"Mulder, do you understand the terms of this inheritance?" Scott Lewis asked firmly. Fox Mulder nodded slightly, pursing his lips, absorbing the information he was being told.

"Why me?" The question was irrelevant, he knew the answer.

Growing up, Mulder felt ostracized, especially after the disappearance of his sister, Samantha. The whispers through the small town, the judging stares, he didn't have many friends. Part of that was his own doing, not wanting to deal with the questions and the speculation. He was a typical, brooding teenager, just getting by the best he could. There was a neighbor, an elderly woman who lived alone, who caught him on his way home from school one day. She asked for assistance bringing several bags into her house, insisting he stay for dinner. They both were lonely, simply enjoying the company of each other. Eventually, she felt like the only family he really had. The feeling was mutual, according to where he presently sat. Rosie was leaving everything to him, but there were conditions. He should have known.

"You were the only one listed in her will. She was widowed, no children. I'm sure you don't need me to explain that to you." Scott said. Mulder knew him from high school, making this feel slightly more comfortable than the situation was.

"So, I just have to follow whatever terms she laid out, and the inheritance is mine?"

"Yes. There are 10 requirement for you to fulfill, you will need to report back with some form of evidence of each. You are to only receive one at a time, once you finish that one, I'll give you the next one. Her rules, not mine." Scott said as he began to sift through the stack of papers.

"What happens if I refuse the inheritance? What happens to her belongings then?" There was no doubt in his mind that he wouldn't object to this, but he genuinely didn't want her money. If anything, he would only accept because it's what she wanted.

"We would arrange for an estate sale, the bank would make an offer, along with the savings. You are to donate it to a charity of your choice."

"So, it's still essentially my money."

"Yes. I suggest you see what her first request is, and go from there. You can reject the inheritance at any time, so maybe just see what the old broad has set out for you." Scott said lightly. Mulder huffed out a small laugh.

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about." He scoffed, nodding in a silent acceptance. Scott smirked at him, handing over the first small envelope.

"Have fun. Let me know if you're dropping out of the game, or bring me proof that the request has been done. I'll see you soon."

Mulder held the envelope in his hand, almost afraid to open it. Rosie lived in a world of hope and imagination. She was a hopeless romantic, and constantly urged him to live his life to the fullest. There were several occasions where she somehow finagled him a date on their weekly trip to the grocery store. She pushed him, to be the person she knew was inside, hiding behind his exterior persona. If he were to admit, he wouldn't have participated in nearly any of the school events that Rosie pushed him to go to. He agreed, to please her, because somehow her disappointment would devastate him the most.

He had a morning briefing, a new case in which he was brought in to profile. Spooky Mulder, reporting for duty to catch some sick bastard preying on innocent teenage girls. He exhaled deeply, hating these profiles. They messed with his mind, exhausted him in every way. The first card would have to wait.

The other agents began to gather in the conference room, the indistinct chatter amplifying his mind's curiosity. He pulled the small envelope from his pocket, running his hand over the familiar handwriting on the outside. One. Just three letters in that familiar script, causing him to miss her already. There was a letter wrapped around the first task, causing him to take a deep breath before reading.

Fox,

I don't want you to feel saddened by this letter, though if you're reading it, I fear it's too late for that. All I wish for you is that you open your heart to love. Allow yourself to be loved the way I know you desire. You know my story, and how much faith I have in the power of dedication and endearment. I can feel you rolling your eyes at my foolishness, but these are my last wishes for you. I only hope that you take them lightheartedly, and enjoy yourself along the way.

I already miss you dearly, my sweet boy.

Rosie

He re-read the letter, already imprinting her parting words in his mind, causing the smile to touch his lips. He tucked the letter in his inside jacket pocket, reading the small card folded up inside of it.

'Open your eyes. Get to know the next lovely stranger who catches your attention.'

He huffed a small laugh, Rosie playing matchmaker for him beyond the grave seemed like the most normal thing in his life. He scanned the room, seeing nothing but stiffs in suits, definitely lacking the lovely aspect he was supposed to be looking for. He let out a heavy sigh, knowing he couldn't cheat the rules, because if it was in true Rosie fashion, this stranger would play more of a role in his life down the line.

"Is anyone sitting here?" A small voice came from beside him, breaking him from his reverie.

"No, but sitting next to me might ruin your reputation." He said teasingly before fully turning his attention to the source of the sound. He paused, seeing her bright blue eyes staring back at him, into his soul. She smiled at him coyly, the tranced look on his face almost amusing.

"That's okay, I'm new, so I don't really have a reputation to ruin just yet." She said warmly, biting the inside of her cheek to mask the chuckle of amusement.

"Oh, uh, I'm -" He cleared his throat, composing himself. "Special Agent Fox Mulder."

"Dr. Dana Scully. I'm the Lead Pathologist on the case." Now he was hooked. Instantly captivated by her subtle beauty, adding her mind to the list of things he wanted to explore more about her.

"Welcome." He said with a smirk touching his lips. She bowed her head, color tinging her cheeks by the looks he was giving her.

They sat through the briefing, gathering as much information as they needed to help them in their areas of expertise. The Special Agent in Charge dismissed them to their fields, Mulder following behind the tiny redhead like a puppy.

"So, how are you enjoying your first day here so far?"

"Well considering I haven't even made it down the morgue yet, to be determined." She said distractedly as she glanced through the files.

"First field case?"

"Yes, actually. I've been instructing at Quantico for my first two years with the bureau. I'm looking forward to working with the team." She said with a small smile.

"Mind if I come along for your autopsy of the latest victim? It usually helps with my profile, but I've lost privileges in the morgue with Peterson." He winced at the memory of working with the dinosaur of a doctor. They didn't exactly meet eye to eye.

"Do I even want to know how you managed that?" She asked with a chuckle. He reveled in the sound, only wanting to find more ways to make her laugh.

"Stick with me for the rest of the day, you'll figure it out." He said with a goofy grin as they stepped into the elevator.

She prepped for her autopsy, Mulder milling around, playing with any instrument he can get his hands on. He knocked over a small tray, causing Scully to stop her movements. Her eyebrow arching to high lengths, him smiling sheepishly at her.

"I'm starting to see how you lost your privileges."

"Sorry, Doc. Find anything?" He asked as he walked over to step beside her.

"Maybe. There's ligature marks on her neck, consistent with the other presumed victims. Were there any signs of sexual assault on the other victims?"

"Only on the first. This is the 4th victim, so there's no distinct pattern." The exasperated sigh escaping his lips.

"Are there any similarities between this victim and the first?"

"Physically, no. All of them have the same general appearance, which is how we originally made the profile. He's remained in a small area, so hopefully this will be the last victim that appears on your table." His voice distant, staring down at this 16-year-old girl with brown curls and once freckled skin.

"I don't know if this makes a difference, but it appears that she was untouched before he raped her. There are tears consistent with one losing their virginity." She explained medically. His head shot up, mind whirling with new theories.

"Is there a way for you to find out if the other's were the same?"

"Sure, any tearing should be in the reports. I'll look them over, and do the examinations myself if I have to. Did you need anything else that you're specifically looking for?" She asked with a furrowed brow, seeing the wheels turning in his head.

"That should get me going for now. You may have just made the break in this case, Scully. I'll catch up with you later." He said, already running out of the morgue.

He had thrown himself into the profile, holing himself up in the downstairs abandoned office he discovered doing research into his sister's disappearance. It was his place for thinking, making the profiles he needed, undisturbed. Agents rarely stepped foot in the basement, so he had yet to be kicked out. The knock at the door broke him from his thoughts, looking up over his glasses at the person entering the room.

"You found me." He said surprised, as Scully cautiously made her way into the room. She took in her surroundings, glancing around at the cluttered office.

"Put my investigative skills to work." She said as she plopped into the chair across from his desk. "I asked Roger up at security where you might run off to."

"Remind me to stop bringing him a donut in the morning. I can't believe he sold me out." She smiled at his playfulness, never meeting someone quite so passionate, his dedication masked by dry humor.

"I will give him props, he stood his ground before I was able to charm him into revealing your location." She said as the small grin touched her lips.

"What'd it cost you?"

"He already predicted you'd be withholding his daily donut, so I am now the breakfast provider."

"He's a smart man." Mulder said offhandedly. She chuckled, him enjoying that sound again. "So why the eagerness to find me?"

"I looked over the results, only the other victim who was sexually assaulted was still a virgin prior to her attack. The second and third victim had already lost their virtue." She said distractedly, reading through the reports.

"Well, that helps my theory, and the rest of my profile."

"Care to share with the class?" The genuine interest to know what was running through his mind, shining through her tone of voice.

"This guy, he's twisted. I think he's in his early twenties, been with the same girl, possibly since high school. From what your autopsy results are showing, I'd say he was lied to, about her saving her virginity for him. Possibly a wedding night discovery, after a broken promise is uncovered."

"So you think he killed his newlywed wife, and is attacking virgins who resemble her, in the thought process that he thinks they're lying about their chastity?"

"No, I believe his wife is alive, and this is his way of releasing his anger. He's retaliating against her, in his own way. Hopefully this, with the region he seems to be staying in, should help us narrow down who this perp is. Eventually, his anger will be uncontrollable, and he might attack his own wife. Let's hope we get to him before that."

"Wow, so the whispers are true. You are insanely brilliant at this whole profiling thing."

"Ah, yes. Spooky Mulder at your service." She pursed her lips, masking the smirk touching the corners of her mouth. He caught her gaze, holding it for just a moment. That's all he needed, to see the sincerity in her soul.

"Well, considering it's later than I planned on staying here, I'm going to head home. I'll see you tomorrow morning for the meeting." She said with a genuine smile. He nodded, watching as she left the dimly lit office.

The next day, their meeting had been postponed to the afternoon, giving Mulder time to stop at Scott's office, and report his first task, accomplished.

"Well that didn't take you long." Scott said with an amused look in his eyes, listening to all he knew about this new stranger.

"Given the task, it was relatively easy. I think, uh, I'm going to continue with them."

"I thought you might, here's the second one." Scott said with a sly grin.

"You might be enjoying this just a little too much." Mulder glared at Scott. He chuckled, kicking him out of his office.

He made his way to work, situating himself in the conference room, towards the back of the room. They were going over his profile, making him want to be as far away from the spotlight as possible. He opened the card, sighing as he read the words.

'Take that lovely stranger out on a date. Have fun, let her really know you.'

Leave it to Rosie to push him the exact same way she used to when he was the shy, somewhat nerdy teenager. He rolled his eyes, small smile curving on his lips.

"Secret admirer?" The small voice spoke from right behind him. He could feel her breath on his neck, sending other sensations through his body.

"I, uh, not exactly." He smiled sheepishly at her, knowing he was supposed to be asking out this exquisite woman, doubting that he would even give him a chance. He mentally scolded himself, not even asking if she was with someone, just assuming that she was lonely, like himself.

He opened his mouth to say something else, their attention being diverted to the front of the room. The SAC went over Mulder's profile, Scully glancing over at him subtly at the praise of his name. They were sending everything to their analyst team, hopefully narrowing down their search.

"I'll catch up with you later." She said with a smile. Everyone was dismissed, her making her way down to the morgue.

"Wait, uh, Scully. I was wondering if -" His voice cut off, anxiety washing over him. Suddenly, he was the awkward 16-year-old boy who Rosie forced to talk to the cute check-out girl. He put his hands in his pockets, teetering on his feet. "This may sound sudden, but I was wondering if you'd like to just grab coffee or lunch with me. Just, as friends, of course."

He let out the breath he was holding in, not quite meeting her eyes. She smiled at his nervousness, biting her lip to hold in her amusement.

"Sure, I'd love to." She said in a small voice. He shot up to meet her eyes, reading the truth in her response.

"I can come find you later, if you're not busy, maybe we can head to a late lunch."

"I'll see you later, Mulder. Try to keep yourself out of trouble until then?"

"I make no promises, Scully. You should really ask around, get to know my reputation a little better." He said teasingly, parting ways with a wink.

The rest of the morning passed by uneventfully for them, both anticipating their lunch date. He strolled into the morgue, startling her at his entrance.

"Jesus, you scared me." She hissed, lost in her own work. He chuckled as he walked towards her, looking over her shoulder at one of the corpses lying supine on her table.

"I hate working cases with young girls like this, it hits you harder." He said with a soft voice. She could see the pain in his eyes, knowing there was more of a story there.

"Yeah, I don't think it gets any easier, no matter how many autopsies I do. In med school, they teach you to care, but only on a surface level. Otherwise, there should be this clinical detachment from each patient. I suppose that's where I learned to be so...cold." She said as if the word was a hard pill to swallow.

He furrowed his brow in confusion. There were definitely many words he would use to describe her, but 'cold' was the furthest from any of the ones popping into his head. He could tell that there was a more personal meaning to the word for her, a story to tell.

"Scully, the fact that you even talk to me, should prove that you are anything but cold."

"Yeah, well, you should ask around, get to know my reputation." She teased lightly, throwing his words back at him. He chuckled, nodding his head, impressed.

"Touché. So..." He said carefully, dragging out his word.

"So..." She said, matching his tone.

"Would you care to join me for lunch? There's a cafe down the street, that I frequent more than I would like to admit."

"Sounds good. I'm going to change out of my scrubs, I'll meet you upstairs in the lobby?" He nodded in agreement, making his exit.

She licked her lips nervously, excited about her lunch date. Having just gotten out of a relationship, she wasn't looking for anything, relieved that he was making it casual. She met him upstairs, seeing him slightly pacing the front lobby. The man before her was definitely not the man she had heard whispers about. She was curious, when he mentioned something about his reputation, so she asked around discreetly. From the rumors, he had taken several dips in the secretarial pool, which was hard to believe, because this man was not exactly oozing with sexual confidence. He was sarcastic, firm belief in his work, but all of that was to mask the hidden insecurities inside of him. She was fascinated, ready to know him more.

"Ready to go?" The goofy grin still plastered on his face. This was new territory for him, he never really had to court the girl. Generally, they threw themselves at him, finding the shy, mysterious thing a challenge for them. He never really objected to it, filling many lonely nights with whatever girl found his non-approach intriguing that week.

"Mulder, how often do you come here, eating like that?" She asked pointedly, eyeing his burger. He smiled guiltily at her.

"I don't have an exact answer that'll probably satisfy you, so I'm just going to avoid the question."

"Fair enough. So how long have you been an agent?" She asked as she picked at her salad. His eyes gravitated towards her mouth as she chewed, seeing her tinged pink lips.

"I, uh, was recruited out of college. I went to Oxford, got my PhD in Psychology, thought it was the perfect opportunity to move back to the states." He said with a shrug, disregarding his many accomplishments with the bureau.

"You say it so nonchalantly, your credentials are impressive."

"Not as impressive as yours. Top of your class, in line to be some cardio prodigy. What happened there, why the change of career?" Her cheeks tinged with color, not sure how she felt about him looking into her file - flattered, nervous?

"I see someone's done their homework." She playfully glared at him. "I just felt this was where I could make more of a difference. I was fascinated when I did my rounds in pathology, and I'd rather do what I enjoy rather than feel stuck doing what was expected of me simply because I was good at it."

"I'm impressed, that's very noble of you."

"Thanks." She said in a small voice, bowing her head slightly.

They finished their lunch, enjoying each other's company. As they walked back to the Hoover building, Mulder's guilt began to get the better of him. He was having a nice time with her, but didn't want to start their friendship off on the wrong foot. If she found out somehow that he only even bothered to speak to her, or ask her to lunch, because he was obligated to complete a task to receive an inheritance, it might not go over very well. Though, if he were being honest to himself, he would have found a way to speak to her anyway.

"Uh, hey, Scully..." He said, stopping abruptly in their stride. She turned to face him, waiting for what he had to say. "I need to tell you something, and I don't want this to come off wrong or anything."

"Okay..." She said cautiously, crossing her arms in a protective stance.

"Long story short, I have to do these, tasks, to receive an inheritance from an old friend who recently passed. The first two assignments I had, were uh -"

"To find someone and ask her out on a date?" She said with the arch of her eyebrow, catching onto his implications.

"Yes, but I don't want you to think I'm using you. I'm not, I mean, technically I am, or that's how it started, but that's not how it is. I -" He began to stammer. He paused at her lack of response. Those soft, pink lips pursing together in thought. He could see her mulling over the idea, processing the newest revelations.

"Is, uh, that all you had to do, in regards to your list of requirements?" She asked in a small voice, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Yes, well, for now."

"For now?"

"There's 10 duties she has so graciously set out for me to finish. This, was only my second."

"So what was your first?" She was interested, it was definitely the craftiest pickup line she's ever heard.

"To get to know the first stranger that caught my eye. I happened to read it before you sat next to me in the first briefing." He said sheepishly.

"And to think, you could be enjoying a nice lunch with grumpy old Agent Reynolds." She teased, causing his eyes to shoot up and catch her gaze. She had a small, playful smile bestowed on her lips. He let out a sigh of relief, happy this didn't end in the disaster that he was anticipating.

"Y - You're not mad?"

"No, I don't feel like you're using me. I mean, it's definitely a new one, but I'm not offended. I'd like to think you're not going to just ditch me when you get your money." She said pointedly, glaring at him. He chuckled, reaching one hand to the back of his neck in thought.

"Gee, I don't know about that. I don't think that's a rule in my cards." She playfully swatted at him, causing a full grin to touch his lips.

"Now I'm mad. Come on, since you're the one with the money, now you can buy me an ice cream before we go back to work." She turned on her heels, walking towards the cart usually parked in front of their building. Grin remaining on his face, he knew this was going to be fun.

He had asked her to join him the next morning, to introduce her to Scott, providing proof that he was achieving the tasks. She agreed, and they met for breakfast before heading over to his office.

"Scott Lewis, it's a pleasure to meet you." He flashed her the charming smile he always saved for his newest conquests. In high school, he was the star athlete, handsome, the regular ladies man. He followed in his father's footsteps, only attending the best law school, doing what was expected of him. The complete opposite of Mulder, in every way.

"Dana Scully, it's nice to meet you as well." She said with a small smirk, definitely noticing his physical attributes.

"So you're Mulder's proof that he isn't just making this up as he goes along." Scott teased, glancing towards Mulder.

"Can I just get the next card? We, uh, need to get to work." He was slightly annoyed, not that they were actively flirting, or that he even had a reason to be jealous.

"Ah, so you're an agent as well? Definitely an interesting career for a woman."

"Yes, but I'm actually a Forensic Pathologist. Mulder and I are working on an active case together."

"Even more interesting, a career woman, I can respect that." He leered towards her. Mulder huffed, rolling his eyes. He's seen Scott play this game one too many times to believe anything that came out of his mouth. He only hoped that Scully was smart enough not to fall for it as well.

"The card?" He asked, annoyance rising.

"Right, right. Here is your third task, again, find some way to bring me proof when it's complete so I'll give you the next one."

"Great, thanks." He said as he stuffed it into his pocket. He gestured for them to leave, Scully sensing the change in mood from him, but couldn't decipher where it was coming from. She nodded, making her parting pleasantries with Scott, Mulder leading her out of the office with his hand on the small of her back. It was a simple gesture, no real meaning behind it, and neither flinched when it happened automatically.

"Everything okay, Mulder?" She asked cautiously as they rode to work. He nodded, popping a sunflower seed in his mouth.

"Yeah, everything's great. Did you -" His voice was cut off by the ringing of his phone.

"Mulder."

"Agent Mulder, there's been another victim. We need you in right away." He sighed, hoping it wouldn't get to this. He went to open his mouth before Scully's phone rang, waiting for her to get the news herself.

"I didn't think there would be another victim so soon." She said in disbelief. "They said something is different with this victim."

"Different? Like what?"

"I don't know, they didn't say. They just said they'd finish the details at the briefing." He nodded, picking up speed back to the office.

When they arrived, they were both surprised to see the latest victim's pictures on the board. Mulder's mind immediately began to bounce around sporadically, Scully could see the wheels turning through his eyes.

"He's escalating." The breathy whisper causing Scully to turn her full attention to him. She leaned in close, her face lingering before his to have a side conversation while the other agents threw out their ideas.

"What are you thinking?"

"His anger - hatred for her, it's getting stronger. This victim is at least 10 years older than the others, probably closer in age to his wife."

"You think he's getting ready to attack her soon, his final victim." She said as more of a fact, rather than a question. He was more amazed with her by the minute, never meeting someone who can keep up with his wandering thoughts.

"Yeah, exactly."

"Agent Mulder, any new ideas on the profile?" The SAC called from the front of the room, causing them to realize how close they had been in each other's personal space, separating shyly.

"Uh, yeah, actually. He's escalating, I think he's getting ready to attack his wife. Do we know the victim's last whereabouts before she was reported missing?"

"She lived alone, but was supposed to meet a friend after a doctor's appointment. We've confirmed that she was at the clinic, but never made it to meet her friend."

"Have any of the other victims been reported at the clinic, or in relation to it?" His head popped up, theories whirling around.

"Not that we know of, but we can interview the families again, maybe friends who would know if they had any secret appointments at the clinic that they were keeping from their parents." The SAC said in agreement. He began to assign teams to send out in the field, Mulder staying behind to speak with some of the others about what to be asking them.

Scully made her way down to the morgue to do the autopsy, both leaving the third task tucked inside Mulder's jacket pocket, forgotten.

He made his way down to the morgue a few hours later, her just wrapping up the autopsy, wincing at the gruesome things done to this poor woman. She was so lost in her final examinations, back facing the main door, that she didn't hear him approach. He crept up behind her, leaning in so that he mouth was lingering just above her ear.

"Find anything interesting?"

"Jesus, Mulder. Stop doing that." She jumped, causing him to huff out a genuine laugh.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. I thought you heard me coming, but you didn't even acknowledge my presence. I saw an opportunity, and I'm glad I took it." He said with a sly grin. She scoffed, shaking her head at him.

"The attack on this victim was definitely more intense than the previous. I don't know, it almost seems, personal."

"That's probably because to him, he felt like it was. Three of the other victims have been confirmed to have gone to the clinic within a week of their disappearance. We're planning to set a trap, catch him in the act. We have a full list of the employees at the clinic, so we've been able to narrow it down to a select few who could possibly match the profile."

"We're sending an agent in undercover?" She asked distractedly as she began to clean up her work. He flashed her a tightlipped smile, hands in his pockets, teetering on his feet. She knew the stance, and saw the look in his eyes. "No, there's no way. I don't even match the description of the victims."

"Well, other than the hair, you do. The blue eyes, the freckles, the...height."

"Somehow, I feel insulted." He chuckled, covering his mouth with the back of his hand to hide his smirk.

"We were thinking you could wear a wig, we'll set up an appointment for you in your cover name. You won't be out of our sight, and we'll be in your ear every step of the way."

"Nice deflection. When are we planning to put this assignment in effect?" She asked, licking her lips nervously. She crossed her arms, that was just her protective stance. He could sense her nervousness, stepping forward to cradle her elbow.

"Hey, I'm not letting you out of my sight. I'm going to be in the van parked right outside with the rest of the team. I know this is your first field case, and we're just throwing you in, but I have faith that you can do this."

"Thanks, I - I am ready." She said in a small voice, mentally preparing herself.

"Great, I'll let the team know. We'll probably set up a meeting before sending you in. We know he's escalating, so we want to get you in as soon as possible, considering he's most likely already targeting his next victim."

She nodded, exhaling deeply. He could see the ambition on her face, the worry in her eyes. He was amazed by her strength, in every aspect of the word. He began to part ways, letting her clean up and asking that she meet with the team upstairs in the conference room when she's done.

"Wait...distract me for a moment, what's on the third card?" She asked as the gleam began to shine back in her eyes. He smiled, nodding in concession. He pulled the card out, reading it to himself first.

'If I know you, your date was simple. Take her on a real date, and if you really like her, make sure it's at my favorite restaurant. Ask Scott for the details of this if you decide the latter.'

His eyes went slightly wide, not knowing how he felt about the last sentiment. Considering Rosie's favorite restaurant was a dimly lit, intimate french cafe that sat right on the water in Martha's Vineyard. That would cause for him to take her, overnight, and he felt that was too soon. He smiled sheepishly, a sly smirk creeping over his lips.

"I'll tell you...after this case is over."

"Seriously? You're going to make me wonder that long?"

"Well, if you do your job right, you could know by tomorrow night." He teased at her. She shot him a glare, eyebrow arching.

"I'll see you upstairs." He said with a small chuckle at her response.

He needed time to think about the card. Technically, he didn't need to whisk her away for some forced romantic weekend, but he knew that's what Rosie was hoping for. She had become a good friend, at least in his eyes, considering she's the only one who has given him the time of day. Perhaps it was because she's only been around him for less than a week, but something in his gut told him that she was going to be sticking around for a while longer.