Title: Sarah 22. A Wonderful Christmas
Author: Carol Gritton
Series: Sarah series
Disclaimer: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully belong to Chris Carter, 1013 and Fox TV. They are used without permission, and no infringement of copyright is intended.
Rating: G
Classification: S, MSR

Summary: Christmas with the Mulder family. There's a scare for Stephanie and a surprise from Josh.

Author's Note: Seasons greetings and happy holidays to fan fic readers and writers everywhere. May every one of you have a happy, and creative, New Year!

Christmas came sooner with every passing year - at least that was how it seemed to Mulder, as he sat in his study and stared at the little calendar that his grandson Ben had made in school. Only five more weeks to go, and he had no idea how they were going to celebrate this year. Normally Scully dealt with that side of things, but she was still not fully recovered from her stroke.

They had gone to Sarah's for Thanksgiving - the occasion having more meaning than usual this year - but both Mulder and Scully liked to have their family around them at Christmas time, back in the family home. It had always been a tradition in the Scully family that everyone got together at Christmas, and it was a tradition that Scully had been eager to carry on when she married Mulder. He had never cared for Christmas - it had been an occasion that passed his family by after Samantha had disappeared. But he had rediscovered just what a joy it could be when Sarah came to live with him, and that first Christmas that he, Sarah and Scully had shared had been the first of many a happy festive season.

Once the children were married, or with a partner in Josh's case, it wasn't always easy to have that family gathering. The children had their partner's family to consider - Christmas became a juggling act, trying to please everybody. Mulder knew that he and Scully were very lucky - Sarah, Steph and Josh all lived nearby, and they could see them whenever they wanted to.

It was important to Mulder that he have his family around him this year. Scully's stroke had made him aware of his own mortality - he didn't expect to die any time soon, but he wasn't getting any younger, either. He also knew that it would be important to Scully to have them all there, enjoying themselves, for the house to echo with laughter and the sound of children's voices again.

So what to do? He had no idea what plans the children had for Christmas - they had all been so wrapped up with Scully's stroke and recovery that anything else had been cast by the wayside. Well, the only way he was going to find out was by making a few phone calls, but first he wanted to check on Scully.

She was in bed, taking a nap. She tired easily now, and most afternoons she had an hour or so's sleep. Scully had fought it at first, telling Mulder that he was fussing over her needlessly, but his persistence had paid off, although only after a few choice words had been exchanged. Many times, over the years, she had called him stubborn and intransigent - he was nothing like it compared to her.

He padded quietly across the floor. Her glasses sat on the nightstand, alongside a battered copy of "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Scully lay on her side, her fading red hair falling over her face. Mulder crouched down, and moved it aside carefully with one finger, then touched her face very gently. Satisfied that Scully was all right, Mulder headed back to the study.

He called Sarah first.

"Hey, Dad. Everything okay? How's Mom doing?"

"Everything's fine, sweetheart. Your mom's doing okay. She's napping at the moment."

"And what about you, Dad? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, baby. Listen, Sarah - have you given any thoughts to your plans for Christmas? Your mom usually deals with all this stuff, as you know, but I want to try and keep the pressure off her this year. I know we've had more important things to think about recently, but it's coming up fast, and I really need to get something organized. I guess what I'm really asking is are you coming here this year?"

"Of course we are, Dad! Robin and I already discussed it, and we're going to his mom's for New Years. Anyway, I'd never hear the last of it if Ben and Jamie didn't spend Christmas day with their Papa!"

"I'd miss them, too - you know that," said her father. "I just thought it would be nice if we could all be together this year, especially after your mom's stroke. We might not have many more family gatherings to look forward to."

Sarah heard the catch in her father's voice. "Mom's got years in her yet, Dad. You know she's doing well - the doctor is very pleased with her progress," said Sarah softly. "Look, I'll help you with organizing whatever has to be done..."

"No, Sarah - I can't expect you..."

"Dad, I want to do it."

There was no arguing when Sarah took that tone, so he gave in gracefully.

"Okay. I'll call your brother and sister, and come back to you once I know what their plans are."

"All right. Are you sure you're okay, Dad?" Sarah thought her father sounded depressed.

"Yeah - I'm fine, sweetheart. Give our love to Ben and Jamie."

"I will. I love you, Dad."

"Me too."

Stephanie was next on the list. She was halfway through the front door to her house when the phone rang.

"Daddy! You timed that well - I've just returned from the doctors."

"Is everything all right, Stephanie?" Mulder sounded anxious - more so than usual as his younger daughter was pregnant, and expecting twins.

"Everything's fine, Dad. It's just this damned morning sickness - a misnomer if ever I heard one! I've been sick morning, noon and night. I never had it this bad with Gracie."

"It'll pass soon enough, sweetheart."

"I hope so - I don't think I could stand nine months of this."

"Apart from that, you are all right, aren't you?"

"Daddy, I'm fine, really. Even though it's still early days, I look like a balloon, but I guess that's par for the course!" Stephanie chuckled, and Mulder relaxed a little. "Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering what your plans are for Christmas. I was hoping that you might be able to come to us," said Mulder. "I'm trying to do some of the organizing... I can't expect your mom to deal with it."

"Well, Ross has been talking about going to Dallas to see his folks for New Years, so I guess it's likely that you'll have the pleasure of our company! I'll have to double check with him and get back to you, Dad - is that okay?"

"That'll be fine, baby. I'd like this Christmas to be special, for your mom's sake."

"That's a nice thought, Dad. If there's anything I can do to help, you must let me know."

"You've got enough on your plate, sweetheart. You need to look after yourself and those babies."

"Daddy, I'm pregnant, I'm not ill!" chuckled Stephanie.

"That's just what your mom used to say," replied her father. "Indulge me, Stephanie - I'm your father, I'm allowed to worry about you."

"If you say so, Dad. The offer of help still stands though - I promise I wouldn't do anything that involved any risk to me or the babies."

"I should hope not!" snorted Mulder. "I remember when I found your mom up a step ladder two weeks before Josh was born! I can't recall what she was doing up there, but I nearly had heart failure."

"Well, I'm not about to do anything like that - I think Ross would have something to say about it if I did."

"I'm sure he would. Well, I'd better try and get hold of that brother of yours."

Steph laughed. "Good luck! It's hopeless trying to pin him down lately - he's never around."

"Don't worry - I'll track him down," said Mulder. "So you'll come back to me about Christmas?"

"Yeah - probably later this evening, once Ross is home."

"Okay, sweetheart. You take care, and give Gracie a kiss from me. I love you, Steph."

"I love you too, Daddy. I'll talk to you later."

Mulder was just about to dial his son's number when Scully appeared in the doorway.

"Who were you talking to, Mulder?" she asked.

"When?" He gave her an innocent look, not wanting her to know about the Christmas arrangements just yet.

"Just now."

"Uh, no-one, Scully." He smiled at her. "You must have heard the TV."

"The TV's not on. And don't look at me as if I imagined it. You're up to something, Mulder."

He stood up and walked towards her. "Scully, I'm hurt," he pouted, one hand resting on his heart. He knew he'd be hurt for real if she found out that he was being less than honest with her. "Perhaps you weren't fully awake and thought you heard me talking to someone."

Scully shook her head. Whatever he was up to, he wasn't going to tell her any time soon. She'd let it ride for now. "I'll make some coffee," she said, turning to go.

"No you won't. I can do that." Mulder put his hands on her shoulders and guided her into the living room, sitting her down on the sofa. "You put your feet up and take it easy."

"Mulder, I've just been sleeping! I feel fine! Don't fuss so much."

"Scully, I'm not fussing. I just want to take care of you..."

"I know, Mulder, but sometimes... sometimes I feel like you're smothering me." She hated saying it, but it had to be said. His constant attentiveness was getting on her nerves. Scully looked up at his face, which was covered by the wounded puppy dog expression. She reached up and took his hand, tugging on it gently. "Mulder, come sit by me... please."

Mulder dropped onto the seat beside her. "Scully..."

"Listen to me for a minute, Mulder. I know you want to take care of me, I know you mean well, but..." How could she explain it? "... but I need to do things for myself now and again. I don't want to be wrapped in cotton wool for the rest of my life. I need to find out what my limitations are, and I can't do that with you hovering over me every minute of the day. I'm not going to do anything strenuous, but I can make the tea and coffee now and again, cook the odd light meal. I appreciate everything you've done, Mulder, but now I need to start easing myself back into things."

"Scully... I'm so afraid... I don't want to lose you."

She took his hands in hers. "Mulder, you aren't going to lose me. I'm not going to run before I can walk. Please, Mulder - I need to do this." Scully watched his mouth working.

"All right - but if you start to feel tired or stressed, promise me you'll stop what you're doing and rest."

"I promise, Mulder." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Now, where's this coffee you were going to make?"

After dinner, Mulder retired to the study once again, leaving Scully reading in the living room. He closed the door, and dialed Josh's number. Mulder was just about to give up when a breathless 'hello' sounded in his ear.

"Hi, it's me," said Mulder. "You okay?"

"Hi, Dad. I'm fine. Just got back from a run."

"I won't keep you long, in that case. You probably want to get in the shower. I'm just calling to find out whether you've made any plans for Christmas. Your mom's not up to dealing with it this year, so I thought I'd get things moving as it's only a few weeks away."

"Mom's okay, isn't she?" asked Josh anxiously.

"She's fine, son. I'm just not sure that she's up to organizing a big family get together."

"I'll be honest, Dad - we haven't really given it much thought. What with Mom being ill, and Fiona being tied up with the Clarence case, we just haven't had the time. I know Fiona wants to go to California sometime over the holidays to see her family... I guess I'll have to come back to you."

"How soon do you think you can let me know, Josh? I need to start making some firm plans."

"Later tonight, I should think. Fiona won't be much longer, which reminds me, I'd better make a start on dinner. Have you called Sarah and Steph? What are they doing?"

"Well, Sarah's definitely coming here, and it's likely that Steph and Ross will be coming, too. I'm just waiting for Steph to confirm. Josh, I don't want you to feel pressured into coming just because your sisters will be here. Fiona has family, too - it's only fair that you take her wishes into consideration."

Josh got the distinct impression that this Christmas was more important to his father than he was letting on.

"Is it important that I be there, Dad?" he asked softly.

"Well, I was hoping that we could all be together this year, for your mom, more than anything. But please remember what I said, Josh - I don't want you to feel obligated. Talk it over with Fiona and let me know what you decide."

"Okay, Dad. Look, I'd better go shower and put the dinner on, or I'll be mincemeat! I'll talk to you later."

As soon as Mulder replaced the receiver, the phone rang again. He snatched up the handset before Scully could get to it.

"Hello?"

"Daddy, it's me. I just thought I'd let you know that it's okay for Christmas day. I talked with Ross, and he knows how important this is to all of us." Stephanie chuckled. "I can't wait for Mom to see Gracie in her party dress. I know Gracie will be looking forward to seeing her Mimi."

Mulder knew that was true enough. Scully and her granddaughter shared a bond not unlike that shared by Mulder and Ben, Sarah's eldest boy. Not that Scully didn't love Ben and Jamie - she did, but Gracie was the child of her own flesh and blood.

"I'm glad you'll be with us, sweetheart. I spoke to Josh a moment ago, and he's going to let me know his plans."

"Well, don't count on him sticking to them - you know what he's like, Dad. He tells you one thing, and does something else."

"Oh, ye of little faith," chuckled Mulder. "Listen, don't mention any of this to your mom just yet."

"Okay, Dad. Is Mom there? I'd like to have a quick chat with her - see if she can recommend something for this morning sickness."

Steph heard her father call out for Scully, who picked up the extension in the living room. They chatted for around ten minutes, and then Scully appeared at his elbow.

"You okay, Scully?"

"I'm fine, Mulder. Are you planning on joining me, or are you going to stay in here all night?"

"I'm sorry, Scully - I thought you wanted some peace and quiet."

"Is this to do with what I said earlier? When I said I didn't want you hovering over me, I didn't mean for you to disappear completely!"

"I know, Scully, and I didn't take it that way. I just had a few things to do in here, that's all."

"What things?"

"Oh, you know," Mulder said vaguely. "This and that."

"Mulder..."

"Scully, I'll be with you in a while. I'm just waiting for a phone call."

"Who from?"

"Does it matter?"

"Damn it, Mulder - why do you have to be so mysterious all the time?"

"I thought you liked my air of mystery," he grinned, hiking his eyebrows.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" sighed Scully in exasperation. Mulder reached out and drew her towards him.

"You bewitched me with those blue devil's eyes of yours," he said softly, pushing her hair behind her ear. "I couldn't resist them."

"Oh, you silly old fool," clucked Scully, regarding him affectionately. Her hand reached out and she ran her fingers through his still thick hair.

"Any regrets, Scully?" His hands travelled gently up and down her back.

"None whatsoever, Mulder," she replied, leaning down to kiss him.

"So what are you up to, Mulder?" Scully waited until he was lying in bed beside her - that way she had him captive.

"Did anyone ever tell you you'd make a first class investigator?" answered Mulder.

"I don't need any investigative skills to tell me that you're up to something. It comes with the experience of living with you all these years."

"Damn! Do you mean to tell me I'm getting predictable in my old age? That I'm losing my edge?"

Scully could sense him grinning in the dark. "Just spill the beans, Mulder."

"Okay, Scully - you win. It's no big deal... I was just trying to make some arrangements for Christmas. It's creeping up on us, and I didn't want you to have the stress of dealing with all that."

"Oh, Mulder... that's... that's very thoughtful of you." Scully was truly touched by his gesture.

"Is that all right, Scully?" He rolled onto his side and wrapped an arm around her. "I'm not trying to take this away from you..."

"It's okay, Mulder. So how far have you got with your arrangements?"

"Well, the kids will all be coming to us on Christmas day. I wanted us all to be together this year, for obvious reasons... are you happy with that, Scully? Perhaps I should have asked you first..."

Scully chuckled. Since when had he ever asked her what she wanted before going and doing it anyway? "No, Mulder. I'm sure whatever you organize will be fine."

"Good. I just want you to sit back and let us take care of everything. It's going to be a wonderful Christmas, Scully - trust me."

Time was marching on. There were gifts to buy and Christmas cards to write. A list of all the food they would need to feed everyone... Mulder had no idea that organizing Christmas could be so complicated. He marveled at how Scully had managed to organize it year after year and always stay cool. Sarah had volunteered to cook the dinner on Christmas day, and her father was grateful for that.

"Sarah, are you sure that size turkey will be big enough?" queried Mulder, at one of their 'strategy meetings,' as he'd come to call their get togethers. "There's eleven of us... and how are we all going to fit around the table?"

Sarah put her hand on his arm. "Dad, stop fretting. The turkey is plenty big enough - the kids won't eat that much..."

"Well, what they won't eat, Josh will make up for," snorted her father. "You know he'll eat us out of house and home!"

"That's why I went for this size. As for the table... don't forget that Gracie will be in her highchair - there'll be plenty of space for all of us. All we need to do is make sure that we all bring one or two extra chairs. By the way, I've ordered a couple of centerpieces for the table... it's going to look really nice. We're going to make this the best Christmas ever, Dad."

"Well, we've had some wonderful Christmases in the past, sweetheart. Remember our first one together, back at Hegal Place? I can picture it as if it were yesterday. Your face when you saw the tree, and all your presents... you looked so pretty in that dress you wore. Your mom wore emerald green, do you remember? She took my breath away... most of the time I only saw her in formal suits or casual wear..."

His eyes took on a faraway look, and glistened with unshed tears.

"Dad, are you okay?" asked Sarah softly. Her arm went around him. "It's okay, Daddy - I'm here." She knew he'd been bottling something up inside for a while now. "Is it about Mom?"

Mulder removed his glasses, ground the heels of his hands into his eyes and sniffed. "I didn't think your mom would see this Christmas, Sarah. Isn't that terrible?"

"No, it's not terrible, Dad. We all thought as you did, except for Steph. She kept faith, she kept believing that Mom would get better."

"Yeah - she's something else, your sister," said Mulder fondly. Then his face returned to its troubled expression. "I'm still afraid, Sarah - I'm still afraid that Scully will be taken from me. I've never prayed in my life - never believed in it, but I thank God every night that He's let me have her for another day. What would I do in this house all on my own if... if she were no longer here?"

It was an unspoken understanding between the Mulder children that if anything happened to Scully, Mulder would go to live with Sarah. If Mulder died first, Scully would go to live with Stephanie. "I don't know, Dad - we'd have to cross that bridge when we came to it. But it's not going to happen - not for a long time."

"You don't know that for sure, Sarah - no one knows that."

"Dad, there are no finite answers in this world - you of all people should know that. We just have to take each day as it comes."

"I know, sweetheart..." Mulder kissed her cheek. "I just find it so difficult."

Two weeks to go. Everything was slowly taking shape. Sarah and Scully were going shopping - Scully wanted to buy something to wear Christmas day. It was still tradition that they dressed for dinner, and this year would be no exception.

"Are you sure you're up to it, Scully? It might be awfully crowded at the mall. I'm going to tell Sarah to bring you home if you start to flag."

"Mulder! You're doing it again!" cried Scully in exasperation.

"What?" He looked perplexed.

"Fussing. I told you - I don't want to be treated with kid gloves."

"I'm sorry, Scully... I did it without thinking. I am trying, really I am."

"I know, Mulder. I know how hard it is for you... look, I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"No, it's okay, Scully. You had every right to. I'll try and remember for next time." They heard the sound of a key in the door. "That must be Sarah. In here, sweetheart."

It wasn't Sarah, it was Stephanie.

"Hi, Mom - hi, Dad." She kissed them both on the cheek. "You going out, Mom?"

"Yes. Sarah and I are going shopping - I want to get something to wear on Christmas day."

"That's great. Have a good time. Make sure you spend all of Dad's money." Steph grinned at her father.

"There's none left," he replied with a straight face. "You kids took all of it when you were growing up. Do you have any idea how much it cost to feed and clothe you three? Especially that brother of yours..."

Stephanie rolled her eyes and laughed. "Daddy, you exaggerate."

"Do I? You'll soon find out, young lady..."

"Oh, don't listen to him, sweetheart," said Scully. "There's no fool like an old fool!"

Stephanie giggled as her father made a face at her mother.

"Anyway, what are you doing here? You should be resting," said Mulder.

"I told you, Daddy..."

"I know, I know - you're pregnant, not ill."

"That's what I used to tell him, sweetheart, and he never listened to me, either!" Scully gave her husband a warm, affectionate smile.

"At least your daughter's got more sense than to go climbing step ladders, Scully."

Scully rolled her eyes in a "here we go again" expression. "All right, Mulder - I shouldn't have climbed the step ladder. Satisfied?"

Mulder humphed. "When I saw you up that ladder it scared the living daylights out of me. And you wonder why I worry about you."

"I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me - I need to answer the call of nature," announced Steph. "Between the peeing and the vomiting, I spend most of my time in the bathroom lately." Without more ado, she hurried off.

"Do you think Steph's all right, Scully? She seems to be having a rough time of it."

"Things should settle down in a week or two. She said that the doctor has given her extra supplements to take... she seems well enough."

By the time Steph had returned from the bathroom, Sarah had arrived. The two sisters exchanged a hug.

"Goodness, Steph - how big are you going to be when you reach full term?" asked Sarah, on seeing the size of her sister.

"I dread to think," chuckled Steph. "They'll probably deliver before I reach full term, to be on the safe side. So, you and Mom are off shopping, I hear."

"Yeah. We'll take it nice and slow, have lunch out - make a day of it. What are you going to do?"

"I thought Dad and I could make a start on some of the decorations."

"That's a good idea. I would have thought that you'd have bought Gracie along - she'd love that."

"Ross is taking her into town to meet Santa Claus. If I'd have thought, he could have taken Ben and Jamie, too."

"They've already been. Robin and I took them the other evening. We had a really nice time - afterwards we had hot roast chestnuts. Do you remember when you used to buy us chestnuts, Dad?"

Mulder smiled warmly. "Yes, I do. You both loved them, but Josh wasn't so keen. You know, we should do it again sometime."

"I'd like that, Daddy," said Stephanie.

"Me too." Sarah glanced at her watch. "Shall we be on our way, Mom?"

"If you like, sweetheart."

Mulder and Steph accompanied them to the door, Mulder giving Sarah strict instructions to bring Scully home if she felt tired.

"Oh, for goodness sake, Mulder!" cried Scully. "You're like a broken record. I'll be fine. We'll take our time, and have plenty of breaks for refreshments."

"Well, have a good time, Mom." Steph kissed Scully's cheek. "I don't know if I'll still be here when you get back, but I'll call you tomorrow anyway. You too, Sarah."

"Okay. Dad, I'll see you later."

Mulder gave Scully a peck on the cheek. "Take care, Scully," he said softly.

"Oh, thank God for that!" sighed Scully, relaxing in the passenger seat of Sarah's car. "Sarah, I love your father with all my heart, but he is driving me crazy! I can't breathe without him asking me if I'm all right. I know he cares, and I love him for it, but I feel as if I'm being suffocated."

"What can I tell you, Mom? It's the way Dad is. Some people don't care enough about their loved ones - Dad's the opposite. Sometimes he cares too much."

"I feel so bad saying that about your father. We're very lucky in that he cares about us all so much. I sound so ungrateful, don't I? I don't mean to... he's been so good around the house, and organizing Christmas... I know he couldn't have done it without yours and Stephanie's help."

"Well, I just want you to relax and enjoy yourself today. Put Dad out of your mind for a few hours."

"That's easier said than done," sighed Scully. "I'll be worrying about him worrying about me."

Mulder stood forlornly at the door and watched as they drove off down the street. He came in when they turned the corner.

"Where shall we start, Daddy?" Stephanie stood in the hall by the living room entrance.

"What? Oh... let's have a cup of tea first, then we'll make a start."

"I'll go and put the kettle on. Do you want to get the decorations while I do that?" Stephanie realized that she was going to have her work cut out trying to keep her father occupied all the time Scully was out of his sight. She walked over to him and linked her arm through his. "She'll be all right, Daddy. Sarah will take good care of her."

Mulder smiled down at his younger daughter and kissed her cheek. "I know, sweetheart. Come on, let's get this tea made."

Mulder stirred his tea pensively, his head propped up in one hand.

"What's the matter, Daddy?" asked Steph. He looked as if he were pining. It suddenly occurred to her that if her mother passed away first, her father would most likely die of a broken heart. Stephanie quickly pushed that thought away. Even though they'd had their differences over the years, the thought of her father no longer being part of her life was one that was too painful to contemplate.

Mulder's eyes came back into focus and rested on his daughter's face. He noticed the fine lines that were beginning to appear around her lush brown eyes - his eyes. Her face had filled out a little with the pregnancy, and he thought it suited her. Her hair was dark and lush, again, just like his had once been. And there, in the middle of her face, above his mouth, was her Scully nose. He reached out and cupped her cheek.

"I love you, Stephanie," he said softly.

"I know that, Daddy. I love you, too." She leaned across and kissed his cheek, then sat back and sipped her tea. "What's on your mind?" Stephanie might not possess Sarah's skill when it came to reading their father, but it didn't take a genius to see that he was preoccupied with something.

"Your mom says I'm smothering her," he revealed at length.

"Well... maybe you are, just a little bit," ventured Steph, somewhat timidly. She was afraid of upsetting her father - at times it seemed that happened whatever she said or did. Stephanie thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Mom has always been feisty, proud and independent. I know that they are the three things that you love about her, that attracted you to her in the first place. She's never been one to ask for help, and that's why she's finding it so hard now. She doesn't want to be dependent on you, or anyone else for that matter - she wants to be able to do things for herself again, and you're not letting her do that."

Steph looked at her father, and satisfied that he wasn't about to erupt, she carried on. "You need to let go of the reins a little - let her find her feet."

Mulder started to chuckle and shake his head.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked, perplexed.

"If I close my eyes, I can hear your mother speaking. That bit about letting go of the reins - I remember her saying the same thing to me when Sarah went off to university." He sighed. "Maybe I should stop worrying so much... I'm a worrier by nature, you all know that. Your mom says she has to find out what her limitations are - how can I let her do that without hurting herself?"

"I don't know, Daddy." Stephanie was unaccustomed to having this sort of discussion with her father - he usually confided in Sarah. "I think you just have to let her get on with it... and when she needs your help she'll ask for it. I know it'll be difficult for you not to jump in and assist, but you'll have to resist that urge. You know, Mom's doing pretty well anyway - I don't think she'll have that many problems coping."

Mulder reflected on his daughter's words. "I see you're wearing your cross," he observed, changing the subject.

"Yes," smiled Steph, her fingers going to the little gold chain at her neck. "Do you remember when you gave it to me on my thirteenth birthday? You said you wanted me to have one because it reminded you of Mom."

"That's right." Mulder was silent for a moment. "You were the only one that had faith, Stephanie - you were the only one who believed that she would come back to us."

"I know you felt it in your heart, Daddy. You had to consider all the options, I know that now."

"But you would do the same thing again?" he asked.

"Yes. All the while there was hope, I would fight you."

Mulder nodded. "I was very proud of you, you know - the way you fought your corner. I know we haven't always communicated very well..."

"Daddy, it doesn't matter anymore. It's in the past. Let's look to the future," said Steph softly, her small hand resting on her father's larger one. She patted it a couple of times. "Come on, finish your tea. We should make a start on those decorations."

They spent a good hour sorting out what was serviceable and cleaning them up. Most of the decorations only needed a good dusting and were then as good as new.

"Shall we start with the swags?" asked Steph. "We'll hang them in the hall like we always do."

"I'd better get the ladder then." Mulder disappeared into the garage, returning a few minutes later with the step ladder. He positioned it, then climbed up.

"Be careful, Daddy."

"I'm okay, baby. Hand me the end of the swag and the fixings."

A little while later, the hall was decorated. Mulder and his daughter stood back to admire their handiwork. He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Hmm - a job well done, don't you think?"

"I quite agree. Shall I make us some lunch?"

"I'll do it, sweetheart. You sit down. And don't look at me like that - I get enough of that from your mom." Mulder bustled about in the kitchen, rustling up scrambled eggs and toast for them both. When they'd finished that, Mulder grinned at her. "We have some cinnamon danishes in the freezer - would you like one?" He knew she wouldn't be able to resist - she'd loved cinnamon danishes since she was a little girl.

"With icing, Daddy?" Steph inquired hopefully.

"With icing," replied her father. "I take it that means 'yes'?"

"Need you ask?" she grinned.

"Just checking!"

Mulder chuckled as she munched her way through the danish. Once again, Stephanie was that little girl, and he remembered all the trips to the ice cream parlor, the zoo and museums. And as always, he wondered why children ever had to grow up.

"We've had some great Christmases in this house," said Mulder wistfully. "I used to love watching you and Josh opening your presents when you were really small. You always looked so bewildered by it all... I used to sit you on my knee and we'd open your presents together."

"I don't remember that," admitted Steph.

"I wouldn't expect you to - you were only about two or three at the time. Do you remember that little red tricycle we gave you when you were three? You loved it - I think there are still dents in the door frames where you crashed into them. Mercifully, your driving skills have improved considerably since then!" Mulder gave her a big grin, and Steph screwed up her nose at him.

"I can't wait to see Gracie open her presents. She'll be more aware of what's going on this year. By the way, Dad - I hope you and Mom haven't gone overboard with gifts for her."

"Well, I'm not giving anything away. You'll just have to trust me on that one."

Stephanie gave a resigned sigh. "All right. But don't say you haven't been warned. Shall we get on with the decorations? I want to head home before the traffic gets too heavy."

They loaded their dirty plates and cups into the dishwasher, then headed into the living room. Stephanie hummed as she draped the swag along the front of the mantel, above the fireplace. Her father smiled, his heart full in the knowledge that his little girl was happy and contented at last. It had been a long and sometimes difficult struggle for Stephanie to come to terms with her inner self.

"When are you getting the tree, Dad?" she asked.

"At the weekend. Your brother's coming over to help me choose one, and I thought that the children might like to help decorate it. What do you think?"

"I think you're asking for trouble," chuckled Steph. "We could all help, then have a grand unveiling."

"Hmm - good idea. Thank you, sweetheart - we'll do that. Now, is that straight?" Mulder stepped back to look at the fabric wreath he'd hung on the wall.

"It looks fine, Dad. Oh, damn... I need to go to the bathroom again. I shouldn't have had that second cup of tea. I knew it would go straight through me."

Mulder heard Steph coming back. "Sweetheart, where..."

"Daddy..."

Mulder turned abruptly at the wobbly tone of his daughter's voice. Her tears struck terror into his heart. He was at her side in two long strides.

"Steph, what is it? What's wrong?" He tried to keep the panic out of his voice as he curled an arm around her small shoulders.

"Daddy, I'm bleeding." With that, Steph burst into tears.

If she was bleeding it could indicate that she was suffering, or about to suffer, a miscarriage. He steered her to the sofa and made her lie down.

"I'm going to call the hospital and tell them we're coming in. How much blood was there, Stephanie?"

"A few spots... Daddy, I don't want to lose my babies..." Stephanie's fingers dug into his arm and tears streamed from her eyes.

"You won't, not if I can help it," said Mulder determinedly. "Are you experiencing any pain at all?"

"No. Can we go now, Daddy? Oh, what about Ross and Gracie?"

"Let's get you to the hospital first. I'll call Ross once we get there. I'd better leave a note for your mom." Mulder took a sheet of printer paper and scribbled a message, leaving it on the hall table. Scully couldn't miss it there. "Okay, let's go. Can you walk, sweetheart?"

Steph nodded, but he wrapped an arm around her anyway. Mulder drove as fast as he could to the hospital. Once there, he commandeered a wheelchair and pushed Steph into the ER, marching smartly up to the reception desk.

"My name's Mulder - I called about my daughter, Stephanie Jacobs. She's pregnant, and spotting blood."

"Yes, Mr. Mulder, I have the details right here. If you'd like to take a seat, Dr. Everett will be with you shortly."

"Thank you." Mulder wheeled Stephanie into the waiting area, and took hold of her hand. She was still crying softly. "Everything's going to be fine, sweetheart."

"Daddy, would you call Ross, please?"

"Sure. What's his number?"

In between sniffles, Stephanie relayed her husband's cellphone number.

Unaware of the drama that was unfolding at home, Sarah and Scully were enjoying a well-earned lunch after their shopping, and several bags were piled beside their table.

"This is delicious, Sarah," said Scully, as she forked over her roasted vegetable salad and took a sip of her wine.

"I'm glad you like it, Mom. Their pasta dishes are rather good, too, and the desserts are to die for."

"I don't think I could manage a dessert - this is more than enough for me!" Scully took another sip of her wine. "So, Sarah - what am I going to do about your father?"

"I think he still blames himself - that's half the problem. Would you like me to have a word with him? I can't guarantee that he'll listen to me, mind you."

"Maybe not in this instance, but he does value and respect your opinion. I can't deny that I haven't enjoyed being waited on hand and foot, but now it's time I started doing a few things for myself. Did you know he won't even let me make a cup of tea or a pot of coffee?"

"I didn't know it was that bad!" smiled Sarah. "And speaking of coffee... would you like one? And are you sure I can't interest you in dessert?"

Scully was tempted... oh, to hell with it! She was out to enjoy herself today. She peered at the menu again. "What's this 'Cioccolata Oblio'?"

"Ooh... Chocolate Oblivion. It's very, very rich, Mom. You might want to go for something a little lighter. What about Panna Cotta?"

"Sounds good. Will you join me?"

"I think I will. I'll order two cappuccinos to follow, shall I?"

After dessert and coffee, and a suitable interval to let their meal settle, they prepared to resume their shopping. Scully pulled out her wallet to pay.

"Put that away, Mom. This is my treat."

"Sarah..."

"Mom, please - it's on me."

"All right," smiled Scully. She could see that same look in Sarah's eye that Mulder had when he wasn't to be trifled with. "Thank you."

The check settled, they headed off in the direction of an exclusive lingerie store. Scully perused all the beautiful items in their soft, silky fabrics and pretty colors.

"I think my days of wearing this sort of thing are long gone," she said. "If your father saw me in some of these I think he'd have a heart attack!"

"Mom, you're never too old for pretty lingerie," replied Sarah. "Take this slip - it's beautiful." Sarah had always loved clothes with a delicate, feminine touch. A little bit of lace here, a touch of embroidery there - but nothing overstated.

"It is rather pretty... and I love the color."

"Go on, Mom - treat yourself. You'll have Dad reaching for the smelling salts in no time!"

"Sarah! That's your father you're talking about!" laughed Scully. She considered the slip for a moment longer. "Yes, I think I will take it."

Time was getting on, and Scully was beginning to feel tired, so they headed for home.

Sarah opened the door to the Mulder house, letting Scully go in first. Scully thought it odd that Mulder didn't appear out of nowhere to greet them. Steph's car was gone, but his was still there in the drive, so where was he? Then she spotted the sheet of paper on the hall table.

"Oh God..."

Her mother's moan made Sarah's heart thump. "What is it, Mom?"

"Stephanie..." Scully handed the hastily scribbled note to her daughter.

"I'll take you down there, Mom."

"Ross is on his way, sweetheart." Mulder caressed Stephanie's cheek, still damp from her tears.

"I feel such a fraud sitting in this wheelchair."

"You stay right where you are," ordered her father. If he couldn't bear the thought of her losing her babies, he knew it would kill Stephanie.

By the time Ross arrived, Stephanie was in a hospital bed, connected to machinery to monitor the babies, after having been examined. She burst into tears when she saw her husband. Ross handed Gracie to Mulder, and the two of them left Ross and Steph alone. Once Mulder had left the room, Ross wrapped Steph in a bear hug and she wept on his shoulder.

"It's okay, baby," said Ross softly. His big hands moved over her back in comforting movements. "The babies are still there, honey. They're doing fine."

"I don't want to lose them, Ross."

He smoothed the hair off her brow, then gently wiped away the tears on her cheeks with his thumbs.

"Neither do I, Steph, neither do I."

Outside in the corridor, Mulder was doing his best to keep his granddaughter entertained.

"Want Mama," said Gracie, who was clutching her rag doll, Poppy. She took Poppy everywhere.

"I know, sweetie. You can see Mommy in a little while." Mulder walked up and down, caressing his granddaughter's back and kissing her cheek.

"Papa."

Mulder smiled. "That's right. Who's Papa's cleverest girl?" He sat down, his granddaughter on his knee, and took out his wallet, removing a photo of Scully. "Do you know who this is?" he asked.

"Mimi!" Gracie gave him a huge smile.

"Good girl." He wondered then if Scully and Sarah had arrived back from their shopping trip and found his note. His attention was drawn back by Gracie patting his chest. "What is it, sweetheart?" Gracie had Ross's blond hair and rich brown eyes, but she had the Mulder mouth. She was such a dear little thing, and Mulder adored her.

"Want Mimi."

"I expect Mimi will be here soon, Gracie."

On cue, Mulder's cellphone rang. He'd grabbed it as they'd left the house.

"Mulder."

"Mulder, it's me. What happened? How's Steph? Are the babies all right?"

"Mother and babies are all fine, Scully. Steph had some spotting, so I brought her down here right away. I wasn't about to take any chances. How about you, Scully? Are you coming down?"

"I'm fine, Mulder. Sarah and I are on our way now. We should be with you in about fifteen minutes."

"Well, we're in the maternity unit. Gracie's here with me - she'll be pleased to see you." He looked up to see Ross signaling. "Oh, I'd better go - Ross is after me. See you soon, Scully."

Mulder put his cellphone back in his pocket, and picked up Gracie. "Guess who that was, sweetheart? It was Mimi, and she's coming down to see us. Now, shall we go and see Mommy and Daddy?"

Stephanie was pleased to see her daughter again, and made a real fuss of her. She hated being away from Gracie for even a moment.

"Your Mom just called - she's on her way. Sarah's bringing her in."

"I really don't think that Steph should be inundated with visitors right now," said Ross. "She needs to rest." He didn't expect that to go down well with Mulder. He hadn't exactly endeared himself to Steph's father the first time they'd met.

"Ross, it's just Mom. You can't blame her for wanting to come and see how I am." The last thing Steph wanted or needed was a fight. To her surprise, Mulder backed his son-in-law.

"Ross is right, sweetheart. What you need is rest, and plenty of it, especially in the next few days. The doctor said that rest is paramount."

Scully and Sarah arrived and were directed to Stephanie's room, where they found Steph, Ross and Gracie on the bed and Mulder in a chair.

"Mom!" The tears fell as Steph reached out to Scully.

"Sweetheart." Scully held and rocked her daughter, crooning to her in a soothing fashion. "It's all right, baby, I'm here. Your dad told me what happened. He did the right thing in bringing you straight in. What did the doctor say?"

"He says I have to rest for the next few days. They're going to keep me in overnight, and possibly tomorrow, depending on whether there's any more bleeding."

"What about Gracie?" asked Sarah. "Are you staying with Steph tonight, Ross? Would you like me to take Gracie home with me?"

"Thanks, Sarah, but I'll take her home with me. I think that's best. Gracie's not used to being away from home without me or Steph just yet. We've agreed that it's best if I go home - we don't want to disrupt her routine too much, or cause her unnecessary worry."

The object of their discussion, meanwhile, was reaching out for her grandmother.

"Mimi." Gracie stood on the bed and held her arms up to Scully.

"Hello, honey." Scully lifted the little girl into her arms and kissed her soft cheek. "Where's Poppy? Oh, look - there she is." Scully retrieved the rag doll off the bed and handed it to the child. "I hear you went to see Santa Claus today. Did you have a good time?"

"She hated it," said Ross. "She took one look at him and screamed the place down."

"Well, I suppose he is quite frightening to a small child. I remember the first time I took Steph to see Santa - she was frightened out of her wits, too," replied Mulder. "She cried all the way home."

"Jamie wasn't that keen either," added Sarah. "Although he seemed better this time around."

They continued to chat for a while longer, then Mulder, Scully and Sarah took their leave, after extracting a promise from Ross that he would call if there were any further developments in Steph's condition. Sarah said goodbye to her parents at the hospital, and Mulder drove himself and Scully back to the house in Steph's car. He would run it back to her place the next day. On the way home, they talked about their daughter's condition.

"Why did she bleed, Scully?"

"I don't know, Mulder. Sometimes it just happens - there's no reason for it. The doctor seems pretty certain that it was a one off occurrence in Steph's case. He's fairly confident that there won't be a repeat as long as she's careful. They'll be monitoring her closely anyway, as it's a multiple pregnancy." She squeezed his arm. "I'm glad you were there to look after her, Mulder, and that you kept a cool head. I don't know what would have happened if Steph had been on her own."

"I don't even want to think about that, Scully," answered Mulder, as he pulled up in their drive.

He opened the door to the house and almost fell over Scully's hastily deposited bags from her shopping expedition.

"Scully!"

"I'm sorry, Mulder. I just dropped everything when I saw that message. I'll take them through to the bedroom."

"I'll put some coffee on while you're doing that." And with that he ambled off into the kitchen, leaving Scully staring after him in surprise. Surprise that he hadn't jumped in and offered to do it for her. Did that mean he'd finally gotten the message?

They had their coffee at the big farmhouse table in the kitchen - scene of many a lively family dinner.

"Can I get you anything to eat, Scully?"

"No, thank you. Sarah took me to a very nice Italian restaurant, and I had a rather big lunch."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Scully."

"I did, Mulder, but I'm feeling quite tired. I'll probably go to bed in a while. How was your day, apart from everything else?"

"Very nice. Steph and I had a chance to talk, and we decorated the hall and most of the living room."

"I forgot all about the decorations. Show me."

Mulder took Scully out into the hall. "Steph remembered where to hang everything."

"Looks good, Mulder. Remind me to get a fresh wreath for the front door."

"One of those fir ones with the little red apples and nuts," added Mulder. "I like those." He guided her into the living room, his hand in the small of her back. "It'll look better once the tree is in here."

Scully nodded her approval. "Well, I think I'll go and wash. Did anyone think to call Josh and tell him about Steph?"

"I'll do it. I want to talk to him anyway," said Mulder. "Go and have your shower, Scully." He watched her walk away, then couldn't resist adding, "Call me if you need any help scrubbing your back!"

Scully grinned, and shook her head.

She emerged from the en suite, toweling her hair dry.

"You didn't ask me to scrub your back," pouted Mulder. He eyed the bags heaped on the bed. "Is there anything in these bags that might put a little spice into my life?" He plucked at one of them, reading the name on the front. His eyebrows rose suggestively. "Jolie Madame - Exclusive Lingerie. What have we here, Scully?"

She slapped his hands away. "We have nothing - I have something. Did you get a hold of your son?"

"I couldn't get an answer, so I left a message." He peeked into another of the bags. "What's in this one, Scully?"

"You're not seeing that until Christmas day."

"Oh. You're such a spoilsport. Are you sure you don't want to show me what's in the lingerie bag?"

"Quite sure, Mulder." Scully chuckled.

"What?"

"I was just thinking of something Sarah said when I looked at this item. I wasn't going to buy it, but what she said decided me."

"What did she say?" Mulder was intrigued.

"She said it would have you reaching for the smelling salts."

"The cheeky... Sarah said that?"

Scully nodded, hardly able to contain her laughter. She couldn't wait to see his face when he realized that all he was getting excited about was a slip. She patted his arm. "Go on, Mulder - go have your shower."

He wasn't gone long.

"What did you do? Turn the water on, jump in and jump out again?" Scully looked up at him from her book as he slid into bed beside her, then marked her place before laying it on the nightstand.

"How long does it take to have a shower? Get in, wash, get out again. Anyway, I wanted to spend a little time with you. I missed you today." His arm went around Scully's small shoulders and he drew her towards him. "I hope Steph's all right. She'll never get over it if she loses those babies."

"Well, that was our third crisis, Mulder. Now I'm not superstitious, but they do say that bad things come in threes." She felt Mulder shudder. "Hopefully, only good things can happen between now and the end of the year."

"I hope so, Scully." He gave her a squeeze, to reassure himself as much as her. "I was surprised that Ross wasn't going to stay at the hospital with Steph."

"You don't approve, do you?" she asked. "You think he should have stayed because it's what you would have done." Scully sighed deeply. "It's between him and Steph - we can't interfere. They have to take into account what's best for Gracie, and if that means being in her home environment, then that's where she should be."

"I just don't like thinking of Steph being there all alone. It doesn't seem right that he isn't there to support her."

"I'm sure they didn't come to their decision lightly, Mulder. Ross is very protective of our daughter - it must have been extremely difficult for him to agree to leave Steph." Scully smiled, her fingers tracing a pattern on Mulder's chest. "You and Ross are more alike than you realize. You're both strong willed, you're both fiercely protective of those you love... believe me, Mulder - Ross would die before he let anything happen to Steph or Gracie. You've seen him in action, so you know it's true. Regardless of what you think of him, he's been so good for Steph - she's never been happier."

"He's foolhardy and reckless," grumbled Mulder.

"I seem to recall someone else like that in his younger days." Scully smiled up at her husband, then took his hand. "Ross took a hell of a risk getting into the trunk of that car, but think what might have happened if he hadn't - Steph could be dead by now."

Mulder did not want to be reminded of that dreadful day. It had taken him weeks to get the picture of Steph, with a gun pointed at her face, out of his mind. He had never told Scully of the nightmares that had visited him after that event. Although he considered Ross foolhardy and reckless, he had to admit that the man had guts. Mulder kissed the top of Scully's head, tucked neatly under his chin.

"I guess you're right, Scully. We can't live their lives for them. It's up to them to make their own decisions, to run their lives as they see fit. All we can do is to be there and offer support when they need it." Mulder's fingers trailed idly up and down Scully's arm. "You know, Scully, there are times when I feel redundant. Sarah, Steph and Josh all have their own little family units now... they don't really need us anymore."

"That's nonsense, Mulder, and you know it. I've lost count of the number of times we've had this conversation, or at least a variation of it. We haven't outlived our usefulness by a long chalk. What about our grandchildren? We have such a lot to teach them... and Steph's going to need all the help she can get when she has her babies - who do you think she's going to call on?"

"I guess you're right again, Scully," sighed Mulder. Below him, Scully yawned, and he chuckled. "I can see I'm boring you!"

"No, Mulder, I'm just tired. I think I'm going to call it a day." Scully removed her glasses and put them on the nightstand, then kissed Mulder's cheek. "Goodnight, Mulder."

"Night, Scully. I love you."

"I love you too." Scully turned onto her side and made herself comfortable. A few moments later, she felt Mulder slide over and wrap an arm around her waist. With his mouth close to her ear he whispered, "Are you quite sure you don't want to show me what's in that bag?"

All was quiet for a moment, and then he heard, "Go to sleep, Mulder," and a low rumbling chuckle.

That weekend, the whole family, except for Fiona and Robin, had gathered at the Mulder residence for the arrival of the tree and its subsequent decoration. Mulder and Scully were pleased to see Steph up and about again after her stay in the hospital. After two nights under observation, with the doctor satisfied that there was no further bleeding, and that the babies were fine, she had been allowed to return home, under strict instructions to rest and take things easy for the remainder of the pregnancy.

"Ooh - just what we need! Two strong, handsome men!" Sarah and Steph's laughter pealed out as Ross and Josh manhandled the tree into place in the living room. It was tradition that the tree stood in the window.

"A little to the left... no, no - that's too much!" Mulder stood by the sofa, his hands on his hips, directing operations. "Forward... maybe a little to the right..."

"Make up your mind, Dad!" exclaimed Josh in exasperation. "This tree's heavy!"

"Oh hush, Josh - this is an operation that requires the greatest precision," Mulder informed his son.

"Well, you'd better call for Mom then," snorted the youngest of the Mulder children.

"I'll ignore that. Now - a little to the left... Perfect!"

"Thank goodness for that!" Josh wiped his hands down the front of his jeans. "I think I'll go and see what Mom's up to."

Delicious aromas were wafting from the kitchen, so Josh just followed his nose. Scully was at the table with her three grandchildren and they were making and icing cinnamon cookies - some to eat later and some to hang on the tree.

"Hey kids - how's it going?" Josh whipped one of the cookies off the cooling rack, jiggling it about in his hands as it was still hot.

"Look, uncle Josh - I'm making a Christmas tree cookie," said Ben, and he pushed the tree shaped cutter into the cookie dough.

"Looks good," grinned Josh, ruffling the little boy's dark hair. "I'd like to have a go at that."

"You have to ask Nanna first."

"And what's Gracie doing?" Josh went to his niece, who was getting nice and sticky playing with a bowl of icing. Luckily, she was wearing a little plastic coverall that Scully kept for just such occasions. Gracie stuck a finger in the icing and held it out to her uncle.

Josh sucked the icing off her finger, making her giggle. "Mmm - delicious!" he declared. Finally, he got around to Jamie, who was making holes in the cookies, under his grandmother's supervision. After they had been baked and iced, ribbon would be threaded through the holes so that the cookies could be hung on the tree - that was if Josh didn't eat them all first.

"Is the tree up yet?" asked Scully.

"Yeah - no thanks to Dad. I swear, Mom - he gets worse every year! He almost had me and Ross doing the quickstep with it - backwards and forwards, left and right..."

Scully burst out laughing, trying to picture her strapping son and son-in-law dancing with a Christmas tree.

"What's so funny?" asked Mulder, ambling into the kitchen. He reached out to snaffle a cookie but Scully slapped his hand away.

"Leave those alone, Mulder - they're for later."

"How come Josh has one then?" he complained. "What is this - give the old man a hard time?"

"Aw, you're breaking my heart, Dad." Josh grinned at his father and made a great show of biting into his cookie. He chewed, then swallowed. "Very tasty. My compliments to the chef." Then as fast as he had appeared, Josh was gone again.

Mulder shook his head. "That boy will be the death of me, Scully," he sighed.

The decorating of the tree was in full swing. Ross had strung the lights, and Mulder followed with the tinsel. Now the children were putting on the smaller decorations - the baubles, bells and bows; little ornaments that had been collected over the years, some made from wood, others from glass or straw. Every so often, Ross, Mulder or Josh would lift up one of the children to hang a decoration on the higher branches.

The tree was half done when Sarah came in with a welcome glass of mulled wine for the adults, and Steph with the cinnamon cookies. Scully followed behind with the cookies to hang on the tree, all now threaded with thin red or green ribbon. The tree cookies came in a variety of shapes: circles, half-moons, holly leaves and stars. There were also three gingerbread men shapes - each one carrying the initial of the child who had made it.

An hour later, all the decorations, bar the fairy, were in place. Mulder crouched down in front of Gracie, holding the fairy.

"Sweetheart, would you like to put the fairy on the top of the tree?"

The little girl nodded, and Ross lifted his daughter onto her grandfather's shoulders. Gracie squealed in delight, and Mulder was reminded of his first Christmas with Sarah, and their own tree capping ceremony. Mulder handed the fairy to the little girl, and told her where to place it. But Gracie didn't want to let the fairy go, and when Mulder tried to help her she burst into tears, and clutched it to her chest, thinking that he was trying to take it away from her.

"Oh dear," grimaced Steph. She got up and went to her daughter. "Gracie, you have to put the fairy on the top of the tree." Steph pointed. "Up there, darling."

"Up there," repeated Gracie, also pointing at the top of the tree.

"That's right, sweetheart," nodded Steph encouragingly. Suddenly, the little girl understood, and placed the fairy on the top of the tree, earning applause and a cheer from everyone, and a kiss and a hug from her grandfather.

Jamie tugged on Mulder's trouser leg. "Can I switch on the tree lights, Papa?"

"Yes, you may switch on the lights. Sarah, could you turn off the main light, sweetheart."

The living room was momentarily plunged into darkness, with only the light from the kitchen filtering out into the hall.

"Ready, Jamie?" The little boy nodded. "Okay... now."

Jamie threw the switch, and the tree lights blinked on.

"Pretty!" exclaimed Gracie, safe in Ross's arms.

"It sure is, sweetheart." Ross gave his little girl a squeeze.

"Well, if that's it, I'll be off," announced Josh.

"Where are you going? Aren't you staying for something to eat?" asked Mulder. "Your mom's made a lasagna specially."

"Sorry, Dad - I gotta dash."

"What's so important that you can't stay?" Mulder was not pleased.

"I've just got a few things to do, that's all."

"Such as?"

"It's all right, Mulder - if Josh has other things to do, then let him go," said Scully.

"No, it's not all right, Scully. It's damned inconsiderate..."

Scully's hand came to rest on his arm. "Mulder," she said quietly. "Just leave it." She turned to her son. "You go do whatever it is you have to do, and we'll see you on Christmas day."

"Okay, Mom. You take care. I love you." Josh hugged and kissed his mother. "Bye, Dad." Mulder grunted, his disapproval obvious. "Bye, everyone - we'll see you all next week."

"I'll come to the door with you, Josh," said Sarah.

"Me too," added Stephanie.

Ross remained in the living room with the children, while Scully headed off to the kitchen to switch on the oven and reheat the lasagna. Mulder followed a few moments later, and wondered what was going on when he saw his offspring in a huddle by the front door. Whatever it was, he wasn't going to worry about it now.

He was preparing the salad when he heard the front door close, and his daughters go back into the living room.

"What the hell was that all about in there, Mulder?" demanded Scully with quietly controlled anger, her hands on her hips. "You made everyone feel uncomfortable, and spoiled what had been, up until then, a nice day."

"Why are you blaming me? It's your son who was inconsiderate. I don't know what's gotten into him lately. He's been so elusive - you never know where he is..."

"Obviously a trait he inherited from you," commented Scully drily. Mulder chose to ignore that - it was too close to the truth for comfort.

"Are you sure he's coming on Christmas day, because on his recent performance, I wouldn't bank on it!" Mulder put the bowl of salad onto the table with a bang. "If you want me, I'll be in the den." With that, he walked off, almost knocking Sarah over on his way out. She managed to side step him before they collided.

"What's up with Dad?" she asked, plucking a shred of radicchio out of the salad bowl and popping it into her mouth.

"Oh, I don't know," sighed Scully. "He's annoyed with Josh for some reason. Complaining about him being elusive... I know your dad spent the best part of three days trying to get hold of him last week."

"He's not the only one," said Sarah. "I finally managed to get hold of Fiona and leave a message for Josh to call, but of course, he didn't, did he."

Scully frowned. "This is not like Josh at all. I hope he's all right."

Sarah squeezed her mother's shoulders. "I'm sure he is, Mom. Josh is just being Josh, that's all. The time to worry is when he starts behaving normally!"

Mulder was subdued over dinner, but the others didn't let his mood dampen their enjoyment of the meal that Scully had prepared.

"Mom, that was delicious," declared Stephanie. "Why did I ever leave when I had food like this to come home to every night?"

Scully patted her daughter's cheek, then turned to Sarah. "Sarah, would you like me to put some of this aside for Robin?"

"No thanks, Mom. Something tells me he's not going to make it tonight. He'll probably grab something at the hospital." She smiled. "I'll be sure to tell him what he missed, though!"

Jamie tugged on his grandmother's sleeve. "Nanna, what's for dessert?"

"Do you mean to tell me you've still got room for more?" asked Scully, her eyes wide. The little boy nodded, a big grin lighting up his face.

"Is it banoffee pie, Nanna?" Ben's face held an expectant look.

"Not today, sweetheart." Ben's face fell - banoffee pie was his favorite dessert of all. "It's cheesecake."

Scully started to serve the dessert. "Will you have some, Mulder?"

"No, thank you. I'm going to head back into the den, if nobody minds." He looked at all the faces around the table. He knew he was being bad mannered, but hell, it was his house, and if he couldn't do what he liked in his own home... No-one objected, so Mulder excused himself and left the table.

Sarah could see her mother gritting her teeth as she cut the cheesecake. "Mom, do you think I should go to him?"

"No, Sarah - just leave him be. I think he'd prefer to be alone right now." Whatever was wrong with her husband, he needed to work it out on his own.

Mulder sat at his desk in the den, his eyes fixed on the computer screen in front of him. He didn't see Gracie until she was almost in his lap, complete with a well sucked and sticky candy cane that she'd taken off the tree. Her hands were sticky and covered in the red goo from the sweet, as was her mouth and her chin. Even her cheeks hadn't escaped. Mulder's shirt was rapidly going the same way, where she'd grabbed handfuls of the fabric to pull herself into his lap.

"Gracie!" he exclaimed, a little annoyed. Mulder grimaced, not knowing where to touch her without getting more of the red goo on his clothes.

"Kiss Papa," said the little girl, puckering up her tiny Mulder mouth. How could he be angry with that little face? Gracie could melt a heart of stone. What did a few grubby clothes matter compared to a kiss from his granddaughter? His arms went around her, and he smiled.

"Okay - a big, sticky kiss for Papa." Gracie's gooey, red mouth landed on his cheek.

"Gracie love Papa."

"I love you too, Gracie." Mulder kissed the top of his granddaughter's blonde head. The little girl looked up to the wall above the desk - she was fascinated by the photographs, and pointed up at a print of her mother.

"Mama."

"That's right, sweetheart." Mulder stood with Gracie in his arms. He pointed to a photo of a very pregnant Steph. "Do you know who's inside Mommy's tummy there?"

"Dada."

Mulder chuckled. "No, sweetheart... that's Gracie inside Mommy. And now your Mommy has two more little babies inside her." He heard crunching in his ear as the child chewed on the candy cane. "Are you enjoying that candy cane, sweetheart? Hmm - I think you are." Her face was a study in concentration as she sucked and chewed. Gracie took his fascination with her actions as a sign that her grandfather wanted a taste of her sweet, and she thrust the mutilated strip of candy at him.

"No thank you, sweetheart. Papa's had enough for tonight. You finish it." He caressed her hair - even that had some sticky clumps in it - and kissed her cheek.

"Well, there you are!"

Mulder turned to see Steph standing there, her hands on her hips. When she saw the state of her daughter, her eyes almost fell out of her head.

"Gracie Jacobs, look at the state of you! You'll have to have a bath and a hair wash when you get home, young lady."

Gracie reached out to her mother, and Steph took her straight away, not caring one jot about the mess her daughter was in, or the fact that her own clothes would soon be looking as messy. "Oh, Dad - your shirt!" Steph was mortified at the big red marks on her father's front.

"It's okay, sweetheart - it'll come out in the wash."

"I don't know, Dad - I think this red coloring is pretty hard to shift."

"Well, I'm sure your mom must have some stain removal stuff around somewhere. Don't worry about it, Steph."

"If you're sure, Dad... Anyway, I just came to tell you that we'll be going in a minute."

"Okay, sweetheart. It's been lovely to see you. Just you keep taking it easy."

"I will, Dad." Steph hesitated. "Dad, are you okay?"

Mulder touched her face. "I'm fine, honey. I just needed to be by myself for a while, that's all."

"You're sure that's all it is?"

"I'm sure. Go on - you should get this little one home and into the bath!"

"Yeah... I think I'll need some industrial strength soap by the looks of her!" Steph kissed her daughter's cheek. "Ugh - that is disgusting!"

Mulder laughed aloud. "If I remember rightly, you used to love those candy canes - you and your brother used to have competitions to see who could eat the most."

"That explains why Josh is like he is, then - that red stuff must have addled his brain!" Father and daughter were both laughing as Ross tapped on the door and poked his head round.

"Honey, we should be going."

"I'll be right there, Ross." Steph regarded her father. He looked so tired and worn. The past couple of months hadn't been easy on him. She put her hand on his wrist. "Daddy, if you need anything, anything at all, call me, okay?"

"Steph, I'm fine," insisted Mulder. "Besides, you should be thinking about your babies, not worrying about your old man."

"Daddy..." He was as stubborn as a mule sometimes.

"Go on - Ross is waiting. I'll see you on Christmas Day."

"Can I come in?" Scully poked her head around the door of the den. The family had long departed, and he hadn't even come out to say goodbye.

"Sure," replied Mulder, but he didn't take his eyes away from the computer screen. Scully walked in and perched on the edge of his desk, so that he had to look up at her.

"Are you done with your sulking?"

Mulder sat back in the captain's chair. "Yeah, I guess so." He took her hand and kissed the palm. "I'm sorry, Scully."

She reached out and stroked his hair. "You're forgiven, Mulder." Scully looked around at the photos that adorned the wall above the desk. You could barely see the wall underneath. "Quite a collection, isn't it? You'll have to start using another wall when the twins arrive."

"Twins." Mulder looked up at his wife with an expression of wonder on his face. "Can you believe that, Scully? Steph's so tiny... to think that she's got two little human beings growing inside her."

"It's wonderful, isn't it, Mulder?"

He nodded. "Will she be all right, Scully?"

"Provided she does what the doctor told her and has plenty of rest, she'll be fine." Scully touched his arm. "You coming to bed, Mulder? It's late."

"You go ahead, Scully. I'll be there in a while."

Mulder wandered around the house, switching off lights and generally checking that the place was secure. The living room was the last stop on his route. He stood in the doorway, just gazing around, the Christmas tree in all its splendor dominating the room, thinking how cozy and welcoming it looked. Mulder smiled at the three little stockings hanging from the mantel - one for each grandchild. Next year, they'd have to hang five - it would be a full mantel. He switched off the tree lights and a couple of table lamps, then made his way to the bedroom.

Once Mulder was in bed, Scully slid across and put an arm around his waist.

"What's this, Scully? An early Christmas present? You know it takes a little longer now - the equipment's not as efficient as it was. If we make a start now, we might just finish in time for Christmas day! We don't want the kids walking in and catching us - they think we don't do this sort of thing at our age." He could feel Scully shaking with silent laughter. Mulder grinned in the darkness and snuggled a little closer. "If you really want to get me going, all you have to do is model that little number you bought the other day... you know - the one that Sarah said would send me rushing for the smelling salts. Or are you saving that for Christmas day, too?"

Scully was laughing openly now. She was glad he'd come out of his earlier mood. "Oh, Mulder," she sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"

"You really want me to tell you, a medical doctor, the answer to that question?"

"Mulder." It came out in that long suffering manner that Scully was famous for.

"Can't blame a guy for trying!" He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her, sighing. The comfortable silence was punctuated by the sounds of the house settling. Mulder sighed again. "I love this house, Scully."

"So do I, Mulder," she answered softly.

"Do you remember when we were house hunting, Scully?" asked Mulder.

"I was trying not to think of it," came the dry response. "If I'd listened to you, we'd be living in a cardboard box under the beltway!"

"How can you say that, Scully? I fell in love with this house the moment I saw it!"

"Only after we'd looked at around twenty others! All of which you rejected for the most trivial of reasons!"

"The others were just houses, Scully - this one felt like a home. I don't know how to describe it... the moment I walked into this place, I felt like I had come home, that I belonged here." He gave her a bashful smile. "I've been happy here, Scully - this place is the very essence of the word 'home.' A lot of that is down to you - you've worked hard to make it a happy and welcoming place. A place that we all long to get back to when we've been away."

Scully looked at him with new eyes. He had never expressed such feelings to her before - she'd always thought of his concept of 'home' as somewhere to lay his head at night and pick up a change of clothing. In the days before Sarah, Mulder's apartment had been but a transit point between one assignment and another - nothing more. For Mulder, the very act of buying a house was his chance to prove that he could have a normal life - that he could have the experience of living in a happy home, with people he loved and who loved him. It was his last chance to experience what others took for granted - the opportunity to be part of a loving, happy and supportive family.

"You're getting sentimental in your old age, Mulder," said Scully with a smile.

"Maybe I am, but don't you feel it, Scully?"

"Of course, I do. This house... it has so many happy memories for me." They were quiet for a moment, both reflecting on those memories, then Scully patted his hand. "Come on, Mulder - it's late, and I'm tired."

"I'm sorry, Scully. I didn't meant to keep you from your beauty sleep!"

Scully gave a throaty chuckle.

"I love it when you do that," said Mulder softly, his fingers raking gently through her hair. "I love you, Scully. Always have, always will."

Scully felt tears sting her eyes and she swallowed. "I love you too, Mulder."

"Hey - you're not crying, are you, Scully?"

She buried her face against his chest, muffling her answer. "Don't be silly, Mulder."

He smiled in the darkness. "You just got something in your eye, right?"

"Something like that." Her fingers reached up in the dark and traced his jaw. "If I kiss you, will you promise to behave?"

Mulder sucked in a breath. "I don't know if I can do that, Scully... why don't you kiss me and find out?" His voice was deep and husky and it sent a tingle along her spine.

"Anyone ever tell you that you were mad, bad and dangerous to know, Mulder?"

"Frequently, but I never heard you complain."

Scully cupped his face in her hands. "I wouldn't change a thing, Mulder," she said softly.

"Me neither, Scully." A pause. "So, do I get my kiss?"

Scully's soft laughter wafted across his ear. "You get your kiss, Mulder."

Christmas Eve found Mulder and Scully making last minute preparations. Cleaning and tidying the living room, sorting out the china and glassware that would be required the next day. Sarah came round early, bringing the turkey, a large sack of potatoes and assorted vegetables.

"Please don't tell me I'm on potato peeling detail," begged her father.

"Sorry, Dad!" grinned Sarah.

"Is there anything I can do, Sarah?" asked Scully. "I feel a bit guilty sitting back while you do everything."

"Well, you shouldn't. I want to do it, Mom. Anyway, most of it's been done in advance and been frozen. All that needs to be done tomorrow is to cook the turkey dinner. Josh is bringing the wine - at least I hope he is. I've been trying to get hold of him for days - apparently he's on personal leave."

Mulder threw Scully a puzzled look, and Sarah surmised that this was news to her parents.

"I take it that you didn't know," she said.

"Oh, we're the last to know anything where your brother's concerned!" snorted Mulder.

"Don't start, Mulder," sighed Scully. "I don't want anything to spoil this Christmas. You've all gone to so much trouble... it would be a shame to ruin it."

Mulder rested a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be on my best behavior, Scully - I promise."

Sarah left around lunch time, her father walking her out to her car. "Dad, is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine, Sarah."

She reached out and took his hand. "No it isn't, Dad. There's something wrong, I know there is. Why are you so angry with Josh?"

Mulder touched his daughter's face. "I'm not angry with Josh, sweetheart. At least I don't mean to be. I guess it's all catching up with me - the strain of your mom's stroke, looking after her when she came home, worrying about Steph... I just wonder how much more we have to take."

"The year's nearly over, Dad - I'm sure there's better luck around the corner. Mom's still with us, and we'll have Steph's babies to look forward to... It can only get better."

"I guess so. You know me, sweetheart - when did I ever look on the bright side of anything?" Mulder gave his daughter a warm smile. "Go on - go home to your boys. I bet they're excited, and can't wait to open their presents."

"And then some!" chuckled Sarah. She took her father's hands in hers, and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Sarah. We'll see you tomorrow."

While Scully took her afternoon nap, Mulder arranged all the presents beneath the tree. Most of them were for the grandchildren - Sarah, Steph and Josh now only received a token gift from their parents. "Mulder, you don't think we went overboard with the presents, do you?"

He whirled round at the sound of his wife's voice. "Probably," he smiled. "Sarah and Steph will rant and rave a bit, but they'll get over it. How was your nap?"

"Fine. I feel much better."

"Good." Mulder studied her for a moment. "Scully, would you like to go to Midnight Mass tonight?"

Scully was taken aback. What had brought this on? Her expression - a mixture of confusion and surprise, made Mulder smile.

"Don't worry, Scully - I haven't lost my mind. I just thought you might like to go, that's all. You don't have to decide now..."

That he would do that for her, despite his own lack of beliefs... "I'd like that, Mulder... I'd like that very much. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Scully." He looked shy, almost bashful, as if it were the first time he had ever asked a girl out on a date, and she suddenly had a glimpse of what the unsure, teenage Fox Mulder must have been like. It was a very appealing vision.

Scully walked over to where he was sitting, cupped his face in her hands and brushed her lips across his.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Because you're you, and I love you," she said softly. "Don't ever change, Mulder."

The rest of the day was spent quietly relaxing, reading and listening to music, catching glimpses of the festive programs on the TV. Nothing had changed much over the years - it was still the same old diet of corny Christmas movies that were rolled out from one year to the next. They ate a light evening meal, and the hours passed quickly, until it was time to get ready for the church service.

"Mulder, do you mind if we walked to the church and back? It's a beautiful night, and I feel like the exercise."

"It's up to you, Scully - are you sure you're up to it? It's pretty cold out."

"We'll be all right as long as we wrap up warm." Her eyes danced, and it warmed his heart to see her like that. Another silent prayer went heavenwards.

Mulder closed the door behind them, and double locked it, pocketing the keys. He turned back to his wife, and pulled her collar up around her neck.

"That's better - don't want you to catch cold." His breath billowed out in front of his face, then he offered Scully his arm. "Shall we?"

The church wasn't that far away, and they walked at a reasonable pace. Mulder had to shorten his strides so that Scully could keep up with him. Every so often, he would look down at her, and she would say, "I'm fine, Mulder," knowing instinctively, without looking, what he was doing.

It was a fine, clear night - just the thing for witnessing a star studded sky. Scully looked up. "Look at all the stars, Mulder... Isn't it a beautiful sight?"

"Yes, it is," he whispered, but he wasn't looking at the stars.

The church was almost full to capacity, the pungent aroma of incense filling the air. Mulder held Scully's arm while she genuflected and crossed herself, then they found two seats about half way down and made themselves comfortable.

"So what time does the show begin?" he whispered.

"Mulder - behave," Scully replied.

"Yes, ma'am." He threw her a mock salute. Mulder wasn't really at home in church - his attendance amounted to births, deaths and marriages. Well, there wouldn't be any more marriages, unless Josh decided to take the plunge and Mulder couldn't see that happening any time soon. Maybe he and Scully might live long enough to see one or two of the grandchildren marry, but given the penchant for late marriages in the Mulder family, he wouldn't hold his breath. His musings were interrupted by Scully announcing, in a low voice, that the service was about to commence.

Mulder found that he actually enjoyed the proceedings, joining in with the carols, and appreciating the priest's words. He spoke of renewal, and of hope, and it struck a chord with Mulder. When the time came to pray, Mulder offered up a few of his own. It occurred to him that saying a prayer was like making a wish, and he'd made enough of those in his time.

The service over, the congregation spilled out into the cold night air. "Come here, Mulder." He stood where he was, and Scully reached up, fiddling with his scarf. "There - that's better." She patted his front and smiled up at him. "You're an old man now, Mulder - you need to take care of that chest."

"Well, if I have any trouble with it, you can always rub it better for me, Scully," he leered at her.

Scully gave him that long suffering look. "Come on, Mulder - let's get home."

Christmas Day

Mulder rose early, and made a start on peeling the potatoes that Sarah had very kindly left him the day before. Then he'd taken Scully a light breakfast in bed, and they'd exchanged gifts. Sarah had arrived, to find her father alone in the kitchen, preparing vegetables.

"Merry Christmas, Dad."

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart." Father and daughter exchanged a lingering hug, then Mulder kissed her cheek.

"Where's Mom? Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She's having an extra hour. I took her to midnight mass last night."

"That was nice of you, Dad. She must have liked that."

"Yeah - I think she did. We even walked there and back, and your mom didn't flag once. I think she's getting better, Sarah." There was cautious hope in his tired eyes.

"That's great, Dad," replied Sarah warmly, squeezing his arm.

"So what was it like this morning?" grinned her father. He could well remember the excitement of Christmas day in the Mulder home when the children were younger.

"Chaos, of course!" she chuckled. "The boys came into our room at five thirty. There was no point in telling them to go back to their own beds - they were both wide awake and eager to open their presents. I left Robin setting up a new computer game for them."

Robin and the boys would be arriving around noon, along with Steph, Ross and Gracie, and hopefully, Josh and Fiona.

"Dad, can you give me a hand to bring some things in from the car?"

"Sure, sweetheart."

Mulder carried plastic containers of food, while Sarah juggled the centerpieces for the table and her clothes for later. While they were busy stashing the food in the refrigerator, Scully appeared.

"Scully, what are you doing? I thought you were resting."

"I felt guilty lying in bed while you two were busy out here. Merry Christmas, Sarah."

"Merry Christmas, Mom." The women exchanged a warm hug and a kiss.

"Scully..."

"What, Mulder?"

"I really think you should be resting. It's going to be a long, tiring and hectic day. I just don't want you to overdo it."

"I'll be fine, Mulder. I can sit out here and keep you and Sarah company, can't I? It's Christmas day, Mulder - we're going to have our family around us and I want to enjoy it. Now, if you put the coffee on, I'll take these centerpieces to the garage. It's cooler out there. Sarah, you can hang your clothes in our room if you like."

"Thanks, Mom." Mulder and Sarah watched Scully head for the garage.

"I thought I was in charge of the Christmas arrangements," said Mulder.

"Mom just wants to help, that's all. It must have been difficult for her to sit back and watch you make all the arrangements."

"Well, I hope I remembered everything."

"You did, Dad - we went over the list enough times! If we've forgotten something, it's just too bad." She hugged him. "Relax, Dad - it's going to be a great day."

The turkey was roasting away nicely, filling the house with some delicious aromas.

"Sarah, can I make a start on the cranberry sauce for you?" asked Scully.

"It's already made, Mom. I did it last night."

"Sweetheart, you must have been so busy over the last few days, with your job and all this preparation in advance."

"It's no different to what you used to do, Mom. I can remember you coming back from a long day at work and heading straight for the kitchen without pausing for breath."

"Well, your father always did his share. He's been very good that way."

"Are you talking about me again?" grinned Mulder, strolling back into the kitchen. He put his empty mug in the dishwasher.

"Don't flatter yourself, Mulder. Who in their right mind would find you interesting?" Scully gave him a loving smile and reached out to touch his hand.

Mulder rested his hands lightly on her shoulders, leaned down and kissed her cheek. "That's my Scully - bring me back down to earth with a bump!" He straightened up again. "I think I'll go shower and change. Someone should be ready to greet the invading hordes!"

He ambled off in the direction of the bedroom, with a frowning Scully watching him go.

"What it is, Mom?" asked Sarah.

"He looks so tired, Sarah. I think he forgets sometimes that he's not thirty five years old anymore. I know my having the stroke didn't help, and I know he's worried about Steph and the babies. I just wish he wouldn't push himself so hard. I know there's nothing I can do to stop him worrying about all of us - he's always been a worrier and that'll never change. Maybe I should talk to him about going away for a holiday in the New Year. What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea. You could both do with the break, and a change of scenery. Somewhere nice and warm..."

"I like the sound of that... somewhere to warm our ancient bones!"

Sarah glanced at the kitchen clock. "I think I'll make a start on setting the table - we won't have time later, when everybody arrives."

"I'll give you a hand," said her mother. The two women set about getting the table ready for dinner. Once the cutlery and glasses were arranged, Sarah made a start on folding her mother's linen napkins into a lily, placing one at each setting.

"I could never get the hang of that," confessed Scully. "I tried it once or twice and ended up throwing the napkin across the room in frustration."

"It does take some practice, I must admit," answered Sarah, placing the last one at the head of the table where her father sat.

"The centerpieces! I'll get them." Scully went off to the garage and brought back the floral arrangements for the table. "These are beautiful, Sarah. Did you make them?"

"No. I ordered them from a florist near the office. She does wonderful arrangements, and she's very reasonable."

Scully placed the two centerpieces - wreathes of ivy and Christmas roses, with a gold candle in the middle - one at each end of the table.

"Well, ladies - how do I look?"

"Very sexy, Dad!" grinned Sarah, as her father did a turn in the kitchen doorway. "I love that sweater."

"A Christmas gift from your mom, amongst other things. I must say, you have great taste, Scully."

"Well, it's infinitely better than yours, Mulder," smiled his wife. She had purchased the cashmere sweater on the shopping trip with Sarah.

"Mom, you didn't tell me what Dad gave you."

"You'll see soon enough, sweetheart."

"You're going to keep us in suspense, huh?"

"I'm afraid so. I think we should make ourselves presentable, don't you? We don't want to be outshone by your father."

"Oh, I don't think there's ever any chance of that, Scully," said Mulder softly. "You put me in the shade every time." He touched his fingers to her face. "So what time can I expect to see you both - around six?"

"Dad!" grinned Sarah. "Come on, Mom - we're not going to stand around here and be insulted." With that, the two women took themselves off to the bedroom.

In the kitchen, Mulder pottered about, nodding approvingly at the table, checking one last time that the cutlery and glasses were spotlessly clean. He wandered out into the hall and tapped on the bedroom door.

"Sarah, do I need to be doing anything?" he called.

"Not yet, Dad. You could check that the carving knife is sharp," came the answer. Mulder wandered off again.

"This reminds me of that first Christmas, just after I came to live with Dad," said Sarah, as she styled her mother's hair. "Only it was the other way around - you were doing my hair, do you remember?"

"I remember," smiled Scully. "You told me about your mom." Scully also remembered Sarah telling her that Annie had called Mulder by his first name, and how much it had hurt her to learn that at the time. Now all the pain associated with Annie had disappeared with the passage of time. "I think I'd liked to have met your mom - I think we might have gotten along well together."

"I think so too. How does that look?"

"Very nice, Sarah. Thank you."

Scully stood up and started to dress. Sarah picked up a crystal love heart that sat on her mother's vanity - it had been a gift from Mulder when Stephanie was born. Her father was such a romantic man, in his own way - ways that were not always so obvious.

"What do you think?"

Sarah's thoughts were interrupted by Scully, and she put the love heart back on its black velvet cushion.

"Oh, Mom... you're going to knock Dad's socks off!"

"Well, I'll just add the finishing touch." Scully headed for the nightstand and opened the draw, taking out a small box.

"What's that you've got there? Is it Dad's present? Let me see!"

Scully held out the small box to her daughter. Sarah opened it, and her mouth fell open. Nestling on the satin inside was a pair of emerald and diamond earrings.

"Mom! These are beautiful!" she breathed. She didn't dare think how much they must have cost. Sarah handed them back to her mother, and Scully put the earrings on.

"One last thing." She handed Sarah the Captive Heart. "Could you?"

"Sure." Sarah fastened the pendant around her mother's neck, and Scully took a look in the full length mirror.

"Well, I'm ready. Now it's your turn."

As usual, Mulder wondered what was keeping his wife and eldest child. He tapped on the bedroom door again.

"Are you going to be ready any time soon?" he asked. "They'll be arriving any minute."

With that, the door flew open and he had to take a hurried step back, his mouth dropping open.

"Put your tongue back in your head, Mulder," chuckled Scully. "Anyone would think you'd never seen a woman before."

"Scully... you look... Sarah..."

"Goodness, this is a first! Your father's been rendered speechless!"

Mulder swallowed the huge lump in his throat. "Scully, you look wonderful."

"Thank you, Mulder." She was dressed in a floaty, wide legged pant suit, with a long line top that was covered in lace. The ensemble was a sage green color and suited Scully well. Mulder took his daughter's hands.

"Sweetheart, you look lovely, too." Sarah's black dress was simple, but elegant. Slim fitting, in lace and velvet, it showed her model like proportions off to perfection. Mulder kissed her cheek.

"Thank you, Daddy."

Sarah headed into the kitchen to check on the progress of the dinner, while her parents went into the living room to await the arrival of the rest of the family. They didn't have to wait too long. Hearing two toots of a horn, Mulder went to the window.

"Robin's here!" he called. Mulder was already at the front door when he saw his two little grandsons hurtling towards him.

"Papa! Papa!" They threw themselves into his open arms and each received a kiss on the cheek. Scully and Sarah were standing behind him.

"Come in, come in - it's chilly out there!" urged Scully.

Robin was coming up the path with the presents. "Hi Mom, hi Dad. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Robin." There was a kiss from Scully and a handshake from Mulder.

"Hi, honey," said Sarah, giving her husband a kiss and a squeeze. Mulder closed the door behind them, and ushered them all into the living room. The boys eyes almost fell out of their heads when they saw the presents around the tree.

"Mommy, look at all the presents!" exclaimed Jamie.

"Yes, I know. Are you going to take off your jackets?"

"Can we open them now?" asked Ben, pulling off his little baseball jacket and handing it to his mother.

"They're not all for you two!" chuckled Sarah. "Some of them are for Gracie. We'll open the presents as soon as the others arrive."

"When will they be here?" asked Jamie.

"Soon." Right on cue, they heard, "Merry Christmas, everyone!" and Stephanie appeared in the doorway, with Gracie and Ross following behind.

"Mimi!" Gracie ran to her grandmother, and Scully swept the little girl up into her arms.

"Hello, sweetheart. Oh my, you're getting so big! Let's take your coat off."

"I'll do that, Mom," said Steph quickly. She took Gracie into her parents' bedroom and removed the child's coat, then her own. She couldn't wait for Scully to see Gracie in her party dress. "Come on, sweetie - let's show Mimi your pretty dress." Steph took her daughter's hand and led her back to the living room.

"Steph, you look great!" said Sarah. "I like your dress." Stephanie was wearing a royal blue maternity dress that was cut very flatteringly over the bump.

"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself!"

"Well - don't you look pretty!" exclaimed Mulder, when he saw Gracie in her dress. "Scully, look at your granddaughter." Scully turned, and she was captivated by the sight of the little girl, in her red velvet dress, with its red satin sash and dainty lace collar. She wore cream colored pantyhose and little black patent shoes, with a strap across the instep. Gracie was a picture, with her rosy cheeks and soft blonde curls.

"Sweetheart, Gracie looks so pretty," smiled Scully. "The red really suits her."

Stephanie was tickled pink.

They were all talking nineteen to the dozen when they heard, "Hello, anyone at home?"

Josh and Fiona had arrived at last. Mulder and Scully went out to greet them.

"Hi, Mom, hi Dad. Can I talk to you both?"

"What, now?" asked Mulder. What on earth could Josh want to talk about that was so urgent? "Josh, everyone's waiting to open the presents..."

"It's important, Dad. I have something to tell you."

"You'd better come into the den." Mulder headed in that direction, followed by Scully, Josh and Fiona. "Josh, your mom's not up to any shocks..." Mulder wondered just what sort of bombshell his son was about to drop in their laps.

"It's nothing bad, Dad," Josh assured his father.

"Well, what is it then?" Mulder pushed the door of the den to. It was quite a squeeze with four of them in there. "Don't keep us in suspense."

Josh took a breath, and took hold of Fiona's hand. "Fiona and I got married," he announced.

"Married?" echoed Mulder. "When?"

"The day before yesterday, in New York."

Mulder and Scully were speechless. It all made sense now... the elusiveness, the personal leave...

"Mom, Dad? Say something..."

Mulder shook his head. "Josh, I don't know what to say..."

"Aren't you pleased for us, Dad? I thought you'd be happy."

"God, Josh... I am pleased for you, of course I am." Mulder drew his son into his embrace. "It's just that it's such a shock... It's wonderful, son. Congratulations!"

Hugs and kisses were exchanged all round.

"We'd better get back to the others - they'll be wondering what's happened to us."

All eyes swiveled in their direction when Mulder, Scully, Josh and Fiona came into the room.

"We were wondering where you'd got to," said Steph. "We were just about to send out a search party!"

Mulder was grinning like a fool, and Scully looked as if she were having difficulty keeping a straight face. Josh and Fiona looked downright nervous.

"What's going on?" asked Sarah suspiciously.

"Your brother has something to tell you," announced her father. He allowed his son to take center stage, still holding Fiona's hand. If Josh had to do this, he wasn't going to do it alone. He took a deep breath and plunged right in.

"Fiona and I are married."

"Married?" squawked Steph. "Since when?"

"Two days ago."

Josh didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the astonished expressions that adorned his sisters faces. Even Robin and Ross looked surprised. It was up to Scully to break the silence.

"Well, it's one hell of a Christmas present, Josh! I couldn't have wished for anything nicer."

Josh took his mother's hand and kissed her. "Thanks, Mom," he said softly.

"Yeah - it's great Josh. Congratulations, little brother!" grinned Sarah. Everyone then joined in - hugs and kisses were exchanged, along with good wishes. The girls wanted to see Fiona's ring, and she was more than happy to show it off. Eventually, the hubbub died down.

"Well, now that that's over, shall we get on with the important stuff?" Sarah grinned at her brother. "Did you bring the wine, Josh?"

"Yeah - it's out in the car. I'll go get it." Sarah followed him to the front door, and caught his arm.

"Did you bring the other thing?" she asked.

"Yeah - it's in my jacket pocket."

"Good. I think it's come at the right time... Dad's almost at the end of his tether."

"Before we open the presents, I think we should drink to Josh and Fiona," announced Mulder.

"Hear, hear," said Steph. "Just make mine mineral water!"

Along with the wine, Josh had brought a couple of bottles of champagne, which Mulder and Robin cracked open. Satisfied that everyone had a glass, Mulder took the floor.

"I'm not going to make a long speech," he began.

"That's a relief!" grinned Josh. "Why do you think we got married in secret?" That made everyone laugh, even Mulder.

"As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted - I'm not going to make a long speech. I'd just like you all to join me in officially welcoming Fiona to the family. I think she's been around us Mulders long enough to know what she's letting herself in for!" More laughter rippled around the room. "I know you would all like to wish Fiona and Josh a long and happy life together. If you're as happy as your mom and I have been, then you will be very lucky. Josh and Fiona."

Everyone raised their glasses and drank to the happy couple. Josh turned to his mother.

"Mom, you look sensational!" he said.

"Doesn't she?" whispered Mulder softly. His eyes were full of love and longing, and a host of other emotions danced across his face. He drew Scully to his side, wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple.

Sarah wandered over. "I'm just going to check on the dinner, then I think we should open the presents, Dad. The kids are starting to get restless."

"Okay, sweetheart."

Sarah put the potatoes into the oven, then joined the rest of the family back in the living room. The pile of presents beneath the tree had been swollen as Stephanie and Josh had added their gifts for the other members of the family. Mulder took up position by the tree. This was his favorite part - the distribution of the gifts.

"Okay... who's going to be first?" He expected a chorus of replies and he wasn't disappointed.

"Me!" Ben and Jamie both thrust their hands in the air at the same time.

Mulder chuckled. "All right - let's see what we have here." The presents were stacked in such a way that each child's gifts were all together. He selected a small package for each of the boys, and one for Gracie, then handed them over. All that could be heard was the ripping of paper, then excited noises as the present was admired and shown around.

Gradually, the enormous pile grew smaller and smaller. The children had a respectable haul of presents between them. Ben was thrilled with the anatomy set that his grandparents had given him, amongst other things. It comprised a realistic representation of the human torso, with removable organs. It was the removable organs that Ben liked the most.

"Look, Mommy - I can take out the heart!" he cried in delight. "Daddy, what's this bit called?"

"That's the liver, Ben," replied Robin. "Don't you want to give Nanna and Papa your presents?"

Ben looked up at Sarah. "Where did you put the presents, Mommy?"

"Over there, look." She pointed to a small table behind her son. Ben ran over and retrieved the two gifts.

"Nanna, this is for you." Ben handed Scully a beautiful deep pink Christmas cactus in a decorative basket. "It's for your kitchen window sill."

"It's very pretty, Ben. Thank you very much, sweetheart. I'll put it out there in a little while." She gave her grandson a hug and a kiss.

The little boy moved to his beloved Papa. "Papa, this is for you." Ben handed Mulder a less than perfectly wrapped package. "I wrapped it myself," announced the child proudly.

"And you made a very good job of it, too," smiled his grandfather as he carefully opened the gift to reveal a book.

"Mommy helped me to choose the book."

Mulder had suspected as much. "You both made a good choice. Thank you very much, Ben."

The little boy was thrilled with the praise, and the hug and kiss bestowed upon him by his Papa. In the meantime, Gracie was sitting quietly on the floor, playing with two of the gifts that her grandparents had given her - a pop up talking farm activity center, complete with animal sounds, and a play family house.

"Are you all right down there, sweetheart?" asked Ross, running a protective hand over his little girl's blonde hair.

Gracie looked over her shoulder at him. "Mimi house," she said, pointing at the play home.

Ross chuckled, and looked up at Scully. "I guess it'll be Mimi's house from now on."

Steph gave her father a reproving look. "I knew you'd go overboard," she said. He put an arm around her shoulders and kissed her brow.

"So sue me," he grinned. "Sweetheart, it's what being a grandparent is all about."

"Well, I don't want you to go mad on her birthday. You've spent more than enough already, and what with all the other little treats throughout the year, it all adds up."

"I wasn't aware that you were counting!"

"I'm not, but..." Stephanie looked at her father, and knew she was wasting her breath. "Dad, you're impossible, did you know that?"

Dinner was almost ready. Sarah, Steph and Fiona were busy draining vegetables and placing them into serving bowls on the table, along with the gravy and cranberry sauce. Sarah had set the turkey on the counter, where it was resting.

"Dad?" called Sarah. "Are you ready to slice and dice?" That was her way of summoning her father to carve the turkey. Mulder appeared, picked up the carving knife and fork, and with a flourish, began slicing the succulent bird. A stack of warm dinner plates was beside the turkey - everything had been arranged for the greatest convenience. Fiona went to summon everyone to the table, and it seemed like a mad dash followed her back into the kitchen.

"I want to sit next to Papa!" declared Ben.

"No! I do!" That from Jamie.

"You can both sit next to Papa," said their mother, and she pulled out the chair to Mulder's right. "Ben, you sit here." Then she moved around to the seat on her father's left. "Jamie, you sit in this chair." It was left to everyone else to suit themselves.

Sarah cast her eyes around the table. "I need a wine waiter. Ross, you're a big strong man, could you uncork the wine, and do the honors please?" Sarah gave her brother-in-law a smile, which made him blush, and handed him the corkscrew. Although Ross had been around the Mulder family for a while now, he still felt a little shy and awkward with them at times. They liked to tease one another a lot, and he wasn't used to that, being an only child. At family gatherings, Ross spent a lot of the time talking to Robin, and he'd mentioned this feeling to him. To his surprise, Robin had told him he'd felt the same at first, that it took a bit of getting used to.

"Help yourselves to vegetables, there's plenty to go round," said Sarah. She walked around the table, making sure that everyone had a plate and that their plate was filled with food. Gracie sat in her highchair between Steph and Scully, wearing the little plastic coverall to protect her dress. The little girl was devouring her food with gusto.

"Are you enjoying that, sweetheart?" smiled Sarah. She dropped a kiss on her niece's blonde curls.

"Sarah, come and sit down," said Mulder. "Josh, leave some potatoes for your sister."

"It's okay, Dad - I did a few extra, knowing how much Josh likes his roast potatoes!" Sarah took her seat and served herself with vegetables, gravy and sauce.

There was sporadic conversation, as everyone was too busy eating to think about talking, but everyone was complimentary about the food.

"Is there anymore turkey?" asked Josh.

Mulder rolled his eyes. "What did I tell you, Sarah? I told you he'd eat us out of house and home!"

"There's plenty, Josh. Just help yourself. You may want to go a little easy - we do have dessert afterwards."

"Don't worry about me, sis - I'll make room for dessert." Josh threw his sister a big grin as he carved himself some more turkey.

"Don't take all the best bits!" warned Mulder.

"As if I would!"

For dessert there was cassata for those who wanted something light, or mince pies and cream. Josh, being Josh, had a bit of both.

"God, Fiona - how do you put up with him?" gasped Stephanie. Fiona smiled, and tucked her long blonde hair behind her ear.

"I have him well trained," she replied.

"I congratulate you," said Mulder. "That's more than we were ever able to achieve!" He thought that Fiona deserved a medal for taking on Josh. She was a tough, no nonsense attorney, very much in the Scully mold. Mulder suspected that it was precisely that which had attracted his son in the first place. Like his father, Josh needed someone sane and sensible to keep his feet on the ground.

The adults sat around drinking coffee, the children having been excused and gone next door to play with their new toys.

"That was an excellent meal, sweetheart," said Mulder, giving Sarah a warm and loving smile. "Thank you for all your hard work."

"Somebody switch Dad off - I think he's going into speech mode again!" Josh gave his father a wry smile.

"You know me Josh, when I have all my family about me, I can't resist it!" Then he became serious. "I just wanted to thank you all for coming, and making this Christmas special. Thank you also for all your lovely gifts. They will all be put to good use." Mulder looked down to the opposite end of the table, where Scully was sitting, and his eyes filled with tears. "The past few months have not been easy, I think you'll all agree with me on that. We should give thanks for the greatest gift of all - that your mom is able to be here with us today."

"I'll second that," said Stephanie softly, and she reached out and squeezed Scully's hand. There were several minutes of quiet reflection, and then Sarah shooed the men into the other room so that she, Steph and Fiona could start clearing up.

"Is there anything I can do?" asked Scully. "It just doesn't feel right, me sitting here watching you all working. Stephanie, you should be taking it easy - you know what the doctor said."

"I have been taking it easy, Mom. I'm only carrying a few plates, look." Steph smiled at her mother's very Mulder-like look. "Why don't you go and keep Gracie company? You know she loves spending time with you."

"I think I will. Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?"

"No, Mom. Look, we're almost done here," said Sarah. "Go and put your feet up. Fiona, why don't you go too? Steph and I can finish up here." Scully and Fiona left them to it.

"So what do you think?" asked Sarah.

"About what?" replied Steph.

"Josh getting married."

Steph laughed. "I'll be honest with you, Sarah - I never thought I'd see it happen. What about you?"

"Well, I always figured he'd do something like this. Either tell us a week beforehand, or elope. Josh is like Dad - he'd want to do it with the minimum of fuss."

"But Mom and Dad were married in church," pointed out Steph.

"Yeah, they were, but it wasn't a big wedding like yours or mine. It was just a small, intimate family only affair."

"Well, whatever - I hope Josh and Fiona will be happy."

"Me too," smiled Sarah.

It was nice to relax at last. Everyone had gathered in the living room - the children played on the floor and conversation flowed freely among the adults, with plenty of laughter and good natured teasing. Before long, late afternoon turned into early evening. Scully was admiring the photograph of Gracie in her party dress that Stephanie and Ross had given her. It was contained in a simple but elegant frame that didn't detract from the subject.

"This is one photograph that's not going on your wall, Mulder," declared Scully.

"I have another copy that you can have for your rogue's gallery, Dad," offered Stephanie with a smile.

"I'd like that, sweetheart. Thank you."

"Anyone for coffee?" asked Sarah. It was coffee all round, with the exception of Fiona, who asked for tea.

"I'll give you a hand," said Stephanie, sliding to the edge of her seat cushion. "Ross, be a darling and give me a push!"

The two girls headed into the kitchen, and Steph prepared the cups and saucers while Sarah saw to the coffee.

"What do you think of this?" asked Steph, waggling the fingers of her left hand under her sister's nose, a big grin on her face. Something caught Sarah's eye, and she stilled Steph's hand, staring at the sapphire and diamond eternity ring that adorned her ring finger.

"Steph - it's beautiful!"

"My Christmas present from Ross. It's a full hoop, too," she said proudly. "I knew he had a surprise in store to celebrate our third year, but Sarah, I never expected anything like this. I cried my eyes out when he gave it to me... I'm such a fool, aren't I?"

"Of course you aren't, silly!" Sarah smiled and patted her sister's shoulder. "We all do it when we experience a moment of great emotion. Did you see the earrings that Dad gave Mom?"

"I'll say! They're gorgeous. I bet they cost him," said Stephanie. "Speaking of earrings, I see you're wearing some new ones."

"My Christmas present from Robin." Sarah touched the little ruby and diamond heart and bow earrings. "They match that pin he gave me last year."

At that moment, Josh strolled into the kitchen. "What is it with women and jewelry?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"Haven't you ever heard the expression 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend'?" asked Sarah. "Besides, Fiona's ring is pretty impressive."

"I had it made," replied Josh. "I wanted something a bit different. Is there anything to eat?"

"You can't possibly be hungry, Josh! You ate that enormous dinner, and two helpings of dessert!" exclaimed Stephanie.

"I'm a growing boy!" he grinned, and Steph rolled her eyes.

"Have a sandwich - there's plenty of turkey left," said Sarah, lifting the tray with the coffee pot and cups. "In the meantime, make yourself useful and hand me the petit fours from the cupboard."

Josh reached up and handed the box to his sister. "What did your last slave die of?" Sarah made a face and headed off to the living room with the tray of coffee.

"My back's starting to ache - I think I'll sit out here for a while," said Steph.

"You okay, Steph?" Josh's expression was one of concern as he touched her arm. "Would you like me to bring you a cushion?"

"No thanks, Josh - I'm fine. It's just that the sofa hurts my back after a time."

Sarah rejoined her sister in the kitchen, taking a seat at the table with her coffee and a smaller box of petit fours. Josh took off with his sandwich and the two sisters were left alone, until Gracie wandered out and climbed up onto her mother's lap. Sarah smiled as her sister made a fuss of the little girl.

"She's so adorable." Sarah gazed at her niece wistfully. "I envy you, you know. I love Ben and Jamie, but there's a part of me that would have loved to have had a daughter."

Never in a million years would Stephanie ever have imagined that her big sister might envy her. Sarah was everything that Steph had always felt she was not - beautiful, elegant, sophisticated, clever and successful.

"Why do you look so surprised?" asked Sarah.

"I just never expected you to envy me," answered Steph. "It was always the other way around. I would have given anything to have been like you - to have your tall, slim figure, your brains... you just seemed to find everything so easy. And you had better luck with men than I did!" Steph grinned - when it came to men, she had lurched from one disaster to another.

"You think so? You've obviously forgotten about Conor Petersen."

"Who?" Stephanie looked mystified.

Sarah popped a petit four into her mouth. "Didn't I ever tell you about him? That's probably because I didn't want Dad to find out. He would have gone berserk if he'd known what Conor was like."

"Well, don't keep me in suspense! What was he like?" Stephanie wanted to hear all the gory details.

"Put it this way - that guy had more arms than an octopus. Remind me to tell you what happened sometime."

"Can't you tell me now?" pleaded Steph.

"No - it'll take too long, and I don't want to risk Dad overhearing."

"Well, there's not much he can do about it now!"

"Yeah, I know, but you know what Dad's like. He'd be just as likely to turn up on Conor's doorstep after all this time and shoot him."

Stephanie burst out laughing, almost choking on her sweetmeat. "You know, Sarah - it's a wonder we ever had any boyfriends the way Dad carried on. God - he gave them all such a hard time."

"It was his way of showing how much he cared, and you have to admit, we had some lucky escapes, thanks to Dad's tactics!"

The sisters burst out laughing again. "How did we get on to this anyway?" asked Sarah.

"You were telling me that you would have liked a daughter," Steph reminded her older sister. "You know, it's not too late for you to have another baby, Sarah... if that's what you wanted."

Sarah shook her dark head. "No - our family is complete. We did talk about it a year or so after Jamie was born, but we were more than happy with what we have already." She smiled at Steph. "I wouldn't mind borrowing Gracie now and again, though!"

"What are you two doing out here?" asked Scully.

"We're just having a rest from Josh and his jokes," answered Sarah. "What's your excuse?"

"Sport." Scully rolled her eyes. It was always inevitable when the family got together that the men would end up discussing the current sports scene and the performance of their favorite teams. "I thought I'd escape before your father starts reliving the glory days of the Knicks."

"More coffee, Mom?" asked Sarah.

"I don't mind if I do, sweetheart." Scully took a seat next to Stephanie, and Gracie immediately went to her, touching the Captive Heart pendant around her grandmother's neck.

"No, darling - you mustn't touch that," said Steph gently. She loved the story of how Mulder had given Scully the little diamond pendant during their first Christmas together, all those years ago. Scully had been stunned by the gift - the intention behind it unclear. Now Scully only wore it on high days and holidays. Steph touched a finger to the pendant - she loved the romance attached to it.

"It'll be yours one day, sweetheart," said Scully softly, touching her daughter's cheek. "And I would like Gracie to have it eventually."

Mulder wandered out into the kitchen. "Hello - what's going on out here? Mothers meeting? Steph, you all right? You look tired."

"I'm fine, Daddy. I think I'll go back next door and keep Ross company. He might get a bit miffed if I stay away too long."

"I'll come with you," added Sarah. "I don't want Robin to think that I'm neglecting him. You coming, Mom?"

Mulder watched open mouthed as they all filed out of the kitchen. "Where are you going? Was it something I said?"

"What's up, Dad?" Josh was back, in search of more food.

"Why didn't you tell us you were getting married?" asked Mulder, getting himself a drink of water.

Josh looked at the floor. "It was a spur of the moment thing, Dad. Besides, you've been through two weddings already, with Sarah and Steph."

"I wasn't thinking about me, Josh - I was thinking about your Mom. Don't you think she'd like to have seen her son get married?"

"Mom's got enough on her plate without me adding to it," replied Josh. "I didn't want her worrying about wedding arrangements and such - she's not up to it. Anyway, we've arranged to have the wedding blessed after the New Year, and we'll have a big party then."

"Well," sighed Mulder. "At least you running off to get married meant that I didn't have to wear a tux! I suppose that's one thing I should be grateful for!"

"And we didn't have to suffer one of your rambling speeches!"

"Don't speak too soon - there's always the party after the blessing!" Father and son both laughed out loud. "So, what made you decide to take the plunge now?"

Josh shrugged. "I started thinking about it after that chat we had at the hospital when Mom was ill, and one day, I just woke up and it seemed the right thing to do." A sudden grin crossed his handsome face. "I also reckoned it was time I grew up, became a bit more responsible."

Mulder suddenly felt very proud of his son. "So what did Fiona's parents think about the news? When did you tell them?"

"Fiona called them this morning, and they were shocked, just like all of you. They're looking forward to the blessing."

Mulder draped an arm around Josh's shoulders. "Well, I'm really pleased for you Josh."

"Thanks, Dad. I was so worried about your reaction... It means a lot to know that you're happy for us."

Mulder gave his son a warm hug. "Come on - let's get back to the others."

Time was marching on. The children were growing weary, and starting to get ratty.

"I think we should be going soon," said Stephanie. Gracie had fallen asleep in Scully's arms, and they'd put the little girl into one of the guest beds.

"Well, there's just one thing before we all rush off," announced Sarah. She nodded to her brother, who handed her a long, slim gold envelope. Mulder and Scully looked on with curiosity.

"What's going on, Sarah?" asked her father. He didn't know if he could cope with two surprises on the same day.

"Patience, Dad - you'll find out soon enough!" Steph squeezed his hand.

"Mom, Dad, the past few months have been very difficult for us all, but particularly for the two of you. None of us knew what to get you both for Christmas, so we put our heads together and came up with this. It comes with all our love, and we hope you like it."

Sarah handed the envelope to her father, who in turn handed it to Scully. "You open it," he said to her. "I'm too nervous."

Scully carefully opened the seal, and drew out the contents. She unfolded the papers, put a hand to her mouth and gasped.

"Mulder!"

"What? What is it, Scully?"

"A cruise... they've booked us on a cruise!"

"Where to?" asked Mulder.

"The Caribbean."

"Guess you'll have to dust off that tux after all, Dad!" grinned Josh.

"Look at this itinerary, Mulder - we sail from Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico, then make calls to St Thomas, St Maarten, Barbados, St Lucia and Grenada." Scully looked up at her husband, her eyes full of excitement.

"When do we leave?" he asked.

"Three weeks' time. Isn't it wonderful, Mulder? I was going to speak to you about taking a holiday, and they had this planned all the time."

"It's great, Scully... I just hope I don't get seasick."

"You won't, Dad - you won't even know you're moving," said Steph. "You'll have a great time... lounging up on deck in the warm, Caribbean sunshine, a cocktail in one hand and a book in the other..."

"It sounds wonderful, sweetheart," said Mulder. "Thank you - thank you all so much." There were hugs and kisses for everyone.

"We've booked one of the best staterooms, so you'll be nice and comfortable," said Josh. He turned to his father. "By the way, Dad - your ticket is one way only!"

"Very funny, Josh. You really are the comedian, aren't you?" responded Mulder drily.

A little while after, everyone took their leave, and Mulder and Scully were once again alone.

"Oh, it's nice to have the place to ourselves again," said Scully. She sat on the bed and kicked off her shoes. "What a day! Life as a Mulder is never dull, I'll say that."

"I told you it would be a wonderful Christmas, Scully," said Mulder softly, as he massaged her tiny feet. He leaned in and kissed her. "And it's going to be an even better New Year."

The End