PUDOVKIN: Svo. (Waves him back)

SVO: Pardon me. You look.

SCULLY: Mm-hmm. Thank you.

(SVO leaves, JERSE puts on coat.)

JERSE: Mind some advice from a stranger? Make sure you’ve thought it over before you get it done.

SCULLY: What, you didn’t get the tattoo you deserve?

JERSE: Mine was too impulsive.

SCULLY: Never say never. Yeah, sometimes I wish I were that impulsive.

JERSE: Careful what you wish for. There’s more fashionable places in the city. How did you end up here?

SCULLY: I’m in town visiting my aunt in the neighborhood. How bout you.

JERSE: There’s a real crummy bar across the street. It’s good for when you’re feeling down.
I was kind of down last week and uh...

SCULLY: So it wasn’t so much "impulsive" as it was "hammered?"

JERSE: Have you ... um... seen much of Philadelphia?

SCULLY: No.

JERSE: There’s a couple of really nice restaurants by the river, if you’re interested.

SCULLY: I’d like that. But um.... I’m ... um leaving tonight.

JERSE: Uh, if you’re ever in town again, that’s my home number. I work there mainly. (hands her a card, then leaves, clutching his arm)

(SCULLY sitting cross-legged on bed, typing on laptop. Phone rings)

SCULLY: Hello?

MULDER: (we see back of his head) Scully.

SCULLY: Mulder. What’s wrong?

He is in MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

MULDER: (wearing 70’s Elvis sunglasses) Nothing’s wrong. I’m just at that special place, and I wanted to share it with you. Did you know that Elvis bought all the furniture in just 30 minutes? (walking around a room in Graceland)

SCULLY: How did you know where I was?

MULDER: I-I checked where we always stay in Philadelphia. I knew you wouldn’t abandon me. How’s the case going?

SCULLY: I’ve handed it over to the Philadelphia bureau.

MULDER: The Philadelphia bureau? They don’t know or care about the X-files. What are you doing?

SCULLY: Mulder, there is no Xfile. Your contact is connected to the Vorofskoi Mir, extortion, credit fraud, cons, he is nothing but a swindler.

MULDER: How do you know?

SCULLY: What do you mean, how do I know? You assigned me the background check. I did as told, as always.

MULDER: Okay, just hold off until I get there, okay?

SCULLY: What, you don’t think I’m capable?

MULDER: Of course I believe that you’re capable, it’s just that in this case I need you to...

SCULLY: It’s not just in this case, Mulder.

MULDER: Wh-what’s the agent’s name in Philadelphia?

SCULLY: It is over. Done. Pudovkin is out of our hands. Look Mulder, I have to go.

MULDER: (sneering) What, have you got a date, or something? (SCULLY doesn’t answer) Y-you’re kidding.

SCULLY: I have everything under control. I will talk to you later. (She hangs up)

(MULDER hangs up his cel, then does an Elvis dance move)

(SCULLY looks at card JERSE gave her.)

VOICE: Isn’t it better this way, baby? Me and you alone. Women are so petty.... jealous.... controlling. That bitch today would have been just like all the others.

(Phone rings. JERSE answers it)

JERSE: Hello?

SCULLY: Uh, hi. Um, Ed Jerse, please.

JERSE: This is him.

SCULLY: It’s Dana. We met today. Um, my, uh, my flight was cancelled because of the storm and I was just wondering if I could take you up on dinner.

JERSE: I think it’s worth fighting a little snow. One thing - - my car is in the shop. We’ll have to meet.

SCULLY: I could pick you up.

JERSE: Give me an hour?

SCULLY: Good. Well uh, I’ll see you then.

(JERSE hangs up.)

VOICE: Go ahead. Treat yourself. This girl is a real doll. But beauty is only skin deep, baby. I go all the way to the bone.

(JERSE burns the tattoo with his cigarette.) commercial

(JERSE’s building. SCULLY enters, sees the Jehovah’s witnesses knocking a MS. SCHILLING’s door.)

SPENCER: (there is no answer) She said she’d be here. (Knocks again) Ms. Schilling?

(SCULLY goes upstairs and knocks on JERSE’s door. He opens it with his shirt half on.

SCULLY: Hi.

JERSE: Hi.

SCULLY: I’m, uh, early. The storm’s not so bad.

JERSE: It’s supposed to get bad later tonight. Come on in. I’ll be ready in a second. (He closes door.) At least we can forego "what-a-nice-place-you-have" formalities.

SCULLY: Ed, I-I uh, I don’t go out very much. I think the last time I went on a date was to see Glen Garry Glen Ross and the characters in the movie had a much better time. (Sees his sleeve) Ed, you’re bleeding.

JERSE: It’s just the damn tattoo. Um, here. (He goes into bathroom)

SCULLY: I’m a doctor. Do you want me to take a look at it?

JERSE: No, it’s okay. It’s been nothing but trouble. (He puts fresh bandage on it.)

(SCULLY looks at picture of kids and JERSE with burned out face.)

JERSE: (entering buttoning fresh shirt, quick change!) I hope you like this place. I made reservations. (He sees her looking at the picture)

SCULLY: Ed.... the, uh... the crummy bar you told me about. Take me there.

(JERSE and SCULLY in a booth with drinks)

SCULLY: So, what make this place a good place to go when you’re feeling down?

JERSE: Oh, it’s kind of ... Everyone here looks like their problems are worse than mine. Makes me feel good about myself.

SCULLY: Yeah, but you can’t tell what’s going on in somebody’s head just by looking at them. I mean, they’re probably thinking that we’re the ones that are screwed up. (Being very oral with her drink stirrer.)

JERSE: Are we?

SCULLY: Who knows? I mean sometimes, I, uh... I’ve always gone around in this, uh ... this circle. It usually starts when an authoritative or controlling figure comes into my life. And part of me likes it, needs it, wants the approval. But then at a certain point, along the way, I just, you know .... (makes a stop motion with her hand. JERSE looks at her questioningly) Okay, umm.... My father was a Navy Captain. I worshipped - - I worship - - the sea that he sailed on. And when I was 13 or so I went through this .... thing (hand gesture), where I would sneak out of my parents house and smoke my mother’s cigarettes. And I did it because I knew that if he found out, he would kill me. And then... along the way, there are other ... fathers.

JERSE: Sounds a little like you time has come around again. I want things more like a straight line, and I don’t ever want to go backward. That’s why I got the tattoo I deserve. Marked the moment, the feeling ... memorial of something that I never want to have happen again.

SCULLY: I want to see it.

JERSE: You know, Dana, just ‘cause I marked the moment wanting to go forward doesn’t mean that it worked.

SCULLY: (reaching for him) I want to see it.

JERSE: (stopping her) Come on. It’s all scabbed up.

SCULLY: It’s okay.

(JERSE grabs her hands roughly. SCULLY gasps)

JERSE: You’re so curious. Get your own.

SCULLY and JERSE watch each other. Very sexual. Alcohol is swabbed, then the pattern of the snake eating it’s own tail is applied. SVO prepares the needle.)

JERSE: She wants the same red. Like mine.

(SCULLY jumps when the needle first touches her, but then gets a look almost of pleasure. JERSE watches. As her skin bleeds, her expression is pleasure/pain release.)

(JERSE’s apartment. Same mood as the tattoo parlor. JERSE looks at the weather outside.)

JERSE: Look, the weather and a few drinks under your belt ... I’d feel better if you stayed here. Hey, I’m not up to anything. I just want you to be safe. I’ll take the couch. That tattoo hurt at all?

SCULLY: Yeah, um.... it feels weird. I, uh, I can’t see it and..... but I feel different. It’s like, um, I don’t know how I feel about that.

(JERSE lifts her shirt and the bandage and looks at the tattoo)

JERSE: It looks all right.

SCULLY: (seeing blood on JERSE’s arm) Ed, you’re bleeding again. Will you let me take a look at it? I am a doctor. (She pulls off his jacket and shirt)

JERSE: They said this could happen.

SCULLY: Ed, it looks burned.

VOICE: Get her hands off of me!

(JERSE violently grabs SCULLY’s hands and holds her still, lips getting closer)

VOICE: Those are bad thoughts you’re having, baby. Kiss her and she’s dead.

(Camera goes out into the hall, and door magically closes) Commercial

(Next day. Xfiles office. MULDER still in casual clothes dials phone.)

HOTEL: Adam’s Inn.

MULDER: Dana Scully, please.

(Phone rings)

HOTEL: I’m sorry, sir, there is no answer in that room.

MULDER: Thank you. (He hangs up, and notices the rose petal on his desk)

Close up of JERSE’s bandage with bloodstain same shape as a rose petal. JERSE wakes up on couch. Writes a note.)

(Later, knocking wakes SCULLY who is in the bed wearing JERSE’s shirt. She opens the door for two men holding badges.)

MAN #1: Good morning. I’m Detective Gouveia and this is Detective Smith. May we speak with Edward Jerse?

SCULLY: Uh, I’m sorry. He’s not in. I don’t know where he is.

GOUVEIA: Were you here the night before last?

SCULLY: No. Could I help you with something? I’m with the Bureau.

(They look at her suspiciously. SCULLY realizes how she looks, what she is wearing, and goes to get her ID)

SMITH: The resident downstairs, Kaye Schilling, was reported missing. Some blood was found in her apartment - - not hers. It had some, uh ... abnormalities.

SCULLY: Such as? Look, I have a background in forensic medicine. I assure you that anything you divulge to me will be held in the strictest confidence.

GOUVEIA: Well, a preliminary toxicology report found this substance in the bloodstains. Blood type was "A", and hers was "O."

SCULLY: May I? (Copies down substance information)

SMITH: Look. Here’s our card. We’d appreciate Mr. Jerse giving us a call when he returns. And if he doesn’t, we will.

SCULLY: Okay.

(They leave. SCULLY closes door. Sees JERSE’s note - "Dana, went to get coffee and breakfast. Didn’t want to wake you. XO Ed" She logs on to his laptop which must have the new DEC Alpha 1000 MHz chip and a T3 line coming directly into the house. She accesses the FBI data base. The substance is Ergot, which is from a parasite on rye and related grasses. She feels her tattoo. Psychotomimetic drug, auditory, psychotic. SCULLY dials the phone.)

WOMAN: Federal Bureau of Investigation.

SCULLY: Yeah, Fox Mulder, please.

WOMAN: One moment.

Mulder listening to something on headset. Phone rings, SCULLY hangs up just as he answers. Mulder reluctantly hangs up.)

(JERSE enters apartment with bags, smiling)

JERSE: Good morning. What’s wrong?

SCULLY: Ed. Sit down. (Moves her coat. Her badge is on top) Some detectives were here. The woman in the apartment downstairs was reported missing. They found some blood in her apartment and I believe circumstantially, it may be yours.

JERSE: I was helping her move in and I cut myself.

SCULLY: You need to tell that to the detectives. But what I’m also afraid of - - and this concerns both of us - - is that an ergot alkaloid was found in the blood which is why I think it may have been yours. Now ergot is a parasite that lives off of rye and related grasses. Svo said that he used rye somehow in his ink. Now if this is true, we may be subject to hallucinogenic ergotism. Aural, visual hallucinations. Dangerous and unlikely behavior. We need to go to the hospital to be tested.

JERSE: I don’t need that, Dana. It’s such a relief to be able to tell someone. I hear it, Dana. In my head, only deeper. It’s more than just some chemical reaction. She talks to me. She hates women ...my wife, my boss ... you. She’s so jealous, Dana. She makes me do things. I don’t want to, but she controls me. But I believe that you made her go away.

SCULLY: We need to get help. Now, I’m going to go into the other room and I’m going to come back and we are going to go together. (Picks up her coat, her badge falls, but JERSE doesn’t see it. She picks it up goes into the other room.)

VOICE: Mmm-hmmm. Who’d she call? Who’d she call, Eddie? Come on. Aren’t you just dying to know? (Eye is open)

(JERSE hits redial button)

WOMAN: Federal Bureau of Investigation.

VOICE: Dana Scully, please.

JERSE: Dana Scully, please.

WOMAN: One moment please.

(JERSE hangs up. SCULLY enters.)

SCULLY: Okay, let’s go. (doesn’t see him at the desk)

JERSE: (attacking her from behind) Never again!! Never again! (Slams her against couch. She breaks free. He blocks the door. She runs to the bathroom and locks it. She finds a pair of surgical scissors just as he busts the door in. He slams her head against the wall knocking her unconscious.)

VOICE: Another woman in my bed? Burn the sheets! Burn her. Burn her!

(JERSE rips sheets off bed and wraps SCULLY, scissors still in hand, in them. VOICE laughs as he carries her down to the basement and drags her to the furnace and opens it. SCULLY struggles out as he gazes at the flames.)

VOICE: Come on. Do it for me.

(JERSE grabs for SCULLY and she stabs his arm.)

SCULLY: This isn’t you, Ed.

VOICE: Go on, Eddie.

SCULLY: Get control of yourself.

VOICE: Ah, but it’s good to lose control.

SCULLY: Take control!

VOICE: Do it!

(JERSE sticks the tattooed arm into the flames. SCULLY yells and pulls him out. He falls, his arm badly burnt. SCULLY stands in shock. Close up of her tattoo.)

Door opens revealing a still tired and bruised SCULLY. MULDER walks up behind her and into the office. He is sarcastic.)

MULDER: Welcome back. You look a lot better than you did in the hospital. And congratulations for making an personal appearance in the Xfiles for the second time. (Gets file from cabinet) It’s a world’s record. (He keeps looking for a response. There is none.) Ed Jerse is in custody at the St. John’s burn facility in Philadelphia. Traces of ergot were found in his bloodstream as in yours, but not to the degree that should cause hallucinogenic ergotism. (SCULLY sits) He’ll undergo psychiatric evaluation after recovering from burn trauma. Comrade Svo has been shut down, he was under investigation for having connections to my friend Pudovkin. Case closed on Boris Badenov, which is really a shame because I was thinking of having an "N.Y." tattooed on my ass to commemorate the Yankees’ World Series victory. Better late than never, hunh.

(SCULLY picks rose petal off his desk. MULDER watches her. Then rises uncomfortably and goes back to file cabinet.)

MULDER: The uh, field office in Dallas is uh, receiving reports of the image of a missing child appearing on a blank billboard outside of Arlington... (Sits again, opening new file.) ....so.... All this, because I’ve ... because I didn’t get you a desk?

SCULLY: (Looking up at him) Not everything is about you, Mulder. This is my life.

MULDER: Yes but it’s m - -

(SCULLY looks at him questioningly. He starts to speak again, then sighs and fiddles with things on his desk. Uncomfortable silence in the room.)

[THE END]