Christmas, Mulder Style 

By Mary Kleinsmith
BUC252@aol.com


Date: 9 Jan 2003
Categories/Keywords:  MSR, Holiday, Christmas, Written for VS10's
Christmas  challenge
Rating:  PG
Summary:  How did Mulder spend all those Christmases alone?  He
finally  decides to share with Scully.
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer:  Scully, Mulder, and Maggie Scully - and all the Scully
clan -  belong to 10-13, Fox, and CC.
Author's Notes:  Okay, I know Christmas stories have been done
forever, but  have you ever noticed how most of them have Mulder
sitting home alone on the  holiday? Or not celebrating at all?  Well,
I had a different thought on how  he might spend his day - and this is
what came of it.  Enjoy! Feedback:  Please?  Much appreciated!

Christmas, Mulder Style
By Mary Kleinsmith (BUC252@aol.com)


"I don't get it, Mulder."  Dana Scully looked at her partner in
frustration.   "Every year I invite you to Christmas day at my
mother's house, and every  year you turn me down.  Even on the years
when Bill can't make it home, you  manage to weasel out of it!  I'd
really love you to join my Mom and me this  year - it's going to be
just the two of us."

"Military duty is a bitch, isn't it?" Mulder asked with a shrug.

"Yeah, especially this time of the year.  We'd really like to have you
there,  Mulder.  Please?"

"Scully, look.  I'd love to join you, I really would.  But I have
plans.   Obligations."

Scully was puzzled.  He had no family left, and she knew it as well as
he  did.  "A TV dinner and a football marathon alone in your apartment
are NOT  obligations, Mulder."

"Have I ever once told you that's how I spend my day?"  Mulder raised
his  brows, calling her on her statement.

"Well . . . . I mean . . . I just assumed . . ."

"You know what they say about assuming," he winked.  

"Very funny," she chuckled, drawing closer to him.  Normally, they
wouldn't  show such signs of affection in the office, but she didn't
seem to care this  time.  "C'mon, Mulder.  I want to share this with
you.  You're the most  important person in my life."

"Bet you say that to all the guys," he joked, then became serious.
"Okay,  how about a compromise.  I'll spend Christmas eve with you and
your Mom -  I'll even take you to mass - and then all three of us will
spend Christmas  day meeting my obligations.  Once that's done, we'll
return to spend the rest  of the holiday at Casa Scully."

Scully looked at him with doubt in her eyes.  "Why do I feel like I'm
getting  myself into something I won't be able to get out of."

"Because you are.  That's the deal, Scully.  Take it, or leave it."
He  smiled, hoping she'd agree. "Look, every year, you make the
assumption that  my Christmas is spent alone in my apartment.  This is
your chance to finally  see how I REALLY spend my holiday."

It was apparent from the look on her face that the idea intrigued her.
 "I'd  have to call Mom. . ."

"I'd expect nothing less.  After all, this involves her, too."

"Okay," Scully agreed, picking up the receiver and dialing the phone.
"But  don't make me regret this, Mulder.  I have ways of wreaking my
revenge."

"Promises, promises," Mulder chuckled as he sat down to his work.
Christmas  was less than a week away, and he was really looking
forward to it this time.

**

The stores were  nuts this close to Christmas, but Mulder knew that,
by  shopping at this time, he could get the really good deals.  Yes,
people  shopped on Christmas eve, but not enough that the storekeepers
weren't  worried that their stock wouldn't be sold out by the holiday
itself.  The  sales were great, and the more he could get for his
dollar, the better.  

He knew he wanted to get the best gifts possible for Scully and her
Mom.  He  had ideas for Scully, but what did you get for a lovely
woman like Maggie?   He was hitting the stores again after work, which
would give him an  opportunity to find something.  And to pick up
Scully's.

"So, what do you think your Mom would like for Christmas?" he asked
her.   Scully's nose was buried in her computer screen, but she looked
up sharply,  as if taken by surprise.

"Mulder, she's not expecting anything from you, I'm sure.  All she
wanted was  your presence.  That's it."

"Scully, I have no intention of spending the holiday with your mother
and not  having something to show my appreciation."

"I understand that, but flowers would be more than enough, I'm sure."

"You don't think she's gone long enough without a gift from a handsome
man?"  he asked her with a devilish grin.

"Not as long as you may think," she smiled back at him.  "She isn't
exactly a  nun, you know."

His face fell, but you didn't have to be as familiar with him as
Scully was  to know he was faking it; that was his plan all along.  "I
think I'm  jealous."

"Nobody will ever take your place in her heart, Mulder.  Mom loves all
her  strays."

"Strays?" he asked

"Yeah."

"Oh, how flattering.  I love animals, Scully, but I'm not sure that I
appreciate being compared to a smelly, mangy cat."  How nice to know
what she  thought of him.

It must have shown on his face.  "I'm sorry, Mulder. It's not at all
like  you're thinking.  See, Mom's kitchen was always the place where
the kids  congregated.  She made the best cookies, and mixed up the
best lemonade.  And  even though the house was always full of our
friends, she never hesitated to  take in kids who had no place else to
be.  Everybody was welcome in the  Scully household."

"Somehow, I don't get the feeling that your brother Bill inherited
your Mom's  hospitality."

"Actually, you're the only one he seems to have a problem with."

"I feel so privileged," Mulder said with sarcasm.  "At least we won't
have to  suffer through each other this year."  

"Which brings us back to the origins of this discussion, Mulder.
Where are  we going?"

Mulder had turned off his computer and was retrieving his jacket.
"We're  going to the mall.  I have a few parcels to pick up."

"But it's not even 4:30 yet.  We can't leave this early."  

"Sure we can.  Besides, I need to stop and sign out a vehicle from the
motor  pool before they all go home."

"What's wrong with your car?" she asked curiously.  He was torn
between  telling her what was going on and simply showing her, finally
opting for the  latter.

"Nothing.  This just takes some . . . special equipment."  She was
still  looking at him oddly.  "C'mon and I'll show you."

They wheedled their way through the desks and halls until they finally
arrived at the counter.  Mulder quickly filled out the form and was
handed a  set of keys and given the parking space where their
transportation resided in  the garage.  He ignored the look on her
face that said she didn't recognize  the space assignment.

It became impossible to ignore, however, as they approached the
vehicle.

"Mulder . . . that's a van."

"I know, Scully."

"But . . . It's not even a mini-van - it's a full size cargo van!"

"A good thing, too, since that's what I put on the requisition."  At
the  continuing question in her face, his tone softened and grew
serious.  "Just  trust me, okay?  No questions - just go along with
this.  I promise, you  won't regret it."

She silently climbed into the passenger side of the van.  "Mulder, do
you even  have the right class of license to drive one of these?"

"You don't have to have a special-class license anymore; they changed
the law  years ago."  His face brightened and he turned on the radio.
"Let's see if  we can find any decent music, huh?"

"Mulder, why do I get the feeling that this . . . mood . . . of yours
is  forced?"

"I have no idea, Scully.  Why do you have that feeling?  It's
Christmas.   Can't I have a good time?"

"I believe you're having a good time, Mulder.  But it's not like you
to be  this . . . to take things this lightly.  Despite all the jokes
and sarcasm,  you're the most serious person I know."  She looked at
him with an intensity  that drew him in, and he wondered if he should
pull over before he crashed  and killed them both.

"This is serious, Scully.  I just wanted you to have fun at the same
time."

"Mulder," she said, laying a hand on his as it sat on the steering
wheel.   "Sharing your holiday customs is all I could ask and all I
want.  You don't  have to fake giddiness for me."

Message received, he nodded once and went back to concentrating on the
road.   Surprisingly enough, she didn't ask him again where they were
going or  inquire further on their excursion.  This time, his smile
was genuine as he  pulled around the block near the mall and backed up
to an unmarked overhead  door.

"What is this?" she asked finally.

"You've never seen the delivery entrances to the mall?" Mulder said,
surprised.  Beside the overhead door was a man door, on which he
knocked  soundly until it finally opened.  The middle-aged man's face
lit with  recognition.

"Mr. Mulder!  So nice to see you again, Merry Christmas!"

"The same to you, Dennis.  How're you?"

"I'm doing well, thanks."

"And the wife and kids?"

"Jeanine is great.  The kids have had the flu, but it's on its last
legs.   You can never keep a teenager down for long anyway," he
laughed.  "And who do  I have the pleasure of welcoming to my loading
dock?" he asked, turning to  Scully.

"Dennis, this is my partner, Dana Scully.  Scully, this is Dennis, the
best  dock manager this side of the Mississippi."  

"Nice to meet you," they said simultaneously before Dennis turned to
Mulder.

"Partner?" he asked wickedly.

"At the Bureau, remember?" Mulder said, rolling his eyes.

"If you say so," the dock man said with a grin and a wink.  Keeping
this a  secret was becoming difficult.

"Anyway, we've got a lot of ground to cover tonight, tomorrow being
Christmas  eve and all.  Think you can load me up while we do a little
shopping?"

"Absolutely, Mr. Mulder.  We'll have you ready to go before you can
say Jack  Robinson."  Mulder began to lead Scully away, but Dennis
drew his attention  once more.  "Oh, and Mulder. . .they've got some
really good prices at Reed's  Jewelers."  There was that wink again
before a meaningful glance at Scully.

"Thanks for the advice, but I think I'd better pick out my gifts
myself.  Be  back in awhile."

Coincidentally enough, Reeds was the next store after the one they
entered,  which Scully could finally see was KB Toys.  She surprised
him by not asking  any more questions, and before he knew it, they
were absorbed in looking into  showcases.  

"How about a necklace, Scully?  Think your Mom would like that?"

"Sure, or a nice pin.  There are so many beautiful ones here.  Or we
could  always go to the department store and you could pick her out a
nice sweater."

"Your Mom deserves better than a sweater, Scully.  So much better.
After  we're done with Christmas day, I want something really great to
give her."  

"Any of these things would be wonderful, Mulder," she told him warmly,
taking  his hand as he continued to peer into the showcase.  Suddenly,
his eyes  widened.

"Hey, how about that one!" he pointed out.  The jeweler stood before
him.   "Can you have this ready by tomorrow?"

"Absolutely, Sir.  Just let me get the order pad and we'll get all the
specifics."

Their stop at the jewelry store was completed in short order, and they
moved  on to some of the other stores.  In the center court stood a
huge Christmas  tree decorated in nothing but lights and three
scraggly angels cut out of  construction paper.  They looked so
lonesome, hanging there, and Mulder  stopped to look.

"Three names left," Scully said, reading the tags.  "Would you mind
very much  if we went back to the toy store?  I'd hate to think of
these three kids not  having anything under the tree on Christmas
morning."  

In typical fashion, the mall had put up a tree full of names of kids
who,  without the generosity of the mall's patrons, wouldn't be
getting Christmas  gifts this year because they were either orphans,
homeless, or their parents  simply couldn't afford luxuries beyond
food and drink.  

"We can't let that happen," Mulder said, beaming with pride at her
thoughtfulness.  "We can stop off at JC Penney's and pick them up some
warm  clothes, too, okay?"

"I can't think of a better way to spend Christmas eve day eve," she
laughed,  lifting the tags from the tree.  

The department store was closer, so they started out there.  As it
turned  out, the tags were for a seven-year-old girl named Andrea, a
five-year-old  boy named Colin, and a three-year-old girl named, of
all things, Margaret.   They came upon the boys' section first, and
found a pair of jeans, a shirt, a  jacket, scarf and gloves in just
the right size according to the information  on his tag.  While they
were choosing between a red and green shirt, Mulder  couldn't help but
wonder how Scully would deal with this.  Anything involving
little girls seemed to remind her of Emily, and that was a sore spot
that he  didn't want her to have to revisit.  But it had been her
choice to take the  names, so maybe he was worrying needlessly.
Still, it couldn't help to  offer.

"Would you like me to go and find some clothes for the girls while you
check  these out?" he asked her.

"No, Mulder.  If you really don't mind, I'd like for us to pick them
out  together."

"Are you sure?" he asked doubtfully.

"I'm sure."  She drew closer, laying her hand on his cheek.  "I know
you  worry about me.  And I won't admit that it doesn't hurt to be
reminded of  her.  But I can't pretend that every female child in the
world under the age  of 12 doesn't exist.  These kids need good
presents for Christmas."  She  smiled and her eyes gleamed.  "Not that
your choices wouldn't be just  perfect, but I think I'd better . . ."

"Make sure I don't screw it up?"

"Well, I wouldn't have put it quite that way."

"But it fits, right?"

"Yeah."  He couldn't argue with her. What did HE know about buying
clothes  for a little girl?

But, luckily, Scully knew all the ins and outs, and got each girl
clothing  that was both useful and something they'd probably like.
The gift-wrapping  line wasn't nearly as bad as they expected, and in
short order, they had bags  full of wrapped presents.  That done, they
headed for KB Toys, both to pick  out toys for the three "tree" kids
and to reclaim their vehicle and head  home.

The toys came first, and their arms were quickly filled with Barbie
and  Pokemon and Playschool's finest.  KB didn't have a gift wrapping
department,  but a small table in the mall nearby held some teenagers
wrapping gifts for  charity, so Scully gladly forked over the extra
money to have everything  wrapped up.  

All the tree gifts were dropped off at one of the many stations, this
one  located right near the gift wrappers and toy store.  At least
they made it  easy on you, Mulder thought.

"I don't know about you," Scully said as they made their way to the
loading  dock, "but I'm bushed.  It's been a long day."

"Yeah," Mulder agreed.  "But we have one more stop to make.  Don't
worry,  this isn't anything you have to help with if you don't want
to.  You can nap  if you want."

"No way, Mulder.  In for a penny, in for a pound, as they say."  They
turned  the corner and found Dennis, standing beside the van with the
cargo doors  still open.  "Oh, my God. . ."  Scully's mouth was
hanging open.

The back of the truck was filled from top to bottom, back to front,
with  boxes, but Scully was the only one surprised by this.

"Mulder, what's in all these boxes?"

"Scully, what store are we at?" he asked, and she looked confused at
the  non-sequitur.  

"KB Toys."

"So what do you suppose is in the boxes?  Hickory Farms cheese?"

"Okay, so that wasn't one of my smarter questions," she laughed.  "It
should  have been, 'Mulder, where are we going with all these toys?'"

"Get in and you'll see," was all he said, and as a testament to her
trust in  him, she did so without further explanation.  He jumped
behind the wheel and  they drove for another fifteen or twenty minutes
before pulling into a large  driveway that led to what looked like a
school.  The sign, however,  explained.

"Greater Tri-State Metropolitan Children's Home."

To be continued in Part 2

Christmas, Mulder Style  2/3
By Mary Kleinsmith (BUC252@aol.com)

Mulder could see that Scully finally understood what was happening.
She  motioned to the button beside the delivery doors.  "Should I ring
the door  bell while you start to unload? I'm sure somebody will
answer who can help."

"No, don't!"  Scully jumped at the shout.  Quieter this time, he
added, "just  help me with these."

They went to work, piling the boxes in neat stacks in front of the
door.

"Mulder are you sure that blocking an exit is such a good idea?  What
if  there's an emergency and they need to get out before they find
this veritable  fortress."  She motioned to the wall of boxes, the
last of which he was  putting into place.

"It's near midnight, in case you hadn't noticed.  Nobody is going to
be up.   "C'mon, get into the truck."

Fortunately, she obeyed without argument this time, and they were
already  turning off the road before he saw any activity in his
peripheral vision.   He'd gotten away again.

They rode in silence for several minutes before Scully had apparently
waited  long enough and started her inquisition.  "Mulder, did you buy
all those  toys, or did the store donate them?"

"Does it matter?" he responded, knowing full well he wasn't going to
get away  with it.

"I think I have a right to know.  We're not just business partners
anymore,  remember?"

"Ever so clearly," he responded with a sigh.  "No, the store did not
donate  them.  Although they did give me a special discount."

"And every year you buy a truck full of toys for kids who otherwise
wouldn't  get any?"  Since he was driving, he couldn't see the love in
her face, but he  could hear it in her voice.  

"It's no big deal.  I mean, who else do I have to buy presents for?
You,  your Mom, and the Gunmen.  And Skinner if I'm not on the outs
with him around  the holidays.  May as well put the money to good use,
right?"

"And they don't know you do this?  The children's home, I mean."

"No, and I don't want them to know.  So before you get any ideas in
that  beautiful head of yours . . ."

"I promise.  They won't know who their Secret Santa is."  She leaned
over and  kissed him on the cheek.

"So, think Santa's little elf could spend the night at Santa's place?"
he  grinned as he pulled onto her street.

"As nice as that sounds, Santa, this elf has some things she needs to
take  care of at her apartment.  I don't want to have to worry about
everything  there over the holiday."

"Okay," he said, disappointed, as he pulled the van to a stop in front
of her  building.  "I'll see you at work tomorrow.  I'll be a little
late - I need to  return the van.  At lunch, I'll run over and pick up
your Mom's gift, too."

"Pack a bag, okay?  We'll head over there right from work."

"Think your Mom will approve of our sleeping in the same bed under her
roof?"

"I have no idea, but maybe we shouldn't, just to keep the peace."

"Meaning you haven't had the nerve yet to tell her we've been sleeping
together?"

"Let's just say it hasn't come up in casual conversation, okay?" she
said  from outside the van door.  She leaned back into the window.
"Goodnight,  Mulder."

"Goodnight," he responded, pulling away after he saw her enter the
building  and the door lock behind her.

**

She only got four or so hours of sleep, but there was an errand she
just had  to run, and she couldn't resist.  She'd set her alarm for
4:30 am, and rose  and dressed almost on auto-pilot so that she was
sitting outside the  children's home by six.  She had no idea what
time people started to rouse at  such an establishment, but wanted to
be there to watch when they found  Mulder's offerings.  Not that she
could explain the need she felt to observe  this - she just did.
Finally, around 6:30, a head poked out the door.  It  was a man, not a
child, but his face shone with joy as he beheld the boxes.

One at a time, he brought them into the building, and by the time it
took him  to return, she deduced that he was putting them away, too,
not just moving  them in out of the weather.  She could see his lips
pursed in a whistle as he  accomplished his task, until finally, he
moved the last one.  

She'd thought, with all her investigative experience, that she'd been
out of  sight . . .  was certain that the man hadn't seen her.  But
she'd been wrong,  because, as the doors closed the final time, a
knock came on the passenger  window of her car.

Unthreatening, a different man, older and wise-looking, entreated her
to open  her window, which she did.  

"Excuse me, ma'am.   I may be way out of line here, but do we have you
to  thank for the Christmas gifts?  I know they were meant to be
anonymous, but  we'd really like to know."

"I'm sorry, no, I'm not your Santa.  I do know who he is, though.
He's a  very close friend of mine."

"Will you tell us who he is?" he asked again, gently.  "We owe him so
much."

"I'm afraid I'm sworn to secrecy," Scully told him.  "I'm sorry.
You're  right - he does deserve recognition."

"Well, if you won't tell us who he is, would you come in for a few
minutes?  There are some things I'd like to give you to pass on to
him."

"Of course," Scully agreed, getting out of the car and following the
kindly  old man into the building.

**

"Dana!  Fox!"  Maggie's smiling face greeted them at the door, and
Mulder  found himself relaxing in her warm presence.  A few moments
later, that  presence evolved into an embrace.  "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Mom," Scully responded, getting a hug of her own.  

"Let me take your coats, and go on into the living room," Maggie
offered.   "I'll get us something to drink.  Eggnog or Christmas
punch, Fox?"

"Punch, please, Mrs. Scully.  Thank you."

"Maggie, please.  Okay, punch it is, and I know what Dana wants."  The
partners exchanged a grin as Maggie let them.  

"I was always a nut for eggnog," she tells him.  "When I was a child,
Mom and  Dad had to forcibly stop me after two glasses or I'd drink so
much that I'd  be sick on it."

"You have no idea how much whining we had to endure," Maggie said,
returning  to the room with three glasses on a tray.  "Dinner will be
ready in about  half an hour. I hope you're both hungry."

"Are you kidding?" Mulder joked.  "We skipped lunch today in
preparation for  this."

"He's serious," Dana assured her.  "He's been looking forward to your
cooking  ever since he agreed to come over."

"And I'm so very glad you did, Fox.  It never feels completely like
Christmas  until you're with those you love."

"But what about your sons?" he asked.  "Won't it feel incomplete
without  them?"

"Being a military wife has taught me to celebrate long distance.
We'll talk  on the speaker phone tonight, and for the first time," she
smiled, "I'll have  all my kids with me for Christmas."  The meaning
of her words weren't lost on  either of them, and Mulder blushed at
the love in her words.

"I'm sorry," he said, realizing.  "For all the years I turned you
down.  I  just realized that that may have hurt you, and if it did, I
apologize.  It  was never about you."  Trying to lighten the mood, he
added, "what can I say?   I'm screwed up."

"Fox, you've been hurt.  From what Dana said, your family life has
been . . .  well, let's just say I can't blame you for not knowing how
to accept our kind  of love."

"Dana's helped me sort of get out of my own way on that kind of
thing," Mulder  uncharacteristically blushed.

"And I'm so happy about that," Maggie responded.  "Oh, Dana.  I forgot
to  mention to you that they've moved midnight mass to ten o'clock
this year.  Is  that going to be okay? We could find a midnight mass
to attend at another  parish if your heart's set on it."

"It's not the time that's important as much as the service itself,
Mom.   That'll be fine."

"Fox, you can stay here if you want, or you're welcome to join us.
We'd be  very happy for you to come."

"I'm afraid I'm not much for organized religion.  And I haven't been
to a  mass in decades."

"You wouldn't have to participate if it makes you uncomfortable."  She
smiled  gently.  "It would be nice to have you sitting beside me this
year - in  Bill's place."

"How can I resist an offer like that?" Mulder responded.  

"Are you sure?" Scully asked him.

"I'm not converting, Scully.  It's just a simple Christmas eve mass."

The phone's ringing effectively ended the conversation, and Scully and
Maggie  talked for awhile on speakerphone with Bill, Tara, and
Matthew.  They  exchanged meaningful glances when the young boy told
them some of the things  he'd asked Santa for, knowing that most of
them had been included in the  packages they'd sent.  

Going with his better judgment, Mulder kept quiet throughout the phone
call,  and nobody let on that he was even in the room.  No need to
start an argument  with Bill if it wasn't necessary, and he could come
up with no good reason  for revealing this information.  They all
talked for nearly half an hour  before saying goodbye.  Since dinner
was ready to come out of the oven, Bill  and his family understood,
and made a promise to talk again on New Years.  

Maggie set a scrumptious spread, and while Mulder was fully capable of
throwing together a meal if he needed to, he found a warmth in
partaking in  such a meal.  Glazed ham - the kind made from scratch,
not pre-cooked - wild  rice, pineapple, and cheese rigatoni made for
an extraordinary feast.

"Maggie, this is incredible," Mulder said as he took one of the three
chairs  around the table.  

"I'm glad you like it," she said, blushing a bit.  "Because I fully
intend to  send a good deal of it home with you."

"But . . ."

"No buts.  I can't possibly eat this many leftovers, and you could use
something that's not full of chemicals and preservatives.  Or are you
just  trying to refuse my cooking?"  A raised eyebrow reminded him
where his  partner got the expression.

"Never.  I may be crazy, but I'm not insane."  

Both women laughed at him and hey settled into the meal amid stories
of  Dana's past mis-spent Christmases.  Maggie was shocked to learn
about the  year they'd spent Christmas Eve in a haunted house, and
actually managed to  get Dana to talk a bit about the year they'd
found Emily.  Talking about it  actually seemed to make Dana feel
better, and she spoke openly about the  child's mannerisms and how
much she reminded her of Melissa.

They also talked about those who had been lost, and who had gone on
before.   Not just Melissa and Emily, but Scully's father, Teena and
Bill Mulder, and  even Samantha.  Surprisingly, Maggie had never heard
the entire story of her  disappearance, and the facts of what finally
was revealed to have happened to  her.  The idea of a government
agency - albeit a secret one - taking such  actions against their own
citizens seemed stunning to her.  It was difficult  to talk about her
diary, and the years of torture she suffered while they
were separated, but he also found it comforting to have a sympathetic
ear  beyond Scully's.  By dessert, he was surprised to find himself
feeling  happier than he had in ages - except, of course, when he was
alone with his  beautiful partner.

After the food was eaten, Maggie put all the leftovers into containers
while  Mulder and Scully washed and dried the dishes.  They were
putting the last of  the silverware into the drawer when the phone
rang again, and Maggie's face  brightened.  

"That'll be Charlie!" Dana exclaimed, grabbing the phone. There was
silence  for a moment.  "Charlie, I'm going to put you on the speaker,
hold on."

She pressed the button and hung up the receiver.  "You still there,
little  brother?"

"Yep, we're all here."  

A chorus of hello's rang out, but Mulder could discern four distinct
voices,  one female, three male.  Then Charlie's voice came again.

"I'm sorry we couldn't be there, Mom, but you know how the military
is."

"Yes, I understand.  It's okay - and I have Dana and Fox to share my
holiday,  so I'm not alone."

"Well, well, well!" Charlie exclaimed.  "The infamous Fox Mulder!
It's nice  to talk to you again, even if it can't be in person."

"Same here," Mulder responded.  "Merry Christmas."

They all talked for quite some time - almost an hour - as Mulder and
Charlie  exchanged some sports talk and the kids told all the things
they hoped would  be under the tree for them the following morning.

"Fox is taking us out for a surprise tomorrow," Maggie told her family
as  Dana smiled.  She still had no idea what her partner had in store,
but the  idea of having an insight into his idea of Christmas was as
much enjoyable as  it was intriguing.  Leave it to Mulder to make a
mystery on Christmas.

"Oooh, Mulder," Charlie chuckled.  "Dana loves surprises - didn't she
ever  tell you?"

"Well, maybe that's why she . . ." he thought twice, then said, "why
she's  stayed working with me for all these years."  Even though
Maggie knew they  were more than friends, he wasn't sure it was the
right time to reveal this  to her little brother.

"Maybe," Charlie responded.  "Anyway, we'd better let you all get back
to  your evening.  I'll talk to you before the New Year, Mom."

"Thanks, baby.  Merry Christmas to everybody.  We love you."

"We love you, too," they all said simultaneously.  "Merry Christmas!"

There was silence for a few moments after the call was disconnected,
the  missing family members still a strong presence in the room.  It
was still a  good hour before they planned to leave for church.

"Well, kids," Maggie began.  "Would you like to open presents now, or
wait  until after mass?"

"To be honest," Scully admitted, "by the time mass is over, I'm
probably  going to be dead to the world.  How about if we do it now?"

"Sounds good to me," Maggie admitted.  "Let me just go get your
gifts."

"Ours are in our bags," Mulder said, getting up to retrieve the large
bag by  the door.  He and Scully had agreed to not only bring Maggie's
gifts, but to  also bring theirs for each other, to make it a real
family Christmas.  

They felt richer than Midas as they sat, Mulder and Scully on the sofa
and  Maggie on the couch in the livingroom, surrounded by wrapped
parcels.  There  were not only gifts from each other, but those sent
across country from  Charlie and Bill's families.  Those were the
gifts they decided to open  first.

Mulder didn't mind that there weren't any in this bunch for him.  It
had been  far too long since he'd had Christmas gifts to feel left out
- he was just  enjoying the glee in Scully and Maggie's faces as they
opened theirs.  The  gifts were thoughtful and showed just how well
the members of this family  knew each other.  He felt a pang of loss
as he realized that this never was  the case with his own family, even
when they were still alive.  It was nice  to see.

It took him off guard when Maggie handed a small, wrapped package to
him.   "This is for you, Fox.  I found it among Melissa's things after
we lost her,  with a note to give it to you the Christmas of 2002."

"What?!" Mulder said in surprise.

"Open it!" Scully exclaimed excitedly.  "What would Missy leave for
you?  You  hardly knew her."

"True.  She did get me through one of the worst times in my life," he
said,  exchanging a look with Scully that told how terrified he'd been
that he was  losing her.

He took it tentatively, and the women watched as he carefully tore the
wrapping from the box.  Opening it, he found a glistening ornament,
gold  embedded with colored crystals.  The design was a scale engraved
"Libra" on  which was balanced two fish marked "Pisces."  He held it
up and they watched  it reflect in the light.

"It's beautiful."

"There's a note," Scully said, finding a sheet of paper folded into
the lid  of the box.  She unfolded it and read aloud.  "Dear Fox," she
smiled a bit,  reading ahead silently.

"Well?" Mulder asked, interrupting her daydreaming.

"Oh, yeah.  'Dear Fox.  I plan to give this to you eight years from
the time  I'm writing it, but in case I'm unable, I've included this
note.  I hope by  now that you and Dana have come to realize that your
souls are drawn to one  another and you're destined to be together.  I
gave you eight years to figure  it out - but I wanted to be sure.  You
are Libra and Dana is Pisces - please  accept this symbol of how they
will always belong together, as you and she  will always belong
together.  Merry Christmas.'"

Maggie chuckled as the other two just shook their heads in amazement.
They'd  been so sure they were fooling everybody else, just as
assuredly as they'd  been fooling themselves.  "At least we got out of
our own ways before she had  to tell us," Scully said.  Standing, she
took the ornament from Mulder's hand  and carefully hung it on the
tree.  "Merry Christmas, Missy," she whispered.

Finally, they got to their gifts to each other.  Maggie's eyes lit up
at the  peach-colored sweater set that Dana had picked out for her,
and Scully  laughed when she opened her gift to find that her mother
had chosen the same  sweater set in a royal blue for her daughter.
Maggie handed over a large box  to a blushing Mulder.  "This is from
Dana and me," Maggie said.

"Thank you," he said, taking it from her.  It was beautifully wrapped
-  almost too beautiful to disturb - but the women urged him and he
finally  opened it.  

"Oh, my . . ." he said, taking in the contents.  He'd never expected
her to  be so extravagant.  "Maggie, Scully, you shouldn't have . .
."

"There are ten years of missed Christmases in that gift, on my part
alone,  I'll have you know," Maggie smiled at him.  "Just don't ask me
to help set it  up.  I know nothing of such things."

Mulder looked with astonishment at the gift - a new DVD player and
several  DVD's, the first of which was Plan 9 from Outer Space.  He
laughed -  obviously, she'd been talking to her daughter.  "Thank you,
Maggie. You too,  Scully.  It's wonderful."  Suddenly, he was glad
he'd chosen the gifts he had  for them.  "Now, it's your turns."

To be Concluded in Part 3

Christmas, Mulder Style  3/3
By Mary Kleinsmith (BUC252@aol.com)

First, he gave a box to Scully, which she unwrapped to reveal a gold
heart  pendant of red garnets.  "Oh, Mulder, it's beautiful!" she
exclaimed as she  hugged him soundly.  He kissed her and then she sat
down so he could bestow  his last gift.

He handed a small box to her.  The paper was gold metallic, the bow
matching.   He didn't care that he hadn't wrapped it himself, and knew
she wouldn't hold  it against him.

Her eyes grew wide when she saw the "Reeds" box, knowing that they
sold only  the beset in jewelry.  Nothing costume would come from
there.  "Oh, Fox, what  have you done?"

Inside was a gold pin that said, "Mom," a large stone representing
Maggie's  birth month  underlined with a row of colored gemstones.  He
wondered if he'd  have to explain, but she recognized what it was
right away.  "Oh, Fox!  How  did you ever get all the . . ."

"I am an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, remember?"

"It's beautiful," Maggie said.  "Bill's birthstone, then Tara's,
Charlie's  and his wife's, Melissa's, Dana's, and . . ."  Her jaw
dropped in awe as she  realized.

At her silence, Mulder prayed he hadn't been too presumptuous.
Instead of  the anger he feared, he instead ended up with Maggie's
arms wrapped about  him.  He realized that he felt moisture on his
neck where her face was  nestled.  Now he was scared.

"Maggie . . .  I'm sorry.  Please don't cry."

"Are you kidding?" she asked, withdrawing from him and wiping her
eyes, but  her voice was strong.  "This is the nicest thing anybody
has ever done for  me.  In my eyes, you've been a part of this family,
Fox Mulder, since the day  you came to tell me that Dana had been
kidnapped, and all those following  months when you kept me sane.  The
best gift I could get was this - your  acceptance of your place in our
family."

"I'm going to wear this to mass!" Maggie proclaimed, removing it from
the box  and affixing it to her dress.  "Now I'll have all my kids
with me at all  times."

"And speaking of which," Scully said, joining the two others.  "Before
you  steal away my man, I think we'd better get going if we want to
get a pew."   They all laughed, exchanging kisses before retrieving
their coats.

The mass was lovely, and Mulder found himself glad that he'd come.
The choir  was particularly touching as they sang classics like O Holy
Night and Silent  Night.  They left the service with a warmth within
that couldn't be reduced  by the cold outside.  The drive back to
Maggie's house was cozy, and quiet,  the silent night just as peaceful
as the song described that first Christmas  eve.  

Returning to the house, it glowed from the windows with light from the
tree.   Mulder and Scully retrieved their overnight cases, which had
been left inside  the front door.

"I'm ready for bed," Scully yawned.  "It's been a long day."

"It sure has," Mulder agreed.  "And tomorrow will be a busy day," he
grinned.

"Still not going to tell us where we're going?" Scully asked.

"Nope.  You promised to spend a typical Christmas day with me - you're
not  trying to get out of it, are you?"

"Not on your life," Scully answered, sounding offended, but still
smiling.

"Me neither," Maggie nodded.  "Just tell me one thing - what do I put
on in  the morning."

"Something comfortable, but it doesn't have to be too terribly warm.
The  room we'll be in can get a little bit heated."

"Well, that's cryptic," Scully chuckled as they climbed the stairs.
Mulder's  eyes met Maggie's for just a moment before he went into a
separate room from  her daughter, and he wasn't sure if it was
approval or disappointment he saw  in them.

**

Mulder couldn't sleep.  They didn't need to leave the house until
eight or  nine o'clock, yet he found himself staring at the ceiling by
dawn.  He knew,  intellectually, that sharing this part of himself
wasn't a mistake, and yet  he'd learned the hard way about revealing
too much of himself and getting  stung by it.  The fear, after all
these years, was ingrained in him.  He knew  that he wouldn't alienate
Scully, but he feared disappointing Maggie, and  that surprised him.
He'd never worried about that kind of thing until he'd
committed himself to Scully.  She'd taught him to care.  He guessed,
in many  ways, that was good.

So he lay there, thinking, for hours.  About Scully, about their
future,  about his past, for yes, he believed he couldn't look to the
future without  looking to the past as well. It was a circle.  Until
finally, he heard  stirrings from the room next door and knew it was
safe to rise and dress.  

They gathered in the kitchen for coffee and pastries.  It felt right
to be in  this environment, despite how very different it was from his
every day life.   Once mugs were washed and put away, the ladies
donned coats as they walked to  the car, seemingly excited to be off
on their adventure.  

Mulder climbed behind the wheel and headed into the city, making their
way to  the innermost recesses of Washington.  And if opulence and
wealth reigned in  the more popular areas of the city, they soon
realized that there were just  as many areas where poverty abounded.
At last, he pulled into a parking  space in front of a clean but badly
run-down building. The mission.

Getting out of the car, Scully stared in wonder.  "This is how you
spend your  Christmas days, Mulder?"

"Somebody has to do it," he said.  "I never saw any reason why it
shouldn't  be me.  Food needs to be cooked and served - and if it's
not, these people  don't get to eat today."

They walked into the room and were greeted by several fellow worked,
all who  had become familiar with Mulder over the years.  They could
hear commotion in  an adjoining room, and Scully peeked out a door to
see an already-established  line of people.

"When will they start serving?" she asked as she followed Mulder and
Maggie  into the kitchen.  

"It all depends on when we get it set up and ready.  I'm lucky - I
didn't  draw kitchen duty this year or I'd have had to have been here
hours ago to  put the turkeys in the oven.  I'm serving today, which
means I'm going to  need help getting the tables put up.

He finally forced himself to look the two women in the face for the
first  time since their arrival.  Scully's held approval, which he
knew it would,  but his relief was almost palpable when he saw not
just acceptance in  Maggie's, but pride as well.  "Do you mind
spending your Christmas this way?"

"Fox, I love my family.  They are just about everything to me.  But
we've  been selfish, and you've opened my eyes to that.  We've enjoyed
our  Christmases in a warm house with a kitchen full of food.  The
least I can do  to make up for it is spend this Christmas here, with
you.  Thank you, Fox."

"That goes for me, too, Mulder.  You've made this a wonderful
Christmas."   Scully hugged him tightly.  "And now, we'd better get to
work."

By noon, the serving tables were set up and the first of the huge
bowls full  of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and vegetables were being
brought out.  Maggie  and Scully each tied on an apron, grabbed a
serving spoon, and took places  behind the table with Mulder and a few
others.  People, old and young, single  and entire families, filed by
and received plates of food.  

It never ceased to amaze him, and he never felt anything like he felt
when he  stood here and watched people, especially dirty and
sad-looking children,  eagerly shoving the food into their mouths, and
knowing that it would  probably be next year before they ever had
another meal like this again.   Scully kept looking at him with that
look in her eyes, but she was wrong.  He  was no hero - he just
couldn't resist having this feeling.  

After a few hours, the line lightened a bit, and Mulder told Scully
and  Maggie to take a break, go get themselves a plate, and have their
dinner.   The time had gone so fast, they looked as surprised as he
had when he'd  looked up to see the time.  

"Aren't you going to eat?" Scully asked him with concern.

"There aren't enough servers for all three of us to go at once.  When
you're  done, I'll have something, I promise."  Nodding, Scully and
Maggie did as  they were told.  Every once in awhile, Mulder would
look over at them and see  their heads together in conspiratorial
whispers.  They were planning  something, but he didn't have time to
worry what it was.

He traded places with them once they were finished, and found himself
sitting  at a table alone, eating turkey and dressing.  It didn't feel
foreign to him,  and didn't even feel sad as it had in years before,
because he had somebody  waiting for him nearby.  It made all the
difference in the world.

From her place behind the serving tables, Scully was having a hard
time  paying attention to what she was doing.  Her attention kept
straying to  Mulder, watching him as he ate.  She'd always known he
was smart, and  handsome, and many other things.  Now she also knew
that his generosity was  beyond anything she'd ever expected.  

A group of small children, tummies full but still dirty, played near
the  serving tables.  She went over to talk to them.

"Hi, kids!"

"Hi, lady," a few of them said simultaneously.

"My name is Dana."  Each of them introduced themselves, and she tried
to  remember as many as she could.  Finally she bent down closer,
whispering to  them.  "Do you know that man sitting over there?"  She
pointed to Mulder.

"Sure," one child, who seemed to be the leader, said.  "That's Mr.
Mulder.   He comes here every year."

Another child spoke up.  "I heard somebody say once that he's a spy!
That  would be so cool!"

Scully laughed.  "Well, he does work for the government, but right
now, want  to know a secret?"

"Sure!" chorused the five and six year olds.  

"Well, Mr. Mulder hasn't had a hug in a long, long time."

"Don't his mommy and daddy hug him?" one precocious child asked.

"His mommy and daddy died.  He sure would appreciate a hug, I think."

"You're his girlfriend, aren't you?  Why don't you hug him more
often?" asked  a very mature child of perhaps seven.

"I do, but it's just not the same as a hug from a child.  What do you
say?   It would make him really happy, I'm sure."

The kids nodded to each other, and suddenly Mulder was being swarmed
over.   They were on his lap and his back, sitting in the chair next
to him, on the  table, and standing, but all the little arms were
wrapped around him.  He was  laughing.

"Thanks for coming to see us!"

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Mulder."

"Are you done eating yet?"

"Wanna come and play with us?"

"Your girlfriend is pretty."

All the voices were hard to discern, but to Mulder, the hugs were like
heaven.  "Thanks, everybody!  Did you all eat your dinners?"

"Every bite!" said a little brown-haired girl.

"Good," he smiled.  "Stay here a second, and I'll be right back."  He
went  out to the car, returning with some boxes.  

"Okay, line up!"  They did as he ordered, and each child received a
bright  red and white candy cane.  They all thanked him, hugged him
again, and  scampered off to places unknown.

Returning to his duties at the serving table, Scully looked at him
warmly.   "Mulder, you are amazing."

"So are you.  You put up with me."

"Well," Maggie said with a wide grin.  "I think you're both pretty
amazing,  but I'm admittedly partial."  

They continued to work until late afternoon when the food supply and
lines  were exhausted, as were the workers, but it was a good
exhausted.

"I'm going to sleep like a rock tonight," Maggie said as they got into
the  car.  "But it's the best kind of tiredness I've felt in a long
time.  Thank  you, Fox."

"Well, you wanted to see how I spend my Christmases . . ."

"I will never again consider your holiday mis-spent," Scully added and
kissed  him on the cheek.

They drove Maggie back to her place, reclaiming their gifts and the
leftovers  from the previous night before wishing her a goodnight and
leaving her to  some peace and quiet.  Once alone in the car, Scully
looked at him warmly  again.  "How about we go back to your place?"  

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely.  I don't think I'm ready to leave you just yet."

"I don't have much of a tree, y'know."

"Yes, I know.  And it doesn't matter.  Just so long as you're there.
Besides, I have one more gift for you."

"Another one?  Scully, you've already given me so much."

"I didn't want you to open this until we were alone."

"Ooooh, Scully.  I'm intrigued," Mulder said lasciviously.

"It's not that kind of gift, Mulder," Scully smiled.  "Although I
won't rule  anything out for later on."

Both of them carried their overnight bags into the apartment when they
arrived at Hegel place, but while Scully went and sat on the couch,
Mulder  went to the refrigerator instead.

"I was hoping we'd come back here," he said, joining her on the couch
with a  bottle of champagne and two glasses.  He opened it, and
poured.

"You know, Mulder.  I didn't think, before yesterday, that I could
love you  any more than I already do, but I do."

"Thanks.  I know I couldn't love you any more.  Now how about my
present?"   His eyes lit up like a child's.

"Okay, but first, I want to explain.  Yesterday while you were
returning the  van, I went back to the children's home."

"Scully, those gifts were supposed to be anonymous!"

"I know, and I promise, I didn't betray your secret.  I wanted to see
. . .   Well, I'm sure you understand.  I talked to the man in charge,
and he asked  me to give this to you - so I guess it's really more his
gift to you than  mine."

She gave him a package wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper.  When he
opened  it, there were several large envelopes bound together with a
piece of yarn.   On closer inspection, each envelope had a year on it.
 He looked at her,  perplexed.

"Each year, the director of the home told me, the kids made drawings
for the  person who brought them the toys.  They gave them to him and
asked that he'd  make sure the donor got their messages, but he'd
never been able to fulfill  that promise.  Until now."

Opening the first envelope, he took out sixty or seventy sheets of
paper with  crayoned drawings, mostly of the kids playing with their
new toys.  Almost  all of them said, "thank you," on them somewhere,
and one even said, "our own  Santa," on it.  Mulder read every one,
and when he looked up at her, his eyes  were moist.

"Thank you, Scully."  

"No, thank you, Mulder.  You reminded me that Christmas is about
giving - not  just to those we love, but to everybody."

They hugged, and she nuzzled closer into him, nearly dozing off
instantaneously when he roused her. "Oh, but there's one more gift to
open."

"What?" she said, surprised.

"Your Mom gave me this box as we were leaving the house tonight and
told me  we were to open it when we were alone."  He got up and
retrieved the  brightly-wrapped shirt-size box from his own overnight
bag.

"What do you think it is?" Scully asked as he rejoined her on the
couch.

"I have no idea, but I don't know why we can't find out."  

Together they tore off the paper and then carefully lifted the lid.
Scully  blushed, as a laugh forced itself from Mulder.

For in the box, nestled among the tissue paper, was a red, see-through
negligee.

"I guess we didn't have to worry about the separate rooms after all,"
Mulder  chuckled.

"No, I guess not.  And now, if you'll excuse me," she said, snagging
the  box's contents, "I'm going to go put on OUR Christmas present."

They may not have peace on earth, but they had happiness, and they had
love.   And what more could two people want?

The End