Author's Notes: Okay, other than It's A Wonderful Life (which I wrote last July), this is my contribution to the XFiles Christmas stories wave. It's mostly a feel good type thing. I know that there has been discussion over whether Mulder is Jewish or not, and I went with the idea presented in "Ghosts Who Stole Christmas" where they open presents together and ran with it. Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

Disclaimer: Ain't mine. Gee, ya think? :-) Anyway, Mulder, Scully, etc are the property of Chris Carter, FOX television, 1013 Productions, 20 th Century Fox, and probably a few others. No profit is being made from this story.

Snow was falling heavily onto Washington and it's numerous suburbs, but from where Fox Mulder sat on his couch, he couldn't see it. He couldn't even bring himself to care. The holiday season had long lost it's appeal to him, and his apartment showed it. Not a single decoration marked it's interior, only a card from Scully's mom that sat beside his computer.

His lack of holiday spirit had evidently annoyed his partner. Scully had spent the past couple of days the closest to bubbly he had ever seen. Of course, she was still Scully and quite reserved compared to many of the perky shoppers he saw when he had went to the mall. The closer to Christmas it got, the grouchier Mulder became, and Scully had given up trying to shake him out of it.

They had finally gotten into a senseless argument that afternoon. Mulder couldn't even bring himself to remember what it had been about, much less who had won. As a result, he had found himself at the mall, searching for the perfect gift. He had meant to find her something for a couple of weeks, but they had just finished a case out in the field earlier in the week and they had been very busy.

A product of his impromptu shopping trip, Scully's gift lay on his coffee table. It wasn't wrapped, for some reason he couldn't find the roll of wrapping paper he knew was around his small apartment -- somewhere.

Looking over at the phone, he pondered calling Scully. Christmas was two days away, and he knew she would leave for her mother's house on Christmas Eve. That was another reason she had been excited, Mulder acknowledged. Charlie and his family was flying in for the holiday, it was the first time she would see him that Mulder could remember.

He was reaching for the phone when it rang. Closing his eyes after the start it gave him, he finished picking up the chirping phone.

"Mulder."

After a second of silence, he heard an almost hesitant, "Mulder, it's me."

"Hey, Scully," he said, leaning back onto the couch.

"I was wondering, could you come over here and give me a hand with something?"

Mulder blinked in surprise. Scully asking him for help? That was a switch. Glancing at her gift, still resting in it's sack, he agreed. "Sure. If something got you to ask for help, this I have to see." A faint glint of humor sparked his voice.

"Good. See you soon."

Before Mulder could say anything else, he heard the click of the line being disconnected. Confused and more than a little curious, he pulled on his running shoes and jacket. Just before leaving the dark apartment he grabbed his keys and cell phone, and most importantly, Scully's gift.

***

Scully stood back from her half decorated Christmas tree and managed to sigh and smile at the same time. She had been working on the fragrant tree for over an hour, and the whole time had been thinking about her partner.

In retrospect, she regretted losing her temper earlier that day. It wasn't like his not enjoying the holidays was a new idea. However, she couldn't help being excited at the prospect of seeing Charlie and she wanted to share in some of her happiness with Mulder. Only he refused to cooperate. Again, not that she was surprised.

She also knew for a fact that he wasn't going to go see his mother over the holiday, and felt a bit bad for having such a large loving family to go home to. Truth be told, the pains Mulder associated with the holidays were of a kind she couldn't begin to comprehend. It was this realization that finally led her to call his apartment.

She could picture him, sitting there on the couch watching who knows what on the television. And with their last case keeping them busy and away for so long, she had never gotten around to decorating the tree that occupied the corner of her living room. It seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up.

Standing back and appraising her tree, she listened to Mulder's phone ring thinking, Heck, she laughed silently it might even be worth a few short jokes. Pausing, she amended her train of thought. A few anyway.

After her brief conversation with Mulder, she tossed the phone onto the couch. Picking up another ornament, she continued to decorate while she waited.

***

Mulder had pulled up into the parking lot outside of Scully's apartment building, but waited before getting out of the car. He still wasn't in a very holiday mood, but at the same time, didn't want to knock on her door with a "Bah Humbug" either.

After a few moments, he closed the door behind him and jogged across the lot, careful not to break Scully's gift. By the time he knocked on Scully's door, he had managed to at least get the scowl off of his face, although not quite a smile.

Scully pulled the door open and smiled at her shivering partner. "Come in," she said, while standing off to the side. Mulder half smiled when she pointed at his hair. "You seem to have brought the snow in with you."

Running a hand through his hair, he laughed for the first time all day. "Well, what can I say. That was the explorer snow. Knew I was going to get warm and it wanted to see what it was all about."

Closing the door while Mulder took off his jacket, Scully laughed. "Only you could come up with something like that, Mulder." She was relieved to hear his often borderline humor, and more so his laughter. They moved into the kitchen when Scully asked, "Coffee?"

Shaking his head, he commented, "No. But you know what would be good?" At her raised eyebrow, he held up his hands, "Scully, you wound me. I hot chocolate with marshmallows."

"I think I can manage that," Scully said, disappearing in the kitchen. When she returned, she was carrying two steaming mugs of hot cocoa. "I see you've found my problem." When Mulder looked at her confused, she gestured toward the half-finished tree that he had been looking at. "My tree," she added, handing him a cup.

"What about it?"

She laughed, blowing across her cocoa to cool it. "Mulder, for such a smart man, you can be so obtuse sometimes."

"Well," he said, his sour humor lifting, "I come over here to help, and what do I get? First it's my decent side that gets insulted. Now I'm not quick-witted enough. Hum?"

Scully, who had been taking a drink laughed. "Ow," she muttered, "now look what you did, you made me burn my lip."

"Want me to kiss it and make it better?" Mulder baited.

Smiling sweetly, she replied, "In your dreams, G-man."

"So," he said, sitting beside her on the couch, "what's wrong with your tree?"

"I need help," she said, pausing to take a sip of hot chocolate. "With the top parts," she muttered into the glass.

An evil glint appeared in Mulder's eyes. "What was that, Scully? You need help why?"

"Oh, you heard me," she said, placing her mug onto the coffee table. "Just because you're six feet tall doesn't mean I can't shoot you for giving me a hard time, buster."

Hiding his laughter behind his mug, Mulder knew she was kidding. Well, mostly and he wasn't willing to try her patience, at least not right then. Sitting his glass down next to Scully's he stood up and walked over to the tree. "Okay, so what are we looking at here?"

"Science says a tree, Mulder. What you see, though, would probably baffle the best scientists. Not to mention a few psychologists," she added the last under her breath.

"Ha ha, very funny."

"You can start with the globes." Handing him a box of the small objects, she went over to the stereo and found a station playing Christmas songs. Walking back over to the tree, she started placing icicles on the lower branches.

An hour later, the tree was finished except for the star on the top. Handing the ornate star to Mulder, she stood back as he managed to get it positioned on the upper most branch. "How's that?" he asked, his arms still above his head.

"Little to the left."

Moving the fragile object, he asked, "Now?"

Stifling a giggle, she managed to comment in a straight voice, "Sorry, too far."

"Scully," Mulder almost whined. "I'm losing the feeling in my arms here." He nudged it a bit in the opposite direction and stepped back, finally seeing the look on Scully's face. "You did that on purpose."

Mirth filled her blue eyes, and she gave up her attempt to not laugh. "Sorry."

"Uh, huh. Sure you are." Moving toward her, he said, "I think someone was being pretty naughty right then. I think you have to take the punishment."

"Punishment?" laughter filled the question, but none the less she backed a step away from Mulder.

"Tickling."

She tried to back away further, saying "Mulder. Don't you dare. Don't even think . . ." The last part of her statement was cut off when she tripped on the end of the couch.

Mulder managed to catch her before she hit her head on the coffee table, but her relief died when he took advantage of the opportunity to tickle her mercilessly. Mulder's laughter mixed with Scully's, until he stopped tickling her and dropped her on the couch.

Scully, for her part, was doing the best she could to breathe. "You're gonna pay for that partner."

Waggling his eye brows up and down, he asked "Really? Ya mean it, Scully?"

"Do I ever," she muttered under her breath. Then she said, "Don't forget, Mulder. I happen to know you're ticklish, too." He laughed, but said nothing. After a moments silence, Scully commented, "It's good to hear you laugh, Mulder."

Mulder sat, no longer laughing, but still smiling. "You didn't need any help on your tree. Did ya?"

Smiling, she replied. "Well, I guess you'll never really know."

"Thanks, Scully."

"You're welcome."

"That reminds me," Mulder said, standing suddenly. He walked over to where his coat was hanging by the door. "I got you something."

"Mulder . . ."

Handing her the small bag, he said, "Sorry it's not wrapped. I think someone abducted my wrapping paper."

Scully looked at the bag, and slowly reached down inside it. Pulling her hand out, she found herself holding a fragile gold tree ornament. "Mulder . . ."

Almost apprehensively, he asked, "Like it?"

Turning the small ornament, she replied, "I love it. I hadn't had a chance to get a new one this year."

"This year?" Mulder asked, his confusion showing in his eyes.

"It was tradition," Scully answered, standing to place it on the tree. "Every year, all the kids got a new tree ornament. When I moved here, I took it up for myself. But this year, we've been so busy." Standing back from the tree, she admired the way it blended with the rest of the navy and gold decorations. Turning to face Mulder, she said, "Thanks to you, it's not up to just me this year."

Mulder smiled, "I'm glad you like it."

Leaning down, Scully pulled a small rectangular box out from under the tree. Smiling brightly, she handed him the box, saying "Your turn."

Taking the box, he dropped down into a chair. For a minute he just looked at the paper and ornate bow and ribbons. He carefully removed the bow and ribbons before tearing into the paper. Scully laughed, thinking how much he looked like a little kid.

"Scully . . ."

"Like it?"

"It's great," he laughed, taking the ornament out of the box. "Guess we were thinking along the same lines?" he asked.

Looking at him, she replied, "Well, there's always a first time for everything, Mulder."

Studying the golden ornament, which was an oval covered in stars, Mulder commented, "But my family never had a tradition like yours, Scully."

"Then you can start a new tradition," she said, taking the ornament from him. "Am I safe in assuming that you didn't even get a tree?" When Mulder nodded, she walked across to the tree and placed his ornament near the one he had given her. "There. Perfect."

When she turned around, Mulder smiled. "Merry Christmas, Scully."

"Merry Christmas, Mulder."

fin

• Kalynn's X-Files Fan Fiction
  
• Kalynn's Fan Fiction