Part Eight


Disclaimer and archiving info in Prologue


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The Thirteen Days Of Christmas-December 31: New Year's Eve


     Mulder was awoken by the sound of soft voices 
talking next to him.  He peeled open his eyes and 
saw Scully sitting up in bed with Rhiannon on her 
lap.  He watched them play little games, Scully seeing 
if she could her Rhiannon to identify different body 
parts and Rhiannon playing Peeka-Boo with Scully's 
hands.  Soon Scully and Rhiannon noticed he was awake 
and he smiled at them.  "Good morning," Scully said.

     Rhiannon crawled over to him and rubbed his face 
with her hands.  "Hi, Dada," she smiled.

     He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.  
"G'morning to you too."

     Rhiannon mover her hands to his nose and grabbed 
onto it.  "Nose," she said proudly.  Mulder's eyes 
looked up to see Scully vainly trying to hide a laugh 
behind her hand.  He glowered at her, but then began 
to smile himself.

     "Be grateful you didn't inherit it," Mulder said 
as he gently pulled her hands off.  Rhiannon giggled 
and laid down, resting her head against his chest.  
"So what's on the schedule today?" he asked.

     Scully shrugged.  "I don't know.  I think maybe 
we could head into Hoover and see what else we can 
dig up on the Millennium Group," she said, then she 
sighed.  "And all this on New Year's Eve, a day when 
we should be sleeping late in expectation of being up 
until the next morning."

     Mulder looked up at her.  "Well, it's the ideal 
time for the group to strike, on the eve of the new 
millennium."

     Scully arched an eyebrow at him.  "Mulder, the 
new millennium doesn't start until--"

     "Don't get all technical on me," Mulder cut her 
off, smirking.  "No one likes a math geek."  Scully 
was not amused and took a throw pillow and thumped 
him over the head with it, much to Rhiannon's delight.  
"You're getting a real laugh out of this, aren't you?" 
he asked her.  Rhiannon nodded.

     Scully moved closer to the two of them.  "Why do 
I get the feeling it's going to be a long day?" she 
asked.

     "Because it's always a long day when it comes 
to us," Mulder said, thinking about past cases.

     Scully looked thoughtful for a moment, then 
reached onto her nighttable and grabbed the Christmas 
book.  "Might as well read now, who knows where we'll 
be tonight," she said, shooting a half smile at him.  
Mulder moved closer to her, and Rhiannon sat up 
between them.  When they were all comfortable 
Scully began to read.
          

          'On the last day of the year, the mayor's
           men always processed around the town and
           the children came running out of the
           houses for the traditional gifts of oranges
           and buns.  But this year, the men found
           themselves marching up and down empty 
           streets.  Their bell clanged sadly, and
           their calls of "Come out, come out, the
           year is dying" had no effect.  All the
           children and most of their parents were in
           Lee Street, outside the Kitsons' house,
           waiting for a different procession.  The
           grown-ups weren't even bothering to make 
           polite conversation about the price of
           candles and the chances of snow: They
           were openly wondering what Francis would
           send today.  The children were admiring
           the dolphin-mounted marble boys that the
           builders had set on either side of the
           bridge to the Kitsons' door.  Water
           spouted merrily from the dolphins'
           mouths into the stream....'


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     Mulder had a slightly stupid grin on his face as 
they walked into the hospital elevator, but it wasn't 
because of the day.  The day itself was hellish, a 
mixture of zombies, one too many millennium prophecies 
for his tastes, and something resulting in Scully 
getting a nasty scratch on her neck and his right 
arm with a nice gash and a sling.

     But that was certainly not why he was smiling.  
He was smiling because he'd kissed Scully, which he 
had done many, many times before, but this time it 
was different.  It was at the stroke of midnight on 
the first day of the new millennium in the middle of 
a hospital waiting room.

     In public.

     Where anyone could see them.

     Okay, it went against all the rules they had made 
for themselves to prevent their relationship from 
getting found out, but he couldn't resist.  It was 
such perfect timing, a once in a lifetime opportunity.  
Scully was still looking with a sort of half smile on 
her face and Mulder had his arm around her.  Once they 
were on the elevator, Mulder tried to explain his 
reasoning.

     "Look, Scully, I know I shouldn't have done 
that but the tim--"  Scully cut him off with her 
fingers over his lips.

     "Mulder, be quiet," she grinned.  "No one's 
going to notice two people kissing on New Year's, 
of all days."

     Mulder looked bashfully down at the floor of 
the elevator.  "I know.  I just thought you were 
kind of mad because you weren't really responding."

     Scully arched an eyebrow at him.  "You want to 
know why?" she asked him, an enigmatic grin forming 
on her face.  Mulder nodded.  "Because," she said 
slowly, "I would have reacted like this."  She pushed 
him back against the elevator wall and kissed him 
hotly, using her lips and teeth and tongue.  When 
the bell rang and the doors began to open she pulled 
away.  "Now that could not have been passed off as 
just a simple New Year's kiss between friends," she 
grinned at him and walked out of the elevator.  Mulder 
followed after her with an astonished and delighted 
look on his face, feeling weak kneed and a little 
breathless.

     They walked out to their car, with Scully taking 
the driver's seat because Mulder's painkillers were 
starting to kick in.  He was feeling no pain at all, 
but there was the inevitable grogginess that came 
along with it.  While they were driving Scully spoke 
again.  "I talked to Skinner while you were getting 
your arm stitched up.  We've got vacation time until 
the 10th.  The first three days are official sick 
leave, but he's looking at the whole thing as sick 
time so there's a slim to none chance that we'll 
be bothered."

     "Thank God," Mulder sighed, slumping back in 
his seat.  He spent the rest of the ride half-asleep, 
the day and the painkiller's catching up with him.  
He became more aware when Scully shook his good 
shoulder, telling him that they were back at the 
apartment.  He got out of the car a little shakily, 
and Scully moved to wrap an arm around his waist, 
giving him the support he needed.

     Slowly, for they were both near exhaustion by 
this time, they made their way into the apartment 
building and onto the elevator, hitting the button 
for the fifth floor.  Mulder felt his head dropping 
onto Scully's and his eyes falling shut in the 
beginnings of sleep.  He was jolted awake by the slight 
movement of the elevator signifying they were at the 
fifth floor.  They walked to Nora's apartment and 
saw the lights on under the door and heard the noise of 
a party going on, so they knew it was okay to knock on 
the door and pick Rhiannon up.  Nora opened the door, 
her face slightly flushed with the excitement of the 
night.  She started a little when she got a good look 
at them.  "Whoa, what happened?" she said.

     "Long story." "Don't ask," they said simultaneously.

     Nora nodded.  "Okay.  Let me just get Rhiannon, 
she's asleep along with the rest of the kids."  She 
disappeared for a moment and then came back carrying 
a sleeping Rhiannon in her arms along with the old 
diaper bag draped over one shoulder.  "Here you go," 
she whispered, handing Rhiannon off to Scully, who 
cradled her carefully in her arms, and the diaper 
bag to Mulder's good arm.  "You are going to come 
over tomorrow, right?" she asked quietly.

     "Yeah," Scully nodded, speaking just as quietly.  
"We'll see you then."

     Mulder and Scully walked into their own apartment, 
close to falling asleep on their feet.  Scully went 
into Rhiannon's room and laid her down in the crib, 
covering her carefully with a blanket.  She stroked 
her back lightly for a minute and then went into 
their bedroom.  In there Mulder had stripped down 
to his boxers and sliding under the covers.  "Be sure 
to prop your arm up on a pillow," she told him as she 
got into her pajamas.

     "Okay," Mulder said, taking one of the pillows 
from behind him and placing it under his right arm.  
Scully slid into bed on the other side of him and 
rested her head on his chest.

     "Happy New Year," she whispered, and she felt 
Mulder brush a kiss against her head.

     "Happy New Year," he whispered back, and then 
"Love you," said softly against her hair.

     "Love you too," Scully said with a soft smile 
in her voice.  Within seconds they were both fast asleep.


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End of Part Eight-December 31: New Year's Eve