Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Chris Carter and his lackeys have the rights to everything else.
Acknowledgements: Once again, my almighty GHU needs to get credit for introducing me to Mulder and Scully.
Spoilers: None that I can think of.
Don't Forget Your Raybans
CHAPTER ONE
October 14, 1998
11:31 am
J. Edgar Hoover Building
Washington D.C.
"Hold the door!"
Agent Fox Mulder ran down the hallway, calling to the tall man entering the elevator. The man turned around but seemed to ignore Mulder's plea. The heavy metal doors slammed shut just moments before the FBI agent reached them.
"Damn," he swore under his breath and pushed hard on the 'up' button. He left his index finger there, hoping the pressure would make the elevator come quicker. He looked at his watch impatiently and felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you late, Agent Mulder?" a soft, female voice said from behind him. Mulder turned around to see Agent Diana Fowley standing behind him, smiling sweetly.
Mulder returned a half-hearted smile. "Yes, Agent Fowley, I'm terribly late. DanaAgent Scullyinformed me earlier this morning that we had an appointment with the Assistant Director at 11:30. I am now" he checked his watch, "two minutes late, and the A.D. will not be amused."
"Why did Kersh want to see you?"
"Kersh?" He gave her a confused look. "Oh, Kersh. Um, he wanted to go over the travel expenses." Actually, Scully had managed to get an appointment with Assistant Director Skinner after the cryptic note she had found in her In/Out box. Skinner's handwriting was unmistakable.
"Well, I hope your meeting goes well," Fowley said as the doors opened. She stood up on her tiptoes and gave Mulder a kiss on the cheek. "Have a good day, Fox."
Mulder hit the 'close' button as soon as he could without being rude. Leaning up against the wall, he didn't notice the other person in the metal box.
"I really wish Diana would quit doing that," he mused aloud, closing his eyes. "The last thing I need is for Scully to"
"Scully to what?" asked a lower female voice from the other side of the elevator. Mulder opened his eyes to see his short partner standing there with her arms across her chest. She had one red eyebrow raised and a half-smirk on her face.
"Nothing," Mulder said, avoiding Scully's eyes. He wondered why she had interrupted him then, rather than letting him finish his thought. Just as well, he said to himself, wouldn't want her to know I thought she could take me.
"Mulder, why are you just now getting into the elevator to go see the Assistant Director. He's not supposed to be seen with us; he told you to be on time!"
"I'm sorry, Scully! I got stuck at the ATM. The line was longer than I've ever seen it on a Thursday morning. I finally got so fed up I left, but now I won't have enough money to pay my parking ticket that I'm going to get for not having my parking pass in my car window."
Scully shook her head, sighing. "Fine, Mulder. Our appointment has been rescheduled for 2 o'clock this afternoon. You have until then to look at this folder."
With that, she handed him a plain, manila folder filled with about an inch of paper. Mulder opened the folder slowly, and a newspaper article fell to the ground. Scully leaned down to pick it up and Mulder couldn't help but notice that the neckline on her shirt was lower than usual. Her cross was hanging off her neck, just below her collarbone. She stood up and Mulder quickly looked at the top page, a file on an elderly man named Winston Price.
"It won't make sense until you read this, Mulder," she said, handing him the fallen piece of paper. He read the headline and raised an eyebrow.
"Mysterious Deaths Surround New England's Banks?"
"Skinner felt we should have first knowledge about the article. This won't be released until tonight's D.C. Herald. I've already read the article; it's definitely something you'll be interested in."
Mulder wasn't paying attention to her anymore; he was completely engrossed in the article. Scully sighed and stared at the doors, waiting impatiently for them to open. Mulder's mumbled comments were incoherent but the noises accompanying them seemed to indicate interest. When the elevator chimed and the doors opened, Mulder continued to read the article, oblivious to his surroundings. Scully tugged on his arm, and dragged Mulder out of the elevator. She led him through the halls to the large room where their desks were.
"Mulder, you're at your desk now. I suggest you sit down and put that file somewhere until lunch," Scully said to her partner in a hushed voice.
"Huh? When did we get to the" his voice trailed off. "Thanks Scully," he said, putting the folder in the middle drawer of his desk. "I think I'll get back to my financial reports right away."
"That's a good boy, Mulder. Maybe you'll get a cookie if you finish on time."
"Really, Scully? Could it be an Oreo?"
"Yes, Mulder, it can be an Oreo."
1:49 PM
Assistant Director Walter Skinner's Office
Mulder knew that he should have showed up closer to the appointment time, but he couldn't afford to miss this one. Now that he'd read the articles, Mulder had to know morehad to know if he was going to get a chance to solve this case. He hoped Scully would come with him, even if it wasn't their official assignment.
The enigmatic Dr. Scully came rushing into the office five minutes later. As she turned the corner, she fell off the two-inch heel on her right shoe, almost twisting her ankle. She gracefully recovered and smoothed out her suit jacket. When she saw Mulder looking at her and trying to repress a chuckle, she brought up a defensive, uninterested look and sat next to him, fussing with an imaginary wrinkle in her skirt.
"Agents? The Assistant Director will see you now," Kimberly said a moment or two later, gesturing towards the door of the well-known office. Scully stood up, waited for Mulder to do the same, and then led the way into Skinner's office.
Scully entered the office and blinked to adjust to the low light. The curtains had been drawn and only a slit of sunlight fell across the desk. The Assistant Director looked up and nodded at the agents, gesturing for Kimberly to close the door. Once the three were alone, Skinner stood up.
"You've read the file, Agent Mulder?" Skinner asked as the two agents sat down.
"Yes sir," Mulder said, pulling out Scully's seat for her. "I'm very thankful you gave the folder to Agent Scully for me to look at."
"Don't thank me yet, Agent Mulder. The file I've given you is about all the help I can give; my hands are tied. I knew that my new X-Files agents couldn't handle thepressures of working on such a bizarre case."
It might have been Scully's imagination, but she thought she heard disgust in the Assistant Director's voice. Skinner had never been particularly fond of Agent Spender and it was well known that Agent Fowley had been trying to sleep her way through the ranks.
"If I may be so bold as to inquire, sir, have you come up with a way to get us past Kersh, or will we have to figure out our own alibis?" Scully asked of her former boss, knowing her elated partner would not be thinking of logistics.
"It's a good thing you asked that, Agent Scully," Skinner responded as he opened his top desk drawer. He handed each agent a manila folder similar to the one he had given Scully earlier that morning. On the tab of each folder said one of the agent's names. "Agent Mulder, your mother has taken ill again; you are going to see her in Quonochontaug. Agent Scully, your sister-in-law in New Haven is having complications with her pregnancy; you are going to watch Sophie while she rests up."
The agents exchanged confused looks and then nodded at Skinner. The Assistant Director looked at his watch and then gestured to the agents.
"I have another meeting in ten minutesI suggest you two leave by the side door."
"Thank you, sir," Scully said as Mulder walked out of the room. "This will mean a lot to him."
October 15
9:52 am
New Haven, CT
"Aunt Dana!" the little girl screamed gleefully, running down the wooden staircase to the front foyer. Sophie Scully, Dana's four-year old niece, came at the FBI agent as a streak of auburn hair. Scully caught the little girl up in her arms and kissed Sophie all over her face. Charles smiled at his sister and daughter, amazed at how warm Dana became when the little girl was around.
"It's so good to see you Dana," a voice said from the top of the stairs. Anna stood there, very pregnant, nearly beaming. Scully felt a pang of jealousy for an instant, then smiled back at her sister-in-law.
"It's great to be back, Anna. When my boss suggested I go on a brief vacation, I thought I'd check up on you four."
"Four and a half," Charles reminded his sister gently. Scully chuckled at her brother's joke, then turned back to the squirming child in her arms.
"Oh, would you like to get down, Sophie?" Dana asked the little girl, who nodded and slid down Dana's short frame. Sophie ran back up the stairs, nearly toppling her mother. "Where's Tim?" Scully asked, turning back to her sister-in-law.
"Hockey practice. He's the goalie."
Scully nodded. "I really hate to be an inconvenience, Anna, especially since I can only be here for one day."
"Only one day? Dana, we hardly ever see you," Charles began to protest. Dana cut him off with a curt shake of her head.
"I know, Charlie, but this is business. I have to meet Mulder in Coventry tomorrow." Charles and Anna exchanged looks. "For a case we're working on," Scully added.
"Well, okay then," Anna said teasingly. "As long as there is absolutely no pleasure, and it's all business, I'll accept that."
Dana rolled her eyes at Anna but smiled inwardly. There wasn't much that could be more pleasurable than spending time with Mulder.
10:13 am
Quonochontaug, RI
Mulder pulled into the wet, paved driveway of his mother's winter house. A few lights were on in the bottom floor windows, and her white Lincoln Continental was sitting in the drive. As he turned off the car, the curtains in the living room window parted, and Teena peered out into the drizzle. Mulder could see a look of shock spread across his mother's face.
The front door was opening before Mulder got halfway up the front walk. The loose white button down and dark blue slacks looked too big on his mother's slight frame, and even if it was just an alibi, Mulder had to admit that his mother did not look well.
"Hello, Fox," she said calmly, trying to remove the surprise from her voice. "I'm a little startled to see you here."
"Hello, Mom," he replied, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Sorry to catch you by surprise, but my boss strongly encouraged me to take a few days off. I couldn't decide what to do, so I just started to drive. This is where I ended up."
"Well, come in out of the rain. You forgot an umbrella."
Mulder walked into his mother's home cautiously, afraid to disturb her life-routine. It looked different from when he was here last; the walls in the living room were a pale blue and she now had white wall to wall carpet. An instinct from his childhood took over, and he immediately removed his muddy dress shoes and soaking trench coat. His mother reappeared a few moments later with a sage colored bath towel and wrapped it around her son's shoulders.
"Come into the kitchen, Fox. I'll make you some coffee."
"I can't stay long, Mom," he began, following his mother into the kitchen. He continued to speak as he sat down at her island. "Maybe just for the night. I have to meet with someone Coventry tomorrow in the early afternoon."
"Oh," she said quietly, busying herself with the coffee pot. Mulder couldn't tell if she was disappointed, uninterested, or just not paying attention.
They sat in the kitchen for a few minutes, listening to the coffeepot perculate. Mulder felt that he should be saying something to his mother, to try and heal the wounds he had reopened two years ago. But he was still too angry with her. She had kept a secret from him, an inexcusable crime in his book.
The coffeepot quieted down as it finished the cycle and Teena got up to fix their drinks. When she sat back down, Mulder decided to break the silence.
"Mom, don't you even want to know where I'm going?"
"Well, Fox, I assumed it had to do with your job. Your father had to keep so much a secret that I don't expect information."
Okay Mom, turn the knife clockwise, he thought, but managed a smile. "I'm going to see Scully for a case we're working on."
"How is she, Fox? She's not sick anymore, is she?"
"No, Mom, she's fine." Thankfully, he mused. "Do you remember Diana, Mom? She's back from Europe."
"Of course I remember Diana. You were with her for over a year; I really thought I was going to get grandchildren out of the deal."
And now counterclockwise, he grimaced. His mother had loved Diana Fowley and had been very upset when the relationship had ended. "Sorry to disappoint you, Mom," he said, softly. He almost asked her what she thought about red-haired grandchildren but decided against it.
CHAPTER TWO
October 16, 1998
11:19 am
Coventry, RI
Mulder sat at the small diner staring out the large front windows. His cup of black coffee had grown cold as he waited for his partner to arrive. He glanced at his watch for what seemed to be the millionth time in the past five minutes and then looked out the window again. Where the hell is she?
A very soaked Dana Scully walked into the diner two minutes later, with a slightly sad look on her face. As she tried to sit down, she slipped on the plastic stool and almost fell to the ground. Mulder's quick reflexes saved her; he caught her under her arms and pulled her to the standing position. Scully gave him a thankful smile and sat down again, more carefully.
"Sorry I'm late, Mulder," Scully began, shivering a little, "Sophie was very upset that I was leaving."
"It's okay, Scully. We don't have to be anywhere for awhile. You're freezing; let me buy you some coffee. Two creams, one sugar, right?"
Scully nodded and Mulder signaled the man behind the counter. Scully began to stare out the window, scanning the street for an ATM. It would be best to start where they were, and work from there. She still didn't understand what the connection was between the banks and the murders and Mulder certainly hadn't been very forthcoming with what he thought.
The hot coffee was set down in front of her and Scully smiled up at the man. Sipping her coffee, Scully let her gaze fall on her partner and watched his face closely.
"All right, Mulder, what do you think it is?" she asked, setting down the mug.
"Hmm?" he replied, not looking at her.
"What do you think the connection is between the banks and the deaths?"
"I think it's the ATM machines."
"Excuse me?"
"I think the ATMs are being altered by the Syndicate to control the minds of those who use them. I think they're testing out new technology on the public," he said non-chalantly, taking a bite out of his sweet potato pie.
"Mulder, you do know how ridiculous that sounds, don't you?" Scully asked, staring somewhat dumbfounded at her partner.
"Scullyafter all you've seen, how can you say this sounds ridiculous?"
How many times have we been over this, Mulder? she thought as she took another sip from her coffee. Maybe that woman on Christmas Eve had been right and that her only joy in life was proving her partner wrong. Or maybe you like the way he looks when he tries to plead his case.
"Look at that, Scully," Mulder said, pulling her out of her reverie. "That woman hasn't moved from the ATM in over ten minutes. Don't you think that's a little strange?"
"Maybe she's making a deposit. Those take longer than regular transactions," Scully offered as a possible solution.
Mulder opened his mouth to respond as alarms began to sound across the street. Both agents went for their guns as the diner's patrons ran to the window. Mulder raised an eyebrow at Scully and pushed his way to the front of the crowd.
"It's that woman, Scully. She's inside the bank!"
"Mulder, what are you saying?" Scully asked as she moved to stand beside her tall partner.
"DUCK!" Mulder screamed, and threw himself on top of Scully. A bullet came flying through the large window of the diner, showering glass everywhere. Mulder stayed over his partner for a few moments longer, anticipating another gun shot. When no bullet came through the new opening in the wall, Mulder pushed himself off the ground slowly, looking around to make sure there were no injuries.
"Where's the bullet, Mulder?" came Scully's voice from the floor. She sat up slowly, dusting off small shards of glass. "Was anyone hurt?"
"No, Scully, no injuries. The bullet" his voice trailed off as he scanned the room. "It's in the wall over there." Mulder stood up and walked to the far wall. Scully looked out the window and scanned the streets.
"Mulder, where did she go?"
"Let's go find out, Scully," he said, helping his partner to her feet. "It's okay, everyone. No one was injured; just call the police to make a report."
The two agents ran to the street, and Mulder started off the curb without looking for traffic. A car came at him, the driver's eyes turned towards the radio. Scully grabbed her partner's jacket, pulling him backwards.
"Mulder, no!" she yelled, tugging him back towards the sidewalk. The purple Jetta sped by and splashed water on the two agents. Scully looked down and grimaced. "This was a new suit."
"You look good a little wet, Scully," he said and she rolled her eyes. Of course, if you're uncomfortable, you could always take the pants off he thought and then chided himself. C'mon Mulder, that's Scully. Stop thinking that.
Checking both ways, Mulder determined there was a slim chance another car would come, and ushered his partner across the street.
When Scully opened the doors to the bank, she gasped. All the men and women were completely still and there was blood everywhere on the floor. Scully nodded to Mulder and the two agents spread out and began to check for signs of life.
Scully checked for a pulse on all the people at the right side of the bank while Mulder checked those on the left. Looking up at her partner, Scully wanted to smile. He was so gentle with the bodies, checking each one for signs of life. As Scully closed the eyes on another dead body, she heard Mulder's voice from across the room.
"Scully, she's alive. But she's bleeding a lot."
Scully rushed over to her partner and the woman he had cradled in his arms. She was an older woman, maybe fifty-five, and her face was paling with the loss of blood.
"Ma'am, can you hear me? Can you say your name?" Scully asked as she held her hands over the woman's wound, trying to keep her blood in.
The woman's mouth opened and closed but instead of words, blood came out.
"Call an ambulance, Mulder. This woman may not survive much longer."
Mulder nodded and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed 911 and had a quick conversation with a very personable operator.
"They're already on their way, Scully," he said, returning the phone to his trenchcoat pocket.
The doctor didn't hear him; she was intent on her patient. Mulder watched her closely, amazed at how gentle her bureau-trained hands were. Scully had fixed her partner many times, but Mulder had never noticed how well she did her job.
Far away sirens grew closer and seven paramedics rushed into the bank. Four spread out across the bank and three walked over to where Mulder and Scully were hunched over the dying woman.
"Move out of the way," one of the paramedics barked and the FBI agents moved away from the elderly woman.
Mulder put his arm around his partner's shoulders and she leaned against him.
"What would make someone do this?" Scully asked Mulder, as she tried to find a place for her bloody hands.
"We'll have to find out who she was, Scully, but I'm still determined to prove it was the ATM."
CHAPTER THREE
3:25 PM
Try n 'Save Inn
"Mulder, there's no connection between any of these killers," Scully said as she scanned through her newly acquired computer file. "One of the killers was a nineteen year old girl from rural New Hampshire, another was an eighty year old man from Hartford. The one who killed in Cambridge, MA was a thirty-nine year old housewife. But we're not sure about this last woman yet."
"I'm telling you, Scully, it's the ATMs."
"Mulder, would you drop that? There is NO way to prove that ATMs are part of a vast government conspiracy to brain wash the American public; they have Jerry Springer for that sort of thing."
Mulder chuckled as he stretched out on the bed. His arms were folded neatly under his head, serving as a pillow. His feet dangled off the edge and Scully wondered for a moment if he was ticklish. Leaning over slowly, Scully ran the cap of her pen over the arch of her partner's socked foot.
"Mulder, are you paying attention to me?"
"What? Hey!" Mulder pulled his feet up on to the bed and sat up. "What was that for?"
"I've known you for six years and I just realized I had no idea if you were ticklish or not."
"Couldn't you have just asked?"
"Yes, but it wouldn't have been as much fun."
"Scully, are youinto that sort of thing?" he asked, grinning over at her.
Scully rolled her eyes and looked back down at her laptop. The four names of the killers were floating on the screen, taunting her. There had to be some sort of logical, easily categorized explanation for why these seemingly stable people had committed mass murder.
"What do the medical records have to say, Scully?" Mulder asked, turning to lie on his stomach facing her. "Anythingspooky?"
"Nah, they're all pretty healthy although the girl from New Hampshire has high blood pressure. Why, what should I be looking for?"
"I don't know Scully. Maybe they're all a littleunbalanced if you catch my meaning."
"Mulder, I think that would be the first thing a police inspector would check for. No, these people are all stable individuals."
"Stable individuals do not kill massive amounts of people, Scully. That's illogical."
"Mulder, you sound like Mr. Spock."
"Scully, you watch Star Trek?"
7:32 PM
The Lone Gunmen's Abode
The phone rang in the apartment and all three men dove for it. Frohike was expecting a call back from one of the 900-number operators, Langley had a software purchase in the works, and Byers was waiting to hear from the pizza place so he'd know when they were going to deliver.
Byers reached the phone on his side of the room first. "Hello?"
"Hi Byers, it's me."
"Oh. Hi Mulder." Langley and Frohike sighed, picking up their own phones.
"Don't sound so excited to hear from me. I've got a job for you three."
"What can we do to help?" Langley asked from the other receiver.
"What do you guys know about ATM machines?"
"They are the work of the Devil," Frohike chimed in. "How is the lovely Agent Scully?"
"She's taking a shower, which is why I'm calling you now. Have you guys heard about the bizarre murders in New England?"
"All those people dying in the banks? Yeah. Weird, man," Langley said.
"What would you like us to find out?" asked Byers, the most sensible of the three.
"Anything strange about the way ATMs emit waves or the colors they use in their screens. Something that would connect the murders."
"Will do, G-man," Frohike said.
"Later dude," Langley responded.
"I'll call you back when we've figured it out," Byers added and then hung up the phone.
Try n' Save Inn
"Mulder, who were you talking to?" Scully asked, drying her hair off with a towel in the door that connected their rooms.
"The Gunmen. I figured they might know something through their special channels."
Scully nodded, returning to the bathroom. She was walking around in one of the robes the motel supplied, trying very hard to keep it tied up tight. Mulder knew he should probably close the door that connected their rooms, but if she hadn't then it must not be that important.
Turning on the TV, Mulder watched Scully's shadow on the walls of her room. He wasn't sure how it was happening, but he could watch her motions wherever she was standing in the room. He turned his eye to the TV for a second when he heard a cheer from baseball fans, and when he looked back into the other room, Scully's shadow was no longer wearing the robe but had on jeans and a button down Oxford.
Damn.
"Mulder, are you ready for dinner? I'm hungry, and you're buying."
"Oh boy, aren't I the lucky one?"
9:47 PM
TGIFriday's
"Waiter, can I have another Long Island Iced Tea, please?
"Yes ma'am," the young waiter said, hurrying off to the bar. Mulder raised an eyebrow at his partner.
"Scully, this'll be your fifth drink. Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah, never better. I used to be able to drink eight of these in college."
"You were a party girl, Scully? I'm shocked," Mulder said, taking another drink from his Rolling Rock bottle.
"Why? It was my senior year in college; I deserved to have a little fun."
The waiter came back then and gave Scully her drink and a napkin. She smiled up at him and took a long sip.
Mulder watched, in awe of his partner's drinking abilities. He figured she'd be one to drink Daiquiris, and even then only one or two. But to have finished four L.I. Iced Teas, and to be nursing a fifthwell, that was just really quite impressive.
The waiter returned a few moments later with the bill, handing it to Mulder. The male FBI agent didn't even look at it, handing the waiter his government issued credit card. "Here you go, kid," Mulder said. Scully was done with her drink by the time their waiter got back.
"Scully, you ready to go?"
"Yup, sure am, Mulder," she said, standing up quickly. She grabbed the edge of the table as she felt her legs wobble.
"Easy there, Scully," Mulder said, winding an arm around her waist. "I'll help you out to the car."
1:36 AM
Mulder's motel room
The phone rang, startling Mulder out of his dreamless sleep. Slamming his hand down on the end table, he fumbled for the phone and finally found it. "Mulder," he grumbled.
"It's us, Mulder. We found something."
"Oh?" he asked, trying to sit up in the bed. He realized then that there was a pressure on his waist and he turned his head. Scully was lying next to him with her arm across his waist. Even in the low light, he could see that her shirt was unbuttoned.
"Yeah," Frohike's voice said from the other end of the phone. "ATM screens give off a strange wave that doesn't affect most people."
"Most people?" Mulder asked, his voice considerably lower.
"People who have A positive blood with a high red blood cell count may experience violent impulses because of the portion of the brain it activates," Langley said.
"Weird," Mulder said, hoping not to wake up his partner.
"Mulder? You there?" Byers asked. "We can hardly hear you."
"Thanks for your help guys." Mulder hung up the phone.
What the hell happened? he thought, looking at his sleeping partner. I didn't think I had that much to drink.
His partner stirred next to him and Mulder stiffened. If she woke up and remembered what they'd done, and he didn'the didn't want to think about that.
I think I'd remember if I had sex with Scully, he thought, watching his partner. Unless it was so good, I just passed out. He grinned at that thought, but then realized that he was completely clothed still. Nothing happened, he said to himself. Scully must have been a little tipsy, that's all. He nodded, trying to convince himself. Absolutely nothing happened.
CHAPTER FOUR
7:25 AM
Mulder turned over and realized his partner was no longer next to him. His eyes flew open and he sat up. Swinging his legs off the bed, he almost tripped on his shoes. He knocked on the connecting door and, finding it unlocked, walked in.
Scully was asleep on her own bed now, snuggled up under the blankets in a sweat suit. Her clothes from the night before were in a pile on the floor next to the bed. He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead.
"Scully, it's time to wake up. I think I have an idea."
"Hmm? What, Mulder?"
"The Boys called me last night, late. We need to check the blood types of the killers."
Scully sat up quickly and then lay back down just as quickly. "God damn, what did I do last night?"
Mulder had to laugh. He never thought he'd see Scully with a hangover, but it was happening, and she looked cuter than usual. Sitting up much slower this time, she swung her legs off the bed and lifted a hand, pointing to the TV.
"The files are on top of that. What are you looking for?"
"Blood types, Scully. Weren't you paying attention?" He walked over to the TV and started rummaging through the papers.
"No, actually, I was dreaming aboutflying cows."
Mulder turned around, both eyebrows hitting his hairline. "Flying cows, Scully? Well, at least it wasn't pink elephants."
"Mulder, shut up." She had her head in her hands now, trying to stop the vertigo effect of the hangover. She had managed to calm her churning stomach when Mulder let out a loud whoop. "Damn it Mulder, my head," she whined pitifully.
"They all have the same blood type, Scully," he said gleefully.
She glared at him. "Yeah, Mulder, I knew that. Who's the doctor here?"
"No, see, last night when the Gunman called, they said there's certain wave given off by ATM's that produce violent effects in people with type A blood and unusually high red cell count."
She looked confused. "The Gunman called? Where was I?"
"Uhyou were asleep."
Scully's eyes narrowed as she began to remember parts of the previous evening. "Mulder, why was I in your bedroom when I woke up last night? And why was I only half-clothed?"
"You got a little rambunctious last night. Honesty, Scully, I don't even remember why your shirt was unbuttoned."
"Oh okay," she said, sounding a little disappointed. She put her head in her hands. "Mulder, don't ever let me drink that much again."
"But Scully, you're such a playful drunk."
"Mulder, did I do anything that I'm going to regret once I remember it?"
He grinned. "Of course not, Scully. Well, that depends on what kind of things you'd regret."
"Shut up Mulder."
Providence FBI Field Office
11:57 AM
Scully stood in the lab, gazing through the eyepiece of the microscope, blinking repeatedly because of the bright light.
This would be a hell of a lot easier if it weren't for this damned headache.
"Hey, G-Woman, what'd you find?" She looked up to see her lanky partner walking towards her.
"You were right, Mulder. All of these people have abnormally high red cell counts."
"Good work, Watson, you've solved the mystery."
Scully rolled her eyes. "All right, Sherlock, so how do we stop it from happening again?"
Mulder's face dropped and he sighed. "Damn it, woman, you ruined all my fun."
She threw her gloves at him. "Well, Mulder?"
"I may not be able to answer that one, Scully, but I've got my own question. Why all of a sudden?"
"Excuse me?"
"Why are these people going loony all of a sudden? It's like someone flipped a switch in the ATMs or in their minds."
"Back to that again, Mulder?" Scully asked.
"Scully, you can't deny the strangeness of all of this. I think it's a little too coincidental that these stable individuals, who have been using ATMs for years, have suddenly become targets of the waves the screens release."
"Maybe that's just it, Mulder," Scully said, looking thoughtful.
"Scully, are you agreeing with me?"
"No, I'm working from what you've said. Maybe these people haven't been using ATMs for years; maybe they've just started to use them and that's why this crime wave started."
"Scully, you're ignoring the fact that this has all happened around the same time; it's like someone just told them to start using the ATMs."
"All right, Mulder. The time frame is really strange. I'll concede to that. But we still don't know why or how to stop it."
"I think the Gunmen can at least help us on the last part. C'mon, Doctor, let's talk to the Boys."
The Lone Gunmen's abode
6:22 PM
"This is a doozy, Mulder," Langley said as he scanned over the medical records he had 'intercepted' with his computer. "I don't even know where to start with it."
Scully sighed, leaning against one of the many cluttered worktables. She was tired and hungry, but Mulder insisted they come straight to the Gunmen. Covering her mouth to hide a yawn, she tried to pay attention to what Byers was saying.
"The optic nerve is the key to the whole thing."
"Maybe they just need to wear sunglasses," Scully said distantly, staring at one of the copies of "The Magic Bullet" that was on the table.
"Yeah, that might work," Frohike chimed in, eager to agree with Dr. Scully. He didn't even receive a smile from her, as she had become engrossed in an article.
"Mulder?"
The taller agent turned around to look at his partner. "Yeah, Scully, what's up?"
"Come and take a look at this," she said, folding the paper so a tiny article in the bottom right corner was the only thing visible. Mulder sauntered over, read the article and then shot a look up at the other men.
"Did you some how fail to see the significance of this article, guys?"
"What?" Langley asked, snatching the paper from Mulder's hands. "Jesus, I had completely forgotten about that one. One of ourfriends wrote it for us."
Mulder smiled at his partner, patting her affectionately on the shoulder. "You done good, FBI woman. You found the 'why' we've been searching for."
Mulder's apartment
7:16 PM
"Jackpot!" Mulder exclaimed, pushing his chair back from the desk and rolling over to Scully, who was half-asleep on the couch. He waved a piece of paper in front of her face and she opened her eyes to see his grinning face.
"Documented proof of the tests the government is doing. The Federal government has been sabotaging the ATMs of the northeast in an attempt to see if the Russian government could mess with our minds this way."
Scully raised an eyebrow and propped herself up on the arm of the couch. "Mulder, you can't be serious."
"It's right here, Scully. Of course, that's only the surface answer. You and I both know this is the Syndicate's way of testing their mind control devices on the American public."
"But why only type A blood and unusually high red cell count?" Scully was still really confused.
"I've got that answer too," he said. "Why target the whole public when you can just focus on a few, seemingly random people? This cuts down on the anarchy."
Scully yawned. "Okay, Mulder, so what are you going to tell Skinner? And how do we make it stop?"
"I'm going to tell him about the tests; all about the tests. As for making it stopI think you were right about the sunglasses thing, Scully. A simple news brief saying "ATM light harmful to eyes" should solve the problem."
Scully nodded, falling asleep again, and too tired to argue. Mulder babbled on to himself and she fell asleep on his couch.
"Scully, IScully?" He looked over and found her asleep. Smiling, he covered her with a blanket and went back to typing up their report.