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White powder cracked and
crunched as size twelve boots carefully made their way up the
blanketed trail from the bay. Breath froze in the air, and Fox
Mulder had to pause to cough and clear his weakened chest as the
frigid temperature caused havoc on his fluid-filled lungs. God he
hated winter and how old it made his body feel, but if it were up
to Doctor Scully he'd be locked indoors the whole season, and the
thought of not being allowed to make the annual Mulder Family
snowman with his growing son was unacceptable, so he just tried
to grin and bear it.
"--told you not to overdo it! Have you got your
puffer?"
He blinked and frowned at the numbness down the left side of his
face, only just realising that he must have blacked out and
slumped on top of the large snowball he'd pushed up the hill. At
the sound of his wife's voice, he blinked yet again and then
straightened up. It had been seven years since those damn tobacco
beetles had had an almost fatal party in his lungs! Why couldn't
his body learn to compensate when he was short of breath? Why
didn't his lungs just get their act together and start cutting
him a little slack again?
"I'm fine," Mulder wheezed, reaching in his coat pocket
nevertheless and pulling out an inhaler.
Dana Scully frowned, totally unconvinced.
"And don't say anything!" he quickly continued when he
saw her mouth open to object. "You're a fine one to talk! An
eight-and-a-half months pregnant woman running around in the
snow, starting snowball fights with any five-year-old kids or
defenceless partners you see?" He glared pointedly at her
swollen abdomen. "Although..." He paused, leaned
forward and wiped away the wet flakes that had started to gather
on the end of her red nose with his lips. "The ice fairy
look is pretty hot on you."
Her eyes rolled as his lips burned a trail down to her own mouth.
She couldn't resist returning the gesture though when he finally
reached his target.
"Only you could think about third-trimester nookie while
we're out in minus-ten degree weather," she groaned,
intending it to be a scowl but annoyed when it sounded needy.
"'Nookie'? Did I mention nookie? I think not, fair
maiden!" Another coughing spell struck, and he quickly waved
her off when she moved to guide him back to their house. Another
puff on the inhaler and he was well enough to finish his
sentence. "All I was trying to point out is that you are not
exactly the best person to criticise on who is the healthiest to
be out here."
With a reluctant grumble, Scully shook her head and then moved to
help him push the large ball of ice to where a smaller one and
their son were impatiently waiting.
This was their fourth winter at the large house in Freesol,
Washington, but as William - and even they - grew and learnt new
things, each one was a whole new experience.
That, and of course there was Dana's second pregnancy to take
into consideration.
A pregnancy that Mulder had actually been able to go through with
her this time and observe every little change between stages of
development.
A pregnancy that had taught him that making fun of a
morning-sickness-ridden or swollen-ankle-infected woman -
especially when it's your child she's carrying - is a big no-no.
A pregnancy that had proven to him just how horny women with buns
in the oven could get.
These things were what made this possibly the greatest experience
of his life.
"I'm happy to talk about nookie with you if you really want,
though," he grinned, waggling his eyebrows at her as the
bottom part of their snowman was rolled into place.
William looked up at his parents with a mischievous grin as they
stopped in front of him, and then - without warning - sharply
lifted both hands into the air, and the next thing they knew,
each adult was pelted by a snowball. At their shocked faces, the
boy began to giggle uncontrollably. Despite several cautions by
them not to use his 'abilities' to read their minds, Will had
witnessed enough as he'd grown, and especially since they'd
started making regular trips to speak with that Marita woman each
month, to know that silly, joyous moments such as this were like
gold, and in his own childish justification, that meant he needed
to sneak in as many snowballs and reasons for laughter as
possible.
"You little rascal!" Mulder exclaimed, bending down to
scoop up a large handful of powdery ice.
"Mulder, don't encourage him!"
"I was only playing, Mom--"
The five-year-old was cut short as a snowball struck him. Mulder
looked up at the clipped sentence, but yelped in surprise as
frozen water splashed against the back of his neck and swiftly
trickled its way down his back. It was the guilty Scully's turn
to burst into a fit of laughter. Mouth agape, Mulder quickly
raised the lump of snow he'd managed to collect and was about to
throw it back at his partner when she suddenly squealed excitedly
and waddled off as quickly as her legs would allow in the
opposite direction.
"Encourage him, will I?" he teased, starting to chase
after her - the snowball held high above his head.
"Me?"
"I was only getting you back!" came her reply.
"Get her, Daddy!"
"Don't..." Wheeze. "...you...worry, kiddo..."
Cough. "I'll get her..." Splutter.
"...good..."
Unable to stop giggling but a little concerned about how much
Mulder may be pushing himself, Scully glanced over her shoulder.
At some point she lost her footing, though, and she tripped,
twisting and only just managing to stop herself from landing
directly on her pregnant bulge. Her partner slipped also and
almost fell on top of her, but his hands outstretched and his
hands and knees slapped down on the ground first - his long,
steady arms holding him up to hover over her still-snickering
form.
"You can get her now, Daddy!" William excitedly
cheered, bouncing on the spot where they'd left him.
Mulder grinned and then quietly sobered as he slowly lowered
himself down onto his elbows. "I think I got her
already," he sighed contentedly so that only his partner
could hear as he rested the side of his head against her stomach.
" I got you all." He held his breath and listened
intently to the very faint rumblings of movement emanating from
beneath the clothes and skin covering her abdomen, and then let
the air whoosh back out as he felt their unborn daughter give a
healthy, hearty kick at her mother's insides.
"I wish..." He paused and swallowed hard. He'd been
there for the final two months of her last pregnancy, but he
hadn't dared to touch her or even ask if he could. Now he had
full access and it was a little too overwhelming. "I wish
I'd been there last time."
The fingers that had been combing gently through his hair whilst
he'd been too enthralled by the contents of her womb to notice
came to a stop and Scully lifted her head as much as she could in
her position. "You were," she countered, puzzled.
"No, I wasn't. Not from the start and...when I did come back
I was barely even myself...I was so afraid to even breath near
you in case you ran away."
"You're here now. Surely that's all that should
matter?"
He snatched in another breath, but let it slowly back out
straight after. How did she always know the right words to say to
soothe his soul?
"But I missed so much..."
"You're here now," she repeated, pulling him up so that
she could kiss his face. "You got us good, and you're
gaining new experiences at the same time - special two for one
offer."
"Our own kind of experiences..." he mused, nodding his
head a little.
"Come on! Wanna finish Frosty!" William suddenly called
out from behind where they lay in each other's embrace. "No
more mushy in slushy."
Mulder glanced over his shoulder and then turned back to stare
into his partner's blue eyes for a moment longer. "I really
got you?" he asked, unable to contain the smile lifting his
cheeks.
"Always."
"Good." He began to rise, but before his second hand
left the ground, the first swiftly scooped up and sprayed Scully
with snow. "See, kiddo? I did get her!"
"Yay!" William jumped into the air and then started to
run around doing an airplane impersonation. "My dad's the
best!"
"Ohhh no you don't!" Scully exclaimed, waving Mulder's
offered hand away when she tried to get up, but eventually
realising she didn't really have a choice in the matter and
reluctantly accepted it. "You're in for it now - I had two
brothers who taught me well on how to defend myself in a snow
fight!"'
"Run, son, while you've still got the chance! I'll protect
you!" Mulder chuckled, refusing to step out of the short
redhead's space. "Anything taught by big bad Uncle Bill
can't be good at all!"
Their cheers and whoops and excited squeals echoed in the air as
the afternoon wore on. By the time they entered the house as the
sun began to set, Frosty had been made, and their thick layers of
clothing were soaked through. And, in some way - just as every
other day in their lives - today's fun in the snow had changed
them slightly. Thanks to those few hours of fun, play and
happiness compared to the worry, tension and serious arrangements
that had been heating up to prepare for rebellion against the
ever-nearing date of colonisation, they're new people.
And for that they'll always be grateful.
**********
THE END
**********
DISCLAIMER:
*sigh* Still not mine, which I guess means everything you
recognise from the show belongs to CC, 1013, Fox, yadda yadda
yadda - no copyright infringement intended.
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