The Gossamer Project Author - Title - Date - Spoilers - Crossovers - X-Files - Adventures - Stories - Vignettes Other stories by Tess From: Tnv099@aol.com Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1999 13:14:03 EST Subject: NEW: Home for the Holidays By Tess (1 of 1) MSR PG13 Source: xff Title: Home for the Holidays Author: Tess E-mail: tnv099@aol.com Distribution: If you want it, sure. I'd like to know where though Spoilers: None Rating: PG-13 Content: MSR Disclaimer: You already know they aren't mine. CC, Fox, 1013 Productions, DD and GA are the lucky owners. I'm making no money from this. If I were it'd truly be a merry merry Christmas Summary: Christmas Eve, 1999 Home for the Holiday By: Tess December 24, 1999 4:15 a.m. The leather creaked noisily as Mulder shifted his weight, remote control in one hand as he endlessly surfed channels. Click. Click. Click. He tossed the remote aside in disgust. His eyes roved the apartment restlessly, landing for a moment on his bedroom door. He briefly considered going to bed but he knew sleep would not come. His gaze settled on the festively wrapped gift lying on his desk. He heaved himself to his feet and ambled across the room. Picking up the package he fingered the bright ribbon. His thoughts turned to the gift's intended recipient. He hoped that she was not battling insomnia as well. They had been away on a case for the last two weeks and had only returned home a few hours ago battered, bruised and exhausted both physically and emotionally. Grabbing his keys from the desk he stuffed his feet into his boots and yanked his jacket off the back of the sofa. Tucking the small package safely into his pocket, he headed out the door. December 24, 1999 5:00 a.m. Mulder let himself into Scully's apartment and crept silently to her bedroom door. Peeking into the room he could see her clearly in the soft light spilling into the room from the street lights outside her window. He padded across the room and settled on the floor next to her bed. Even in the dim light he could make out the dark circles under her eyes. He worried that this Christmas would be hard for her. Her brother, Bill, had shipped out shortly after Thanksgiving and her mother had flown to California to spend the holidays with Tara and Matthew. Scully's sister-in-law was six months pregnant and exhausted chasing after her two-year-old son. Margaret Scully had happily jumped at the chance to coddle her daughter-in-law and spoil her grandson. Scully had claimed not to mind spending the holiday away from her family. Still, Mulder couldn't help but wonder if she was now regretting her decision not to join them. He sighed unconsciously and Scully stirred. Mulder held his breath, hoping she wouldn't awaken. He relaxed as she quieted and was getting ready to leave when he was pinned by one blue eye peering at him sleepily. "Mulder," she rasped huskily. "What's wrong?" She propped herself up on one elbow, pushing her hair out of her eyes with the other hand. "Nothing's wrong," he whispered. "I---I couldn't sleep and I just---I just wanted to make sure that you were okay." Scully sat up against the pillows, the covers pooling around her waist. She shook her head ruefully and reached out to brush comforting fingers through his hair. "Mulder, your hair is wet!" she exclaimed. "It's snowing," he replied. She slipped down under the covers again and nestled her cheek against one pillow. She smiled softly. "Is it sticking or is it melting as soon as it hits the ground?" she asked. "The cars are covered already and so is the grass. The sidewalks were just wet when I got here but I think we'll get a few inches," he replied. "Mmmm. A white Christmas," she said around a yawn. Her eyes were drifting shut again and she struggled to keep them open. "I should get going and you should go back to sleep. I'll see you later." He rose up on his knees to press a kiss to her cheek. Scully grasped the front of his T-shirt. "Mulder. It's late and it's snowing and we're both exhausted. Why don't you stay here?" She scooted over a little and flicked back the covers. Mulder stared at her open mouthed for a heartbeat or two, shocked. Finally he found his voice. "You're right, Scully. It is late. All the more reason I should leave--before the snow gets any worse." "Look, you were going to come over here later on today anyway right?" she asked. He nodded slowly. "Your garment bag is still in the trunk of your car, right?" He nodded again. Scully tugged a little harder on his T-shirt. "Come on Mulder, let's get some sleep." He acquiesced, dropping his jacket on a nearby chair and toeing off his boots and socks. His fingers fumbled with the zipper and button on his jeans before tossing them on top of his jacket. He shivered a bit in the cool air before slipping under the blankets. Scully surprised him again when she draped her fleece covered body over his, wrapping him in sleepy warmth. She was lying bonelessly against him and he thought she had fallen back to sleep. His mind was whirling, trying to make sense of what had happened and what it meant. Suddenly, Scully's head popped up from its resting-place on his chest. "Mulder, aren't you comfortable?" she asked. "No, Scully, this feels great," he replied honestly. "Well then you're thinking too much. I'm tired, you're tired. Let's get some sleep." She leaned up until her face was hovering over his as she spoke. Her eyes dropped to his lips and then she surprised him for the third time that night as she lowered her lips to his. Her mouth moved softly over his, lips clinging moistly. The tip of her tongue darted out to touch the corner of his mouth before she pulled away. "Go to sleep Mulder." She slipped back down to nestle her head against his chest and drifted off to sleep. Mulder decided to take her advice and stop analyzing everything. Wrapping his arms around her, he followed her into sleep. December 24, 1999 9:45 a.m. Mulder awoke to weak sunlight filtering into the room and the smell of coffee. He squinted toward the window and could see the snow still falling gently. He made his way to the bathroom and found a new toothbrush lying on top of a fresh towel and washcloth. He brushed his teeth and washed his face then ran wet fingers through his hair trying to tame the wayward spikes. He shuffled toward the kitchen following the scent of the coffee and found Scully. He stopped in the doorway to watch her for a moment as he remembered the feel of her snuggled warm and sleepy against him. Her kiss had been both chaste and erotic at the same time and the memory of it made him want to snatch her into his arms and never let go. She was wearing a long sleeved T-shirt and faded jeans. Her hair was caught up in a messy ponytail and her face was devoid of makeup. Her bare feet peeked out from beneath her jeans and he could see that she had painted her toes a pretty, girlish pink. She was humming softly to the Christmas music playing in the next room as she whipped eggs in a bowl. "Good morning," he rumbled in gravely morning tones. She froze at the sound of his voice and her body stiffened. He braced himself for the regret he was sure he would see on her face and was nearly knocked to his knees at the bright, happy smile she turned his way. "Good morning," she answered. "There's coffee and breakfast should be ready in a couple of minutes. She poured the egg mixture into a skillet and let it cook for a few moments, and then she added grated cheese and folded the egg into an omelet. A moment later she divided the omelet in half and slid each half onto the plates waiting on the counter. "Can you get the toast from the toaster oven?" she asked, swinging around with a plate in each hand. He moved quickly to do as she asked and then joined her at the table. They had eaten breakfast together in countless diners over the years and falling into the familiar routine, she handed him the sports section of the newspaper while she poured over the front page. Mulder scanned the sports section briefly but couldn't concentrate. Instead, he found himself studying Scully. Feeling his gaze settle on her, she looked up and met his eyes. "You're doing it again," she told him. "What's that?" he asked. "Overthinking things." "Sorry," he shrugged apologetically. She smiled reassuringly at him. "Eat your eggs before they get cold," she admonished gently and turned back to the newspaper. Several moments passed and she lifted her gaze to him again. He was still staring at her. "What?" she asked. "I don't know. I guess I just didn't expect all of this." "Breakfast?" she inquired innocently. He narrowed his eyes at her in frustration. "No, Scully. I don't mean breakfast. I mean all of...," he waved his hands around, "I mean everything that's happened." She set her fork down and stared at him. "But it's good, right?" She looked at him with a worried frown. "I mean, we've been leading up to this haven't we? Spending more time together outside of work?" He nodded. "Yeah, Scully. It's good. I just wasn't...I mean I didn't come here last night...what I'm saying is I didn't expect.." Scully stood up and moved to the other side of the table so that she was next to him. She caught both of his hands in hers and pulled him to his feet. "Since we agree that everything is good, why don't we just take it one step at a time and enjoy it?" She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her cheek against his chest. Mulder let out a shaky sigh and enfolded her in his embrace. The stood quietly for a few minutes and then Scully leaned back slightly so she could see his face. Stretching up on her toes, she brushed her lips across his. This time Mulder reacted more quickly. Wrapping one hand around the back of her neck and tightening the other around her back he drew her closer and stole control of the kiss away from her. His mouth moved urgently over hers and his tongue stroked the lining of her lower lip, begging for entrance. Scully moaned her permission and his tongue swept into her mouth. They explored each other hungrily for a few moments and then Scully broke away, sinking back down on her heels. She trembled in his arms as he took gasping breaths against the crown of her head. They calmed after a couple of minutes and placing his hands on her shoulders, he pushed himself slightly away from her. "So. What's the plan for today?" he asked. Scully swept her hands over her hair, scraping the unruly strands back into the ponytail. "Well it is Christmas Eve...we could do all the traditional Christmas Eve things." "For example? I've never celebrated Christmas," he reminded her. "Well my family always put up the tree on Christmas Eve and then dinner and watching Christmas specials..." "Really? You waited until Christmas Eve to put up the tree?" "I know. It was complete chaos. We kids were running around like crazy people, on sugar highs from all the stolen cookies and candy canes. My mother was in the kitchen making dinner and my father was in the living room putting up the tree and dragging my mom out of the kitchen every five minutes to see if the tree was straight in the stand and if the lights were on right." She smiled. "It's a nice memory." "It was insanity. But in a good way." "You don't have a tree, but we could get one," he offered. "No. It's a lot of work. After I moved out that was one tradition I was happy to part with. It's easier to put it up a week before the holiday." "Well then, what do you want to do?" "I don't have anything in the house to make for dinner." "We could get Chinese takeout," Mulder suggested. Scully looked at him in horror. "I don't think so." He nodded and looked at her for suggestions. "All right. There's a market a couple of blocks from here." She looked at her watch. "They should be open for a few more hours. I can walk over and get something to make for dinner." "Okay, let's go." "No. Why don't you get your stuff out of the car and grab a shower." Scully put on her boots and coat and stuffed her wallet into her pocket. Mulder picked up her scarf and wound it around her neck. "I'll be back in about an hour or so," she promised. "Okay, I'll see you in a little while," he answered. Mulder walked out with her and got his garment bag out of his car. While he was in the shower he remembered that there was a florist shop around the corner from Scully's apartment. He toweled off quickly and a few minutes later he was bounding out of the door and into the snow. The bell over the door tinkled as he entered the shop and a woman poked her head out of the back room. "May I help you?" she asked brightly. "Um, yeah. I need something to uh; you see we've been away and didn't have time to decorate. I wanted to get something to surprise her..." his voice trailed off helplessly. The woman smiled gently. "All right, let's see what we can come up with." She took him around the room pointing out floral centerpieces, poinsettias, wreaths and baskets of fragrant greens. Then in one corner, he saw a little tree, standing about three feet high in a pot. It was already decorated with tiny colored lights and miniature ornaments and bows. "I'll take that," he pointed. "All right. Will that be all?" the woman asked. "No," he said and he picked out a fresh wreath twinkling with tiny white lights and several poinsettias. The woman rang up his purchases. She called into the back room and two teenage boys came out to help Mulder lug everything back to the apartment. A short while later he gave them a generous tip and wished them a happy holiday. December 24, 1999 12:30 p.m. Scully stood outside of her apartment door and kicked at it gently with one foot. "Mulder," she called. "Can you open the door? My hands are full." The door swung open and Mulder snatched two of the bags out of her grasp. She shifted the remaining bag into one hand and stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind her. She set the bag down on the floor with a little thump as she took in her transformed apartment. A fire danced merrily in the fireplace and the wreath was propped on the mantle. She turned full circle taking everything in. She walked across the room, smiling at the tiny tree and touching the velvety leaves of the poinsettias with gentle fingers. Scully raised shining eyes to Mulder. "It's beautiful," she breathed. "Thank you." Mulder smiled shyly and shrugged. "You're welcome." He hefted the bags again and took them into the kitchen. Scully followed him and quickly put the groceries away. Mulder stood off to one side watching. In addition to all the ingredients for a Christmas dinner, he saw her put the makings for a large breakfast into the refrigerator. He was filled with hope and fear, love and lust. Did she plan for them to spend Christmas day together as well? God, he hoped so. Scully took his hand and led him back into the living room. She dropped down onto the sofa and tugged him down next to her. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she admired the room once again. "It really looks beautiful, Mulder," she told him again. He dropped a kiss against her hair and rested his cheek on top of her head. She straightened up. "There's just one thing missing," she announced and popped up off of the sofa. She disappeared into her bedroom and emerged a few minutes later with a box in her hands. She walked over to the fireplace and settled on the floor next to it. Lifting the lid off the box, she turned to Mulder. "This was my grandmother's. When I was a little girl, I would help her set it up every year," she explained. Mulder walked over and dropped onto his haunches to examine the contents of the box. Nestled in tissue paper was a delicate porcelain nativity set. Scully unwrapped a couple of pieces and began to set them out. She hesitated and lifted anxious eyes to his. She knew that Mulder held a dim view of organized religion and after all the trouble he had gone through to help make her holiday special, she didn't want to do anything that might upset or offend him in any way. Mulder studied her face for a moment and then looked back at the tiny figurines of the young mother cuddingly her infant son close as her husband stood protectively over them both. Mulder ran his thumb over the gold cross nestled in the hollow of Scully's throat then drew a beautiful angel out of the box and handed it to her wordlessly. Scully pressed her lips to his jaw and quickly finished setting up the nativity set. December 24, 1999 11:45 p.m. Mulder was reclining on the sofa, one leg bent at the knee against the back of the sofa, the foot of the other leg planted firmly on the floor. Scully was lying on her stomach between his legs, her head resting on his belly. Flickering candles, the fire burning in the fireplace and the twinkling lights of the Christmas decorations lit the room. They had spent the rest of the day watching Christmas movies and football. They made dinner and had been lying on the sofa ever since. Mulder had spent at least half an hour trying to convince Scully that it was alright to exchange presents on Christmas Eve but she had been firm in saying no. Mulder was toying with her hair and Scully was drifting between sleep and wakefulness when he spoke. "Scully?" "Hmm?" "Are you sorry that you didn't spent Christmas with your family after all?" She propped her chin on his stomach so that she could see his face. He was still playing with several strands of her hair but she could feel the tensing of his muscles as he awaiting her response. "I did," she murmured. "Did what?" "Spend Christmas with my family." His eyes widened. She sighed and crawled up his body until her face was hovering over his. "I thought you understood. I love you Mulder. There are no other people I want to be with if I can't be with you." His lips trembled and he swallowed hard. He cupped her cheek in his hand and drew her down to meet his kiss. "I love you too." She stood and reached out to help Mulder to his feet. She kept his hand firmly clasped in her own as they walked to her bedroom. They shed their clothes without a word and then she led him to the bed and lay down on the mattress, drawing him down to cover her body with his own. Cupping his cheek in her hands, she kissed him gently on his forehead. Mulder shuddered and clutched her to him convulsively. She rubbed her hands over his back soothingly as he crushed her against him. Finally he loosened his hold and she pulled back to look at his face. His eyes were closed; his lashes wet with unshed tears. She pressed a soft kiss on each eyelid and whispered his name. "Mulder," she called. He opened his eyes and she reeled back under the intensity of his gaze. He urged her face back to his and closed his mouth insistently over hers. She tangled her fingers in his hair and raised one knee so that his body settled intimately against hers. Mulder stroked tangled strands of hair away from her cheek and studied her closely. She nodded and arched her back, accepting the slide of his body into her own. "Merry Christmas, Scully." End Author's notes: Okay I started writing this after I put up my tree. My hands were covered in the sap from the tree and I'm afraid some of that sappiness might have oozed its way into the story. Sorry. Happy Holidays to all. I'd love your feedback at tnv099@aol.com The Gossamer Project Author - Title - Date - Spoilers - Crossovers - X-Files - Adventures - Stories - Vignettes Other stories by Tess / Please let us know if the site is not working properly. Do not archive stories elsewhere without permission from the author(s). See the Gossamer policies for more information. /