TITLE: Mistle Toe
AUTHOR: Holly - KillTheBee@aol.com
KEYWORDS:
SPOILERS: Um, just a few references to things
RATING: G I guess
DISCLAIMER: It's a known fact, I don't own them...do you think CC would be on here writing fanfic? He'd just write an episode!! Everyone knows whoever writes any fic DOES NOT own any characters! OF COURSE!
FEEDBACK: Yes, PLEASE! KillTheBee@aol.com
ARCHIVE: Sure. Keep my name on it though! And let me know where it's going!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The end is kind of left up to you to decide what happens. It's an OK fic, not my favorite I've written, but it'll do. Right? Well it'll HAVE TO, so ha!
Scully sat alone on her couch, her legs curled under her, her face lit only by the colorful lights of the lushious Christmas tree. A few candles were lit sparesly around her apartment giving her guiding light into other rooms, not that she had a need to get up from her resting position. She starred at the presents neatly wrapped under the tree and wondered if Emily had lived, would she be with her now? Would Scully have been able to adopt her? Would there be more presents under the tree? Scully couldn't help but think of her whenever she was alone on Christmas.
It was Christmas Eve and she'd been out to dinner with her family already and was expected at her mother's house the next morning early, she didn't have it the way some did. She thought of Mulder and how his mother didn't celebrate Christmas, how he had no where to go, no one to go with, nothing to do while other people sang carols and begged to open just one gift early. Mulder would be, no doubt, finding himself down at Casey's Bar if even they were open.
Mulder might even be working. She was sure that if she called and he wasn't home, she could locate him in their office. She wasn't planning on attempting though.
All the neatly set presents under the tree were really there for no reason. They were all for her family, and they'd be packed into her car the next morning and driven a couple towns over. She didn't know why she bothered to even set up a Christmas tree. It wasn't like she really had anyone over to see it, or anyone to jump up Christmas morning screaming, "Santa came!". She didn't have anyone laying beside her in bed to respond, "Go back to bed," that she'd have to force out of bed.
She felt that she was being selfish in lingering on the fact that she was alone. Scully convinced herself that she wasn't WITH anyone now, but she had a family who loves her and was expecting her the next morning to be there when they got up. Mulder didn't have any of that. Besides not having a mother who celebrates Christmas, he had no other family. No neices or nephews, no one he could go to to make him feel like he was part of Christmas as much as anyone. Then she began to wonder why he didn't come to her. He knew that if he ever needed anyone that she was there for him, he should know that applied to holidays too.
Scully thought back to previous holidays he'd interupted or had been interupted, 2 years ago she remembered the painfulness of finding and losing Emily, all in one Christmas, then the year after. He hadn't really interupted her, she went to her family's the next day, and at least Mulder wasn't alone on Christmas Eve, probably the only one ever that he wasn't. She didn't know why it had to be work related for him to come to her on a holiday, she'd prefer it more if it weren't anyway.
So many thoughts were circulating through Scully's mind, mostly of Mulder, and why things were the way they were. Why didn't they ever celebrate Christmas at her house? There wasn't much room, but they could manage. She asked herself, She couldn't answer, she didn't know the answer.
Then the sound of beating fists on wood rang through her door. Scully couldn't figure out who'd be coming over on Christmas Eve, let alone at 11:00. The time should have given her the answer, who else would come knocking at 11:00? None other than Mulder. She opened the door and that's who was standing there.
"I didn't think you'd be home," he said.
"Then why'd you come?" she asked.
He shrugged, "Just wanted to see how things were going."
Scully stood there in the doorway, not remembering to invite him in.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
"Oh, yeah," she moved aside to let him pass.
"So," Mulder started. "How are you?"
"Fine," Scully came back. "Just fine. You?"
"Aside from having a distant parental figure and being alone over Christmas, I'm doing as well as can be expected."
Scully couldn't help but smile a little. "Why doesn't your mom celebrate Christmas?"
"I don't really know," Mulder said. "Weren't not Jewish, but I think that's what my dad always said. I don't think he ever liked Christmas. My mom did, I would hear her sometimes ask my dad to bare with Christmas for our sake, but he wouldn't have any of it. So now that everyone's gone, I don't think she see's a reason to celebrate it."
"But you're not gone," Scully reminded him. "She still has you."
"Yeah," he said. "I don't think she's to proud of me and my decisions, so I don't think she WANTS to be around me over the holidays. There's just nothing to celebrate."
"I'm sorry," she responded.
"Oh, no, it's OK. I don't really mind during the year," he said. "Because you're always there. It gets to me on the actual days because I don't have anyone."
His tone wasn't asking for pity, but Scully couldn't help it. That's not what he wanted from her. He just wanted her company for even the shortest second of the shortest minute of the shortest night of the year. And Scully knew that's all he was asking for. Mulder got it and was prepared to leave at any moment.
"Well, I wanted to give you this," he pulled out a small package, it looked as if it were something rolled up. "I should be going now. You should really get some sleep or you're gonna disappoint those kids over at the family's house by being late."
"Wait," she choked out. "Here," she bent over to pick up a small gift and handed it to him.
Mulder thanked her and began to turn around to walk out the door, shaking his gift when Scully said, "Mulder?"
"Yeah?" he responded.
"I know you've got no where to go..." she started. "And if you want to come with me to my mom's house tomorrow, you can."
"Scully, I--"
She cut him off, knowing he was going to protest on account of her brother, "Mulder, don't. I'd like you to go, and Bill will deal with it." She stopped for a moment. "And besides...they've all got wives and families of their own..."
Mulder was beginning to see what Scully was saying, and the simple nod of his head gave her the indication that she needn't continue. He realized that even though he though he was alone with no one to turn to, so was she. He couldn't help but ask himself if he were to blame for making her that way. He would ask her one day, but not today, not on Christmas Eve.
"We have to leave early so you should sleep here," she told him.
"That's fine," he said. "I like your couch."
She smiled, and retrieved a few blankets. Mulder had kicked off his shoes already and propped himself up with his eyes shut. Scully unfolded a blanket and covered him up with it, "Ooh, I get tucked in," Mulder joked.
She felt the compulsion to slap him, but she refrained, "You'll get cold."
"Thanks....MOM," he said as she put the last blanket on top of him. As she began to head for her room, Mulder piped up, "I don't get a kiss goodnight?"
"Goodnight, Mulder," Scully said sternly but with the crack of a grin and closed her bedroom door.
Scully drifted in a peaceful sleep, dreaming thousands of things in what seemed like little time. She dreamt, possibly from the fact that Mulder was lying asleep on her couch in her apartment, that she was happily married. A child's voice, not just any child's voice, but Emily's voice, called, "Mommy! Santa's been here!" The door to her bedroom bust open with a smile shining like the sun on a hot summer day coming in. "Mommy get up! Come on, get up!" Scully found herself groggily getting up in her dream, followed by a bellowing man saying, "Go back to bed...it's too early." "Get up, Mulder. It's Christmas," she had responded, then followed Emily out into the living room where a tree full of handmade ornaments and radiant lights glowed, presents littering the entire room. Mulder had finally hobbled out into the living room when BEEP BEEP BEEP!
The alarm rang and her dream was over. It was Christmas, and she could smell something coming from the kitchen...it smelled the hot cocoa. She got herself up and walked out of her room. "How long have you been up?" she asked.
"A while," he said.
"Do you always get up so early on Christmas?"
"No."
Scully shrugged, that conversation was over. "Do I get some of that?"
"You're house."
When she finished her cocoa, she said, "I should be getting ready."
He nodded. When Scully returned with a pair of jeans, a sweater with a white turtleneck underneath and a pair of boots, he seemed a little more than surprised. He shouldn't have, he'd seen her in pajama's, in her underware...naked for what it was worth. She looked just as good in casual clothes as she did in her work clothes, so he didn't see why she felt that she needed to come in a suit each day to work. Especially the times when he was calling her in to read up on baseball or something that didn't really mean much in the way of regular caseload.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Sure," he responded. "Do you want me to take my car over?"
"Um," she thought for a second. "No."
She didn't necassarily have to go in with him together, but he would look more invited if he came in with her.
As they stopped in front of Mrs. Scully's house, he hesistated. "Scully, I'm not so sure I should come in. I don't know that seeing me is going to make your family's Christmas a happy holiday."
"No, Mulder," she said. "Don't say that. Come on."
They exited the car and walked up the walkway, glancing at the weak snowmen in the front yard with someone's black scarf around it's neck. Mulder thought.
When Mrs. Scully answered the door, she expected only Scully, but she saw Mulder beside her. In the instant that Scully saw this surprise in her mother's eyes, she locked her arm with Mulder's and said, "Merry Christmas, Mom."
"Merry Christmas," she responded. "Come on in." She smiled and welcomed Mulder in as well.
Mulder walked in further and saw many pairs of eyes on him, most disapproving, other's unsure. Bill looked a little angry, wondering why someone who'd ruined a big part of their lives had the audacity to show their face. Tara didn't seem to know the whole story and didn't disprove of Mulder, only disliked him in ways because her husband did. Charles had heard things, and he was there, starring up. The kids weren't concerned, they were only interested in the things Santa brought them. Scully's only nephews went immediately back to scoping out presents.
Mrs. Scully gave Bill a look that read, "it's all behind us now" and he loosened up just a little.
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Mulder," Bill said.
In his tone Mulder sensed forgiveness. Like Bill had realized that everything was over, it wasn't like it used to be and it hopefully never would and that it wasn't really all Mulder's fault. "You too," he said as Scully began walking over to the tree.
They sat down and started handing out all the presents to their new owners. It was a Christmas Mulder'd never experienced, and what he saw he liked. He toyed with Scully's open gifts, and waited happily until the end. Finally, everything was unwrapped and the kids wanted to go about their business with new robots and mechanical cars and whatnot, so the adults let them.
When the kids jumped from the floor and began running around the house, the adults didn't move. "So, Mr. Mulder, how's it coming?" Bill asked.
He nodded slightly, "Going as good as it gets I guess. Nothing new."
Bill nodded. That conversation wasn't going anywhere. So one conversation lead to the other, Tara explaining that when Scully has kid's that she'll enjoy Christmas that much more...still not knowing that it would never happen. Apperantly Bill didn't tell her everything. After an hour of pointless conversation, Scully decided it was best that they leave.
As they stopped in the archway to the foyer to say their final good-byes, Mulder's eyes rolled up as everyone else's but Scully's did. Mulder put on a small grin and leaned forward. Scully turned in time for him to miss her cheek and get her lips. He pressed against them and moved back after a few seconds. During the few seconds they were entwined, fireworks seemed to be dancing around the room, sparks flew and magic was created. Scully had so many questions when it came to Mulder and love, and in those 5 magical seconds, each one of them had been answered.
Mulder was feeling that tingly feeling inside, and his stomach was doing Olympic gymnastics inside of him as he looked deep down into her eyes. He saw something in the misty pools of hers that he shouldn't mess with, some kind of bond that they'd just created, walls that they just broke down, all laying in a pile at the bottom of a salty well of forming tears of mixed emotions.
Scully started searching for words when Mulder said as he pointed a finger, "Mistle toe."
THE END