Next day, Christmas Georgetown Memorial Hospital Room 329, Scully's Room

Scully had been in Surgery for an hour and a half. They had taken out the damaged kidney because there was no chance of fixing it. Lucky, she was not in dire need of a new one because she was in such good health otherwise. Mulder had been checked over by the E.M.T's the night before quickly but since he did not have any wounds, he was free to go. He was not permitted to see Scully after surgery when they put her in ICU for the rest of the night because of her extensive blood loss. So he left the hospital to get himself and Scully a change of clothes. He also had one other stop to make.

Mulder had made his trips quick and hurried back to the hospital. He got into Scully's new room around 8:00 a.m. He put the flowers he had bought in the hospital vase and sat next to her. He held her hand and spoke to her still sleeping form. He looked at her pale beauty and wondered how she could look so peaceful after the whole ordeal. He looked at the angry black and blue that covered her upper right cheekbone and temple and frowned.

He swore that Adrienne would pay for this. She was currently in another room on the fourth floor for her injuries, nothing major, but enough to keep her in there a few days. After a full psychiatric evaluation she would be transported to the women's corrections facility in Ithaca, New York where she would wait for her day in court.

He had been sitting vigil at her bedside for a good hour before she started to come to. Mulder smiled and brushed an errant lock of hair away from her face.

Mulder: Morning sunshine. How are you feeling?

Scully: Hi. I, um. feel like I just got hit by a Mack truck. It hurts to breathe.

Mulder: It should. You've got 23 stitches in your back and quite the bump on your head. Doctors said you would be fine in a week or so but you really need to rest here until then.

Scully: I have to stay in this place for a week? No, Mulder! I hate the hospital. I should have my own special room by now, don't ya think? Maybe I'll bring in some curtains. And a carpet, these floors are entirely too cold when you get up in the middle of the night to go pee. Those dumb slippers are too thin, too so I'll have to bring mine.

Scully continued babbling on about her room for a bit while Mulder just chuckled to himself.

Mulder: Medication must have kicked in. I wish I had a tape recorder. She'd kill me for it later, I bet.

Scully finished her incessant jabber and became suddenly serious.

Scully: We have to call my mother. She is going to wonder why I didn't call her for Christmas. Oh Mulder, It's Christmas and I made you get stuck in the hospital, I'm sorry. You don't have to stay here, you can go if you want to.

Mulder: I already called your Mother and she said she'd come out here as soon as the weather clears up. We got another 3 inches last night. Scully you should not be apologizing for me being here. I should be apologizing to you. I'm the reason you landed here in the first place. And of course I am not going to leave you here. Where on earth would I want to go rather than being here with you?

Scully: Thank you Mulder. That is really sweet of you.

After a few moments of talking, Scully began to complain that she was dizzy and fell back against the pillows and closed her eyes. Mulder sprang forward and tried to get her to wake up. A young nurse named Alexa came in earlier and had told him that if she happened to wake up before the doctors came in, not to let her go back to sleep because she might have a concussion from the blows to her head and could slip into a coma. The powerful medication she was on had kept her from becoming comatose while she was anesthetized but it would wear off soon.

Mulder: Scully? Scully look at me. You can't go to sleep. Open your eyes.Scully. Scully! Damn it! Come on now, just open those eyes, and wake up!

Scully opened her eyes and looked at him through heavy eyelids. His face was les than 2 inches away from hers. Mulder just stood there, with his hands on the sides of her face, his gaze never wavering. Scully stared right back at him. This time, it was Scully who moved. She raised her hand to his cheek and back to the nape of his neck. Slowly she pulled him towards her until they were grazing their lips.

Scully: No champagne this time.

Then she raised her head to meet him. The kiss was gentle but passionate. It felt so good to the both of them, like a weight had been lifted. Mulder gingerly brought her to a sitting position, not breaking contact with her lips. They continued kissing and wrapped their arms around each other as they reveled in this new contact.

Scully thoroughly enjoyed exploring his lush lower lip, inwardly sighing as their tongues danced and her hands played in his soft hair. After about two minutes, they finally decided to break away from each other.

Mulder: Wow, I really hope that was not a side effect of the medication.

Scully: I don't think so, and if it was, I want some more of it.

They laughed and talked for around a half an hour. The doctor had come in and done an examination of Scully. He said she would recover sooner than expected and could go home in 3 days. After he had left, Scully and Mulder looked at each other in silence, just enjoying the others' company.

Mulder: I brought you something, Merry Christmas Scully.

Scully: Oh Mulder. Your present is at home, I feel bad.

Mulder: Oh just open it, its not a big deal.

Scully opened the medium sized package wrapped in paper covered in candy canes and snowflakes. It looked like it had been wrapped by a 7 year old, which made Scully believe that Mulder had done it himself. When she saw what lay in the box she smiled and hugged Mulder. In her hands she held a silver picture frame with the words "Best Friends" bent from the silver into large cursive letters at the top.

The picture inside was of the two of them after the case in Arcadia. They had stopped on the way home and decided to go to the movies and Mulder had insisted that they go into one of those photo booths and get their pictures taken. The one he had chosen had the both of them laughing hysterically. As Scully remembered it, Mulder had been tickling her so she had to do it back and they both looked happy. Neither was looking directly at the camera, which was why it was so good.

Scully: Wow. Mulder this is beautiful thank you.

Mulder: Well I figured that since we went on that case the day after your birthday and since I kinda. um.forgot it, that this could be your birthday present. I have your Christmas present at home.

Scully: Mulder you didn't have to get me anything else this is fine, it's perfect. Although you did forget it. just kidding.

Mulder: Just trust me. I know you'll love it.