Title: Giving you Christmas (1/1) Author: Tanja E-mail: voet@tanja-myrna.demon.nl Rating: G Keywords: Mulder/Scully Romance, Christmas, fluff Spoilers: Emily Summary: Mulder gives Scully back her Christmas spirit. Archiving: Anywhere, as long as you send me an e-mail to let me know, I love visiting my stories. Disclaimer: Everybody knows they're not mine. But I'm sure that in the spirit of Christmas, Mr. Carter won't mind I used them for this little story. Author's notes: Merry Christmas everybody! I thought I wouldn't, but I wrote a Christmas story anyway. Noromos go hide, this is pure fluff and full of romance! Hope everybody enjoys the story. Dedication: For all my friends, who are special to me, because they are who they are. They know who they are. Thanks guys! Giving you Christmas (1/1) Things hadn't been the same for her, not this year. Not after everything that happened last year. The loss of Emily, the daughter she had found and lost in only one week time. To find out she couldn't have any children of her own. Mulder had been there for her, like he always had been. She tried to be strong, but when she thought he didn't see it, a hurt look got into her eyes. Eyes that showed the pain she was going through, but she wouldn't admit this to him or anybody else. Time had passed and work continued and through the months she had been able to deal with it better than in the beginning. There were still nights that she woke up with a scream, because she had been dreaming about Emily and the moment she had been taken away from her. In the beginning the nightmares had been almost every night, creeping in, when the darkness fell and she laid down to sleep. Nowadays she had them less often, first once a week, than only once a month. Emily had died, but her life was moving on. Another Christmas was coming and unlike other years, this year Scully couldn't find the Christmas spirit that had been part of her every year. Doing Christmas shopping, the festive lights in the streets, Santa Clauses in the shopping center and on the streets, people carrying Christmas trees to their houses, to celebrate the year gone by, welcoming the new year that was on its way. She had always loved this time of the year, but this year she couldn't. It was as if Emily had taken her Christmas spirit with her when she died. Mulder had seen the sad look returning in her eyes. He had noticed that unlike last year she wasn't enjoying the season, when there was a Christmas song on the radio she turned the radio of or when she couldn't, she turned her head away, not wanting him to see the tears in her eyes. But he hadn't realized how much she had lost her Christmas spirit, until he dropped by for a visit at her place last night. It was the day before Christmas Eve and her apartment had been empty. Oh, of course everything that had always been there had been there. The furniture and all the other things that belonged there. But no Christmas tree, no mistletoe, no Christmas cards, nothing. There was nothing in the apartment that reminded of Christmas. And it hurt him to see her like this, knowing that the woman he secretly loved with his whole heart, was hurting this much, that she couldn't even find herself to decorate for Christmas. Especially, because she had always loved the Christmas season. That was why he had decided to do something about it, he had to give her back her Christmas spirit, making her think that Christmas was worth celebrating again. So he had gone Christmas shopping, getting all the things he needed to give Scully back her Christmas spirit. He had gotten a Christmas tree, all the decoration for the tree, and presents for under the tree, especially one special present that he wasn't even sure if he was going to give it to her or not. It was the night before Christmas and he softly opened her door, with his own key. Praying that she wouldn't wake up, thankful when she didn't. He put all the things in the living room and tiptoed to her bedroom, finding Scully sound asleep, curled up in her bed. He resisted the urge to sit down next to her, to watch her sleeping. There would be time for that later. Moving back to the living room, he quietly started to put up the Christmas tree. Putting in the lights and decorations and a little angel on top of it. When he was done decorating the tree, he put the lights on and stood there, watching the result of his work. A few minutes later he realized he had to finish the rest, before she would actually wake up. He put the presents under the tree, hesitating for a moment, but telling himself that it was now or never, he pulled another present out of his pocket and put it on top of the others. This one was different. It was a small box, wrapped in silver and golden paper and he had no idea how she was going to react, when she opened it. He hoped she would like it. He decorated the rest of the room and sat down on the couch to look at it for a moment. He thought. It was a miracle that she hadn't woken up, during the whole thing. The radio was playing Christmas songs, very softly, on the background. He walked to Scully's bedroom again and carefully opened the door, she was still sound asleep. He smiled and moved to the bed and leaned down, carefully scooping her in his arms, picking her up from the bed. For a moment he thought she was going to wake up. She stirred in his arms and mumbled something. She snuggled against his chest as close as possible and peacefully continued to sleep. Mulder carried her to the couch, where he lied down with her. She moved a little, disturbed by the movements, but nestled herself into the nice warm place and smiled happily in her sleep. He carefully put a blanket over them and as it started to snow outside, Mulder started to drift away too, with his arms around Scully. A few hours later Scully started to wake up. It took her a moment to realize that she was lying on something warm and soft. And it wasn't her pillow, because her pillow didn't breathe softly. Blinking with her eyes, she suddenly found herself staring in a couple of warm hazel eyes, that looked at her sleepily. "Morning Scully." The pillow smiled at her, yawning. "Mulder?" She asked in surprise, when she realized who the warm pillow was. The next thing she asked herself, was why she was lying on top of Mulder, on her couch, with a blanket around them. Not that she didn't like it, but she wondered how she got here in the first place. When she was about to ask what he was doing here, her eyes fell on the fully decorated Christmas tree. Leaning up a little, her look traveled through the rest of her apartment, that was decorated and to the Christmas presents that were lying under the tree. She looked at Mulder again, who was smiling at her. "You did this?" She asked surprised. He nodded shyly. "Like it?" "It's beautiful, but why ...?" He remained silent for a moment, wiping a strand of hair away from her face with his hand. "I wanted to give you back Christmas." Tears filled her eyes, when she realized what he meant. "Oh, Mulder." She whispered. "I know how difficult it is for you, with everything that happened last year. I know that you just want to crawl in bed and not wake up until Christmas is over again. And I realize it's not easy, but I want you to know that I'll always be there for you and there will come better Christmases again, I promise." She was crying now. "It's better already Mulder, because you're here. Thank you for doing this for me." He smiled. "You're welcome Scully. How about you go open your presents now?" She sniffed. "I think I'd like that." They sat up on the couch, the blanket still around them, they started to open the presents. The last package that was left, was the small box under the tree. Scully looked at it, hoping that she thought what it was, but afraid to pick it up and finding out it wasn't. Mulder saw her hesitation and leaned down to pick it up and handed it to her. She carefully started to unwrap it, left with a black velvet box in her hand. "Mulder, I ...." "Open it." He urged her, anxious for her reaction. She opened it and gasped. Inside the box, was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. A little note fell out of the box. "Mulder, this is ....?" She was afraid to ask. "Read the note." He whispered. She picked up the little paper and opened it. "I love you Scully, you're my truth. Will you marry me? Mulder." She looked up at him. His eyes were asking the same, shining with his love for her. "Yes, I will. I love you too Mulder." She was laughing through her tears. A wide smile spread over his face and he grinned, as he picked the ring out of the box and put it on her left hand, where it belonged. His hands cupped her face, and he leaned down, claiming her lips with his, in a tender kiss. A few minutes later, they let go and he leaned his forehead against hers, looking deeply in her eyes. "I love you Scully, so much. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but ....." She silenced him with another kiss. "I love you Mulder. Never doubt that for even a second. You're everything I ever wished for. You gave me back something I thought I wouldn't find again. You give Christmas meaning again, by loving me." "Merry Christmas Scully." "Merry Christmas Mulder." She whispered back, before he leaned down again, to kiss her. The End Okay I know it was pure fluff, but in the spirit of Christmas :-) Feedback always welcome at voet@tanja-myrna.demon.nl or xfshippers@writeme.com ??