Past Lives Could Never Come Between Us

24

"The victims are random, that's what Evelyn said, right?" Spike asks the team in the conference room. "Completely different ages, men and women. Not even in the same neighborhoods. Except for what? Their jobs. An elementary school teacher, an abuse counselor, an oncologist."

Luigi gasps, "They're all responsible for the wellbeing of vulnerable people."

"Got it in one." Spike says.

"Nice job. But why would Charon want to go after them?" Clark asks.

"Haven't figured that out yet." Spike admits.

"Mulder's dreamscape was just dated back to 15 years." Pauline walks in to tell them. "But unfortunately I can't tell if the quality still holds out."

"What've we got to lose?" Mario shrugs.

"Uh, Spike?" Pauline stops him. "I gotta talk to you."

"Pauline!" Spike exclaims as they walk to their stations, after she tells him.

"He ambushed me at my apartment, okay?" Pauline defends.

"You should've called the cops. Tell me you didn't feed him." Spike begs.

"No need. We ordered pizza." Pauline says.

"Oh great, he imprinted on you." Spike rolls his eyes.

"He's your brother whether you like it or not." Pauline reminds him.

"He's pulling a fast one on you, just like he's been doing to me my whole life." Spike says flatly. "He hasn't changed one bit."

"Look, we talked, okay?" Pauline says. "He hates how things went down. He wants a chance to fix it."

"If he wants to fix it so damn bad, he can get lost." Spike snaps.

"Just come over for dinner." Pauline begs.

"Absolutely not." Spike says immediately.

"We won't order in, I'll cook myself." Pauline promises. "Maybe seeing him somewhere that isn't yours will...change things."

"Pauline, I'm begging you. Don't get sucked in." Spike pleads.

"Little late for that, considering he's sleeping on my couch." Pauline says sheepishly. "Just try?"

"Inducing REM sleep in 3...2...1...GO!"

"Mulder's looking at her board." Luigi tells Mario. "The first victim's crime scene photo is shiny."

"We got a hotspot." Mario grins.

"She's looking at evidence." Luigi keeps narrating. "And back to the crime scene photo."

Mario looks himself, nodding, "Something isn't adding up."

Luigi steps closer, "Oh shit. It's the prescription bottle. Can't see what pills are in it."

" There's nothing in evidence about it. " Spike says in their earpieces.

"But Mulder still has a picture of them on her board." Luigi replies. "We need to move. Back to when they first took the photo."

"Right this way." Mario leads them down the path, until the dreamscape changes.

"Okay, we made it." Luigi says, looking around.

" You weren't home at all? " They hear Mulder ask.

" I slept in the ghetto. "

" Address, please? "

" No, I slept in the ghetto, on the street. I was unconscious, didn't remember where I woke up, finally came home and found Chastity like this."

" This ain't too much for our Mary-Sue, is it? "

"Clark?" Luigi exclaims, making Mario's eyes widen. "You're in this dream too. The uniform suits you."

" Mm, yes. Why am I just being told you were there? "

" Because I shouldn't have been. "

" Clark? You got here first? "

" Yes. "

" Did you see anyone besides Zara? "

"No."

"Hey!" Mario and Luigi watch as Mulder reprimands Zara. " Get away from there! "

"Found her. Go wake me up." Luigi says to Mario, who makes a run for the dream portal as Luigi smashes the nightmare chunk.

"Zara stole the drugs." Luigi tells the team.