This chapter contains spoilers for How the Ghosts Stole Christmas...yes it's that time of year again kids. Merry Christmas, thanks for reading and thanks for all your support. This goes out to my friend and co-writer DearPearlie who asked for a story like this. Hope it's to your liking :)

Mulder slowly came awake as the sun filtered through the blinds and into his apartment. He blinked, trying to focus as he regained his senses, when he suddenly became aware of something warm pressing against his chest. Looking down through hooded eyes, he realized it was Scully, her head resting against his shoulder and her arm wrapped around his torso. And she was sound asleep. Spotting the blanket that he'd covered them with just a few hours beforehand, now pooled around their waists, Mulder lifted it back over them so it sat just below Scully's chin. She looked too peaceful to wake, and he was hesitant to spoil the moment. Yes they'd shared the same sleeping space before, but it had been a while since he'd woken up with Scully wrapped in his arms. Usually it only happened under duress. This was new, and frankly he felt as though he could get used to it. Unable to stop himself, Mulder leaned down and pressed his lips against Scully's warm forehead. "Merry Christmas," he whispered, then froze when he felt Scully shift against him. The last thing he wanted to do was wake her, and he prepared himself for the moment she opened her eyes and quickly shifted away from him.

"Hmm…Merry Christmas…" Scully murmured sleepily, moving her head into the crook of Mulder's neck and sighing contentedly. Moments later he felt her drift off to sleep once again, and he finally allowed himself to relax and savour the moment. She looked so much like Ashley at that moment, so young and so innocent, as though she hadn't a care in the world – as though barely a year ago she hadn't battled her way through cancer and buried her new-found daughter. He loved her; that he knew. He'd loved her for a long time now. He'd even told her recently, though she hadn't believed him, and Mulder knew deep down that she needed time. For now though, he'd simply hold her in his arms until she woke. It was definitely the best start to Christmas he'd had in a long time.

xxxxxx

"Remind me why I'm doing this again Scully?" Mulder asked, as Scully drove them towards her mom's house.

His partner smirked. "Because you want to spend Christmas Day with my brother?"

"You didn't tell me Charlie's going to be there."

"Nice try."

Mulder groaned. "Bill hates me."

"He doesn't hate you. Maybe just dislikes you immensely?" There was no use pretending, Scully thought. There was no love lost between Bill and Mulder – it had been evident since their first meeting when Scully was in hospital. Last year – back when Scully lost Emily – the two had maintained an uneasy truce, but the tension in the room had been almost overwhelming. It was going to be an interesting day to say the least, but Maggie had invited Mulder to spend the day with them, as had Scully. The previous night, when Scully was at his apartment, she'd invited him too but he'd refused. All it took to change his mind was an early morning telephone call from Ashley begging him to come. "It wouldn't be Christmas without you Mulder," she'd pleaded, and finally he'd relented. He never could say no to the little girl.

"Maybe I should go."

"I know one little girl who's eager to see you this morning," Scully said as she turned into her mom's drive. No sooner had she pulled up outside Maggie's house, the front door opened and Ashley came running outside. Smiling, Scully unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door, just in time for her daughter to launch herself at her. "Merry Christmas mom!" Ashley cried, jumping into Scully's outstretched arms.

"Merry Christmas baby." Her daughter may have been ten years old and almost too old to pick up, but Scully still relished moments like this. She pressed a kiss to Ashley's crown, inhaling her daughter's scent.

"We've been waiting for you before we opened gifts," said Ashley as Scully set her back on the ground. Within seconds her daughter had wrapped her arms around Mulder. "Merry Christmas Mulder."

"Merry Christmas Squirt."

"I'm so glad you came." Scully could tell by the look on Mulder's face that he was too. "Now you're here we can open presents."

"Is that the only reason you're glad I'm here?" Mulder asked, releasing his grasp on Ashley and stepping round to the trunk to help Scully with the gift bags.

"Well…I guess I'm glad to see you."

"Don't tell me, you're glad to see the extra gifts too." After a moment Ashley grinned and nodded. "C'mon Scully," he said, well aware by now that Ashley was impatient at the best of times. "Let's not keep her ladyship waiting any longer." As Ashley skipped off back towards the house, Mulder followed her, taking a deep breath as he prepared himself to come face to face with Bill Scully once again.

Xxxxxx

Mulder watched as Scully hugged her brother and sister-in-law, before moving to greet her nephew. Though Scully was smiling, it didn't quite reach her eyes, and Mulder knew she was thinking about Emily, the little girl who died just as Matthew was being born. The Holidays were no doubt bringing back a lot of bad memories for her. Ashley stood by her mom, waiting patiently, though Mulder could tell she was dying to get stuck into opening presents. "Merry Christmas Mr Mulder."

"Merry Christmas Bill." Mulder thought about trying to shake Scully's brother's hand politely, but figured Bill would probably ignore it. Instead he extended a smile to Tara, who was holding a very shy Matthew in her arms. Almost a year old, the little boy was a definite Scully, with his father's colouring and bright blue eyes. "Hi Tara."

"Hi Mulder. Merry Christmas." Tara's greeting at least seemed genuine.

"Merry Christmas."

"Can I get you anything Fox?" Maggie asked. "Dana?"

Scully shook her head, and Mulder followed suit. Maggie was always so welcoming towards him. "No thanks Maggie." Out of the corner of his eye he could have sworn he saw Bill glare at him, but he pretended not to notice.

Ashley couldn't wait any longer. "Can we open gifts now?" Her eyes darted to the bags Mulder was carrying, and she watched as he placed them next to the pile of parcels already sitting underneath the tree.

Scully grinned. "I don't know," she looked at Mulder. "What do you think?"

"Well…"

"Please Mulder? I've been waiting all morning for you to get here."

"Yeah what kept you Dana?" Bill asked, shooting his sister and her partner pointed looks.

"We were investigating something."

"On Christmas Eve?"

"It was my fault –" Mulder began, aware he was going to get the blame anyway, but Scully shook her head and interrupted.

"Bill, it's Christmas. And Christmas means presents," she said to Ashley, giving her daughter the go-ahead to get started. As the little girl rushed towards the tree, Mulder felt Scully take hold of his hand. He followed as she led him over towards the sofa, relieved she and Ashley were there to protect him from the wrath of Bill.

Xxxxxxxxx

"I love it mom!" Ashley held up the pink sweater adorned with hearts, her smile wide. "It's just like the one I wanted!"

"It is the one you wanted," laughed Scully, accepting a hug off of her daughter. She watched as Ashley returned to the tree, this time aiming for one of the bags that Mulder had carried in. She pulled out a small parcel, and after reading the tag, stepped forward once again and handed it to her mom. "This is from Mulder," she said playfully.

"Thank you Mulder," said Scully softly, her cheeks pinking. Mulder smiled, well aware that all eyes in the room were on him.

"You haven't opened it yet."

"Go on mom!" Ashley's words prompted Scully into action, and she began unwrapping the gift. She was going too slowly for her daughter's liking. "Rip it!"

Shaking her head, Scully did as Ashley commanded and ripped open the packaging, revealing a small velvet box. Her heart seemed to stop momentarily as she took in the sight of it, until she remembered that just a few years prior, a similar looking box had held a keychain. Telling herself it was Mulder, and that the box could contain anything, Scully opened it, letting out a gasp as she saw the set of pearl earrings. "Mulder!" she exclaimed, unable to take her eyes off of the gift. "These are beautiful."

Blushing, Mulder smiled shyly. "I wasn't sure what to get you. I mean I figured a key chain was out."

"You shouldn't have. This is too much."

"It's nothing," he said, dismissing her comments with a wave. "It's nothing much."

"I've got one too!" Ashley interrupted, holding an identical parcel in her hand. Both Mulder and Scully watched as she opened it, revealing a similar set of earrings. "Thank you Mulder," the youngster enthused, throwing her arms around the man sitting in front of her. "I love them."

"You're welcome."

Ashley pecked him on the cheek. "Love you."

"Love you right back," Mulder said, glad he was able to spend Christmas with his two favorite people, even if he did have to deal with Bill Scully.

Xxxxxxx

These are the last of the dishes," Scully said, as she entered the kitchen armed with a stack of plates. "Tara's just taken Matty upstairs for his nap, and Mulder and Ashley are on the sofa watching Home Alone. From the looks of them they'll probably be asleep by the time the credits roll.

Maggie smiled as she took one of the dishes that her daughter had sat down on the counter. Bill, who was standing next to her, picked up a towel ready to dry. "How many times has Ashley seen that movie?"

"Too many. And Mulder's just as bad."

"Honestly Dana," said Bill. "Didn't he have somewhere better to be today?"

Scully glared at her brother. "Ashley and I wanted him to spend Christmas with us. Mom invited him."

"He's not family."

"Not your family maybe, but to Ashley and I he is."

"What's going on between you guys?"

"I'm sorry?"

Bill gestured to the earrings that Scully was now wearing. She couldn't resist popping them in straight away, and Ashley had done the same. Despite Mulder protesting that they hadn't cost a great deal, Scully knew the truth, and knew her partner had spent more money than he should have done on both she and her daughter, especially given everything else he'd bought Ashley. "You don't buy your colleague pearl earrings."

"We're friends."

"I don't buy my friends things like that either."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing," said Bill, though it was clear he did have something on his mind. Sure enough he couldn't stop himself. "It just seems like you were doing a lot more than investigating together last night."

"Go to hell Bill," said Scully, her patience wearing thin. "What Mulder and I were doing last night is none of your concern."

"So you're saying you weren't working last night?"

Scully said nothing, instead folding her arms in front of her.

"Are you kidding? Are you that stupid Dana?"

"Tara's putting Matty down for his nap," she said, deliberately avoiding his question. "And he's not too happy about it. I'm sure she could do with a hand."

Shaking his head, Bill threw down the towel and pushed past his sister. "If you want to ruin your life, go ahead," he warned as he left the room.

Scully sighed, while Maggie rolled her eyes. She was more than used to arguments between her children, and knew by now it was best not to intervene. Instead Maggie handed the dish she'd just rinsed to her daughter, who had retrieved the towel that Mulder had discarded. "Well I like Fox," she commented casually. "And he does have excellent taste in gifts."

"He does. He likes to spoil Ashley."

"I wasn't just talking about Ashley." Her cheeks reddening, Scully busied herself drying the dishes, but Maggie wasn't about to let her get away with it. "He brought you pearl earrings Dana."

"Don't you start mom. I know he did."

"Is that usually what colleagues buy one another for Christmas?"

"Mulder's extravagant. He spends too much on Ashley and this year he did the same with me. He's a friend mom," she added as she saw Maggie's smirk. "Stop trying to read into things. You're just as bad as Bill."

"Ashley said you spent the night with Fox. At his apartment."

"We were on a case."

"All night?"

"It was late when I dropped Mulder off," Scully lied. "And it was snowing. It made sense not to drive here. Nothing happened," she added. "Contrary to what you and Bill might believe, there is nothing going on between Mulder and I."

"That may be the case now, but I see the way he looks at you. It's the same way he's looked at you for a long time now."

"Mom."

"He loves you Dana. Surely you can see that? The way he is with you, and Ashley for that matter…"

"Mulder's a good man. He adores Ashley."

"Yes he does. And you too."

"I don't want to talk about this mom."

"Why not?"

"Because it's Christmas, and I want us to enjoy the rest of the day."

"Why will us talking about this ruin the day?"

"Because I can't think about this mom. I can't let myself think about how Mulder looks at me or feels about me."

"Why?"

"Because I'm scared," Scully sighed, abandoning the towel she was holding.

"Of what?"

"Ruining everything."

"Dana, you wouldn't ruin anything."

"Yes I would. Mulder is my partner mom, we work together. Not only that, he's the closest thing Ashley has ever had to a father."

"And?"

"And what if something goes wrong? What if Mulder and I did get together but then we split up? What if he doesn't want anything to do with Ashley or I anymore? She'd be devastated and I…I can't risk that, even if I wanted to."

"And do you want to?"

After a moment Scully broke her mom's gaze, unwilling to meet her eye. "I can't."

"But you want to." Scully didn't answer, telling her mom everything she needed to know. "Dana, I know you've been hurt in the past, but Mulder isn't like Jack."

"I know that mom," she said, her voice wavering. "And that's why I can't ruin this."

Maggie nodded in understanding. "One day you might think differently. I hope you do, because I want you to be happy, and I think Fox will make you and Ashley very happy."

"He does –" Scully paused as Mulder entered the kitchen, carrying a glass. "She who must be obeyed has sent me out for a glass of water –" He hesitated, as though realizing he'd just interrupted a moment between the two women. "Is everything ok?"

"Fine," Scully said unconvincingly.

"I'm going to check on Matthew," said Maggie, making herself scarce. No sooner was she out of the room, then Scully, in a move which surprised even herself, marched up to Mulder and threw her arms around him.

"You ok?" The move took Mulder by surprise too, but he composed himself quickly, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Mmm. I'm glad you're here. Thank you for coming."

"Thank you for inviting me."

"It's not Christmas without you."

Mulder smiled, feeling his heartrate increase just that little bit more. "I know today hasn't been easy for you, what with what happened last year."

"It hasn't."

"The holidays never are," said Mulder, speaking from experience. "But you've got a great family, and that adorable if bossy little girl out there must make it a little easier."

"You're our family too," Scully replied, squeezing Mulder tightly. "Ashley and I are lucky to have you in our lives."

"I was just thinking how glad I was to have you guys," he said smiling. "Thanks Scully, this has been the best Christmas in a long long time."

"Even with Bill?"

"Even with Bill."

Whether it was the conversation she'd just had with her mother, or the fact it was Christmas Scully didn't know, but without thinking she rose onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips against Mulder's. Before he even had time to react, she'd pulled back, smiling at him shyly. "Merry Christmas Mulder," she whispered in a voice that made him want to kiss her once again.

"Merry Christmas Scully."

With that Scully took hold of his hand and led him back towards the living room and their little girl.