Title:      ADVENTURES WITH A LONE GUNMAN (1/1)
Author:     Sue (susieqla@yahoo.com)
Rating:     PG
Category:   Scully/Langly Friendship/Humor
Spoilers:   Three of a Kind
Summary:    'Scarecrow' and Scully do Vegas.
Disclaimer: Everything in this story belongs to 10-13
Productions and FOX.  Everything except Cher, and
'Believe', of course.



"Adventures With A Lone Gunman - Hang Time"


This foray into luckless land had gone
on long enough already.  She was hungry,
and if she didn't put an end to it,
they'd be here all night.  Scully
barraged Langly with lethal scowls meant
to wither his resolve.  But they were
having no effect whatsoever.  Why was he
being a mule?

"I don't gamble, Hackerman, and if your
current track record is any indication,
neither should you."

Having placed his chips where he thought
they'd do the most good, he turned to
face her.  The lanky computer wizard's 
eyes pleaded with her to let him finish
what he'd started, behind their large,
black-framed windows to the world.  His 
luck had to change sometime; why, it could
do so at any moment.  Quitting now was out
of the question.  If he were to quit now,
they'd win.  He'd had it with this losing 
streak which was helping to clinch her
estimation of him.  A big time loser, or
so he thought.  He knew his idea was 
brilliant, and he needed all the help he
could get.  He'd get her to do it.  "It's
not like I'm asking you to roll 'em,
Scully.  Just blow on 'em.  For luck.  Do
me this one favor?"

"ONE favor?  I've already done too many of
them for your merry band, as it is."
Assessing him critically, she asked, "Have
you ever shot craps before?"

Langly rolled his narrowing eyes again, and
hotly retorted, "Electronically, virtually,
or in this reality?  Man, you're a rock."
He patted the gaming table's slightly curved
lip.  "Oh, come on.  What can you lose just
giving up some breath?  Help me win back a
fraction of what Byers blew at Poker.
Pleeease?"

She wagged her head, filled with wonder over
how he'd suddenly become such a talker, and
considered what was in it for her.
"Superstitious are we?  A rock, am I?  All
right.  I'll humor you only because you're
going to promise me that after you lose yet
again, as you have at the roulette wheel, the
blackjack table and quite possibly every slot
machine between here and the bar, you'll come 
along.  We'll locate, your two friends, that
is, if they haven't left your room, and you guys
will buy me the dinner that saves your
collective you-know-whats from getting kicked.
I want one very nice dinner in Vegas before we
blow this glitter palace.  Those are my terms.
The three of you owe me large."

"Yeah, like, whatever," the undaunted Ramones
fan conceded.  He held the dice a hair's breadth
from her pursed, salmon-tinted lips and waited.
"Blow already!"

She blew, and watched Langly, wispy golden locks
and all, whirl back around to the gaming table
in triumph.  He let the dice fly with an expert
snap of his wrist and fingers.  All eyes,
belonging to the expectant patrons ringed around 
the table, were glued to the dice as they bumped
to a rest against the opposite side.

"A natural winner!" the croupier heralded, and
the crowd cheered the latest shooter whose hand
looked as though it was starting to ignite.

"Snap, crackle, pop," Langly shouted.  He high-
fived a man roughly his age, and on the spur of
the jubilant moment, spun around to grab Scully
about the waist.  He hoisted her off the ground
in a heady bear hug.

"Langly, feel free to put me down any time now.
Preferably, right this moment, or I'll kick your
as..." not wishing to appear less than genteel,
she self-expurgated, "butt, here, in front of
your new friends."  She smiled evilly.

Heeding, but looking like the mischievious kid he 
irresistably was, whenever he hacked, with
consummate aplomb, into the virtually <unhackable>,
say for an example, the Department of Defense, he
quickly set her down.  "Like, sorry..."

Then, wasting no time, he re-positioned the entire
pile of newly-acquired chips on the spot which
would yield the highest pay off, if he hit the
same way he just had.  Eyeing Scully again, he
wheedled, "We're on a roll, Scully.  Work your
mojo, and do the honors again, will ya?"

"Wouldn't it be wise