10:30am, 27th December

Scully awoke to a soft tickling sensation across her back and smiled as the memories of the previous night flooded back to her. She lifted her head from Mulder's chest and squirmed up his body to kiss him, his hands all the while stroking her back. Mulder turned them over so that they were both lying on their sides facing each other, not breaking the kiss. He moved one hand up to her neck to pull her closer to him and the other hand remained where it was, rubbing the small of her back gently. One of Scully's arms was trapped between them so she laid her open palm on his bare chest, stroking it softly as they continued their kisses. They finally broke away and rested their heads on the pillows, their faces only centimetres away from each other.

"Morning Angel."

"Good morning."

"I like waking up next to you - or 'under you', I should say."

"I like it too. It feels...right. It just feels right."

"It does that. I don't believe I've gone so long in my life without knowing how perfect this is."

"Me too. ...Well, I suppose we don't need to worry about that - we're here now together and that's what matters."

"Yes it is. We should really get up soon - wouldn't want anyone coming in to wake us. We are staying in a house with three small children - oh and Charlie - we shouldn't really let them find us like this."

"Like what? ...Oh, you mean in our birthday suits?"

"Yes I mean that. It would be a hard one to explain to the kids - Charlie will know fine what it means though."

"Shower?"

"That sounds good. Let's go."

Their shower took a good deal longer than separate showers would have done but they didn't care, they were enjoying their newfound closeness far too much too worry about things like that. When they were dried and dressed, Mulder sat Scully between his legs on the bed to comb the tangles out of her still wet hair. He stole kisses from her between each stroke of the brush and, after a while, Scully decided just to do it herself so that it would be dry sometime that day. After her hair was dry and they had shared a lot more passionate kisses, they eventually decided to go downstairs to say good morning to the rest of the household. When they reached the lounge, Mulder told Scully he was going to get them some breakfast and that he would be back in a minute. He met Charlie in the kitchen who gave him a strange look as he passed by him to toast some bread.

"What's up, Charlie?"

"Um...nothing. It's nothing."

"C'mon, what is it? You're looking at me funny."

"I'm sorry Mulder. I've just got this image imprinted on my brain and it refuses to go away."

"Image? ...What do you mean?"

"Umm...well you see...Peter went to wake you guys up this morning for breakfast and he...we...uh...we kind of saw you and Day."

"Aha. ...Oh my God."

"I'm really sorry, I thought I would catch him before he got there or you guys would have blocked the door or something if..."

"We...um...we weren't exactly thinking about that kind of thing...we didn't expect anyone would come in without knocking."

"The joys of living with kids. I'm really sorry; Peter will just barge in anywhere if he wants to get in unless he's been specifically told not to and even then... I apologize..."

"Don't worry about it Charlie. It wasn't your fault. ...You okay with it?"

"Sure. I mean, I'm an adult, I know what goes on in the bedroom. I didn't expect to actually SEE you two like that but I'll survive."

"Right...well...I'd better take this through to Scully."

"No problem. Catch you later. Jess, Tara and I are going to take the kids sledging again in a bit."

"Cool. Have fun."

While Mulder had been talking to Charlie, Scully had gone into the lounge to find her mom with Peter in her lap. Maggie had asked about how the date had gone straightaway and Scully had blushed whilst telling her mom some - but not all - of the details of the evening before. She had just begun telling her mom about the walk home when Peter wiggled around on his Gamma's knee, trying to get down. Thinking that he was bored and wanted to go see his father, Maggie lifted him off her knee and put him on the floor. Instead of leaving the room however, Peter walked over to his Auntie Day and began tugging on her sleeve to gain her attention.

"Auntie Day, is Mr. Fox my Uncle?"

"No honey."

"But if it's Auntie Tara and Uncle Bill - why isn't it Auntie Day and Uncle Fox?"

"That's because Auntie Tara and Uncle Bill are married - Mulder and I aren't married."

"But you loves each other, right?"

"Yes Peter. We do."

"But he's not my uncle."

"That's right."

"Oh. ...So how come you was sleeping with him?"

"We were cuddling Peter, you like cuddles don't you? We were cold so we snuggled together."

"If you were cold why didn't you use the covers?"

"When are you talking about, honey?"

"This morning. You didn't have the covers on and you and Mr. Fox weren't wearing any jammies. You can't have been that cold if you didn't need jammies."

"Dana?"

"Oh my gosh, I don't believe this. I'm so embarrassed."

Just then Mulder came through the door with Scully's toast on a plate along with butter and jam, which he placed on the coffee table in front of her. Seeing her red face, Maggie's broad smirk and Peter's puzzled expression, he understood immediately what had just been said. He sat down beside Scully, pulling her into his arms and whispered to her what Charlie had told him, confirming what she had already realized and making her blush even deeper. Maggie stood up to go into the kitchen, still half-smiling and purposefully 'invited' her daughter to accompany her. They met Charlie in the hall and he collected Peter to take him upstairs to get ready for going sledging, leaving Mulder alone in the lounge.

Bill stormed into the room from the den, obviously having just heard every word of the conversation. He crossed to Mulder and pulled him up off his chair by the collar of his shirt and pushed him out of the door into the hall. While Mulder was trying to regain his balance, he opened the front door and, grabbing Mulder again, shoved him through it into the front garden.

"What the hell, Bill?"

"Stay away from my sister. You've got a nerve coming here and screwing her under her mother's roof. I should never have let you step a foot into the house but I was outnumbered. I held my tongue as my mother asked because I respect her and how do you repay her kindness? By banging her daughter - her only daughter now thanks to you. Get the hell out of here and stay away."

"Bill, I..."

"Shut it. I don't want to hear any of your crap. Get out of here...GO!!"

When Mulder didn't make a move, Bill swung for him, his fist catching him in the corner of his eye. Mulder was knocked off balance and stumbled backwards, giving Bill plenty of time to strike his next blow, this one to his stomach. The strength of the punch forced the air out of Mulder's lungs, causing him to double over. Bill followed up with a knee to Mulder's face from which blood ran free.

"BILL! What the hell are you doing? Get away from him!"

"Dana, go back inside."

"Like hell I will! Bill, what have you done? Mulder, are you alright?"

Scully ran down the steps to Mulder and pulled his head down to her level, brushing his hair gently back from his eyes to get a closer look at his injuries. He let her look, wincing when she pressed too hard around his eye or along his nose. She turned to take him back indoors to get some ice for his bruises but found her way blocked by her brother.

"Move, Bill!"

"He's not coming back in this house."

"Yes he is Bill. Now move."

"No."

"Bill, please. I didn't mean to cause trouble but I kind of need some ice for my face."

"You are not getting back in here Mr Mulder. Put some snow on it and get lost or you really will have some injuries."

"Look Bill..."

Realizing that Mulder was not going to listen to his threats, Bill decided to use brute force again. He pulled his fist back once again and punched Mulder over Scully's head, striking him on the side of his jaw. Scully screamed at him to stop and flung herself forward onto her brother, trying to prevent him from hitting Mulder again. Bill didn't listen and continued to swing, pushing his sister along with him as he moved towards Mulder. Scully began crying as she used all of her strength to try and stop him from moving any nearer.

Hearing the commotion, Charlie came out to investigate and was shocked as he saw his sister's tears, Mulder's bleeding and bruised face and his brother's rage. He swiftly moved behind Bill and wrapped both arms around him, pinning Bill's arms to his side. Bill struggled to extricate himself but Charlie held fast, stopping him from escaping. Scully took a step back from her brothers and, after checking that Mulder was still standing, she turned to Bill and slapped him hard across the face. She half-smirked at his shocked expression but her rage had not disappeared and she raised her other hand to deliver another slap across his other cheek. Before she struck him again however, Mulder caught her hand, turning her towards him and holding her hand close to his chest. She tried to pull it free but Mulder held fast and she relented, allowing him to pull her into his arms.

"Scully don't."

"Mulder..."

"I'm fine Scully. I don't want you to hit your brother because of me."

"But..."

"No Scully. I won't let you do it - not for me, I'm not worth it."

"Yes you are Mulder. But if you don't want me to...okay, I won't. ...Are you okay Mulder, really?"

"Yeah. I don't think any bones were broken."

"Let's get you inside to get it checked out. We need to get some ice to bring down the swelling."

"But Bill..."

"Charlie's got him. Haven't you?"

"Sure Day. ...You're not going anywhere until you've calmed down Bill."

Bill struggled once more in his brother's grip but Charlie did not loosen his hold so Bill was trapped in his arms, letting Mulder and Scully get past them into the house. Scully led Mulder into the kitchen where she sat him down on a chair while she went to get ice from the freezer. She brought tissues to stem the blood running from his nose as well and tenderly saw to his injuries. They could hear Charlie and Bill shouting in the garden and the longer the shouting continued the quieter Mulder became. His shoulders had slumped by the time Scully had finished tending to his wounds but she was too busy trying to hear what her brothers were saying to notice his depressed attitude.