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Title: Candlelight and Christmas Summary: Set after PP, Mulder, Scully and Alicia share their first Christmas together
as a family. Fluff!!! Note: Related to Past Pretending, available on my site or through request.
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Park/1240/index.html Dedication: Mary, for inspiring a Christmas fic, Tanja for encouraging it and to the usual suspects, whom I adore and would give fic writing up if not for their support. This includes everyone on CADF, inc. Kimi, Caroline, Exfilia, Robin, Jessica Beth, Madison, Abby, Valeria, Star and Jedi Shipper. Liz, Susan, Jez, Helena, Rotem, Cheryl and Larissa. You guys are the best. All of you. Merry Christmas!! Snow fell softly outside the house, coating the ground in a glistening white blanket. Alicia Scully-Mulder knelt on the window seat, pressing her face against the cold glass, hoping for a glimpse of the mystical Santa Claus and his reindeer-led sleigh. Her nose left imprints in the steamy condensation and her attempts at wiping away the mist were futile, as the window steamed up again with every breath she expelled. "'Licia," her mother called out to her softly. Alicia turned and smiled sweetly at her Mom. Dana Scully-Mulder leaned against the doorframe, a fond expression on her face. Alicia's smile spread across her face and reached her eyes as Scully's hand moved instinctively to her protruding abdomen. " Almost time for bed, Honey." "'Kay, Mommy," Alicia got down from the window seat and ran to her mother, her cheeks flushed pink with excitement. "Is the baby 'cited, too?" "Yes, Sweetheart," Scully smiled down at her daughter tenderly. She eased herself down onto the couch opposite their lit Christmas tree and her daughter moved beside her. Scully's engagement ring and wedding band sparkled in the combined light from the lights on the tree and the light from the open fire across the room from Scully, a few feet away from the tree. Alicia giggled as she moved closer to her mother and she giggled with even more delight when Scully took her small hand and rested it beneath her own on her stomach, just in time for Alicia to feel the baby inside move. Scully was eight months pregnant. She had discovered she was pregnant two months after the day she had married Fox Mulder, her husband and partner in so many different ways. Alicia shifted to sit as far onto her mother's knee as she could with the pregnancy as visible as it was. "Mommy?" Alicia asked quietly, stifling a small yawn with the back of her hand. "Yes, Sweetie?" Scully responded with a small sigh as she shifted slightly in order to try and get more comfortable. "When's Daddy coming home?" She lifted her head to look into her mother's face, only to find her mother had closed her eyes, her face a shade paler than it had been a few moments ago. "Mommy?" Alicia questioned, a worried note in her tone. "I'm fine, Ali," Scully opened her eyes and smiled weakly at her inquisitive daughter. " I think the baby's just a little too excited tonight. He doesn't seem to be able to get comfortable and that's making it difficult for me to be comfy." "He?" Alicia's head shot up and her eyes danced with excitement. It was the first time she had heard her mother call the baby a ‘he'. " It is a boy?" "I don't know," Scully confessed, a genuine smile gracing her delicate features, replacing the weak one she tried to wear for her daughter's sake. "It just slipped out." "Daddy thinks it's gonna be a boy. Do you?" Alicia's grin made Scully laugh softly. "Am I gonna have a little brother?" "I guess it's possible," was her answer as she gazed fondly at Alicia. "Why? Would you prefer a brother or a sister?" Alicia lapsed into silence for a few minutes, pondering the question with a solemn expression on her little face. After a few moments of silence, Alicia faced her mother, her features captured in a look of absolute, concentrated seriousness – a pose that Scully thought was quite comical on one so young. Scully tried not to laugh out loud as Alicia voiced the answer she had mulled over and decided upon after much thought. "No… I'd like either," was the certain, determined reply. "As long as I'm the big sister, I don't mind. A little sister would be nice but then so would a brother. I could play dress-up and dolls with a little sister but then I could play ball games with a little brother, couldn't I?" "Yes, you could," Scully agreed, smiling as her baby girl moved closer to her side and as her unborn child moved inside her and kicked, as if to remind them of it's presence. " And I haven't forgotten it's time for you to go to bed, Alicia. Father Christmas won't come unless you're sound asleep." "Okay," Alicia answered diplomatically. "I'll go to bed when Daddy comes home." "And that would be now," the voice startled them both, making them jump. Alicia jumped off the couch and ran into her father's waiting arms. Scully shared an amused look with Mulder over Alicia's head as she tried to heave herself up. Mulder broke away from Alicia and took his wife's hand, earning a smile off his daughter who found the scene to be somewhat humorous. He pulled Scully onto her feet and into his arms before he kissed her lovingly, a pleasing performance for Alicia. Sculyl smiled as Mulder ended the kiss only to proceed with kissing the sensitive skin behind her ear. " Alicia's bike is in the porch," he whispered mischievously before pulling away far enough to plant a soft and tender kiss upon her lips. "Time for bed, Ali," Scully ordered when they broke apart, remembering their little spectator. Surprisingly, Alicia offered no protest and instead started on her way into the hallway and up the stairs. Both of her parents followed after Mulder shed his snow covered jacket and showed his wife the brand new bicycle Alicia had asked ‘Santa' to bring her. Alicia was already brushing her teeth by the time Mulder and Scully made it upstairs, with Mulder supporting his pregnant wife and her heavy but precious load up the fairly steep stairs. Scully sat on Alicia's bed and pulled back the covers. She felt the hot water bottle in the furry rabbit case to make sure it wasn't too hot and wasn't too cold. Mulder eyed up the small glass of sherry and the mince pie waiting expectantly on their daughter's bedside table. He grinned slyly when he caught Scully's gaze and she rolled her eyes at him, allowing herself a small smile. Alicia chose that moment to enter her bedroom and discarded of her dressing gown. Mulder picked it up from the floor and hung it on the hook behind the door. "Will you brush my hair, Mommy?" Alicia asked tiredly, fidgeting with the buttons on her animal pyjamas. "Sure, Honey." Scully answered as Alicia knew she would. It was part of their nightly routine for her mother to brush her hair and braid it in a plait before Alicia went to sleep. And if her Mom was too tired to keep up the tradition because of her pregnancy, her father would take her place and attempt to braid her long red hair into something that resembled a plait. She climbed up onto her bed after handing her mother her hairbrush. Scully ran the brush through Alicia's hair in long, smooth strokes as Mulder watched, hypnotised by the silent motions – and by the invisible bond that was strengthened by the act between mother and daughter. Scully soon finished the job and kissed her daughter's forehead tenderly as Alicia settled under the covers. Scully stood back to let Mulder kiss his daughter goodnight and then the proud parents left her to a sleep full of festive and happy dreams. Downstairs, Mulder brought in the bicycle and tied a bow around the handlebars as Scully finished some last-minute present wrapping. He stood up and offered his wife a hand once he was certain she was finished. "Time for Santa Claus to pay Alicia a visit and for Mrs. Claus to go to bed," Mulder murmured, taking her in his arms again and nuzzling her neck lovingly. His arms moved around her and he rested his hands on her stomach, noting again how radiant she looked, because of her pregnancy and because of the time of year. He had lost count of how many times a day he looked up and felt his breath catch in his throat because of her. She laughed when he mentioned it, when he told her she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen but it was true. To him, she was. To him, she was the only woman he could see. " And the new arrival needs to get some rest too, although I find that very unlikely given his track record." Scully chuckled and leaned back against his chest. "If this kid isn't a boy, we're gonna feel very guilty. You know there's a fifty-fifty chance he'll be a she. We've just assumed that because we have one child who's a daughter that our next one will be a son." "What about the one after that and the one after that?" He teased with a smile, resting his chin on her shoulder and gazing at the picturesque Christmas tree. It was unlike any tree he'd had as a child, even before Samantha had disappeared. It was as though it had been taken from a storybook, it was so…perfect, so traditional. Mulder knew Scully had put a lot of effort into making this Christmas a special one for them all. It might have been due to the fact that she was pregnant and more emotional but he thought it was mainly because it was their first Christmas together as a family and because it would be Alicia's first and last Christmas on her own with both of her parents. The next year she would have to share the joy – and her parents attention – with her sibling. Mulder also knew Scully was putting a lot of effort into making this Christmas a family affair and a very special occasion to be treasured for him. She knew about his past and she saw it as part of her duty as his wife to make it up to him, not to mention the fact that she loved him with her whole heart and wanted to make sure he knew it. It had been easy settling into a life together after coming back from that fateful case in Florida. They had pretty much adjusted to living together and being a married couple whilst on the case, and Alicia had no problem learning to live and have two parents at her disposal rather than just one. Their families had accepted it, too. Mr. William Mulder was apprehensive at first but saw how good Scully was for his son and learned to accept his son's instant family. He still kept a distance from them, though. Something Scully was hoping would change with time. She wanted Mulder and her father to be close. Mrs. Teena Mulder was another story. She immediately questioned Alicia's paternity so the test was carried out. When the results revealed, as expected, that Mulder was her father, it didn't really seem to make a difference. This upset Scully – more so than Mulder – so Mulder vowed to try and make amends with his mother in the New Year. The Scullys reactions were remarkably different to the Mulders. Scully's parents and her younger brother accepted Mulder to the family almost immediately. Her parents saw how much in love their baby girl was with Mulder and gave their blessing immediately, comforted by the knowledge Scully and Alicia were happy with a man who obviously loved them both more than life it's self. Bill Scully Jnr. was yet another story. He disapproved of the idea that his sister got pregnant by a holiday romance and he disapproved of her decision to join the Bureau and keep Alicia. He was warming to the idea, though. Melissa, she had turned up just hours before their wedding, having heard about it through a mutual friend of hers and Scullys. She was ecstatic that her sister and niece were happy, with someone who had 'a good aura and a pure soul'. "Mulder," Scully laughed and turned in his arms. He rested his forehead against hers and leaned in to kiss her sweetly. "Let's just concentrate on making this a Christmas to remember for Alicia and preparing for our new arrival, okay?" "Okay," he grinned and kissed her nose. "Now off the bed. Santa has some presents in his car…I mean sleigh…for Mrs. Claus and the bump." "I'm going," she smiled mischievously. "But don't waste your time by snooping amongst the presents. Mrs. Claus will deliver them just in time for you to open them tomorrow morning." "Spoil sport." Mulder stuck his tongue out at her playfully as she slowly made her way out of the living room. She caught him by looking back over her shoulder and laughed as she disappeared into the hall. Mulder watched her go, feeling incredibly happy and warm inside. For the first time, he was actually enjoying the Christmas holidays. He loved spending the time with
Alicia and Scully, loved watching Alicia's eyes twinkle as she made snowmen and
watching the mischievous glint in Scully's eye as she made snowballs. They were his
world and he was grateful to whatever force had brought them back together. Alicia
was so sweet and precious, he loved her more than he thought possible. And Scully. Mulder sighed and mentally shook himself. He went out to the car, battling against the scurrying snow and returned a few moments later with an arm full of presents for his wife, his daughter and his unborn child. He arranged them under the tree and put the fireguard up as the last flames died down. Then he turned off the lights and made sure the doors were locked before heading off to bed. On his way, he made a stop at Alicia's room, just long enough to check she was sleeping and to drink the sherry and eat the small mince pie she'd left out for Santa. He changed quickly for bed and climbed in beside his wife, turning off the bedside light on his side. He wrapped his arms around her and they snuggled close. He rested his hand on her stomach and felt the baby move slightly before it was still. He kissed Scully on the back of her neck and moved as close as he could until they were tightly spooned up. Thinking she was asleep, he whispered a goodnight. " 'Night, Dana. Sweet dreams and Merry Christmas." "Merry Christmas to you, too," she murmured softly, surprising him. " Get some sleep whilst you can, Alicia will come and wake us up in a few hours." "Love you," he whispered sleepily, trying to stay awake. The familiar scent of her perfume and shampoo acted like a drug, soothing him and making him realize just how sleepy he was. "Love you, too," she managed before she, too, gave into the darkness and drifted off to join her husband in their dreams. The End.
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