7:30pm, 23rd December

Maggie stood in the doorway of her lounge and took in the perfect sight of her daughter with her partner. They were sitting on the couch, with Scully snuggled up to Mulder's side and their heads bent together, deep in conversation. Their voices were not much above whispers and every now and then they would both laugh softly at something one or other of them said. Scully had one of Mulder's hands in hers laying on her lap and she was looking down at it, toying at his fingers with her own. She watched as her daughter's face glowed with shy embarrassment when he obviously paid her a compliment and then tilted her head up to his to share some Eskimo kisses. Just when she thought that they might kiss for real, Bill and Tara came noisily down the stairs with Matthew, causing the two partners to look up and see her standing in the doorway. She turned away and ushered her son and his wife towards the dining room along with Charlie, Jessica and the kids who had followed them downstairs. When she returned to the lounge she was disappointed to see that they had moved their heads apart and were now looking apprehensive. They had avoided a confrontation with Bill since they had arrived and they knew that they now had to face him at dinner.

"C'mon you two, dinner's ready. It's time to eat."

"We're coming mom."

"Relax, both of you. Bill's been warned. He's not going to say anything and, if he does, then you just ignore him Fox okay?"

"Yes Mrs Scully."

"Drop the 'Mrs Scully' business too. Call me Maggie."

"Okay Maggie."

The three of them made their way through to the dining room and sat down at the table with everyone else. Mulder breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was sitting beside Scully at the end furthest away from Bill but on the same side so they wouldn't be able to see one another. Maggie sat across the table from Scully, beside Peter, noting that the seating arrangements had worked out perfectly. The twins were at either side of the table, Abby between Charlie and Dana with Adele between herself and Jessica, both attached to the table in their toddler seats. Tara was seated on the other side of Jessica with Matthew in his basket at the end. Bill was straight across from her, Charlie blocking his view of Mulder and Scully. Maggie realized that this was a very good thing, as the two had not released each other's hands after the blessing, instead leaving them joined on top of the table between their plates.

The noise level rose as several different conversations went on at the same time and the kids vied for the adults' attention. Mulder and Scully remained pretty quiet, contributing only briefly to any of the conversations that were being had around them. They preferred to talk only to each other, losing themselves in one another's eyes as loving gazes were exchanged. By the time desert was served, their chairs had moved together so that Scully was pressed fully against Mulder's left side, his arm lying between her back and her chair. His hand held her loosely at her waist and her right arm lay across her stomach so that her fingers were linked with his.

"Hey Scully. Do you want more raspberries?"

"Aren't you going to eat them Mulder?"

"No. I've never really liked them - they're too bitty. I just want the ice cream. So do you want some more?"

"Yes, please. I love raspberries - I used to drive my mom nuts when I was little, begging for more. I'll eat all of yours if you're sure you don't want them."

"I'm sure. Here..."

Mulder scooped up a raspberry on his spoon and, instead of putting it in her bowl, he held it up to her mouth for her to take. Smiling, she opened her mouth and let him feed it to her, savouring the slight taste of him that remained on the spoon. They continued their desert that way, he feeding her raspberries and she feeding him some of her ice cream when he had finished his own. When she dribbled a bit of ice cream down her chin he wiped it with his thumb and then licked it off, laughing slightly at her startled face. Maggie smiled as she watched them, judging from their shy smiles that they had yet to confess their feelings to one another.

Once dinner was finished and coffee drunk, it was time for the children to be bathed and put to bed, much to their displeasure. Mulder and Scully helped Maggie clear the table while the parents took their children upstairs. When everything was through in the kitchen, Mulder started to wash the dishes, handing them to Scully to dry.

"Hey, hey. You're a guest. You shouldn't be doing that Fox."

"It's fine Maggie. After that delicious meal it's the least I can do. You sit down and relax."

"I'll just put the leftovers in the fridge."

"Mom, sit down. We'll take care of it. You've been on your feet most of the day preparing the dinner. Just sit and talk to us while we work."

"I..."

"Sit!"

"You heard him Mom. Now do as your told!"

"Okay...okay."

The three of them talked about random topics while Mulder and Scully did the dishes. Maggie was amazed with the amount of conversation the pair of them had without saying a word. They started talking about which was the proper way to say 'either', and Mulder childishly stuck his tongue out at Scully when Maggie agreed with her that it should be pronounced 'eee-ther' and not 'aye-ther'. She watched with amusement as Scully wiped soapsuds on his nose and then dried her hands on his shirt in retaliation. Of course, he couldn't leave it there so he began tickling her with soapy hands trying to make her give up. Soon Maggie had to intervene when a water fight broke out between the two of them.

"Children, children...you're supposed to be tidying the kitchen, not giving everything a bath."

"Sorry, Maggie."

"Sorry mom."

"Right. Now tidy up and we can all go through and watch a film."

The two of them quickly mopped up the spilled water and finished putting away the dishes as Maggie went upstairs to see what her other children planned to do. She came back down to find Mulder and Scully both in the lounge and told them that Bill and Tara were going to turn in early but Charlie and Jessica were on their way down. Putting the video into the machine, they all settled back down to wait for 'Miracle on 34th St.' to begin. Mulder and Scully sat together on one couch and, when Charlie and Jessica came down, they settled on the other. Maggie sat in her favourite easy chair where she could see both the screen and the two couples on the couches.

Half way through the movie Scully got up to make hot chocolate for everyone that wanted it, which was everyone but Mulder. When she returned with the mugs she handed them out and then moved to the couch to sit down again. Mulder had switched position while she was gone and now lay with his feet up on the couch leaving no room for her to sit next to him anymore. Mulder went to swing his feet back down to the floor to make room for her but she stopped him, instead shifting only one of his legs off the couch and sitting down between his spread thighs. She stretched her legs out on the sofa alongside his, lying back against his chest and his arms went round her waist, holding her tightly to him. Handing him her mug of hot chocolate, she sat back up and pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and arranged it over the both of them.

When the movie finished and the credits were rolling, Maggie stood up and crossed over to switch the VCR off. As she passed Mulder and Scully, she smiled at seeing they were both fast asleep, completely at ease in each other's arms. She motioned to the other two to be quiet and whispered that they were asleep. Charlie and Jessica looked over at them and Maggie shared a knowing look with her son who she knew had the same view of what Dana's feelings were towards Mulder. Standing up, Charlie went to the other couch to wake his sister but Maggie stopped him with a hand on his arm, looking dotingly at the sleeping pair.

"Leave them Charlie. They've had a rough day. Let them sleep."

"Will they be warm enough down here mom?"

"I think they have all the warmth they need but I'll put the other blanket over them for when it gets colder later."

"Okay, mom. Goodnight."

"See you in the morning. Hope you both sleep well."

"You too Maggie."