TITLE:   SMOTHER LOVE AND DROP SEATS: A CHRISTMAS TALE
AUTHOR:  JACQUIE LAVA
RATING:  NC-17
CATEGORY:  MSR
CLASSIFICATION:  HUMOR
KEYWORDS:  MARRIED FIC, KID FIC
Disclaimers: In my dreams, CC will let them have this much fun,
lovin' and in-your-face nooky...

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This was written in response to a challenge fic put
out by the talented Kimpa; the list of elements are found at the end
of the story -

WARNING: Contains sappy, schmoopy holiday love between consenting
married adults with children... if this isn't your thing, pass on
by!

But if you like that sort of MSR, please feel free to grab a cup of
eggnog and stay awhile!

SUMMARY: A snowy Christmas in the Mulder household... and some
under-the-tree surprises!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Mom, I need your help - got a minute?" Mulder juggled the phone
against his ear while bouncing Kimpa on his hip, and testing formula
on his wrist. Multi-tasking; that's what it was all about, he
thought with an inward grin, as he managed to keep the phone tucked
into his chin and shove the warm bottle of milk into Kimpa's eager
little mouth. The baby immediately grabbed for it with both hands
and began sucking like mad, making loud smacking noises and kicking
her tiny feet happily. And on the other end of the phone, Maggie
Scully laughed in her son-in-law's ear.

"Doesn't sound as if you need my help, Fox - I can hear the sucking
and gurgling from here. Kimpa's a happy little love right now, isn't
she?" Mulder sank down on the nearest kitchen chair and smiled down
at his feeding child, then yawned into the phone before he answered.

"Sorry, Mom - didn't mean to yawn in your ear. Late night - Kevin's
been coming down with the twenty-four hour flu and was up visiting
the john for most of it. I didn't have the heart to wake Scully;
she's been so whipped lately -" As he spoke Mulder rocked the baby
gently; she was already falling asleep, her pink rosebud mouth going
slack around the nipple. He lifted her against his shoulder and let
her burp; she never woke, but tucked her dark head into his neck and
began to snore softly. Maggie chuckled again.

"Snoring - just as Missy used to do at that age. I never could
understand how a seven-month old baby could snore so loud... what a
sweetheart; she's such a good baby. Now, what do you need, Dear?"
The warmth in his mother-in-law's voice never failed to ease Mulder's
worries, even about the silliest things... rather like the current
silly thing he was about to ask her. But it was important. He
rubbed a soothing hand over Kimpa's back as he spoke into the
receiver.

"You'll think it's nuts... but I really want to surprise Scully this
year, and I need to know if there was ever anything she desperately
wanted for Christmas that she never got, when she was a little girl.
Aside from the obvious things like now-extinct toys and such..."
Mulder stood up and walked the length of the kitchen with Kimpa;
she'd begun to awaken and fuss a bit. Maggie's normally-soft tones
were almost drowned out by the baby's whimpering.

"Of course it's a given that you'll tell me why you need to know
this, Fox... but let's see. I remember Bill Junior was keen on fire
engines, and always had a fire truck in his hands. Dana would
sometimes hang around him when he was playing with them but she never
wanted to do more than watch. Hmm... Charlie was just a baby and
Missy played with Barbie Dolls, but so did Dana. And Missy and Dana
wore the same style of clothes... Oh, wait a second! I know!" And
as Maggie proceeded to tell Mulder what his wife had desired so
ardently as a child that she had never gotten... Mulder's jaw dropped
and he stopped walking Kimpa, who'd fallen asleep again on his
shoulder.

"You're kidding, right?"

*****************************

"Whatcha doin', Dad?" Kevin hung over Mulder's shoulder as he
tapped upon the computer keyboard. The boy wore rumpled pajamas with
little race cars all over them; his dark red hair stood on end and
his hazel eyes were red-rimmed from rubbing them too hard. Mulder
reached out an arm and swept his son into his embrace, settling him
on one knee as he continued to tap with the other hand. Kevin rested
his head against his father's shoulder and watched the screen.

"I'm looking for something, for your mother. A Christmas present."
Mulder clicked on a promising site and snuggled Kevin on his knee as
he waited for the upload. "I want to make this a very special
holiday for Mom - so I asked Grandma to help me think of a very
special gift." He kissed the top of Kevin's head, inhaling the sweet
scent of baby shampoo and sleepy boy; Kevin had just started second
grade in the fall but he was still their baby. Mulder glanced at the
screen as he nuzzled his son's hair; another dead end. Damn... He
backed up a screen and tried another site. He mumbled, "Jeez - how
hard can it be to find a pair of red long johns?" Kevin stirred in
his arms, almost asleep, and his soft reply was almost lost on Mulder.

"Try www.RedFireTruck.com, Dad..." Mulder dragged his eyes from the
screen and stared down at Kevin's sleepy face, his own a picture of
fatherly surprise.

"Where did you hear of a site like that, Son?" Kevin yawned hugely
and turned himself into his father's warm body, curling into a little
ball.

"Uncle Bill told me... last week when I stayed over at Gram's and
you guys went to the opera. I was talkin' to him on the phone an' I
was telling him I liked fire trucks. Uncle Bill says he does too -
and he told me where to look on the computer." Kevin yawned again
then sat up a little on Mulder's knee, enough to reach the keyboard.
His small fingers tapped a few words, and like magic the site popped
up, complete with red fire trucks as wallpaper and even a little
yellow fire hydrant as a cursor. Kevin pointed the hydrant to a
frolicking animated Dalmatian, and the site downloaded a page called,
"FireWear for Kids of All Ages"... Mulder just sat and watched with
his mouth hanging open, marveling at his very bright child - and
wondering how he could blackmail his ornery brother-in-law with the
knowledge of his secret weakness for fire trucks... then as Kevin
clicked on a tiny pair of red long johns, Mulder sat up at attention,
staring at the bright, silly-looking things. And he gave his son a
huge squeeze and kiss, making Kevin giggle at the feel of his late-
evening stubble against the boy's soft neck.

"Kevin, you're a genius..." The child giggled again and put a damp
mouth to Mulder's ear, whispering to him.

"Mommy will look cute if she wears those, Dad..."

*************************

Later that evening, Mulder went in search of his wife, and found her
in Kimpa's nursery, singing softly to her as she rocked the cranky
baby. Kimpa was fighting it big-time, her huge blue eyes swimming
with 'crocodile' tears, and her tiny bottom lip trembling.
Wordlessly Mulder held out his arms, and Scully smiled tiredly and
transferred their daughter over, then leaned back against the rocker
and watched him murmur softly to her. Kimpa sniffed and hiccuped
dramatically, her wet eyes fastened on Mulder as he cooed at her,
then as if by magic she stopped fussing as soon as Mulder brought her
face up close to his and brushed Eskimo kisses all over her chubby
cheeks and button nose. Scully snorted softly as she stretched her
stiff limbs.

"Oh sure, Mulder... I get her the first screaming hour and then you
take over when she's exhausted and can do little more than accept
your nose-bumping..." Nevertheless she was smiling at the sight they
made, father and daughter. Identical dark unruly heads, full of
thick silky hair; same coloring and same full lips and long lashes.
Kimpa had her eye color, though... otherwise she was pure Mulder,
whereas Kevin could be her double, except for those glorious hazel
eyes of his. Mulder replied softly as he continued to delight the
baby with his nose kisses.

"It's all in the nose, Scully... you should know that. Didn't I
just prove it to you last night...?" Scully shook her head in
defeat, no doubt fighting the urge to laugh at him, as she considered
his words.

"Oh, yes... you certainly did. I hope you know it's too late to go
out and get the tree tonight - we'll have to do it tomorrow. It's
not supposed to be very cold - we can take the kids if Kevin stays
fever-free tonight. Where is he, by the way? He didn't come give me
a kiss." Mulder snuggled the now-dozing baby in his arms and sat
down on the floor next to the rocking chair. Scully put out a hand
and ran her fingers through his hair, as they both regarded their
daughter.

"Kevin fell asleep while I was on the computer; I put him in our bed
so he wouldn't miss being tucked in by both of us. I have to do
about five minutes' more work online, before I close it up - take
Kimpa, okay? Let me finish downstairs, and I'll be up to help you
with Kevin." He handed the warm weight of their child into Scully's
waiting arms, then leaned in close and growled into Scully's ear,
"And then I'll meet you in the bedroom, and we can discuss the
further merits of nose-kissing..." He kissed the pink surface of her
ear and felt her shudder delicately.

"Ooh, I can't wait..."

****************************

Watery sunlight filtered in through the wooden blinds, cutting a
straight shaft of brightness across his eyes, and he groaned in his
sleep and burrowed his face deeper into the pillows. Not ready to
get up yet; amazed that he didn't have to... amazed that Kimpa had
slept through the night...

Shit!

Mulder came awake and sat up in bed, all vestiges of sleep erased
from his head, as he realized the baby had not cried yet. Kimpa
always cried for her morning bottle and changing, well before
sunrise... Mulder spared one quick glance at the pillow next to him,
noting Scully was still deeply asleep, on the off-chance she had
gotten up with the baby first... then he was out of bed and tearing
down the hallway toward the nursery in the most absurd panic, because
there really wasn't any reason at all that Kimpa would be missing
from her crib, or sick, or worse... was there?

The nursery was empty.

Mulder stared at the empty crib with disbelieving eyes, seeing the
crumpled baby blanket and Kimpa's discarded Pooh bear on the floor -
and his heart stopped and then pounded triple time. Kimpa never left
the nursery without that bear... Then a little coo, and a gurgle...
and a high childish laugh of glee... and Mulder was tearing down the
hall again, toward Kevin's room. He skidded to a stop and opened the
door...

To see his son and daughter curled up on Kevin's bed, cuddled
together, Kimpa sucking on a bottle with contentment while Kevin
helped her to hold it. At the sight of them Mulder felt the panic
drain out of him, and on shaky legs he walked to the bed and perched
on the end of it, regarding his son; taking several deep breaths
before he was sure his voice would sound normal. The last thing he
wanted to do was scare Kevin and break the bond forming between him
and his sister, for this was really the first time Kevin had shown
any strong interest in his baby sister, whom he'd mostly given a wide
berth - especially around diaper-changing time.

"Whatcha doing, Kevin?" What a lame question, Mulder thought to
himself - Kevin would see right through it. And, sure enough...

"It's okay, Dad - I watch you and Mom; I know what to do. She was
making a lot of noise and I didn't mind, really I didn't. I found a
bottle and I didn't warm it but I don't think she cares anyway - and
I even changed her diaper. Look!" Kevin pointed to the baby's
wriggling bottom proudly. Mulder leaned in and peered at the sloppy
but secure diaper, and he smiled at his son with pride, then reached
out a hand to ruffle the soft red hair.

"You did a fine job, Son - thanks for letting Mom and me sleep in.
You mind baby-sitting a little longer? Mom's still asleep, and I'd
like to surprise her with breakfast in bed. She's been working so
hard lately." Kevin nodded and pulled Kimpa closer, still holding
the bottle to her mouth, although Kimpa, belly full and bottom dry,
had already fallen asleep again. Mulder pulled the covers up around
both of them, and kissed Kevin's head, then Kimpa's cheek. Kevin
smiled sleepily up at his father and as Mulder turned toward the
door, his childish voice piped out from the mound of blankets.

"Dad... can we make snow angels today? I promised I'd show Kimpa
how to do it, an' she's got that new snowsuit she hasn't worn yet..."
Mulder turned and smiled at his son lovingly, thinking that he and
Scully really had a very good little boy.

"You bet, Slugger..."

*************************

The smell of syrup and butter still hung in the bedroom, and the
tray containing the remains of Scully's breakfast in bed sat
abandoned on the floor next to the nightstand. Milder had succeeded
in surprising his wife quite nicely... starting with his awakening
her with a kiss and a pancake-laden fork. She'd yawned in his face
and grinned up at him as he hovered over her with a bite of breakfast
in one hand and a glass of juice in the other. Silently she'd opened
her mouth and he'd slipped the food between her lips, then he kissed
and nibbled at the soft bared skin of her fluttery stomach as she
chewed, and swallowed. She'd looked down at his dark head against
her, and her sleepy inquiry had made him chuckle into her navel.

"Tell me, Mulder... are you planning on feeding me breakfast or
eating me while I starve?" Mulder had raised his head and his
thoughtfully mischievous gaze had settled on her as he pondered the
question.

"Well, I did make all these pancakes... and I suppose I could feed
you - but somehow this seems like much more fun, at least for me. I
guess you'll have to decide, Scully - breakfast, or me? The choice
is yours." He propped his chin on an elbow and stared at her,
waiting for an answer. Scully eyed him carefully, noting the expanse
of bare, muscular skin displayed to advantage against the white
flannel sheets of their bed - then she sent a quick peek over to the
pancakes piled high on the tray, dripping with butter and syrup. She
sighed and looked back at Mulder, acting as if the decision she had
to make was too much for her.

"Two questions. First, where's the baby?" Mulder inched closer and
sent a lazy finger up and down her bared inner thigh.

"Fed, diapered and snuggled with Kevin in his bed. I'll explain
later," he assured her when one eyebrow rose in surprise. Scully
nodded.

"Okay, then - second question. Are they both asleep? Is our door
locked?" Mulder replaced his finger with his tongue, and licked his
way over the skin he'd been tracing; his mouth was muffled against
the satiny flesh as he replied.

"That's three questions, not two - and yes, and yes. Kids snoring,
door locked. So, what's it gonna be, baby?" Scully melted against
the pillows at the low growl of him, calling her 'baby' - he knew she
couldn't resist it when he called her 'baby... She slipped a hand
though his hair and rubbed his scalp, then tugged at his hair a bit
to get him to look up at her.

"Feed me approximately five more bites of pancakes - large bites,
Mulder; I get the feeling I'm going to need my strength - then you
can have as much of me as you think you can handle." Mulder laughed
aloud at her impudence, then reached for the plate and scooted up
closer to her, forking a hunk of pancake and bringing it to her mouth
while making silly airplane noises.

"Open up, little girl; here comes your strength..." In went the
first bite. She chewed and swallowed, then obediently opened her
mouth for another mouthful - and snaked out a hand to curl around one
very impressive erection, as he fed her more and stifled a groan at
the feel of her small hand upon him. Three bites later, Mulder was
about ready to explode and Scully had given up all pretense of
needing sustenance.

The tray hit the floor and Mulder spared one quick glance at the
door to assure it was locked, before he rolled Scully underneath him
and proceeded to have his own form of morning meal. He covered her
mouth with his and kissed her deeply; she tasted like maple and
butter and Scully and heaven. His tongue lapped at the inside of her
mouth and she moaned into his breath as her hands sought him out and
stroked him thoroughly... When he slipped a finger into her heat he
found her more than ready. Who knew pancakes excited Scully this
much? He voiced his thoughts aloud in a hoarse rasp of a voice, and
she giggled breathlessly as her legs wound around his hips and urged
him against her.

"You are such an idiot, Mulder..." Her words faded into a moan as
he slipped inside with one hard thrust; she buried her mouth in his
neck and held on with tight arms and strong legs, as he moved deeply
within, big hands holding her steady as he plunged and withdrew. He
gasped a complaint against her ear as their bodies melded together,
knowing just what she'd say to refute it.

"Hey... I didn't get to eat... I feel so cheated..." Scully snorted
and bit his neck.

"Oh shut up, Mulder..."

****************************

The tree they chose was easily eight feet tall. Mulder stared up at
it, thinking they'd never find a place in the house where it would
fit. No doubt, it was a beauty - a blue spruce with fat needles and a
nearly-perfect shape. He shifted Kimpa in his arms, readjusting her
hood and making sure her little knitted mittens were still on her
hands. Kimpa was staring at the tree in babyish amazement, her
single tooth visible within her gaping rosebud mouth. Next to him
Scully held Kevin's hand and commented, "What a great tree - although
I have no idea where we'd put it, and it'd be a shame to cut it just
to downsize it. What do you think, Kevin? Should we take a chance?"
The little boy looked up at the tree with serious intent, his head
cocked a bit to the side - exactly the way his father often did.
Mulder looked down and smothered a chuckle at the way his son
unconsciously mimicked him. Finally Kevin spoke.

"I think the tree wants us. An' I'd bet it would fit in the great
room - that's a really tall room - right, Mom?" His earnest hazel
eyes fastened on his mother; Scully smiled back at him and her
surprised and impressed gaze met Mulder's as she replied.

"You're right! I didn't even consider the great room; guess I was
so tuned in to the idea of a Christmas tree having to be in a living
room." Mulder nodded, thinking again how smart their son was,
especially when Kevin piped up with yet another logical opinion.

"But Mom - we got everything in the great room! The TV, and the
stereo and my Quasar and all Kimpa's toys... doesn't that make it a
living room?" Scully bent down and wrapped her son into her arms,
hugging him through several layers of down jackets. Her eyes
sparkled with love and motherly pride as she embraced the boy, and
met Mulder's tender gaze.

"You are one smart little kid, Kevin - of course it's a living room.
Thank you for thinking of it, Sweetheart. Mulder... I think we've
got our tree." Mulder nodded and reached into his pocket with his
free hand for his wallet, fishing out some money and handing it to
Kevin.

"Here, Son - go and pay for the tree, okay? I'll help them wrap it
up and put it in the truck. Then what do you say we go get some
lunch, before we finish our shopping?" The boy nodded
enthusiastically as he ran off to give the money to the smiling lot
clerk, calling over his shoulder at his parents.

"Don't forget the snow angels, Dad! Kimpa wants snow angels!"
Scully turned to Mulder and took Kimpa out of his arms, murmuring
questioningly as he put on his heavy work gloves.

"Snow angels? What's this about Kimpa wanting snow angels?" Mulder
shook his head and walked around to the back of the truck, opening up
the door.

"Well, you know... Kimpa has this hot new snowsuit and she hasn't
broken it in yet. Kevin says she wants to make snow angels, so I
guess after we get this monster tree home, we're all going outside
and making snow angels." Scully got Kimpa settled in her seat,
before turning to regard Mulder with amused resignation.

"What's this 'we', Mulder? You got a mouse in your pocket?" He
laughed aloud.

"Oh yeah, Scully - I got a mouse for you... a big one..."

**************************

Bowls of clam chowder and several bags of shopping later, Mulder
drove his family home. In the back seat both Kevin and Kimpa were
dozing, and Scully yawned as she cupped a warm hand over his thigh
and looked at the ice and snow glistening on the trees alongside the
highway. Mulder covered her hand with his free one and squeezed
gently, noting the pensive expression on her face. He pulled at her
hand a bit to get her attention and smiled at her when she looked
over at him.

"Whatcha thinking about, Scully?" She sighed and laid he head back
against the headrest.

"The holidays... wishing Bill didn't have to spend them in Italy.
Hell of a thing, getting a recall right before Christmas! What was
the Navy thinking of? Poor Tara!" She shook her head, remembering
the anger in her sister-in-law's voice when she'd called last week to
explain why they would not be coming up for Christmas after all. "I
understand about her decision to go to her mom's instead of joining
us, though - I'm just going to miss the kids. Matty must be getting
so big now." Mulder stroked her fingers, his touch empathetic. He
knew how important it was to Scully to have all the family together.
He spoke those thoughts aloud, then did his best to make her feel
better.

"I know, Baby... but it'll only be for a month, and then he'll be
home. They can have a belated holiday, can't they? Your mom told me
once she did a lot of that when your dad was away." Scully nodded,
and sighed again.

"Yes, Mom had her share of Dad-less Christmases and such. I'm so
glad that won't ever happen to us, Mulder - so glad we're on the same
schedule." She leaned over and kissed his cheek, then settled back
in her seat. "So... pizza and tree decorating tonight; agreed? I'm
not cooking; I'm on holiday strike." Mulder grinned and brought her
hand to his lips for a quick nuzzle, as he maneuvered a sharp turn.

"Fine with me - in fact, I demand you not cook. Eating deliciously
thin and hard pizza that tastes like red cardboard is much preferable
to the hot, spicy and gooey pizza made by your little hands..." He
peeked at her sideways and caught the way she rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh, brother... fine then - I'll make the damn thing. But I refuse
to wash the dishes..."


**************************

It took them almost thirty minutes to maneuver the huge tree into
the house, sweeping up needles every step of the way - only to find
that when they finally got it in place in the corner of the great
room, centered between the double floor to ceiling windows, that the
trunk was too thick to fit in their tree stand. Mulder plopped into
the nearest chair and ran his hands through his damp hair, resisting
the urge to curse out loud. Kevin played with Kimpa in a far corner
of the room, doing his best to keep her from crawling across the room
over the mounds of dropped needles. Scully blew the hair out of her
eyes and regarded the errant trunk with a wry expression.

"Well, one of us will have to go to the store and buy a larger
stand... in the meantime I suppose we could set the tree in my mop
bucket. But this'll delay us getting it decorated... it's already
four o'clock and we'll never have time to finish tonight." She
headed to the kitchen to heat a bottle for the baby, and Kevin made a
soft sound of distress; his wide eyes beseeching as he looked up at
his father.

"But we have to decorate it tonight! I promised Kimpa!" Mulder
reached out and ruffled the boy's dark head, as he held the squirming
Kimpa in his thin arms. The baby, more interested in eating spruce
needles than actually seeing the tree decorated, squawked with
babyish frustration when Kevin refused to let her scoot across the
floor, and her little mouth turned down at the edges and then opened
wide to let out a full throated screech; Scully hurried in from the
kitchen with a full bottle of warm milk and handed it to Kevin so he
could shove it into the baby's mouth. She immediately quieted and
began sucking like mad, one tiny hand playing with Kevin's ear as she
drank, causing him to giggle down at her. Mulder cupped the boy's
head and leaned over to drop a kiss on his hair.

"I don't think Kimpa cares one way or another about the tree right
now, Slugger - I think she's more interested in your ear and her
bottle. We'll get another stand after supper and have the tree ready
to decorate tomorrow, okay? I'll go get some pizza so Mom doesn't
have to cook after all, and we can sort out the lights tonight - you
can help me replace burned out bulbs. Is that okay with you?" Kevin
smiled gratefully; the little boy adored being taken seriously and
asked his opinion; being treated as if he was older. He nodded
enthusiastically and adjusted Kimpa more comfortably in his lap,
keeping a steady hand on the bottle. His sister cooed up into his
face and grinned a milky, gappy pout around the nipple. Kevin was
enchanted.

"Mom, she smiled at me! Kimpa likes me!" Scully laughed and kissed
her son's cheek as she pulled a soft afghan from the sofa and laid it
over both of them.

"Well, of course she likes you, silly! You're her big brother! All
sisters like their big brothers, you know." Mulder snorted under his
breath and Scully added in a low growl, "Not a word from you,
Mulder..." but it was too late; Kevin had already thought to ask.

"Do you like Uncle Bill, Mom?" Mulder cackled and inched closer to
Scully as she stood next to the sofa trying to answer her son.

"Yeah, Scully... how do you feel about Uncle Bill? I like him; he's
my kind of people. How about you?" Scully pinched her husband hard,
in a place that usually only saw the light of day in the bathroom.

"You are going to go straight to Hell if you don't stop fibbing,
Mulder..." Their son caught the end of her retort, and chimed in.

"Mom, what's Hell? The nuns told me it's a nasty place... what is
it, really?" Scully flashed her son a quick smile and then gave
Mulder a narrowed glare from underneath her lashes.

"It's the place Daddy is in danger of heading if he doesn't stop
fibbing..."

***************************

To be continued!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Continued from Part One -


"Ohh, God - Mulder! Mmm... If you weren't already going straight to
Hell for fibbing, that little thing you do with your tongue would
sure send you there..." Scully thrashed underneath the
aforementioned tongue, and Mulder would have laughed aloud if he'd
had enough of his mouth freed up to do so. He pinned her hips down
firmly and lifted heavy-lidded eyes to observe the sight of his wife
in the throes of some serious sexual tension. Jesus... she took his
breath away.

Flushed a rosy pink from head to toe, hair wildly tangled around her
face... swollen lips and clenching hands. Toes digging reflexively
into the mattress - and everything in between was gorgeous beyond
compare.
More rounded than she'd ever been prior to giving birth, yet in his
eyes she was never anything less than perfect. A crescent shaped
scar on her abdomen where she'd had to let them take Kimpa; a few
tiny white lines here and there, badges of courage as far as he was
concerned - proof of the carrying of life for nine long months.
Breasts fuller, softer, silkier - the new thrust of them balanced by
her wider hips. She was still a small woman, but more womanly than
ever since the births of their children. He adored her... he lifted
his mouth from her hot skin, far enough to be able to utter the words.

"I adore you..." He would have said more, but the gasping sigh she
sent over his head, and the way her fingers clutched at his hair was
a good indication that she was unwilling to let him do much more
talking. Mulder smiled against her, and returned his mouth to where
it would do the most good... Jesus. She tasted so good; this part
of their lovemaking had only gotten better since the babies. She was
tighter and hotter; twice as sensitive and so soft it was almost like
kissing a sigh. He pressed an open mouthed kiss over her swollen
folds and used his tongue to trace a delicate path from one side to
the other, then swept her south to north; hovering a breath away from
the one spot he knew she was desperate to be touched.

He could feel her straining toward him, hear her broken whimpers of
need; he remained still and poised above her, blowing tiny hot
breaths teasingly on the already over-stimulated flesh. And when she
hissed out one long pleading, "Mulderrrrrplleeassseee..." he relented
and sent the merest tip of his tongue out to flick at her - and she
shattered in his hands, her grip on his head almost painful and her
hoarse cry echoing around the silent room.

Thank God for soundproofing, Mulder thought hazily, as Scully
shuddered and sobbed underneath him. He was dying to be inside her;
aching for that tight wet cling of her... but as he moved to position
himself over her; as her trembling arms and legs wound their way
around his body... the room was suddenly alive with the call of
Kimpa, who chose that moment to wake up and screech her baby fury
over the monitor at the indignity of a wet and/or worse diaper.
Mulder groaned and dropped his head on the pillow next to Scully's
face; he was almost in pain from the need to bury himself and never
come out. He turned eyes gone black with that need, to Scully's
amused, understanding gaze. She was trying very hard not to laugh.
She slipped her hand over him and rubbed gently; sympathetically.

"Want to let me up, Mulder? I'll take care of her..." Mulder shook
his head, forcing his hand to grasp her fingers and move them away
from him before he erupted all over the both of them.

"I'll do it... if I can even move without coming. I'm so damn
close..." He voice had risen a bit to be heard over the din of
Kimpa's sobs. Scully nodded and reluctantly let loose of him - but
before Mulder could even make it completely off the bed they heard
their daughter's sobs trickle off into coos, then over the baby
monitor Kevin's childish voice saying some very adult things...

"Shh, Kimpie... don't wake up Mom and Dad. Are you wet? Yikes...
you sure are! Look what I got... want some milk? Here, you hold it
like this, see? No, up here, Kimpa - and hold still! I gotta change
you..." They could hear rustling, and tiny Kimpa-giggles; another
murmur or two from their very responsible-acting, thoughtful son, as
he obviously put the finishing touches to the second diaper he'd ever
changed in his life... then a soft, "I got Pooh... wanna come sleep
with me?" Another cooing giggle, and a responding boy-laugh, and a
door closing... and silence. Mulder looked down at Scully, still
underneath him, and knew his eyes mirrored hers in quality of pride,
teariness and amazement. He whispered in awe.

"I think that boy needs an extra-heaping helping of smother-love,
first thing tomorrow..." Scully nodded, then slipped out from
underneath him, tugging on a robe and tossing Mulder his discarded
pajama bottoms. He pulled them on and allowed himself to be yanked
up out of bed and across the bedroom floor, his body calmed enough
for actual walking... as Scully opened their door and paused in the
doorframe to look back at Mulder.

"Smother-love tomorrow, first thing... but right now, let's just
tuck them in and tell Kevin how wonderful he is, so his ego can
simmer all night - then I'm taking you back to bed and giving you
severe what-for, Mulder..." He grinned and caught her in a squeeze,
before letting her drag him down the hallway.

"Ooh, baby... you say the meanest things to me. I like it..."

**********************************

At five AM, Mulder left the warmth of his bed and the delight of a
naked Scully pressed up against him and made his way downstairs into
the den, not bothering to turn on any lights. Booting up the
computer, he yawned and rubbed at his eyes, determined to get his
Internet purchasing done before the shopping season got any shorter.
As he downloaded the fire truck site Kevin had bookmarked for him,
Mulder marveled again at what an incredibly intelligent and advanced
child he and Scully had managed to create. At seven years of age
Kevin was well beyond his years in level of comprehension and
learning and retention capability. And Kimpa was already showing the
same sort of levels, at her young age.

The site finally completed downloading, and Mulder dug through
calendars and stuffed Dalmatians and toy trucks, until he found the
red long johns Kevin had shown him the other day. As he typed in the
necessary ordering information Mulder tried to imagine a young and
sweet Dana Scully crying and pouting because her parents had not
taken her desire for the odd-looking underwear seriously and
consequently had never bought them for her...

He clicked on the little red shopping cart, and plopped it in there.
Head tilted a bit to the side, Mulder thought for a moment, then
added in a tiny set of the pajamas, for Kimpa - and then he shrugged
and clicked on a boys' size eight. Smiling to himself at the mental
image of his three darlings wearing the silly-looking yet adorable
long johns, Mulder gave in to the rotten imp residing deep within
him... and threw in a Mighty Chief 1:20 scale fire engine complete
with ladder and tiny working hose. Visions of sending it to Bill
Scully anonymously danced in his head, as he ordered the 1:15 scale
model as well, thinking a passion for fire trucks was not a bad habit
for a young boy to have... He considered for an extra moment before
finalizing the sale, than added another adult-sized set and figured
in express shipping.

Leaning back in his chair, Mulder yawned again and checked the time
on his monitor. Maybe he could snuggle back in with Scully, and
catch a few more Zs... and as if on cue, Kimpa began to fuss and wail
from the nursery upstairs. Mulder sighed and stood, walking to the
staircase and pulling himself up by the handrail.

After breakfast Scully bundled up Kimpa in her new snowsuit, helped
an overly-excited Kevin into his as well and allowed him to drag her
and Mulder outside to make the promised snow angels. Mulder pushed
Kevin into a large pile of relatively soft uncrusted snow and grinned
at the sight of his son swishing his arms and legs with exuberance.
Scully laid Kimpa down next to her brother and Kevin was sweetly
earnest in his attempt to show his baby sister how to do it.

"See, Kimpa... you just hafta move your arms and legs, like this..."
He demonstrated and the baby lay with her huge eyes fastened on him,
no doubt wondering what sort of nut-bird would willingly lay down in
wet anything, when they didn't have to... Kevin was persistent
though, wanting so much to be able to teach his sister something as
vital as snow angel-making. Finally after watching her brother flail
his arms and legs, Kimpa gurgled a few times and kicked her little
legs, and windmilled her arms, making a decent dent in the snow.
Kevin was overjoyed.

"She did it, Mom! Look, Dad; Kimpa made me an angel!" Scully smiled
at her son and nodded, sitting down next to the baby and lifting her
out of the snow. She leaned over and kissed one of Kevin's cold
cheeks, and nuzzled him with her equally cold nose, making him
squeal. Mulder chuckled at the snowy picture they all made, and his
voice was soft as he replied to his son.

"You already were an angel, Son..." It sounded corny but Mulder
didn't care, and he doubted Kevin did either. The child grinned and
allowed himself to be tugged to his feet; Scully brushed him off and
herded him into the house. Mulder carried Kimpa, stripping off the
damp snowsuit and wrapping the gurgling baby in a soft blanket.
Scully finished hanging up the rest of their wet gear and got a
bottle ready, and Mulder grabbed hold of Kevin and tickled him,
causing delighted shrieking, before he swatted the boy on his bottom
and ordered him into the great room to begin the decorating process.

****************************************

Sunday evening found Mulder and Scully wrapping presents together,
placing them underneath the newly-decorated tree. The kids were
already in bed, wiped out by the days' activities, and there was a
fire blazing in the fireplace.

Scully finished adding a ribbon bow to a large box containing a new
robe for her mother and propped it under the tree, then watched
Mulder poking at the burning logs. He could feel her eyes on him,
and deliberately bent over until his jeans-clad ass was almost
sticking up in the air under her very nose... then as he prodded
another log he shook it at her. Scully whooped and fell sideways
laughing; dropped the roll of wrapping paper she was holding, and
reached out two hands to grab at the enticing denim mounds. Mulder
made obscene groaning noises and wriggled against her hands, fighting
hard not to laugh himself, though he was becoming very aroused. He
let her grope him for several more seconds before flipping around and
catching her by surprise; pinning her to the carpet with his body
weight. She was laughing up at him, her entire face glowing with it.
Mulder fell in love with her all over again just on the strength of
nothing more than the beauty of her smile...

"So Scully... what didja get me for Christmas? Come on, you can
tell me; I won't spill it to another soul." She shook her head at
him and ran her hands through his thick hair.

"I'm not telling you a thing, Mulder... I don't care what you do to
me. You can torture me for endless hours; I still wouldn't talk.
You could do all sorts of heinous crimes against my person, and I
wouldn't break..." She pressed up into the heat of his groin area and
Mulder stifled a raw groan of need, and pressed back. He twined his
fingers through hers and pinned them up high on either side of her
head, baring his teeth at her in a feral grin.

"Heinous crimes, huh? Mmmm... I could think of a few heinous things
Id like to do to you, right here and now, all over your person." He
inched her closer to the tree; closer, until the multi-colored lights
dotting its surface flickered softly over her face. He leaned back
to enjoy the sight of the sparkling show on her skin; Scully gazed up
at him with tenderness tempered with what appeared to be a healthy
side of lust. He bent his head and took her lips in a long, slow
bite, then whispered unsteadily against her ear.

"I see the way you're looking at me, you shameless woman...
underneath your children's Christmas tree, no less. Aren't you
feeling guilty at all?" Scully had the grace to lower her eyes in
mock humility; her voice was muffled into his shoulder as she
responded contritely.

"I don't know what I was thinking, Mulder... I'm so ashamed. I need
to be punished for my impure thoughts, don't you agree? Guess I'm at
your mercy." She made a pathetically weak attempt to extricate
herself from his grasp, then fell back into the carpet as if she had
no more strength than a gnat with pneumonia. Her eyes glistened with
mirth and desire combined as she raised her head and delicately ran a
hot tongue along the line of Mulder's jaw... back and forth, until
with one low growl he pushed her into the springy carpet and pressed
every hard inch of himself against her.

"Oh, you are SO gonna get it, Scully..." She bit his chin and her
reply was raw with want.

"I sure hope so - and since we have about an hour before Kimpa wakes
up for her midnight diaper change... you'd better start laying those
heinous tortures on me, PDQ..." In response Mulder let go of her
hands, long enough to dispense of just the most necessary articles of
clothing, before he pinned her down again and slipped inside with one
hard thrust.

"You're awfully bossy for a captive woman, Baby..."

*******************************

They had a slow, uneventful week; livened up only by heavy snowfall
and a small avalanche of Christmas cards in their mailbox. Mid-week
brought an email from RedFireTruck.com, letting Mulder know his
package was on its way. He breathed a sigh of relief; knowing how
hectic the mail became this close to Christmas it was amazing he
would have it on time.

Mulder's package came the day before Christmas Eve; Scully's mother
had called him on his cell phone and let him know it had arrived
safely. Thank God Maggie was in town, for more reasons than one -
for he knew if the box had come to the house Scully would not have
been able to resist. He'd learned his lesson three Christmases ago,
when he'd had a package sent to the office, only to find Scully
digging through it with enthusiasm, when he came back from a lunch
meeting and walked in. She'd looked up at him with no trace of
remorse in her lovely face, as he stood in the doorway with his hands
on his hips, staring down at her with censure. She'd cleared her
throat and her retort had left him undecided as to whether she
deserved a kiss or a spanking... to be truthful he'd been tempted to
give her both, except he'd known she'd enjoy it a bit too much...

"Well, it was just sitting there on your desk, Mulder... and it WAS
addressed to "The Mulders"... of which I happen to be one, you know..."

Well, he'd learned his lesson. From then on mail-order Christmas
packages got sent to Maggie Scully.

Maggie thought the idea of buying red long johns for Scully and the
kids adorable; she still couldn't believe Mulder had jumped on her
suggestion, but made sure to demand her share of pictures. Mulder
promised her an entire roll, then leaned in to kiss her soft cheek as
he loaded the box into his car. Maggie pulled her sweater tightly
around her body and smiled up at her son-in-law; with a fairy dusting
of snow falling on her pretty face she didn't look much older than
her daughter. She gave Mulder one more hug and turned to go - then
paused and regarded him as he climbed into the car and rolled down
the window for a last goodbye, and final instructions concerning the
get-together on Christmas Day.

"Dinner at three, okay? Come over as early as you like; that way
you can open your gifts. Oh, before I forget - what's the story on
Charlie? Is he bringing anyone this year?" Maggie smiled and
nodded; she'd spoken to her youngest just a few days ago.

"Charles said he and his lady friend would get here by eight or nine
tonight. I sure wish that boy would find a serious girl and settle
down!" Maggie shook her head. "This one's name is Tawny. Some kind
of model, or actress, I think - there's been enough of them in the
past few years that I lose track." Mulder chuckled and started the
car, then smiled at his mother-in-law lovingly.

"See you tomorrow, Mom - we'll pick you up around seven, and we can
all go to early Mass together. You sure you don't want to come over
for a while tonight, before Charlie gets in?" Maggie shook her head
and gave him one more kiss on the cheek, before she made him roll up
the window.

"No, Love - I have too much to do! We'll see you tomorrow night.
Now, don't let Dana get into that box!" Mulder nodded and pulled
away from the curb, waving to her before he reached into his pocket
and punched in home, hoping he wouldn't catch Scully in the midst of
bathing Kimpa. She answered on the third ring and her voice was low
and sexy in his ear.

"Mulder... where are you? Thought we were having lunch together!"
He maneuvered through heavy late-afternoon traffic, and made his
voice sound as guilty as possible, hoping to throw her off the
package-scent.

"I'm sorry Baby... meeting went longer than I thought. I'll be
there in twenty, okay? Need me to bring anything home?" Her
response stayed soft and warm; she didn't suspect a thing, Mulder
thought, and grinned in relief.

"Just yourself, Handsome... and that package you picked up at
Mom's..."

"How did you... um... what package?" A deep sigh of superiority on
his ear, then her overly-sweet voice.

"Mulder, when will you learn that moms and wives are all-knowing and
all-seeing when it comes to wool-over-eye-pulling?" Mulder just
grinned.

"Of course... what was I thinking?"

*****************************

The letter-pak from Federal Express came for them while Scully was
putting the final touches on dinner; Mulder answered the door and
signed for it, giving the courier a five-dollar tip and coaxing a
smile from the tired man's face. He walked into the kitchen, turning
the package over in his hands, commenting, "Well, somebody just
anonymously sent us a gift; don't know who, but it's got the words,
"Urgent - Open Now" stamped all over it." Scully wiped her hands on
a dishtowel and walked over to Mulder, looking down at the pak.

"It's not ticking, is it? Let me see the writing; maybe it's a gag
gift from Bill. It would be just like him to send a silly through
the mail." Mulder shook the pak, then felt carefully along the
edges. The pak was flat; no lumps in the middle - and it was very
lightweight. He pulled at the zip-tab and opened it; there was an
envelope inside, addressed to the both of them. Puzzled, he held it
up for Scully to see.

"Hmm... typewritten. What do you think, Agent Scully... should we
live on the edge and open it?" Scully examined it with a somber
face, then handed it back to him and replied in a dead monotone.

"That's 'Former Agent Scully' to you, Partner... and I say we open
it. Go ahead. I'll watch your back..." She picked up a potato
peeler and held it in front of her like a weapon, as Mulder snickered
at her and tore the envelope open.

"My brave little FBI-chick... well, what do we have here? Oh, this
is so cool, Scully! Look what somebody sent us!" He held up a gift
certificate from Steps in Time, a local horse farm that rented out
carriage rides in the summer and sleigh rides during the winter.
Scully read the attached note.

"Mulder, this is for all four of us; a reservation for one afternoon
ride, starting at two PM on Christmas Eve. We get a deluxe sleigh
ride, the forty-five minute one that runs along the outskirts of
town." Mulder was impressed.

"This ain't cheap, Scully... especially a reservation on Christmas
Eve." He turned the certificate over, but there wasn't a note
anywhere. He looked down at Scully with a smile curving one side of
his face. "Whoever sent this obviously cares a lot for us... maybe
it did come from Bill." Scully gaped at him in utter disbelief and
went back to the stove to finish dinner.

"Sure, Mulder... Bill would do something like that. Dream on.
Well, I would like to know for certain, so we could thank them
properly. The kids are going to love this, that's for sure. We'll
have to remember to bundle them up good, although I'm sure the sleigh
will have blankets. This is will be the perfect touch on a Christmas
Eve, won't it?" Mulder wrapped his arms around her from behind and
rested his chin on her shoulder, sniffing at the delicious-smelling
pan of lasagna she'd just pulled from the oven, and kissed her pink
ear.

"The best, Baby - I can hardly wait..."


Kevin bounced up and down so much from excitement that Scully could
hardly get him stuffed and zippered into his snowsuit. His high-
pitched jabbering was contagious, and she fought back a laugh as she
got him fastened up; one boot went stubborn on her and would not stay
on. After trying to re-boot his squirming little self Scully finally
sat back on her heels and regarded him with amused exasperation.
"Kevin, sit still! We can't go until you and Kimpa are dressed, and
from what I can see your father's not faring any better in the
dressing department." It was true. Kimpa was wriggling so much
Mulder was actually following her around the floor on his knees,
trying to get her snowsuit on the other leg. The pink garment
dragged along behind her, attached to one tiny foot; she was
squealing with baby-glee, crawling in circles. Mulder blew out a
frustrated breath and pounced on Kimpa, flipping her over on her back
and cramming her into the puffy snowsuit before she could zip away
again. She lay on her back and kicked her little feet; Mulder had
to almost sit on her legs to get them still enough to put her fleeced
booties on, then he wrapped her in the matching bunting and hoisted
her up before she could get a single indignant squeal in edgewise.
She hiccuped at him, her almost-toothless grin wide in her face, then
she cooed and pressed a wet mouth to his cheek in a smacking kiss.
Mulder snuggled her and returned the kiss, making her giggle; he
commented as he gave her to Scully to hold while he got into his coat
and scarf.

"Guess I'm forgiven for the indignancy of clothing her, huh? Are we
ready?" He grasped Kevin's hand; the boy was still jumping up and
down. Mulder ushered them out the door and into the van; buckled
everyone in and they were off.

Steps in Time was situated on fifty acres of prime pasture, about
twenty miles outside of town. The picturesque Victorian-style farm
housed a very lucrative equine business, as well-bred horseflesh was
sold here. The rides were a side business but a very profitable one.
And Christmas Eve was extremely popular, if the number of cars in the
large circular driveway were anything to go by. Mulder found a spot
close by the stables and killed the engine, then helped Scully
unbuckle and gather up the kids and the diaper bag.

Kevin wanted to run and dragged Scully with him, zeroing in on a
nearby heated stable; by the time Mulder caught up with them, Kevin
had found a beautiful palomino to pet, and had fallen in love.
Scully ran a gentle hand down the horse's neck and smiled at her
husband as he walked up carrying the pink-wrapped Kimpa.

"We should go in, Scully; we don't want to lose our reservation."
She nodded and pried Kevin loose from his new best buddy; the horse
snickered softly, then buried its velvety nose in a bin of alfalfa
and began to munch with gusto. In the distance nearer to the house
they saw the sleighs being loaded up; there were five in all, with
two horses pulling each one.

Mulder gave his certificate to a smiling young woman who wore a name
tag; Ginger was her name and her hair color. She led them to a four-
person sleigh and got them settled, then gave them thick wool
blankets to tuck around the children. Kevin sat wedged quite
comfortably between Mulder and Scully and she held Kimpa on her lap;
they snuggled underneath one of the blankets and smiled gratefully at
Ginger, who grinned back and walked over to a small shed. She went
inside for a moment and returned with a cloth bag. Setting it on the
hard ground, she opened it up and lifted out an enormous thermos and
handed it to Mulder, who looked at it curiously.

"It's hot cocoa, Sir - it's part of the reservation which was made
for you. Also, this -" and Ginger lifted out a flat black box from
the bag and handed it to Scully. She looked down at it in confusion,
then up at Mulder.

"This is a CD player, Mulder - what's going on?" Mulder shrugged
and leaned forward to study the player. Kevin was intrigued.

"Anything on it, Dad?" Mulder stared at Kevin, then smiled and
shrugged again.

"Only one way to find out..." He flipped open the outer box and
found a small note taped to the volume control. He held it up and
read it aloud.

"Start the Horse and Play Me." He looked up at Ginger who shook her
head, claiming she knew nothing about the player besides how it got
into the sleigh in the first place.

"It was in the office, with instructions to place it in whatever
sleigh you folks ended up reserving, Sir."

Mulder pulled out the CD; it was blank; no label. He placed it back
in, and geared it up - then asked the driver to start. The sleigh
glided forward smoothly, and Mulder started the CD as per the
mysterious instructions. Instantly the open confines of the sleigh
filled with a three-part acapella harmony of a familiar song:

'Have yourself a Merry little Christmas -
Let your heart be light...
From now on our troubles will be out of sight...'

The voices were tantalizingly familiar; Mulder turned up the volume
and Scully bounced Kimpa a bit to quiet her, finally giving her a
bottle to occupy her mouth. The song played on.

'Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore...
Faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more -'

The sweet yet sad lyrics had always gotten to Mulder in the past,
and now was no different. He felt himself tightening up with emotion
as he listened, noticing Scully was swallowing hard and her eyes were
glistening -

'Through the years we all will be together, if the Fates allow -
Until then we'll try to muddle through somehow...
So have yourself a Merry little Christmas, now...'

The voices faded out; three distinct male voices each singing a
different harmony... one strong baritone and a deep bass... one pure,
clear tenor. And it dawned on Mulder that he might know the identity
of these singers after all - when a male voice - a very familiar male
voice - spoke.

"Hey, Mulder, Scully... Merry Christmas from your cohorts in global-
conspiracy-busting..." And Scully mouthed the name 'Byers' with a
smile of delight and shock... just as another familiar and beloved
voice butted in.

"Hi, it's Frohike. Merry Christmas! Man, we sure miss you; it's
been too long. I'll bet Kevin's a big boy, right?" Beside Mulder,
Kevin piped up with a huge grin on his face, recognizing the voice
and reacting to it.

"Hey, it's Uncle Hickey!" Mulder stroked the boy's cheek and did
his best to swallow the sudden lump in his throat that hearing these
dear voices had created in him. Then, the final voice -

"Yo, Mulder and Scully! Langly here... so whatcha think? Pretty
cool gift idea huh? I thought of making the CD; Byers didn't wanna
sing, the wuss. We had to threaten him. And he's got the best voice
-" Here Frohike chimed in irritably.

"He sings flat, Ringo - you just can't tell because you're tone
deaf..." Langly squawked a protest and Frohike defended his
statement - and Mulder dissolved into helpless laughter at the so-
familiar sound of their bickering. Scully wiped tears of mirth and
of longing from her eyes; Mulder knew she missed the guys horribly.
Byers must have gotten control of the situation because his voice
overrode the other two.

"Shut up you assholes! God, it just gets worse and worse... anyway,
this is our gift to you; please enjoy it with our best wishes."
There was a muted second, then Frohike's voice.

"We sure wish we could be there with you but right now it's
impossible for me and Fawn to get away; with the baby so close to
coming it's better we stay home. Langly's got himself a new woman -"
Here Langly must have pushed Frohike out of the way so he could take
over.

"I'LL tell them, moron! Jeez... her name is Twinkle, guys - you'll
love her, I'll bring her along when we come up for Kimpa's first
birthday party... sure wouldn't miss that one!" Byers jumped in one
more time as well.

"Listen, Suzanne sends her love... she didn't come to the studio to
watch us do this, she's sick with the mumps, of all things. We gotta
go; looks like we're running out of CD space. So, all of you have a
great holiday and enjoy the ride..." And the CD faded out as the
guys hummed a bit more of the carol. Then silence... and Scully took
a shaky breath and wiped at her face again.

"Mulder, I don't believe the trouble they must have gone to, for
them to set all of this up." Mulder nodded and slipped his arms
around her, the sleeping baby in her arms and the small boy squidged
between them.

"We definitely owe them, big time. We'll think of something,
Scully. Right now let's just enjoy the ride and the hot cocoa,
okay?" She nodded, and over the heads of their children their lips
met in a tender, understanding kiss.

***************************
To be continued in Part Three


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Continued from Part Two -


At four o'clock in the morning Mulder was awakened out of a sound
sleep by the voice of... Boris Karloff? He half-sat up in bed,
rubbing at his eyes, straining to hear what sounded like a very gruff
and yet spooky rasp droning on and on faintly in the seeming-
distance.

In the dark of their bedroom Scully slept like the dead beside him;
Mulder felt completely responsible for her present state - and
grinned in remembered enjoyment of what he'd done to her to render
her so. He ran a tender hand down the satiny curve of her bare back
and grinned again when she hummed with contentment in her sleep.
Keeping his hand on her back, Mulder yawned, and then heard it again;
that gruff Karloff-sounding voice... and then a tiny high voice; a
child's innocent question...

"Santy Claus... why? Why are you taking our Christmas tree... why?"

Well, that explained it... Kevin. Awake and watching the antics of
Cindy Lou Who, the Grinch and all the nutty inhabitants of Who-
Ville... how long had it been since he'd seen that cartoon, he
wondered?

A long time.

Climbing out of bed as silently as he could Mulder tiptoed to the
door; as long as he was awake this early on Christmas morning he may
as well be spending it with the one family member as awake as he was.
Down the hall and into Kevin's room; in the dim light of the TV,
Kevin lay propped up against a mound of pillows, clutching his ratty
old Mickey Mouse Talking Pal in one arm... and his sister in the
other, who lay curled next to him with a bottle hanging out of her
mouth, sound asleep. Mulder sat down on the bed next to him and
indicated the sleeping Kimpa with a nod, as he ruffled his son's hair
and kissed the mussed dark silk of it.

"Merry Christmas, Slugger... and this is getting to be a habit,
isn't it? What did she do, wake you up again?" Kevin shook his head
and yawned hugely, pulling the sleeping baby closer.

"Naw, not this time... I just wanted her to see Grinch. I went an'
got her; she was awake but not crying. I like it when she stays with
me; she makes silly faces an' blows milk bubbles at me an' sometimes
she farts real loud."

Mulder struggled to keep a straight face and not fall over on the
floor laughing, as Kevin explained with serious intent just how neat
it was to have such an entertaining baby sister. "She gave me a big
smile, Dad; she knows who I am now." Kevin's own smile was blinding
in his young face; Mulder returned it just as blindingly and wrapped
an arm around both the boy and his sister, hunkering down into the
pillows and arranging himself so that they could see the screen.
Cuddling his children in his arms and watching a childishly simple
yet complex holiday classic, Mulder could think of only one more
element needed to make this moment perfect...

"Geez, you guys... I fall asleep for a couple of hours and you all
desert me..." Scully stood in the doorway with a plate of brownies
in one hand and a carton of milk in the other; Kevin whooped in
delight and sat up, almost knocking Mulder over in his zeal to get to
his mother and certain chocolate nirvana. He flung his arms around
Scully and she chuckled, balancing the plate and managing not to drop
any of the warmed-up treats.

"Don't get used to it, Sweetheart... this is a special occasion.
You know I normally don't condone caffeine and sugar this early in
the morning - but what the heck. How many times a year does
Christmas come around, anyway?" She perched on the end of the bed
and handed Kevin a brownie, then watched him take a huge bite. She
passed him the milk, adding, "And just this once, you can drink out
of the carton..." The thought that he could do something this
illegal and not only get away with it but have his mom's blessing as
well... Kevin was in kiddie heaven. He held onto the carton with
both hands, the half-eaten brownie balanced on his knee - and guzzled
like a pro.

Scully shook her head at the greedy display and then turned to eye
her husband with similar greed; Mulder scooted over to make room for
his wife, murmuring to her as she took her place in front of him -
and then taunted him impishly by wriggling her little flannel-clad
bottom up against him.

"Where's mine, Scully? Don't I get a treat? I've been good..."
Another wriggle, and a tight little push into him; he stifled a groan
against her hair and found a delicious spot on her exposed neck, just
asking to be bitten. Her breathless whisper floated back to him as
she shivered in his arms.

"You're getting a preview of your treat right now, Mulder... and
you've really been so very good this year. Which is why I'm gonna
reward you, later on tonight..." Another wiggling jab, aimed right
at his overheated groin. Mulder groaned again and his strangled
retort was just loud enough to be shared between them.

"Whoo boy... Merry Christmas to you too, Scully..."

******************************

Much later in the day, Mulder relaxed against the sofa and watched
the orange glow of a roaring fire... and decided that if this holiday
hadn't been the most perfect, it had come damn near close.

The added bonus of having his brother-in-law Charlie here had really
put the icing on the cake, for both Scully and her mother - and had
helped ease the holiday loss of big brother Bill. Mulder hadn't
missed him... well, maybe just a little. Actually, during the last
few holiday get-togethers when Bill and his family had been able to
make it, Mulder had found an uneasy but fairly amiable level of
communication with Bill that had taken far longer than it would have,
under different circumstances. But at least it had happened; they
could talk without wanting to maim each other.

Earlier in the evening Tara had called and everyone had gotten a
turn speaking to her and the kids. No sooner had they hung up from
that hour-long call, than Bill had checked in. Mulder had even taken
a shot at a short but curiously acceptable conversation with his
ornery brother-in-law. As he'd passed the phone to Kevin Mulder
thought that maybe, finally - Bill was mellowing out.

Either that, or the man was seasick when he called - or hopped up on
Dramamine - or both...

Mulder stared into the fire and sipped at a half-full glass of wine,
thinking about the morning's rip-tear session with his family...
wrapping paper flung to the far corners of the great room, as they'd
plunged into their bounty. Kevin had adored the fire truck and had
leapt upon Mulder, almost strangling him with a hug. Scully had eyed
the massive truck, commenting in a low voice, "When did we get him
that truck, Mulder?" He'd smiled and replied in a mysterious manner.

"Santa must have brought it..." Scully had eyed him again, but let
it go. She opened and admired a lovely cashmere shawl that Bill and
Tara had sent, then as she doled out more gifts to the excited kids,
Mulder had toed a large rectangular package toward her. She never
noticed it until he gave it one last kick and it flipped into her
lap. She looked down at the gaily-wrapped gift, then up at Mulder
who returned the look innocently.

"Might I assume you'd like me to open this gift next, Mulder? Who's
it from?" She prodded it with a finger, then picked it up and shook
it. Mulder helped Kevin untie a stubborn ribbon, and his reply was
non-committal.

"Santa must have dropped it off last night..." Scully sighed
theatrically, and yanked at the ribbon. She opened the box and
pushed aside the tissue paper, to reveal -

"Oh, my God, Mulder... how did you know? How could you possibly
know? I never even told Mom... I never told anyone!" She lifted out
the bright red long johns, soft and cottony and with a silly drop
seat in the back. Her eyes, when she looked up at Mulder, were misty
with moisture. She held them against her; they looked like a perfect
fit. The color didn't even clash that badly with her hair. She
admired them one more time, then the bear-hug she laid on Mulder
about choked the wind out of his lungs. She peppered his face with
kisses, murmuring over and over how much she loved them; Mulder held
her close and kissed her back gently, then set her away from him and
pressed a smaller box into her hands.

"Check this out, Scully - twinses!" Scully looked confused for a
moment, just long enough to unwrap the second box and pull out the
baby-sized long johns - then she laughed aloud and hugged him again.
Scooping up the gurgling Kimpa, Scully ran upstairs with the baby and
both sets of underwear, emerging ten minutes later with the silly one-
piece union suits in place, on both her and the baby - only to stop
dead in her tracks at the sight of Mulder and Kevin standing in the
middle of the living room clad in identical red long johns -
identical goofy grins on their faces and their clothing strung about
on the sofa.

Scully stood facing them, chuckling at the sight they presented -
then as if on cue her men did an about-face and showcased their bare
backsides - their drop seats conveniently dropped - for her visual
enjoyment... and she slid to the floor with Kimpa in her arms, and
laughed herself silly.

*****************************

In the glowing darkness of the great room the tree shimmered; all
the mounds of paper cleaned up and a good portion of the gifts neatly
stacked under the tree. Dinner had been a casual affair, with
everyone serving themselves buffet style and sitting at tables or
just on the floor, and stuffing themselves. Skinner had called to
wish them a happy holiday; in Italy for Christmas, with the raucous
sounds of partying carrying on in the background... to Mulder it
seemed as if their old boss was having a great time.

Later in the evening right before the children had finally fallen
asleep and been carried to bed, Langly had called to let them know
that Fawn had delivered a nine-pound baby boy. A Christmas baby...
Scully had teared up over that one. Frohike was over the moon with
new-daddy pride; Mulder knew well the feeling, having had great
quantities of it when Kevin was born, and again for Kimpa.
Extracting a promise from Langly to have Frohike call them in a few
days when the initial craziness had died down, Mulder had hung up the
phone and then helped Scully scoop up the dozing children and take
them to bed. The house was quiet; Charlie and his newest chickie
Tawny - who turned out to be intelligent and articulate despite her
Barbie-Doll looks - had driven Maggie home just an hour before
Langly's call.

Now Mulder poured another glass of wine, as Scully came down the
stairs toward him... re-dressed in the silly yet cute red long johns.
She approached with a devilish smile on her face, hands behind her
back. Mulder eyed her appreciatively, then his curious gaze flicked
to the hidden hands.

"Whatcha got there, Scully? More holiday cheer? By the way,
anybody ever tell you how hot you look in Dr. Denton's?" Scully
grinned and stepped closer to the sofa, bringing her hands around and
dropping into his lap the set he'd been wearing earlier. Mulder
fingered the red material and waited, looking up at his adorable
wife. Her reply was delivered in a mock-serious voice.

"No, I'd say you're the first to notice just how well I fill out a
set of drop-seat undies. I still can't get over having them,
Mulder... I've wanted them for years." She leaned in to kiss him, a
little biting kiss that stopped short of actual pain - then her
fingers nudged at the set she'd dropped in his lap, and her eyes
narrowed in on his. "Put them on, Mulder. Now. I barely got to see
you in them, earlier today - what with all the commotion..." She
held his gaze with a hot one of her own, for as long as she could...
then they both burst into cackles of hilarity, at the remembrance of
what had occurred just five minutes after she'd witnessed her son and
her husband airing out their buttocks...

On the floor with the baby in her arms, laughing herself sick... and
Mulder had posed prettily for her, Kevin imitating his father's
muscle-man routine. The sight of them posing and preening, dressed
in red with their pink cheeks hanging out, was so outrageous that
Scully had finally laid Kimpa down on the floor and rolled around,
clutching her aching stomach and gasping with laughter. Kimpa had
cooed and kicked her little red-covered feet, and Mulder had begun to
lose it, and laugh as well... when a shocked, female voice broke into
the midst of their idiocy.

"Oh, my GOD... Charles... I thought you said they were the NORMAL
side of the family...??!"

Scully had sat up with a gasp, still on the floor; Kevin stood
statue-like, glued inside his drafty pajamas, his mouth forming a
perfect "O" of shock... and Mulder had whipped around and found
himself face to face with Tawny, Charlie's new girl... with Charlie
himself standing a little behind her and Maggie next to him, both of
them staring in horrified, yet amused fascination at the scene before
them.

Maggie slapped a hand over her mouth to keep in the erupting
giggles; Charlie, not nearly as polite, sent one loud bark of stunned
laughter into the air, which broke the spell - and Mulder's frozen
state of panic at his mother-in-law, brother-in-law and some stranger
named Tawny bearing witness to his naked ass. He stumbled backward
in his haste to shield his now-pink cheekies from further viewing,
tripped over the ottoman behind him... and landed face-down on the
floor with his bare bottom sticking up in the air, displayed for all
and sundry. Maggie collapsed on the sofa and guffawed so hard she
began choking with it; Charlie was bent over double with mirth, eyes
streaming... and Tawny just stood and gawked at the entire
Mulder/Scully clan as if they'd all lost their marbles.

And Scully simply stood up, wiping tears of residual laughter from
her eyes, stuck out a hand and grasped Tawny's poor limp fingers, and
shook them; calmly uttering, "You must be Tawny... welcome to our
home. Merry Christmas..."

********************************

"Merry Christmas indeed... God. I'm still amazed she actually
stayed and didn't go running from the house, screaming into the
night." Scully shook her head in self-derision, gulping down the
rest of her wine and holding out the empty glass so Mulder could fill
it up. Mulder complied with a huge grin of his own, and added more
to his glass, then set the drained bottle on the table. He sat down
on the same ottoman that had betrayed him earlier in the day and
scooted it up against the sofa so he could rest his back.

"Well, she held up fairly well... even after Kimpa leaked all over
those fancy leather pants of hers, and Kevin spilled crab dip on her
shoe. I think we were good for her... she got a crash course in Rug
Rat 101, plus the lucky girl got to see the hienies of two very
studley guys. There are women out there who would pay to experience
far less..." Scully snorted loudly and put her glass down, then
pushed herself into Mulder's waiting arms, the sleeves of her long
johns rolled up to her elbows. She straddled his legs and let her
feet drag on the floor, resting her arms over his shoulders. Face to
face, she stared him down.

"Mulder, I've never had to pay at all... just had to be in the right
place at the right time, to be entertained by your goofy antics. I
think this one topped the lot of them, for sure. Do you think she'll
last with Charlie?" Mulder shrugged and let his fingers play in her
silky hair, thinking about it.

"Maybe. Your brother needs a woman with his warped sense of humor,
you know - and as you said, she didn't go running from it; she stayed
and actually seemed to enjoy herself, once the shock wore off. I
thought we were gonna have to break out the oxygen for Mom though; I
have never seen her laugh so hard." Mulder found himself chuckling
all over again, at the remembered sound of Maggie's delighted
shrieks. She'd finally had to put her head between her knees to
combat hyperventilation... He rubbed his mouth along Scully's wispy
hairline, and his voice rumbled low in he ears.

"So, Baby... you want to tell me why I had to get back into this
sexy red gear? I thought you liked my new outfit." He'd been
wearing one of Scully's gifts to him; a pair of dark gray suede
slacks and a deep blue silk sweater. He'd raised an eyebrow at the
sweater, liking the color but unsure about the whole idea of men
wearing silk - until Scully had growled at him to 'Just put the damn
thing ON, Mulder!' And he had to admit the thick soft material was
very nice against his skin...

"I loved your outfit, Mulder... exactly the sort of thing I would
have purchased for you... and did." She bared her little white teeth
in a saucy grin, then pulled down the edge of his union suit and bit
his neck. "But this red thing... Mmm. It just does something for
me..." She licked along the newly-bitten skin and Mulder shuddered
against her tongue, his neck arched and vulnerable to her marauding
mouth. He loved it when Scully asserted herself and used those sharp
little teeth of hers. He held her close and let her have her way
with him, feeling the tug of need deep inside with every nip she gave
him. Their red undies had a row of snaps down the front; he amused
himself by unsnapping hers slowly, stroking the baby-soft skin
between each one. When he got to the fifth fastener, Scully stopped
him with a quick grip of his fingers, and pulled back a little,
gazing into his flushed face and dilated eyes.

"No, leave it on. I want to wear it when you do me." Mulder looked
down the front of the suit in confusion, wondering how in hell he
could accomplish anything of a sexual nature when the snaps ended
above her waist... when Scully slid gracefully from his lap and stood
before him, smiling wickedly, then turned her back and wiggled her
cute rounded ass at him, glancing over her shoulder and offering a
low command.

"Drop me, Baby..."

Comprehension widened Mulder's eyes at the sultry command and he
eagerly complied, unbuttoning the back flap and watching it flutter
south, exposing her creamy little bottom. He made short work of
ripping at the snaps of his own underwear, hands actually shaking as
he worked it down his legs and off his body... then he pulled Scully
down onto his lap and slid his hands into the gaping front and
latched his fingers around her breasts at the same time his swollen
erection made contact with her wet heat. They both sucked in a
groaning breath at the utter good of it... and he slid deep. So
deep. He managed a husky, "Scully, you are so kinky..." Then all the
blood left his brain and lodged between the press of their bodies, as
he thrust up and she pushed down.

In the silent room, dark but for the glow of the fire and the
sparkle of the lights on their tree, Mulder discovered a new use for
an old standard-style union suit, as he moved beneath his wife and
felt her hands brace on his thighs as she rode him, deep and slow and
easy; as her head lay back against his shoulder and each hitching
gasp she sent into his ear told him so many things he had always
known, but loved to hear over and over again. The voice whispered of
love and moaned about caring; whimpered broken phrases of need and
screamed matchless fulfillment, as their movements intensified and he
felt himself so very close to the edge that just one tiny tremor from
Scully's velvety softness sent him there. The tremor growing into an
earthquake of convulsions all around him which sucked him down and
then spiraled him out, beyond himself; God, so damn good, so good...

He collapsed against the sofa, boneless and still throbbing all
over, as Scully fell back into his chest and attempted to catch her
breath. Mulder slipped soothing hands over her skin, tracing each
rib and cupping her gently as he whispered into her damp hair.

"I think I now understand just why the drop seat retains its
popularity through the years..." Scully giggled and snuggled closer,
her hands holding his as they curved around her breasts.

"I thought you might, Mulder - you're such a smart guy. So glad to
see those years at Oxford weren't wasted." Mulder huffed a laugh
and stretched, loving the feel of her satiny skin beneath the soft
red knit.

"I took extensive studies in Drop Seat Engineering..." Scully
turned carefully in his arms and moved in very close, letting her
nose roam over his face; an overload of eskimo kisses scattered
everywhere. She pressed her forehead to his and her voice dropped to
a whisper.

"Thank you for my long johns, Mulder..." He smiled and the kiss he
gave her was soft and deep and pure.

"You're welcome - and thank you for Christmas, Baby... it was
perfect."

"Even the falling-over-the-ottoman-thing?"

"Yes, even that..."


End


Here's the list of elements so cleverly contrived by Kimpa:

A ride in a horse drawn carriage
Snow angels (the full body ones done as kids)
A reference to Cindy Lou Who of the Grinch cartoon
A trip over furniture a la Rob Petrie (the Old Dick Van Dyke show)
Eskimo kisses
Red flannel pj's or red long johns with the seat out
The Lone Gunmen singing a Christmas carol of your choice
And bonus points if the name Kimpa appears in the story!

The carol is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", by Hugh
Martin and Ralph Blane, circa 1943-ish. A lovely holiday tune
guaranteed to make your heart swell with emotion