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Title: Sarah 06. Sarah's Christmas Summary: It's Christmas time for Mulder and Sarah. Christmas was coming, and for the first time in years, Fox Mulder was actually looking forward to it. He found himself becoming caught up in the excitement of the coming festivities. What a difference a year had made - last Christmas he had been alone but now he had family to share the joys of the season with. He had Sarah, and through her he had come to appreciate the simpler things in life again. Mulder was looking forward to spending the holiday with his daughter, and maybe Scully if she accepted his invitation to join them for the celebrations. He hadn't actually asked her yet, knowing that she usually spent Christmas with her family. He thought that maybe he'd get Sarah to do the asking - Scully and the little girl had formed a strong bond and he knew that Scully would not want to disappoint the child. Mulder could think of nothing nicer than spending Christmas Day with the two most important women in his life. It was time, therefore, to do some discreet fishing. "So, what are your plans for Christmas, Scully?" he asked airily. "Hmm?" Scully looked up from the file she was reading. "Christmas - what are your plans?" he asked again. "I don't have any at the moment," she replied. Mulder looked surprised at that - she usually had her Christmas planned months in advance. "What are yours? Will it just be you and Sarah?" "Yeah - we've never spent Christmas together before. I always used to see her before the holiday, so it never really felt like anything special. It'll be nice to be able to give Sarah her gifts on the actual day." "Gifts, Mulder? You've got her more than one?" "Of course I have, Scully," he replied, somewhat taken aback. "Why wouldn't I? I think she deserves a little extra fussing after everything that's happened this year, don't you?" "Of course she does," replied Scully softly. "I know it's been very hard for her losing her mother and having to adjust to a new home and a new school." "And having to live with me and endure my cooking!" added Mulder with a chuckle. "Well, she seems to be thriving on it!" said Scully, thinking fondly of the vivacious little girl with the long glossy hair. "Why thank you, Scully - I'll take that as a compliment!" On his way home, Mulder went over the conversation in his head. "What are your plans? Will it just be you and Sarah?" Was that an expectant look Scully had given him? Was she hoping that he would invite her to spend the holiday with him and Sarah? Did this mean that she was prepared to sacrifice her own family Christmas to spend the holiday with them? By the time he had collected his daughter from the sitter and taken her home, Mulder had come to a decision. "Sarah? Do you think it would be nice to ask Dana to come and spend Christmas with us? Do you think she would like that?" asked Mulder as he bathed her that night. Sarah smiled, then nodded enthusiastically, showing several missing teeth. "Can I ask her?" "If you like. I'll tell you what - why don't you write her a special invitation?" "Can I do it now?" asked Sarah eagerly, starting to rise out of the bath water. "Okay," laughed Mulder, wrapping his precious daughter in a huge, fluffy Lion King towel. Sitting at her father's desk in her night clothes, Sarah laboriously copied the message he had written out for her onto a sheet of paper. Satisfied with her handiwork, Sarah gave the invitation to her father, who then folded it and sealed it in an envelope. Sarah then addressed the envelope to "DANA." Scully was surprised to receive a visit from Mulder and Sarah the next day. "Hello - what are you two up to?" she asked with a smile. "We've been to the museum," explained Mulder. "We thought we'd drop by and say 'hello'." "That was very thoughtful of you. Here - let me help you," offered Scully, seeing Sarah struggling with her coat buttons. "No, I can do it," replied the little girl determinedly. Scully smiled to herself. Sarah was just like her father - independent to the last. Scully came through with tea for herself and Mulder, and a glass of chocolate milk for Sarah. She always kept some in the fridge now - it was the child's favorite and she never knew when they might drop in. "Would you like a cookie, Sarah?" asked Scully, holding out a plate. "They're chocolate chip - your favorite." "Daddy likes chocolate chip too," she replied, looking up at him. "I know he does," grinned Scully. "I'll let you into a secret - I had a package of chocolate chip cookies once and your Daddy ate all of them!" The little girl looked at her father wide eyed. "Sure did," smiled Mulder. "But you can have no more than two, Sarah - I don't want you to spoil your dinner." Scully took the dirty cups and glass out to the kitchen. When she came back, Sarah was cuddled beside her father on the sofa, his arm around her loosely. "Can I give it to Dana now?" whispered Sarah. What were they up to, Scully wondered, seeing them in their conspiratorial huddle. Mulder nodded, and handed Sarah the envelope. She trotted across the floor and handed it to Scully. "What's this?" she asked. "You have to open it," replied Sarah. Scully carefully tore open the envelope and drew out a sheet of paper. She unfolded it, seeing a cheery Santa Claus, clipped from a magazine, glued to the bottom right hand corner. The message, written in oversized letters, said, "Dana - please come and spend Christmas with us, Love from Sarah." "Daddy showed me what to write!" said Sarah proudly. "Did he? You copied it very well," replied Scully warmly. The child looked pleased at the unexpected praise. Scully read the note again, then turned her attention to Mulder. "Was this your idea?" she asked. "Scully, you know me too well," he replied, looking sheepish. "I thought it might be nice for us to spend the holiday together. Only if you want to, of course." He looked at her expectantly. "Well? What do you say?" Scully's face split into a huge smile. "I'd love to, Mulder. In fact, I thought you were never going to ask me! I thought I'd have to invite myself!" Sarah played happily on the floor, with some toys that Scully kept handy for when her nephews and nieces visited, while the two adults continued their Christmas discussions. "Have you thought about Christmas dinner?" asked Scully. Mulder looked at her with an apologetic expression on his face. "Well - I was rather hoping that you might take care of that," he replied. "Now how did I know that you were going to say that?" said Scully, her hands resting on her hips. "I bet that's the only reason you asked me over, so that you could chain me to the stove all day!" Her expression was one of amusement. She might have guessed that Mulder's new found expertise in the kitchen didn't extend to cooking the Christmas dinner. "You'd look good chained to a stove, Scully," Mulder replied with a grin. Scully gave him a dirty look. "Okay - I'll do it. Is there anything that Sarah doesn't like?" Children of that age could be notoriously finicky when it came to food. Mulder shook his head. "She eats everything." "I don't suppose she has much choice with your cooking!" remarked Scully drily. A few days later "Daddy - can we have a Christmas tree?" Sarah asked as he prepared her breakfast. "We'll see, Sarah," answered Mulder, expertly flipping a pancake. "Oh, please, Daddy - Mommy always put up a tree, with a pretty fairy on the top. Please?" She tugged on his arm and looked up at him, her eyes as big as saucers. Now where had he seen that look before? It reminded him of a wounded puppy dog... "What's up?" asked Scully, coming into the office later that morning and seeing Mulder deep in thought. He looked up at her, and took the mug of coffee that she handed him. "Sarah wants a tree," he replied. "So?" Scully failed to see what the problem was. "Trees make a mess," said Mulder. Scully sighed. "Mulder - it's Christmas. Surely you aren't going to deny Sarah one small part of the magic?" Mulder and Scully waited until Sarah was asleep before manhandling the tree into his apartment. "I don't know why I let you talk me into this," he grouched as he walked backwards into the coffee table. The tree was so big that they had to move the furniture around to accommodate it. Once in place, they set about festooning it with lights and tinsel. Mulder was about to start hanging the rest of the decorations when Scully said, "Why don't you and Sarah finish it tomorrow? I'm sure she'd love to help decorate the tree. I know I did when I was her age. It was one of my favorite things to do at Christmas." Mulder looked at Scully, trying to picture her as a six-year-old. "You're right, Scully. I have to admit that doing the tree was one of my favorite things, too. Sarah and I can finish it in the morning." Mulder was waiting by Sarah's bed when she awoke the next day. "I have a surprise for you," he announced with a smile. An expression of pure joy lit up her face. "What is it?" asked Sarah in eager anticipation. "You have to come with me," said her father. Sarah was out of bed immediately, her Esmerelda pajamas rumpled around her small body. "Close your eyes," instructed Mulder. "No peeking." He looked down at her - her lovely brown eyes were squeezed tightly shut, causing him to smile in amusement. "Are they closed?" "Yes," replied the child. "Good. Take my hand." Sarah slipped her small hand into his larger one - a gesture that still had the power to make him quiver inside - and he led her into the living room. "Okay, Sarah - you can open your eyes now." Sarah did just that, and saw the biggest Christmas tree she had ever laid eyes on, swathed in sparkling tinsel and glowing fairy lights. She squealed in delight, clapping her hands. "I thought that you and I could finish decorating the tree together," said Mulder. "Can we do it now?" asked Sarah eagerly. "Don't you want some breakfast first?" he enquired, smothering a smile at her eagerness. She was like a pony, champing at the bit. "No - I want to do the tree," replied Sarah emphatically. "Well, I'll make a deal with you," suggested her father. He'd learned that sometimes making deals was the only way to get his daughter to do something. "How about we do half the tree, then have breakfast? We can finish the tree afterwards." Sarah considered that for a minute, her tousled head to one side. "All right, Daddy!" Sarah gave him a cheerful smile. "Shall we shake on it?" asked Mulder, giving her his hand. Sarah put her hand out too, and he shook it gently. The deal was struck. Eventually, the tree was finished except for its crowning glory - the fairy. Sarah and her father stood back to admire their efforts. "Well, I think we did a good job, don't you, Sarah?" asked Mulder. Sarah nodded her agreement, then said, "Daddy, does Dana have a tree?" "I don't know, sweetheart. Why?" "If Dana doesn't have a tree, can she share ours?" Mulder hunkered down beside his daughter and drew her to him, his expression full of love. "Of course she can," he replied softly. "Can I call her, and ask her to come over and watch me put the fairy on the top?" "If you want to." Before he could get another word out, Sarah was picking up the phone, ready to make the call. Mulder chuckled to himself, and shook his head. "Daddy, tell me which numbers to press," she instructed. He gave her the number, leaning over to make sure that she pressed the right ones. Scully hurried through from the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel, and headed for the phone. She picked it up, and was surprised to hear Sarah's voice at the other end. "Hello Sarah," said Scully warmly. "What can I do for you?" "Daddy bought me a tree!" cried Sarah in excited tones. At the other end, Scully smiled, just picturing the little girl's face. "Did he? Is it a big one?" asked Scully. "It's the biggest tree I've ever seen!" Still in that excited voice. "We decorated it this morning. Do you have a tree, Dana?" "Only a very small one," answered Scully. "Why?" "I asked Daddy if you could share ours, and he said 'yes'." "Well, tell your Daddy that was very nice of him," said Scully. "Sarah, does your Daddy know that you are on the phone?" "Of course he does! I asked if I could call first, and he said I could," replied the little girl. "That's okay, then," answered Scully. "Dana, will you come over and watch me put the fairy on the top of the tree? Daddy said it was all right to ask you." "I'd love to, Sarah. What time shall I come over? I'll tell you what, let me speak to your father." Sarah handed the receiver to Mulder, then skipped off to take another closer look at the tree while he and Scully discussed what time she could come over for the tree capping ceremony. As it was the weekend and Scully wasn't that busy, they agreed that she would come over in half an hour. "I don't think that Sarah could wait any longer than that," added Mulder with a soft chuckle. The three of them stood in the center of Mulder's living room. "Are you ready to put the fairy on the top of the tree?" asked Mulder, and Sarah nodded. "Okay - climb up onto my shoulders." He hunkered down and she slipped a leg either side of his neck. "We're going up, up, up in the sky!" he cried, and Sarah clung on for dear life, squealing in sheer delight as he transported her across the room. They reached the tree and Scully handed Mulder the golden winged fairy. He passed it up to Sarah. "You have to put her right on the top. Can you reach?" "Yes," replied the little girl, and she carefully placed the fairy on the topmost point of the tree. Mulder took a step back so that she could admire her handiwork. Both Mulder and Scully smiled, caught up in the excitement of a child's simple pleasure. The following Monday, at the office, Mulder tried to find out what Scully had bought him for Christmas. "So, Scully - what delights have you got for my Christmas stocking this year?" "That's for me to know, and you to find out, Mulder," replied Scully. "Spoilsport!" he pouted. "Aren't you even going to give me a clue?" "Nope. Not even a tiny one." In truth, she hadn't got him anything. Yet. Scully had no idea of what to get him. "Why? Have you got my present yet?" she suddenly asked. Mulder gave her that infuriating grin, and tapped the side of his nose. "I'm not telling, Scully," he replied. "Just as long as it's not another "Superstars of the Superbowl," she said drily. "Aw, c'mon Scully - it was the thought that counted!" said Mulder, wearing that puppy dog expression. Now it was her turn to smile. "Yeah, I know - and it was very thoughtful of you," she replied softly. There was silence for a moment as they both thought back to that difficult time. Scully turned her attention back to the present. "Mulder, I thought I'd take Sarah shopping on Saturday. Do you think she'd like that?" she asked tentatively. She'd had the idea of buying the little girl something special to wear Christmas Day. She knew Mulder would never think of it - he had enough on his plate as it was. That way, it would be a nice surprise for him. "I think she'd love it, Scully," replied Mulder. "I must warn you though - she has very definite ideas and opinions on certain things!" He gave her a lopsided grin, recalling the battle of wills they'd had over the ankle boots Mulder had recently purchased for his daughter. He wanted her to have the more practical black ones, but Sarah had insisted on the red. "Just like her father!" responded Scully affectionately. "So you'll ask her?" "Yeah - I'll ask her. It'll be just the two of you, will it?" "Uh huh. This is a girl's day out - no men allowed!" Mulder and his daughter were sitting comfortably on the couch, just having a few quiet moments together before she went to bed. He loved this time spent with her, when she would curl up in his lap and nestle against his chest. Sometimes he would read to her, other times they would just sit quietly and talk. He would listen attentively while Sarah told him what she'd been doing at school, or, like tonight, she would talk about her mother. Mulder never shied away from discussing Annie with Sarah - he wanted to keep her memory alive for the little girl. Right now, she was telling her father how Annie used to take her Christmas shopping. That gave Mulder the perfect lead in to Scully's proposition. "Sarah?" The child looked up at him with those big brown eyes of hers. "How would you like to go shopping with Dana on Saturday?" "Are you coming, Daddy?" she asked. "No, sweetheart - I have some things to do." Sarah's little face looked uncertain for a moment. "It's okay, Sarah - you don't have to go if you don't want to. Dana just thought that you'd like to go shopping with her as a special treat. I tell you what - why don't you think about it, and let me know tomorrow?" Sarah was quite excited by the time Saturday came, and ran to answer the door when Scully arrived. "Hi, Scully - she's almost ready." Mulder reached down and straightened the floppy black velvet hat on Sarah's head. "There - all set. Remember, Sarah - do exactly as Dana says, and stay with her all the time, okay?" Sarah nodded, anxious to be off. "All right - you have a good time, and I'll see you later!" Mulder crouched down, and the little girl looped her arms around his neck and gave him a hug. He kissed her cheek and smiled, then looked up at Scully. "It's okay, Mulder - I'll take good care of her," she said softly. "I know you will, Scully - it's just that I can't help worrying..." "We'll be okay, Mulder," said Scully. He nodded. "Yeah - have a good time." Scully headed for the Fashion Center at Pentagon City. They parked up, and Sarah automatically slipped her hand into Scully's as they made their way to the children's clothing department in Nordstroms, seeking out the party dresses. "Why are we looking at these?" asked Sarah, as Scully flipped through a rack of pretty dresses. "I thought I'd buy you something special to wear on Christmas Day, as a surprise for your Daddy. Do you think he'd like that?" Sarah nodded her head vigorously and smiled. "What do you think of this one?" Scully held up a dark green velvet dress. Sarah screwed up her nose and shook her head. "Okay," said Scully, placing the dress back on the rack and selecting another one. "What about this one?" Again, the child showed her disapproval of Scully's choice. Scully's eyebrows shrugged - Mulder had been right about Sarah's likes and dislikes. While Scully searched through the rack again, Sarah turned to her right, and saw the most beautiful dress. "This one," she said, tugging Scully's coat. "I like this one." Scully turned to see the dress that Sarah was looking at. She had to agree - it was lovely. The bodice was midnight blue velvet, as were the short puffed sleeves. The full skirt and sash were royal blue and emerald green check silk, as was the trim on the sleeves. The skirt had a stiffened petticoat underneath. Scully took a look at the price ticket. It wasn't as bad as she had expected. Of course, Sarah would need shoes and tights, and perhaps a matching barrette... Scully sighed. She didn't mind the expense - she wanted to do this for Mulder. She wanted to show him what a beautiful little girl he had. "Okay - would you like to try it on?" she asked, and Sarah nodded enthusiastically. Scully recalled her own childhood - there was no such thing as choosing your own clothes, particularly at that young age. You were dressed as your mother saw fit. How times had changed - the children of today were much more discerning about the clothes they wore, even those as young as Sarah. Scully tied the sash, then arranged Sarah's long hair around her shoulders. "Take a look in the mirror," she said. "Doesn't that look lovely?" Sarah smiled at her reflection. "Do you like that one?" asked Scully, and the child nodded. "Okay, we'll buy it. Now we need some shoes and tights." They found some smart black shoes and a midnight blue velvet covered barrette to match the dress. Lastly, they picked up some tights. "There - that's everything," declared Scully. "We'd better pay for all this." "Your daughter looked beautiful in that dress." "Excuse me?" Scully didn't realize that the sales assistant was addressing her. "I said your daughter looked beautiful in that dress." "Oh... thank you," replied Scully, not wanting to disabuse the woman of the notion that she was Sarah's mother. It was an odd feeling. She signed the credit card voucher that was presented to her, then picked up her purchases. "Ready, Sarah? Let's go get some lunch - you must be hungry." With Scully and Sarah out of the way, Mulder had a chance to go off and do some Christmas shopping of his own. Despite having given Scully the impression that he had already got her a Christmas gift, the opposite was true. He had seen just the thing for her in a jeweler's in town, and he made his way there in the hope that it hadn't been sold. No, it was still there in the window. Mulder smiled, and went into the store, emerging five minutes later and a couple of hundred dollars poorer, clutching his prize. He couldn't wait to see Scully's face when he gave her this present. His next port of call was a florists - he wanted to order some flowers to be sent to his mother in Sarah's name in time for Christmas. Mulder's own gift to his mother had been an expensive pair of leather gloves, which he had sent up a few days previously. Flowers selected and ordered, he headed to Starbucks for a welcome cup of coffee. While he was there, he bought a half pound pack of their "Christmas Blend" coffee beans. Mulder hated shopping, and especially at this time of year. He tended to leave it all to the last minute, but now that he had Sarah, that was impossible, especially if you wanted to buy toys of any description. Leave toy buying to the last minute, and the shelves would be bare. To his great relief, Sarah hadn't asked for any particular toy, so there was no mad dash to find it. Even though he hated the shopping, Mulder always gave a great deal of thought to the gifts he was buying, trying to match the gift to the person. Not that he gave many presents - his mother, Scully and Sarah were the only names to grace his Christmas list. Refreshed after his coffee and short rest, Mulder set off again. He wanted to buy a little something for Scully from Sarah. He'd seen a pretty silk scarf in a little store on Connecticut Avenue, and he just knew that Scully would like it. The scarf was in various shades of blue, and would match her eyes. Despite not really caring about his own sartorial splendor, Mulder knew what suited Scully and what suited his daughter. His shopping complete, Mulder headed, with great relief, for home where he could put his feet up and watch the sport while waiting for Scully and Sarah to return. Scully and Sarah enjoyed the blue plate special in Nordstrom's restaurant, then headed for the menswear department. As they made their way through the displays, Scully's eye was caught by the men's boxer shorts - one pair in particular. They were black silk, and covered in little Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. She chuckled, and thought immediately of Mulder. "Dana, why are you laughing?" asked a puzzled Sarah. "I was thinking of buying these for your Daddy," replied Scully. "Do you think he'll like them?" Sarah nodded. "Daddy has lots of funny shorts," said the child. Scully knew that - she'd bought several of the pairs he owned for previous Christmases, and for his birthday. In fact, he'd probably be disappointed not to receive a pair of boxers from her - it was now a sort of tradition between them. With Scully carrying the boxers, they moved on to the ties. "I like this one," announced Sarah, pointing to a navy blue silk tie decorated with small goldfish swimming in bowls. Scully took one look at it and decided that it was very Mulder. "Okay - let's get that one and you can give it to Daddy for Christmas," she said. She picked up the tie, and they headed for the register. Scully turned away for a moment to look at something that had caught her eye - by the time she had turned back, Sarah was nowhere to be seen. Scully's heart stopped in her chest. She cast her eyes around quickly - there was no sign of Sarah's little red coat anywhere. "Did you see where the little girl went?" asked Scully anxiously, but the cashier shook his head. Scully felt the panic rise in her - Mulder would never, ever forgive her if anything happened to his daughter. Come to that, Scully would never forgive herself either. "Sarah!" she called, her eyes combing the floor. It was so difficult to see with so many clothes racks and other customers about. Scully moved swiftly and methodically amongst the racks and the crowds. "Sarah!" she called again. Suddenly, Scully caught a glimpse of a red coat, red boots and long, dark hair in the distance. She quickened her pace and when she caught up with the small figure she said the child's name and reached out, taking her arm at the same time. Sarah turned to face Scully, and saw a mixture of anger and relief on the older woman's face. "Sarah - you shouldn't go off like that!" scolded Scully, not too harshly. "Your father said you were to stay with me all the time!" Scully saw the child's chin tremble. "I'm sorry, Dana," she said in a tiny voice. "I forgot." Scully sighed. It was a tall order expecting a child of Sarah's tender years to obey instructions to the letter, and she realized that the child was probably bored, too. Scully softened her expression. She was just glad and relieved that she'd found Sarah, and found her in one piece. She crouched down, pushing Sarah's hair behind her dainty ears. "Okay," she said softly. "We'll say no more about it. I think we've had enough for today, don't you? Let's go home, and get your Daddy to make us both a nice cup of tea!" Sarah looked up at Scully with that mournful, puppy dog expression that Mulder sported so well. "Okay," replied the child in a hushed tone, then she slipped her small hand into Scully's and held on tightly. As they pulled up outside Mulder's apartment, Scully reminded Sarah that her new dress was a surprise for Christmas Day, and that she shouldn't tell her father. "Did you have a good day?" asked Mulder, lifting Sarah as she jumped into his arms. "We had a very good day, didn't we Sarah?" said Scully, winking at the little girl conspiratorially. Sarah smiled, showing the gap between her teeth, and nodded. "What about you?" Mulder gave her one of his infuriating smiles. "Very profitable, thank you very much!" he crowed, at the same time thinking the only one it was really profitable for was the jeweler. He turned his attention back to Sarah. "Have you been a good girl for Dana?" "Sarah's been very good," replied Scully quickly, not wanting Sarah to alarm Mulder by telling him that she had wandered off. "Dana says you're going to make us a nice cup of tea!" piped up Sarah. "Did she now?" said Mulder, turning to look questioningly at Scully. She grinned, and shrugged her shoulders. "Out of the mouths of babes, Mulder..." she replied. "You know Sarah, I think that Dana is a slave driver," said Mulder, tickling Sarah's stomach and making her giggle. "What's a slave driver?" she asked, still giggling. He smiled at her affectionately. "A slave driver is someone that makes you work very hard," her father answered. "Don't you think Dana makes me work hard?" Sarah, smiling, shook her head, her beautiful wavy hair bobbing from side to side. "Ah well," sighed Mulder. "I guess I'd better put the kettle on then. It's tea all round, is it?" Two inanely grinning faces looked back at him and nodded. The next few days flew by, and before Mulder knew it, it was Christmas eve. Everything was ready for the big day - he, Scully and Sarah had done the last minute Christmas grocery shopping the day before and for the first time ever, his cupboards and fridge were full. "Scully - my kitchen has never seen so much food!" he joked. "Are we really going to get through all this?" "It's better to have too much than too little," replied the ever practical Scully, rolling her eyes and thinking that it was a good job she hadn't left the shopping to him. Mulder made one last check of the groceries, making absolutely sure that there was nothing they had forgotten, then went back through to the living room. He made a quick call to Scully, who was spending Christmas eve at her mother's, just to double check what time she would be arriving the next morning. Sarah lay on the couch, watching "Bambi." He sat down on the end cushion and she came and snuggled up beside him. As usual, his arm went around her loosely, and they sat in companionable silence until the film finished. Sarah jumped down off the couch, ejected the tape from the VCR and put it back in its box. She took it through to the bedroom and placed it with all her other Disney tapes, then returned to join her father on the couch, clambering up onto his lap. Mulder smiled at her affectionately - she was dead tired, but unwilling to give in to it. "Daddy, what time will Santa come?" she asked. Mulder chuckled. "I don't know, Sarah. Don't forget he has to deliver presents all over the world, so it might take a little time before he gets to us." Her thumb had crept into her mouth as he spoke, and he caressed her hair. "Sarah?" His hand still roamed over her hair. "If you could have anything in the world, what would you ask for?" asked Mulder softly. "To have Mommy back again," replied the child sleepily. Mulder had expected that, but it still moved him. He brushed his lips against her hair. Sarah stirred and looked up at him. "I want Mommy back, but I still want to live with you," she said. At that, Mulder wrapped Sarah in his arms and held her tight, his face buried in her hair to mask the emotions he was feeling at that moment. He knew then that nothing would ever part them, come hell or high water. Despite the trials and tribulations they had experienced recently, Sarah loved him and he returned that love unconditionally. Sarah was still curled up against him, her face turned in towards his chest, her thumb in her mouth. Gradually her eyelids drooped lower and lower. Mulder looked down and smiled. "Come on, sweetheart - it's time you went to bed." "No," protested Sarah sleepily. "I want to see Santa." "Santa only comes when children are asleep," explained Mulder softly. "You don't want him to miss you because you're awake, do you?" Sarah shook her head. She was almost asleep. Mulder waited for a while longer, then carried her long, limp and heavy body through to the bedroom. He placed her carefully on the bed, then drew the covers over her. She was already fast asleep. He sat with her for a while, smiling down affectionately and pushing away the odd errant strand of hair, then leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Sarah," he whispered. "Merry Christmas." With his daughter fast asleep, Mulder started to gather the presents and put them around the bottom of the tree. There were so many, most of them for Sarah, and he'd put them in all sorts of ingenious hiding places where small prying eyes wouldn't find them. It had been more difficult with the gift his mother had sent down, in its big box. In the end, Scully had taken it home for safe keeping. His task complete, Mulder took a look around his apartment. It had never looked so festive. There was the tree, there were cards on the bookshelf and of course the presents. Pride of place had gone to the Christmas card Sarah had made for him at school. He picked it up, running his fingers over the glued on Santa stuck to the front, then opened it to read again, "To Daddy, Merry Christmas, love from SARAH." He smiled at the hodge podge of capital and lower case letters and her childish script, then placed the card back on the bookshelf. He was really looking forward to Christmas Day and seeing the pleasure Sarah got from opening all her gifts - in fact, he couldn't wait. Christmas Day Mulder popped his head around the bedroom door - Sarah was still asleep, the little stocking embroidered with her name, that her aunt in Boston had made, hanging at the end of her bed. He'd filled the stocking, on Scully's advice, with some candies, a coloring book, a colorful scrunchie for her hair and a pretty glass bead necklace. Scully had assured him that these were the things that little girls liked - he had no idea as to what would appeal to the average six-year- old female. On his way to the kitchen, he switched on the tree lights and stood for a moment watching them blink on and off. He was sitting on the couch drinking coffee when he heard Sarah stirring. He went through to the bedroom and sat on the side of the bed, watching her wake up and rub her eyes. Still not quite fully awake, Sarah reached out to her father, who took her into his arms and cuddled her, stroking her back in long, soothing strokes. She was deliciously warm and soft in his arms. Mulder placed a tender kiss on her cheek. This was the best Christmas present he could ever have. Sarah was more awake now. "Do you remember what day it is today?" asked Mulder. "Christmas Day!" exclaimed Sarah happily, her little face beaming from ear to ear. "Has Santa been, Daddy?" "Well, let's find out, shall we?" He reached behind him and lifted the stocking. "What's this?" "Is it for me?" she asked, barely able to contain her excitement. "What does it say on the side here? Can you tell me?" "Sarah," answered the child. "That's right," smiled her father, and he handed her the stocking, which she promptly upended, spilling the contents onto the bed. Sarah examined each item in turn, delight registering on her face when she came to the glass bead necklace. "Can I wear this now?" she asked. "If you want to," replied Mulder and she handed it to him to fasten around her neck. "Oh, that looks very pretty. Go take a look." Sarah slipped off the bed and went to the mirror. "Has Santa bought anything else?" she asked. "Shall we go and see?" answered Mulder, and Sarah nodded, reaching out to be picked up and carried. He was happy to oblige, wanting to see her face when she saw all the presents beneath the tree. "I think you should close your eyes," he suggested. "Okay," agreed Sarah, and she duly closed her eyes. "We can go now." Mulder carried her through to the living room and close to the tree. "You can look now," he said and Sarah opened her eyes. They nearly fell out of her head when she saw the presents piled under the tree. "Are they all for me?" she asked excitedly, and her father chuckled. "Most of them, but there are some for Dana, too." "Can I open them now?" "You can open a couple, but we'll save some to open after breakfast, when Dana's here, and the other presents we can open after dinner. That way we can all open our presents together and make it last all day." Sarah surveyed the gifts displayed before her eyes. "Which ones can I open now?" she asked. "Well, let's see," said Mulder, crouching down. He selected two, and read the tags. "How about these two?" Sarah nodded, and they walked back to the couch and sat side by side. "Who are they from?" asked the child, looking up at her father. Mulder looked at the spidery writing again. "Granny Page," he replied. He handed her the first gift. "Why don't you open this one first?" He was just as curious as she was to see what was beneath the cheery wrapping paper. Sarah tore at the paper, dropping it to the floor. She found herself holding a red sweatshirt, with an embroidered circle of flowers on the front. "That's pretty," commented Mulder. "That will look nice with your black slacks." He thought that red suited Sarah very well. Mulder handed her the other gift. Again, Sarah tore off the paper to discover a plastic wallet full of water soluble markers in every conceivable color. "Markers!" she cried in delight. "Can I use them in my new coloring book?" "Later - we should have some breakfast first," he replied, collecting the rubbish from the floor. "Take the sweatshirt into the bedroom and put it on your bed. We'll put it away later." With that, he rose and went out into the kitchen. Sarah munched on her toast and strawberry jam. "Daddy, what time is Dana coming? I hope it's soon - I want to open all my presents!" Mulder chuckled. "She'll be here in a little while. You can watch for her at the window. In a while you can call Granny Page and say thank you for the presents." "Can I do it now?" asked Sarah, slipping off her chair. "No, later. Sit up at the table while you're eating, please. You know you can only leave the table when you've finished your meal." The reminder was a gentle one - he was conscious of her excitement at it being Christmas Day. Sarah duly clambered back into her seat. Mulder and Scully had agreed that Scully would come over around 8.30 a.m. Sarah had taken up position at the window as soon as she'd washed and dressed. Mulder shook his head and laughed softly - she looked like a little sentinel. Sarah's patience was rewarded by the tooting of a car horn as Scully pulled up across the road from the Mulder apartment. "Dana's here!" she cried, wriggling out of her sentry's position and running out into the kitchen. "Daddy - Dana's here!" Mulder took a peek out of the window and saw Scully reaching into the back seat of her car. He opened the door to their apartment ready for her. Scully marched in carrying two garment bags - one large, one small. "What's this?" asked Mulder. "And a Merry Christmas to you too, Mulder," replied Scully. "Oh, Merry Christmas, Scully," he answered. "They're for when we dress for dinner," said Scully, in reference to the garment bags. "Dress for dinner? Scully, you didn't say anything about dressing for dinner!" "Well, you don't think I'm going to sit down to Christmas dinner looking like this do you?" He looked at her in her battered sweatshirt, jeans, her face freshly scrubbed and her hair pulled back into a ponytail. "And if you dare say I look fine, Mulder, I won't be responsible for my actions!" "The thought never crossed my mind, Scully," replied Mulder smoothly. "Good. Mulder, there are presents in the car, in the trunk. Could you bring them up for me?" "Sure. Do you have the keys so that I can lock it?" Scully handed him her car keys. "Sarah? Do you want to help me carry the presents?" he asked. "No, thank you. I want to stay with Dana," replied the child. "Okay - you can show her where to hang the garment bags. I won't be a minute." By the time Mulder returned, Scully and Sarah were out in the kitchen, where Scully was just preparing to put the turkey into the oven. "Everything under control out here?" he asked. "Yes, thank you," replied Scully. "How long will the bird take to cook?" "About four and a half hours, plus resting time..." Scully glanced at the small kitchen clock, and did a rapid calculation in her head... "we should be eating around two." "Good. I'll just..." "Not so fast, Mulder," said Scully darkly. "Don't think that I'm going to do all the work! Here - make yourself useful and peel the potatoes!" She handed him a vegetable knife. "Slave driver!" retorted Mulder with a grin. "Oh, that's just for starters!" said Scully. "When you've finished that, you can start on the vegetables!" "What are you going to do?" asked Mulder. "Make myself a nice cup of coffee and sit down for five minutes," answered Scully with a smile. "But you only just got here!" replied Mulder. "Mulder, I've been on the go since six this morning!" cried Scully. "Don't worry - I'll help you just as soon as I've drunk my coffee." "Can I do anything?" chipped in Sarah. She had watched the interplay between Scully and her father with interest. "Well, let me see," said Scully. "I know - you can wash and pick over the cranberries for me." Scully tipped the cranberries into a colander, and showed Sarah what to do. "If you find any bruised or squashy ones, like this one..." She showed the offending object to the child, "...then put it to one side and we'll throw them away when you've finished." Mulder had already placed Sarah's little step-up at the sink. She placed the colander in the sink and he turned the tap on for her, letting it run in a steady stream. She picked the cranberries over diligently, one by one, before announcing, "I've finished!" Scully came over to look. "Well done, Sarah. Now you can put them in this pan ready for later." Sarah tipped the wet cranberries carefully into the pan, then asked, "What can I do now?" "Well, I think we're going to open some presents, aren't we?" Scully looked at Mulder for confirmation, and he nodded. "Yes!" cried Sarah, jumping up and down almost deafening both her father and Scully with her exuberance. Mulder had put the gifts that Scully had brought with her under the tree with all the others. "That's quite an impressive collection," Scully had remarked when she arrived. "Yeah - they're nearly all for Sarah," he replied. "Annie's family love her very much. It must have been a terrible wrench for them when she came to live with me, and I know Sarah misses them." "But you did the right thing, Mulder. She's your daughter - you had as much right to have her live with you as they did. Sarah's happy here - okay, it was difficult to begin with but she's made the adjustment, things are fine now, aren't they?" "She still has her moments, and there are times when I wonder if I really did do the right thing in uprooting her from everything that was familiar. The doubt is always there, and I don't think it will ever go away." He paused, and looked over at Sarah affectionately. "The thing is, Scully, I can't imagine life without her now." For that matter, neither could Scully. Sarah was already perched on the edge of the couch, ready and waiting when her father and Scully came through from the kitchen. Mulder sat himself down beside the tree so that he could dish out the gifts one by one. "Well, what do we have here?" he asked, as he picked up the first gift. "This one's for you, Sarah." He handed her the brightly wrapped package and she sat down on the floor and tore at the paper. Inside was the video of "One Hundred and One Dalmatians." "Look, Daddy!" cried Sarah, holding the video aloft. "Yes, I can see," he replied. Then, looking up at Scully he said, "She loves anything to do with Disney." "I'd gathered that," replied Scully, wearing a fond smile. Another small package went Sarah's way, and again she feverishly tore at the paper. "Toy Story!" she cried, recognizing Woody and Buzz on the front of the video box. "Ooh - I'll watch that later!" said Mulder. Scully clucked her tongue. "What?" he demanded with feigned indignation. "Sometimes I wonder just who the child is around here!" she responded with amusement. "Can I open that big one next?" asked Sarah, pointing to a large, gold foil wrapped package. The wrapping was lovely, embossed with gold stars and bound in gold ribbon. "Who is it from?" Mulder read the label. "It's from Granny Mulder," he replied. He already knew that, but he wanted to read the label again. It said, "To a very special little girl, with much love, Granny Mulder." Mulder handed the package to Sarah very carefully. He had no idea what was in it and was as eager as she was to find out. Knowing his mother, it would be something chosen with great care and probably ridiculously expensive. He hoped not, because he didn't want his daughter to grow up into a spoiled brat. "Be careful how you open it," he warned gently as Sarah attacked the beautiful paper with gusto. Mulder sighed - someone had probably taken great care to wrap the present and all that work was undone in the space of a few seconds. Inside was a box with a lid on it. Sarah lifted the lid to reveal a doll, but it wasn't the kind of everyday doll that she usually played with. It was an heirloom doll, dressed in Victorian clothing and with a porcelain face. The box also contained a certificate to say that the doll was one of a limited number - Sarah's was number 36. "Mulder, this must have cost a fortune!" said Scully softly, looking at the doll. "Well, that's my mother for you," he replied drily. "Daddy, look - the doll's name is Sarah!" Sarah was tapping his arm to get his attention. "Daddy..." "Just a moment, Sarah. I'm talking to Dana," replied Mulder patiently. Then he gave her his full attention. "Now, what did you want to tell me?" "Her name is Sarah, Daddy!" said the child excitedly. "And she has long hair like yours, too," added Mulder. "Do you like her? I think that Granny chose her specially because she has your name." "Can I take her to bed with me?" asked the child. "Well, she's very delicate - maybe it would be better if we put her on display on your dresser. What do you think about that? That way you'd still be able to look at her, wouldn't you?" Sarah considered the suggestion for a moment, then nodded her agreement. Mulder reached out and took another gift off the pile. "This one's from Papa Jim," he said, handing it to Sarah. "Sarah's step-father?" recalled Scully, and Mulder nodded. His gift was a drawing program for the computer. "You'll be able to have lots of fun with that, won't you?" smiled Scully. "Can I try it later, Daddy?" asked Sarah. "We'll see," replied Mulder. "Do you want to open something else, or should we let Dana open something next?" "Dana!" cried the child with a little jump and a smile. "Okay - which one do you think she would like to open?" Sarah went to the tree and picked up a present. "This one," she said. "Well, you give it to her," encouraged her father. Suddenly Sarah came over shy. "Go on," laughed Mulder, "Dana won't bite!" Sarah crossed back to the couch and set herself on the edge beside Scully. She handed over the gift and waited while Scully opened it. Inside was a small gift basket of travel sized Body Shop products. "Oh, Sarah - that's lovely!" said Scully with a smile. "Thank you very much." "I chose that myself," announced Sarah proudly. "And you chose very well," replied Scully warmly. "These are my favorites." Sarah turned to her father. "It's your turn now, Daddy! You have to open something!" "Which one should I open?" asked Mulder, making a big show of indecisiveness. "This one," said Sarah, handing him something wrapped in cheery Santa smothered paper. "Hmm - I wonder what this is?" he asked, feeling the package in his fingers and then shaking it. Then he sniffed it, making a great play of trying to guess what was inside. Finally, he removed the paper to reveal a packet of freeze dried worms. "Oh - thank you sweetheart!" said Mulder, looking surprised. "Now you won't forget to feed the fish anymore!" chipped in Sarah. "No, I guess I won't!" he replied, then he cast his narrowed eyes in Scully's direction. "I sense the hand of a particular FBI agent behind this gift!" Scully laughed. "Guilty as charged, Mulder!" she replied. Soon the bulk of the presents had been opened, leaving just the few special gifts that would be saved until later. Sarah had a respectable haul of presents, including a couple more videos, more felt pens - magic ones that changed color, some simple craft kits and a whole host of things. From her father she had received some computer games, a Pocahontas animated story book, which was also for the computer, as well as a set of Disney story books that each had a panel down the side with pictures that, when pressed, made a noise relevant to the illustration. Sarah had asked for, and received, a doctors bag, complete with instruments, and Mulder had visions of himself being "operated" on. As if he didn't spend enough time being poked and prodded by doctors as it was! And all because he had told her that Scully was a doctor. Mulder had chuckled at the Rudolph boxers that Scully had gotten for him and he was pleased with the goldfish tie from Sarah. Scully was delighted with the silk scarf, saying that she knew just the thing to wear it with. Mulder surveyed the acres of torn wrapping paper that littered the floor. "I'll clear this up, Scully, if you put the kettle on. I think we need a drink after that! Sarah, would you like something to drink?" "Yes please. I'll have juice." Sarah was sitting on the floor, busy scrutinizing her presents one by one. "We can try some of the games out after dinner if you like," said Mulder as he went around the floor picking up the paper. "Okay," replied the child. Mulder came through from checking the progress of their dinner just as Scully and Sarah disappeared into the bedroom. "Where are you two going?" he enquired. "To get ready for dinner," answered Sarah, then the bedroom door shut before he could utter another word. Just as he went to sit down, it opened again and Scully poked her head out. "And don't try peeking!" she warned. Then the door closed again. Mulder rolled his eyes. Women! Scully got herself ready first, and Sarah watched fascinated as Scully applied her make-up. "I used to watch Mommy put on her make-up," said Sarah. "She used to wear red lipstick." Scully smiled as Sarah rummaged through the contents of her cosmetic pouch. "Did she?" asked Scully. Sarah nodded. "Red was Mommy's favorite color. I like red, too. Did you see the present Granny Page sent me?" With that, Sarah showed Scully the sweatshirt. "That's very pretty, Sarah. Did you call to say thank you?" The child nodded again. "That's good. Now, shall we make a start on you?" Scully began by carefully tonging Sarah's already wavy hair into more luxuriant waves, then taking most of her hair away from her face with the barrette, just leaving a few fine strands to frame her cheeks and forehead. Next Sarah donned the tights and then the dress. As Scully tied the sash they heard a tapping at the door. It was Mulder. He thought that they seemed to be taking forever. "Can I come in?" he asked. Scully shook her head, and whispered something to Sarah, who yelled back, "No - you'll spoil the surprise!" Mulder slunk back to the couch - there was nothing for it but to wait. "Why does Daddy call you "Scully"?" asked Sarah. "He just does. He's more comfortable calling me Scully." Sometimes she even forgot that she had a first name. "Why do you call Daddy "Mulder"?" "Because that's what he prefers," answered Scully. "Mommy always called him Fox," said Sarah as she toyed with the ends of her sash. Scully's mouth twitched involuntarily as she fought down a wave of jealousy at that little piece of information. Sarah wasn't to know how much knowing that had hurt her. But then Mulder and Annie had been intimate in a way that she and Mulder had never been, and were not likely to be anytime soon the way things were at the moment. "Can I see Daddy now?" asked Sarah, jolting Scully from her musings. The child was becoming restless. Scully dredged up a smile. "Just a moment more, then we'll go together." Scully opened the bedroom door and led Sarah out by the hand. Mulder rose from the couch, and his mouth dropped open in surprise. "Oh, Scully," he breathed. "You look..." He didn't know what to say to her. She wore a simple emerald green dress, and her hair fell in soft waves about her face. She looked wonderful. But this wasn't Scully's day, this was Sarah's. She guided the child gently with her hand, much in the way that Mulder did to her. "Mulder," she said softly. "Take a look." "Who's this?" he asked in mock surprise. Sarah looked exquisite. "It's me, Daddy!" cried Sarah joyfully. "Sarah? No, you can't be my Sarah!" joshed Mulder. "I am, I am!" cried the child. "Don't you like my dress? It's a surprise for you!" "And you certainly surprised me!" he replied. "You both look lovely." He looked down at his own clothing and sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better go change!" Mulder reappeared five minutes later, wearing black slacks and a black long sleeved polo shirt with the top button undone. "How do I look?" he asked. "You'll do," replied Scully. "What - you didn't expect me to put on a suit, did you?" "Of course not, Mulder!" snorted Scully. "You look just fine." She caught the whiff of something understated and sniffed. "You smell nice, too." "I try my best," he replied with a winning smile. "Do you need a hand with anything?" "You and Sarah could set the table," suggested Scully. "You'll find a cloth in the sports bag in the bedroom." Sarah was eager to help, and as Mulder set the cloth on the table she went into the kitchen to get the plates. "Be careful, Sarah - they're a little heavy," said Scully. Her eyebrows raised in surprise - Mulder had bought a new dinner service by the looks of it. White plates with dark blue edging. Scully turned one upside down and read the makers mark. "Rosenthal." Not any old dinner service, either. She went to the kitchen doorway and said, "New dinner service, Mulder?" He looked up from setting the places. "What? Oh, yeah - my Christmas present from my Mom." "Nice," commented Scully. "Well," he shrugged, "I needed a new one." "Shall I get the glasses, Daddy?" asked Sarah. "No, sweetheart - I'll get the glasses. You bring the knives and forks, and I'll show you how to polish them up until they're nice and shiny." Mulder followed her into the kitchen. It was rather cramped with all three of them out there. "Excuse me," said Mulder, as he reached over Scully's head into the cupboard and drew out two crystal goblets. Another surprise for Scully. "I didn't know you had anything like this!" she said. "What - these glasses?" asked Mulder. "My Mom gave me these, too - they're Edinburgh crystal. She brought them back from Scotland." "When did your mother go to Scotland?" asked Scully. "Last year, after Dad died." He'd never said a word about it to her. Mulder took a plain glass tumbler for Sarah. "I want one of those," she pouted, pointing at the crystal goblets. "Oh no, Sarah - these are very special," replied her father. "I would be very upset if one of them got broken by accident." He tried to make the explanation as gentle as possible, without offending her young sensibilities. As usual, it was Scully to the rescue. "How about one of these?" she suggested, grasping one of Mulder's plain, no frills wine goblets. Sarah smiled, and peace reigned. Mulder mouthed a "thank you" to Scully. "You're welcome," she replied. He took the glassware to the table, then showed Sarah how to polish the silverware with a clean tea towel. Mulder returned to the kitchen to assist Scully, and when he came back through, Sarah had finished setting the table. "Is that all right, Daddy?" she asked anxiously. "That's just fine, Sarah," he replied warmly. "You've done a good job. The table looks very nice." "Do you want to carve, or shall I?" asked Scully. At least Mulder's carving knife was sharp, having been kept in a knife block. "I didn't think you knew how to carve up anything but corpses, Scully!" remarked Mulder with a wicked grin on his face. She pursed her lips and glared at him. "Still, I suppose you could call this a corpse of sorts!" he said, looking down at the golden bird resting on his brand new meat platter. "Watch it, Mulder," muttered Scully darkly. "Just remember how handy I am with a scalpel!" "Isn't it tradition that the man of the house carves?" he smirked. "If you say so," replied Scully in amusement. She shook her head. Mulder was taking this very seriously, but it was rather nice. She had wondered what she'd let herself in for by agreeing to spend her Christmas Day with him and Sarah, but she was quite enjoying herself. It was good to see Mulder enjoying himself too - in the past, the festive season had been anything but for him. So, Mulder carved and put a generous amount on each plate. Scully played mother, and put roast potatoes and vegetables on Sarah's plate. "Is that enough for her, Mulder?" He glanced down at the plate. "That looks fine, Scully." He grinned at her. "You're really quite good at this. Don't you think we make an ideal pair?" Scully gave him a look, then turned to Sarah. "Sarah, would you like some candied yams?" "No thank you," came the reply. "I just remembered - she doesn't like candied yams," said Mulder. "Annie gave them to her one Christmas and they made her sick." He saw Scully flinch at the mention of Annie's name. "Scully? You okay? Did I say something?" "No, it's okay Mulder. It's nothing," replied Scully, recalling Sarah's words from earlier. "Let's eat this before it gets cold. Can you bring the wine?" Mulder poured wine for himself and Scully, and white grape juice for Sarah. "Sarah, would you like some cranberry sauce?" asked Scully. "Yes please," answered the child. "Daddy, can you cut up my potatoes for me?" Mulder leaned across and cut each potato into four pieces. "There - is that okay?" Sarah nodded, and stabbed her fork into a piece. Scully had had the presence of mind to tuck a clean tea towel around Sarah's neck and to drape another one across the child's lap - she didn't want the dress to be spoiled by spilled food or drink. Mulder noticed that Sarah seemed to be eating her food faster than usual. "Sweetheart, slow down. You'll get tummy ache if you eat too fast." "But I want to open the presents. You said we could open the rest of the presents after dinner." "Yes, I know, but the presents aren't going to run away, Sarah. Now, slow down please." "But Daddy..." "You are going to have to wait until Dana and I are finished anyway." Sarah glared at her father. "Dana worked hard to make all this delicious food, Sarah. It's rude to gobble it up as fast as you can. Slow down and enjoy it." His eyes flicked up briefly to Scully, who was busy watching Sarah. She was captivated by the way the child's bottom lip stuck out, just like her father's did when he was angry. "Sarah, do we have an agreement?" he asked, calmly but firmly. "Yes, Daddy," replied the little girl, barely audibly. "Good," said Mulder, and he smiled at her to show that he was pleased with her decision. "Sorry about that, Scully," said Mulder as they carried the plates out to the kitchen. "I did say she still had her moments!" "It's understandable - Sarah's excited," replied Scully. "Shall I see to dessert? Will Sarah have a mince pie?" "I'll ask her," answered Mulder. He stuck his head around the door. "Sweetheart, would you like a mince pie or some ice cream?" "If I have ice cream, can I have chocolate sauce?" asked the child. Mulder chuckled. "Of course you can have chocolate sauce!" "Then I'll have ice cream, please." A few minutes later, Mulder placed a sundae glass in front of her containing a generous scoop of ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce. Mulder and Scully had mince pies with cream. When they'd finished, Mulder leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach. "I'm stuffed, Scully," he announced. "I could go to sleep after that!" "No, Daddy! You can't go to sleep! We have to open the other presents!" Sarah reminded him, as if he needed reminding! "Do you want coffee yet, or shall we wait a while?" He directed the question at Scully. "I think I'll wait a while - I can hardly move!" "It was a great meal, Scully. Thanks." "It was my pleasure, Mulder," replied Scully, flushing slightly at the praise. They left the table as it was, too full to be bothered to clear it right away. It was times like this that Mulder wished he had a dishwasher. Still, it wouldn't take long if he and Scully shared the washing up later. Mulder and Scully settled themselves on his battered old couch, and it was all he could do to stop his eyelids from drooping. There would no chance of him sleeping, not with Sarah hopping from one foot to the other in front of him. "Daddy? Can we open the other presents now?" she asked, her small hands resting on his knee. "Ooh - Sarah Elizabeth, Little Miss Impatient!" he replied, making big eyes at her. "I wonder where she gets that from?" commented Scully drily, as Sarah giggled at her father. He reached out, tickling her behind the ears. "Stop it, Daddy - it tickles!" she squealed, hunching her shoulders. He drew Sarah towards him and held her loosely. He loved her so much - all he wanted to do was to make her happy. "Come on, then - let's open the presents," said Mulder at last. He regarded his daughter fondly - apart from the scene at the table, she had been very good and very patient. He rose and set himself down beside the tree again so that he could dispense the remaining gifts. Scully's eyes caught Mulder's and he passed her a small package, which she handed to the child. "Sarah, this is from me," she said softly. "Thank you," replied the child solemnly, examining the carefully wrapped gift. "Can I open it now?" Scully grinned. "Of course!" Sarah tore at the paper to reveal a small box. She opened it, finding a small gold cross on a chain. "Look Daddy!" cried the child. "Put it on for me!" Sarah handed him the box and he carefully removed the delicate necklace. "I know you don't believe, Mulder," said Scully softly, "but I didn't think it would hurt her to have one." "No - it's lovely, Scully," replied Mulder as he fastened the chain around Sarah's neck. "There - go and take a look." The child scampered off to admire herself in the mirror. "You didn't have to get her anything, Scully," said Mulder. "You spent enough on her dress and everything." "I wanted to - I'm very fond of Sarah," replied Scully. Her eyes shone as she said, "She's part of you - how could I not be?" Mulder was just about to reply when Sarah ran back into the room and stood shyly in front of Scully. In a completely spontaneous gesture, the little girl climbed up beside her and gave her a hug. Scully's eyes filled with tears at Sarah's acceptance of her and she responded by hugging the child back, caressing her thick hair and inhaling her fragrance. It was so good to feel that warm and soft body in her arms, to feel Sarah's cheek against hers. She hadn't had such intimate contact with Sarah since the night Mulder had turned up on the doorstep with her and placed her in Scully's arms. No-one was happier than Mulder at Sarah's acceptance of Scully. He was glad he had not tried to force the issue, instead bowing to Scully's advice to let Sarah decide when the time was ready for a closer relationship with her. Now, Scully's patience had been rewarded, and in the nicest way. They were down to the last few presents now. Scully handed one large gift and one smaller one to Mulder. "Are these both for me?" he asked, and Scully nodded. "You can't have one without the other. You have to open the big one first." Mulder was already ripping off the paper, revealing a brand new Knicks sweatshirt. He grinned. "Thanks Scully," he said. "My pleasure. I was fed up with seeing you in that poor excuse for a sweatshirt that you're always wearing!" "Can I open this one now?" "Go ahead," Scully replied, watching with anticipation. Mulder opened the paper carefully to find an envelope. He opened the envelope and inside was a pair of Knicks tickets, complete with bench passes. Mulder's mouth fell open - he didn't know what to say. He looked at her - this was a very special gift. "Scully..." Words failed him momentarily. "Scully, these are almost impossible to get! How..." She gave him one of her wonderful smiles. "I have my connections too, Mulder." She took his hand and squeezed it. It had been worth the effort just to see his face. "Just make sure you keep them in a safe place!" said Scully. "I won't let them out of my sight!" he grinned. "What is it, Daddy?" asked Sarah, coming to stand in front of him. "Some tickets for a basketball match. Very special tickets." "Why are they special?" Sarah's little face was full of inquisitiveness, just the way her father's sometimes was. "Well, these are bench passes, and that means that I can sit with the players," explained Mulder, all of which meant absolutely nothing to Sarah, who wasn't impressed in the least. Sarah was getting impatient again. "When are you going to give Dana her present, Daddy?" she asked, toying with the gold cross at her neck. "Right now," answered Mulder, handing Scully a package. She could feel that it was something in a box. Scully removed the paper, and it was indeed a box - the sort that lingerie was usually presented in. She slowly removed the lid, wondering what she was going to find inside. Scully folded back the tissue paper and saw something in deep green silk. She lifted it out - it was a kimono style wrap. "Mulder, it's lovely. Thank you," said Scully. He smiled at her. "I'm glad you like it, Scully," he replied. He smacked the palms of his hands on his knees. "Well, now that that's finished, shall we have some coffee?" "Is that all the presents, Daddy?" asked Sarah. "That's all, sweetheart," he replied. "There'll be no more presents now until your birthday." Not strictly true - Mulder had saved his main gift to his daughter for later. "Now, who's for a drink?" Mulder and Scully drank coffee while Sarah played happily with some of the things she had been given for Christmas. She had agreed to her father's suggestion that they look at the computer games the next day, when they would have more time to read the instructions properly. Another hour passed while she played and the two adults chatted. No-one wanted anything else to eat - they were all still full from dinner. "Maybe later," said Mulder. He decided it was time to present Sarah with her last gift. He pretended to be looking for something. "What are you doing, Daddy?" asked the child. "I've lost something, Sarah," he replied. "Something important. Can you help me find it?" "Where should I look?" "You look in the bedroom, and I'll look in here." With that, she trotted off to the bedroom. "What are you up to, Mulder?" asked Scully. He grinned at her. "Wait and see," he replied. Then, he took the small gift and called out, "Sarah - look what I found!" Sarah came running in from the other room. "What did you find, Daddy?" she asked, and he handed her the gift. "Another present! You said you didn't have anymore! Is it for me?" Her little face was so excited. "Yes, it's from me, and it really is the very last one," answered Mulder. He'd been having second thoughts about the item he'd just given her ever since he'd gone ahead with the idea. But it was too late - the paper was off, revealing yet another jewelry box. Sarah's nimble fingers opened the lid and inside lay a small oval gold locket. A little heart was engraved on the front of it. "Another necklace!" she cried cheerfully. "This is a very special necklace, Sarah," said her father softly. "It's called a locket and you can open it." "Open it for me, Daddy - I want to see inside." Sarah handed the item to him and stood there, her small hands clasped together in anticipation. Mulder opened the locket carefully, then handed it back to Sarah. Her eyes were drawn to the picture inside. It was a miniature portrait of her mother. "It's Mommy," she said, her voice quavering a little. Mulder reached out and gathered the child into his arms. "That's right," he said softly. "And there's a space for you to put another picture, look. And look at the back..." He turned the locket around. "...it has your initials written on it." "Can I see?" asked Scully, and Mulder handed her the locket, still open. She studied it - it was a beautiful and thoughtful gift. "It's lovely, Mulder. What made you think of it?" He shrugged. "I wanted something special, and I have a friend who does these miniature portraits. I wanted Sarah to have something that would remind her of her mother and that she could always treasure." He glanced at Sarah, who had clambered up onto his lap and snuggled against him. "I was worried that it might upset her," he said softly, caressing her hair with one hand while the other held her close. "Sweetheart, you okay?" Sarah nodded. "I just miss Mommy," she replied quietly. "I know you do, baby. Would you like me to put the locket on for you?" "Yes please," answered the child, and he moved her lustrous hair out of the way, slipped the locket around her neck, making sure not to tangle it with the cross, and fastened the catch. Sarah made no effort to move from her comfortable position in her father's arms. "Don't you want to go and look?" he asked, and Sarah shook her head, her thumb having crept into her mouth. "Okay, you don't have to now. Maybe later." Mulder looked across at the dining table. "Well, I guess I'd better clear up, then we can have some more coffee." Scully put her hand on his arm. "I'll do it, Mulder - you stay with Sarah for a while." "Are you sure, Scully?" Scully nodded. "She needs you right now," answered Scully softly. "I can manage." She bustled around, clearing the dessert plates and other bits and pieces from the table. Once that had been done, she carried all of Sarah's gifts into the bedroom, depositing them on the bed to be put away later. She smiled when she saw the orderly arrangement of Disney videos on the low bookshelf that Mulder had put in there. At least Sarah's video collection was a lot more wholesome than her father's! Her fingers lingered over the small Fair Isle style sweater, with its snowflake design and matching hat that had come from another of Sarah's relatives. Mulder had been right - she was a very much loved child, and no-one loved her more than her father. Scully went back into the living room, to find Sarah asleep in her father's arms. She gave Mulder a quizzical look. "I think all the excitement tired her out," he said quietly. "I'm going to put her to bed." Scully knew he'd have a job and a half trying to get her into her night things without waking her. "Here - I'll help you," she replied. She went ahead of him and removed all the things she had put on the bed, transferring them to Sarah's small desk. Mulder sat down with Sarah on his lap, and proceeded to undress her. "I'll do it, Mulder," offered Scully, seeing he was having trouble. "Are you sure?" he asked, and Scully nodded. "Why don't you go and see to the coffee?" she suggested. "Okay. Call me if you need me." Scully soon had Sarah in her night things and tucked up in bed. She sat on the edge of the bed and just watched the child as she settled down to sleep. Once Sarah mumbled "Daddy," but Scully quieted her with a "Sshh - go to sleep." She caressed the child's face, glad at last of the opportunity to do so freely. She hadn't realized how big a space in her heart Sarah had come to occupy. Her thoughts were interrupted by Mulder calling her. "I'm coming," Scully called back softly, then she leaned over and dropped a kiss on Sarah's brow - the first since the night Mulder had brought the child to her, hoping that Scully would take her into her heart and love her as he did. Scully took one last look before she tore herself away from that small, sleeping form and said softly, "Sweet dreams, Sarah, and God bless." Mulder looked up as Scully came back into the living room. "Is she asleep?" Scully nodded, and took a sip of her coffee. "Thanks for helping me there - I still haven't quite got the hang of undressing her without waking her." "You're welcome, Mulder," answered Scully. She watched as he reached down beside him. He handed her a small package. Scully gave him her "what the hell is this?" look. "Mulder..." "Don't say anything, Scully. Just open it," he said softly. Her fingers trembled as she held the gift. Scully carefully peeled off the paper, uncovering a small black velvet box. She recognized it as a jewelry box. Scully looked up at Mulder, who was watching her with eager anticipation. Scully paused momentarily, then opened the hinged lid. A small gold heart, surrounded by diamonds, nestled against the white silk lining of the box. The pendant came complete with a fine gold chain. "Mulder, I don't know what to say," said Scully, overcome. This was such a personal gift, the meaning of which she could only guess at. "It's called a "Captive Heart," he explained, his eyes on hers. He said no more than that, but his eyes spoke volumes. "Don't you want to put it on?" asked Mulder. There was no reason why she shouldn't - Scully wasn't, for once, wearing her cross. He was looking at her with such an air of anticipation - how could she not wear it? Scully lifted the pendant out of its box and handed it to him. He undid the catch, passing the necklace around in front of her. As he fastened it, his fingers brushed the nape of her neck, pausing just a little longer than was necessary. "There," he said softly. "Go take a look." Scully did as he said, taking herself off to the bathroom to examine the lovely gift. It looked good resting against the emerald colored fabric of her dress and the chain would be long enough to enable her to wear it inside her blouse, where it could nestle against her own heart. Scully came back, and sat beside him. "Mulder, I really don't know what to say." She hadn't expected anything else from him, least of all something like this. "Then don't say anything," he replied softly. "Just accept it in the spirit in which it was given." "Thank you," said Scully. "It's beautiful, and I'll treasure it always." Mulder nodded, satisfied with that. After a while spent in contemplative silence, Mulder said, "If we leave that washing up long enough, do you think it'll go away?" "I doubt it!" laughed Scully. "Come on, let's get it over and done with." Mulder stood, and gave her his hand, pulling her up. He slipped his arm around her small waist as they made their way to the kitchen. "Do you want to wash or dry?" asked Mulder. "Wash," replied Scully. "I thought you might say that," he answered wryly. "Did your Mom mind you spending your Christmas with us?" asked Mulder, stretching above her head to put a plate back in the cupboard. "Of course not," replied Scully. "She thought it was a great idea. She was going to suggest that you and Sarah came to us, but I thought that you'd prefer to spend your Christmas together quietly as it's the first one." Mulder nodded at that, drying another plate. "Thanks, Scully. I don't know if Sarah could have coped with a lot of people that she didn't know." He reached out and took her soapy hand. "Have you enjoyed today? Would you do it again?" "Is that an invitation, Mulder?" asked Scully. "Who knows?" he replied, with a devilish look on his face. "This may become a regular thing. Maybe one day I'll make you an offer you can't refuse!" Scully grinned, and patted his hand. "Merry Christmas, Mulder," she said. He returned her smile with a dazzling one of his own - a smile that was full of promise. "Merry Christmas, Scully," he replied softly. The End.
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