Title: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Author: FoxsDana
Email:
Rating: PG
Category/Keywords: Mulder/Scully friendship, UST, drama
Spoilers: How The Ghosts Stole Christmas, Redux, Redux II, A Christmas Carol
Dedication: To all X-Philes present and future. To all fans of my writing that keep encouraging me to do this stuff! To my X-Phile online friend Brittany who gave me some ideas for this. To my always loving and supportive husband who is the real "Mulder" in my life. To Chris Carter for creating the characters of Mulder and Scully and to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson for bringing them to life.
Summary: After spending Christmas Eve chasing ghosts, Mulder and Scully take some time for themselves at Mulder's apartment starting with presents. But when Scully invites him to her family's get together for Christmas will he except?
Feedback: Please, I love it!
Archive: Sure, just let me know where it's going!
Disclaimer: The characters of the X-Files do not belong to me but are the property of Chris Carter, 20th Century Fox and 1013 Productions
NOTE: This fic takes place after the last scene of "How The Ghosts Stole Christmas".
Fox Mulder sat on his couch shaking his present that had just been given to him. He rarely received gifts anymore especially now that his mother was the only part of his family left. And they hardly spoke anymore due to his hectic schedule and the fact that she was in Massachusetts. But he knew she meant well. Besides, he would rather get a present from his partner, Dana Scully. He actually considered her closer than a family member anyway. He glanced at Scully as he shook his package again. "Ok, it rattles so I know it's definitely not a tie."
"How could a tie fit in that small box?" Scully asked chidingly. "Unless it was half of one."
"You trying to spoil my fun, Scully?" Mulder asked with his hand still on the present.
"Whatever gave you that idea?" Scully asked with a smirk.
"See, it was always the Mulder tradition to shake the present and determine what is in it BEFORE you open it."
"Yeah, well that was the tradition for the Scully family too." She paused. "Only apparently we were better at determination solutions than you."
Mulder looked at her and flinched. "Ouch. That really hurt, Scully." He glanced at her wrapped gift. "All right, then if you are so smart, why don't you go ahead and shake yours and we'll see how good you are at your determination solution."
"Fine." Scully picked up her present and shook it. "Hmmm…ok it sounds like…candy? No, no wait." She shook it again listening carefully. "Is it a Native American rain stick?"
"A what?"
"You know, its that instrument that Native Americans use in tribal ceremonies? When you….move it, there are elements in it that cause this noise that sounds like rain. I can't remember if they are shells or rice or what. But it does make a soothing nice sound."
"Wait a second." Mulder turned toward her. "Since when do you know about Native American tradition?"
"Missy, did teach me some things you know. I…didn't always agree with them necessarily but I did listen." She lowered her head as a tear came to her eye.
"Scully…"
Scully shook her head. "I'm…I'm sorry. You think I'd be over this by now, wouldn't you? I mean how many years has it been?"
Mulder sighed before scooting over and embracing her warmly. "Scully, the death of your sister is not something you can just easily forget. Especially the circumstances surrounding it." He kissed the top of her forehead tenderly.
"It's this time of year that makes me think of things." Scully answered sniffling. "How I lost my father…Missy.." She closed her eyes tightly.
Mulder reached down and placed his hand under her chin, raising her head to him. He looked deep into her eyes. "And starting now, I want to start a new Mulder tradition."
Scully looked back at him with red puffy eyes. "What's….what's that?"
Mulder took his finger and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I don't want there to be any depressing talk. No talk about departed family members, conspiracies, things that have been lost." He paused. "That mink coat you've been wanting but couldn't afford."
"How….how did you know about that?"
"The next time you have an ad about a mink coat, make sure that you discard it in the office trash better." Mulder replied with a grin.
Scully let out a chuckle. "Why do you always have a way to make me feel better?"
"Well, I normally make people cry so…
She let out another laugh before burying her face in his shoulder. It was true in that Mulder always had a way to make her feel better. He had shown her so much in their six-year partnership together. She saw things differently in her life than she ever had before. And it was all because of "Spooky" Mulder. She raised her head. "Well, I…I know that this present isn't a mink coat anyway." She replied with a half smile.
"You know how they can fit things into tubes, Scully?" Mulder asked raising an eyebrow. "One time I got this tube that had a pair of striped bikini briefs so tight that…"
"Why don't we open our presents before Christmas is over?" Scully asked clearing her throat. "I know I'm just dying to know what this is."
"That makes two of us." Mulder replied sitting back from her. "Who goes first?"
"Well, it's your apartment so why don't you go first?"
"Fair enough." Mulder answered before tearing into the wrapping paper. He felt just like a little kid on Christmas morning. Something he had not felt in a long time. His eyes then widened as he saw what was in the box. "Oh, Scully." He opened up the box, which contained two silver pens. He took them out and could see they were engraved. Best FBI Partner and Property of Special Agent Fox Mulder?" He replied looking at her.
"Well, I know I've been using your pens lately and I wanted to make sure you had your own."
He looked at the tip of the pens and laughed. "How on earth did you get someone to imprint these alien heads?"
"Oh, I know people." She replied with a sly smile.
Mulder pulled back. "Whoa, and just what exactly did you do to get this done, Agent Scully?"
Scully hit him playfully. "Watch it or I'll stick those pens up a place they weren't designed to go."
"Would the alien heads turn colors or something?" He watched as Scully went to hit him again. "Ok, ok I was kidding. I love them, Scully, really. Thank you." He looked at her with a wide smile. "Now, go ahead and open yours. It may not be as fancy as what you got me but…"
Scully tore the wrapping away from her gift. "Oh, Mulder." She turned the object on its side. "Romantic Evening bath salts?"
"Look, I know that you like to take baths so I thought that…" The next thing he knew, Scully was hugging him tightly. He patted her back gently. "I…I take it you like it then?"
"It's wonderful." She replied sniffling.
"Wait, you…you aren't going to cry again on me are you? I thought we agreed on that new tradition?"
She pulled back and smiled. "Sorry, it just really means a lot, Mulder. See, taking baths is a very personal thing for me. And…to know that you bought me something to contribute to that.."
"Well, I uh guess I didn't think of it that way. I just thought it smelled…girly." He paused. "So, you uh want to give it a trial run in my bathtub?" He asked waggling his eyebrows.
"That can be your gift for next Christmas."
"Promise?"
Scully gave him one of her infamous looks. "Don't push it, Spooky boy."
Mulder let out a chuckle before sitting back on his futon again. He glanced at the television screen. "Ah, great. Now they are showing It's A Wonderful Life should have guessed that after A Christmas Carol. Go from Charles Dickens to Jimmy Stewart."
"Boy you really know how to live it up on Christmas don't you?"
"What can I say? I'm the messenger of holiday cheer. I think I've seen A Christmas Carol every year for the past eight years."
Scully glanced at the television and then back at Mulder. "Mulder, do you mind if I ask you something?"
"Do I have it memorized yet? Well….."
"Would you…consider going with me to my mother's for Christmas?"
Mulder turned and looked at her. "I thought your family was supposed to be there?"
"Well, they are but…I just don't want to see you spending Christmas day here all by yourself."
"I've done it every year for the past eight, would hate to break a record." He paused. "Besides, won't Bill be there too? I already know how much he hates my ass."
Scully sighed. "I know that Bill said some pretty rotten things to you, Mulder but…"
"Pretty rotten? He blamed me for when you were dying Scully! He called me a sorry-son-of-a-bitch! He blamed me for everything that was going wrong in your life."
Scully put a hand on the side of his face. "Please, Mulder. Just do this…for me? It would be the best gift you could give me." She had no idea just why she had asked Mulder to go with her to her family's Christmas. It was so unlike her. Yet after what had happened tonight at the house, she somehow felt closer to him. She didn't want him to be alone. And she didn't care what her family might think either.
Mulder looked back into his partner's eyes. There was something different about them although he couldn't place quite what that was. But he could see sincerity in her eyes about her request. "Would….would it mean that much to you?"
She nodded and looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please?"
Mulder sighed. "I guess I can afford to break that record for you."
She hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank you, Mulder! You won't regret this, I promise."
"So, do I need to bring anything to this shin dig?"
She pulled back and looked at him. "Just you."
"All right, you just make sure you keep Bill off me."
Scully smiled before rising from the futon with her present. "I'll take care of Bill. You just keep your temper down if he starts anything all right?"
"Fine." Mulder rose from the futon and glanced at the television. "See you next year, Jimmy." He picked up his remote and turned the set off. He headed to the door with Scully. "Let's go spread some of that holiday cheer."
"Just behave." Scully replied pointing at him.
"Me? I'm the king of good behavior." Mulder grinned before following her out the door, closing and locking it behind him.