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randomfoggytiger · 4 months

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Collector's Edition: It's the Most HTGSC Time of Year

Happy 25th Anniversary to this spooky little episode~. To celebrate, I compiled a collection of fics themed right before, during, after, and very after Mulder and Scully's Christmas Eve adventure.

Loose chronolgical order below~

This_ape_writes's So What Were Those Christmas Gifts Anyway?

She had been looking for paperclips. They were usually on top of the desk just free floating but now there weren't any to be found. She'd started digging through drawers with free floating sticks of gum, a sharpie, napkins both new and used, and some unidentified stickyness. She had also pulled out a baseball card that he quickly dove across the office to pull away from her grasp.

Pre-HTGSC Mulder draws parallels between keeping his father's baseball card and Scully's longing for a very expensive kaleidoscope.

@minuete-blog/Minuete's

Last Minute - Chapter 1

Scully hits the jackpot at the toy store as she grabs the last Tickle Me Elmo that, presumably, someone stashed away in a random place in the store behind some puzzle boards. Another beeline to the checkout counter, resulting in a 10-minute wait as she shuffles the many shopping bags she has from one arm to the next while guarding the Tickle Me Elmo toy with her life. Across the KB Toy store, she spots a Sam Goody store and knows exactly what to get for Mulder this year.

Pre-HTGSC Scully is rushing about doing last minute Christmas shopping.

Christmas Offerings - Chapter 1

She hums in defiance, wraps the afghan blanket more securely around her.

“That won’t do.” She hears Mulder chuckle. She furrows her eyebrows and manages to crack open her eyes making out a blurry image of Mulder kneeling on the ground, his chin resting on the crook of his right elbow upon the couch, facing her at eye-level. He smiles softly.

Post HTGSC Mulder wakes Scully so she can spend Christmas with her family.

@leiascully's (Ao3) Day 25: Wrap

Last Christmas, there was Emily. This year, Scully will smile at her nephew with genuine and deep affection and not a little envy. Mattie is thriving and Emily is gone.

Pre-HTGSC Scully buys Mulder a kaleidoscope while remembering her painful last Christmas.

FridaysAt9's Worse than Rush Hour on the 95

Scully struggled with the bags in her hands as she thought about taking off her jacket to get some relief from the heat that was blasting through the store. The line was at least fifteen people deep, and she was seriously starting to consider ditching the sweater for her sister-in-law in favor of practically anything from a store without a line.

Pre-HTGSC Scully is managing crowded malls and last second instructions from her mother when Mulder gives her a call.

Erin Blair/Erin M. Blair’s

155 Words - Dear Santa by Fox Mulder

She believes that I'm in love with Diana Fowley. Diana's my ex-partner and it has been over for many years. I don't know why Scully believes this, but I would like to set the record straight.

Pre-HTGSC Mulder asks Santa for advice concerning Scully and Diana.

Christmas 1998

Mulder, you asked me why I decided to come out with you tonight. You wanted to know why I wasn't at my Mom's celebrating Christmas with my family. I had every intention of being there with my family, but somehow my heart wasn't in the holiday spirit. I think you know why.

Post HTGSC Scully is grateful for Mulder's distractions and Melissa's previous words.

is_this_just_fantasy's Insomniac Ghosts

“Again?” Scully asked genuinely.

“Yeah.”

“So, Mulder, your plans were to spend Christmas, and Christmas Eve staking out an old house?”

“With ghosts Scully, don’t forget the ghost.”

AU-- Pre-HTGSC Mulder's apartment is (once again) fumigated; and Scully invites him over. Both really didn't want to be alone.

@ghostbustermelanieking/skuls’s merry little christmas

"Will you really be alone on Christmas, Mulder?”

He’s shrugging at her. “Sure, why not? I’ve spent enough of them alone.” The casualness in his voice isn’t quite as strong as it should be; it’s strained, just a little.

Scully switches off the water, watching him drink his coffee out of the corner of her eye. An idea springs up in her mind, too tantalizing to push away. “You don’t have to spend it alone, Mulder,” she offers, her voice going quiet at the edges.

AU-- Pre-HTGSC Scully drags Mulder out shopping before he drags her out haunted house hunting.

Jennifer Stoy's Christmas in Space

So, yeah, yeah, yeah, they say in DC that Fox Mulder's heart grew three sizes that day. It was an accident! I wasn't all that converted when I retrieved my precious cell phone, grabbed some Chinese at the food court, and went home. I can't explain how I woke up the next morning brimming with Yuletide cheer. It might have been the Elvis; the clock radio was playing "Blue Christmas" when I woke up. But the magic of the season had me in its tinseled, consumerist clutches before I finished my shower.

AU-- Pre-HTGSC Mulder might have wanted to surprise his partner for Christmas, but didn't quite expect Scully to pull a gun on him.

Jennifer Brady's Secret Santa

"Any holiday plans, Scully?" He asks, a little curiosity in his deep timbre.

Well, actually. "Yes, in fact we have a case," Uh oh, where did *that* come from? Was that me?

Mulder's face breaks into a grin, and he walks over to my desk, perching himself on a corner. "A case? I haven't heard anything," He says, his voice taking on a definite teasing tone.

Time for all those improvisational classes I took in high school.

Post FTF, Pre-HTGSC Scully is ready to tread on the wild side, unleashing Dana as she lures Mulder to a Christmas retreat on a bogus case.

Titania de la Mer's Conspirators' Dark Designs

The afterlife wasn’t half as thrilling as it appeared, but on this one night they had always had fun. Their games were perhaps not the most pleasant. Well, not for their guests anyway, but you had to get your kicks where you found them.

HTGSC Maurice and Lyda are more contemplative than bothered.

@wexleresque/hellsteeth's Msr + mistletoe??

She joins him in his gaze upon very old and shrunken mistletoe that hangs above them. It is mostly curled up and decayed to nothing, save for the red ribbon pinning it to the doorframe.

It's old and dusty and beautiful in its own very weird way, just like this house.

AU-- HTGSC Scully and Mulder stumble onto more than just ghosts in the old, haunted mansion.

BarbaraWar's The Ghosts Whose Christmas Was Stolen

"Are you afraid Mulder?" She asked, her voice wavering slightly, although he couldn't tell if it was from the strenuous position or fear of her own.

A gun went off.

At first he didn't notice it'd been his own, but he felt the recoil, saw Scully's eyes widen in surprise, saw her fall back with a whimper, saw a red stain form on her formerly white blouse. But hadn't it been red? He then noticed his own clothes were now blood-stain free . He dropped the gun, ran his hands over his chest, nothing. Oh, no. "Scully!"

AU-- HTGSC Mulder shoots Scully, and watches as she snarks her way into death. The ghosts convince him to finish the deed.

@allyinthekeyofx’s (Ao3) Bittersweet promise.

Softly, quietly he had asked her what was wrong, his fingers smoothing the sweat-damp hair from her face, a simple act that calmed her hitching breaths almost immediately and which gave encouragement to speak.

"I haven't had my hot chocolate. Mommy makes me my special hot chocolate before I go to sleep."

Post HTGSC Mulder makes Scully the same hot chocolate he'd shared with Emily.

@i-gaze-at-scully/ i_gaze_at_scully's All I Want for Christmas (Ao3)

It didn’t help being sidelined. Long days in the bullpen with as much intellectual stimulation as watching paint dry. Long days knocking on doors, using honey to catch flies while the vinegar bubbled in her throat.

But she had Mulder.

Post HTGSC Scully is glad that Mulder distracted her from Emily; and he is glad she got him a very hard-to-find Christmas present.

Leyla Harrison's (Alt. Tumblr, Gossamer, Mulders Creek) The Star

She looked just like a little kid.

Her eyes kind of widened and then softened at the edges. Then the blue of her irises danced around. I can't even begin to explain how her mouth turned up. Her whole body language just screamed giddy, and for Scully that's pretty restrained. But hey -- I don't get to see Scully very giddy very often, and it had been a rough night, you know?

Post HTGSC Mulder gifted Scully a star.

stellar_dust's (Gossamer) Fall of Snow, Pacal's Tomb, and Thou, A; or How We Stole Christmas Back From the Ghosts (Ao3)

"Mulder, why don't you come to Mom's house with me in the morning?"

He opened one eye and looked at her for a moment. "All right. I'd like that. I think."

They stared at each other.

"Um," Scully fumbled.

Post HTGSC Mulder sets aside the neglect of his mother to focus on spending the day with Scully-- watching her nap and facing off in a snowball fight.

@slippinmickeys/SlippinMickeys/Slippin' Mickeys's Unnamed

“Pick a key,” Mulder said, setting two keys of similar profiles in front of her.

They were thick and ancient, with a patina that had probably been earned. They looked so old – practically antediluvian – that she thought briefly that if the locks they unbolted survived, the doors they had protected probably had not.

Post HTGSC Mulder has Scully pick between her Christmas gifts for a bonus surprise.

Sheryl Nantus/Sheryl Martin’s (FFN) It Hurts (FFN)

Suddenly he noticed that her arms were tightening around him - not enough to hurt, but in a sudden shift of emotion.

Then he felt it.

The first touches of dampness on his bare skin.

Post HTGSC Scully tearfully relates the pain of Emily's death.

pokeitlikejello's The Drabble Files - Chapter 28

“Scully, what are you doing here?” Mulder leaned against his open apartment door. “I thought you’d be halfway through a warm, cozy Christmas dinner.”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about how you’re all alone,” she told him honestly.

AU-- Post HTGSC Scully fails to lure Mulder to her family party... and decides to stay with him, instead.

Nynaeve's Almost Home

"How is work?"

"Work," she had said flatly, sighing. "Let's just say I'm not exactly making that difference I thought I could."

Maggie had covered her daughter's hand with her own. "I'm sorry."

Another smile had twitched at the corner of Scully's mouth. "No, you're not," she told her mother. "You're thrilled I'm doing something safe." There was no malice in Scully's voice, only the recognition that Maggie, like all mothers, was glad her child was in a safe job, at least momentarily.

"All right, yes, I'm glad you're safe," Maggie had agreed with a laugh. "But I *am* sorry you're not satisfied."

AU-- Post HTGSC Scully recalls her childhood-- the cold, sibling truces, and snow fights-- then shares that magic (and more) with Mulder.

@catharsisxf's (Ao3) When We Finally Kiss Goodnight (Ao3)

They sat comfortably for a while, watching little flecks of white dance past his window. He could admit to himself now that this was what he'd wanted all along. To not feel so alone. He'd felt the need to frame it as a case when he'd have been perfectly happy just spending a quiet evening in with her.

AU-- Post HTGSC Mulder and Scully revisit that moment in the FTF hallway.

@lotsoforangesoutside/@lotzzoforangezoutside/lots_of_oranges_outside's Fall Like a Feather (Ao3)

“Look at what we’re wearing, Mulder.”

He’s not following. “We’re wearing what we’re always wearing.”

Scully shakes her head. “It wouldn’t be snowing if we were...” She stops, and tries again, “I’m not even wearing a sweater, Mulder. It can’t be snowing outside. I’m not dressed right, and neither are you. I didn’t feel cold on my way here. Your neighbors are way too quiet... the world feels too quiet.”

AU-- Post HTGSC Mulder and Scully wake to a white Christmas... and the realization they'd both died the night before.

piece_of_the_stars's Christmas Ghosts and Imaginary Mistletoe

Mulder was there when she found it. They’d stopped for gas in the middle of Wyoming and Scully got out to stretch her legs. There was a shop next door selling knick knacks and Mulder walked in the store to find her staring at the necklace, unmoving. He silently made his way to her and only then did she look away from the gold cross in her hands. He lead her to the register where she paid and he did the talking for her, knowing she had nothing to say. When they were back in their rental car, Mulder silently took the hand not holding the necklace and laced their fingers together. They drove silently back to their motel and haven’t said a word about it since.

AU-- Post HTGSC Scully decides to make a decisive overture before leaving for her Christmas obligations.

Ten's (The Salvation Archive) Having a Happy X-mas

By the looks and some quick whispering, rumours had been flying, sailing, driving, sprinting and galloping around for the last few years. The fact that he and Scully were still holding hands only added to it. "Merry Christmas, everyone," he managed, while turning 180 degrees.

150 degrees into the turn he saw Bill glaring at him from over near the fireplace. /Wonderful./

Almost at the end of his turn, his eyes met those of someone over in a corner. The occupant was an old lady in a motorised wheelchair, eating a cookie. She stared at him. Her eyes widened. Mulder inwardly sighed. /Billy boy has done a sterling pre-publicity campaign on me./ Time stopped for a second. Suddenly she coughed and made a choking noise.

AU-- Post HTGSC Mulder is persuaded to Scully's party where both Scully brothers are not allies... and where he meets a familiar face who recognizes him from 1939.

Pattie's Happy Turkey Trot

"I bet you didn't get a turkey this year, did you?"

"Scully, I think you pretty well know how I spend Christmas."

"Well, I have one in my freezer, Mulder, at all times."

"What?"

AU-- Post HTGSC Scully and Mulder get food poisoning together.

@agentwhalesong/sadandangstyagent's (Ao3) Tell Him

“Listen, Scully… there are things I have been wanting to talk to you about and…”

Mulder had no time to complete his sentence. A very loud and very clear word filled the room.

LEAVE!

Post HTGSC Mulder and Scully visit another haunted house; but this ghost helps them just as much as they help her.

Vickie Moseley’s (Ao3, Gossamer) Comfort

OK, so she came over and she forgave me and I got this really neat tie that I can almost tolerate even though it's pretty mundane, but it's 100 percent silk and you really can't go wrong with silk. And I got to give her my present, a nameplate for her desk. A nice one, not like the cheap gold painted metal ones from supply, but a wooden one with her name engraved on it.

Post HTGSC Mulder's snippy POV as he and Scully are badly shot up at a crime scene.

Mystic's Truces

Pulling into the curb in front of her house, she was a little more than shocked to see Mulder sitting at her front step. He looked up at the car and stood, walking towards her.

Scully opened the car door and let a small smile escape her. "Mulder, where have you been?" She tried not to sound amused, or upset, but neutral.

He lowered his head shyly, "I went home."

Post HTGSC Scully calls a truce with Diana while Mulder drops in on his mom (and leaves.)

whatliesabove's ghost ship

Scully blinks, jaw set. As she stares at him, she realizes she’s been hiding from the wrong things this entire time, so scared of the what-ifs that she's refused to even entertain the possibility that they wouldn’t crash and burn.

And maybe they still do. Maybe they end in fire and destruction and broken hearts. Maybe they end up hating each other; no longer lovers, no longer friends, but strangers again. Maybe she becomes someone he’ll always miss, maybe his name becomes something she no longer acknowledges.

But maybe they don’t.

AU-- Tithonus Scully dreams of an alternate timeline with Mulder, from Season 1 to making unpartnerly moves in Detour that are (sort of) resolved in HTGSC to family life with a little girl... and then she wakes up.

petit_chou's from now on our troubles will be out of sight

She loves to hear about their old cases. While most other young children hear fairy tales and nursery rhymes, Annie’s bedtime stories are fantastic tales of her parents chasing real monsters in the dark.

And there’s one such story that’s perfect for today. “How would you like to hear about the time me and your mom went ghost-hunting in a haunted house on Christmas Eve?”

Post HTGSC Mulder and Scully enjoy a post Revival Christmas with Jackson and their little daughter. And what better way to celebrate than competitive snowball fights and spooky ghost stories?

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

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randomfoggytiger · 4 months

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How the Ghosts Stole Christmas: Old Tricks and New Lessons

(Dedicated to @welsharcher~! Merry Christmas!)

It's not a stretch to assume Maurice and Lyda were set up as Mulder and Scully's mirrors-- they wore strikingly similar (if more dated) outfits, exhibited the same faults, and learned the same lessons as their visitors.

The difference between the two couples--and let's not make bones about the intent of the episode-- is that Maurice and Lyda have tossed care to the wind, openly cultivating their twisted bond forever while Mulder and Scully still dance around that hallway moment and that medicated slip. The dichotomy provides an excellent opportunity for metaphorical analysis, true; however, I find it more interesting to look at the direct contrast the writers put forth quite baldly (y'know, the tantalizing elephant in the room pointed to, over and over, with glee.)

Even though Maurice and Lyda openly admit their love for one another, How the Ghosts Stole Christmas exposes how puddle-deep that love truly is (or was.) Both of them, lost in the throes of woe and despair, thought they would lose each other in this life; and the only way to permanently tie themselves to the other was in death. And now, Maurice must spout pop psychology drivel while Lyda mourns the loss of his beauty and her amusement. It's a selfish love motivated by pride and vanity: two people who figured life offered nothing to humanity except despair and betrayal gave it up, spending their afterlife projecting that worldview onto others (ala Tithonus.) Their delight at tricking, conniving, and one-upping-- if only for one night-- distracts them from the consequences of their reckless conclusion. It gives Lyda and Maurice a point to drive home: that they were right and everyone else is wrong or is too high on love to realize it. They are the only two who have discovered the truth, and everyone else is crazy.

As opposed to Mulder and Scully: yes, our intrepid agents have spoken their love only in coded language and heavy gazes (and once after nearly drowning), but they have a greater weight to the unspoken declarations of their passion and devotion compared to the old ghosts exorcising their frustrations through bloodlust and sadism-- they have trust.

Not just as partners in the work, but as two humans who would go to any lengths to save the other's life, at least for another day.

At first, the ghosts view their guests as naive, altruistic nut cases unwilling to accept the harsher realities of life (and afterlife.) However, over the course of the episode, Maurice and Lyda resign themselves to the fact that Mulder and Scully's ability to communicate-- ironic, I know-- who they are and what they mean to each other dwarfs whatever trite point their hosts were trying to prove; and that softens the ghosts' nonexistent hearts enough to fan the flames of their own romance into purer, truer veins (i.e. not needing two dead bodies between them to feel closer and romantic.)

All in all, the ghosts' lessons were turned right back around on them: Lyda's self-righteous, narcissistic pleasure was taken from her, and Maurice's joy at proving everyone wrong in life was stripped from him... but neither, really, seemed to mind. Maybe, perhaps, they rediscovered the happiness they failed to achieve in life: that of another (cold) hand to cling to on that very special Christmas day. Maybe that realization was enough to break the curse; or maybe they'll stick around to haunt another night.

Despite speculation, it's clear that Maurice and Lyda are content for the first time in a long, long while, reveling in the Christmas spirit with festive happiness and peace on earth.

A marvel for both of them.