Chapter 5
A/N: Thanks for bearing with me...this week did not go as planned and my idea of getting the story done kind of went kaput. I forced myself to get this chapter up after getting death threat-like reviews...sorry I made you wait!
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When Mulder returned to the kitchen Scully noticed that he hadn't cleaned himself up. Someone must've been in the --- oh no. She realized what must have just happened and how bad it was. She'd have to ask later, right now her mom was frantically cleaning up so she could start dinner.
"Dana, would you and Mulder maybe take the kids in and put a movie on for them? There's a big can of popcorn, if you want to make strings of it for the tree. We're decorating after dinner."
Mulder looked at Scully and smiled. Her mom was queen of her home and perfect at managing it whether there were two extra people or eleven. Mulder caught little Patrick by the hand and Danielle willingly took the other one. Scully scooped the baby out of her high chair and grabbed the popcorn with her free arm. Together with the kids they headed to the family room.
Scully found a copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas sitting on top of the TV. She sighed. Her mother thought of everything ahead of time. It was amazing.
With the kids settled in, Scully threaded plastic needles for them to make popcorn strings. She and Mulder started two of their own, and the baby fell asleep in her lap, watching as the green Grinch ruined Christmas for the Whos.
"This feels cozy, wouldn't you say, love?" Mulder teased, tossing a piece of popcorn into his mouth.
Scully smiled. "I think you can drop the act since everyone else is upstairs. I wonder what happened to Charlie and Laura...must be taking a nap or something. I'll be the drive wore them out."
Mulder scooted over next to her. "Sounds like a good idea, doesn't it?"
Scully didn't fend him off this time. "Actually, I am pretty beat. I guess a day of driving, baking, and stringing is worse than one chasing mutants and enduring your driving skills..."
"Hey!" Mulder shouted, pushing her with his shoulder.
"Mulder! Don't do that, you'll wake up Marissa."
Mulder looked down at the sleeping two-year-old in Scully's lap. She was a perfect little angel with smooth baby skin and delicate little eyelashes. She was wearing a lavender jumper with a little white shirt, her fist almost in her mouth as she slept. You could tell she was a Scully simply by looking at her, and if he didn't know any better, he would take her to be his partner's child. She had the same soft reddish hair as all of Charlie's kids, but more importantly like Scully's. She was beautiful, fair skinned and her eyes were just like his partner's. Mulder's mind sifted through all of the knowledge that Scully would never have a baby like this one, but at the same time he went through the possibilities of what a child that belonged to both of them might be like...
"Mulder?" Scully asked for a second time.
"Sorry...I guess we do need that nap."
"Yeah..." She mused, though it wasn't the topic she'd wanted to cover. "Listen, what happened upstairs? I realized after you came back that I'd sent you into the lion's den."
Mulder looked puzzled for a minute, having completely forgotten the events of earlier. He laughed. "Oh yeah...it really wasn't that bad. I opened the door and found Bill on his knees in front of Mattie. He started mouthing off, but couldn't say much since he was in front of his little kid, and then I left."
Scully breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as you're both alive..."
Mulder looked at her with sudden surprise. "I didn't tell you? That's why he hasn't been downstairs in the last two hours."
Scully laughed and looked down at Marissa. She'd been thinking all the same things as Mulder...She wanted one of her own, and if she could...she knew that he'd be the only person she'd dream of conceiving with.
"Aunt Dana, where's Mommy?" Danielle asked, interrupting their quiet moment.
"She's still upstairs. I think she and daddy are taking naps just like Marissa here," Scully replied.
"Okay...when's dinner?" Danielle asked. She was at that age where every question answered was another one asked.
Mrs. Scully, who was just coming into the room answered her.
"In twenty more minutes, Danielle. Now, let me see how those popcorn chains are coming!" She exclaimed, catching the attention of her two grandchildren.
"Look at mine, Grandmom!" Danielle shouted holding it up for her to examine. "Isn't it the best one you've ever seen? Mine is the longest!"
Mrs. Scully laughed and examined both Danielle and Patrick's chains, proclaiming them both to be the best she'd ever seen. She looked over and saw Marissa asleep and smiled at her daughter.
"I guess you haven't moved in awhile thanks to her," Mrs. Scully said, motioning to Marissa. "Let me take her upstairs and put her to bed in her bassinet."
Mrs. Scully gently picked up the baby without disturbing a hair on her head. "And why don't the two of you come with me? We can wake your parents up, clean you guys up for dinner, and find your little cousin Mattie and his baby sister."
"I'm gonna find Matt right now! I know where he'll be...in Uncle Bill's room! And Aunt Dana said that Mommy was asleep with Daddy. Did you know that they still take naps, Grandma? Even I don't take naps!" Danielle chatted away while they headed upstairs, and Patrick followed quietly, as usual.
"They're a pair," Mulder observed as they disappeared.
"Yeah," Scully said, moving her legs stiffly. Both of them had fallen asleep. "Danielle is so talkative and Patrick is so quiet. I don't know where she gets it from either. Charlie and Laura are both pretty reserved."
"Its that damned new-fangled MTV," Mulder said in an old-man-tone of voice. He threw his arm around Scully and pulled her in toward his body. "Not like when we were young. We knew how to act!"
Scully instinctively pulled away from him, but didn't get far. His grip was tighter than she'd suspected. Instead she answered, "You can feel however you want about yourself, but I still like to think of myself as 'young.'"
"Oh, you are, beautiful," Mulder said, tickling her a little.
Scully was laughing and squirming around in Mulder's arms when Bill came down the stairs. They both stopped dead and looked up at him, then shifted uncomfortably away from one another.
Bill went into the kitchen without a word.
Mulder looked at Scully. "Hm, that was normal."
Scully sighed and stood up. "Well, what did you expect? He's not my mom. He's not going to smile and say 'aw, how cute.' I mean, he really doesn't like you, and he doesn't like that I do....I mean, well, you know what I mean."
Did he know what she meant? Was she talking seriously to him, referring to real life, or was it part of her act? He couldn't tell anymore, and that bothered him. It was almost as it, the two had merged into one.
Mrs. Scully came down the stairs followed by the two sleepy mothers, kids in tow. Tara had Elianna in a carrier, and was leading Mattie by the hand, letting him take his time on the steps. Marissa was still asleep, and Charlie had said he'd be down in a minute.
The entire family assembled in the dining room and all of them sat down after settling the food and the kids.
"This is amazing, Mom, you really outdid yourself!" Charlie said, joining the gang.
The food was delicious, and after Mrs. Scully and the girls had cleared the table, they brought out a cake for desert. Tara didn't want any, since she claimed to be working off her new baby pounds. She was still as skinny as Scully had ever seen her, and she cradled her newborn in her arms, feeding her.
"I want the first piece!" Danielle cried excited.
"Danielle, don't be rude," Laura scolded. "Everyone wants cake just as much as you do."
Mrs. Scully was more than happy to dish out generous pieces of the chocolate iced cake. Soon everyone was eating happily, and quietly.
Scully finished her piece quickly and licked her lips. "That was delicious. It definitely tasted like more."
Mulder noticed that Bill was still alert to every movement he made, so he chose his next one carefully. He caught up a piece of cake on his fork and held it up as an offering.
"Here, sweetie," he said, slightly emphasizing the second word slightly. He pushed the fork forward to meet her lips.
Scully was a little surprised, but opened her mouth to accept the extra bite of delicious cake that she was receiving. It was funny to be fed like that, and maybe it was her imagination, but it seemed like the piece tasted better.
Neither one of them missed the angry glance and bad vibes floating down the table from Bill.
After dinner and dishes were settled, the entire Scully family made its way into the living room, where the undecorated tree stood ready in a corner. Laura brought Marissa, who had woken up, down to watch, while Tara took Elianna up to put her down for the night.
Bill and Charlie strung the lights, corn balls, and beads around the tree while the rest of the family sang carols with the kids and held conversation.
"Its all ready for you little munchkins to decorate," Charlie said, handing control over to his mom and her boxes of ornaments.
Patrick, Mattie, and Danielle managed to surround the lower part of the tree in ornaments, leaving the top half for the grown-ups to reach.
"Dana, here are some of the special ornaments you used to hang as a kid. This one has your name on it...and this is from your first Christmas...oh, and here are the ones you made in grade school!" Mrs. Scully excitedly passed out ornaments from the box.
Mulder snatched a colored ball that had his partner's picture on one side and squiggly painted on designs surrounding it.
"Cute," he said, motioning to her picture.
"Dana was only six when she made that," Mrs. Scully said proudly. "She gave it to me as a Christmas present. You can hang it, if Dana doesn't mind...Oh! Let me get some ornaments for you!"
Bill made a face as she handed over several ornaments that his father used to hang up, and then protested at the last one.
"Mom, that one is a family heirloom, don't you think someone in the family should hang it?"
Mrs. Scully gave her son a fierce look that told him to hold his tongue.
"He has no right..." Bill shouted angrily. "That was one that dad used to hang on the highest branch he could reach, so none of us would break it...and then he'd lift Dana up to put the angel on."
"Well, Fox is tall enough, I'm sure he can put it up where it will be safe," was his mothers only reply.
Mulder was a little surprised. He'd been trying to cause a little bit of friction here and there for the entire day, but now without even meaning to he'd gotten Bill into a fury. He looked at Scully for help, but she just assured him with her eyes that he should hang the ornament and be done with it.
With Bill still shooting him looks that could kill, Mulder walked up to the tree and hung the Scully family Christmas keepsake from the highest branch he could find.
Charlie, Tara, and Laura finished hanging ornaments and then the angel was presented. Mrs. Scully handed it right to Dana, as usual. In the years following her father's death she had unceremoniously stood on a chair and plopped the angel on top of the tree.
Bill went to started to drag over an armchair, but before he could reach the tree, Mulder had whispered something to his partner.
In one movement Mulder bent down and put his head between Scully's legs, supporting her on his shoulders. He lifted her up, holding on to her legs with his arms to steady her. Scully laughed as she grew in height toward the tree. Bill watched with disgust while the rest of the family joined in laughing.
They were a sight to behold, looking like two kids ready for a 'chicken fight.' Scully held the angel in both hands, focusing on centering her weight so as not to fall off as Mulder walked toward the tree. Gently, she placed the angel on top and the Scully family cheered as her mother lit the tree for the first time.
Mulder walked to the couch, turned away from it and dropped his partner onto the soft cushions. With her still sprawled on the center cushion he turned and kneeled in front of her, holding both of her hands.
Scully looked at Mulder with confusion, but smiled at the warm look he returned to her. His hands enclosed hers and were pleasantly warm themselves.
Mulder didn't know what he was doing, but just being close to his beautiful partner was intoxicating.
"You're my angel," he whispered to her, chiding himself immediately for how corny it sounded.
Scully chose that moment to lean forward and kiss him gently on the lips. It wasn't much of a kiss, but enough to satisfy them. They smiled at one another and Mulder sat down beside her on the couch.
Tara and Laura put the younger kids to bed while Charlie got Danielle and Patrick into their pajamas. Mrs. Scully set out a tray of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa. She also made hot chocolate for everyone, bringing it into the living room on a huge tray full of mugs.
Mulder and Scully remained on the couch, and Bill sat down on a love seat with his wife. Charlie and Laura settled on a second, larger couch with their two kids nestled on either side of them, and Mrs. Scully took the arm chair.
Mrs. Scully turned out the lights and put on A Christmas Carol, and the entire family watched. The kids fell asleep almost immediately, but the adults who had had naps faired okay.
Scully snuggled up to her warm partner, and soon found his arm draped lightly around her shoulders. Taking that as a further invite, she scooted closer to him and laid her head against his chest. She was comfortable, felt safe, and could smell the delicious smell that was Mulder. She was asleep when the movie ended, and if Bill hadn't woken her up, Mulder would have carried her upstairs to their bed.
Scully thought about that as she roused herself fully awake to make her ascent. They would be sharing a bed for the first time. She knew that Bill was following behind, extremely pissed as he contemplated the very same thing.
Scully smiled as she realized exactly what to do. She and Mulder would have to put on a little show for her big brother...