The Pond
1pm, Boxing Day
After all the drama of the morning, everyone was glad to get out of the house and go ice-skating on the nearby pond that had frozen over. Tara had rented an ice-buggy for Mattie, which was basically a baby's car seat on skates that Charlie pulled round behind him for the first twenty minutes. Tara and Jess took a twin each with them as they skated and Peter went with Mulder and Scully, holding both of their hands tightly as they pulled him fast across the pond. When Mattie fell asleep in the ice-buggy, Charlie took him over to where Maggie and Bill had found seats on a bench at the side of the pond. Charlie then caught up with Mulder and Scully, taking his son from them and letting them be on their own for a while.
They skated round the sides together, and each took off one of their gloves so they could hold hands properly. After a long while of skating in contented silence, Scully pulled Mulder so that they were headed into the middle of the pond. Mulder looked down at her beside him and chuckled when he saw her child-like expression, delighted to be out skating with him.
"What are you laughing at Mulder?"
"Your nose is all red Scully."
"That's because it's cold."
"Well come here then and let me kiss it warm. I can't have my Angel's nose being cold now, can I?"
They stopped moving forward so that he could kiss her nose and then Mulder wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her as close to him as he could. As their mouths met, Scully snaked her arms inside his open jacket and round to his back where she slipped her hands under his sweater. He jumped slightly at the cold touch of her bare hand and the wetness of the one glove she still had on. Smiling into the kiss, she removed her gloved hand so that he wouldn't get too wet but kept her other hand where it was, enjoying the feel of his smooth, warm skin. As the kiss intensified Scully slightly wobbled on her skates and Mulder drew back from the kiss in order to keep their balance. He grinned at her and they moved to connect their mouths once more but a shout interrupted them.
"Day."
Scully reluctantly pulled away from Mulder's embrace at the sound of her brother calling her name. Carefully releasing his tight hold, Mulder didn't fully let go until he was sure she was completely balanced. Scully slowly turned round and saw Charlie skating with Peter at the edge of the pond near to where her mother and Bill were sitting.
"What's up, Charlie?"
"Mom wants to talk to you."
"Okay. I'll be right there."
Scully gave Mulder a kiss and squeezed his hand before going to talk to her mother, leaving Mulder in the middle of the pond. He was so caught up in watching her glide across the ice that he didn't notice a man being dragged by a girl who was roughly 9 years old. They sped towards him and he didn't have time to move out of their way before they crashed right into him. He managed to catch the girl before she fell but the man went down, falling right on his backside. The girl dissolved into giggles at the sight but Mulder kept a straight face and turned to see if the man was okay. He put a hand out to help the man up, which the man took, pushing himself up off the ice with his other hand.
"I'm really sorry. We weren't looking where we were going. I hope we didn't hurt you when we... Agent Mulder?"
"A.D. Skinner, nice to see you sir. Are you...o...okay?"
"Quit laughing Mulder."
"I'm so...sorry...sir...I..."
"Mulder!"
"Okay, okay, I've stopped. Sorry sir, I didn't recognise you with your hat on."
"Uncle Walter. Who's this?"
"This is Mr Mulder, he works with me. Mulder, this is my niece Lucy."
"Nice to meet you Lucy."
"You too, Mr Mulder. I'm going to go back to dad if that's okay Uncle Walter."
"Sure Lucy. Go easy on him though - I think he's still recovering from your last trip with him in tow."
"Okay Uncle Walter. See you Mr Mulder"
"Bye Lucy."
The two men watched her skate back to where her dad was sitting at the side of the pond, her long blonde hair flying wildly behind her. Mulder had nearly gotten over the shock at meeting his boss and seeing him fall on the ice but he was still very proud of himself when he managed to enquire politely about his holiday without laughing again. He was still talking to Skinner when Scully skated over to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, pulling his head down to hers for a gentle kiss. Skinner's eyes popped out at the sight and he stifled a chuckle when he looked at Mulder's face; pleased about the kiss, nervous about his reaction.
"Hey Mulder. Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"
"Agent Scully."
"A... A.D. Skinner. ...Hi...um."
"Hello. Enjoying yourself Agent Scully?"
"Um...yes sir...thank you."
Scully was completely flustered at meeting her boss and was worried about what he was going to say about the very obvious fact that she and Mulder were now a couple. Skinner put on a stern expression and looked at the two of them seriously until both started to squirm under his intense scrutiny. They started to speak at the same time, attempting to explain themselves to him but their mouths dropped open when he started to grin at the pair of them.
"It's about time. I thought you two would never open your eyes."
"Sir?"
"Mulder, for all your searching for the truth, you both were pretty blind to the truth that was right in front of you."
"Um...sir?"
"Scully, everyone and their mother has known for a long time that this clown has been in love with you for a LONG time. We weren't quite so sure about you for a while but it soon became pretty obvious."
"O...Obvious?"
"Yes agents, obvious. It's good to see you're not completely oblivious though."
"Good? ...Doesn't the bureau have rules against this? Shouldn't you be telling us that it's not allowed?"
"It's not encouraged Scully but it's not forbidden. The thinking behind it is that if partners are involved it makes them less effective but you two, although not technically involved, have performed admirably for the whole time you've been together. Your solve rate for your cases is well above average and the bureau isn't going to split you up now."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. I don't think it will affect your work since you have been closer than most couples for a long time. However if you do allow your relationship to interfere with your jobs then something will have to be done."
"Of course sir. Thank you."
"No problem Agent Scully. I'm glad the two of you are happy; you deserve it after all you've both been through."
"Yes...I think we do."
"Uh, sir?"
"Yes Mulder?"
"You might want to duck and cover. Your niece is coming back this way with someone in tow and I'm not sure she'll be able to stop this time either."
"What..."
Skinner turned round and saw that Lucy was indeed heading straight towards them with her father, both going full-speed. Lucy's face was happy and carefree while her father's was slightly less pleased and quite a bit worried. They crashed into the stationary group of three but this time Mulder and Skinner caught Lucy's dad and Scully caught Lucy before either of them fell onto the ice. The man heaved a huge sigh of relief and, after thanking Mulder; he turned to Skinner to tell him that they were leaving. Skinner said his goodbyes to Mulder and Scully and then skated off, Lucy held back this time with both men holding her hands and slowing her down. Mulder put his arm around Scully as they watched and, just as he was about to lean down and kiss her, he remembered why he had been alone when he had met Skinner in the first place.
"What did your mom want Scully?"
"She was just letting us know that we'll have to head off soon if we want to go get your tux hired for our dinner tonight."
"How soon do we need to go?"
"About now. We need to have enough time for you to try it on and then I need to go and get some shoes to go with my dress."
"Okay then. Let's go."
1pm, Boxing Day
After all the drama of the morning, everyone was glad to get out of the house and go ice-skating on the nearby pond that had frozen over. Tara had rented an ice-buggy for Mattie, which was basically a baby's car seat on skates that Charlie pulled round behind him for the first twenty minutes. Tara and Jess took a twin each with them as they skated and Peter went with Mulder and Scully, holding both of their hands tightly as they pulled him fast across the pond. When Mattie fell asleep in the ice-buggy, Charlie took him over to where Maggie and Bill had found seats on a bench at the side of the pond. Charlie then caught up with Mulder and Scully, taking his son from them and letting them be on their own for a while.
They skated round the sides together, and each took off one of their gloves so they could hold hands properly. After a long while of skating in contented silence, Scully pulled Mulder so that they were headed into the middle of the pond. Mulder looked down at her beside him and chuckled when he saw her child-like expression, delighted to be out skating with him.
"What are you laughing at Mulder?"
"Your nose is all red Scully."
"That's because it's cold."
"Well come here then and let me kiss it warm. I can't have my Angel's nose being cold now, can I?"
They stopped moving forward so that he could kiss her nose and then Mulder wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her as close to him as he could. As their mouths met, Scully snaked her arms inside his open jacket and round to his back where she slipped her hands under his sweater. He jumped slightly at the cold touch of her bare hand and the wetness of the one glove she still had on. Smiling into the kiss, she removed her gloved hand so that he wouldn't get too wet but kept her other hand where it was, enjoying the feel of his smooth, warm skin. As the kiss intensified Scully slightly wobbled on her skates and Mulder drew back from the kiss in order to keep their balance. He grinned at her and they moved to connect their mouths once more but a shout interrupted them.
"Day."
Scully reluctantly pulled away from Mulder's embrace at the sound of her brother calling her name. Carefully releasing his tight hold, Mulder didn't fully let go until he was sure she was completely balanced. Scully slowly turned round and saw Charlie skating with Peter at the edge of the pond near to where her mother and Bill were sitting.
"What's up, Charlie?"
"Mom wants to talk to you."
"Okay. I'll be right there."
Scully gave Mulder a kiss and squeezed his hand before going to talk to her mother, leaving Mulder in the middle of the pond. He was so caught up in watching her glide across the ice that he didn't notice a man being dragged by a girl who was roughly 9 years old. They sped towards him and he didn't have time to move out of their way before they crashed right into him. He managed to catch the girl before she fell but the man went down, falling right on his backside. The girl dissolved into giggles at the sight but Mulder kept a straight face and turned to see if the man was okay. He put a hand out to help the man up, which the man took, pushing himself up off the ice with his other hand.
"I'm really sorry. We weren't looking where we were going. I hope we didn't hurt you when we... Agent Mulder?"
"A.D. Skinner, nice to see you sir. Are you...o...okay?"
"Quit laughing Mulder."
"I'm so...sorry...sir...I..."
"Mulder!"
"Okay, okay, I've stopped. Sorry sir, I didn't recognise you with your hat on."
"Uncle Walter. Who's this?"
"This is Mr Mulder, he works with me. Mulder, this is my niece Lucy."
"Nice to meet you Lucy."
"You too, Mr Mulder. I'm going to go back to dad if that's okay Uncle Walter."
"Sure Lucy. Go easy on him though - I think he's still recovering from your last trip with him in tow."
"Okay Uncle Walter. See you Mr Mulder"
"Bye Lucy."
The two men watched her skate back to where her dad was sitting at the side of the pond, her long blonde hair flying wildly behind her. Mulder had nearly gotten over the shock at meeting his boss and seeing him fall on the ice but he was still very proud of himself when he managed to enquire politely about his holiday without laughing again. He was still talking to Skinner when Scully skated over to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, pulling his head down to hers for a gentle kiss. Skinner's eyes popped out at the sight and he stifled a chuckle when he looked at Mulder's face; pleased about the kiss, nervous about his reaction.
"Hey Mulder. Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"
"Agent Scully."
"A... A.D. Skinner. ...Hi...um."
"Hello. Enjoying yourself Agent Scully?"
"Um...yes sir...thank you."
Scully was completely flustered at meeting her boss and was worried about what he was going to say about the very obvious fact that she and Mulder were now a couple. Skinner put on a stern expression and looked at the two of them seriously until both started to squirm under his intense scrutiny. They started to speak at the same time, attempting to explain themselves to him but their mouths dropped open when he started to grin at the pair of them.
"It's about time. I thought you two would never open your eyes."
"Sir?"
"Mulder, for all your searching for the truth, you both were pretty blind to the truth that was right in front of you."
"Um...sir?"
"Scully, everyone and their mother has known for a long time that this clown has been in love with you for a LONG time. We weren't quite so sure about you for a while but it soon became pretty obvious."
"O...Obvious?"
"Yes agents, obvious. It's good to see you're not completely oblivious though."
"Good? ...Doesn't the bureau have rules against this? Shouldn't you be telling us that it's not allowed?"
"It's not encouraged Scully but it's not forbidden. The thinking behind it is that if partners are involved it makes them less effective but you two, although not technically involved, have performed admirably for the whole time you've been together. Your solve rate for your cases is well above average and the bureau isn't going to split you up now."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. I don't think it will affect your work since you have been closer than most couples for a long time. However if you do allow your relationship to interfere with your jobs then something will have to be done."
"Of course sir. Thank you."
"No problem Agent Scully. I'm glad the two of you are happy; you deserve it after all you've both been through."
"Yes...I think we do."
"Uh, sir?"
"Yes Mulder?"
"You might want to duck and cover. Your niece is coming back this way with someone in tow and I'm not sure she'll be able to stop this time either."
"What..."
Skinner turned round and saw that Lucy was indeed heading straight towards them with her father, both going full-speed. Lucy's face was happy and carefree while her father's was slightly less pleased and quite a bit worried. They crashed into the stationary group of three but this time Mulder and Skinner caught Lucy's dad and Scully caught Lucy before either of them fell onto the ice. The man heaved a huge sigh of relief and, after thanking Mulder; he turned to Skinner to tell him that they were leaving. Skinner said his goodbyes to Mulder and Scully and then skated off, Lucy held back this time with both men holding her hands and slowing her down. Mulder put his arm around Scully as they watched and, just as he was about to lean down and kiss her, he remembered why he had been alone when he had met Skinner in the first place.
"What did your mom want Scully?"
"She was just letting us know that we'll have to head off soon if we want to go get your tux hired for our dinner tonight."
"How soon do we need to go?"
"About now. We need to have enough time for you to try it on and then I need to go and get some shoes to go with my dress."
"Okay then. Let's go."
