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Rated: PG (I said the word sexy)
Category: Missing Episode (AU?)
Timeframe: Season 3
Feedback: patfiler2016@outlook.com
Archive: Gossamer. Others please ask, and I'll likely
say "Yes".
J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING,
WASHINGTON, DC.
TWO WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS, 1995
When Dana Scully walked into the office that morning,
she had a lecture all prepared. It was bad enough that
the latest cases had left her little time to shop for
Christmas. What was really making her want to burn someone
in effigy was the fact that Fox Mulder had accepted an
invitation to the FBI Christmas party on her behalf. She
slammed the office door shut, hung her coat and dropped her
purse into a chair. Ready for combat, she slammed her
hands on the desk and leaned across to Mulder.
Mulder was not the least bit scared. Surprised, perhaps.
But not afraid. "Good morning, Scully. You know, there are
less dramatic ways to express anger."
"Mulder, how could you!"
"Well, I usually play basketball or run... Well, with all
this snow so early, I can't say I do much running
lately..."
"Don't get sarcastic, Mulder!" She moved her angry face
closer to his. "You accepted an invitation for us both to
the annual
Christmas Party! I had no idea I couldn't speak for
myself! Then, I notice people are smiling and whispering
as they see me go down the hall."
"And you don't want to go to the party, Scully?" Mulder
hadn't realized she'd be offended if he accepted the
invitation for both of them. "Well, we're in the same
office, and I thought I'd save you a little work. I'll
tell them you won't be going."
"I didn't say I wasn't going Mulder! I just don't like you
doing it all for me! I can speak for myself. I might have
my own date, I might have a date for somewhere else, I might
even want to just ignore the whole thing. Damn, why do
I bother?" She sat down and resumed reading a file she had
left the night before.
Mulder just sat there puzzled. *What the heck is in that
head of hers?* he wondered. Did she hate Christmas parties?
Did she resent his answering for her? Did she already have
a date? "So, who is he?"
"Who is who?" she muttered, without looking at him.
"Your date. At least, I know in all probability you've been
asked out by now."
Scully finally relaxed her tense shoulders, took a deep
breath, and slowly exhaled. "They think we're an item."
"They? Who are 'they'?" Mulder folded his hands and put
on his best psychologist's posture.
"People in this building. They just assume we're either
involved or just 'doing it'."
That brought an uncontrollable smirk to Mulder's face.
"Um, I'd be flattered if I heard the same rumour."
Scully's glare told him not to be. "On the other hand,
I can see where I also might be embarrassed. What do you
care what they think? Rumors fly around here all the time,
and I don't pay much attention. I have better things to
do."
"I guess you're right. I'm sorry, Mulder. It's just
getting close to Christmas, we've been busy as hell, and
I'm behind on the Christmas shopping this year. I'm not
really in a Christmas mood, let alone a party mood."
"Hey, it's okay to feel that way. You're stressed out. I
think we all are lately. Look, Let's say we don't go to
the party."
"Then they'll think we're 'doing' it. See what I mean?"
"No, but I think everybody's all hyped up about the season,
and you're no exception. You have a big family to buy for
and a long drive to see them. I barely speak to my mother,
and there are no other relatives. It's hard on me as well.
But I don't have the experience of all that hustle and
bustle at the stores anymore. So, I'll tell you what: Why
don't I drive you around to do your Christmas shopping?"
Scully laughed. "Right. And why don't I invite you to
Christmas with my family!"
"Well, that's cute, but not necessary."
"Don't you like my family?"
"Sure. Your Mom's been really good to me, Melissa treated me
like a king, and Bill treated me like a bag of rotten
garbage..."
"But you wouldn't mind spending Christmas with us, would you?
We're a bit crazy sometimes, there are a lot of decorations,
the opening of the presents, church, the traditional feast my
mother sets out ... "
"Well then, what is wrong with the Christmas Party here? We all
work together, there's usually a pretty good buffet luncheon,
and it gives us a chance to meet our co-workers without being
too formal and business-like. It's the closest thing I can give
you to any family of mine right now, Scully. Why can't we both
go to the party?"
Scully realized there had been a flaw in her logic somewhere.
Perhaps it was the feeling that Mulder had made a decision
without telling her, perhaps the ridiculous rumor mill, perhaps
she was just stressed out. "Let me think about it, okay, Mulder?
I need some time to work this out in my head."
"The offer's still there for taking you Christmas shopping."
"Thanks. I'll consider it, and if you want to come to our
house for Christmas... "
"I'd really have to think about that. Let's just get on with
the day, shall we? I want to get my desk reasonably clear
before Christmas. It's only three weeks away. Could you
please get me the Turner file?"
"Sure. Look, I'm sorry I ragged out on you, Mulder."
"Don't worry about it, Scully. I've done enough of that to you.
Maybe both of us will get a lump of coal in our stockings this
year."
"Speak for yourself, Mulder."
2:15 A.M.
Dana Scully's bedroom was colder than ususal that night. She awoke
to find herself uncomfortably cold. When she returned from the
livingroom with another blanket from her couch, she saw what
appeared to be a young boy in her room. "Must be dreaming," she
told herself, as she quickly crawled under the covers. She felt
someone nudging her shoulder, as if to get her attention, and
although she tried to ignore it, eventually she turned around.
"What are you doing in my apartment?"
"I was sent to find out why you feel so "iffy" about Christmas."
A blond little boy, about eight-years-old, stood beside her bed
with his hands in his pockets. "Seems you've got a very good life."
The boy walked to Scully's dresser and looked at pictures of her
mother, Melissa, Bill and Tara, Bill, Dana and Melissa in a picture
of them at the beach, and looked back at Scully. "You know, most
ladies your age have a husband and at least one kid by now."
"Kid, you're crossing the line. These things are very private to
me. Whether I have a husband and children or not especially."
Scully shut her eyes and thought perhaps trying to dream of something
else would make this dream go away.
"That won't work, Miss Scully. Do you know how much time I have here?
Very little. So, open your eyes and listen. You're being just as rude
to me as you were to your partner yesterday."
"All right. Say your lines and then get out. I'm tired."
"Of course you're tired. Keeping up that front of yours takes a lot
of energy. No wonder you're so nasty lately."
"Nasty! Listen you little... "
"Uh, uh, uh! No swearing at a kid. Stop being so snappy. I'm here
to help you make things easier for yourself."
"Really?" Scully couldn't let herself believe that anyone was there
--especially an eight year old boy.
"Yes, REALLY. It's not important what everybody thinks where you
work. Besides, some of the things they say about the way you and Mr.
Mulder look at each other sometimes is true. Then there's this thing
about not wanting to go to that party. The fact is, you're not
afraid that he's taken your power to answer for yourself. You're
afraid that if people see you two together having a good time with
friends, your strong, cool exterior will crumble, and you'll let
your guard down around HIM! You're both a couple of lost spirits,
and I'm around to help you find your Christmas spirits tonight."
Tears began to well up in Scully's eyes.
"Christmas isn't about appearances, decorations, or turkey dinner.
It's about love. Not just the mushy stuff that people have when
they're 'in love'. You've sacrificed for this man, and he's
sacrificed for you. Well, guess who sacrificed for you two thousand
years ago? A little boy, who was born with nothing, into poverty
and he had real love. That sacrifice of his was the ultimate love.
You don't need to show the sexy, mushy or romantic love. Just your
human love."
"Well, I guess I have been rather hard to get along with, lately."
"Lately? Try since you graduated from medical school, or since you
stopped seeing that Daniel. Now, that was a good sacrifice. You
knew it was wrong and you stopped it. Can't shut yourself down
forever."
"Well, how... ?" Before Scully could ask a vital question, the boy
was gone. She was left to think, eventually falling back to sleep.
4:10 A.M.
Fox Mulder awoke to the sound on an infomercial for an all-purpose
beauty cream, reached for the remote, and turned off the TV. In the
light from the street that shone into his room, he could barely make
out the form of a small male child, approximately eight-years-old.
He decided it was probably someone from a commercial earlier on,
and closed his eyes.
"Mister, you must really be lonely if you fall asleep on the sofa,
in front of a TV every night."
Without opening his eyes, Mulder whispered, "Can we just change the
channel in this dream and forget about everything?"
"For a guy with a photographic memory, you sure forget that you have
trouble forgetting."
Mulder opened his eyes and sat up. "Must have left the door unlocked.
Do you live around here?"
"No. By the way, your door is locked. I think you remember locking
it after you paid for the pizza. You're all alone here. Many men
your age are re-evaluating their goals for home and career... "
"Yeah, at about age 33 men do that. Developmental psychology theory
--the stages in life and all that crap. Who or what are you?"
"You do know, of course, that women around your partner's age are
thinking over their choices, their goals, where they are right now.
I think people like you two tend to get all worked up about your
families or lack of family around Christmas, argue about traffic,
shopping, parties, who goes to what, what to buy for everybody, but you
forget what the holidays really mean."
"A few days off of work, lots of neat presents, and old sappy
movies... "
"Remember when you sat down the Christmas after your sister disappeared,
and stayed in your room every day of your Christmas vacation regretting
you hadn't been able to keep them from taking her? Well, before you yell
at me, Mister, listen to what I have to say. You felt guilty because you
loved your sister. You still do, which is why you're still looking for
her, and not just for her or your mother, but for you. Then there was
that time after you and Phoebe broke up, then you and Diana. You decided
to close yourself off to ever giving out love again. The more love the
holiday involves, the more you either bury yourself in work or hide in
this dark place. Well, if you don't start sharing your love, even just
friendship love, you're going to end up a desperate old man. Like your
father. Another lost spirit, but I'm here to help you find your
Christmas spirit."
Tears began to stream down Mulder's face.
"Your partner's a grown up. She doesn't need what you think she needs.
She wants you to treat her as you would want her to treat you. Basic love
for one another is the idea of Christmas. And she was never spying on
you."
"You're right." Mulder stood and wiped his face with his hands. "I have
been kind of domineering, patronizing, and sometimes I'm still suspicious
of Scully. Say, how do you know all these things about me?"
The boy ignored the question. "Some day, you're going to realize what I'm
about to say is true, because you'll do it yourself, for her, for others.
'Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for another'. You have
love to share. Better now than never. Not just the kind you were watching
on that TV earlier. This love never dies, and you never run out of it.
Every time you show it, it gets replaced."
"This is a dream." Mulder closed his eyes and shook his head. "Too many
Christmas specials on lately." When he didn't hear the boy speak, he
opened his eyes. "Hey! Where'd you go?"
The boy was no longer there. But there was a note left on the coffee
table that Mulder could barely read in the dim light that came through
his livingroom window. It read:
"Ask her to the party again. Oh, and don't tell her this, but Billy was
here."
"Who's Billy?" Mulder wondered. He lay back on the couch, smiled, and
slowly went back to sleep.
J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING,
WASHINGTON, DC
NEXT DAY
8:30 A.M.
Mulder nearly fell over in shock when he saw that Scully had arrived at
the office earlier than he had. There was a fresh pot of coffee ready,
and Scully was reading some email.
"Good morning, Mulder."
"Good morning, Scully. Look at all the snow we had last night. It looks
like we're in for a white Christmas." Mulder pulled a candy cane from his
pocket and placed it on the desk. "An early Christmas present, Scully."
Scully seemed so relaxed. Mulder seemed relaxed as well. "Thanks, Mulder.
About yesterday... "
"Yeah, I'm sorry."
"I was about to say the same thing. Look, I don't think we should stay
away from that party," Scully said, as she spun the candy cane around on
the desk, not looking at Mulder. "They might think we're rude. Worse
yet, snobs, if we don't... I mean we really should... "
"Sleep well last night, partner?" Mulder had a look Scully had never
seen before. Was he beaming?
"Uh, yeah. Well, I mean, I feel all right."
"Me too." He smiled. "Even if I didn't sleep much, I feel great. May I
escort you to the party, Agent Scully?"
"Yes. That would be just the thing to start the season."
END
Author's Note: Written for The Nursery Files Choose Your Own
Christmas/Hanukkah A Holiday (pick one)
Christmas
Setting (pick one)
A Christmas between 1992 and 2002 (series AU or missing scene)
(I used 1995)
Premise (pick one or more)
Holiday shopping isn't easy (Mulder offered to drive Scully to
shop)
A strange child teaches a character something about the meaning
of the holiday ("Billy" visits both Mulder and Scully in the
night)
Required elements (use all)
A juvenile character (one or more) ("Billy" their nocturnal
visitor)
A Christmas stocking or menorah must be mentioned (Mulder
and Scully's stockings)
Snow, or the dismay that there isn't any (Mentioned it twice)
A holiday treat or tradition (Scully turkey dinner, candy cane)
Allowable characters (use any)
Fox Mulder,
Dana Scully.
Other Characters:
(Brief mention of Young Dana, Melissa and Bill Scully Jr.,
Margaret Scully.)
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