She tossed her pipe over her shoulder, whereupon it vanished before reaching the ground. "I have always wanted a mortal of my very own, ever since I saw one in my grandmother's court. In the old days, I am told, we would not hesitate to take any that suited us." She paused, measuring him with a definite gleam in her eye.
He waited, expressionless, for her to continue. It wouldn't do to encourage her more than absolutely necessary.
"Unfortunately, times have changed," she said at last. "The Queen no longer allows unsupervised visits to your world. She indulges me in my little hobby, because I am family, but even I have limits. My circle only opens every twenty years, mortal time, and if I do not find an acceptable man I must close it and try again. So, you see, I have been abiding patiently until fate chose to bring you to me."
"Then it really is your fairy ring that has been causing the Parks family so much trouble." Despite trying to fend off the advances of the love-struck elf, he didn't lose sight of his original objective in coming to Indiana.
"Trouble?" She frowned. The fox at her feet yipped and cocked its head. "Of what trouble do you speak? I have done nothing to that family."
"Is that your third question?"
"Yes, yes, I have nothing better to ask anyway." A definite note of impatience entered her voice. "If the Queen's rules have been broken, someone must pay."
He shrugged. "If you insist." He proceeded to relate to her the various oddities that had initially drawn him to the case. As he spoke, her expression changed from curiosity to consternation to outright anger. He concluded with the story of the kitten. "The Parks family is understandably concerned about their safety."
Dandy stamped her foot. "Those wretched imps. They're always ruining my fun. Now I must close my circle before the Queen discovers the use to which they have put it." Her eyes burned with outrage that others had taken advantage of her privilege. "She would no doubt consider it all my fault, though I had no knowledge of their actions."
"Now that you do, you can put a stop to it, right?"
"Yes, but only by ending the enchantment that links this spot to your world." She sighed. "At least all is not lost. I have you."
Mulder had to come up with a way to get out of this situation, and soon, before she dissolved his only connection to his home dimension. He certainly didn't want to end up as much a pet as the animal that now batted the hem of her gown with its paws. But he had no way to coerce her into letting him go...or did he? He cleared his throat. "I think there is something you should know about me before you decide to keep me."
"Oh? And what is that?"
"I have dedicated my life to finding out the truth and seeing to it that dark secrets do not remain hidden. If I stayed here, I would be obligated to continue my calling. I think the Queen and her court would be very interested in what I have to say."
It took her but a moment to divine his meaning. "You wouldn't!" She paled, her eyes widening at the thought.
He shook his head. "I can't change who I am. Either you accept me, as you believe fate intended...or you let me go free."
Her lips quivered, her quicksilver emotions shifting to hurt and disappointment. "Don't you want to stay here with me? I would attend to you night and day. With magic, I could make your every dream come true."
He was tempted to feel sorry for her, but realized that she was an eldritch creature, probably quite unlike what she appeared to his eyes. He imagined a child saying, "I'll walk him and feed him and bathe him and..." Her promises meant little, when to her he was just a mortal. "Sorry. I may deal with unexplained phenomena in my line of work, but I can't live my whole life in a fantasy realm."
Her pout turned into a petulant scowl. "You're not fun anymore." She tossed her head, her long hair fluttering in the slight breeze. "Go back. Tell the family they need never fear visitation from our world, for I will seal my circle behind you." The glade began to shimmer around him, becoming less and less substantial. "Goodbye, Fox," she called out. "You have missed a wonderful opportunity."
"Full of wonder, perhaps," he murmured as she vanished, "but not worth trading for my real future."
The last thing he saw was his namesake turning tail and bounding gaily toward the trees.