From: Kayla Ariev Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 15:45:15 -0800 (PST) Subject: Other Plans by Kayla Ariev Source: direct Title: Other Plans Author: Kayla Ariev Rating: PG Spoilers: How the Ghosts Stole Christmas Summary: Scully was going to spend Christmas with her family, but after the events of the night before, she now has other plans. Category: S, R Keywords: post-episode; MSR Disclaimer: The X-Files, Mulder, Scully, and all the rest belong to 1013, FOX and Chris Carter. I'm only borrowing them for a nice little excursion. * * * Scully smiled hesitantly and awkwardly when her mother opened the front door of her house. Warm air from inside poured over Scully's half-frozen form, snowflakes still nestled into her hair and the fibers of her coat and scarf. "Hi, mom. Merry Christmas." Scully was nervous; she was three hours late. "Dana, where have you been? We've all been worried sick!" Maggie, pulled her daughter into the house, not noticing the glance Scully shot out the door. Scully turned to face her family as her mother clicked shut the front door. She shrugged. "Hey. Sorry." Maggie started brushing the snow from Scully. "It's alright dear, at least you're here now." "Actually," said Scully, pulling away from her mother as she started to pull at her coat. "I should keep this on," she said, tugging her coat closely against her body. "I just came to wish everyone a merry Christmas. But I've got to go." "What do you mean, Dana?" asked Maggie. Scully didn't even shrug, just swayed slightly as she peered through the front room window, to something outside on the sidewalk. Bill scoffed. "It's for work, isn't it?" Scully shook her head, angry and exasperated. "No, Bill. I've just . . . got other plans." She shrugged again, this time, smiling softly. Then turned, and headed back to the front door, bristling slightly as the cold air rushed at her body. Her family had followed her to the door; her mother, Bill, and Charlie were all standing there, watching her mysterious exit. "Day, what is this all about?" asked Charlie, more confused than his mother and his brother. "Sorry, Charlie. I've got to go." They watched as Scully walked away from the house, towards the sidewalk. Towards the tall, lanky man waiting for her at the curb, his hands buried deep in his long wool coat, snowflakes speckling his dark brown hair, the gray scarf around his neck. His eyes were squinted against the flakes, his head bent slightly down against the wind and swirling snowflakes. That was where Scully looked, and that was where she walked to. She barely glanced over her shoulder at her family as she took the man's hand, and they walked down the street to a parked car. He held the door for her, shutting it after she had slipped in. Then he got in, too, and they drove off, the warm exhaust visible in the frozen air. "Huh," said Maggie, as she and her two sons watched them leave. Bill shook his head, scoffing again, so softly. "Who was that?" asked Charlie. "Mulder," said Bill, the name biting on his tongue as he moved into the living room, where his wife and son were waiting for him. Charlie turned to his mother. "That was Mulder?" "Yes," said Maggie, sighing slightly. "Your sister loves him very much. And he loves her, too, more than life itself." "And you're okay with him taking her away on Christmas day, just because they're in love?" Maggie nodded. "They've waited many years to share their love, Charlie. They deserve more than just today. They deserve eternity." They stood in the hallway together silently for a long while mother and son. Thinking, contemplating. Then, a happy shout from Bill's son brought them out of their reverie, and they moved into the living room, to continue their own Christmas day. * * * Somewhere else in DC, a pair of lovers held each other, basking in the scents of pine and smoke and cinnamon and paper and warm baking in the oven and wool and snow and all that is Christmas. Their lips met, softness exploding into hard passion as the kiss deepened. Mulder pulled back just enough so that he could look into Scully's face, and smile. "Who knew a couple of crazy ghosts could bring us together?" His smile was electric, pulsating in the air around the lovers. Scully shook her head slightly. "They didn't bring us together, Mulder. We did that. They just made us realize we shouldn't waste anymore time. Especially at Christmas." "I never loved Christmas so much," he said against her lips, his hot breath rushing into her mouth so that she could swirl her tongue around the air of his words. "What did you tell your family?" Her eyes were almost closed, mesmerized by the unbelievable proximity of their mouths and the fact that they were not quite kissing, despite their own natural urges. "I told them I had other plans." He smiled. "I like other plans." And then they kissed, their mouths pressed together as if they were not meant to be apart. As the snow continued to fall outside, the two lovers remained in each other's arms, although they moved and pulsed with their own lives at one time as they did so. Christmas was a great time to make other plans. Mulder and Scully made theirs. * * * Feedback, please, to: kaylaariev@yahoo.com