I woke up early that next morning, Charlie and Anne would surely still be asleep…the little ones as well. But Mulder and mom would probably already be awake. I showered and changed into a pair of black jeans and a white sweater with a pretty low neckline. I quietly made my way downstairs and into the kitchen, I could already smell mom making the turkey. When I opened the door to the kitchen she was sitting at the informal dinning table.
She looked up at me and smiled, "morning Dana."
"Morning mom, are you the only one besides me awake?"
"No. Mulder's in the living room. I think it snowed pretty hard last night. The weather channel said four inches, maybe more. It's going to snow tonight as well."
"And you're telling me all this because?"
"Oh, I just thought I'd let you know. When Charlie and Anne wake up you four should go outside. I'll watch Kaylie and Bradley, you and Charlie haven't been in the snow together in years. It's good exercise as well, and you and Mulder could have a snowball fight…you know they can be romantic, in a way."
I groaned, "not you too mom. I heard enough from Anne already. How many times will I have to tell you guys, there is nothing going on between us. Nothing at all."
"Alright dear. I was just saying that it would be fun."
I nodded my head not wanting to take the conversation further. After making me a cup of coffee I went into the living room to find Mulder. He was watching 'It's a Wonderful Life'. "Mulder, how many times have you seen that movie?" I inquired.
"More than I care to remember. You're up pretty early."
"I woke up around 6:30, I would've been down sooner but thought it wise to hurry up and shower. When did you wake up?"
"5 something, im not sure really. Your mother was already up when I came down here at 6. I was a bit surprised."
"Yeah, she normally wakes up early on Christmas eve. Getting a head start on Christmas dinner. Charlie and Anne probably won't be down for awhile though. If I know my brother he won't wake up until around 8, and then Anne will most likely sleep later. The kids should sleep for awhile as well."
"Is Bradley the one who watches 'Babe' all the time?"
"No, that's Mattie. Bradley's favorite cartoon is 'The Lion King'. He knows every word to every song."
Mulder nodded and we went back to watching the movie. Around 8 o'clock, like I had said, Charlie came slumping down the stairs, he walked into the kitchen rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and sat next to me on the couch, forcing me to scoot closer to Mulder.
It's a conspiracy, Charlie, Mom, and Anne have gotten together to push Mulder and I together. No matter how uncomfortable they make me in the process. Oh no, that would mean that they have compassion. But who knows, maybe their little ploy will work. Because believe you me, there's a ploy.
I glare at my brother and he pretends not to know, around 15 minutes later Anne comes down as well, although she has--like me--taken her shower already. She sits next to Mulder forcing us to move closer still.
I knew it! The conspiracy isn't in the government, it's in the Scully family!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 hours later
"Auntie Day!" Bradley says jumping into my lap.
"Yes Bradley."
"Pway in snow?"
"Right now?"
"Yep."
"You'll have to ask your mother buddy. I can't decided for her."
He jumps off my lap and goes to find Anne. I turn to Mulder, "if she says yes, you're coming with me."
"Ah Scully, why?"
"Because, it's freezing out there. I'll be damned if I have to freeze my ass off and you get to stay inside and laugh at me."
"I won't laugh. I swear."
"Uh-uh, not going to fly Mulder. You're coming. Weather you like it or not."
About that time Bradley jumps, not into my lap, but into Mulder's. "Mommy say I pway in snow…if Mu…Mu…"
"Just call me Mr. Fox."
"If Mr. Fox come wit us."
I said it before, ploy.
I laugh and Mulder looks at me evilly, I shrug my shoulders and he turns back to Bradley. "Ok buddy, I'll play in the snow with you. Go on and get dressed."
Bradley jumps out of his lap and runs up to his bedroom, Mulder and I get off the couch as well and we both go to our separate rooms to change. 15 minutes later, Mulder, Bradley, and I are outside playing in the snow. Im not exactly sure why Anne and Charlie didn't come out as well, I think they're wrapping Bradley's Christmas presents.
We end up making snow angels and then Mulder and Bradley make a snowman while mom and I sit on the porch and watch.
"He's very good with kids Dana." Mom points out to me, as if I didn't already see that.
"Mom, for the umpteenth time, there's nothing going on between Mulder and I. Furthermore, if there was something going on between us it's not like I could have children anyway."
She looks at me hurt, "im so sorry Dana. That was insensitive of me, I wasn't thinking."
"It's not your fault mom. I know who to blame for my inability to conceive. And when I do finally get married there's always adoption."
"You're right." She agrees.
"Auntie Day!" Bradley calls, "come wook at snowman."
I smile over at mom before getting off of the porch and walking over to where Mulder and Bradley were putting the finishing touches on the snowman. I smile at their creation, "what's his name?"
Bradley thinks about this for a moment and then whispers something into Mulder's ear. Mulder nods his head and Bradley looks back at me. "His name is Bob." Bradley says proudly.
"That's a good name." I agree.
"Bradley!" Mom calls from the porch, "time to go inside!"
"Oh, gamma. I have to?"
"Yes. Come on."
He frowns and runs towards the house. About the same time Charlie and Anne step out on the porch, ready to get into the snow. Anne comes up to me and pulls me to a separate part of the yard while Charlie pulls Mulder to another.
"What's this all about Anne?"
"We're going to have a snowball fight. Women against men. See which gender is really superior."
I smiled mischievously and we went about making a snowball fort, it wasn't much in the way of protection, but since we were both short we didn't have to make it as high as Charlie and Mulder had to make theirs. After we got done with our shelter we started making snowballs. After we had made an ample amount of snowballs I threw one at Mulder. Since he was bending over at the time it hit him square in the ass and try as I might I couldn't keep the laughter in. He looked at me taken aback.
"I can't believe you just cheated like that."
"Oh, I don't believe there was ever any rules established. All's fair in snow and war Mulder." I threw another snowball and it hit him right in the face. This was just too easy.
We all started to throw snowballs, but after awhile it looked as if there was no hope for Mulder and Charlie, Anne and I were just too good to beat. I threw a snowball at my little brother and it hit him in the back of the head. He got a evil look on his face and ran towards me. But, being as smart as I am, I dunked out of the way and he went crashing into our fort. I laughed and Anne pushed him further into the snow.
Charlie must have thought this wrong because he grabbed his wife by the ankles and she came crashing into the snow. I looked upon this display with laughter. I guess I should have been paying attention because before I knew it I was bombarded with snowballs. I stood there for awhile after they stopped, stunned. Before I turned at looked at the culprit.
Mulder was standing before me with a sly smile, he had gotten pretty close and I had gotten pretty pissed. I pushed him as hard as I could and he went falling back into the snow, however, he grabbed my coat on the way down and drug me right along with him. I ended up landing on top of him. We fought in the snow for awhile before he flipped us around so that I was the one lying with my back in the snow and he was hovering over me. I kicked violently but my efforts were to no avail. By that time I heard no other noise so I concluded that they finally thought their conspiracy had worked and went inside.
I made no noise, just looked up at Mulder and he looked down at me. We laid there for awhile before I started to grow cold from the snow. "Mulder, im getting wet."
"So."
"So, what if I catch pneumonia? Do you want me getting sick because of you?" My mind traveled back to the incident to the hotel, when I woke Mulder up and he was wearing nothing but boxers. I was instantly warmed. A tingle traveled down my spine and I shivered. Not because of the cold, but because I was just aware of the position Mulder and I were in. Things were pressing together that I really didn't care to be at the moment.
"You weren't kidding when you said that you were cold were you?"
Huh? Oh, the shiver. Guess I should play along right? "No Mulder. I wasn't. You think you could let me up?"
He nodded and moved off of me, and I instantly regretted saying anything. I stood up and extended my arms out to help him up. He took the offer and got out of the snow and we walked into the house, his hand in its normal resting place on the small of my back. I smiled at the contact but as soon as we got inside I ran upstairs to change into something warm and dry.
Not five minutes after I got done changing there was a knock at my door. "Yeah." I called wrapping a small blanket around my shoulders.
"It's Anne."
Oh boy. I sat down on my bed, "come on in."
She came in, a small--but telling--smile playing on her lips. "So…" She only said the one word, but dragged it out accordingly.
"Do you ever give up? There's nothing going on between Mulder and I."
"Don't play me for a fool Dana Katherine Scully, I was spying on you through the window. I saw the whole 15 minute gaze you two shared. And it didn't look like there was very much space between you."
"There wasn't any space between us Anne, but that doesn't mean there's anything going on between us."
"And it doesn't mean you don't want something to be going on. Admit it, you've got feelings for Mulder. You know you can tell me these things, I've never had a sister so I've never been able to confide in anybody, nor they in me. Please, it'll make you feel better…just tell me."
I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily, "alright, if it'll make the nagging stop. What I say still holds true, there is nothing going on between Mulder and I, romantically or physically. Got that? But that doesn't mean I don't have feelings for him. Both romantic and physical. But, it all comes down to weather he has those feelings for me. And im not willing to risk our partnership, or friendship, if he doesn't. Or if he thinks that he does, but then it turns out he doesn't. Are you happy now?"
"Very, and believe you me. He has those feelings for you. Now tell me everything, all the little moments you've unconsciously shared, because believe me when I say this. Before Charlie and I got together we were friends, and we would share these little moments that neither of us realized what exactly was going on. And from what I can tell you guys do too."
"If I named all of them we'd be in here until I had to go home. But, he has told me some very sweet things over the years. As have I with him."
"Name a few."
"Well, he said I was his one in five billion, among other things, and the constant innuendos. But those are another story in themselves."
"Oh, pray tell."
So, we stayed in my room for the lighter part of three hours, just talking about incidents in Mulder's and my past. From iced tea to the I love you--which I still say was the product of drugs, although Anne seems to think otherwise. It all lead up to the point in the hotel room were we both gawked at each other in our night apparel, our very reveling night apparel.
The only reason we went downstairs is because mom knocked on my door and I made Anne shut up about what we were talking about. I had made her swear hours prior that not a word of this was to be breathed to anybody, at anytime. Even if she was on her deathbed. And if she did, then her deathbed was exactly where she would be. I think she understood.
Mulder and I were once again squished together on the couch, but this time I took the time to notice Mulder's reaction to the whole ordeal, he didn't seem to bother, on the contrary, he seemed to be moving closer to me even when he wasn't being pushed by my sister-in-law. Anne and I shared many a glances, that neither mom, Charlie, or Mulder could differentiate.
All in all, it felt good that somebody finally knew.
~**~**~**~
a/n: I hope you weren't expecting them to get together so soon in the game. Oh no, this is going to be a long and torturous experience, for both the characters in the story and the readers. I know that it took me a long time to get this out, and im sorry! It's just I have a lot of things on my plate at the moment, and then im a bit more focused on Return to Me, and To Save the World follows right behind it…this is in a close third though. However, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. More to come, hopefully sooner rather than later.
~Brittany~
She looked up at me and smiled, "morning Dana."
"Morning mom, are you the only one besides me awake?"
"No. Mulder's in the living room. I think it snowed pretty hard last night. The weather channel said four inches, maybe more. It's going to snow tonight as well."
"And you're telling me all this because?"
"Oh, I just thought I'd let you know. When Charlie and Anne wake up you four should go outside. I'll watch Kaylie and Bradley, you and Charlie haven't been in the snow together in years. It's good exercise as well, and you and Mulder could have a snowball fight…you know they can be romantic, in a way."
I groaned, "not you too mom. I heard enough from Anne already. How many times will I have to tell you guys, there is nothing going on between us. Nothing at all."
"Alright dear. I was just saying that it would be fun."
I nodded my head not wanting to take the conversation further. After making me a cup of coffee I went into the living room to find Mulder. He was watching 'It's a Wonderful Life'. "Mulder, how many times have you seen that movie?" I inquired.
"More than I care to remember. You're up pretty early."
"I woke up around 6:30, I would've been down sooner but thought it wise to hurry up and shower. When did you wake up?"
"5 something, im not sure really. Your mother was already up when I came down here at 6. I was a bit surprised."
"Yeah, she normally wakes up early on Christmas eve. Getting a head start on Christmas dinner. Charlie and Anne probably won't be down for awhile though. If I know my brother he won't wake up until around 8, and then Anne will most likely sleep later. The kids should sleep for awhile as well."
"Is Bradley the one who watches 'Babe' all the time?"
"No, that's Mattie. Bradley's favorite cartoon is 'The Lion King'. He knows every word to every song."
Mulder nodded and we went back to watching the movie. Around 8 o'clock, like I had said, Charlie came slumping down the stairs, he walked into the kitchen rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and sat next to me on the couch, forcing me to scoot closer to Mulder.
It's a conspiracy, Charlie, Mom, and Anne have gotten together to push Mulder and I together. No matter how uncomfortable they make me in the process. Oh no, that would mean that they have compassion. But who knows, maybe their little ploy will work. Because believe you me, there's a ploy.
I glare at my brother and he pretends not to know, around 15 minutes later Anne comes down as well, although she has--like me--taken her shower already. She sits next to Mulder forcing us to move closer still.
I knew it! The conspiracy isn't in the government, it's in the Scully family!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 hours later
"Auntie Day!" Bradley says jumping into my lap.
"Yes Bradley."
"Pway in snow?"
"Right now?"
"Yep."
"You'll have to ask your mother buddy. I can't decided for her."
He jumps off my lap and goes to find Anne. I turn to Mulder, "if she says yes, you're coming with me."
"Ah Scully, why?"
"Because, it's freezing out there. I'll be damned if I have to freeze my ass off and you get to stay inside and laugh at me."
"I won't laugh. I swear."
"Uh-uh, not going to fly Mulder. You're coming. Weather you like it or not."
About that time Bradley jumps, not into my lap, but into Mulder's. "Mommy say I pway in snow…if Mu…Mu…"
"Just call me Mr. Fox."
"If Mr. Fox come wit us."
I said it before, ploy.
I laugh and Mulder looks at me evilly, I shrug my shoulders and he turns back to Bradley. "Ok buddy, I'll play in the snow with you. Go on and get dressed."
Bradley jumps out of his lap and runs up to his bedroom, Mulder and I get off the couch as well and we both go to our separate rooms to change. 15 minutes later, Mulder, Bradley, and I are outside playing in the snow. Im not exactly sure why Anne and Charlie didn't come out as well, I think they're wrapping Bradley's Christmas presents.
We end up making snow angels and then Mulder and Bradley make a snowman while mom and I sit on the porch and watch.
"He's very good with kids Dana." Mom points out to me, as if I didn't already see that.
"Mom, for the umpteenth time, there's nothing going on between Mulder and I. Furthermore, if there was something going on between us it's not like I could have children anyway."
She looks at me hurt, "im so sorry Dana. That was insensitive of me, I wasn't thinking."
"It's not your fault mom. I know who to blame for my inability to conceive. And when I do finally get married there's always adoption."
"You're right." She agrees.
"Auntie Day!" Bradley calls, "come wook at snowman."
I smile over at mom before getting off of the porch and walking over to where Mulder and Bradley were putting the finishing touches on the snowman. I smile at their creation, "what's his name?"
Bradley thinks about this for a moment and then whispers something into Mulder's ear. Mulder nods his head and Bradley looks back at me. "His name is Bob." Bradley says proudly.
"That's a good name." I agree.
"Bradley!" Mom calls from the porch, "time to go inside!"
"Oh, gamma. I have to?"
"Yes. Come on."
He frowns and runs towards the house. About the same time Charlie and Anne step out on the porch, ready to get into the snow. Anne comes up to me and pulls me to a separate part of the yard while Charlie pulls Mulder to another.
"What's this all about Anne?"
"We're going to have a snowball fight. Women against men. See which gender is really superior."
I smiled mischievously and we went about making a snowball fort, it wasn't much in the way of protection, but since we were both short we didn't have to make it as high as Charlie and Mulder had to make theirs. After we got done with our shelter we started making snowballs. After we had made an ample amount of snowballs I threw one at Mulder. Since he was bending over at the time it hit him square in the ass and try as I might I couldn't keep the laughter in. He looked at me taken aback.
"I can't believe you just cheated like that."
"Oh, I don't believe there was ever any rules established. All's fair in snow and war Mulder." I threw another snowball and it hit him right in the face. This was just too easy.
We all started to throw snowballs, but after awhile it looked as if there was no hope for Mulder and Charlie, Anne and I were just too good to beat. I threw a snowball at my little brother and it hit him in the back of the head. He got a evil look on his face and ran towards me. But, being as smart as I am, I dunked out of the way and he went crashing into our fort. I laughed and Anne pushed him further into the snow.
Charlie must have thought this wrong because he grabbed his wife by the ankles and she came crashing into the snow. I looked upon this display with laughter. I guess I should have been paying attention because before I knew it I was bombarded with snowballs. I stood there for awhile after they stopped, stunned. Before I turned at looked at the culprit.
Mulder was standing before me with a sly smile, he had gotten pretty close and I had gotten pretty pissed. I pushed him as hard as I could and he went falling back into the snow, however, he grabbed my coat on the way down and drug me right along with him. I ended up landing on top of him. We fought in the snow for awhile before he flipped us around so that I was the one lying with my back in the snow and he was hovering over me. I kicked violently but my efforts were to no avail. By that time I heard no other noise so I concluded that they finally thought their conspiracy had worked and went inside.
I made no noise, just looked up at Mulder and he looked down at me. We laid there for awhile before I started to grow cold from the snow. "Mulder, im getting wet."
"So."
"So, what if I catch pneumonia? Do you want me getting sick because of you?" My mind traveled back to the incident to the hotel, when I woke Mulder up and he was wearing nothing but boxers. I was instantly warmed. A tingle traveled down my spine and I shivered. Not because of the cold, but because I was just aware of the position Mulder and I were in. Things were pressing together that I really didn't care to be at the moment.
"You weren't kidding when you said that you were cold were you?"
Huh? Oh, the shiver. Guess I should play along right? "No Mulder. I wasn't. You think you could let me up?"
He nodded and moved off of me, and I instantly regretted saying anything. I stood up and extended my arms out to help him up. He took the offer and got out of the snow and we walked into the house, his hand in its normal resting place on the small of my back. I smiled at the contact but as soon as we got inside I ran upstairs to change into something warm and dry.
Not five minutes after I got done changing there was a knock at my door. "Yeah." I called wrapping a small blanket around my shoulders.
"It's Anne."
Oh boy. I sat down on my bed, "come on in."
She came in, a small--but telling--smile playing on her lips. "So…" She only said the one word, but dragged it out accordingly.
"Do you ever give up? There's nothing going on between Mulder and I."
"Don't play me for a fool Dana Katherine Scully, I was spying on you through the window. I saw the whole 15 minute gaze you two shared. And it didn't look like there was very much space between you."
"There wasn't any space between us Anne, but that doesn't mean there's anything going on between us."
"And it doesn't mean you don't want something to be going on. Admit it, you've got feelings for Mulder. You know you can tell me these things, I've never had a sister so I've never been able to confide in anybody, nor they in me. Please, it'll make you feel better…just tell me."
I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily, "alright, if it'll make the nagging stop. What I say still holds true, there is nothing going on between Mulder and I, romantically or physically. Got that? But that doesn't mean I don't have feelings for him. Both romantic and physical. But, it all comes down to weather he has those feelings for me. And im not willing to risk our partnership, or friendship, if he doesn't. Or if he thinks that he does, but then it turns out he doesn't. Are you happy now?"
"Very, and believe you me. He has those feelings for you. Now tell me everything, all the little moments you've unconsciously shared, because believe me when I say this. Before Charlie and I got together we were friends, and we would share these little moments that neither of us realized what exactly was going on. And from what I can tell you guys do too."
"If I named all of them we'd be in here until I had to go home. But, he has told me some very sweet things over the years. As have I with him."
"Name a few."
"Well, he said I was his one in five billion, among other things, and the constant innuendos. But those are another story in themselves."
"Oh, pray tell."
So, we stayed in my room for the lighter part of three hours, just talking about incidents in Mulder's and my past. From iced tea to the I love you--which I still say was the product of drugs, although Anne seems to think otherwise. It all lead up to the point in the hotel room were we both gawked at each other in our night apparel, our very reveling night apparel.
The only reason we went downstairs is because mom knocked on my door and I made Anne shut up about what we were talking about. I had made her swear hours prior that not a word of this was to be breathed to anybody, at anytime. Even if she was on her deathbed. And if she did, then her deathbed was exactly where she would be. I think she understood.
Mulder and I were once again squished together on the couch, but this time I took the time to notice Mulder's reaction to the whole ordeal, he didn't seem to bother, on the contrary, he seemed to be moving closer to me even when he wasn't being pushed by my sister-in-law. Anne and I shared many a glances, that neither mom, Charlie, or Mulder could differentiate.
All in all, it felt good that somebody finally knew.
~**~**~**~
a/n: I hope you weren't expecting them to get together so soon in the game. Oh no, this is going to be a long and torturous experience, for both the characters in the story and the readers. I know that it took me a long time to get this out, and im sorry! It's just I have a lot of things on my plate at the moment, and then im a bit more focused on Return to Me, and To Save the World follows right behind it…this is in a close third though. However, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. More to come, hopefully sooner rather than later.
~Brittany~
