Title: Slip Sliding Away

Disclaimer: Look at the bottom of your shoe. That is my net worth. Do I look like I own anything to you? I mean, hey, if I owned anything related to the X-Files do you think I'd be here? (Yes, but that's beside the point.)

Summary: Set in season six after Milagro: Scully needs a vacation from the X-Files so she goes somewhere she thinks even Mulder won't find her. When an X-File threatens to ruin her getaway and Mulder turns up, what will she do?

Author's Note: Wow! I don't think I've gotten that type of enthusiastic response since my first story. Thank to PixieDustBunny for pointing out the name mistake. I blame it on all the Nyquil I'm taking. Sorry, the name is Wilhelm. It has been fixed. Anyway, thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming.

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Later Day 11
Piper Maru (Scully's Cabin)

"I don't know." I tell Matt as I twirl in front of the mirror. "I feel like I'm missing something."
He looks me over. First he looks at the dress: a red evening gown (after all, this is a gala event). It's got spaghetti straps and a wrap for my shoulders. Then he looks at my hair, which we've swept up, mostly anyway. A few tendrils still hang down, but Matt has curled them for effect. Next, he stares at the shoes. They are red sandals with a three inch stiletto heel. Finally, the missing ingredient comes to him.
"What do you have in the way of jewelry?"
I look at the meager jewelry box I brought with me. It had my gold cross, but that would never go with this outfit. He begins to pick through the other items. He suddenly takes in a breath.
"Perfect!"
He pulls a small gold chain out of the box. At the end there is a small ruby pendant. It's not much but he seems to think it will do. He fastens it and spins me to look at myself.

"Gorgeous."
I look at myself once more. It almost seems like the Dana Scully in the mirror is a different person. Perhaps she is the elusive Ms. Smith? No, this is the real Dana Scully, not the agent that hides behind an ice queen exterior, but the passionate, spirited woman who once dyed her hair purple and listened to punk music.
"Shall we go astound him?" Matt extends his arm to me.
"Absolutely."
We close the door behind us and walk arm in arm down the hall.

Later Day 11
Piper Maru (Ballroom)

I really, really don't want to be here. Diana is dragging me to this gala thing and now I'm trapped here. As if it isn't bad enough that Diana keeps hanging on me, while she is off mingling, Drunk Girl, from the Karaoke Bar, comes over to "talk" to me. She keeps spontaneously breaking out into the chorus from "I Touch Myself". I pity the poor young woman who comes to pry her away from me. She seems mortally embarrassed and mumbles an apology over and over. I think they are sisters.
Aside from Diana and Drunk Girl, there are countless other women openly flirting with me. All I want to do is go back to my cabin and sleep away that terrible fight I had with Scully; I haven't seen her since our little blowout and regret having said that to her. Diana and I aren't working well together, or at least not as well as Scully and I work together. I miss her so much it hurts. God, I'm such an idiot.
I go over to the bar and begin to nurse a drink when all eyes turn to the door. I can't believe what I am seeing.
Scully is just entering. She has a guy on each arm and looks positively stunning. I think every guy in the room is abandoning his partner to ogle at Scully. I'm no exception. She's so intensely beautiful it's almost too much to stare at. I have to talk to her before she leaves.

Same Time
Same Place

Everyone is staring at me but instead of shrinking away like I normally would, I revel in it. Go ahead and look, but you can't touch. Matt and Antonio guide me to an empty table where we sit. I see Mulder gaping like a goldfish and Diana is looking definitely green. I almost burst out laughing as she notices Mulder and turns sixteen shades of red.
We sit and eat for awhile and although no one dares to approach me, I can feel everyone watching me. I look at Matt and smile. He's gloating over the amazing work he's done with me and stealing glances of Antonio.
"I want to dance." I smile and Matt returns the evil grin.
"Stage one complete, commencing stage two."
I laugh as we take the floor to a light, energetic song. We seem to be the focus of everyone in the room. Some men are staring at Matt as though he was the Devil. If only they knew! Matt and I dance a few more songs until a slow song comes up. He looks over at Mulder, who has been watching us out of the corner of his eye and nursing his third drink. We slip off the dance floor and walk over to him cautiously.
"I want to get a drink," Matt says to Mulder, "but Dana wants to keep dancing. Maybe you could take her off my hands for a few songs?"
Mulder hesitates so I flash him a grin.
"Sure." He nods and takes my hand.
We move to the dance floor and he cautiously places his hands on hips. I weave my finger together behind his neck and smile sweetly at him. He relaxes and his hands move to my back.
"I haven't seen you." He states as we sway. "Where were you?"
"Around, but I needed some down time so I stayed mostly in my Cabin. You could have found me easily."
"I didn't want to interrupt anything between you and Matt."
I chuckle a bit.
"What's so funny?"
"No, it's nothing. How's the investigation coming along?"
"No new developments as of yet, but Diana was hoping to pick up some new clues here."
"I'm sure that's why she wanted to come."
"Are you suggesting that Agent Fowley had ulterior motives for bringing me here?" He asks lightly.
I stiffen and switch to my serious mode.
"You know I don't trust her, Mulder. She's distracting you from the work. She's leading you to a dead end, a place I'm afraid will hurt you."
"Can we forget about her for a moment? I don't want to think about that while I'm dancing with the most beautiful woman in the room."
"Mulder."
"No really! You are the most stunning and beautiful woman here and I don't know how I got so lucky as to even know you."
I want to cry. Mulder can be so sweet sometimes. He leans down and is about to kiss me when I hear the clock strike midnight. I pull away.
"What's the matter?" He asks.
"I have to go." That is the plan: drop whatever I was doing at midnight and meet Matt in the Karaoke Bar. Time limits really suck. "I'll see you later."
I practically run out the door, feeling all eyes watching me flee.

(Really Early) Day 12
Piper Maru (Ballroom)

I can't believe she just left like that. The woman I am completely in love with is about to kiss me but then runs away like Cinderella as the clock strikes midnight. Life sucks and I am once again stuck here at the bar between Diana, who looked almost gleeful as Scully ran out, and Drunk Girl's sister who is quickly becoming inebriated herself. I want to run off and find Scully, to finish what we started, but I don't think she's quite recovered yet from our fight. Diana offers me another drink and I'm beginning to wonder if Scully is right. Is Diana trying to lead me away?
"Mulder?" She places her hand on my shoulder. I resist the urge to shrug it off. "Are you okay? Are you seasick or drunk or something?"
"I'm fine." I tell her and try not to laugh. I sound just like Scully.
"Hey, listen. I got an anonymous tip that Dr. Lit and Ms. Starr have been seen in the lowest decks. Let's get some sleep and then check it out."
I nod and follow her out into the hall. I want to go see Scully, but if she needs time, than time she'll get.

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Author's Note: Yes! It's the return of Drunk Girl, who may also be appearing in a later chapter. And who is this? I'll give you three guesses? Alright, Drunk Girl's sister is an older version of my self. My sister laughed her head off at the role I wrote her. So go ahead now, get reviewing!