Chapter One: Christmas
Author: Gillian Leigh
Summary: Sequel to "Coach". More in-depth summaries will come with each chapter. (Unless I'm lazy… then you get NOTHING. ::evil laughter::)
Disclaimer: They're not mine. I promise to return them in mint condition. I only own those characters that are a product of my sick, twisted little shipper mind.
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Author's Notes: It's Christmastime, one year and six months after Coach ended. Shortly after her release from the hospital once her cancer had gone into remission, AD Skinner offered Dana the position of Head Pathologist at Quantico. She gratefully took it, and became an honorary member of the X-Files investigative unit, though she can't technically work be Mulder's partner because they're married. John Doggett and Monica Reyes, who were not mentioned in the first story at all, have existed all along, and Monica, Dana's best friend, works with Mulder on the X-Files. Diana was moving shortly after Christmas to France to be with her fiancé, George, and Mulder won a custody battle, which ensured that the kids would stay with him full-time once she left. Okay, my loyal readers…um… read on!
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For many years, Fox Mulder had not believed in miracles, and with good reason. He'd lost his sister, his wife had taken his children from him, and he found love, only to learn that she too could very well end up leaving him. The day she told him that her cancer had gone into remission, he could believe again. He was witness to a miracle.
"Fox?" He blinked, realizing he had been staring off into space. His attention focused on his wife, who stood before him, making Christmas cookies. She had her oven-mitted hands balled into fists and resting on her hips, her eyebrow raised as high as it would go.
"Did you hear a word I just said?" she asked, staring him down. His cheeks flushed.
"No." She sighed and shook her head.
"I said that Skinner wants me to come in early tomorrow to do that autopsy on the body for the Fletcher case."
"Oh," he responded. "Okay." He noticed that she was still watching him expectantly. "What?" he asked. "What else?"
"That means that you'll have to finish all of the wrapping and put the presents under the tree..." His eyes widened.
"Oh no." Dana smiled.
"You'll be fine," she said, placing both of her hands on his shoulders, and rose up on her toes to kiss him. Mulder kissed her and then picked her up off the floor, placing an arm behind her knees, and another one across her back, carrying her like he'd carried her over the threshold after the return from their honeymoon seven months before.
"Fox!" she exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing?" He kissed her again.
"I don't know, Mrs. Mulder, something about you wearing an apron, and being all covered in flour... it really turns me on," Mulder said, kissing her once more. She grinned, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"You can't forget the oven mitts," she whispered in his ear.
"Oh yes, the oven mitts..." He said, and started walking toward the stairs to the second floor. He kissed her neck, and she threw her head back and laughed. Once inside their bedroom, Mulder pushed the door shut with his foot. He set Dana down on the bed, and pulled off her oven mitts, flinging them across the room. He climbed into the bed with her, and covered her lips with his once again, reaching around her waist to untie the apron. She toed off her shoes, and abruptly pulled back from his kiss.
"Damn it! My cookies are burning!"
xXx
Mulder opened his eyes at the sound of a crash in the kitchen. He was aware that while it was still dark outside, his bed was very, very empty, and it was ten minutes after five on Christmas morning. His muscles tensed, and he reached for the gun on his beside table, but set it back down a moment later. The crash was followed by a stream of loud swear words, uttered by none other than his wife. He smiled and shook his head, rising up out of the bed.
Slowly descending the steps, Mulder paused to both watch and listen to his wife. The words coming out of her mouth would make her father proud. She was picking up the various pots and pans which had fallen from the cabinet, making the horrific crashing noise.
"Stupid goddamn pieces of---" Mulder laughed aloud despite himself and Dana looked up, startled at his sudden presence. "Jesus, Fox, you scared me!" she exclaimed, holding a frying pan in one hand and a cookie sheet in the other.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," she said, setting the pans down on the counter. She bit her lip, and he smiled and gently kissed the top of her head.
"I'll just make sure to tell about Ahab the kind of words you used to describe the lovely Teflon pans that he and your mother got us for our wedding…" She raised both of her eyebrows.
"You wouldn't..." she said. He smiled and said,
"Wouldn't I?" She slapped him playfully.
"Merry Christmas, you big jerk," Dana quipped, rising up on her toes and giving him a kiss on the lips. "You can go back to bed if you like."
"Merry Christmas to you too... And what in the hell are you doing up so early? The kids aren't here; we don't have to play Santa Claus for Gwen…" Mulder questioned, studying his wife. She was wearing the cream-colored satin pajamas which were known to unbutton themselves from time to time. Noticing where his gaze had wandered to, Dana buttoned the top button of the shirt before saying,
"I have to make food for twenty-two people. I'm getting started as early as possible."
"Twenty-two?!" he exclaimed. "Are you sure?" She sighed.
"My mother and father, Bill, Tara; their kids, Matt, Andrew and Amy; Charlie, Ellen ;their kids, Jennifer, Jeremy, David and Mary; Missy; Eve, Jake, Gwen, you, me, and the Gunmen."
"Holy crap," Mulder exclaimed, making her laugh. "Where are we supposed to put them all?"
"That's why they pay you the big bucks, Agent Mulder, so you can figure out just how we're going to do this," she replied, pulling various food items out of the refrigerator and cabinets.
"The only ones spending the night are my mom and dad. Everyone else managed to get hotel rooms, because I called two months ago and booked them," she replied, grinning up at him. "Of course Eve, Jake and Gwen will be here, but they have their rooms. But we still have to figure out how we're going to seat everyone for dinner, and I leave that to you..." Mulder sighed. It was going to be a long day.
xXx
Mulder was quite proud of himself when he found a way for all twenty-two family members to fit in their dining and living rooms. The dining room table had had all four of its leaves put in, making it long enough for the twelve adults, and the kids were banished to the living room. Four folding tables had been placed end to end for them, and Eve was in charge of keeping things calm. Dana was also very proud, and rightfully so, that she had managed to get all of the food done in time, and get the presents under the tree before her mother arrived. There was a general hum of conversation around the table, as several different conversations were occurring at once.
"So, Dana, when are you and Fox going to get busy and give your father and me a new grandbaby?" Maggie asked. Across the table from her, her daughter turned a terrible shade of red, and suddenly became totally speechless. Mulder smiled and leaned over and kissed his wife on her reddened cheek. When his complacent grin remained, Maggie's eyes lit up.
"Dana Katherine, are you pregnant?" The whole table became silent, and Dana wanted nothing more than to crawl under the table and hide. She swallowed and looked down at her plate.
"Well, now that you mention it---" she responded quietly, and paused, reaching over and taking hold of Mulder's hand. "Yes I am." The dining room erupted in various forms of congratulations, and Mulder looked over at his wife, and kissed her gently on the lips.
"Well," he said. "That's one way to break the news to them."
Eve walked in from the living room, holding the cordless phone in her hand.
"Dad, it's Mr. Skinner," she said, handing Mulder the phone.
"Merry Christmas, Sir!" Mulder exclaimed, his mood light because of the holiday and the congratulations on the baby. He got up and walked out of the noisy dining room and into the office, closing the door behind him. Dana smiled as she watched him go, and then went back to talking to her father and mother.
"When did you find out?" her mother asked, smiling at her. "And how far along are you?"
"I went to the doctor to have a formal test done about three days ago, after I took one of those 'at-home' ones. The doctor believes I'm just over a month along. I'm due in mid-August," she said. Her father smiled and embraced her.
"I'm so happy for you, Starbuck," he said, kissing the top of her head.
"Once the baby's born, Ahab, I think the tradition of reading Moby Dick should be kept," Dana said. "And you---." She stopped mid-sentence, because her husband came back into the dining room and stood just off to the side, still holding the phone.
"What is it?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Skinner needs us down at Headquarters within the hour," he said simply.
"But Fox, it's Christmas! What is so damn important that it can't wait until tomorrow?"
"There's been a murder and a kidnapping," Mulder said.
"Isn't that something for Violent Crimes? And why does he want me there? Do they have a body already?" his wife asked. Mulder shook his head. "Then what is it?"
"Jenn Carver was murdered tonight, Dana. And your stepdaughter Elena is missing."
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Author's Notes: Dun dun dunnnnnnnn! Okay, so I start you off with some fluff and lead into some conspiracy. Well, let me know what you think, and try not to freak out about the cliffhanger, there will be more in a reasonable amount of time. I AM on Christmas break... :o)
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