Title: Snow Daze
by xphilernj
feedback: [email protected]
December 7, 2003
Rating: PG-13 for language
Disclaimer: Don't own them. CC does. Except for 'Bear', he's
mine. <g>
Classification: S, MA, SA
Spoilers: none

Summary:  Just another Christmas?

Acknowledgments: Thank you Fibbie. Your love, friendship and
support means more to me than you'll ever know. A big hug and
kiss to my SweetSallie for always being there for me when I need
 that little push, a whole lot of help and being the best beta diva.

Author Notes: For the Golden Gurney Awards December Contest;
Christmas Theme.  

~>~>~*~<~<~
Christmas Eve
Scully's Apartment
Evening

The apartment was dark and quiet. A Christmas tree stood in the
corner, with small lights that twinkled softly, and fire popped and
crackled in the fireplace, lending warmth against the December
cold.

Scully stretched, sighed and relaxed against Mulder's chest. His
arms wound around her waist and his legs extended out from
beneath her.  "Hmmm...this is nice Mulder. Quiet and peaceful.
I'm glad we decided to stay here instead of going to Mom's for
the night."

"Yeah, me too. I hope your Mom wasn't too disappointed. I know
she would've liked to have you there."

"She understood, Mulder. But, she does expect us there in the
morning by 7:00 for breakfast."

Mulder groaned, nuzzled her ear and squeezed her tighter.  Scully
chuckled and rubbed his arms. "Mulder, it's not that bad."

"Maybe not for you. You're not the one Bill hates. I just don't want
to ruin it for your Mom. I know how hard she tries to get all the
family together during the holidays. Maybe I should just stay here
and let your family enjoy at least one day of peace without me
there to cause a scene. You know Bill will..."

"No. If you don't go then I don't go." Scully turned, looked
up and placed her hand on his cheek. "You are my family
too, and I will not let Bill ruin it for us. This is our first
Christmas together as a couple and I want to spend it with
you. I don't care if it's at Mom's or here as long as we're
together."

He pressed his cheek into her palm and closed his eyes. "Scully,
I just don't want to be a burden..." He opened his eyes when she
interrupted.

"You are not a burden.  If Bill doesn't like the fact that we're
together, then that's his problem. I want you there with me and
Mom wants you there too. Mom thinks of you as one of her own,
and if you don't show up, she'll come after you. There'll be no
place to hide where she *can't*, find you." Scully smiled at him
with a wicked twinkle in her eye.

Mulder grinned. "All right, I'll go. If I know you and your Mom, I
don't stand a chance."

Scully reached up as he tilted his head down, and kissed him
softly on the lips. "Good. Why don't you pick up the mess we
made unwrapping gifts while I go fix us some hot chocolate?"

"Oh, hey wait." Mulder grabbed the magic eight ball that Scully
had given to him as a gag gift. "Let me consult the crystal ball
about tomorrow."

"Mulder."

"Hold on Scully," he said with a grin. "Let's see. Will Bill behave
himself tomorrow?" he asked as he shook the ball.
They both looked at the ball and then laughed when the words
'Don't count on it' appeared.  Scully pulled herself up out of
Mulder's arms and started for the kitchen.  "You take care of this
mess and I'll be right back."

"Okay," he replied with a grin as he watched her disappear
around the corner.

Mulder quickly went to the closet in the bedroom, reached into
one of his suit coat pockets and retrieved a small, brightly
wrapped package. He headed back to the front room making
sure Scully was still in the kitchen, before stuffing the box in
between the cushions of the couch. Then he hurriedly picked
up the paper, stuffed it in a discarded plastic bag, and placed
their gifts on top of the coffee table.

Mulder chuckled at the matching silk boxers and nightgown.
They both had laughed as they unwrapped their gifts. He had
given her a midnight blue gown and she had given him a pair
of midnight blue silk boxers. He was just settling back into the
couch when Scully appeared.

Scully handed Mulder a mug that was in danger of overflowing
with tiny marshmallows, smiling and shaking her head when he
looked up at her with the biggest smile.

"Oh Scully, you know what I like."

Mulder patted the couch between his legs. He placed his hot
chocolate on the coffee table as Scully leaned into him. He
wrapped his arms around her again, being careful of the
mug she was holding. Leaning down, Mulder kissed her on the
cheek.

"Ummm . . . Scully. I have another present for you. I was gonna
wait until tomorrow but..."

"Another present? I don't know Mulder, that key chain was..."

"Hey! That key chain is a collector's item. And functional too."

"An M & M key chain with a flashlight. Just what I always
wanted."

Mulder chuckled softly as he reached between the cushions,
pulled out the small package, and held it out to her. He took
the mug from her hands and placed it on the table.

"Mulderrr. What is this? The sweater and lingerie you gave me
was more than enough."

"It's just a little something I picked up. Saw it and thought you
might like it."

She looked up at him with an arched eyebrow and a twinkle in
her eye. "Another key chain, Mulder?"

"Scully, you wound me," Mulder smiled. "Go ahead and open it."

"All right." She carefully peeled away the paper to reveal a small
black velvet box. Her hands began to tremble as Mulder reached
over and lifted the lid.

Scully gasped. "Mulder."
 
"Do you like them?"

"Oh, Mulder. Yes. But you shouldn't have," she whispered.

"Try them on."

Scully pulled out the velvet covered tray that held the earrings
in place.

Mulder held his breath as she uncovered the hidden treasure. He
hoped it had not been a mistake when her body began to shake
within his embrace. Maybe it was too soon. Granted, they never
discussed marriage before but, he knew in his heart and soul there
was no one else for him. A twinge of fear and insecurity started
creeping up his spine.

"Scully?" he whispered in her ear.

"Mulder," she breathed.

Mulder took the tiny diamond ring from the box, hesitated and
then slid it onto her finger. He cupped her damp cheek with the
palm of his hand. She looked up with tear-filled eyes.

"Envisage."

"What?"

"Imagine and visualize." Mulder smiled and then said, "I have
loved you for so long and we have been through so much in this
one lifetime. I can't see myself with anyone but you. I love you so
much, Scully. Will you spend the rest of my life with me?"

The tears continued to flow. Scully didn't know if she would be
able to speak. She could see the fear and hope in Mulder's
eyes, but mainly she could see love.

Scully placed her hand above his heart. "A poet's heart. My
dreamer," she whispered. "Yes," she said with a hitch in her
voice.

Mulder gathered her up in his arms and hugged her close until
her body began to relax. She pulled back and reached up with
a smile on her lips and kissed him.

"I can't see me spending the rest of my life with anyone else
*but* you. Even with everything you and I both have been through
over the past seven years, I wouldn't change a single thing. I love
you, Mulder," she whispered against his lips.

They sat watching the lights twinkling in the tree, taking comfort
in each other's arms as the fire slowly died down. "Hey," he said
softly. "It's almost 10:00. What do you say we call it a night?"

"I suppose we should. We do have to get up early in the morning
if we're gonna get to Mom's by 7:00." Scully stood up and
gathered her presents.

"Scully? How about modeling that Christmas present I got you?"
he asked with a grin.

"Only if you show me yours," she said as she tossed the blue silk
boxers to him.

He jumped up smiling and chased her to the bedroom. "Anytime
Agent Scully, anytime."

She laughed as Mulder closed the bedroom door.

~>~>~*~<~<

Christmas Morning
6 AM

They awoke to find a winter wonderland. Snow covered the
ground, rooftops, and trees. A crisp wind whipped around them
as they began to load presents into the car.

"Have we got everything?" Mulder asked as he rubbed his hands
up and down his arms, in an effort to stay warm.

"I think so. You took the bag that was on the kitchen table, right?"

"Yep. You ready to go then? Got your cell phone? Oh, and did you
call your Mom to let her know we were on our way?"

"I have my phone. Do you have yours? And no, I thought I
would wait until we were on the road before I called her." Scully
slid into the passenger seat and started buckling up as Mulder
closed the door.

Mulder slid in behind the steering wheel, started the car, turned
the heater on, then with cold stiff fingers tried to buckle his seat
belt. Scully reached over and clicked it in place with a smile.

"Thanks. I guess I did forget something," he said with a sheepish
grin. "Gloves."

~>~*~<~

Mulder was thankful there weren't many cars this early in the
morning. Driving in heavy traffic with the snow and ice was quite
enough on a day to day basis when going to work. On mornings
like this when traffic was light, he could enjoy a leisurely drive.

They were making good time and expected to arrive at Maggie's
by 6:45. Mulder was beginning to look forward to spending
Christmas with Scully's family, even though there was sure to be
tension with Bill lurking and scowling at every turn. A smile crept
across his face when the sunlight caught the ring on Scully's
finger. *Whooboy! Is Billy boy gonna love this!*

"...Yeah Mom. We're about 20 minutes away. Do you need us to
stop and pick anything up on the way in? Okay. See you then."
Scully ended the call and turned to see the smile plastered across
Mulder's face. "Care to share?"
 
"Oh, I was just thinking about what Bill is gonna say when he gets
a look at the ring on your finger." The smile slowly turned into a
grimace, and his teeth began to worry his bottom lip.

When Scully saw the look on Mulder's face, she lifted her hand
from where it rested on his leg, and brushed the back of her
knuckles across his cheek.  "Oh no you don't," she cautioned.
"What's going on in that beautiful mind of yours, Mulder?"

Mulder glanced quickly at her, then turned his attention back to
the road ahead. "Scully. I can't help thinking maybe it's not a good
idea to wear your ring until we at least tell your mom about us. I
don't want anything to spoil this day for you."

"I understand your concern Mulder, really I do, but I'm going to
wear this ring all day and I don't intend to take it off. I love you
and I thought we settled this this morning. I thought I told you
again how happy I am that we're getting married. I don't
intend to hide this from anyone, least of all my family."

Mulder grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. "All
right Scully, if you're sure."

"I'm sure. Absolutely." She smiled and then jerked her hand
from his. "Look out!" she screamed, as a pickup truck
swerved into their lane.

Mulder grabbed the steering wheel and lightly tapped the
brakes as he swerved to keep the truck from slamming into
them. The young man driving the truck tried to steer back
into his own lane, but it was too late. The sound of scraping
metal, screeching tires and Mulder screaming Scully's
name echoed through the car.

~>~*~<~

Mulder slowly opened his eyes, and with a moan called out
to Scully. His vision blurred, he tried to move. Reaching out
for her, he gasped when pain shot through his head and side.
He shut his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth.

"I'm all right, Mulder. Try not to move." Scully grabbed his hand
and lightly squeezed his cold fingers."Mulder, can you hear me?"
She squeezed his hand again.
 
"Yeah. What happened?" Mulder's voice sounded strained as
he struggled to open his eyes again.

"We slid into a snow bank. The car is turned slightly up on its
side. Mulder, where are you hurt?" Scully tried to release
Mulder's hand but his fingers tightened around hers. "Mulder,
I've got to try and get my seat belt loose."

Mulder reluctantly let go. His vision was still a little fuzzy, but
gradually the scene around him began to come into focus. His
head throbbed and a dull ache in his side still hampered his
movements.

After she was free of her restraints and with a bit of maneuvering,
Scully was able to get a better look at Mulder's injuries. She
quickly checked his pulse and respiration.  Mulder's vital signs
appeared to be within normal limits, especially considering what
they had just been through. His face was pale, his eyes filled with
pain.

"Mulder? Are you in a lot of pain? Where are you hurt?"

"My head and side. It's not too bad. I'm sorry Scully. Looks like I
screwed up again." He managed to open his eyes and he gave
her a sad smile.

Scully shook her head and gently probed his side. Mulder
gasped and flinched as she lightly felt the area around his ribs.

"Mulder, this was not your fault and if you continue to beat
yourself up about it I'll just let Mom take care of it." She raised
her eyebrow at him and he began to chuckle, then groaned in
pain.

"Ah Scully, don't make me laugh. It hurts."  Mulder's lips twisted
into a painful smile.

"Well it doesn't feel like you have any broken ribs. You'll have
one hell of a bruise though. You have a gash above your eye,
but you don't seem to be suffering from a concussion. I want to
have you checked out just to be sure."  Scully's stern tone of
voice told him it would be pointless to argue.

"All right, but not today. I don't want to spend another Christmas
day in the hospital. Please, Scully. I promise to take it easy and
then go to the hospital tomorrow if you think I need to." His voice
was filled with pain, his eyes spoke of Christmases past, and
regret.

Scully took a deep breath and sighed. "Okay Mulder, but you
have to promise to tell me right away if you start to see double
or feel nauseated. Now let's see if we can get this belt off and
get you out of here."

Mulder just shook his head and smiled. Scully unbuckled the
restraints and then jumped when someone began to bang on
the window.

~>~*~<~

"Hello! Hey, you folks okay in there?" the man yelled. He was
a big man around 50 wearing a black Stetson, red plaid
flannel shirt, black jeans and a heavy, fleece-lined corduroy
jacket.

Scully smiled reassuringly at Mulder and then turned to the
man outside. "Yes, but he's hurt and we need to get out of
here. Can you open the door?"

The older man smiled and began to pull on the door. With a
groan and harsh scrape of metal rubbing metal, the door
opened. A gust of cold wind blew in, causing Mulder to shiver
and moan.

"Hey, little lady. He don't look so good. Can I lend a hand
getting him out?" There was genuine concern in the
stranger's voice.

"Thanks.  I would certainly appreciate your help." Scully
answered the man, then turned back to Mulder. "Come on
Mulder, it's time we got you out."

"Scully, you go ahead and get out. I think I can manage with
this guy's help."

"All right." Scully backed up and slid out of the car with the
older man's help.

"Be careful of his ribs," she warned. "They're pretty sore."

"By the way, my name is Virgil Bryan. But you can just call
me 'Bear.'" He chuckled when her eyebrow shot up. "Don't
ask. Long story."

Scully smiled. "I'm Dana Scully and this is Fox Mulder." It
was her turn to laugh when Bear's eyebrow shot up in return.
"But you can just call us 'Mulder' and 'Scully.'"

Bear laughed and then turned back to Mulder. "All right
Mulder, let's see if we can get you out of this here car
without causing you too much pain. Just grab hold of my
hand and see if you can slide across."

Mulder reached out and grabbed the man's hand, winced
and stifled a groan. With a bit of maneuvering Bear was
able to get Mulder safely out and leaning against the car.

"Let's get you into my truck where it's warm. Then I'll see
about getting your car back on the road. It doesn't look too
bad. You just might be able to drive it out of here." The man
put one arm around Mulder's waist as they walked back to
his truck.

"Thanks, Bear. We appreciate your help. But, we don't
want to impose. We can call a tow truck." Mulder settled
into the warm cab, and leaned his head back against the
rear window.

Bear patted Mulder's leg and then helped Scully up and
into the cab next to Mulder. "Now don't you worry about it.
You aren't imposing. Besides, I offered. It's Christmas day
and I doubt you'll get anyone out here anytime soon. You'd
probably freeze to death before any of those jokers decided
to put down their fork long enough to help someone out."

With that he stepped back and closed the door. Mulder and
Scully watched as Bear made his way back to their car. He
reached over the top of the car and then started rocking it until
he had it upright again. He walked around the front and then
back around to the rear. He opened the door, reached in and
put the gear in neutral, and then closed the door. He rubbed his
hands together, walked back to the drivers side of the truck,
opened the door, reached in and pulled a lever.

"You folks just sit tight and I'll have her outta there in no time,"
he said as he closed the door.  Mulder and Scully watched with
interest as Bear began to work.

~>~*~<~

About 30 minutes later Bear had their car upright, out of the ditch
and running. He opened the passenger door and helped Scully
and Mulder back to their car.

"Bear, thank you so much for your help. I don't know what we
would have done if you hadn't stopped to help." Scully reached
out and shook his hand. Thank you."

Bear blushed and then with a wide grin he held out his hand to
Mulder. "You take care of your little lady now. She's a keeper, I
would say."

"Yes, she is, a keeper for a lifetime. Thanks Bear, for all your
help. Merry Christmas." Mulder smiled as Bear closed the
door, tipped his hat and waved.

"Merry Christmas. Y'all take care now, ya hear?" Bear walked
through the snow back to his truck. They watched and waved as
Bear headed up the road.

"Oh dammit! Mulder I didn't even think to call Mom. She's
probably worried sick." Scully pulled her cell phone out and
hit the speed dial. "Mulder are you really all right? We could
just go back home. Mom would understand." Scully was
hoping he would want to go back to the apartment, because
right now she wasn't sure *she* could handle Christmas with
her family.

"I have a bit of a headache and my side still hurts, but I'll be
all right to spend the day with you and your Mom. Really, I
want to go. Please."

Scully just sighed and nodded as Maggie answered the phone.  
"Mom. No. Mom. We're all right. I'm sorry I didn't call before now.
We were in an accident. No, Mom. Everything is okay. We're
banged up a bit but we'll be there in a little while. Yeah, but he's
gonna need some rest. Mom, Mulder wants to. He insists." Scully
rolled her eyes at Mulder's little grin and then her eyebrows shot
up.

"What's that son-of-a bitch done now? Where is she? I'll go
get her?" Bill ranted in the background.

"What, Scully? Is everything all right?" Mulder placed a hand on
her knee.  "What's going on?"

"Mom, if he starts the minute we walk in the door, so help me I will
pull my gun and shoot him. He better make up his mind now. Either
he cans it or *we* do not come. It's his choice." Scully smiled and
kissed Mulder on the cheek. "All right Mom, we'll be there in a few.
I know Mom, we'll be careful." Scully hit the end button and stuffed
the phone back into her pocket.

"Well, what was that all about? What did Bill have to say? As if I
don't already know." Mulder laid his head back against the
headrest, closed his eyes and huffed angrily.

"Mulder?" Scully waited until he opened his eyes. "As usual Bill is
being a horse's ass. Nothing new. Listen. I love you and I want to
go and show off my beautiful Christmas present. I want to show
off my new fiance as well. Whaddya say partner?"

"Bill would have a heart attack for sure if you paraded around in
that skimpy little night gown."

"Mul...derrr"

With an exaggerated leer, Mulder leaned over and kissed her.
Scully moaned softly into his mouth as his tongue worked it's
magic. When they came up for air, Mulder smiled smugly.
"Bring it on, Scully"

~>~*~<~

The end?