Bad weather forces Mulder and Scully to remain out of town on Christmas Eve. Seeing her sad to be missing time with her family, Mulder decides to do something to cheer her up.

December 24, 1996

11:30 p.m.

North Carolina

Scully was annoyed, angry even, and Mulder knew it. Could feel it emanating from across the room as he stood in line with his fellow travelers. All flights were grounded and canceled until further notice, as rain poured down and the wind howled mercilessly.

The weather had in fact been about the same since they had arrived two days ago, but in the past few hours it had gotten worse. Driving to the airport had been nerve wracking, his grip on the steering wheel tight as the wind pushed them from side-to-side.

"Mulder…" Scully had said, shaking her head, holding onto the door handle, and he knew what she was thinking.

"It's okay. We'll still be able to leave."

Her heavy sigh had said it all, not believing they were going to be flying out soon. And she had been right.

He glanced her way and watched her pacing as she spoke on her cell phone, shaking her head and looking down.

Fuck, he thought, trying to scope out the best place for them to sleep, now that they would be stuck in the airport overnight.

"Sir?"

He looked back at the frazzled woman at the airline check-in desk and stepped up to speak to her.

"Hello. My name is Fox Mulder. I'm an FBI agent and my partner and I are trying to get back to Washington D.C."

"Sir, I understand and I am sorry, but all flights have been canceled, as we have stated, and there is nothing I can do to help you."

"Yeah, it's bad out, I know. But there's not-"

"Sir, there is nothing. I don't even think if you had a magic sled that you would be able to fly."

"Right, but it's-"

"Christmas Eve? Sir…" She gave him an exasperated look and sighed deeply. "I know. And I understand. I'm here too."

"Yeah. I'm sorry about that."

"Let me see your ticket." He handed her both of their tickets, feeling hope that there was a possibility, and she typed in some information. "I don't know when the next flight out will be, but I left a note here that I've upgraded your tickets to first class."

"What? Why?" he asked in surprise.

"Because you're the first person to apologize to me tonight and hasn't yelled at me as though this was my fault. As if I can control the weather." He laughed, thinking how amazing it would be if one could control the weather, and she sighed, typing again and handing him back their tickets. "Thank you for understanding."

"You're welcome and thank you. Merry… well, perhaps instead I should say that I hope you have a stress free Christmas Day." He smiled and she shook her head.

"I hope so too. Merry Christmas to you."

He picked up his bag and stepped away from the counter. Putting the tickets into his coat pocket, and not paying attention, he nearly ran into Scully.

"Oh! Geez… I thought you were across the room."

"I was," she said with a sigh. "I was getting us a hotel room."

"Really? They have some available?"

"They have one available." She stared at him and he sighed, nodding his head and looking down at the ground.

"Close by?"

"Mmhmm," she hummed and he looked up at her. "Come on, it's just across the street."

"Well, that's good."

"Yes, but being home would be better," she said quietly and he glanced at her as they began walking. Touching her arm, they stopped, and he smiled slightly.

"I'm sorry," he said, and she sighed again.

"I know you are. You didn't cause this weather."

"No, but wouldn't it be amazing if-"

"However," she said, putting up her hand and interrupting him. "I said before we left the other hotel, of which we had two rooms, that this was going to happen. If we had stayed there, or left yesterday, like I suggested…" She raised her eyebrows and he nodded with a sigh.

"I know. You were right."

"Sorry, I'm gonna need you to repeat that," she said, biting back a smile and cupping her ear.

"You… were… right," he said slowly, with a smile.

"Mmhmm. That means I get to be first to take a warm shower after we walk through the freezing rain."

"Fair enough," he said as they began to walk again. "Or we could double up, both of us will be cold and wouldn't want it to lead to either of us getting sick." He wiggled his eyebrows and she rolled her eyes.

"It will just be you getting sick and I find that I'm okay with that happening."

"You can say that? As a doctor? Someone who took the Hippocratic oath to first do no harm?"

"Ah but see, this was your doing. I'm not putting you in harm's way. I'm not the one who insisted it was just a 'little bit of rain' and we would be fine." She looked at him as they neared the front doors and he nodded.

"Could still double up is all I'm saying."

She snorted and shook her head, turning her head to look out the windows.

"Christ, it's raining hard. We're going to be soaked. Not to mention our bags." She sighed and they nodded at one another, stepping out of the door, the wind blowing them sideways.

He grabbed her arm, hooking it with his own and they walked together into the rain and wind. Blown back a few times, they crossed the street and turned right to the hotel. He struggled to get the door open, the wind then pulling it open and flinging him to the side.

Once inside the doors, they looked at each other, hair dripping wet and blown across their faces. His clothes felt heavy and he hoped the ones in his bag were still dry.

"Well, that was… God, I'm freezing." She shivered as they walked into the lobby, dripping water in their wake.

The woman at the check-in desk clucked her tongue at them, apologizing for the weather and how they must feel, before calling to a man near them to bring out a mop. The lights flickered and they all looked around and then at each other.

"Oh… Christ help us if the power goes out," the woman muttered and then sighed. "Taking the stairs might be a better idea." Mulder nodded as Scully shivered again.

Walking past the large ornately decorated Christmas tree, he opened the door to the stairwell, following Scully up to the third floor, the lights flickering again as they began to walk down the hall.

"You know, I'm going to go back down and see if they have any candles or something, just in case the power goes out completely," he said, turning around, but she stopped him.

"Give me your bag and coat, I'll take them to the room. See if they offer laundry or something here; it's a nice place, they may. And get another key for the room because I'm getting right into the shower." She shivered as she waited for him to take off his coat and then took it and his bag, the wind howling and rain hitting the window beside them.

She continued down the hall as he hurried down the stairs and back to the check-in desk, the woman looking up with a sympathetic smile.

"Everything okay, sir?" she asked. "I asked for some extra towels to be sent up to your room, considering the state of you both."

"I appreciate that. I was wondering if you have any candles or emergency items in case the power goes out? Oh, and could I get an extra keycard?"

"A keycard and candles I can get for you. I'm crossing my fingers that the power doesn't go out, but…" She typed on the keyboard and then handed him a card, as the lights flickered to nearly nothing and then brightened up. "God… I don't think crossing my fingers will be enough. Come with me, please."

He followed her to a supply closet and she took out three round medium sized candles and two books of matches.

"This should be good," he said, thanking her and walking back toward the stairwell.

Almost to room 334, the lights went out for a few seconds and then came back on, gasps coming from some rooms around him. Hurrying to the door, he slid the key in the lock and stepped into the room, the power going out and not returning as he closed the door.

He heard Scully swear from the shower and he laughed softly. Feeling his way around, he set the candles onto what he believed was a dresser. Lighting them quickly, he carried one across the room to the bathroom door. Knocking on it, he turned the knob and opened it up a crack.

"Scully?"

"Yes?"

"I have a candle."

"Thank you," she said with a deep sigh. He set it onto the bathroom counter and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Walking around, he now realized how wet he was, particularly his feet, his toes cold and uncomfortable in his shoes. Taking them off, along with his socks, he undressed down to his boxers, leaving everything in a wet heap.

Knowing how Scully would react to seeing him walking barefoot on the hotel room carpet, he slid on his running shoes without socks, and went through his bag looking for his pajamas by candlelight, everything thankfully still dry despite the outside of the bag being incredibly wet.

Shivering, he heard the shower stop and the curtain open. Trying not to think about Scully naked on the other side of the door, he

distracted himself by looking for a plastic bag into which to place his wet clothes.

The bathroom door opened, Scully stepping out in her robe with her hair wrapped up in a towel.

"Mulder… you shouldn't be undressed yet, you'll get a chill. Go get warmed up in the shower."

"Ohh," he said with a shiver. "So you are worried about me."

"Go," she said, smiling with a shake of her head.

Taking his pajamas with him, he stepped into the bathroom, the candle giving off a bright light.

Warm and dressed, their wet coats hanging in the bathroom, clothes in plastic bags in the bathtub, their wet bags emptied and drying in the tub, they lay in bed with the room lit by only one candle. Scully yawned loudly and let out a sigh.

"Well, it's past midnight… Merry Christmas, Mulder," she said softly and he sighed.

"Merry Christmas, Scully."

They were quiet for a couple of minutes. He was feeling guilty and wanted to say something, but could not find the right words. He heard the sheets rustling and then she grasped his hand, squeezing his fingers.

"It's okay, Mulder," she whispered. "Hopefully we'll be able to leave in the morning. I just… I might miss my nephew as they're leaving in the evening. I have his gifts wrapped and waiting at my apartment. My mom offered to get them, but I don't want her driving over so late in the cold." She sighed and hummed. "I was ahead of the game this year and now… once again Auntie Dana falls short."

"Hey," he said, squeezing her hand and turning his head to look at her, though she kept her gaze on the ceiling. "Blame it on me."

"You mean where the blame lies? Oh, I will," she teased, looking at him with a half smile. He smiled back and she squeezed his hand before releasing it, turning onto her right side, facing away from him and sighing. "Nothing to be done now. It's okay. Goodnight, Mulder."

"Goodnight, Scully," he said softly, staring at her back, watching it rise and fall as she breathed.

Within minutes, she was asleep, but he felt wide awake, trying to formulate a plan. Leaving the bed quietly, he grabbed his cell phone and walked into the dark bathroom, closing the door with a glance back at her making sure she had not woken up.

Dialing a familiar number, he paced as he waited for it to be answered, the light from the phone, the only one in the room.

"Lone Gunman," Frohike said and Mulder exhaled.

"Frohike, it's me," he whispered. "Turn off the tape." He heard some clicks and he nodded.

"Mulder! Where are you? Thought you'd be here to watch the annual tradition of me demolishing Langly in D&D."

"Fat chance," Langly said and Byers laughed.

"Sorry not tonight, boys," he whispered, opening the door quietly. Seeing she was still sleeping soundly, he closed it again.

"Why're you whispering? Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Well…" He told him of being stuck out of town due to the weather, unsure what time they would make it back tomorrow.

"You need us to do something for you?"

"I do. Uhh… I need you to go to Scully's apartment and get the gifts she bought for her family and then bring them to her mother's house. It's my fault we're stuck here, but it will reflect badly on her and I don't want that to be the case." Silence met his ear and he thought he had lost him.

"Hello?"

"Yeah."

"You heard me?"

"I did."

"Can you do it?"

"Please. Of course I can do it."

"So…"

"I'll get them and drop them off in a few hours."

"Thanks, Frohike. I owe you."

"No, not for this one," Frohike said and then sighed. "For the beautiful Agent Scully, it's not a problem."

"Easy man…" Mulder said and Frohike laughed. "You have that key to her place?"

"Yeah, we have it."

"Okay. Thank you. Her mom's address-"

"We have that too."

"Christ… if I wasn't friends with you guys, I'd be terrified of you, you know that, right?"

"As you should be. I'll get it done."

The phone clicked off, plunging the room into darkness, and Mulder smiled. Opening the door, he set his phone on the nightstand, blew out the candle and laid down, sleep finding him quickly.

Christmas morning

7:30 a.m.

They were eating breakfast in the hotel restaurant, the power having been restored around six that morning.

Rain still fell, though not as heavy as the previous night. The wind continued howling, delaying their flight. Roads were closed with concerns of flash floods, leaving them stranded for the time being.

Scully was quiet as she ate her toast and a bowl of fruit. He was also quiet, waiting to learn if Frohike had been able to accomplish his task, hoping Scully would be receiving a phone call of thanks and happiness on this Christmas morning.

As she reached for her cup of coffee, her phone rang. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and answered it, no doubt expecting a guilt ridden call.

"Hello? Brandon? Merry Christmas, sweetie! What? The building set? How did you…?" She opened her eyes and looked at Mulder. He raised his eyebrows, feigning ignorance. "They were on the porch? Grandma said what? Oh, that Santa must have brought them to you? I… I think he must have, or an elf maybe. Can I speak to grandma, please? Okay. Yes, I'm happy you like the gifts. You're welcome."

She stared at Mulder as she waited and he could almost hear her thinking and figuring it all out.

"Mom? Yes, Merry Christmas. Please tell me you didn't go out and get those gifts." She was quiet, looking down at the table before lifting her eyes to his again. "They were on the porch? They were all just out there?" She nodded and smiled slowly, looking down again.

He smiled as he watched her, happy that even if he had completely messed up her ability to be there with them, he had done something to redeem her in their eyes.

And create a story for years to come, he thought, smiling again.

"Well, I just don't know how to explain it," she said, raising her head and smiling at him, knowing he had to have been involved somehow. "It's a Christmas mystery. Yeah, like the snowman…. Good, I'm glad. I heard him, yeah. He is. Yeah. Yeah, I'll tell him. Merry Christmas, Mom. Love you."

"My mother says Merry Christmas," she said as she hung up and crossed her arms on the table, looking at him expectantly as he nodded.

"What was that about a snowman?" he asked and she frowned. "You said it was 'like the snowman.' What does that mean?"

"When we were little we made a snowman out in a field and then in the morning the same snowman was standing on our porch," she said.

"You made a magic snowman? And you've never mentioned it?" He shook his head and she laughed softly.

"How did you do that, Mulder? Get all of the presents there?"

"Me? How could I have done that, Scully? I've been with you. Must be some of that snowman magic."

"Mulder…"

"I made a call and it was answered." He shrugged and she reached across the table to grip his hand.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They got up a few minutes later and as they walked out of the restaurant, she stopped him with a hand on his arm, tilting her head to the side and staring up at him, her brows knitted together.

"The gifts were in my apartment. My locked apartment. You drove us to the airport, so you have your keys. I have mine. That's all the keys to my apartment, aside from my mother's set, so how did they get in?"

"I would think you would know by now that they can get in anywhere."

"Mulder…" She raised her eyebrows and he let out a breath. "They have a copy of my keys?"

"Of both of our keys." He shrugged and she stared at him. "Just in case it's ever needed and either of us is unable… It's just in case, Scully." He sighed again and she nodded slowly.

"It makes sense," she said softly.

"Covering the bases and all that."

Nodding, she stepped forward, rising up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek, placing a hand on his chest to steady herself.

"Thank you," she whispered and he nodded as she stepped back.

Smiling, he gestured toward the crowd of other guests stranded at Christmas, who were gathering around the tree in the lobby, and she nodded. Placing a hand on her back, they joined the group, though remained on the outskirts as carols began to be sung and some groups of people even exchanged gifts.

She slipped her hand into his and he smiled, squeezing gently. Leaning her head against his arm, he heard her softly joining in with the singing and he hummed along, this Christmas the best he'd had in a long time.

Canceled flight, wild storm, power outage and all.