Mom!
Watch me!
Okay, Billy!
Mom!
You're not watching!
Mom!
My little boy... My Billy...
TEN YEARS LATER
Mom!
Hi.
Josh. I was just coming in. They know you're supposed to wait.
They're looking for you.
Who? Who's looking for me?
Hey, what is it?
Go look, Mom.
Mrs. Underwood, we tried to call you.
You must've already left.
What is everyone staring at? What is going on?
My beautiful boy.
I'm just going to shine this light in your eyes, okay?
You're doing great.
See? Nothing to it.
- He won't speak? - No.
- Not even to his parents. - Are they here, his parents?
Oh, they've been here around the clock.
I took his prints... It's him.
Boy should be a teenager by now, but look at him.
- Explain to me how that can be. - I can't say, Sheriff.
I'm just here to find out who took him.
I talked to everyone at school...
and no one saw him come back or how.
The boy just come out of the blue.
- Are those the case files? - Oh, yeah.
Plenty more where those came from. There's lots of files.
There's just not much in them. We never even had a suspect.
Have them set them over there, would you.
Set those on that table.
Well, what we've got here is a...
healthy seven-year-old boy who was born 17 years ago.
And a healthy boy who won't speak.
Excuse me? Are you finished with Billy?
Mr. and Mrs. Underwood?
Um, you're with the FBI...
Yes. I'm Agent Scully, and this is Agent Doggett.
- We are investigating this case. - It's a miracle, isn't it?
Mrs. Underwood...
whatever your son has been through,
it has somehow affected his physical condition.
So we've been told by every doctor here.
We just want to take him home. After ten years, can we do that?
Not yet.
I want to talk to him first.
How you doing, Billy?
My name's John.
I'm gonna have a seat over here, is that okay?
Is that all right?
Billy, I want you to know that you're not alone.
I've talked to lots of other boys and girls...
who've been hurt just like you.
Sometimes when they talk about it the hurt starts to go away.
You want to talk about it, Billy?
You know, maybe you think bad things happened to you because...
you've been a bad boy...
But I'm here to tell you, that's not true.
The bad guy is the one who took you away...
and it's up to you and me to get the bad guy.
See, 'cause as big and tough as I am, I can't do it alone.
I need your help.
Can you tell me about him, Billy?
What's his name? What did he look like?
You remember this, don't you, Billy?
Would you like to have that back?
What is he doing?
All I want is his name.
Who the hell do you think you are?
He's only a little boy.
Mr. Underwood...?
You think this is a game?
A serious game; one we have to win.
Have you really worked kid cases before, Agent Doggett?
Child abductions?
I worked the child abduction task force. I know the horror stories,
- ... but this kid can help us. - This isn't just a horror story.
This is a biological impossibility.
Well, that's your area of expertise. I just want to put the person...
who did this out of business. Billy just didn't show up.
He got away or was let go.
And if he can talk, he can tell us by who.
Or he can look at photos in the files and point to the man...
who did this so this doesn't happen to some other little boy.
You are ignoring the fact that he is still seven years old.
Failure to thrive. Isn't that the term?
I mean, aren't there diseases that delay puberty and so on?
I told you... he's not sick.
Good.
Then he can talk.
We're home, honey. Safe at home.
I'm going to go pay the sitter, Doug. You bring Billy in.
Are you glad to be home, Billy?
A lot's new here, son.
You have a younger brother now.
Josh.
See that big dog out there with him?
That's Sparky.
Would you like to go play with him?
- Knock it off! - What's the matter, Doug?
I don't know. The dog just went off...
Sparky, what is wrong with you? Come on, let's go.
Honey, it's all right.
He just didn't recognize you, that's all.
He's a nice dog, Sparky.
He just doesn't realize that you're part of the family.
But you are, Billy...
and we're just so glad that you're finally home.
You going to sleep here, too?
What time is it?
I spoke with the doctors who treated Billy.
- I looked at his charts. - And what, did you find something?
Yes and no.
What showed up is that Billy is the same boy who was taken ten years ago.
We know that.
No.
I mean the -same- boy.
He has no cavities. He has no tooth decay.
He still has four baby teeth that he's never lost.
He had a routine blood test six weeks before he disappeared in 1990.
His cell counts, his enzymes, his hormone levels,
they are all exactly the same as they were ten years ago.
- Now how can that be possible? - It's medically impossible.
So, what's the punch line? Where are you saying he's been?
There are X-File cases...
that describe similar paranormal findings.
Alien abductees who came back with anomalous medical stats.
You know, these words: "Anomalous", "supernatural",
"paranormal..."
They purport to explain something by not explaining it.
It's lazy.
I'm not saying that I can explain it, Agent Doggett,
but this is definitely not normal.
I went back to the witnesses at the crime scene...
the day Billy vanished, to this guy, Ronald Purnell.
He was detained, questioned and dismissed as a suspect.
- What's your interest in this guy? - He's a high school dropout,
convicted of possession, arson, and shoplifting since 1990.
These are juvenile records.
These are sealed by the court, Agent Doggett.
We're not supposed to have these.
- And we're at a standstill here. - Yeah, and you're breaking the law.
Look, I want to catch this guy, Agent Scully, whatever it takes.
We love you so much, Billy.
It's so good to have you back— to be tucking you in.
Sleep tight.
What is that supposed to mean?
It means that you're blind to what's going on here, Lisa.
Ten years we prayed for this. Every night we prayed to God.
I prayed for our son. That is not the boy I knew, Lisa.
What do you expect him to be?
- They told us this will take time. - Even Josh is afraid of him.
- He is nothing to be afraid of. - I wish I could believe that.
How can you sit here and say these things to me?
I thought this would make us both so happy.
Anybody in there?
Hello?
Ronald Purnell?
Yeah.
Can I talk to you?
Can you come out, and we can have a conversation?
Is this about my probation?
It's about a little boy named Billy Underwood.
You know that name? Ring a bell?
No.
It does to everybody else in this area.
He vanished from a school fair you were at ten years ago.
You remember him now?
Yeah. I remember him.
You think he'd remember you?
- Me? - You. Your face.
You're a trip, man. You know that?
This has nothing to do with you being stoned or violating your probation.
All I'm asking is that we go see Billy.
See what he says.
See what he says where?
Where? Wherever. Wherever you want. I'll make sure he's there.
You're not making sense, Dude. Just leave me alone.
Honey, are you here?
- What? What are you doing? - Joshey! Oh, my god! Are you hurt?
No.
- You're bleeding. - Mom!
- Where did that come from? - I don't know.
Billy, honey what are you doing here?
Please, Billy, answer me.
Just got word back from the lab.
Ran the blood twice and no doubt about it.
It's the little boy's.
But I thought you said he wasn't cut.
No. You're misunderstanding.
It's the other son I'mdtalking about, Billy—
the boy who was kidnapped.
- That doesn't make any sense. - No. Billy wasn't cut either.
No, but he definitely handled the knife.
His prints are on it.
Where did he even get it?
His father's never seen it before. He's no hunter.
Never cleaned an animal, which is about all...
a knife like that's good for... except for killing, of course.
Well, I hate to say this...
but I think that the best thing for Billy and his family...
is if he's removed to an institution...
under the observation of people who are experienced in these things.
You mean, remove him? Take him away?
After all his family's been through?
This is not a normal child, Agent Doggett,
- ... and this is not a normal act. - You make it sound like he's possessed.
Call the exorcist.
He's a kid— a kid who's been through who knows what kind of hell.
Give him a chance.
How do you know he's not trying to communicate something?
And what's the message?
Yes, he's a kid, Agent Doggett, you're right.
He's a kid who materialized out of thin air, unaged.
Do you not somehow recognize how strange this is?
Did anybody notice this? This symbol?
Yeah.
Yeah, I was going to mention that to you 'cause it's...
- ... kind of weird. - Weird how?
Well, like I told you,
we tried everything to find that boy and who abducted him,
went so far as to bring in a police psychic...
ten years back— came up with that very same symbol.
Well, how exactly did he come up with it?
She. Sharon Pearl.
Couldn't say how it came to her.
- I've seen this symbol before, too. - You have?
I'll be damned.
We love you so much, Billy.
Whatever happened...
we want to put it behind us.
Be a family again.
And if you could help us to understand...
what you're going through,
we could move forward.
No, we're just going to go see a doctor,
someone you might want to talk to. We're coming right back.
Nothing's going to happen.
Mommy won't let anything happen to you.
Billy, I just want you to get the help you need...
... so we can all live here together and be happy.
Okay? Come on, sweetie.
I'll take him, Doug. If it's such a strain on you.
Look, if you think a shrink can give us some answers, fine.
I just don't want this to ruin our other son's life in any way.
Where's Billy?
Dad!
I don't want no more trouble here, Ronnie.
Whatever you're doing, you do it somewhere else.
You ever get off your lazy ass to do anything but hassle me?
Watch your mouth.
I got company coming and he won't take your lip.
Who?
You tell him to stay out of my face.
Get away from me.
Where you going, weirdo?
You steal those clothes off a fat man? Or'd...
you just shrink? Hmm?
Hey, you going to get your butt in this trailer, traveling man?
Yeah.
All depends on, uh... what you've got in mind.
Testing, one, two, three...
This is great.
Now, I've got a psychic sitting in my living room...
who's going to tell me what's wrong with my son.
I understand your misgivings, Mr. Underwood,
but perhaps you can look at this as just another avenue.
An avenue to what?
We're going to solve this case, Mr. Underwood.
We're going to find out who did this to your son.
And then what? What am I left with?
A kid who stabs knives into his brother's mattress?
You don't know the half of it.
He gives everyone but his mother the creeps with that stare of his.
I just know that this is going to tear you apart.
It's going to tear your family apart. And you can't let it.
You've got to save them from the damage this can do.
I'll be happy to save what I can.
Come on, Josh. Let's go.
- Is this going to happen? - Shouldn't you be telling us that?
You're no doubt confused, Agent Doggett.
I take psychic readings not see through walls.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Mrs. Underwood. I'm Sharon Pearl.
I consulted on your son's disappearance back in 1990.
And you're Billy?
Ms. Pearl? Are you okay?
There are very powerful forces at work here.
Working through this boy.
Drawing him to his brother.
I feel this force...
coming through you.
You lost someone just like Billy.
What's happening to her?
Oh, my God.
Hey, Fartknocker.
Where are you going in such a big hurry?
What's the matter? Got something in your ears?
Don't .. don't touch me, Cal.
Oh, listen to him.
No wonder he wears them baggy britches.
Our Ronnie's a big man now.
Your old lady said...
the cops came and talked to you. Hmm?
I am talking to you, not the side of your head.
Better mind your Ps and Qs, Jones.
Or I'm going to tell them what you did to that little boy.
I'm going to tell them what you got buried out there in the woods.
What's going on with you two?
Talking about cars.
Well, they've got her stabilized...
and it looks like she's going to be okay...
if you're at all curious about her condition.
I'd be more curious if I believed it.
Believed what?
The act.
- You think that was an act? - It's pretty standard fare, isn't it?
Float a few choice revelations, as if they came from on high,
roll around on the floor.
You saw that symbol appear on her forehead.
It's a damn good trick. Don't ask me how she does it.
- Agent Scully, please. - No. I think you want to hear this.
Now listen to it backwards.
- When you wake... - What was that?
- ... you shall have... - It's a child singing.
- ... all the pretty little horses... - Lyrics.
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry...
... go to sleep, little baby...
You hear that, under the noise?
- Now— - What's he doing here?
Get away from me!
Ronnie, open up the car!
Ronnie, stop the car!
Agent Scully, he's got Billy!
Get out of the car!
Now!
Don't move, Ronnie.
Where's Billy?
I thought you said Billy was in the car?
Where's Billy?
I'm going to go pay. You want anything?
Josh, are you okay, buddy?
Dad, can I...?
Mister?
Pony?
Hey, pony.
Hey, there you are.
Help! Help!
- Count to ten, Agent Doggett. - He took Billy.
He couldn't have.
How are you going to back that up with Billy now missing from his home?
By the certain knowledge that not five minutes earlier,
I saw him enter his home with his mother.
I saw him! I saw Billy riding in the car with Ronnie.
Why else would Ronnie take off like he did?
It's impossible, Agent Doggett, like everything else about this case.
Like how Billy can be in his home one minute...
and then in Ronnie's car the next.
Everything about this case is impossible.
This kid is the key, Agent Scully.
I've been saying that from the beginning and I'll say it now.
Agent Doggett, Agent Scully, I got bad news on top of worse.
Josh, the Underwood's other little boy, has disappeared.
I'm not joking, not even close.
I got the parents out here now.
I've got to talk to this kid, Agent Scully.
I'm absolutely sure.
Have a seat, Ronnie.
I know what you're going to ask...
but I got no answer.
Well, there can be only one answer, right?
I mean, why else did you go to the house?
You went there for Billy, to get him back.
No.
- You had him in your car. - I don't know how he got there.
Then why go to the house at all?
Because I didn't believe you.
Mom!
You didn't believe what? What's so hard to believe, Ronnie?
- You said I could talk to him. - You needed to talk to him.
After all those years, you couldn't live without him.
You wanted him back.
All those years, Ronnie. All those years.
Where'd you keep him?
Man, you don't understand.
You were sorry you let him go.
No, I...
I couldn't let him go.
"When you wake...
you shall have...
all the pretty little horses."
Who else knew about him? Your mom?
No.
- Where'd you keep him? - I didn't.
- What did you do to him? - I didn't do anything.
I took care of him.
I sang to him...
you know, so he wouldn't be afraid.
Afraid of who?
Who was he afraid of, Ronnie?
Somebody else involved? Somebody else make you do it?
He take that other kid, too?
Billy's brother? He take him?
You're afraid of him, too, aren't you?
You're a victim, just like those other kids. Is that right?
You... me, Billy.
This is our chance, man.
What's his name?
FBI!
Cal Jeppy! Come out!
It's okay, Josh.
You're okay. We're not going to hurt you.
Agent Doggett...
He's on the run.
He's in the woods! Watch your fire!
There may be another boy!
Down on your knees!
Hands in the air! Where's the kid?
- He's in the trailer. - Other kid!
- There's no other kid. - Billy Underwood!
There's no other kid.
Get this man in cuffs! Read him his rights!
The kid's over...
I don't believe it.
Okay, the clothes, the age and condition of the bones,
the location of the grave.
There is no doubt that that is Billy Underwood's skeleton...
- ... that is in that grave. - We spent time with this boy.
Doctors took Billy's blood. You examined him yourself.
Now, I can't accept it.
I can't believe we're asking them to.
I know, but the forensic evidence is going to come out, and what then?
- What if I'm right? - Well, what then, Agent Scully?
What we do? We move on, let it go, case closed?
Look, I know where you are with this. I have been there.
I know what you're feeling— that you've failed and that you have...
to explain this somehow.
And maybe you can.
Not if that's Billy's body, I can't.
But maybe that's explanation enough.
That that's not Billy's brother lying in that grave, too.
That that man who did this is never going to be able to do it again.
Isn't that what you wanted, Agent Doggett?
Agent Scully, don't ask me to believe that...
this is some kind of justice from beyond the grave.
All I'm saying is that maybe you succeeded...
Whether you're willing to see that or not.