DAY 2: Morning and Afternoon

Scully took a step out of her room with a large smile. Mulder hadn't come out yet and she took her time locking her door.

"Hey Scully," Mulder softly smiled as he locked his own door. Scully flaunted back a large smile, "hey Mulder! I'm ready to have a day of fun!"

Mulder was surprised she was in such a good mood, unlike she was just the night before, but he decided to take advantage and find out what was wrong later. They began to walk down the long hall.

"So what do you have planned today?" Scully asked as she looked over at him. Mulder looked at her then focused back on where he was taking her, "you'll see."

The two came to a stop as they stood at the top of a gigantic elaborate, the most beautiful staircase either had seen. Mulder's eye brows lifted in amazement at the colors that shone off the shinning rails and magnificent statues. Scully's mouth had also dropped, she was flabbergasted by the whole site.

It wasn't the wood or panels, or even the wondrous chandelier that hung at the foot of the staircase, it wasn't any of that. It was the idea that such a beautiful staircase, of all things, could be built on a ship, on a ship carrying many passengers who couldn't care less about it.

Once Scully realized her mouth was hanging open, she closed it and turned to Mulder with a warm smile. Mulder, indeed, broke out of his trance as well, as they once again peered down the curving stairway they would soon venture upon.

Mulder's foot was first to be planted on the top stair, Scully followed. Soon enough their steps grew into unison and without thinking Scully slid her hand into Mulder's. It was quite a surprise to him, not something he would expect her to do, although for some reason this staircase proved to have a powerful reign. Just as she had planted her hand in his, he could have easily, due to the extent of time and other reasons, wrapped his arms around her and… well that didn't matter.

Soon enough they both stepped off the stairs, but Scully wouldn't let go. To Mulder it felt like her hand had been molded into his, because just as much as it was unfamiliar for her to let him touch, it was so much a need that when he was given the chance he felt like they were one. One of those feelings that Scully was scared of most. Mulder clamped his hand around hers with a loving squeeze, then just as he thought, she let go.

The two took a large stride onto the bright sunny deck outside the ship's interior. Mulder took in a deep breath, letting his chest expand as much as it could then back down to its relaxed position. Scully waited impatiently as he once again took in an entrancing breath.

"Mulder…" Scully whined and he looked down at her with a grin.

"Hope you brought your swimming suit, Scully," he waggled his eyebrows at her.

After they had found two lounge seats next to each other Mulder ripped off his shirt. Scully wasn't expecting it, but made sure not to stare, in fact, she didn't look at all. When she did hesitantly start to turn her head back in his direction, as inconspicuously as possible, she found his hand held out in front of her.

"Come on," he smiled, waving his fingers at her so she'd latch on once again. Scully took a second to look at his welcoming hands, and then at his 'happy-school-boy' face expression. To her own surprise she declined his offer, "I'll catch up with you later, I want a little sun," what provoked those words she wondered. But unlike Mulder he didn't persist this time, he simply turned around and walked over to the pool.

Scully hadn't slept well the night before, nor the last week, so this was going to be her nap time. She made sure to coat her self in sun screen- just in case she slept too long in the sun, then put her shades on and shut her eyes.

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Her nap had been going quite well so far, she finally wasn't having those nightmares. It was just when she felt herself going into a deep, heavy sleep that she was abruptly awoken.

She shook awake to see a beach ball had fallen into her lap. A man came running over to gather the ball, "sorry about that!" the man said nicely. Scully nodded tossing the ball back to the man.

The man was just turning to leave when he stopped and faced Scully again, "Say, since your awake, do you want to join me and a couple friends to a game of ping-pong? Me and my best friend are partners, my my wife still needs a partner, you up for it?"

Scully was surprised, she looked over at the pool to see Mulder chatting with a very… well endowed woman, then after a pause with her head bowed down, she turned to the new stranger with a smile, "I'd love to!"

The man held out his hand to help her up just as Mulder had, but like with Mulder she rejected his hand, getting up by herself. She threw on her t-shirt and without a glance she walked away with the man. Mulder had just glimpsed to see Scully leaving. He wanted to know where she was going, and with who, but his attention was soon reclaimed by the beautiful woman standing next to him.

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After introductions and an overall recall of the rules, Dana and her new friends began 'practice'. The man she had first met, Rick, and his wife, Margie, were both very funny. They flirted much of the time, leading Scully to believe they were newlyweds, and although Rick's friend, Don, was very nice, he was also very gay. Scully, or Dana, as they all called her, joined in the fun with laughter but most of all relaxation. It was nice to just play a good old game of ping-pong.

After the ping-pong match, the women of course winning, the nice people invited Scully to eat dinner with them. She agreed happily but remembered she had left some things at her chair- hoping they'd still be there after the long day. She told her friends she'd meet them for dinner, and with that she headed back to the chair.

Thankfully all of her things were still as she had left them- it was nice to find that nothing was stolen, when it most easily could have. After she had gone back to her room and changed she was beginning to leave when Mulder called out to her.

"Where you going?" Scully turned around a bit startled then stepping back a few steps.

"Some nice people I met today invited me to dinner with them, I'll see you later tonight or tomorrow ok?" Scully smiled, not understanding the hurt in Mulder's eyes. He nodded, obviously doing a good job of faking his true emotions.

Scully took a few steps closer to him. She rested her small hand lightly on the crevasse between his forearm and tricep, then pulled her self up a little. She slid her cheek against his, he figured that signified a kiss of some sort.

But that wasn't what hit him in the pit of the stomach, it was when she whispered, "thanks for this trip, Mulder, I've been needing it", that really did him in.

He simply smiled, a lame one at that, as Scully turned around and walked down the hallway. He went back in his room.

TBC