At a busy fast food restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, a distraught man, Galen, suddenly pulls out a gun and begins shooting at customers. A police sharpshooter returns fire, severely wounding him. A Gentle-Looking Man steps from the crowd and places his open palm on Galen's wound, miraculously healing it in a matter of moments. When Scully and Mulder arrive at the scene, paramedics and detectives are unable to describe the incident in a coherent fashion, as all of the customers who were struck by gunfire are now uninjured. Even more puzzling, the Gentle-Looking Man disappeared from the scene without a trace.

Meanwhile, at the Mulder's beach front summer home in Rhode Island, Mrs. Mulder is approached by The Cigarette-Smoking Man. They become embroiled in a heated argument. Shortly thereafter, Mulder receives word that his mother was rushed to an emergency room in serious condition. Accompanied by Scully, Mulder races to the hospital. From her bed, Mrs. Mulder asks her son for a pen. She then writes the word "palm" on a sheet of note paper.

The agents return to Washington, where they view unedited videotape footage of the fast food restaurant shooting. Analyzing the footage frame by frame, the agents watch in astonishment as the Gentle-Looking Man seemingly morphs into another man.

Shortly thereafter, a group of agents, headed by The Cigarette-Smoking Man, corner and arrest the Gentle-Looking Man at a Social Security Office where he is employed. Almost simultaneously, Scully stops a person who looks exactly like the Gentle-Looking Man at FBI headquarters. The man, Jeremiah Smith, claims he is about to turn himself in. Smith is questioned by Skinner and released.

Back at the summer house, X shows Mulder photographs of his mother and The Cigarette-Smoking Man having an argument. Mulder claims he does not know what the discussion was about. Mulder leaves the house, then doubles back under the cover of darkness. Using a pen, he rearranges the letters of the word "palm" to spell "lamp." He then smashes a ceramic lamp against a wall and uncovers a stiletto weapon (the same device the Bounty Hunter used to kill alien colonists in previous episodes).

The first Jeremiah Smith (arrested at the Social Security Offices) is thrown in prison and interrogated by The Cigarette-Smoking Man. During the interrogation, Smith transforms into Deep Throat and Mr. Mulder, (both of whom The Cigarette-Smoking Man had killed). The Cigarette-Smoking Man tries to hide his astonishment. During the conversation, Smith tells the Smoking Man he is dying of lung cancer.

Meanwhile, Mulder tracks the second Smith to the Social Security Offices. But Smith suddenly breaks away and disappears into a crowd. Back at the prison, the Bounty Hunter, stiletto in hand, enters Jeremiah's cell. But it is empty.

At the hospital, doctors tell Mulder that his mother's condition is worse than previously thought. Mulder is approached by The Cigarette-Smoking Man. He claims to have information pertaining to the whereabouts of Mulder's sister. Mulder counters that he possesses what the Smoking Man is looking for.

One of the Jeremiah Smiths arrives at Scully's apartment unannounced. Scully drives him to a secluded location and rendezvous with Mulder. Suddenly, the Bounty Hunter arrives at the scene, stiletto in hand.

To Be Continued...