"Whoa," Scully said as they reached the sheriff's station and saw the crowd of people gathered outside of it. "Is that… Ashley with them?"

"Looks like it," Mulder said and she hummed in response.

"Maybe park around back. Speak to the sheriff first."

"Good idea," he agreed and continued to the back of the station, parking across the street and walking towards the steel gray back door.

"Sheriff?" Mulder said, his phone to his ear. "We're at the back door. Okay. Yeah. Bye."

"We demand answers! We want to know what's happening!" came a voice from the other side of the building and Scully sighed.

"I know how they feel, but this… it's not helping," she said and Mulder nodded.

"No, it's not."

The door opened and Ned, the sheriff, stood before them looking extremely tired.

"Thank you for getting here so quickly," he said, allowing them to enter and then locking the door behind them. "Sorry if it interrupted any plans you had."

"No. It didn't," Mulder insisted, following the sheriff down the hall, as Scully thought longingly of her sandwich waiting in the car, having only had the chance to eat a few fries. "What started all of this?"

"Aside from the lack of new information about the disappearances, I don't know. They started showing up in small numbers and then it grew. The one with the megaphone is Cassie Quinn, Brent's sister. It's mostly women too, which is odd."

"Why is that odd?" Scully asked with a frown.

"Oh, no," he said with a glance at her. "I didn't mean it's odd that women are here, but that it's mostly women. When we've had protests, which we've had only a time or two, over local issues or whatnot, it's been a mix of the sexes. Today though, the majority is women."

"Maybe it's because men are disappearing," Scully mused and the sheriff sighed.

"Yeah. You could be right," he said softly and pushed open a door to the main room of the station.

There were five other people in the room. Lyle nodded at them as he continued his conversation with the only woman of the group; her expression hard and her dark hair pulled back in a no-nonsense bun.

"The sheriff is not telling us everything. He has to know something. We deserve to know the truth."

"The truth!" the crowd echoed and Ned groaned as he stood before everyone.

"Listen up," he called to his officers and all chatter stopped. "Not all of you have had the pleasure of meeting the FBI agents yet. This is Agent Mulder and Agent Scully. They are here to help find the missing men."

"Perfect timing," a man with a thick red mustache said, gesturing to the crowd outside the doors. "They're riled up."

"They're missing their family members and they're scared they may never see them again," Mulder said, stepping forward as he also gestured outside. "I can't say that any of you wouldn't feel the same if you were in their shoes. If you were a civilian who didn't have access to information the way law enforcement does."

"We don't know anything new," the woman with the bun said, her stance haughty as she sized Mulder up. "Can't imagine they want to hear that from us yet again."

"Perhaps not, but it's something," he said, nodding at her.

"It's best to be calm and honest in situations such as these," Scully said and the woman shook her head with a scornful expression. "I know you all know that, but when tempers rise and words are used as weapons, it can be like a powder keg waiting to explode."

"So what do you suggest?" asked the mustached man.

"Officer…

"Detective Plewett," he said, smiling as he nodded at Scully.

"Detective. Thank you. Detective Plewett, my suggestion is to hear them out, calmly and rationally-"

"Oh, if only we'd thought of that," the woman interrupted, staring at Scully, her dark eyes cold. "You just solved all of our problems."

"Rosa," Ned said warningly.

"Sorry, Chief. I suppose I should be thankful that a federal agent is here to inform us of the best way to speak to people. I guess we missed that in our training and just being a human living our life. We may not be from the "big city," Agent, but we know how to speak to individuals. We aren't simple," Rosa said, still staring at Scully.

"Considering the fact that you're still in here and not out there speaking to them, are you sure about that?" Scully asked, her tone cold as she took a step toward Rosa.

"Excuse me? Who gave you the right?" Rosa asked, also stepping forward, Lyle getting in front of her to stop from going further. "Who gave you the right to come here and tell me how to do my job?"

"Scully," Mulder said quietly, tugging at the back of her coat, but she waved him away, still staring at Rosa.

"We had stopped for lunch when your chief called and asked for our assistance. We did not phone him, he phoned us. You got that?" Scully asked, her blood boiling with anger at this woman and her questions. "We're here to help, but if you think the six of you have this under control, along with assisting any other emergencies or needs that may arise in the area, I have food waiting for me in the car. I leave the decision to you."

They stared one another down and everyone seemed to be holding their breath as they waited, the crowd outside chanting once again, their volume growing.

"Rosa," Ned said, and she looked at him, her chest rising and falling. "Detective Nuñez." His eyes widened as he shook his head. "This is not a difficult decision, but it seems that it is for you. You can leave."

"Chief-"

"Detective."

"No, I don't want to leave."

"Then you'll apologize-"

"Not necessary," Scully said, staring at the detective. "My concern is for the group gathered outside. If Detective Nuñez wants to help in the way I've specified, then we're good. No apology needed. If not, then…"

She shrugged and looked back at Mulder, raising her eyebrows at him. He nodded and she turned her attention to Detective Plewett. "We could use your help and from anyone else who is willing to do so."

"Whatever you need," he said with a nod and she looked at the other men who also nodded.

Glancing back at Detective Nuñez, she waited and finally she nodded curtly one time.

"Good. Now, we will go out as a group, spreading out in a line. Sheriff Walker, Agent Mulder, and I will take point. They will want to hear from us, once they learn we are federal agents." She looked at Detective Nuñez again and she let out a deep breath as she nodded. "We will need your help to keep the crowd calm or we'll be back to square one."

"Exactly as Agent Scully said," the sheriff said, looking at each of them in turn and waiting for them to nod in the affirmative. "We will go out and I will introduce them, fielding questions to them, but not allowing them to be overwhelmed and spoken over by the crowd. Understood?"

"Yes, Chief," they answered in unison.

"Good. Okay. Let's go speak to them."

He glanced at Scully and extended his arm, telling her to go ahead of him. She smiled tightly and walked past him, heading in the direction of the door.

"So much for making nice with the locals," Mulder murmured as he fell in step beside her. She glanced up at him and he cleared his throat, obviously seeing the anger she was feeling. "After we do this, I'm gonna see if they have a vending machine. Get you some candy or something."

"Mulder," she warned, her tone harsh.

"Simply trying to say that we missed lunch and I think… maybe your blood sugar might be a bit low?"

"Because I got upset at another woman who was being rude? I should have let that slide because if not, my legitimately understandable reaction must be from a result of low blood sugar, not her testing my patience?"

"Whoa," he said, halting his steps and reaching out to lightly touch her arm. "That was not where I was going with my thoughts. Not for any reason."

"Okay," she said shortly, attempting to take a step, but he stopped her.

"But, you had said you were hungry after the hike this morning, we didn't eat more than a handful of fries each and now…" He gestured to the loud crowd beyond the door. "Now we will be dealing with this and the aftermath of it."

"And?" she asked, sighing as she shook her head. "I really don't have time for this-"

"And this quick trigger reaction, is not you. Unless you're rightfully upset or… you're hungry. Or both." He smiled softly and she stared at him as she drew in a breath.

And then another. And then one more.

"I know you, Scully. We'll do this and then I'll find you something sweet, okay?" He smiled again and she let out a deep breath.

"Saline IV?" she asked quietly and he chuckled.

"Or at the very least a Coke," he replied, squeezing her arm gently.

"Okay," she agreed with a nod. "A Coke sounds good."

"Alright. Let's get through this and I'll get you that Coke. Ready?"

She nodded again and they continued to the door, pushing it open and stepping into the afternoon sun, the air cold around them.