Hello my freaky darlings! This is in three parts over the course of one night, and follows the bickering, confessions, and mutual respect that usually accompany the names Mulder and Scully. Constructive criticism is gold, as always.

Disclaimer: Though it's hardly necessary, all characters, settings and themes belong to the genius formerly known as Chris Carter.

Enjoy!

"I told you it was a wild goose chase."

"You always say it's a wild goose chase, Scully."

"Yes, but this isn't the first time I've been right, has it?"

"Alright, admittedly I occasionally attract less than sound cases..."

"Occasionally?"

"But this one sounded promising! A poltergeist and death under dubious circumstances..."

"Noisy, leaky pipes and heart failure in a seventy-two year old woman..."

"The sarcasm hurts, Scully, it really does."

"Don't be a baby, Mulder. If either of us had any problem with sarcasm whatsoever, we would have driven each other insane ages age."

Fox Mulder rolled his eyes, attempting to navigate the packed streets of New Orlean's French Quarter while verbally sparring with Scully. The rent-a-car was ostentatious and had a terrible turning radius, neither of which made the job any easier. She was trying to wrap up her case report in the moving vehicle, an act of professional efficiency that annoyed him for some unknown reason. His reports were usually vague and angry, scrawled the night before and laced with just the right amount of paranoia. Hers were neat and thought out, she even cited sources for God's sake…

Mulder abruptly slammed on the brakes to avoid killing a drunken pedestrian who looked like she had started the night's revelries that morning. Scully caught herself on the dash, the papers in her lap spilling onto the ground. She blew her ginger hair out of her face, scowling at him.

"Why is it you never let me drive?"

"I've let you drive!" Mulder said defensively, skirting to avoid a parade float. "And you always get us lost!"

"We're lost now!"

"Well you drive like a girl…"

Scully looked at him, nearly aghast at the sheer immaturity of his statement.

"Way to act twelve, Fox."

"Alright, if I'm being twelve, you're being five. That was low."

"How did you warrant such a God-awful name, anyway?"

"Has it never occurred to you that maybe I've gotten tired of people asking me that my entire life?"

"Of course. Why do you think I brought it up?"

Mulder ignored her, shifting the car into reverse. Scully held on for dear life as he backpedaled through throngs of pedestrians, over a curb, and into a side alley. Moments later they came to a stop in their hotel parking lot, the one they had been circling the block for ten minuets in order to find. Mulder killed the ignition, smiling at her triumphantly.

"What was that about being lost, Scully?"

She let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding, letting go of the handle above the door. She laughed, but her eyes were hard.

"You're insane!"

"Haven't we established this already?"
Scully kicked open the passenger-side door. "I should have taken that transfer…"
"Now you're just being mean."

Scully ignored him as she pulled her bag from the trunk, throwing his suitcase at him. He rolled his eyes as he locked the car, following her across the parking lot.

"Alright, I'm sorry for nearly killing the both of us. I'll buy you dinner to make it up."

"It's your turn to buy dinner anyway!"
"Yeah…"

Scully laughed again, this time sincerely. "You know what Mulder, I'll let you. Come on, let's go get checked in. "

The hotel office was buzzing with people of all sorts; families, couples, and college kids alike. There were cheap plastic beads hanging from the doorways and colorful feathered masks mounted on the wall, which only served to accent the chaotic rainbow going on inside. Scully shouldered her way to the front desk, and the girl behind the glass looked up anxiously, cradling a phone in the crook of her shoulder.

"?"

The sentence was breathless and jumbled, and Scully blinked a few times before she registered it.

"Uh, checking in."

"Name?"

"Scully and Mulder?"

The girl immediately began conversing with the patron on the other end of the line as she punched the names into the hotel database. Moments later, she handed Scully a room key.

"Enjoy your stay."

Scully stared at the single room key.

"And Mulder?" She repeated.

The girl popped her gum, looking at Scully like she was insane. "Yeah. Joint registration."

"No, there must be a mistake. We ordered separate rooms."

The girl punched the names into the computer again, then shook her head.

"Sorry lady, I have you down for one room. 27B, second floor."

Scully squeezed her eyes shut momentarily, battling back the headache that had been threatening to evolve into a migraine all day.

"Is there a problem?"
Her eyes shot open. Mulder had drifted to her side and was lingering there like the excessive amount of festive glitter in the room was making him uncomfortable.

The girl behind the desk hung up the phone, leaning over the counter to examine them both.

"I hope not. I have you two down for one room."

Mulder's eyebrows shot up. "No…No, we don't do that…"

"Can we just order another room?" Scully interjected.

The girl shook her head. "Sorry, Maam, but we're beyond booked for three days straight."

"Well could you recommend any other hotels in the area?"

"Maam, no one within fifty miles of here has so much as a broom closet vacant. Don't you know it's Mardi Gras out there?"

"So there's no way-?"

"Fraid' not."

Mulder and Scully exchanged a private glance, one equal parts horror and amusement. Then Scully turned back to the desk.

"Please tell me there's more than one bed."

"Oh sure, dual queens."

Scully heaved a gigantic sigh, snatching the room key off the counter. The people behind her were shouting for her to hurry up, and there was no use wasting anymore of this girl's time.

"Alright. Thank you."

"Sure. Sorry for the misunderstanding."

Scully was already halfway out the door. "Thanks," Mulder answered for her, following swiftly. Once outside, he fell into time beside his partner, who was striding towards their room, bag in hand.

"For once, I'll openly admit I was completely wrong about this case. We should have stayed in Washington."

"I call first shower."

"Damn it, Scully!"

Good? Awful? Part two, the meaty bit, up soon. Love to my fans!