Title: Pumpkin Patch
Author: DM
Rating: PG
Category V/XF/R
Key words: Mulder/Scully romance
Spoilers: none that you shouldn't already know about
Disclaimer: Don't own them. All credit belongs to 
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. Oh, yeah. Chris 
Carter and Fox too.

Summary: Mulder and Scully go in search of the 
Headless Horseman. Set in S6 or 7.

Notes: This was just a fun and quick Halloween 
challenge I gave myself. Hope you all enjoy it as much 
as I got a kick out of writing it! And, as always, 
thank you to Carol for her encouragement and wonderful 
beta work! 



It started out just like any other case. I walked into 
the office, on time as usual, only to find my partner, 
already knee deep in his files. Our files, I should 
say, although I've never considered them mine. The 
work is ours, but the files are his. 

I could tell he'd been at work for a while. I looked 
closely at his attire to see if he'd even gone home, 
and with relief noticed that he was in a different 
suit than yesterday; he was even wearing a new shirt. 
I took the slightest moment to admire how perfectly it 
fell across his chest, defining the muscles just 
underneath the fabric. He'd been working out lately 
and it showed. 

"Anything new, Mulder?" My voice was 
characteristically indifferent. I reserve showing 
emotion until his wild theories draw it out of me. 
I've found I'm more effective that way.

"San Diego, California," he closed the file in front 
of him and looked directly into my eyes. "There has 
been a series of strange deaths, one each night for 
the past five nights."

"And?" I urged him to continue. After so many years of 
working in this department, a series of strange deaths 
doesn't even spark much curiosity any more.

"Heard of The Headless Horseman?" His eyes were 
shining and he knew that he was pushing a button.

So, I didn't let him win. Not yet. "I have."

He looked mildly taken aback, and I couldn't help but 
quietly congratulate myself on a job well done. But, 
his look of surprise didn't last long. "Halloween is 
just around the corner, Scully."

"Need I remind you, Mulder, that The Headless Horseman 
is a myth, a legend?" My voice remained calm and 
collected. I was really out doing myself this time.

"So was El Chupacabra." And with that, there was 
nothing more to say. I couldn't argue it, so there was 
no use trying.

Six hours later we boarded a flight to California. 
Another five hours later I was exhausted and ready to 
pass out. I can't sleep on airplanes.

We flew into Los Angeles International and Mulder 
booked us rooms for the night just under the flight 
path of every single airplane that made its way in or 
out of LAX. 

By the time morning rolled around and I met my partner 
in the lobby, dark circles framed my eyes and I was 
grumpy. Mulder, obviously having overcome his usual 
bouts with insomnia, was bright eyed and bushy tailed, 
anxious to get right down to the business of solving 
the legend of Sleepy Hollow. In San Diego.

The drive there took just under two hours. The traffic 
was amazingly light for southern California freeways.

We met with the local law enforcement who didn't take 
Mulder's theory quite as well as I did.

"Are you serious? Is he serious?" Detective Elwood 
turned to me, eyes full of amusement and a tinge of 
frustration.

I stepped back, avoiding his question and allowed 
Mulder to take it from there. I've been assigned to 
work with him, not try to explain him. 

Detective Elwood rolled his eyes and shrugged his 
shoulders. He explained that the few eyewitness 
accounts lent some credence to Agent Mulder's "theory" 
but was following my take on the matter. It's a tall 
tale. Just because a bunch of frightened farmers 
believed they saw The Headless Horseman did not mean 
it existed, or that it was responsible for the deaths 
of five people. It did not mean that our murderer was 
a mythical creature.

Of course, Mulder was not dissuaded and we made the 
forty-five minute drive up to Tate's Farm.  On the 
way, Mulder confided in me that he'd already spoken to 
the witnesses on the telephone. In a strange way I was 
relieved that he hadn't come up with such a fantastic 
story all on his own. 

Tate's Farm was not what I had expected, and by the 
look on my partner's face, it wasn't what he imagined 
either. Before us loomed a deserted carnival type 
pumpkin patch, complete with a cornstalk maze and game 
booths. 

Detective Elwood explained that business had plummeted 
after the last death. He explained that the farmer who 
owned the farm was witness to three of the attacks and 
his son saw the other two. 

As we spoke with the farmer and his son, it was 
obvious to both the detective and I that their story 
was either completely fabricated or they were spooked 
by one too many ghost stories. Mulder, of course, was 
fascinated by the mere possibility that such a 
creature might exist.

I pulled him away when I realized we were getting 
nowhere and all he was managing to accomplish was to 
feed a frenzy that needed to be extinguished as 
quickly as possible.

In order to make him cease, I agreed to accompany him 
on a stake out of sorts that evening. Against my 
better judgment, but true to my promise, I followed 
him as we made the trek back up the foothill just 
after dark.

We sat in silence, and after about an hour and a half, 
Mulder opened his door and swore up and down that he 
saw something move in the distance. 

"If you're pulling my leg, Mulder, I swear I'll hurt 
you."

"Hurry up, Scully," and he was out of the car, moving 
quickly.

Why I followed him through the dusty parking lot and 
into the cornstalk maze, I'll never know, but I did. 
It wasn't long before I realized I had no clue where 
he was. I turned around only to find that I was now 
lost. 

Even though I didn't believe we were chasing a 
Headless Horseman, I did have a strange feeling in my 
gut that something wasn't quite right.

"Mulder?" I whispered, as loudly as I dared. If 
something were out there, I didn't want to take any 
chances. 

I couldn't hear him so I reached for my weapon only to 
find it wasn't there. With an exasperated curse I 
remembered the agitation I felt in the car when it 
kept poking my back. It was an unfortunate decision 
that I took it off and left it lying on the dashboard.

Just as I turned to head back in the direction I came 
from, I heard a rustling just around the corner.

I flattened myself against a couple of cornstalks and 
prayed that it was Mulder. No such luck.

Father Farmer, accompanied by Junior, rounded the 
corner and all my eyes could focus on was the sharp 
blade of a large ax. 

Father tested the blade's sharpness with one of his 
dirty callused fingers and calmly asked me, "Are you 
prepared to die?"

I about lost it at that point and screamed at the top 
of my lungs for my partner. "Mulder!"

Two gunshots later, Father Farmer fell to his knees, 
petrified. His son cowered sheepishly behind him. 
Where Mulder emerged from, I couldn't tell you, but I 
couldn't remember when I'd been happier to see him. 

We then cuffed father and son, solving the mystery of 
the Headless Horseman.

"Sorry it's not what you expected, Mulder." I tried to 
ease the disappointment I could read on his face as we 
watched the police cruiser take off with our suspects. 

Without words, he turned and walked back toward the 
corn maze. And, this is where it got weird. 

To clarify before I continue. I'm not blind, I find 
Mulder attractive, but we work together. Anything more 
than the intense friendship that we already share 
could ruin everything. At least that's what I thought.

I followed him through the hazy light and into the 
entrance way of the maze. He stopped and turned 
around. My eyes met his and I could tell something 
heavy was weighing on his mind. 

"What is it, Mulder?"

He just continued to look at me. After a few moments, 
it became uncomfortable.

"Mulder?" I tried again.

Then, he said it. Where it came from, especially after 
the events of the evening, I'll never know.

"Would you think it was a bad thing if I told you all 
I want to do right now is kiss you?" 

I could feel my palms dampen and my cheeks burn in a 
sudden flush. All of a sudden, I realized that I 
wanted him to kiss me. All at once, it didn't make 
sense to hold back. I can't lie, I've thought about it 
before. After having a taste of what he had to offer 
last New Years Eve, like any sensible woman, I thought 
about it. But, no one had ever said something like 
that to me before. What kind of an answer was he 
expecting?

It was like a line from a movie, a critical turning 
point in the lives of two characters as they are faced 
with a life altering decision. If I didn't know 
better, I could swear I heard music swell in the 
background, setting the tone for what I was about to 
say. 

"It would only be bad if you wanted to and didn't." My 
voice was soft and I wondered if he even heard me.

But he did. Boy, did he ever. The next thing I knew I 
was consumed with everything that was my partner. It 
might sound cliche, but it was a kiss to end all 
kisses. 

And, that's how it happened. Odd timing most might 
say, but not so much unlike us. Mulder and I have 
never fallen under the category of normal. Why start 
now?

End.