PUSH
By nimbi


	Jacob Fisher stared at the knife the Sheriff had placed before 
him, the man's words echoing in his brain, 'You have a choice. I don't 
appreciate anyone draggin' up the past in my town. The way I see it 
you know just a little too much. Now, you can stay here in Trinity 
and never leave or...' And here the man had placed the carving knife 
on Jacob's kitchen table. 'You know what you have to do.' Then the 
Sheriff walked away. Jacob was shocked at the man's arrogance, at 
his assurance at his--Jacob looked down at the deep wound in his 
stomach. When did he do that?

	"His BP is low!" Dr. Crower said. Agent Fisher awoke in 
the sterile world of a hospital. Anxiously, Jacob looked around as 
best as he could. He saw Lucas Buck standing in the door of ER, a 
look of disgust on his face. Although the sheriff's lips didn't move Jacob 
could hear the man's voice as if he were standing next to him, 'Why 
does he always have to be a hero?' Buck's eyes glanced over at 
Crower. 'Die, Jacob. If not...' Jacob swore he heard the sound of 
cracking bone, he saw images of himself in the Juniper House, 
laughing madly. Gathering all the strength he had left he sat up.
	"No! No!" He screamed, as the doctors tried to pin him 
back down he managed to point at The Sheriff.
	Dr. Crower also pointed to Lucas, "Someone get him outta 
here!" Buck shrugged and nonchalantly walked out. 
	The ER staff couldn't keep the distraught Agent down even 
after Buck had exited.   "Pusher!" Fisher hissed, grabbing hold of 
Crower's collar. "Tell them I said Buck is a Pusher." He managed, 
just before his heart stopped.

* * * * *

	Assistant Director Skinner walked into his office to find a 
plain manila folder on his desk. He sighed, 'Probably Mulder trying 
to get permission to do something,' he thought.
	He walked over and sank down. The narrative spoke of a 
Sheriff Lucas Buck in Fulton County, South Carolina. The more he 
read the more disturbed he became.

* * * * *

	Lucas was reading when the phone rang, he picked it up 
and waited, he knew who was calling him.
	"You weren't supposed to kill him, sheriff. I'm shocked at 
your behavior. You double crossed me and that isn't a good thing." 
The voice on the other end was powerful and dangerously low. 
"Now you're going to have the FBI crawling all over that little town 
of yours. After what you've done, the deal I made with your father 
has been called off." Click... Dial tone.  
	Lucas hung his phone up and stared quietly into space.

* * * * *

	"You called for us, Mr. Skinner?" Dana Scully asked 
speaking for them both.
	"Yes. Take a seat." Skinner looked up from the files he 
was reading. "This is interesting, Fox."
	"What is?" Mulder asked genuinely surprised.
	"This file you left me about Trinity, South Carolina." Skinner 
said. He watched as his agent's brow furrowed. 
	"I didn't leave you a file." Mulder stated, he turned to his 
partner. "Scully?"
	The young woman shook her head.
	"Who left it if neither of you did?" Skinner asked. The 
agents glanced at one another and shrugged. "Well, if the stuff in 
here is true, it definitely falls under your jurisdiction."

* * * * *

	The following morning...
	"Think of it, Scully, another Pusher!" Mulder was excited, 
their work was gaining credibility. Dana nodded warily, she was 
glad that their work was now credible...at least some of it was, 
anyway. She also remembered the Modell twins they had met not 
to long ago, also Pushers.
	"That's what Agent Fisher seemed to think before his heart 
stopped." She said.
	They got into the car. Mulder glanced through the file while 
he let Scully drive, for once.
	"So...what's this town like?" She asked, it was a long way 
to the airport and she didn't want to drive it in silence.
	"Remember the Temple boy tragedy? Trinity. There have 
been enough deaths in the past few years to call the place a disaster 
area. A reporter for Miami went there to report on how tourists in 
that town tend to disappear without a trace. He, too, disappeared 
without a trace until he turned up dead with his tongue missing almost 
a year ago. Speaking of tourists-- two brothers,  Lowell and Barrett 
Johnson died not long ago due to a car explosion as they were leaving 
town--they had had run ins with the town's sheriff. A woman by the 
name of Angela jumped out of a hospital room--also had connections 
with Buck.  Home of the Zirmach Beetle-- " 
	"The Zirmach Beetle! Mulder those went extinct three-thousand 
years ago!" Scully interjected.
	"Apparently there's nothing unusual about them in Trinity. 
They're used in the towns museum for cleaning skeletal remains. 
The town's people call them Flensing Beetles. But that's not the weird 
part..."
	"You mean it gets weirder?" Scully asked.
	"Well, I did a little research on my own..." Mulder let his voice 
trail.
	"Uh-huh." Scully nodded. "Go on. What did you find?"
	"A man--Lieutenant Drey from the neighboring town of 
Ascension was eaten alive by some of them at Trinity's museum. 
Apparently this man also had problems with the Sheriff. In fact many 
of the people dead in this town seem to have a connection with Sheriff 
Lucas Buck. There was a plague last year; people were bleeding out 
of their eyes, ears and mouths and the Johnson River, the town's main 
water source, turned to blood."
	"And allegedly," Mulder paused and glanced covertly at his 
partner, "there's always a full moon and there's this tree that gets hit by 
lightening every year at the same time. Oh, and the dead rose from their 
graves at Halloween last year--apparently to get revenge on the Sheriff. 
It didn't work. Mr. Buck has been proclaimed clinically dead twice. 
Once he died because he was shot in the Aorta, that was twenty years 
ago shortly after he became sheriff. He came back to life on the 
operating table, pulse, heart rate, blood flow all normal. 
Simultaneously, when Buck made his recovery a healthy newborn--the 
Vantage baby--a boy, died suddenly. Lucas Buck was weak for a 
while but that seems to have been the only side affect. The second 
time he died-Oh, Scully, this is good! The second time he died, he'd 
been stabbed in the in the Tisra Til--" He glanced at Scully and added 
quickly, "the third eye by a Dr. Narrone with a lobotomy knife--"
	"Trochar?" Scully asked.
	"Yeah." Mulder glanced at her then went on. "Doctors did 
surgery on him and it seemed he would come out okay, then he went 
into cardiac arrest and was proclaimed clinically dead again. He was 
buried. But apparently his doctors found some discrepancies and had 
reason to believe they'd buried him alive. So Dr. William Peale and 
Benjamin Healy, Sheriff's Deputy dug him up and sure enough he was 
okay. Even the wound in his head was completely healed. His doctors 
aren't sure how." Mulder stared at the files for a moment longer.
	"Well, looks like we definitely have an X-File...or something." 
She said it mostly for the sake of argument. This wasn't one of her 
partner's goose chases, Skinner had sent them, "But Mulder haven't 
you ever heard the legend of Phineas Gage--the guy who had a 
railroad spike stuck in his head. He lived a normal life."
	"He also had a bad memory and severe headaches for the 
rest of his life." Mulder half joked. "This guy apparently suffered no 
side affects."
	Scully sighed. This was going to be a long trip.

* * * * *

	Fox and Dana arrived at the boarding house shortly after 
dinner that night. "Sorry we're so late." Scully said. 
	"It's all right. I'm Loris Holt. This is one of my permanent 
boarders, Dr. Matthew Crower." Loris smiled and let them in.
	"Dana Scully and this is my partner Fox Mulder." Dana 
indicated the handsome, lanky man beside her.
	"You the people from the FBI?" a young boy appeared 
next to Dr. Crower.
	"Yes." Dana extended her hand. "And you are...?"
	"Caleb. Caleb Temple." The boy offered the agents a 
handshake each.
	"I made extra dinner, in case you were hungry." Loris offered. 
	"Famished." Fox Mulder piped up finally. He seemed 
deep in thought, his eyes studying the African masks that adorned 
Loris Holt's walls.

* * * * *

	The next morning, Scully and Mulder went over to the police 
station to meet with one Sheriff Lucas Buck. 
	"Hello." Mulder flashed his badge as did Scully. "FBI. Is Sheriff 
Buck in?"
	"Right here, agents." The sheriff's voice drifted out of his office. 
"Show them in, Ben."	The room was sparsely decorated, a black 
whole... no shadow escaped it. The Sheriff's dark eyes examined them 
ominously. "Please take a seat Agents...?"
	"Mulder." Mulder stated, "And this is Scully."
	"I wasn't expecting you so soon." Lucas said carefully.
	"You knew we were coming?" The woman blurted out, she 
glanced uneasily at her partner.
	"Stands to reason. Some government official decides he doesn't 
want to live anymore...well I kinda figured someone would come out. 
To make sure his death wasn't a murder." The sheriff said carefully.
	"Yes." Mulder said flatly. There was no outward indication of 
squirming, but Lucas wasn't looking for outward signs. "May we view 
the body?"
	"Sure." Lucas nodded amiably. "I'll take you over to the 
morgue myself."

* * * * *

	"Sheriff! Uh, we have a problem." Mr. Brown, the mortician, 
said as they entered the morgue. 
	"What kind of problem, Mr. Brown?" Lucas noticed Allen, 
Mr. Brown's younger son, standing in the background. Good. "Hi, 
Allen! How is every little thing?" Lucas stressed the last three words 
slightly and his eyes bored into the teenager's.
	"Fine, sheriff, just fine." Allen smiled. With that smile all of 
the tension in the room was gone. Well, almost all.
	"Fine! Allen! How could you say everything's fine?" 
Mr. Brown fairly shrieked.
	"What is it, Mr. Brown?" Lucas said annoyed.
	"Someone must have left a window opened last night. 
Flensing Beetles came in and devoured the body." Mr. Brown said.
	"Which body?" Mulder and Scully both asked it at the same 
time.
	"Jacob Fisher's body. He's picked dry." Allen said as he left 
the room.
	"Well," Mulder said looking at his partner. "There goes the 
autopsy."	

* * * * *

	Mr. Brown was extremely nervous. 
	"I'm shocked at you, Mr. Brown. You're always so fastidious 
about keeping the windows shut in this place." Lucas feigned surprise.
	"I do!" Mr. Brown said desperately. "I personally checked all 
the windows before I left last night."
	"I'm sure you did Mr. Brown. No one was here when you left?" 
Scully asked.
	"No. Allen had a school project so I sent him home early." 
Mr. Brown explained.
	"Does anyone else have a key?" Mulder asked.
	"No. Just me." The man glance warily at the sheriff as he 
answered. "Yes. I'm the only one with a key."
	Lucas could have cheerfully strangled the man at this point. 
He was glad he had his back to Mr. Brown and the agents, rolling 
his eyes, he turned around.
	"You forget, Mr. Brown, I also have a key." Lucas said. 
	"You do?" Reginald Brown scratched his head apparently 
perplexed. "Oh, yes, sheriff. I forgot."
	"Uh-huh." Lucas said folding his arms.
	"Do you have the facilities here to do a skeletal autopsy?" 
Scully asked.
	Mr. Brown shook his head, "I'm afraid not, ma'am. There's 
not much need for them here. If we need to do one we usually ship 
the remains over to Charleston, it takes about four or five weeks to 
get the results."
	"Oh well that's just--" Mulder began.
	Scully grabbed her partner's arm before he could press more. 
"We'll be outside, sheriff."
	Lucas waited patiently until he heard the agents' foot falls 
exit the place. He pause for a moment and listened to be sure, then 
suddenly, furiously he grabbed Mr. Brown and pinned him against 
a wall.
	"Reggie. Listen carefully to me. When I need for you to keep 
your mouth shut for me I'll tell ya." He let go of the man just as suddenly 
and straightened Reg's clothes. "Have a good day, Reg."

* * * * *

	"Very interesting." Mulder stated.
	"Yeah." Scully agreed.
	"Sorry about that." Lucas somehow was standing next to him. 
"You leave windows opened near a dead body around here those beetles 
will eat it up overnight."
	"Was anyone able to do an autopsy?" Scully asked.
	"I don't think so Agent Scully." Lucas admitted. 
	"That's quite a coincidence." Mulder commented nastily.
	Lucas chose to ignore the agent. "Well nothing here to see. 
Shall we be going folks?" 

* * * * *

	Loris was surprised to see how angry the agents were about 
Jacob's body. 'Maybe he didn't buy them off.' She thought. 
	"Okay, Fox, where do we go from here?" Scully asked. "Can't 
do an autopsy right now."
	"We find out what else happened that day." Mulder said.
	Scully sighed, "Mulder, it's obvious he committed suicide."
	"But he died of a heart attack." Mulder said flatly.
	"Mulder, it's not improbable! The man's blood pressure was 
low...and  the extra exertion of trying to sit up could possibly have 
caused..."
	"But we'll never know for sure if it was the strain, will we?" 
Mulder said nastily.
	Scully sighed, "I'm going to sleep, Fox. I suggest you do too. 
We've been going around in circles about this all day."

* * * * *

	"So, he wants to play rough?" A man with a well lined face 
and a powerful voice said in a smoke filled room.
	
* * * * *

	"Whatchaya doin'?" Caleb asked Mulder. The agent jumped, 
'The boy must have feet like a cat!' He thought.
	"Looking through case files." Mulder answered.
	"What are they about?" Caleb asked.
	"You're the Sheriff's son, aren't you?" Fox asked gently.
	"Yes sir." Caleb looked at him expectantly for a moment, then, 
"You gonna answer my question or not?"
	Mulder sighed, he'd hope that the child would have been 
deflected or sent off on a tangent by his question. "No, Caleb. It's 
confidential." 
	"Oh. Well, see ya, Mr. Mulder. Hi Ms. Scully!" The boy said 
and left the room.
	Scully waved at him kindly and watched him go.
	"So...what's our reason for staying now?" Scully asked.
	"Scully. That Sheriff is dangerous. I can feel it." Mulder looked 
up at her.
	"So how do you propose we go about proving that?" 
	"I just don't know where to begin."

* * * * *

	"You must be Caleb Temple." 
	Caleb whirled to see a tall, strong-looking elderly man behind 
him. He was smoking a cigarette. "How did you know my name?" Caleb 
asked.
	"I've met your father." The man shrugged.
	"He tole you about me?" Caleb was suspicious. Lucas didn't 
mention him to just anyone. The sheriff also made it a point to be 
around for the introductions.
	"Yes." The man brought the cigarette to his mouth.
	"Who are you?" Caleb asked.
	The man chuckled lightly, "No one of consequence."
	"Who are you?" The boy pressed.
	The man seemed surprised, "My name is...Mr. Clemens."
	"Mr. Clemens." Caleb said warily.
	"Yes. Clemens. Samuel Clemens." The man smiled.
	Caleb hesitated. He'd heard that name before, but where? 
"Nice to meet you, sir."
	"Just tell your daddy I said hello." Mr. Clemens said.
	"Yes sir." Caleb began to walk away. 
	"Caleb." Mr. Clemens called.
	"Yes?" Caleb asked turning, but Mr. Clemens had gone. 
Where? Caleb sighed, 'This man probably does knows Lucas, if he 
can to that.' the boy thought.
	Caleb walked over to where Mr. Clemens had been and there 
on the ground was a large manila envelope, his name on it in block 
letters.
	
* * * * *

	Caleb ran to his room when he got home and opened the 
envelope. At first he thought it was empty but then he noticed one 
solitary piece of paper inside. He took it out and stared at it. It was 
blank. Caleb sighed. Why did weird thing always have to happen to 
him? He searched the envelope again. He reached into it. Nothing else. 
Great.
	He went downstairs and found Mulder pounding his head against 
a wall. "You'll give yourself a headache, sir."
	Mulder stopped, keeping his forehead on the wall, he turned to 
look at the boy. "It helps me think." He stated like a stubborn child. Caleb 
shrugged and started to leave.
	"Mr. Mulder?" The boy turned back to the agent, who had begun 
pacing.
	"Yes, Caleb." Mulder eyed him.

	"You're an FBI agent. What would you do if someone handed 
you an envelope that was address to you but was only filled with one 
piece of paper that didn't have nothin' on it." Caleb asked.
	"Anything, Caleb. Didn't have anything." Mulder corrected, 
"You and your friends playing a game or something?"
	"No sir. Mr. Samuel Clemens gave this to me." Caleb showed 
him the piece of paper. "He says he knows the sheriff. But I've never 
heard Lucas mention him before."
	"Samuel Clemens?" The agent raised his eyebrows as he took 
the paper from him. "Well, Caleb, this looks like a classic confidential file."
	"Does it?" Caleb asked skeptically. "But there's nothing on it."
	"Sure there is." Mulder smiled. "Is there a candle around somewhere?"
	"Yes, sir." Caleb went off to fetch one and some matches. "What 
are we gonna do?"
	Mulder lit the candle and began running the paper over the 
flame. Words began appearing on the page. Caleb grinned. "That's 
neat!" 
	Mulder grinned back. He glanced at the words showing up on 
the page. 'To Fox Mulder''it said.
	Caleb stared. "Maybe this was for you?" 
	Fox blinked. "Caleb, who did you say gave this to you?"
	"Mr. Samuel Clemens, sir." Caleb answered.
	Mulder expression went sour. "Wonderful."

* * * * *

	"Hello, Mr. Benjamin Healy." An imposing older man with a 
well lined face spoke to the senior deputy.
	"Yes?" Ben was startled that anyone in Trinity would call him 
by his full name. "You here to see the sheriff?"
	"Actually no, Mr. Healy I'm here to see you and Mr. Floyd 
Spangler." The man raised a cigarette to his mouth.
	"Me?..and uh, Floyd?" Ben waved Floyd over.
	"Yes. I have an interesting proposition for you."
	"You do?" Floyd had come over to where the two other men 
were talking. 
	"Who are you?" Ben asked.
	The man gave a tight smile and chuckled. "Just call me Dickens. 
And I have Great Expectations for the two of you."
	Floyd reached out an shook the older man's hand. "Sure is 
nice to meet you, Mr. Dickens."
	Ben rolled his eyes.

* * * * *

	Mulder explained to Caleb that Samuel Clemens was Mark 
Twain's name before he became Mark Twain.
	"You mean Mark Twain was his writing name and Samuel 
Clemens was his Christian name?" Caleb asked.
	"Yes, Caleb. A writing name is what is called a Nom de Plum." 
Mulder smiled gently.
	"I knew I'd heard that name before!" The boy's brow furrowed. 
"I've been tricked haven't I?"
	"Yes and no, Caleb. Sometimes people who don't want to 
leave their names are an FBI agent's best friend." Mulder explained. 
He looked at the page. "We could be on to something."
	"What's it say?" Caleb asked.
	"What's what say?" Scully asked as she walked into the room.
	"Well..." Fox looked down at Caleb.
	"What?" The boy asked. 
	"It's confidential."
	Caleb's face twisted into disappointment. "But it was given to me!"
	Scully looked at the two in confusion. Mulder pulled her aside. 
"It's about him."
	"Caleb?" Scully looked even more confused.
	"No, the boy's father."	"If it's about Sheriff Buck I can handle it." 
Caleb said over hearing the agents' words. They weren't that far away 
anyway. "I already know he's a monster."

* * * * *

	"Did ya hear that, Ben. Great Expectations!" Floyd said.
	"Floyd, you are an idiot." Ben muttered. He thought about the 
imposing 'Mr. Dickens' and the place he was to meet him tonight.
	"Yes, Floyd, you are." Lucas' voice cut through Ben's thoughts 
like a hot knife through butter. "What's with him?"
	"Uh, Sheriff, do you know a Mr. Dickens?" Floyd asked.
	Lucas blinked, caught off guard. Then an evil glint passed 
through his eyes. "Oh, you mean old Charlie. Why, yes, Floyd. I 
know him all too well. Why do you ask?"
	"Uh, no reason." Floyd looked away.
	"That man and his Great Expectations." Lucas enjoyed 
watching Floyd squirm for a moment then entered his office.
	Ben threw a stack of paperwork on Floyd's desk. "Get to 
work." He sighed, then went after his boss.
	"Lucas."
	"Yeah, Ben?" The sheriff nodded for him to close the door 
and waved him into a chair.
	"This fellow who came in today. Somethin' tells me everything 
ain't okay with him--" Ben hesitated.
	"Well, Ben, it's always best to follow your gut feeling." 
	"Lucas, he wants to meet us somewhere to talk to us..." Ben 
let his voice trail for a moment. "I can talk Floyd out of it if you want." 
	"It's up to you, Ben. But I think you should go, see what he 
has to offer." Lucas' eyes glinted as a wolfish grin spread across his 
face. 
	"Uh-huh." Ben grinned back. "Okay, Lucas. Thanks."
	"Close the door, deputy." Lucas said. He paced his office 
chuckling softly. "The game's afoot." He murmured.

* * * * *

	"What?" Mulder and Scully turned to face the boy.
	"He's a monster." Caleb stated again. "So what's it say?"
	Mulder hesitated a moment then scanned the paperwork. 
"Well, basically it says the case on Judith Temple's death and, uh," 
Mulder glanced down at Caleb who was watching him with interest. 
"and rape is still open."
	Scully glanced down at Caleb who seemed to be taking all 
this in very well. "So we can start from there. Maybe find a little 
more information on the sheriff."
	Caleb stared as realization struck him. "You aren't gonna try to 
put Sheriff Buck in jail, are ya?"
	"Umm." The agents looked at each other.
	"That's very dangerous." Caleb looked from one to the other. 
"Lucas Buck doesn't take kindly to people foolin' around in his business." 
He warned, then turned on his heel and left Mulder and Scully considering 
that information.

* * * * *

	Later that night, Mr. Dickens met Ben at the pool hall. 
	"Hello, Mr. Healy."  The man lifted his cigarette to his mouth.
	"Hi. Mr., uh, Dickens." Ben glanced up at the man.
	"You seem to be a very bright young man." He blew the 
smoke out. Ben looked at him.
	"And?"	The older man's eyes crinkled in a brief insincere 
smile. "You don't like small talk, do you?" Ben frowned and shook 
his head. "How old do you think your boss is?"
	Ben opened his mouth to answer but shrugged instead. 
	"Go on guess." Mr. Dickens flicked ashes into a nearby 
ashtray.	
	"I don't know. Forty, forty-five."
	Mr. Dickens raised an eyebrow. "He does look very young, 
doesn't he?" Ben nodded and made his shot.
	"So...how old is he?" Ben asked interested in spite of himself.
	"Lucas Buck is sixty-four." The man raised his cigarette to his 
lips again.
	Ben missed the ball he had been aiming at. "Sixty? Four? Lucas 
Buck? I know he's been sheriff for twenty years but...sixty-four? What? 
Why are you telling me this?"
	"Well that is a good retiring age, Mr. Healy, and..." The man 
let his voice trail off.
	"Are you suggesting," Ben asked, studying his next shot, "I 
suggest Lucas retire? Mr. Dickens?"
	There was nothing but a cloud of smoke where the man had been.

* * * * *

	The meeting with Floyd didn't go as well. They met on the 
Johnson River Bridge. Floyd avoided the older man's gaze.
	"Hi, Carlson." Said the deputy flatly.
	"Floyd." Carlson brought his cigarette up to his lips. "Anything 
new to tell me?"
	"Ah. Well," Floyd fumbled for a moment. He looked up into 
Carlson's eyes. "No, sir. I'm playin' dumber than a chicken and still I 
can't seem to get any information on who or what Lucas Buck is. I'm 
going insane in this little town. Can't I get another assignment, sir?"
	"Floyd, you are my best man. I need you here, if there's 
anything to find out about Lucas..."
	"Oh, there's plenty of things to find out. I just never get the 
chance. I think the Sheriff's onto me."
	"Ahh..." Carlson dropped the cigarette butt and stepped on 
it. "Yes, that could be a problem."
	The two walked off the bridge together. 
	Somewhere in the trees above them a crow laughed.
	
* * * * *

	Caleb walked over to Lucas' house early the next morning. 
He met the man coming out of the gate. "Hey." 
	"Hey, yourself. You're out early this morning."
	"Yes, sir." Caleb hesitated. "Lucas, do you know Samuel 
Clemens?"
	The Sheriff ushered Caleb into his car. "Yeah, Mark Twain." 
Slight confusion riddled Lucas' voice, "You doing a book report, boy?''
	"No. I mean the Samuel Clemens who is in Trinity right now!" 
Caleb exclaimed.
	Lucas nodded understanding. "Yeah, I know him."
	"You mentioned me to him?" Caleb asked.
	The Sheriff raised his eyebrows to Caleb, "Am I not allowed 
to mention you're my boy?"
	"You usually don't." The boy answered flatly.
	"Did he say what he wanted with you?" 
	"No sir." Caleb looked down suddenly interested in his shoes.
	Lucas nodded, "So how are agents Mulder and Scully? What 
are they up to?"
	Caleb looked up defiantly, "What ever is going on here I don't 
wanna be a part of it." He sighed. "I can walk the rest of the way from 
here, Sheriff."
	Lucas watched for a moment as the boy walked off to school. 

* * * * *

	Lucas hadn't done anything to Mr. Dickens/Clemens. Whom he 
knew as Mr. Carlson. He didn't plan on doing anything to the man. 
Mr. Carlson was worth more to him alive then dead. Lucas would let 
the man do as he pleased for the time being. The sheriff was going to 
go till some soil and pull a few weeds. He decided to call in a few 
favors...

* * * * *

	"Agent Scully, I can attest that nothing was wrong with 
Agent Fisher's heart." Matt Crower glanced over at the pretty red 
head.
	"Yet Jacob Fisher died of a heart attack."
	"Yes."
	"Why?"
	"His BP was low, he became over excited at the sight of Sheriff 
Buck. Nothing was wrong with his heart but in his condition it was 
weak...." Dr. Crower's voice trailed lamely. 
	Scully nodded. "Could it have been the strain and excitement 
that killed him?"
	"Possibly." Matt shook his head. "But he wouldn't have been 
strained or excited had Lucas not been there."
	"Are people allowed into the ER whenever they feel like it?" 
Scully asked, pointedly.
	"No." Matt sighed. "Lucas has a habit of just showing up when 
he's not wanted."
	Dana raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
	"I mean no one even noticed him until Jacob Fisher pointed to 
him. No one in the hospital even saw him walk by!" Matt grimaced. 
"Ms. Scully, that's about the best I can do for you on details. Here's 
Jacob Fisher's chart just ask me if you have any questions."
	"Thanks Dr. Crower." Scully accepted the folder.
	"Agent Scully?" Matt called after her. "Be careful."
	"Do you have reason to believe my partner or I would be in 
any danger, Doctor?" Scully asked.
	"The Sheriff's dangerous." Matt answered carefully. 
	"Dangerous how?" 
	"Things just happen to happen around him." Matt sighed, he 
disliked tiptoeing around issues. "I know you know about my stay in 
the Juniper."
	"Yes. You were mentally unstable for a period, you were 
deemed coherent and able to work about three months ago." Agent 
Scully's face was unreadable.
	Matt nodded, "I've never given up my position, though, Lucas 
Buck is evil."
	"Enough so to be killed?" 
	"I was wrong there, Agent." Matt smiled slightly as he thought, 
'That kind of evil dies when it's ready.' Aloud he said, "But that doesn't 
make him any less dangerous."
	"And you know this because...?" Scully raised her eyebrows.
	"I just do, that's all. Call it a hunch." Matt shrugged. "It's not 
much to work off of but..."	Scully gave him a tight smile, "Usually, 
Dr. Crower, that's all my partner and I work off of. Thanks."

* * * * *

	Fox Mulder went to the Sheriff's Office. "Hi, again. Agent Mulder, 
is the Sheriff in?"
	Ben looked up from his paperwork and nodded to Mulder. 
"No, sir. He's out on business."
	Mulder nodded. "Would it be possible for me to obtain a file?"
	"Jacob Fisher doesn't have a file, sir. He died at the hospital." 
Ben responded.
	"Actually I was hoping for another file." Mulder admitted.
	"Which one?" Ben asked suspiciously, his stomach beginning 
to churn.
	"Judith Temple's." Mulder watched as Ben tried to hide the 
apprehension he felt.
	"Ju- uh, the Sheriff has to grant that request." Ben went back 
to his paperwork quickly.
	"You know lying to a federal officer and impeding his 
investigation could land you in prison." It was a statement.
	"It sure can." Lucas had walked up on the conversation. 
"Mr. Mulder what can I do for you?"	The man made Fox's skin 
crawl. "The report on Judith Temple's death."
	Lucas shrugged. "No problem. Mind if I ask why?"
	Mulder nodded curtly. "I just want to review the case."
	"She committed suicide." Lucas handed the agent a folder.
	"Seems to be an epidemic around here." Mulder muttered 
distractedly examining the folder's contents.
	"Why are you concerned with that anyway?" Lucas probed. 
"Shouldn't you be worried with Jacob Fisher?"
	"Well if Mr. Fisher's accusation is true this may not have 
been a suicide." Fox looked up into the sheriff's eyes. "Thanks. I'll 
return this later."
	"Agent." Lucas called after Mulder. "What exactly is a 'Pusher'?"
	"A pusher is a person who can manipulate another's mind by 
leading the victim to believe something that's not true or forcing them 
to commit acts they wouldn't normally commit. Good day, sheriff." 
Mulder left the station.
	"Oh." Lucas watched the man.
	Mulder was in his car and up the street when the thought 
hit him, 'Buck wasn't in ER when Fisher told Crower...How did he 
know about Pushers?''	

* * * * *

	"Sheriff." Ben followed Lucas into his office. "You sure that 
was a good idea?"
	"Ben I know what I'm doing."
	"I know but..."
	"Think I'm getting to old to handle the job, Benji?"
	"What?" Ben grinned. "You know about that, huh?"
	Lucas nodded, "Of course I do. And I am not ready to 
retire. 'Mr. Dickens' will have to think of something new."
	Ben nodded, "I agree. It was pretty stupid." He started to 
leave. "Lucas...?"
	"Forty-six, Ben, Forty-six." Lucas responded.
	"Looks like our Mr. Dickens is slightly dyslexic then." Ben 
walked out of the office.
	
* * * * *

	Somewhere in Trinity, in a smoke filled room, Carlson sighed. 
"Well, I tried to be nice..."

* * * * *

	"Look at this, Scully!" Mulder's voice was filled with 
excitement. "Judith didn't open the window when she jumped. She 
didn't take her shoes off. She'd have had to have a running start or 
have been pushed. Guess which one I'm betting on?"
	Scully nodded. "I seem to be going in circles with Jacob 
Fisher. Dr. Crower understood why the man died just about as 
much as I did. In Judith's case, is there any evidence that the sheriff 
was there?"
	Mulder shook his head. "But Scully, think of it, a pusher who 
didn't have to be near his victims. He wasn't near Jacob Fisher when 
he stabbed himself--"
	"But he was there when Fisher died." Scully reminded her 
partner.
	"Yes, but that wouldn't have been necessary had the knife 
wound killed him." Mulder countered. "I think maybe we should 
re-examine causes of death."
	"Whose?" Scully asked dreading the answer.
	"Anyone who had anything to do with Lucas Buck." Mulder 
answered.
	Scully sighed, then looked up sharply, "Brain scan? The 
Modell's both had malignant brain cancer--"
	Mulder nodded, "Yeah, I see what you're saying. But we can't 
force him--"
	"I can get his medical records. About the deaths, though, how 
do we verify them? Most of these people have been dead for a year or 
more."
	"We ask." Mulder stated. 
	"Ask who, Fox?" Scully stared at him.
	"Everyone. Someone is bound to let something slip." Mulder 
headed for the door.
	"I hate working off of hunches." Scully said as she followed him.
	From the staircase where Caleb was listening he sighed. He 
didn't want to get involved, but he didn't want to see the Agents dead 
either. He got up and followed...

* * * * *

	"All right. Give that information to Mr. X he'll know what to 
do with it." Lucas smiled slightly, as he added, "Thanks Mr. Krycek."
	He leaned back in his chair, a self satisfied smirk on his face. 
Mr. Lee and his impeccable nails would be arriving on his doorstep 
soon and put a stop to this foolishness...

* * * * *

	"Deputy Healy, I need to speak to you." Fox Mulder 
walked up to the senior deputy.
	"About what, sir?" Ben looked worried.
	"About your boss, Mr. Healy." Mulder put a friendly arm 
around the man's shoulders, grinning. "Isn't it lunch time?" He asked.

* * * * *

	The agents had split up! Darn. Caleb stood trying to decide 
which way to go when...
	"You look a little confused." 
	"What are you doin' here?" Caleb furrowed his brow. 
	Mr. Clemens shrugged. "I'm here to help."
	The boy shook his head. "Well, I don't want your help. I 
don't need help from liars."
	Mr. Clemens brought the forever lit cigarette to his mouth 
and breathed in, he shrugged and walked off. And Caleb decided 
to follow Fox.

* * * * *

	Lucas was having fun. A large black man in a trench coat 
stood before him, watching. Mr. X was more than a little 
uncomfortable with betraying his boss. But Lucas had a way...
	"So, is this it?" Lucas asked carefully. The sheriff showed no 
signs that he'd been enjoying himself. Mr. X became more nervous.
	"Yes. Mr. Lee will be here directly." The man kept his eyes 
on Lucas' hairline, impressing the sheriff.
	"He won't be needed. Be sure he knows that."
	"He won't?" Mr. X's guard slipped and he looked down into 
Lucas' eyes.
	"No. This is more than enough. You can leave now." The 
sheriff went back to shuffling his papers and Mr. X let himself out 
of the back door.

* * * * *

	Caleb couldn't get close enough to hear what they were 
saying. Deputy Healy looked nervous.


* * * * *

	Scully tried not to show here irritation as she interviewed 
the 'school teacher' Selena Coombs.
	"The sheriff helps many people in town." Selena explained. 
"Why, just the other day he helped Mrs. Johnston get her cat out of 
a tree..."
	"Look. I'm sure the sheriff is very nice. But that wasn't my 
question, my question was--"
	"I understood your question, Agent Scully. I also understand 
its implications. I won't speak against Lucas."
	"So...he's done something for you to speak against?" Scully 
asked casually.
	"I won't fall into your traps. You know where the door is."

* * * * *

	Ben stood up, he said something to Agent Mulder and headed 
away. Caleb wondered what had happened. Fox sat quietly at the table 
for a moment, then he paid the bill and left. 

* * * * *

	Mr. Carlson walked into Lucas' house. "Hello, Sheriff Buck."
	"Hello, Carlson. I thought you'd come out of the shadows and 
visit me." Lucas smiled. "I'm glad to see that that trail of cigarettes helped."
	Carlson allowed him a tight smile. "Funny. I've always liked you, 
Lucas. I'd be willing to give you a second chance."
	"Nope. Don't need one." Lucas said confidently.
	"Oh? You can keep the FBI off your back? Someone else can 
be sent here, you know. Someone not investigating X files. How about 
someone looking into, say, the Temple cases. All of them. Lucas, I can 
have you under the jail so fast..."
	"Oh, shut up, Carlson. You are going to have to make a deal 
with me not the other way around."
	Carlson let out a sharp laugh. "Lucas I created the art of making 
deals."	"Really? Sit down, Carlson and then we'll see who's laughing."

* * * * *

	Caleb went over to Fox. "You're trying to find information on 
my momma? You're askin' the wrong people."
	"Who should I ask, Caleb?" Mulder flinched slightly, the boy 
had snuck up on him, again. Fox had just been kicked out of almost 
every house in Trinity and was now moping on a park bench. He 
knew Scully probably wasn't having much luck either.
	"Well, you could ask Ms. Holt or Dr. Matt, they'd be more 
than willing to help. They'd like to see Lucas behind bars." Caleb 
explained.
	"Really? Thanks, kid." Fox got up. Caleb stopped the agent 
with his next statement.
	"They really can't help much though. They don't know anything, 
about it."
	Fox whirled around. "Well, then why...?"
	"You and Ms. Scully should meet me outside the boarding 
house tonight. There's someone I want you to meet."  

* * * * *

	Scully had been kicked out of the other half of Trinity's residents. 
She'd come to three conclusions. She was hungry. This was a wild 
goose chase. And the people of Trinity were quite afraid of their sheriff.
	She decided to find Mulder.

* * * * *

	Meanwhile, Lucas was enjoying watching the Smoking Man 
turn different shades of purple. 
	"So," said the Sheriff after his moment of silent relishing. "You 
invented the art of making deals?  Looks like I've perfected it." He 
leaned back in his chair smugly.
	"If that information gets out..." Carlson was horse.
	"And it could, Carly. It could. It would be so easy. But, I'm 
thinkin' we should probably give Mr. Fox Mulder a first hand look--"
	"No!" Carlson half rose in his chair. "I'll call them off."
	Lucas smiled, "Good. That, of course is all I wanted."
	Carlson held out a hand and Lucas gave the older man the 
stack of discs, photographs and classified paperwork he'd managed 
to collect.
	"I'd underestimated you, Lucas. You've...really...im...pressed..." 
The Smoking Man's voice trailed off. "Wait a minute, these aren't the 
originals."
	"Those aren't?" Lucas leaned forward, feigning shock.
	"You-?" Carlson choked off the last part of the sentence 
unable to say it. Lucas nodded slowly, encouraging. "Insurance? 
What do you want from me? Lucas, I need the originals."
	"Okay, I'll keep the copies--" The sheriff went for the folder.
	"No." Smoking man licked his dry lips and wiped his 
sweating head with his hand. "I- you know I need them both."
	Lucas frowned. "Now, Carlson. If you invented the art of 
making deals you should know you always keep a little insurance. 
Goodbye."
	Carlson knew he'd been beat, he got up to leave.
	"Oh and Carly?" Lucas stopped the older man not far from 
the front door. "I, ah, might call on you for a few more favors."
	The Smoking Man slammed the door.

* * * * *

	The midnight sky was clear and the moon was full when 
Caleb and the agents snuck out of The Boarding House. Caleb 
wasn't sure this would work. He had a feeling Agent Mulder might 
be able to see Merly. He'd decided to take them into the graveyard 
in the hopes that maybe his sister might be visible to others if she were 
near her grave. 
	"Here we are." Caleb stopped short in front of Merlyn Anne 
Temple's tombstone.
	"A grave?" Agent Scully sounded skeptical.
	Mulder knelt down. 
	"Not just any grave, Scully. You're sister, right?"
	"Yes." 
	"Why?" Mulder asked gently.
	"I thought maybe she could talk to you. She ain't afraid of 
Lucas. She's already dead. I hope you can see her." 
	"You can talk to your dead sister?" Mulder seemed interested.
	"Mulder?" Scully called from a little ways away. He walked 
over to her leaving Caleb alone. 
	"I know what you're going to say, Scully. But we should at 
least try." 
	"Mulder, he's a grieving little boy! They're no ghosts. I don't 
want to take advantage of him." Dana Scully frowned slightly.
	"We're not taking advantage of him. He brought us here, 
remember? Scully, you know as well as I do that there can be 
communication after death..." Mulder began, but his partner held 
up a hand.
	"I know all of your arguments and you know all of mine." 
Scully sighed. "You're right, though, he did bring us here."
	"Sorry, Caleb." Mulder said as they walked back to the boy.
	" 'Salright. I know you think I'm crazy--"
	"Caleb." Scully said gently. "You are *not* crazy. It's hard 
for me to believe in ghosts is all. If you think you can speak with 
your dead sister...well...that's just your way of dealing with 
circumstances." Scully blinked, realizing what she'd just said. For 
some reason, though, it seemed like the right answer and Caleb 
understood anyway.
	"Yeah. I guess so. Merly? I've got some folks here who 
need to talk to you." The boy barely spoke above a whisper.
	A shimmering girl in a white dress with glossy black hair 
appeared. "Hi, Caleb." Her young face lit up as she smiled.
	Mulder stepped forward. "Uh. Hi." Scully was planted in 
her spot on the ground, unable to move. Mulder glanced his partner, 
"Can you see her, too?"
	"And hear her." Scully answered.
	"You had questions for me?" Merly's voice echoed in the 
warm night air.
	"What happened to Judith Temple?" Scully asked.
	"Lucas Buck raped her. She gave birth to my baby brother, 
then jumped out of her room window." Merly shrugged slightly.
	"Did she jump or was she pushed?" Fox asked.
	Merly gave him a small smile, "Depends on your definition. 
She jumped on her own, but she was pushed to do it."
	"By the Sheriff?" Caleb asked.
	Merly looked down at him, her small smile turned into an 
expression of quiet sadness. "Yes, Caleb."
	"Why?" Caleb pressed.
	Again the girl shrugged, "Ask him." 
	"What's goin' on out here? Little moonlit picnic?" Lucas' 
voice clashed through the night.
	Caleb shook his head angrily. "What're you doin' here?"
	"I could ask the same thing of you." Answered the sheriff 
calmly. "We're going back to The Boarding House now."
	"I ain't goin' anywhere with you. I hate you!" Caleb bolted 
off in the other direction. Scully and Mulder watched in mild 
fascination as Lucas merely nodded and let the boy go. The 
Sheriff seemed to find a deeper meaning in those words than 
anyone else present. "You both are under arrest." He said quietly.
	"On what charge?" Scully asked incredulously. 
	"Contributing to the delinquency of a minor." Lucas said 
carefully.
	"How?" Mulder asked angrily.
	"Bringing him out here in the middle of the night." 
	"What?! You just let him run away..." Scully began. Lucas 
held up a hand.
	"And I'll do somethin' about that. Do you think I'd let my 
boy go and get himself killed?" The conviction in his words kept 
the Agents silent. "Now, step into the car. Or do I have to cuff 
you?"

* * * * *

	Caleb walked until the anger was gone. Lucas had killed his 
mother, it figured.
	"Caleb." Merly called to him.
	"What?" He turned to face his sister.
	"It was not against her will."
	"What was?"
	"Momma had a strong will. Lucas couldn't break it. If she 
hadn't wanted to die, she wouldn't have."
	"Then why did she?"
	"I don't know, Caleb." Merly faded in the darkness.

* * * * *

	Lucas sent Ben out to find Caleb and bring him home when 
they got to the station. Then he locked up the Agents and wrote 
out his reports.
	Mulder awoke in his cell, later that morning. Merly was 
there.
	"Merlyn?" Fox sat up drowsily.
	She made a statement, then vanished.

* * * * *

	Bail was posted for the agents the next day. Skinner abruptly 
ordered them to come home and bring the rest of Agent Fisher's body 
back with them.
	"I know what you are." Was Mulder's only statement to 
Trinity's Sheriff.
	Driving back home...
	"Mulder, what would we have done with the Temple girl's 
information?" Scully said trying to break her partners sullen mood. 
"No one would believe we spoke to a ghost."
	"She came back to me, Scully. Merlyn spoke to me in my 
cell last night." Mulder's voice was tight.
	"She did? What did she say?"
	"Lucas Buck is the Smoking Man's cousin." Mulder stated flatly.
	"Do you think that's why we were sent off the case?"
	"Yes. We'll be back here, though. If I have anything to say 
about it.



THE END

OR

IS IT?  

Please feel free to add on to this story/thread anyone who would 
like to see more happen. This is all I have to write, all I'm able to 
scribble down on paper. I hope you enjoyed it.

Disclaimers:

I have no money. I'm not being paid. These characters are not 
mine. Please don't sue me!!  All of the characters in this story are 
either from the TV shows American Gothic or X-Files.  American 
Gothic is owned by CBS and is the creation of Shaun Cassidy.
X-Files is owned by FOX and is the creation of Chris Carter.