Disclaimer: I do not own "The X-Files"

AN: Mary Christmas everyone!

Dana Scully was very carefully as she crept through the halls. She wasn't ready for the rest of her family to wake up yet.

Carefully stepping over Sam's Santa trap which had caught nothing, she went into the kitchen an grabbed the flour from the cabinet, then eggs and butter and chocolate chips because she knew Sam liked them.

Soon, she had glorious stack of pancakes before her.

As she was making the last one, she heard a sleep-laden voice behind her asking, "Mommy, why are you up?"

Scully turned to see Sam standing there in slightly too large red and green chrismas gown holding Exely.

"Good morning to you, too, Sammy." Scully quipped, "And Merry Chrismas."

Sam's face brightened immediately. "Does that mean we can open presents, now?!" She asked hopefully.

Scully smiled. "We still have to wait for your Papa, honey."

"Where is Papa, Mommy?" Sam asked, doing a little excited dance.

"I think he's still asleep." Scully answered. Then she got a sneaky idea in her head. "But I think you and I need to do something about that."

Without a wall of Scully to stop him, Fox Mulder had wound up on his stomach, still never much asleep. At least until he felt someone shaking his side. "Mulder…." A soft voice called out, "Mulder…"

"Five more minutes." Mulder groggily protested. For once in his life he was enjoying sleep and wasn't ready to give it up yet.

Scully and exchanged looks, silently counting down. Three, two, one.

With they both jumped on the bed, grabbing pillows. "Mulder, get up!" Scully said, hitting him with a pillow. Not hard enough to hurt him, if one can be hurt with a pillow, but enough to get his attention.

Sam was even more enthusiastic. "Wake up!" She shouted, pounding her father with her pillow, "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

"Mercy, please." Mulder moaned, covering himself with the cover.

"It's Christmas, Papa!" Sam informed in case he forgot, "Presents! Get up, get up, get up!"

"Okay, okay, I'm awake." Mulder finally surrender, sitting upright, "You know, the birthday boy would've let me sleep."

"Nice, Mulder." Scully snarked, as they were both lead into the living room. "Okay, food first, or presents?"

Sam looked between the glorious pile of presents under the tree, and the glorious stack of pancakes in the kitchen, conflicted. "Can't we do both?"

Scully looked over to the father of her child for help.

"Hey, don't make me be the bad guy here." Mulder replied, "I was the bad guy last time."

However, that was when Scully came up with the diplomatic solution. "Why don't we eat first so Papa can get the camera?"
"Okay." Sam agreed, practically skipping to the kitchen.

Sam stared as the syrup continued to fall on the pancake.

"Are you going to have some pancakes with that syrup?" Mulder asked, coming over and setting down at the table with the camera.

"I got plenty of pancakes." Sam protested.

"I see that." Mulder said looking at the stack that in his measurements were as tall as she was, "I can't believe you let her get a stack that big."

"It's Christmas, Mulder." Scully brushed it off, "Let her eat as much as she wants." Then she handed him large stack. "Plus, I cooked way too many."

"Well, can't argue with that." Mulder replied, digging in himself.

After breakfast Sam read to the huge pile of presents. They knew they probably overdid it, and they were likely spoiling her, but they had waited so long for her and she wouldn't be little for very long. "Sammy, open that one first." Scully said, pointing to the present that you could clearly tell what it was even through the wrapping.

Sam ran to it and starting pulling off the wrapping revealing a sparkly pink bike. Sam squealed, jumping up and down then ran and hugged both of her parents, tight.

"I take it that means she's happy with it?" Mulder guessed, trying to breath.

"Yeah, I'd say she's happy with it." Scully confirmed.

While the bike was clearly the favorite of the morning, everything present was given its due. By the end of the event, Sam was wearing a purple jumper over her gown, her hair pinned back with matching bow clip, and she was already dawning the pink safety gear that went with the bike with a sparkling purple purse over her shoulder, and she had already started in on both new coloring books, and the little bit journal with a heart lock, counted on the abacus, flipped through the picture books played the plastic purple cow that honked when squeeze that Doggett had dropped off because apparently he hated them, snuggled the pink stuff elephant, also from Doggett and trying to see if the doll Bill had sent could help her untie the barbie currently trapped inside the box.

"I can get that." Mulder offered, taking the box and getting a pair of scissors and screw driver. He made much quicker work of the box then she did and handed the doll back to her.

That when Scully took a moment to stable but a wrapped box on his lap. "I know we said we weren't exchanging gifts, but…I saw this and couldn't help myself."

Mulder responded by sliding a wrapped box into her lap as well, "Same here."

Mulder carefully opened the wrapping. "The Encolpia of Cryptozoology?"

"How could I see that and not think of you?" Scully pointed out before digging into her own gift. It was dark leather journal bound with a matching strip and golden buckle. "Mulder…" She began, "It's beautiful…"

"Do-do you still journal?" Mulder asked nervously, "I wasn't sure."

"Not as often as I use to but I still do." Scully assured him, "I love it."

Mulder responded by kissing on the check. "Merry Christmas, Scully."