* * *

The next thing Mulder noticed was the ringing of his cell phone. Reluctantly, he answered it.

"Mulder" Scully asked anxiously, "are you all right?"

"Yeah, Scully, I'm fine. What would be wrong?"

"It's 9:00 in the morning and you weren't answering the door or your room phone. Your cell phone has been ringing for almost 10 minutes!"

"Oh," said Mulder. "Hold on. I'll be out in a minute." After hanging up, he finally opened his eyes and glanced around the room. There were empty bottles everywhere and his files were in a heap on the floor. He splashed some water on his face, attempted to smooth out the wrinkles in his suit, and hurriedly disposed of all the mess. Five minutes later, he stepped into the hallway and locked his door.

"Come on" Scully said. "We'll miss the Continental Breakfast!"

"Oh goodie, I'm starved."

Scully looked amused behind a hand that was rapidly waving in front of her face. "God Mulder, what did you do last night? Rob a liquor store?

Mulder tested his breath. "No Scully, it's just my new mouth wash."

"R-r-i-i-ght. I see Mulder . . ."

"Good, I'm glad you're not blind. Let's eat, I'm starving."

* * *

Mulder stared down at his plate of toast and jam. "Continental? Continental? You couldn't even fit Fiji into this breakfast."

"Mulder, Fiji isn't a continent."

"I know Scully, that was the point."

"Well, you don't have to ruin it for the rest of us who don't mind. Some of us actually like bread."

Mulder winced. He sounded like a five-year-old. The orange jam on his lips made him feel like a five-year-old so he picked up his napkin and was halfway across his lips when Scully stopped him.

"Mulder! Don't!"

"What?" He replied without moving the napkin.

"The clue! It's on your napkin."

Mulder instantly dropped the napkin and it would've landed in the orange jam on Mulder's toast with one bite in it, unless Scully hadn't instinctively grabbed at it. She turned it around for him to see. "Now
look what you've done. It has jam all over it."

"I'm sorry mommy." Mulder said using his best child's voice. He glanced at hers. "But you got butter on yours."

"Well-" She started, looking from her napkin on the table to the one in her hand shoved near her partner's face, then at his face. The two started cracking up, ignoring the glares from the other tables.

* * *

The two felt like a bunch of thieves stealing the Mona Lisa instead of the dirty napkins from their breakfast. They went into Mulder's room, making him grateful that he had spent the extra few seconds disposing of the bottles. Mulder plopped down on the bed and positioned a pillow underneath his arms so he could watch Scully.

Scully sat down at the desk and with the care of a bomb squad; she unfolded the two napkins and briefly glanced at the contents. "Hey Mulder" she said, "come here and have a look at this."

Mulder, reluctant to leave his pillows, make a big show out of slowly moving off the bed, except he moved too slowly and ended up on his back on the floor.

Scully watched him give her a fake face of pain as she pretended to step on his chest. "Quit playing Mulder. You'll want to read this."

Mulder grabbed Scully's hand and pulled himself up. Seated at the desk chair, he studied the note carefully. It was straightforward enough, as far as it went. They had reservations to go skiing up on the mountain at 11.

"What's the matter Mulder? Analyzing the handwriting? Developing a profile from a brief note? Afraid the world is going to end? What?"

Mulder felt sheepish. "Scully, um, I don't know how to ski," he muttered. "I'm not very good with these things. My co-ordination isn't the best." He wanted to sink through the floor. He couldn't imagine why
he had just admitted this to Scully. Mulder was sure she thought he was a dork.

A tiny smile crossed Scully's face. The big macho loser! She briefly pondered why men always felt the need to show off. But instead she felt bad and said, "It's okay Mulder. It's not like a big deal or something. We're just following the note, remember?"

* * *

When they reached the top of the mountain, an instructor met them. "Hi!" he said brightly. "You must be my 11 o'clock class."

"We're it?" Mulder asked incredulously.

"Yup. We try to keep the class sizes down. Anyway, it's the slow season, so" his voice trailed off. "How much experience to you folks have?"

"Well, um none," blurted Mulder.

"Actually," Scully said, "I have had some experience but my partner here hasn't."

"Let's see what you guys can do then."

* * *

A short time later, it was apparent Scully was capable of handling the advanced run. Mulder however, still had trouble just keeping his balance. He wobbled over to where Scully was waiting for him. "What
exactly is the point of this exercise? I mean, I why did we come all this way just to ski?"

"I don't know Mulder, it's your mystery. Maybe we are just supposed to become cultured or maybe this is the conspirator's way of preparing us for a mission." She added a sound that you could find in a haunted house and then skied away, covering her partner with snow.

By the end of the session, Mulder eventually figured out how to get over to where the instructor was. Scully came up beside them and listened as her partner made a fool of himself with his theory about the 'Big Picture' and why they were here. Halfway through Scully interrupted.

"What my partner will someday try to get at is, do you know who made us these reservations?"

"No, they paid in advance in cash. Why? Are you not supposed to be here?"

"Actually, we received a letter telling us to come here, but it all started when-" Mulder was cut off by a nudge from Scully, but it was a little too hard.

Scully watched as her partner went down the hill, totally off balance, nearly missing trees left and right. Scully held her breath, but when he only tripped at the bottom, she offered a sigh of relief. "That's the
best he's done all day." She whispered to the instructor. She only turned her head slightly to see the instructor nodding in agreement. Then they both followed him down the hill to see if he was hurt.

* * *

A short trip to the medical office proved to be quite helpful. Not only did Mulder get his pinky patched up; on the bandage was their next clue.

Mulder groaned. "It's like they were expecting me Scully. See, the writing isn't even all on one section. Even though the words are split into two, they line up perfectly!"

"Looks like this time you were the one that they turned the psycho-analysis on."

"Well, if it wasn't for you Scully, we wouldn't have _ever_ gotten the clue, now would we."

"And for that, I should kill myself Mulder. I'm not one to complain about a free vacation and all, but this is ridiculous."

"I think I should be the one moaning. Not only are they after me, my finger's re-broken."

"Stop whining you big baby! If you ask nicely, I'm sure one of the scantily clad Swedish Nurses will put on a little show for you, and you won't have to pay the premium cable bills."

"Really?"

"It scares me how seriously you answered that Mulder."

"Aww, you're just jealous."

"Envious, and sure Mulder. I want to see your video collection that isn't really yours."

"Wasn't I supposed to be the one with the photographic memory?"

"Yes, but you have run out of film my friend."

"Let's go," Mulder mumbled as he got up. "I want to read this note in private."

"And your sudden wish to go has nothing to do with the fact that you were losing a conversation?"

"When did that _ever_ happen?"

"Like I said Mulder, new film"

* * *

"Let's pull out that map of your Scully." Mulder decided after reading the bleeding ink of his bandage. Ignoring the surprised look on Scully's face, he went on. "It looks like I had one more shot left in me."

"Yes you did Mulder. A shot of what, I don't know, but you sure got a shot alright."

"Haha, Scully. Now give me the map."

"Fine Mulder, but I doubt if it will do you any good."

"Why not?"

"Take a look at the map and then the instructions."

"Basically, we are going north. Looks like high enough to be Canada almost. So?"

"Look at the title of the map."

" 'Truckin' USA.' Oh, I get it."

"Good. Now what do you plan to do about it?"

"Try it and then buy a new map when we hit the border."

"Sure, why not? Another car trip is just what we need."

"Well, would you rather fly?"

"Would you rather tick off that bandage and then invoke some curse?"

"We aren't dealing with the mummy here Scully. Get your plot lines straight."

"Get a life is more like it Mulder."

"Hmm, are you going to quit on me now? After all we've been through."

"Even though it is against my better judgment, I'll risk my life for your dream once again Mulder."

"We leave in the morning then."

* * *