By Donna
donnah@donnas-stories.com
 

URL - http://www.donnas-stories.com/
Rating - PG
Category - MSR
Spoilers - Emily
Keywords - MSR
Summary - Miracles do happen
Feedback - Please
Archive - Anywhere, just let me know so I can visit

Disclaimer - Mulder, Scully, the Lone Gunmen and Skinner
all belong to Chris, 10-13, and Fox - Bless them for it!!  No
infringement intended
 

Christmas Miracle
 

He padded into the kitchen barefoot to make the coffee.
This was definitely the best Christmas morning he could
remember.  She'd be going over to her mother's in a little
while, but last night had been his.  He looked down at the
pajamas he wore.  She'd given him a set, pajamas bottoms
and a matching robe, with instructions that these were his
Georgetown pajamas.  His smile grew.  Yes, the best
Christmas ever.

The knock on the door caught his attention.  Who would
come by this early on Christmas morning?  He opened the
door without checking.

"Ho Ho H - "

Bill stopped, stunned at the sight in front of him.

Mulder fought the impulse to pull his robe closed, covering
his chest.  He stepped back to allow Bill to enter the
apartment.  Shit.  It looked like he was beginning to
hyperventilate.

"Did I hear the door?"  Scully came in from the bedroom,
wearing her own robe and stopped, eyes wide.  "Bill?"

"What the hell is going on here!"  Bill looked as outraged as
he sounded.

"What does it look like, Bill?"  She said quietly.

"It looks like you're fucking the weirdo!"

Mulder winced as her palm connected with Bill's face.  He
could calculate the force behind it; the FBI's hand-to-hand
training had definitely added to it.

Both men stood there as she turned on her heel and
returned to her bedroom.  They jerked as the door slammed,
full force.

They stood silently for a several long moments.  "Uh, would,
would you like a cup of coffee?"  Mulder finally spoke.

Bill turned, thunderstruck, to stare at him and Mulder
wondered if Scully would help the man if he had a stroke.
Then the man seemed to deflate in front of him.  "Yeah, yeah
I would."

Mulder blinked, but then moved toward the kitchen.  Bill
followed with a heavy tread.

Mulder pulled a couple of mugs from the cabinet.  "How do
you take it?"

"Black."

Mulder put the full mug on the table, then poured his own
and took the seat opposite him.  They sat in silence for few
moments, then Mulder looked at him.  "Listen, Bill, I know
we're never gonna be 'Buds', go bowling or anything, but it is
Christmas."

"You bowl?"

"Uh, no.  You?"

"No."

Mulder nodded, "So, uh, what do you do in your off time?"
Hell what were they supposed to talk about?  This was
insane.  Why had the man taken him up on the coffee offer?

"Lately, pushing the swing."

Mulder smiled a little then, "Matthew.  He must be really big
now."

Bill nodded, "Yeah, he'll be three in a few days.  You haven't
seen him since . . . "  Both of them knew they had stumbled
into dangerous territory now.

Mulder nodded.  "But I've seen pictures."

Bill looked up, "She shares the pictures with you?"

"Yeah.  She has this triple frame with Will, Sam and Matthew
in it."

"Is the little girl . . . "

"Emily.  No, she's in a different frame."

Bill just nodded at that point.  After another moment, "Uh,
you going to be with any family today?"

"Me?  Uh, no.  There isn't any.  My mom was an only child.
Dad had a younger brother, but he was killed in Korea.  I
never knew him.  I saw my Grandmother Mulder a few times,
but she's been gone since before Samantha . . .  So, I'm the
last Mulder standing."

"I, uh, I guess I didn't realize . . . "

"Yeah," Mulder shrugged.  "Does, uh, does Tara come from
a large family?"

"Tara?  No, she's an only child too."

"That must make you and Matthew the stars of the family."

"Uh, not exactly.  I mean, yeah, with Matt.  They dote on him.
Not so much with me."  Bill looked down at his mug.  "They,
uh, they weren't real happy when she married me.  You
know, Navy.  They hated that I was stationed in California
and that I have to leave her alone so much."

Mulder nodded.

"I don't mind it so much for myself, but I hate all the pressure
and stress they put on her.  It puts her in the middle and she
has to . . . " He looked up to see a slight smile growing on
Mulder's face.

"Merry Christmas."

"Shit."  Bill leaned back in the chair.  "You know you really
are a wise-ass son of a bitch."

"So I've been told."

Bill shook his head.

"What are you still doing here?"

They both jumped at Scully's voice.  Neither had heard her
enter the kitchen.

"Come on Dana, I came over to take you to Mom's, help you
with your packages."

"I can get there fine on my own."

"Sis. . . I'm already here.  Go get dressed, both of you.
We're wasting time."

Scully blinked then, "Both - "

"Yeah, who else would have him?  Come on."  He actually
sounded cajoling.

Mulder rose from his seat and moved toward her.  He took
her shoulders in both hands and turned her toward her
bedroom.  He nodded slightly to Bill, then propelled her in
that direction.

When the bedroom door shut behind them, she turned to
look at him.  "What the hell happened in there?"

Mulder bent over and kissed her brow.  "Think of it as a
Christmas miracle."

"Mulder - "

"Get dressed.  We're keeping people waiting."  He turned her
toward her closet and gave her a tiny shove in that direction.

His smile broadened as he pulled a pair of his boxers from
her dresser drawer.
 

XXX

Merry Christmas!