Chapter 2

A/N: Hello! With all the demands for more I felt guilty not posting, and hey, this beat doing my history homework! I wanted to send it off to my beta, but I've read through this a trillion times...if there are any errors I missed, they stay! Haha. Thanks to Jen, even though I sort of shafted her this time around...you can have next chapter, I promise! Thanks also to all of my wonderful readers. I can't say that if it weren't for you I wouldn't write, because I still would, I just wouldn't post it or get compliments on it.

Memo: In case my dress description sucks, here's the real one...

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Scully glossed through the rest of their morning together and was about to go to lunch. She finished going through a stack of files while Mulder stood up and stretched his tired legs and arms. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously as though he were getting ready for something.

"You ready for a lunch break yet, Agent Scully?" He asked, grabbing both of their coats and presenting hers to her.

"Who's buying?" She asked, putting the files into an already overstuffed drawer.

"You are," he replied happily.

"You know, if we did this stuff when we were supposed to, we wouldn't get bogged down with it every Friday between cases," she said, slamming the drawer shut.

"But then what would we do on Fridays?" Mulder shot back.

"Solitaire?" Scully suggested smugly.

They headed to their favorite downtown cafe and ate, chatting idly as they always did about work and life, but they brought up the rest of their night as they got into the car.

"Mulder," Scully began as he got into the driver's seat. "What exactly do I have to do for tonight?" She asked. She was beginning to worry, mentally going through her wardrobe, thinking about the condition of her hair and knowing that they'd be getting done work at about the time they should be leaving for the 'ball.'

Mulder made a left and answered her with a question. "What do you mean by 'do?'"

Scully sighed, glancing out the window. "You know...what to wear, how to do my 'wine-red' hair..." She trailed off.

"Hey, Scully, you're a poet too!" Mulder kidded her.

Scully wasn't amused at all. In fact, she was losing her patience with him. "Mulder, I'm not going to have hours to get ready for this thing, I need to know what to do. I need to know what's expected of me as far as tonight...goes..."

"I only expect you to come. The rest will be fine. Don't worry." He replied calmly.

"What does that even mean, Mulder?" She retorted, her voice rising with annoyance. She looked at their surroundings. "Mulder, where are we going? Headquarters is in the other direction..."

Mulder smiled. "We're not going back to work today, if that's what you're wondering."

"Then where are we going?" She asked, even more curious at their destination.

"You'll see," was his only reply.

They reached a custom dress maker's place some twenty minutes later, and Scully got out of the car, anxious to go inside. She couldn't believe that he'd brought her to get a dress.

Mulder greeted the dressmaker and asked if 'his' dress was ready.

The seamstress disappeared into a back room, leaving the two partners alone.

"Mulder, you ordered a dress for me..." Scully said, incredulously but highly amused. She couldn't keep the joy out of her tone as she spoke.

"I knew you wouldn't have time, so I took the liberty..." he said, somewhat proud of himself for thinking ahead for her.

"But how did you know my size, or the length?" She asked, stammering for something to say. She couldn't believe that he'd done this for her. It was....amazingly sweet.

"It's all in your profile," he said with a devilish grin of delight. "Besides, Glinda will fit you even further in just a minute. If anything is wrong in the least little way, she'll fix it right up."

"Glinda?" Scully asked, almost letting a giggle escape her. "You're on a first name basis with the seamstress?"

Mulder smirked. "Watch it...she is your fairy god-mother, after all."

"Wrong fairy-tale, Mulder, its more like the 'good dressmaker of the north,'" Scully said, unable to resist playing on the woman's name.

Glinda returned with the most gorgeous, delicate dress that Scully had ever laid eyes on. The gown was a thin, almost springy texture, even though it was still quite chilly outside. There was a matching wrap with it, which would provide a little warmth, she supposed. The dress itself was pure red, but depending on the light, it could look a little crimson in places. It had two thin straps, a straight cut neck, and was fitted in the upper-body. The gown part of it did not hang perfectly straight, but was made of two layers, one that came straight down and hit the floor, and another over top that curved around and up to the knee on the right. The whole effect was gorgeous, and the dress seemed to glow before her.

Scully happily disappeared into a room next to the one where the dress had been, and Glinda helped her into it.

She reappeared moments later, timidly, but with a broad smile on her face. She was almost giddy after getting into the gorgeous cloth that had been tailored just for her. She felt like a princess. She had a dress, she was going to the ball, and her handsome prince was sitting in a chair at the dressmaker's place, grinning like an idiot at how immaculate she looked.

Scully took Mulder's breath away the second she was in view. He looked at her pale, bare shoulders and her hair falling lightly around her face, framing it perfectly. The dress was amazing on her. It fit like a dream and she looked absolutely gorgeous in it. All that was missing was an up-do and some of the fine touches like jewelry and shoes.

"You look....wow," was all that Mulder could manage at the moment.

"You like it?" Scully asked, blushing at his attention.

"It really suits you; you look incredible," Mulder mused, drinking in her beauty as he praised it. "Damn I'm good..." he kidded.

Scully smiled. "It's a good color...a good style. I have no idea where you picked up women's fashion, but good job on this one." She was trying to avoid the thoughts of Mulder in a tux that were creeping into her head. She hadn't seen him all decked out in a very long time.

"Well, I watch a lot of 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' but I don't see how that helps with ballroom gowns..." Mulder said absentmindedly but eliciting a giggle from his partner. "It's really okay? I mean, does it fit as well as it looks?" He asked, also trying to avoid certain thoughts he was having.

"It's absolutely perfect," she said, grinning. She couldn't believe he'd managed all this.

"Good, because you have a hair appointment at two-thirty, giving us time to go for shoes."

Scully was astounded. He really had thought of everything. Something nagged her in the back of her mind though. That little voice that said "use coupons" and "buy in bulk." How on earth was she going to afford all of this? "Mulder..." She began hesitantly.

He perked up, staring at her with his beautiful, deep eyes.

"I don't mean to ruin the fun, but how do I..." she was too embarrassed to finish.

Luckily, Mulder caught on immediately. "Pay for all this?" He guessed accurately.

Scully blushed and nodded.

Mulder whipped out a piece of plastic from his wallet. "Good old bureau credit..." He said, smirking at her.

Scully was really surprised to see a genuine FBI credit card in his hands. "How did you...?"

Mulder smiled. "I convinced Skinner that busting the large and ongoing embezzlement of Connelly Corps was important enough for the bureau to look into, and since we're technically going in under cover, its all expenses paid."

"I thought you told me that it wasn't special assignment from Skinner," Scully said, smiling.

"It isn't. It's a special assignment that was brought to us by the LGM, addressed to Skinner for the sole purpose of getting this," He flashed the credit card and continued. "And I never said Skinner wasn't involved, I merely asked "Do you think I'm that lame?" hoping that the answer was 'no'"

Scully broke into a larger smile. "Mulder," she said softly, going over what he'd just said and finding it funny, "You're the coolest guy I know."

That caught him off-guard... "If that wasn't sarcasm, thanks..." He ventured.

Scully laughed and turned back to the room to get out of the dress. If she hadn't left she had the feeling that she would have kissed him. Every muscle had urged her to hug him and at least peck him on the cheek, but she fought it off this time. She knew that later tonight she'd be weaker and probably give in to temptation. If not during the ball, then a good night kiss and a thank you.

Finding shoes wasn't difficult at all, especially on an unlimited budget, and soon Scully was sitting down to have her hair fixed. Mulder waited so patiently during everything from the dress to the hair, and when she was finally finished, he took her bags for her and opened the passenger side of the car for her like a chauffer.

"You won't have to do that tonight," she said, getting in the car and grinning. "After all, that's what the pumpkin and the mice are for."

To be continued...Haha. All reviews great and small are appreciated. Any opinions as to what should/should not happen between Mulder and Scully this Valentine's Day will be considered (I'm not sure how I'm ending this one yet!) Thanks for reading!!!