Title: Circles Unbroken: Bleak Midwinter
Author: Athos.  Athos_too@hotmail.com
Keys: Scully Slash. Scully Other. Vignette. Romance.
Summary:  This story will make little sense unless you have read
_Circles Unbroken: Journeys End in Lovers' Meetings_ which
introduced Lee Caldwell, Scully's lover.  In this holiday
episode, Lee and Scully take a walk on Christmas Eve.
Rating: PG for innuendeo.
Archive: Please post to Gossamer and ATXC.  The Circles
Unbroken stories may be archived anywhere in a responsible
manner, as long as they are not changed in the process.
Disclaimer: The character of Dana Scully is not mine.  No profit is
being made by this use.  Lee Caldwell is mine, and should not be
used without permission.

****
Circles Unbroken: Bleak Midwinter
****

*What is that?  Angel choirs?*

Lee Caldwell stepped into the living room and shut the door.  She
could hear Scully's pleasant voice singing in their kitchen.

*Now that is something nice to come home to.*  She brushed the
snowflakes from her dark hair and hung up her coat.

"It's me, babe.  I'm home."

And from the kitchen: "Damn it!"

Lee quickened her pace and stuck her head through the kitchen door.
"What's the matter?"

Scully turned, wearing what Lee had come to categorize as her lover's
'wise ass cat that swallowed a canary' grin.  *Uh oh.  I think I'm in
trouble now..*

The redhead sighed.  "Damn it.  Same old same old.  I was sure this
was the day my mystery lover would sweep me off my feet into her
strong arms, and whisk me away to the Caribbean."  She paused; "or at
least take me to the food court at the mall.  And what do I get?
Only you."

Lee smiled, and crossed to the sink where Scully was just finishing
the baking dishes.  The smell of oatmeal cookies filled the room.
She pulled  Scully into an embrace, stroked her hair.  "I'm sorry to
be such a disappointment; I hope I'll at least do until someone
better comes along?"

Another sigh.  "I guess you'll have to.  Christmas trees and eggnog
make me feel amorous, and it _IS_ Christmas Eve."

"Eggnog?  You started without me?"

Scully stretched up and kissed the taller woman.  "You know I wouldn't
do that; sit down and I'll bring you one."

Lee returned the living room and sitting in the middle of the couch
across from their Christmas tree.  The strings of mini lights were the
only illumination in the room.  Scully entered, delivered a highball
glass and sat down by her side.   She turned to Lee and raised her
glass in a toast.

"To you.  My exotic mystery lover who wines and dines me at the Taco
Bell."

"No.  To us."  Lee gave their standard response, and sipped the
eggnog.  She made a face.  "What did you put in this, turpentine?
That sure isn't rum or brandy like Martha Stewart recommends."

"It's whiskey.  Cheap rye whiskey.  My father always said he wanted to
taste something in his eggnog."  She smiled.  "Remember, he was a
sailor.."  She rose, went to  the kitchen and returned.  "Try it with
some more nutmeg."

Lee sipped cautiously.  "That's better.  For a minute there I thought
you were trying to clear a path for your mystery lover."

Scully took a small sip.  "Well, there is that."  She snuggled against
Lee.   "I wouldn't worry too much though; it's been too hard training
you.  I don't want to start over."

They sat for a few moments, sipping the eggnog, smelling the tree,
looking at the snow falling outside.  Lee took Scully's glass, placed
it with her own on the table.  "I believe someone mentioned l'amour."
She kissed Scully thoroughly.  "Now, love of my life, we have a
decision to make.  Trip the horizontal fantastic, or walk in the snow
like we talked about?  I'm asking you now, cause if I kiss you again
it's a moot question."

"Ah.  Let us consider the viable options then.  We get good snow in DC
once in a blue moon, especially on Christmas Eve.  That's on the one
hand.  On the other, same old same old is always here."  Scully kissed
Lee gently, stroking her cheek.  "So Carpe Diem dictates we walk in
the snow."  Another soft kiss, and a whisper.  "That makes me amorous
too..."

****

Scully returned to the living room, adjusting her Sig in a shoulder
holster.  Lee stared.  "Do you really think you need to wear that?"

Scully shrugged.  "This is DC, Christmas Eve or not.  Two women are
going walking into the park.  Just think of it as insurance that they
come walking out of that park."  She stepped to Lee, put her arms
around her waist, and looked up into the brunette's eyes.  "I love one
of those two women very much, and plan to keep her safe for me, ok?
Humor me on this one please."

Lee leaned down and kissed her.  "Ok."

****

"What was that carol you were singing?  I don't think I know that
one."  Lee held Scully's gloved hand as they walked.

"It is a little unusual, but I've liked it ever since I heard it
back in college."  Scully began to sing:

"In the bleak midwinter, icy winds made moan
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.
Snow lay all around him, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long long ago.

What can I give him, poor though as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part.
What can I give him?  I'll give him my heart."

Lee looked around at the darkened park.  They were not near a lamp,
so it didn't take too much imagination to conjure up the frosty bleak
images of the song.  "I like it.  It seems real."  She squeezed
Scully's hand.  "And I like to hear you sing."

"Just your little song bird, huh?  A woman named Christina Rosetti
wrote that.  My roommate, the English Major, told me she was part of
some literary movement about a hundred years ago.  That name always
stuck in my head.  Christina Rosetti; seems exotic."

Lee brushed snowflakes out of Scully's red hair.  "You're pretty
exotic yourself.  Kiss, please..." And she suited the actions to the
words.  "My very own angel choir," she whispered.

Scully didn't answer, but slipped out of the embrace.  Ahead of them
the path curved before a small steep slope, covered with snow, and
perhaps seven feet high.  Scully ran to it, lay down on her back with
her legs together and her arms out.  She began to open and close her
legs in the snow, and move her arms up and down.  Lee stood before
her, mystified.

"Dana!  Are you nuts?  What are you doing?"

Scully smiled up at her.  "You'll see."  She raised her hands for Lee
to pull her up.  Standing at Lee's side, she pointed at the depression
in the snow where she had lain.  With a little imagination a shape,
like a child's drawing of an angel, could be seen.

"There.  An angel just for you, Lee Caldwell."  Scully stretched up
and kissed her on the cheek.  "Your angel looks lonely, though."

*The things I do for love...*  And aloud Lee said, "Ok subtle one; I
can take a hint."

She lay in the snow next to the Scully angel and repeated Scully's
movements.  In a few moments, two angels lay in the snow, side by
side, hand in hand.

They stood and admired their creation together.  Lee put her arm
around Scully's waist, said, "I don't ever want to forget this moment.
I want you to remind me of it when we're old and gray."

Scully turned to her, put her arms around her neck, kissed her softly.
"Your angel promises."  She ran her hands down Lee's back to the seat
of her jeans.  "But you're all wet!.  We better get home and let me
get you out of those wet clothes."

"Dana?  Isn't that out of character for an angel?"

"Split personality.  Sometimes I'm a horny little devil, too."

And they turned for home, snow falling about them in the dark. Later
that night, the wind came up and blurred the line between the two
snow angels, turning them into one.