Title:  Christmas

Author: Jade  (CmdrJade@aol.com)

Rating: PG

Spoilers: none, although I'd recommend reading the first three chapters.

Category: Angst in this one.

Archive: Anywhere, please let me know where so I can visit.

Disclaimer: Almost all the characters mentioned don't belong to me, with the 
exception of a few.  I'm not making money off this, don't sue me.

Summary: It's Christmas time and Maggie Scully is hosting a party.

Author's Notes:  Due to an irritating sickness, I've been able to write and 
post more.  But since that meant three days off school, I probably won't be 
able to post the next chapters so soon and close together.

Feedback:  Please!  It will help determine if I'll continue posting each 
chapter!  Any type of feedback is read, appreciated, and responded to!!  :)

                                       ************************************
                                          Christmas, over a year later

"Daddy!" A tiny voice squealed.  Maggie turned to see little David bounding 
into Fox's arms.  Mulder grinned and kissed the top of his son's head.  
Maggie smiled.

"Fox, you're just in time to help set up for the party!"  Maggie said, coming 
to hug him.  Mulder smiled.

"That's why I'm here!" he replied.  Just then the two Scully brothers 
appeared from upstairs.  Although he knew Charlie less, he liked him 
considerably more than Bill.  But, Bill's temper was mostly under control 
now.  Charlie grinned.

"Hiya, Mulder, how are you?  No time for that, there's partyin' to be done!"  
Charlie said, still smiling.  Mulder smiled back.

"Just tell me where," he said.

"Come help with the stuff in the basement," Charlie said, leading Mulder.  
Bill followed, putting a hand on Mulder's shoulder for a brief second.

"Hey, glad you could make it," he said.  The men disappeared down the stairs 
and Maggie smiled.

                                                  ************

Mulder sat in the living room, his only companions John Doggett, Charlie 
Scully, and his son.  David sat in his lap, trying to grab hold of Mulder's 
drink.  Everyone else was mulling about elsewhere in the house.

"Sorry, little guy, this stuff isn't for you," Mulder said, putting his drink 
on the end table.

"Y'know, this might not be a great time to bring this up, but Dana's gonna be 
here tonight," Charlie said.  "She should be here soon."  David stirred and 
climbed off Mulder's lap.

"Oh, really?" Mulder said detachedly.

"You oughta talk to her, Mulder," John said.  "It'd be good for both of ya."  
Mulder nodded and watched as David pointed into the hallway.

"Mommy!" he exclaimed.  He looked back at Mulder, who nodded.  David ran into 
the ever growing crowd of guests, leaving the men alone.

Dana turned at the sound of David's voice.  She smiled at him and picked him 
up.  She continued the conversation with Skinner and her mom, but David 
persistently tapped her shoulder.  She finally turned to him.

"What, Dave?" she asked.  He pointed down the hall, to the unused living room.

"Daddy here," he said, trying to squirm out of her arms.  Dana let him go and 
turned back to her mom.  Maggie smiled.

"He's staying for Christmas, dear, and maybe even the night.  You should talk 
to him.  He misses you so very much," she said.  Dana sighed.

"Mom, it's been so long.  Almost two years.  I've moved on.  He need's to, 
too," she said.

"He asks about you every time he visits.  The least you could do is say hi," 
Maggie said.  "We've all been so worried about him.  He even told John he 
would've killed himself the night you left, if it wasn't for David."

Dana closed her eyes.  "Mom, please.  I'll talk to him later, ok?" she said.  
Maggie nodded and they started another conversation.


Skinner and John were the only remaining guests at 11:00 PM.  Dana was 
engaged in a conversation with John when Mulder, Charlie, and David finally 
emerged from their room.  Charlie turned around and began counting while 
Mulder and David snuck around, looking for a hiding place.  Mulder hid on the 
stairs and David stood behind John's legs, trying his hardest not to giggle.  
John smiled down at him and glanced over at Mulder.  Dana looked over as 
well.  John opened his mouth but Mulder quickly cut him off.

"Hide-and-seek," he mouthed, pointing to Charlie.  John glanced at Charlie 
and nodded.  Dana smiled at David, who grinned back.  Just then, Maggie came 
from the kitchen.  

"Okay, time for presents!" she said.  

"Yay!" David yelled.  Charlie quickly finished his counting and ran over to 
David.

"Ha!  Found you!" he said, gathering a laughing David in his arms.

"Oh, Dave! You just gave yourself away!" Mulder exclaimed.

"So did you!" Charlie answered, giving David over to him.  John laughed.

"Good thing you're better at hide-and-seek in the field," John said.  Mulder 
smiled and followed Maggie and Charlie into the other living room.  The floor 
was overflowing with presents and David and Matthew dug in.  Matthew took the 
pride of passing out presents to everyone as Maggie took a few quick pictures.

"I go first!" Charlie exclaimed, tearing into the paper.  David went next, 
although that was decided only because he couldn't wait to rip the wrapping.  
And this continued in a comfortable family fashion, Fox and Dana never saying 
a word to one another.


"Good Christmas, David?"  Mulder asked as he tucked him in.  David nodded.

"Are you staying?" David asked.  Mulder paused.

"I don't know.  If not, I'll be back tomorrow morning and we can play in the 
snow.  That ok with you?" he asked.  David nodded with a smile.  Mulder 
kissed him and was heading for the door when David's voice stopped him.

"Why don't you and Mommy like each other?" he asked.  Mulder turned back 
around.

"*I* still like Mommy.  But she decided before you were born that we 
shouldn't be together.  That's why you live here.  So we can both see you.  
Because we both love you," Mulder answered.

"I want both of you," David said.  Mulder nodded.

"So do I, kid," he said.  He hesitated.  "I don't know what Mommy says about 
me, but if she says something bad, then just tell her I love her.  Ok with 
you?" he asked.  David nodded and Mulder smiled.  "Night."  He closed the 
door halfway and turned the light off.  He saw Dana at the end of the 
hallway, coming from her room.  She walked past him into David's room and 
Mulder heard her saying goodnight.

He heard David's tiny voice in reply: "Daddy still loves you."

Mulder decided to start walking down the stairs then.  John and Skinner were 
getting ready to leave, so Mulder distracted himself with that while Dana was 
coming down the stairs.  Soon, it was just the two of them standing in the 
downstairs hallway.  Dana gave a small smile.

"It was nice seeing those two again," she said.  Mulder nodded and stuck his 
hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, well, I see too much of them," he said, smiling.  She smiled again.  
"This shouldn't be so awkward, y'know.  We've known each other so long," he 
said.  He looked up at her.  "And so well."  Dana sighed.

"Did you tell David to say what he did?" she asked.  Mulder looked at her in 
surprise.  

"No.  He asked me why we didn't like each other and I told him I still loved 
you," he said.

Dana sighed again.  "Mulder..." she said.  "Let's not talk about this."

"Talk about what?  Are you still scared of me, Scully?  Did you not believe 
me when I said I'd never hurt you?  I never would.  You know, in these past 
years, you've never came to see if I changed.  You never gave me another 
chance.  You never even asked how I was," Mulder's voice was raising.  He 
barely noticed the rest of the Scully's coming to see what the noise was 
about.  "Do you know how long I've spent wondering about you?  I've loved you 
ever since the day you left.  I never stopped.  Why can't you give me another 
chance?" he asked.  He felt like a little kid, begging for something he'd 
always wanted.

Dana sighed once more, tears starting to form.  "Mulder, I'm trying to move 
on with my life," she said.  "I want to get past all the things I saw.  I 
don't want the nightmares anymore," she said.  Mulder nodded after a pause 
then grabbed his coat from the coathanger.

"Was loving me part of your nightmare?" he asked, then walked out the front 
door.

Dana felt her whole family's eyes on her.  She looked at them.

"You know, Dana, he really is a changed man.  Can't you-" Maggie started.

"No, Mom," Dana cut off.  "It's not him.  I've met someone else."

                                         *********************************
                                                 the next workday

Mulder was again lying face down on the desk.  John sighed and went over to 
nudge him.  Before he got there, Mulder looked up and gave him a wry smile.

"I haven't done this in a year or so," he said hoarsely.  John brought a 
chair closer to Mulder.  He had only heard rumors of what had happened after 
everyone had left the party.  

"So, then.  Tell me about it."

                                          *******************************

End Chapter 4

Thanks for reading!  

Please tell me what you thought whether it's good, bad, or ugly. 

 --Jade