EEK!

Disclaimer: I seek to make no profit from this fiction. Chris Carter and the folks at 1013 Productions own all things X.

Finally the two agents got a long overdue day off. Scully had made it clear that her plans for her first day off on three months would not include any form of travel or UFO and truth searching. The thought had crossed her mind to totally avoid any and all phone calls or uninvited visitors, but she decided against that and settled for a day at home.

For the past two months, special agent Dana Scully had longed for a day of pampering and relaxation. At long last, her day had come and she was well prepared for it. The night before she had stopped off at the mall and stocked up on lotions, bath beads, facial supplies, and a reasonable assortment of nail polish. A final stop at the bookstore had completed her rare, impromptu shopping trip. Now she was curled up on one corner of her sofa, three chapters into "The Lovely Bones", a selection recommended by her sister years before.

She came to a good stopping point and decided to begin her day of pampering and pick up where she left off in a few minutes. Scully slid off the couch and padded into the bathroom, book in hand, to draw a hot bath. While she waited for the tub to fill, she walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine.

Pushing play on the CD player, Scully dropped her robe and slid into the softly scented water until her head rested on the rim of the tub. A good book, a little Bach playing in the background, a glass of wine, and a hot bath, what more could a girl ask for? Scully thought to herself.

After a long soak in the tub, Scully decided to try the new clay mask facial the salesclerk at the store had suggested. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she wanted to laugh and couldn't. The mask was a brilliant shade of blue and made her glad that she lived alone. Next she selected a shade of nail polish for her toes and moved back to the living room.

As she finished painting her last toenail she heard a familiar knock on the door. Oh no, she thought as she tried to figure a way out of the current situation. He knocked again and she heard the jingling of keys. It was inevitable and she toddled to the door on her heels. After all, Mulder had seen her in lime green cold cream and hairpins. He had seen her on her deathbed, more than once, and even been witness to a few other less than sterling moments in her life. Scully opened the door and studied Mulder with amused eyes.

One look at his partner caused him to gasp and jump back from the door six inches. She wanted to laugh and couldn't. She wanted a camera to capture the moment her partner, Fox Mulder, was rendered speechless, but didn't have one handy. "Are you coming in or not?"

"And they call me spooky." Unable to scowl or even raise her eyebrow at Mulder's retort, Scully stuck her tongue out and stepped aside to let him inside. "What on earth happened to you anyway?" Mulder inquired as he shrugged off his jacket.

Still walking on her heels, Scully toddled back to the sofa and flopped down. "It's a facial mask."

"Oh, I thought I had my very own X-File."

She rolled her eyes in response, "no such luck. A woman likes to pamper herself now and then, that's all."

"And you finally got your day off to do it."

"Yeah." She grew quiet and studied Mulder for a long minute. "I thought we were going to take a day off."

"I'm taking the day off. See," he tugged at his clothes, "casual wear."

Before Scully could respond, a buzzer started sounding from the bathroom. "I've got to take this off, make yourself comfortable." She padded to the bathroom unaware that Mulder was in tow. She looked in the mirror and studied the blue clay mask, looking for the best place to start removing the crusty mixture.

"Can I watch?"

Scully gasped at the sound of Mulder's voice. "God, you scared me! Yeah, I guess so." Mulder watched with wrapped attention as the woman he loved began peeling blue clay from her face. She worked quickly and with such grace that he was amazed.

With each chunk of clay that was removed, Scully revealed smooth, slightly reddened skin. Mulder started to giggle in the doorway and soon doubled over in laughter. "I need a camera!"

"What's so funny?"

"You are . . . so patriotic! Red where you've removed the mask, white around your eyes and mouth, and blue. Boy I'm glad I'm not a woman!"

"Shut up, Mulder." A mischievous grin crossed Scully's lips as she pulled off the final chunk of clay. She patted the toilet seat lid, "here, sit down."

"What for?"

"Is that a hint of skepticism I hear in your voice?"

"There is no need to be insulting!" Mulder teased as he sat down.

"Close your eyes?"

He sighed heavily but complied with her request. "Now what?"

"Just be still and relax."

"Last time a doctor said that to me they were slapping on the latex for the "turn your head and cough" test."

"Trust me, that isn't the case here." She reached for the facial mixture and began to cover Mulder's face with it.

He breathed deeply just as her hand passed over his upper lip. "Have you changed your perfume?"

"Nope, hold still."

"This isn't that blue mask of death is it?"

"Maybe."

"Well it smells awful."

She smeared a handful across his chin and started to laugh. "It won't when it dries."

Mulder tried to crinkle his nose and couldn't. "What do I get in return for being a good Mulder?" He tried in his most innocent, sexy tone as he rested his hands on Scully's hips.

"You get this thing taken off."

"And?"

"And what? Isn't that what you had in mind?" She teased, knowing full well what Mulder had in mind.

Remembering it was difficult to make a face Mulder thought of another way to convey his lack of amusement. "Scully, do you remember that look I sometimes give you? The one you say is half pout and half scowl?"

"Yes, very well."

"Picture it now, because I can't do a damn thing with this torture device on my face." Scully began laughing harder than she had in weeks, nearly losing her balance altogether at one point. "What's so funny?"

"You look like a Smurf from the neck up!"

"Hey!"

Scully held her blue hands out in front of her, "up until a few minutes ago, I did too."

"What does this thing do anyway?"

"Uhm . . .a lot of things. It helps to firm your skin, make it smoother and younger looking. It even helps re-hydrate your skin from sun damage and air pollution."

"And women actually do this to themselves?"

"Yeah, or pay to have it done."

"Oh." He was at a loss as to where the conversation should go from that point and fell silent. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke again. "Do you do this a lot?"

"No, not really. The last time I did this myself, Melissa was in for a visit."

"I always wondered what went on at sleepovers."

"A facial is only part of it. I could paint your nails next if you like." Scully wasn't able to keep a straight face as her lips slowly curled into a wide grin.

Mulder's eyes grew wide at her suggestion and he quickly sat on his hands and curled his toes, still in his shoes. "I don't think so!"

"Relax, I'm just kidding." He breathed a sigh of relief and Scully suggested they order something for supper.

Twenty Minutes Later

"Can this thing come off yet?"

"Yeah, in ten minutes. Mulder?"

"Yeah?"

"You never did tell me why you came over."

He shrugged and looked deep into Scully's eyes. "I missed my bride-to-be," he confessed. Scully smiled and placed a hand on his chest, over his heart. "This moment would be a lot more romantic if the ten minutes were up already."

"Oh?"

"Yep," he said with all the confidence he could muster. "Maybe I'll show you on our next day off."

"I've been thinking," Scully announced.

"About our next day off?"

"No, about now."

"What about it?"

"Well, it's been awhile since I've had a sleepover." She flirted as she fingered the collar of his t-shirt. Slowly she ran a single finger down the center of his chest, "and I thought maybe, if you didn't have any other plans tonight . . .since you have been a good Mulder, that you could stay here with me."

His eyes went wide with appreciation for her way of thinking, and with desire for the woman he had chosen to be his wife. "Dana, I love the way you think. But I don't know. I mean we aren't married yet and my mom always warned me about women like you."

"Women like me?"

"Yeah. All sweet and innocent for as long as it takes to lure naive young men like myself in. Then, once you feel you've got us where you want us, you go from innocent to anything but and ruin us for all the other women out there."

"Oh really?" She smiled to let him know she knew he was only teasing. "Who said I wasn't talking about the guest room? Or even the couch?"

"Like I said, all sweet and innocent . . ."

"Yeah, yeah. So, is that a no?" Mulder opened his mouth to answer and the timer went off in the bathroom. "Hold that thought." She took him by the hand and led him to the bathroom where she went to work removing the mask from his face.

When she was finished, she gently ran a hand over the smooth skin of his face. "Now, where were we? I remember, you were just getting ready to decline my offer for a sleepover."

Mulder shook his head and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her down onto his lap. "No, I wasn't. I was just about to accept." He leaned in and began trailing kisses along her jawline and down her neck.

"Now just wait a minute, Cowboy. Just how do you know that I'm not the innocent naive one?"

"Okay, neither of use are innocent or naive. Or maybe both of us are. Cowboy?"

"It suits you better than "honey" or "darling"." Mulder nodded and continued with his displays of affection. The doorbell rang and Scully tried to wiggle out of his embrace. "Mulder, it's the pizza man."

"This is a private party," he mumbled against the soft skin of her shoulder.

"No, he has dinner."

"I've already started on dessert."

She giggled softly. "Mulder, I'm hungry."

"I'm starving."

"Please," she said as sweetly as she could manage in the moment.

Mulder released her from his grasp and sighed heavily. "All right, but I'm going to remember exactly where we left off."

Scully laughed as she straightened her clothing. "So will I."

By the end of the day both agents had thoroughly enjoyed their day off. They had even realized that the best moments in life happen when you let your guard down and go with the moment. And though the next day would bring them back to a hectic work schedule, the memory of this day would carry them through.

The End