**Due to an unhealthy case of writers block I've been off the circuit for a while but thankfully I prescribed bed rest and DVD after DVD of Xfiles and now all seems to be well with the world again…I got two good ones for you one piece of Fluff…that you're reading now…and another more serious case file (of course with MSR) that I'll start posting once this one is finished.  Hope you enjoy it!**    

Skinners office was well lit and the sun streamed in though the half closed blinds casting dim shadows around the room.  He sat back in his chair twirling a pencil between his fingers, watching Mulder battle with his thoughts as he formulated an argument to Skinners last words.  Glancing over at Scully he noticed her eyes were clouded and distant but Mulder sat forward drawing his attention back.  Seeing his mouth about to move and his argument about to come forward Skinner jumped in with a pre-emptive strike.

"I'm sorry Agent Mulder, but I can't let you go down there.  It's against Bureau Policy," he said with only a hint of a smile.

"Sir-," he began but Skinner cut him off with a raised hand.

"No Mulder.  Decision Made.  After your death certificates were made the whole process had to be carried out for Riker to believe it.  Now in order for your…

resurrection…to be acknowledged forms need to be filled in and reports need to be made."

"Sir," Mulder began again and Skinner could hear the effort he was making in keeping his voice calm, "you knew we weren't dead…you knew the situation."

"Yes but the system needs to be corrected…and you need the time off."

"But couldn't I just-."

"No.  I can't let you take files out of the building."

"I take them home all the time!" Mulder argued looking over at Scully in a silent plea for help she was blatantly ignoring.

"Agent Mulder takes them home…Fox Mulder doesn't."

"This is ridiculous."

""Consider it a vacation.  After the three months you two just had I'm sure you need it."

"How long?" Scully asked, speaking for the first time since they sat down 20 minutes ago.

"A fortnight…at least...maybe more."

"Sir because of the Riker case we suffered 3 months downtime with the Xfiles…we cant afford to loose anymore time."

"You can Mulder and you will..  There's nothing you can say to change my mind so get out of here before I call security," Skinner said unable to keep the smile from showing on his lips.

            Scully stood and with a little nod she walked to the door.  She could feel Mulder close behind her as they traversed the halls of the FBI Building and his breathing was slow and deep telling her how mad he was.  They returned their visitors passes at the front desk and made their way out to the sun, whose power was only hinted at in Skinners office.  With one hand up to her forehead Scully scanned the slow moving traffic and smiled, accepting the warm caresses of the days heat onto her all too pale face.

"Can you believe this Scully? Two weeks? Two bloody weeks," he muttered standing beside her and looking down to her squinting eyes.  Her skin had lost it's fresh colour and her weight had gone down considerably after the three months they just spent but he thought she'd be as eager as him to get back to work.  The weariness in her eyes was obvious but it was diluted by a small smile that curved her thinly painted lips.

"You're happy about this," he said.  It wasn't a question, it was a sudden realisation and he kicked himself for not figuring it out sooner.  Of course she would have gone back to work straight away and stood by his side seriously as he asked the wonderful questions he always managed to fit into every interrogation, ignoring the glances from the other law enforces and suspects.  Never would the thought cross her mind to ask for the time off she needed but when the opportunity arose she took it with relish.

"Mulder I just spent the last three months stuck in a bunker with three lunatics.  I hadn't seen the sun in so long and I lived off bread, beans and tinned fruit.  I'm delighted to get this time off to recuperate and I'm going to do my best to enjoy it.  You should too."

"I was in that Bunker too."

"I know Mulder I know."
            She started to walk away with her head low as her eyes stung from the suns magnetic brightness.  As a doctor she knew better than most the dangers of looking directly at the sun but after being away from it for so long she couldn't help but look as if she was checking that it was still there.  After watching her walk away for a few steps he hurried to catch up with her.

"You wont last two weeks down time," he said with a chuckle.

"Watch me."

"We could always use this time to do some investigations of our own."

"No way Mulder."

            She stopped suddenly and spun round to grab his elbow, pulling him back to face her.

"Two weeks Mulder, just two weeks.  No UFO's, no crop circles, no conspiracies…just me…relaxing…can you give me that?"

            He looked at her for a moment.  The angry words were mixed with a playful tone but he knew she was tired.  He could see it in her eyes and feel it in the way she was gripping his arm a little too tightly.  Turning her with him he slipped an arm over her shoulders and walked down the street with her towards the diner they often went to lunch in. 

"Okay Scully.  Your wish…" He held the door open for her and guided her inside and into a booth by the window where the table was drowning in sunlight.  "Let's start this horrendous…no strike that…wonderfully relaxing fortnight off with me buying you lunch."

"Now you're getting it Mulder."

            After ordering their food Mulder stood to pull off his jacket and hung it up on the old style stand in the corner, but before he could slide back into his seat she held out her own jacket for him to hang.

"How is your mum?" he asked, loosening his tie and undoing the top two buttons of his shirt showing a small line of fine hairs on his chest she noticed.

"She's fine.  Skinner kept her informed during the whole process.  She spent most of the time in Bills and she gets back next week."

"Oh good.  It must have been hard for her though."

"She understands my job comes with a certain amount of risk."

            Mulder sat back as the waitress left two cups of black coffee onto the table unceremoniously.  Grabbing a napkin he wiped up the small spillage, letting her words sink in.

"Does she?" he asked tentatively as he stirred milk into his coffee.

"I think so.  Well obviously it's hard for her especially after Melissa…" her words hung in the air between then a silent barrier both of them could feel.  But Mulder decided not to grab the opportunity to wallow in guilt.  Instead he reached across the small red and white checked Formica table and touched her hand with the tips of his fingers.  She glanced up and met his eyes with a sad smile.

"A fortnight with no shop talk…how will we ever last?" he said jokingly.

"Isn't there a guide or something?"

"A guide?" she said accepting the plate of an omelette and salad from the waitress and watched as Mulders grin broadened as he spied the stack of pancakes on his own plate.  "What kind of guide?"

"You know…Things To Do In D.C. When You're Dead?"

            A surprising bubble of laughter escaped past her lips, a piece of her omelette hovering just outside her mouths reach, forgotten in place of the laugh.  His head shot up to absorb the moment of his partner's unfamiliar sound and he couldn't help but smile.

"This is going to be a long vacation…" he murmured.

"Well Mulder, when life hands you lemons…"

"Just add tequila and ice?"

**Just a teaser…plenty more to come…if you want it.**