9pm, Christmas Eve
Mulder had wandered downstairs and found Maggie and Tara drinking tea in the kitchen, Bill having just taken Matthew upstairs to his crib. They asked him to join them and he had readily accepted so now the three sat at the table, sipping their tea and talking about the coming day. He was about to go and see if Scully was awake yet when she wandered in, sleepily rubbing her still half-closed eyes.
"Hey you."
"Hey sleepyhead. Did you have a pleasant snooze?"
"Not as good as last night. Why didn't you wake me up?"
"I couldn't; you looked too adorable. I missed you though, I was just coming to get you."
"Missed you too. You weren't there when I woke up."
"Sorry, I had some things to do."
"What things?"
"I'm not telling. It's a secret."
"Oooh Dana, secrets so early on in the relationship."
"Ssssh Tara. Secrets are okay at Christmas - as long as it's a good secret, Mulder."
"It is a good secret. You'll find out tomorrow Scully, I promise. It's a special something for an extra special someone standing not two feet away from me."
"That's two feet too far."
"Well come here then."
Scully crossed the remaining two feet and giggled as Mulder pulled her down to sit sideways in his lap. She captured his lips with hers and they kissed for a short time, not deterred by the knowledge that both women across the table were observing them. When the kiss ended Scully turned in his lap so that she could talk to her mother and sister-in-law but she kept his arms tightly around her with her own arms. Mulder nuzzled her neck while she talked, not realising that Bill had just come through the door.
"Do we not have enough chairs in the house or something?"
"Bill..."
"I don't want to have to watch their sickening behaviour."
"Bill, stop it."
"Sure, mom; just as soon as they do. It's disgusting."
"There's nothing disgusting about their behaviour Bill, it's your attitude that needs to change."
"It's okay Maggie. If it makes him uncomfortable then we'll stop. Just leave it, we don't want to cause an argument."
"Mulder..."
"No I will not leave it Fox. Bill, you need to realise that you can't have everything your way. Fox was invited to join us, it's Christmas and he's one of the family."
"One of the family...Mom, he's the reason why there's an empty space at our table, why Missy's not with us at this 'family' Christmas. Speaking of family, why aren't you with your own family? Huh? Presumably they don't want you anywhere near them."
"Bill Scully! That is enough!"
"Maggie, leave it. He's right."
"Mulder..."
Mulder had shifted Scully off his knees to the chair beside him and now headed out of the door, leaving Scully behind him. She glared at her brother and opened her mouth to speak but found that she didn't even know where to start. Realizing that she needed to be talking to Mulder rather then shouting at Bill, she left without saying a word. As she closed the door behind her, she heard her mom start into him keeping her voice low, heedful of the sleeping children. She walked quickly up the stairs and into her room; finding Mulder sitting on her bed, head in hands. Crossing the distance in two strides, she sat beside him and rubbed his back gently, comforting him. He raised his head from his hands to look at her and she saw that he wasn't crying but that his face was miserable and weary.
"You okay?"
"I...I don't know. I was fine...hadn't even thought about...Scully, I don't know if I can do this."
"Do what? This, 'talk to me' this? ... Or this, 'us'?
"Us. Just now."
"What?"
"I can't fight your brother anymore. I...I don't want to cause problems between you and him."
"Mulder listen to me. I won't let you give up on us because of Bill. You don't have to fight him - we're together, and that's the important thing."
"I suppose it is. I love you so much, I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"Mulder the only thing that'll really hurt me is if you give up. I love you far too much to let you get away. My mom's dealing with Bill just now, I don't think he'll say anything else."
"Maybe we should cut the public displays to when he's not around."
"That'll probably be for the best - but only him, not anyone else. Deal?"
"Deal."
"Now come on, let's go back downstairs. Tara and Jess made biscuits yesterday for tonight's supper before we go to mass."
"Lead the way Angel."
Mulder had wandered downstairs and found Maggie and Tara drinking tea in the kitchen, Bill having just taken Matthew upstairs to his crib. They asked him to join them and he had readily accepted so now the three sat at the table, sipping their tea and talking about the coming day. He was about to go and see if Scully was awake yet when she wandered in, sleepily rubbing her still half-closed eyes.
"Hey you."
"Hey sleepyhead. Did you have a pleasant snooze?"
"Not as good as last night. Why didn't you wake me up?"
"I couldn't; you looked too adorable. I missed you though, I was just coming to get you."
"Missed you too. You weren't there when I woke up."
"Sorry, I had some things to do."
"What things?"
"I'm not telling. It's a secret."
"Oooh Dana, secrets so early on in the relationship."
"Ssssh Tara. Secrets are okay at Christmas - as long as it's a good secret, Mulder."
"It is a good secret. You'll find out tomorrow Scully, I promise. It's a special something for an extra special someone standing not two feet away from me."
"That's two feet too far."
"Well come here then."
Scully crossed the remaining two feet and giggled as Mulder pulled her down to sit sideways in his lap. She captured his lips with hers and they kissed for a short time, not deterred by the knowledge that both women across the table were observing them. When the kiss ended Scully turned in his lap so that she could talk to her mother and sister-in-law but she kept his arms tightly around her with her own arms. Mulder nuzzled her neck while she talked, not realising that Bill had just come through the door.
"Do we not have enough chairs in the house or something?"
"Bill..."
"I don't want to have to watch their sickening behaviour."
"Bill, stop it."
"Sure, mom; just as soon as they do. It's disgusting."
"There's nothing disgusting about their behaviour Bill, it's your attitude that needs to change."
"It's okay Maggie. If it makes him uncomfortable then we'll stop. Just leave it, we don't want to cause an argument."
"Mulder..."
"No I will not leave it Fox. Bill, you need to realise that you can't have everything your way. Fox was invited to join us, it's Christmas and he's one of the family."
"One of the family...Mom, he's the reason why there's an empty space at our table, why Missy's not with us at this 'family' Christmas. Speaking of family, why aren't you with your own family? Huh? Presumably they don't want you anywhere near them."
"Bill Scully! That is enough!"
"Maggie, leave it. He's right."
"Mulder..."
Mulder had shifted Scully off his knees to the chair beside him and now headed out of the door, leaving Scully behind him. She glared at her brother and opened her mouth to speak but found that she didn't even know where to start. Realizing that she needed to be talking to Mulder rather then shouting at Bill, she left without saying a word. As she closed the door behind her, she heard her mom start into him keeping her voice low, heedful of the sleeping children. She walked quickly up the stairs and into her room; finding Mulder sitting on her bed, head in hands. Crossing the distance in two strides, she sat beside him and rubbed his back gently, comforting him. He raised his head from his hands to look at her and she saw that he wasn't crying but that his face was miserable and weary.
"You okay?"
"I...I don't know. I was fine...hadn't even thought about...Scully, I don't know if I can do this."
"Do what? This, 'talk to me' this? ... Or this, 'us'?
"Us. Just now."
"What?"
"I can't fight your brother anymore. I...I don't want to cause problems between you and him."
"Mulder listen to me. I won't let you give up on us because of Bill. You don't have to fight him - we're together, and that's the important thing."
"I suppose it is. I love you so much, I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"Mulder the only thing that'll really hurt me is if you give up. I love you far too much to let you get away. My mom's dealing with Bill just now, I don't think he'll say anything else."
"Maybe we should cut the public displays to when he's not around."
"That'll probably be for the best - but only him, not anyone else. Deal?"
"Deal."
"Now come on, let's go back downstairs. Tara and Jess made biscuits yesterday for tonight's supper before we go to mass."
"Lead the way Angel."
