Title: San Fracisco - The First Noel Author: Hummbugg E-Mail: humm.bugg@yahoo.com.au Website: http://humm.bugg.tripod.com Rated: NC-17 Disclaimer: All credit to CC and Co as always. X Baby, baby, in any kind of weather I'm here for you always and forever Baby, baby, no muscle man could sever My love for you is true and it will never Stop for a minute Baby, I'm so glad you're mine Amy Grant X Mulder walked into his kitchen with a bemused smile on his face. Three voices chimed in with the music blaring from the radio and three wriggling bodies danced around going about their various tasks. Charlie and her daughters had taken over the kitchen an hour earlier ordering everyone but Scully out. Scully appeared to be watching them with an expression of amused horror dancing over her features. He inched his way over to Scully with his hands raised and tight to his body. Last thing he wanted was to be surrounded by three footloose females dancing to crappy pseudo electronic eighties pop. "I see a ship in the harbor I can and shall obey But if it wasnt for your misfortunes Id be a heavenly person today And I thought I was mistaken And I thought I heard you speak Tell me how do I feel Tell me now how should I feel" When he reached Scully's side unscathed he bent down to speak softly into her ear. "Are you sure this was such a good idea?" Her mouth twitched. Almost a smile. "Do you think they'd notice if we sneak off upstairs for a while?" Success; her lips pulled back and he caught a sparkle of teeth before she turned her face to whisper back. "Yes and definitely Yes." "Yes you wanna sneak upstairs or yes you think they would notice?" She smiled again and this time he felt the warm curve of her lips against his ear. "Both." He had no doubt that if she were to go for it he could have them back downstairs in the kitchen both satisfied and undiscovered in under ten minutes. Over the last week he had become the master of the 'quickie'. Ever since their little 'episode' over the shape shifter infiltration an intense urgency had swept over her. Scully had been arriving home mid afternoon throughout the weekdays. Monday she had strolled into the dining room, shoved him down into a chair and almost bruised him with the force of her insane lust. Tuesday had been a very similar performance only this time the main act took center stage on one of the couches. By Wednesday he had caught on and had waited for her. Thankfully she had worn a skirt that day and the moment he discovered her thigh highs he had known she had been prepared. She had barely managed to close the door before he had her pinned to the wall. Going by his experiences over the previous two days he knew exactly what she wanted. She had been ready for him before she had even parked the car. He'd simply pulled her panties to the side, slid his sweats down enough for his eager length to spring free and drove into her with one forceful thrust. Thursday he had her bent over the kitchen bench and Friday he took her on top of the vanity in the bathroom which is where she had found him shaving. During each encounter she had been pretty much fully clothed, in no need of any 'warm up' routine and her orgasms went off like a hair trigger. She was satisfied and hunting for food in under ten minutes each time. The same passion greeted him when she returned in the evenings. Then in the middle of the night, then again right before sunrise. He could barely keep up. He had no idea what was up with her. She couldn't seem to get enough. He wouldn't complain of course. How could he say no to the woman when it was his affections she was obviously hungry for? "You really want to go upstairs?" She contemplated this for a moment then grinned. He could see the blush tainting her cheeks. "No we've got guests. It wouldn't be appropriate." He agreed with her. Just knowing that she was hot for him would be enough.. for now. "You two make me want to gag. You're just as bad as Mom and Dad." Dani threw a cheeky look over her shoulder at the whispering pair. They both looked up. Busted. Charlie laughed at her tactless daughter. "You two are distracting me. Out out out! You're more of a hindrance than a help. Go find your father and treat him to your little retro routine. I'd rather forget the eighties ever existed." "Yeah right. We've seen photos of you Mom. You had the whole Stevie Knicks hair thing going for awhile." "Out!" She swatted their behinds with a tea towel and they giggled their way out of the kitchen. Once they had gone she turned to them. "THAT is what's going to happen if we don't have a little birds and bees talk right now." "What?" "You heard me. I'm not blind. You two have been hiding out here in your little nest lately. I know what you're up to you can't fool me." They both looked a little embarrassed. Charlie laughed. "It's not an accusation. I just need to warn you guys." "About what?" "About what's going to happen if you don't start being VERY and I mean VERY careful. Dana are you experiencing a boost in your libido? When I say boost I mean if you don't get it multiple times throughout the day you're likely to tear someone's intestines out and ram them down their throat?" Mulder answered for her. "Oh it's worse than that." Charlie giggled gleefully. "The same thing happened a few weeks after I experienced that evil first period. Poor Michael.." She paused to giggle some more. "I was only nineteen so you can imagine.." She trailed off into husky giggles again and glanced at Scully. "We thought we were being careful and the next thing we knew Mark was a little strip on a home pregnancy test. I know you're on the pill now but it's going to be about as effective as a fart in a storm." He loved it when Charlie came off all crude. She could be just as tactless as her daughter at times. "Your hormones are in over drive. Your body is gearing itself up to receive the mother load. You better abstain or go get yourselves some super strength spermicidal rubbers or you're going to be known as 'Mommy' sooner than you had planned." "What happens if we avoid a pregnancy?" "Well from research on other women who have been healed we've found that the initial drive to procreate wears off after around two weeks. You'll start to experience a light regular menstrual cycle with minimal cramping. This will continue every month without fail like every other normal woman until you conceive." Charlie gave Scully a moment to digest the information. "I think you guys should enjoy the rush. It only happens once and it's exhilarating. Just make sure that you be extremely careful." X Then entered in those Wise men three Full reverently upon their knee And offered there in His presence Their gold and myrrh and frankincense. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel Born is the King of Israel! Silent Night X 24th December 1999 The house was decorated in soft shades of cream and gold. Charlie had ordered fresh bouquets of white roses to adorn the dark polished wood of the staircase balustrade. It was all held together with woven gold ribbon. The Christmas tree was huge and stood proudly in the main corner of the living room. The lights reflected merrily off the tinsel and cast a warm glow on the large gold star that sat at the very top. Quite a few people would be attending their little Christmas soiree. Charlie had stated simply that Christmas Day was a time for family but Christmas Eve was for everyone. She had merrily gone about compiling a guest list of all the people she knew Mulder and Scully were friendly with at the organization. The Lone Gunmen had been invited as well as Skinner, Scully's family and Mulder's mother who had declined. Teena Mulder's relationship with her son was strained these days. He couldn't bring himself to try and repair it and her unwillingness to share in his long deserved happiness simply decreased the desire to do so even more. He decided that if she wanted to play it that way then it was her problem. He had a family now; a family that loved him and wanted to support him, a family that gave him so much more emotional fulfillment than his parents ever had. To both of their surprise Charlie's generous heart made itself that much more obvious when she enlisted the help of a couple of shelter kids the twins had befriended during their stint at the soup kitchen. To Charlie's surprise and pleasure her daughters still volunteered a couple of nights a week to go down and offer their services. They really were good girls. Sometimes they just needed a nudge in the right direction. She was now familiar with the two boys. One was thirteen. He was two years younger than them and they had taken him under their wing like they would a younger brother. Dani spent hours teaching him skate board tricks out the front of their house in the afternoons. The older boy was sixteen. He was a fairly quiet boy with a shy smile. Charlie had warmed to him immediately. He had quickly found a friend in her son and the two regularly played basketball and worked on Mark's mustang. Charlie suspected her quieter twin Dana had developed a little crush on the young man. They had all been quite impressed when she joined in on the men's conversation on the finer workings of the old braking system in the still sexy car around the dinner table. When the boy had questioned her about her obvious knowledge she had blushed and muttered something about doing a little light reading. Needless to say the boy had been impressed. Although she was pleased to see her girls growing into beautiful, poised and opinionated young women she couldn't help but worry as most mothers' do. Her daughters weren't babies anymore. They were going to make their own choices whether she liked it or not. She just hoped they knew their mother well enough to know they could talk to her about anything. They could ask her anything and she would give them a hopefully broad minded and unbiased answer. So fond she was of the boys she had made them an offer they couldn't possibly refuse. For one night they would dress up in suits along with Mark, Dani and Dana and wait on the Christmas guests in exchange for weekly Sunday night dinners in her home and the ability to come to her if they needed anything. She also threw in a hundred dollars each for their efforts. Michael and Charlie regularly donated to orphanages and children's charities. The two boys she had taken on as her own special case. If her children's friends didn't have anyone to love them and look after them properly she felt that it was her duty to provide. Her inner psychologist knew there was much more than generosity going on behind her actions. Due to her own childhood experiences she couldn't help but get personally involved, she couldn't help become attached. As much as she would love to work in a field where she could be helping parentless children she knew it would ultimately destroy her. She couldn't relive that. Not when she had come so far to escape her past. She was in the kitchen adjusting the straps of her red dress when she heard the doorbell chime. The kids all looked at one another. "Here we go." Charlie grinned. "Hold on to your trays guys. Who said old farts don't know how to party?" She heard the door open and Mulder's voice greet the first guests. "I figured the three wise men would show eventually." "Duuuuude. What happened?" "Yeah what's with the palace Mulder?" "You used to be cool. You've changed." "So where's the L'Oreal Uber-Scully?" Charlie then heard Scully's amused voice. "You're not in the door five seconds and that's the first thing you ask Frohike?" The three stooges all stared at her silently. "What?" Mulder was laughing. "They've never seen you in a dress before." She rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. Finally Frohike spoke up. "Such a shame you're a married woman now." She smirked and looked the three of them up and down. "The Lone Gunmen in suits. If only GQ could see you now." Their conversation was interrupted by a squeal. "Dude no way! You guys are finally here I brought Mortal Kombat and I memorized all the fatalities!" Langly blinked at the pretty fifteen year old. He'd been expecting a tomboy in scuffed skate shoes and a black flag band shirt. Not a polished young woman. Great, it was bad enough the only female on the planet that was passionate about Mortal Kombat as much as him had to be jail bait and related to Mulder AND Scully in a really warped way, but she had to be hot as well, at least as hot as a fifteen year old could be. It wasn't easy being a Gunman that was for sure. "You're on kid. You can't beat the master." "We all know the Queen can't be knocked off her throne by a peasant." "We'll see how well you're nursing that ego when the night is through." "Bring it on." Charlie had finally emerged from the kitchen. "Dani your brother wants to see you. He's in the kitchen." Dani threw Langly a wicked smile and sauntered off. The three guys gawked at the blonde 'Scully' in her hot red dress. "Whoa when you guys said clone you really meant clone." Mulder watched as Charlie pulled off a very familiar eyebrow/smirk combination. Mulder watched as Frohike's eyes glazed over. No doubt the little troll had taken a happy to trip to Scully-La-La land and was frolicking gleefully with identical women making identical love. "Well if it isn't The Lone Gunmen. I wasn't expecting such well groomed gentlemen. Mulder told me to expect Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow." Mulder smirked. "Frohike, Langly and Byers meet Charlie Moore." X The house was filled with the sounds of mingling guests laughing merrily and enjoying their champagne. Charlie had taken on the role of hostess for awhile so Scully could relax with her old and new friends. Their closeness grew everyday. She felt almost attached to her original now. In the short time they had been in each other's lives they had managed to cultivate a love that went far beyond sisterly. In fact there was nothing sisterly about it. She loved Dana as she loved herself. Her own instincts for survival and preservation included the other woman. Her desires for happiness included Dana's happiness. They had an easy flow of give and take between them. When the kids were sick it was Dana who checked them out. When Michael had sliced his hand open in the kitchen it was Dana who had stitched him up. When Dana was worn out after a long week of autopsies it was Charlie who dragged her stubborn ass down to a trendy little hippie health spa for a deep tissue massage and aromatherapy treatment. They worked well together. They made a good little team. DING DONG Charlie rushed over to the front door to welcome the latest guests. She pulled the door open. A tallish sandy haired man with a rather stern face stood before her. A short perky little blonde stood next to him with a two year old on her hip. On his other side was a familiar face; Margaret Scully. "Maggie it's so good to see you again!" She embraced the petite brunette and pressed a kiss to her cheek. When she pulled away she turned her smile on the stunned couple. "You must be Bill and Tara. I'm Charlie. It's nice to finally meet you." The two stared at her wordlessly for a long moment. Charlie knew it was a shock for people who knew Dana to meet her but all the gawking was getting rather ridiculous. She stood to the side and pulled the door open wide to permit them entrance. They all shuffled inside and began to remove their coats. It was Tara who spoke first. "I'm sorry we didn't mean to be rude. Maggie warned I mean told us that you look like Dana.. but.. um." Charlie laughed. "You weren't quite expecting a photo copy?" Tara was instantly at ease. The woman wasn't offended if anything she was amused. "Something like that." Charlie smiled and reached out to ruffle the hair of Bill's son. "You must be Matty. Aunt Dana told me all about you." The little boy buried his face in his mother's neck. Finally Bill spoke. "He's a little shy." "So is my two year old. Dana and Fox are the only ones allowed near him other than his father and siblings. He cries and squirms when other people try to hold him. It gets a little embarrassing at times." Charlie hung their coats up in the near by mini sized coat room. She loved this house more than she did her own which was saying a lot because her house was a suburbanites dream. "Merry Christmas." Dana's smiling face appeared in the foyer and she moved to embrace her mother. Maggie petted Scully's hair. "Dana I haven't seen your hair this long in years." She stroked the end of a red strand which settled heavily on her daughter's shoulder. "You look younger sweetie." Dana squeezed her mother briefly. "I know." When she pulled away it was with a smile. "Merry Christmas Bill." Charlie watched the rather stiff hug they exchanged. They didn't share the same kind of affection for each other that Michael and Ally had in abundance. She briefly wondered if Dana even felt related to this man. "Merry Christmas Tara." She turned to hug her sister in law. There was more warmth in this embrace but it was a little awkward. Charlie figured Dana didn't have very much in common with her brother's wife. She didn't pick up any bad vibes. The two women had no ill will toward each other they were just two completely separate kettles of fish. "Hi Matty." Dana smiled at her nephew. He simply tightened his hold on his mother's neck and turned his face away. "Matty say hello to your Aunt Dana." Aunt Dana Scully HATED that. Being called Aunt always made her feel like an old spinster. Things had looked bleak for awhile but she was certainly not old and certainly not a spinster and if Mulder was anyone to go by she hadn't lost her touch yet either. "Come upstairs so you can leave your luggage and get settled in your rooms." "Dana this house is beautiful I want the grand tour." Scully smiled at Tara and picked up a couple of their bags. Charlie did the same. Before they could make their way to the staircase their identical husbands appeared. "You two are going to haul suitcases up the stairs wearing that?" Michael eyed their dresses and heel clad feet. "I thought you organized slave labor for the night. Where are the kids?" "They're busy feeding and intoxicating the guests." Charlie dumped two suitcases at Michael's feet then pulled the bags from Scully's hands and dumped them at Mulder's feet. "THAT is why we got married." She stood back and grinned wickedly at the two of them. "Where did your pants go Michael?" This came from a smirking Mulder. "I think Charlie borrowed them for awhile." He bent down and wrapped his hands around the handles and lifted them up. "Merry Christmas. I'm Michael by the way." He threw a grin at Bill and Tara and made his way up the stairs. Mulder reached out to shake Bill's hand. "Merry Christmas Bill." Bill paused for a beat, long enough to get his message across. Just because he was here it didn't mean he approved of the situation. "Merry Christmas Mulder." He firmly shook Mulder's hand then quickly dropped his arm back to his side. "Tara, Merry Christmas." Mulder shook her hand also. X Everything was going off without a hitch. Bill was thankfully behaving. Maggie was keeping the two toddlers occupied with food and books and Charlie was working the room as always. "Hey Scully look who just arrived." She turned to see a smiling Mulder standing next to Skinner. How odd to see Skinner in their warmly decorated home. "Sir I'm glad you could make it." She briefly embraced the bulk of the ex marine. If Mulder made her feel like a midget, Skinner made her feel like an ant. "I think we can safely drop the formalities." Scully smiled. They were all on even ground now. He wasn't their boss anymore. He was here as a friend and possibly a potential colleague if all went well with John and the meeting Mulder had arranged. "How was the flight?" "Turbulent but uneventful." Skinner was looking at what he could see of the huge Victorian splendor his former Agents now owned. It was hard to believe his eyes. It didn't seem to fit in with his 'image' of Mulder and Scully. "You two are obviously taking your cover story very seriously." Mulder could see the other man was amused. "Yeah we plan to throw in a picket fence and a couple of kids eventually. We figure a few additional enforcements might be necessary to make sure it stays believable." Skinner smirked. He'd always known there was more than meets the eye when it came to these two. "So where are these clones you mentioned?" Scully took a brief glance around and saw Charlie entering the living room with Frohike hot on her heels. Scully laughed and waved her over. Mulder watched Skinner closely. He always loved other people's first reactions to their clones. It amused him every time. The man's eyes widened as a blonde Scully came to stand beside the red haired Scully. She smiled up at him and extended her hand. "Skinner this is Charlie. Charlie this is our former boss at the F.B.I." "Walter Skinner of course. Pleased to meet you." X 10:30pm Scully had made her way upstairs to use the bathroom when she saw Bill exiting the guestroom. He closed the door quietly behind him and looked startled for a moment when he saw her. When he spoke his voice quiet. "Matty fell asleep. I just put him to bed." Scully nodded, she wasn't comfortable around her big brother anymore. She didn't quite know what to say. Bill could be just as stoic if not more so than his younger sister. "Look Dana we need to talk." She knew that tone of voice and she sighed. "What now Bill? What have I done this time?" His eyes narrowed. "You know Dana you have a real nerve to act so put upon." Her eyes narrowed as well. "What's the supposed to mean?" "Every time I talk to you I either get brushed off or ridiculed. You are the one who let this family down Dana don't go around acting like I'm the bad guy." "How exactly have I let this family down Bill?" "We could start with you joining the F.B.I. in the first place." "Oh so we're back to that now are we?" "It always comes down to that. You know it and I know it. If you hadn't joined the F.B.I. If you hadn't involved yourself with that lunatic things would be a whole lot different. Dad might not have been so stressed out.." THAT was a slap in the face. "You're blaming me for Dad's heart attack? Get a hold of yourself Bill. I had already been with the F.B.I. for three years before Dad passed away." "Funny how it should coincide with your fairly new assignment at the time." "You're unbelievable." "Forget about Dad for now, what about Melissa? She died because of you. She died because of that sorry son of a bitch downstairs." "Don't you ever and I mean EVER involve him in sentence pertaining to Melissa's death." "What is it about him Dana? What the hell makes you trail along after him like some pathetic whipped dog?" "How dare you. How dare you question my choices." "You were always the smart one Dana. What the hell happened? You can't tell me you put all of the people that love you through so much hell over the years because you think you love the guy." x:x:x:x:x:x: Charlie had seen Dana leave for the bathroom ages ago. She was starting to get a little worried. She handed her sleepy son to Michael and decided to make her way upstairs. She knew Dana wasn't up there with Mulder because he was on the couch talking with John and Skinner. When she reached the top of the stairs she heard the conversation going on between two figures in the dim hallway. "You think a couple of clones are going to make me believe what Mulder believes? What have clones got to do with aliens anyway? If you ask me you're just as insane as him. You deserve each other." They both jumped when they heard Charlie approach. "Can't either of you bring yourselves to listen to what the other has to say?" "Charlie it's okay I was about to come down stairs anyway." Scully turned from her brother and took a step toward the flight of stairs. Charlie held out a hand to stop her. "No you weren't. You were going to keep your mouth closed and your ears open and listen to what your brother has to say." Scully's eyes widened. "I don't think it would be wise for you to get in the middle Charlie, now if you'll excuse me?" She tried to make her way around her clone but was stopped again. "No Dana. It's Christmas Day tomorrow. It's a time for family. You told me you wanted to bury the hatchet with your brother. Here is your chance. You both have a lot of things you need to say to each other. I know that you're angry with yourself Dana. I know you want to justify yourself to your brother and that frustrates you because you shouldn't have to justify yourself to anyone. Bill holds a lot of anger toward you and you need to hear his reasons and accept them as valid feelings. Just because you think he's wrong it doesn't mean that he feels them any less. You need to provide him with answers and he needs to gain some understanding. You can't blame him for his anger when you've never told him the real story." X Charlie had managed to get them into the master bedroom. She thought it might help for Dana to be on her own turf, in her own comfort zone. Dana and Bill sat next to each other at the foot of the bed and Charlie was positioned in front of them on a chair. She was simply there for guidance. These two obviously needed an objective opinion to referee. "Why don't you start Bill. You're angry at Dana, you feel your anger is justified. You need to tell her why. Dana there will be no interruptions. You will have your turn to speak. Understood?" Scully nodded mutely and watched her brother as he gathered his thoughts. "I'm angry at you because you have allowed all of these unspeakable things to happen. I'm angry at you because you devote your entire life to and gamble your future on a man that spins fairy tales in your ear and drags you away from your family. I'm angry that you choose to stay with him after all the misery he's caused. I'm angry that Melissa had to die for this stupidity. Most of all I'm angry because you've never given any of us a valid reason for why you have let all of this happen and why it continues after seven years. I just want answers Dana. I deserve answers." Scully was silent for a long time. Despite the constant bitching and snide remarks that she endured from her brother he had always been surprisingly quick and to the point when it came down to the heart of any matter. How could she possibly sum up seven years worth of reasons why she chose to lead the life she did? It would surely take her all night. She had to keep it relatively brief but completely honest and with no room for argument. "I wake up everyday and everyday I wake up for the same reason. I will not give up, I will not back down, I will not rest until every last son of a bitch who has ever hurt me and my family is brought to their knees. If you think I followed Mulder because I fell in love with him you're sadly mistaken." The devil himself appeared in the door way. How did he always manage to stumble upon awkward situations? Bill immediately tensed up. Scully looked down at her hands and Charlie frowned at both of them. "Mulder I'm glad you're here. You should be around for this." "What's going on here?" "We're having a conversation. Dana please continue." Scully looked up at Mulder. She was uncomfortable he could tell. "Dana you know Mulder already knows this story. Don't clam up." Scully sighed. "You need to be able to put yourself in my place just for a second Bill. When I joined the F.B.I. I expected to see things that people wouldn't normally have to deal with. I didn't expect to discover a world filled with unexplainable freaks of nature, I didn't expect to find honest to god forces and energies of good and evil. I didn't expect to witness true psychic ability, I didn't expect to find a community of elderly cannibals who retained their youthful appearances through their consummation of human flesh. I never expected to learn the true identity of who assassinated President Kennedy." Bill's eyes widened. "I could never prove it but we have our theory. I didn't choose to remain on the X-Files because of some misguided office romance. I know that's what you believe but even Mulder can tell you that it's just not true. First and foremost Mulder and I were partners, we were friends, we were investigating cases that no one else could possibly even begin to explain. Our case solve rate was high and we worked well together. I couldn't leave because of what we were uncovering together. There is a network of powerful men and government conspiracy that has tainted governing bodies the world over for the last fifty years. I have witnessed their crimes, I have been subjected to their power, Melissa died because of them. Melissa died for the truth. I wake up everyday for her. Missy is the reason why I keep on fighting. Melissa took a bullet that was meant for me. She died and I lived. It is my duty to continue fighting for her until the day I die. Mulder and I are both united on this quest beneath the banner of our sisters. I wont deny that I love him. I have loved Mulder for a very long time. But like I said before, we never gave personal involvement a chance to interfere with our work. That is why I continue Bill. My reasons are noble and they are justifiable and it hurts me when you question my choices. I am in this to save mankind from invasion. There are aliens Bill and they are nasty, relentless and dead set on colonization. You may not believe me now but I can show you photographic evidence, since we've moved here the Organization we are now a part of has managed to secure two fresh alien corpses. I autopsied them myself. I have held the proof in my own hands. I'm not insane and I'm not lying to you. I have never told you any of this because I wanted to protect you. You're my brother Bill and it doesn't matter what you think of me and my choices I still love you. I've only ever wanted you and Tara and Matty to be safe. This kind of knowledge is a heavy burden to bear and I tried to spare you for as long as I could. You have to know that I never asked for Melissa to be gunned down, I never asked for my cancer or infertility, I never asked to meet either Mulder or Charlie but I'm glad I did. Take a look at him Bill. Take a look at this house. Do you really think Mulder would deliberately place me or Melissa or anyone for that matter in harms way? Mulder is a victim of this just as much as I am. Mulder's sister was a victim just as our sister was. He is trying to put a stop to the evil these insidious traitors spread, not just for his own sister but for ours as well." They were all quiet for a long time as Bill digested the information. Scully could read the message loud and clear in Mulder's gaze. THANK YOU. "Bill you need to get past your anger toward Mulder. Look at this place, look at me, can't you see that your image of a self absorbed nutcase is totally wrong? Do you honestly think anyone could be more concerned with my happiness and well being than this man? You saw him bust his ass to find the truth and a cure for my cancer. You saw him support me in my application to adopt Emily. He was there for Mom when I was taken; he was the one who refused to accept my death when Mom and Missy purchased a headstone. If he truly cared for no one but himself do you think I'd be alive today?" She paused as hot tears trickled down her cheeks. "Can you bring yourself to accept us?" "Dana.. I never meant to be spiteful.. I just.." "You were just looking out for your little sister?" "Something like that." Bill's voice was gruff. They both fell silent. Charlie glanced at Mulder. He was watching the whole scene with a certain air of apprehension. He didn't really care what Bill thought of him but he knew it affected Scully. He hoped for her sake Bill could put aside his animosity and accept his sister's choices. He knew he should say something, after Scully had made the effort to lay it all out on the line for Bill he needed to show the man that he backed her up every step of the way. "Bill.. I'd tell you that I love your sister if it didn't sound so trite. I understand why you dislike me. If she was my sister I wouldn't approve of me either. There aren't many people on the planet with as much integrity and steadfastness as Dana Scully and I understand the reasons why you're reluctant to share her. I can tell you with absolute certainty that I value and appreciate her and even though she's more than capable of taking care of herself and even though I wasn't always able to be there in the past to watch her back I've always managed to keep her by my side and I never want anything to change that. Your sister may be your sister but to me she's everything. You can keep on hating me that's fine but I hope you'll accept the happiness she's managed to find." Charlie wanted to cheer. A little over a week ago he'd been a heart sick, unshaved, listless bum. Right now he was ready to do or say whatever he had to for Bill to believe in his sincerity. "Well you've sold me." All three of them looked over at the grinning Charlie. Mulder knew she was trying to lighten the somber mood. He played along. "Don't you have a little something to add since we're all on the topic of how much we love Dana Scully?" "Your sister is one classy lady Bill Scully. You should be happy that Mulder over here is loaded enough to keep her in the lifestyle she deserves." Mulder snorted. "Seriously though.. I don't know you Bill and you don't know me and you don't know Mulder very well and he doesn't know you very well either. But the three of us have something in common. We're all looking out for Dana's happiness and best interests. Maybe we could put aside our differences and make an effort to get along for her sake because we know we're each important to her." Bill eyed Mulder for awhile. Scully could see the battle being waged between old ingrained feelings and the new sensations caused by his freshly gained grasp on the situation. Eventually he stood and flicked her cheek affectionately with a finger. He made his way over to Mulder who was still standing in the doorway. "You might want to buy my sister a ring." It was the only thing he said but Mulder caught the smirk that accompanied it. He made his way out of the room to join the party downstairs. Mulder finally entered the room and lowered himself next to Scully on the end of the bed. "You think he'll be okay with it?" "He didn't try to assault you during your little speech so I guess we've made some progress." "Ahem." They looked over at Charlie who was sitting there with an expectant look on her face. "All credit to Charlie of course." "That's what I like to hear." She literally bounced out of her chair and gave her body a little wriggle. "I need a stiff drink after that." "Thank You Charlie." This came from Dana. Her voice was soft and her smile was warm. "What are clones for huh? Anyway I'm headed down stairs. I'll close the door behind me." She threw them a knowing wink before leaving them alone and closing the door behind her as promised. Mulder fiddled with the knee length hem of her dark green sleeveless dress. Luckily for her they had a great heating system in the house which let her get away with her pretty ensemble. "Did it feel good to talk to him about it?" "Yeah." "I'm glad I got to say my part." She slid her hand inside his jacket to rest over his steadily beating heart. "I'm glad I was there to hear it." He smiled and turned his face to look at her. "In the end it all turns out the same." "What do you mean?" "Regardless of whether your brother hates me or not you still married me." "I only married you for our cover Mulder." Her eyes were mischievously bright. He smirked. "Right, but when we signed on I don't remember reading anything about sleeping together." An expression of mock realization dawned on his face. "You've been using my body to piss off your brother haven't you?" She snorted and pinched the small male nipple she had been seeking out through the material of his shirt. "I've been using your body, but not to piss off my brother." Her lips nipped at the tender skin beneath his chin. "You know you haven't jumped me once all day. I'm impressed at your restraint Scully." "It's been hell." "Really? Is it that bad?" "I feel like I'm on heat Mulder. Feel me." She brought his hands up to her chest. He could feel the body heat radiating from the swells of her cleavage. He lowered his face to press a kiss to each creamy curve before he turned his face to rest his cheek between them. He relaxed there for a long time with his arms circling her waist. He inhaled the combination of her heated skin and delicate perfume. "Mulder." "Mmm yeah?" "Mulllderrr." He laughed against her breasts. "Scully we've been gone for ages we've got guests waiting downstairs not to mention your mother." "It's not my fault! Sure I've been playing it cool but I can barely see straight." "So why don't you take regular bathroom breaks to 'scratch your itch'?" "I'm not going to masturbate in a bathroom with a house full of people. Besides I want you to scratch it for me." He laughed again but this time he slid a hand beneath her dress. She hissed when it came to rest on her inner thigh. "Mulder you better not be teasing me because this isn't funny." "I can't believe that you sat through half an hour of shit with your brother, managed to start the process of smoothing things over with him AND you were thinking about jumping my bones the second everyone was out of the room." He knew he should just shut up and get down to business but watching her squirm was too good an opportunity to pass up. He heard a loud knocking on the door and drew his hand out from beneath her dress. He sat up straight and smoothed his hands through his hair. She straightened the front of her dress and crossed her legs. "Come in." Charlie opened the door and poked her head around. "Sorry guys but a few people are leaving I thought you might want to come down stairs." "Yeah we were just on our way." Scully stood up and pulled Mulder, who threw Charlie a sour look, after her. Charlie stuck her tongue out at him then her face disappeared behind the door. X 12:17am "Frohike you suck at this. Just give me the control now and save yourself some embarrassment." Dani was slumped down on the couch between Frohike and Langly. Langly was kicking Frohike's ass gleefully. "Langly if I beat you in the next round I get to be a Lone Gunchick." "Like your punk ass could even hack your school website." This came from Frohike. Dani giggled and punched him in the arm. "Cmon guys we're going home." Dani complained about how early it was. "We have to get your little brother home and into bed and we've got to drop Robbie and Justin at the shelter. They're going to be in trouble for staying out so late. Come on you'll be back here tomorrow." "Can I just leave the play station here Mom? I'm only going to bring it back tomorrow if I take it home now." "That's fine honey. Hey where's your sister?" Dani looked around and shrugged. "Probably hanging out with Mark and Justin." "Can you find your father and tell him we're going? I'm going to round up the others." "'Kay Mom." Charlie set off in search for the other three kids. She found Mark first he was in the middle of a conversation with Mulder in the kitchen. They stopped talking when they noticed her. "Have you seen Dana?" "Which one?" "Oh right. Your sister?" "Last time I saw her she was out the front with Justin." His face split into a grin. "They're trying to talk me into a custom paint job." "You better ask your father first. Anyway we're leaving in a few minutes. Start saying your goodbyes I'll go find the other two. Charlie headed for the front door to see if they were outside. She pulled the heavy wooden door open and took a look around. They were sitting on the bottom step leading up to the front porch bathed in the warm glow radiating from the house. Justin's jacket was slung over Dana's shoulder to ward off the cold air. The boy was pressing an awkward kiss to her daughter's lips. Charlie's first instinct was to make her presence known and put an end to the events unfolding. She knew not to follow through on that first reaction. She remembered a conversation she'd had with Dana a couple of weeks earlier. Her shy daughter admitted to her that she'd never been kissed before. Charlie remembered her own shyness around boys when she was Dana's age. Despite her natural maternal instinct to protect her baby she wouldn't dare ruin the moment for the girl. She watched as Justin's head tilted a little to the right. The awkwardness faded away when they found a rhythm for their mouths to seize and withdraw. Charlie watched as his arm wrapped around Dana's shoulders. Their kiss deepened as her hand rose to rest against his cheek. Her mouth parted beneath his lips to accept the warm slide of his tongue against hers. Her breath hitched in surprise at the foreign contact. She pushed him back gently and smiled. "We better stop. My whole family is inside." "Huh? Oh yeah." Charlie almost laughed at the open disappointment on the kid's face. It only took him a moment to get a hold of himself. He gave a good natured shrug and dropped his arm from Dana's shoulders. He was grinning. "Yeah your Dad would probably tear me a new one." Dana snickered. "Your brother would beat me up." She giggled this time. "Your sister would call me gross." Now she was laughing. "And your Mom probably wouldn't let me back in the house." "That would suck." "Yep it would definitely suck." They were quiet for a moment. Dana had shyly reached out to hold his hand. "Sorry I couldn't get you anything for Christmas-." "That was a pretty cool present." "You think?" "Yep. Besides you don't have to buy me anything. Mom says Christmas is a time for being with people who you think are special. It doesn't matter if you bring a whole turkey or one tin of cranberry sauce to the table it's the thought that counts." "I like your Mom." "I like my Mom too but don't tell her that too often. She gets a big head over it." Charlie thought now might be a good time to interrupt them. "Hey Guys." They jumped away from each other and spun around to face her. Charlie smirked. "M..Mom. Wh..What's up?" "We're leaving soon. You want to come in and say goodbye to everyone?" "Oh uh yeah sure." She fixed Justin with a knowing smirk as he made his way by her through the front door. What harm would it do to let the kid squirm for awhile? Maybe he'd be smart enough to know that pushing her daughter too far too soon wouldn't be the wisest thing to do if he wanted to stay in everyone's good graces. Dana may display maturity for her age but she was still only fifteen. What other girls did in their spare time was their decision. Charlie wanted her daughters to make informed choices in all aspects of their lives. It really was well and truly time to sit down with Dana and have an official talk. She would tackle that particular task at home. Right now she needed to get her family organized and on the road for the short trip to their house. Fifteen minutes later after rousing a sleeping Jasin and gathering all their things they were ready to leave. As their family and the two boys filed out the door Charlie turned to the three Scully women. "I'll be back at around eight. We've got to clean this place up and start the turkey oh I've got these delicious little-." "No no no. You're sleeping in tomorrow Charlie." "Dana what are you talking about we've got a million things to do and-." "No WE have a million things to do. You are going to relax. You already did more than enough tonight." Scully stepped forward to embrace her clone. "Tonight wouldn't have happened without you." Charlie returned the embrace with a knowing smile. Someone was a little tanked. She was surprised to feel the heat radiating of Scully. She didn't know how the woman was keeping herself together under the strain of her rampaging hormones. Mulder was going to be one sorry son of a bitch by morning. Charlie whispered in Scully's ear so no one could hear. "I hope you remembered to slip at packet of condoms in Mulder's stocking." Charlie grinned at the sensation of Scully's tipsy giggle buzzing against her ear. "See you tomorrow Dana." Scully pulled away and smiled affectionately. "I don't want to see your face here before midday. I've told everyone else to arrive then as well." Charlie was confused for a moment. "Who else is coming?" "The Gunmen and Skinner, Ally and the kids and my brother Charlie and his wife and children. Oh wait that's going to be difficult. He hates his name too. No one calls him Charles." Charlie laughed. "I'm sure we can come to some kind of agreement." She slid her coat on over her dress and slipped an arm around her husband's waist. "Merry Christmas guys!" With a wave and a couple of kisses blown by Charlie they were off on their merry way to the shelter. X Scully barely managed to close the bedroom door in a civilized manner. Finally everyone was settled and in bed and she was free at last to inflict her hormonal melt down on her husband. Her eyes scanned the room and she locked in on Mulder's sprawled form on the bed. "I'm done for aren't I?" His tone was amused as he watched her devouring him with her starving gaze. "I know this one.. This is where you pretend to be the Ethiopian and I pretend to be the Mars Bar." "Shut up Mulder. Are you ready?" She stared pointedly at his crotch. "You're going to have to give me a minute to catch up." She sighed in frustration and began not so delicately wriggling out of her dress. "Hold on Scully. Slow down for me." She hung the dress in the closet and turned to face him with her hands on her hips. He drank her in slowly. She was wearing a set of matching panties and strapless bra very similar the black set she owned. This little ensemble was white. Her legs were smooth and bare and her little feet were incased in a pair of black pointed toe stilettos. She was certainly a sight for sore eyes. "Touch yourself." He felt his cock twitch as she brought her hands up to cup the flesh spilling over the cups of her bra. Her fingers brushed rhythmically over the hard peaks he could see straining against the fabric. He heard her sigh as she pinched them between her thumbs and forefingers. "Take it off." Her arms slid behind her back and a moment later her breasts were free. Her hands returned their attention to her now bare flesh. The bulge in the front of his boxers was unmistakable. "Had enough Mulder?" "No. I want to watch." "Mulllderrr." "Don't start that with me. I've willingly let you use my body as your punching bag for the last week. Now touch yourself." He stared at the front of her panties and waited for her to catch on. "I can't." "Why?" She bit her lip. "I'm too wound up." "Good." She sighed frustratedly and began to kick her shoes off. "No leave them on." She raised an eyebrow. "You have to know how sexy they are. You're the one who bought them." "Mulder we have the rest of our lives for games this is hell would you please stop torturing me. I'm having a hard enough time dealing with the fact that I'm on a full powered sexual rampage. You could at least play the willing victim silently." Mulder laughed quietly so not to disturb the rest of the recently retired house. "You give me five minutes and I'll give you all night I promise. Look it's not that hard see?" His hand slid beneath his boxers to grasp his length. "Humor me." She watched as his hand delivered long firm strokes beneath the dark material. She bit her lip to keep from moaning. The man was an asshole plain and simple. Her own hand slipped beneath the material of her panties and she pressed against her swollen aching clitoris. An unexpected orgasm caused her hips to buck forward and her mouth to drop into an 'oh' of surprise. Mulder watched her eyes close as her body quaked in front of him beneath the attention of her slender fingers. "Jesus Scully what the hell is wrong with you?" "I.. I.. I d..d..don't.. kn.. know. Oooh.. Mulder." He was done fooling around now. Half way through her shuddering orgasm he had rolled to a seated position on the edge of the bed. He yanked her panties down her legs then pulled her down onto the mattress. He maneuvered the silky material over her shoes and tossed them toward the hamper. She still had a hand pressed between her legs as wave after wave of euphoria rolled through her helpless body. "I think this more than makes up for your super period a few weeks ago." Those were his last words to her before he yanked her hand away from herself and flipped her onto her stomach. He cupped his hands around her hips bones and drew her lower half up until she was balanced on her knees. He was about to dive in when he remembered their recent efforts to take necessary precautions. "The rubbers Scully? You said you were getting a packet." "Bedside table." Pant Pant. "Your side." Pant Pant. "You're a Goddess." X Trying to make some sense of it all, But I can see that it makes no sense at all, Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor, 'Cause I don't think that I can take anymore Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right, Here I am, stuck in the middle with you. Stealers Wheel X Charlie knocked on her daughter's bedroom door. It was one thirty in the morning but they had only just settled in for the night. She knew her girl would be wide awake thinking about her first kiss. "Yeah?" "It's just Mom." Charlie pushed the door open. The bedroom light was still on and Dana was in the middle of the bed staring at the ceiling. "You got some room in there for your annoying mother?" "Always." Her daughter drew her blankets back and Charlie slipped inside. She pulled her daughter into a cuddle and rubbed her chin in the girl's hair as Dana's face came to rest on her shoulder. "So are you going to lay here all night with your big secret or are you going to share with me?" "What are you talking about?" "You can't fool me Danes I saw you locking lips with that boy." Her daughter groaned. "Is this going to turn into a really embarrassing sex talk?" Charlie laughed and kissed the top of Dana's head. "No. I'm your mother and you had your first kiss. Can't I be excited for you?" "You're excited for me?" "Of course I am! You only have your first kiss once. Tell me what it was like." "It was.. a little scary at first. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do." "And then?" "And then it was nice." "Just nice?" "It was nicer than nice." Dana giggled giddily. "Was your heart pounding?" "I thought I was going to have a heart attack." They both laughed. "So what does this mean for you and Justin?" "I don't know.. I know Dad would be totally against it." "You know that's because of your age and has nothing to do with Justin's situation right? Everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves. Justin's not a bad kid and your father is quite fond of him." "I know that." "I want you to talk to me honey. Tell me how you feel about him. You're not under any kind of judgment here. I just want to know where you're at so we can have some ground rules established incase I need to approach your father with this. You're our little girl Dana but we need to acknowledge that you're growing up now. You're not a baby anymore and we all need to adapt to the change." "Are you asking me if I want to start dating?" "I'm just asking you to be honest with me about your feelings for Justin." "I like him." Charlie felt her daughter's arm curl over her back to play with the blonde pony tail hanging between her shoulder blades. "I like him a lot. He's a nice person Mom. He doesn't deserve his life. They keep taking him away from his Mom because she's a heroin addict. She's got two other kids to the man she's living with. They're in foster homes. She's been to rehab and got her kids back twice but she keeps on going back to shooting up. Justin can't understand why his mother doesn't love them enough to give it up for good. I tried to tell him that people who are on drugs aren't thinking rationally. I tried to tell him that just because she's a bad mother it doesn't mean she doesn't love him. He says he doesn't care anymore. He's thinking of leaving school to do a trade. He says he doesn't have the luxury of higher education. What he needs is a steady job. If he works through an apprenticeship for a few years he can become a fully qualified mechanic and eventually open his own shop. It's so weird to hear a sixteen year old guy plot out his future and actually set out to achieve his goals. He's not just another brainless loser like all the guys at school. He's mature and he's not idiot and I can talk to him for hours and we don't get sick of each other. He makes me laugh even when he's not being funny. He fits in so well with our family and we are NOT a normal family. I had to lie to him and tell him that Fox and Dana and You and Dad were one of those freak sets of identical twins who married each other's siblings. I'd rather have told him the truth. Clones are definitely not as weird as identical twins marrying identical twins. That's just creepy." Charlie was shaking with laughter. "You're mind is so creative. Just like your father, he can think up grand stories off the top of his head to divert people from the truth. He's a journalist and he's a natural at what he does. Who knows young Dana maybe you'll follow in his footsteps." "Do you think Dad will be angry with me?" "No. He may be a little overbearing at times but that's his role as your father. When you get older you'll start to realize how much of an understanding man he is. Your Dad would never be angry with you for your feelings. He just wouldn't want to see you rushing into things." "I think I would like to be more than Justin's friend.. But I guess I'm a little scared." "Why?" "I don't know.. I guess I don't feel ready. I feel kind of stupid saying that because most of the girls in my grade are.." "Promiscuous?" "Ooh I like that word. Remind me to use it as my word of the day." "I'll put it on the calendar in the morning." "Anyway yeah they're promiscuous.. They make me feel a little.. inadequate." "I'll write that one up too. Your vocab is improving." "Thanks Mom." "Why do they make you feel inadequate?" "I feel like I should be doing what they're doing and I know that's stupid because if they all jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge I wouldn't be joining them." "Sweetie it's normal to want to keep up with girls your own age but you need to draw a line at your comfort zone. If other girls are having sex and you're not ready for that yet then don't do it. Only you will know when you're ready." "Well I know I'm not ready.. not yet anyway." "So what are you ready for?" "I guess I'd like to spend some time with him without Dani and Mark or You and Dad around. No offence you know I love you guys.." "But sometimes more than two is a crowd?" "Right. One time Dad drove Mark down to the hardware store and Justin and I were alone in the garage. We installed Mark's new stereo together and he told me he'd never met a girl who knew anything about cars before. It was nice to spend time together without everyone around. We weren't doing anything anyone would disapprove of we actually got some work done and we worked well together. As soon as he's got some money together he's going to find a room to rent somewhere so he can get out of the shelter. He doesn't want to be fostered out again. He can't handle living like a forgotten child anymore. He wants to get his life together and make something of it. Everything about him reminds me of all the things You and Dad have told me about. You guys were lucky the Organization threw some money your way even though you didn't know it was them at the time. No one is going to throw anything Justin's way. You know that hundred dollars you gave him for tonight?" "Yeah." "He's not going to spend that. He's going to save it and add it to the money he gets from his first paycheck. He is dead set on getting out of the shelter. It's not fair that he's sixteen years old and he's got no one to take care of him. I know whether he had a home or not he wouldn't be interested in studying any further than high school. He's not stupid. He's gifted with his hands. He's mechanically minded. He can fix anything. You should see him pulling things apart and putting them back together. I've learnt so much since I've been hanging out with him and Mark. I call him the guru and he gets all embarrassed. Oh and speaking of Mark that's another thing.. Things are changing with us too. He doesn't seem to brush me off or call me stupid names anymore." "You're brother is getting older and I think he's starting to realize that you're not just his annoying retarded sister. You're actually a smart young woman and you're good company." "Mom if I want to see where things go with Justin and if I promise to take things slowly do you think you guys would approve?" "If we were to forbid it you'd only sneak off to see him anyway am I right?" Dana was silent. "It's okay honey if you feel so strongly about it that you would defy us then we would obviously have to take another approach. So why don't we cut through all the teen melodrama that is your sister's style and decide on an arrangement that will suit all of us." "Okay.. what are you thinking?" "I'm thinking you should be allowed to have alone time with your young man. You are not to stay out past nine. I don't care if that cramps your style you are only fifteen years old and no daughter of mine will be out running the streets at night. When Justin gets his own place there will be no sleeping over under any circumstances. I also expect to see his face around my dinner table more than once a week. No boyfriend of my daughter is going to go without proper food in his belly. If Justin agrees to help out around the yard and mow the lawn we'll top up his paycheck with a bit of extra cash so he can afford to rent more than a room. Justin is welcome in our home at any time within reason. There will be no sleeping over. And if something should occur such as a freak hail storm and he's forced to stay the night he is not sleeping in your room. How does that sound to you?" "Are you SERIOUS?" "Yes." "You would do all that for him?" "You were right when you said the organization gave us money. Your father and I aren't going to be making any thirty thousand dollar deposits to the kid's bank account but a little extra help goes a long way. I can see that he's a good kid and he just needs a little guidance and acceptance. I know you're a good girl Dana. I trust you. You've got to promise me something though." "What?" "When the time comes and you're thinking of taking the next step will you please talk to me about it first like you talked to me tonight?" "Sure Mom. I promise." "Thank You Sweetheart." Charlie stroked Dana's dark hair tenderly. It wasn't often she got to cuddle her little girls anymore. She missed their childish affection and the way they used to smother her cheeks in kisses when she sang to them. "Mom?" "Yeah baby?" "What was your first kiss like?" "Pretty gross." "Why?" "He'd been eating peanut butter." "Ewww. Who was he?" "Some guy I went to school with. We were dared to kiss each other. It was stupid and so were the other couple of kisses thrown my way before your father kissed me for the first time." "What was that like?" "I was so happy I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest and land on the floor." Dana laughed against her shoulder. "Was Dad.. Never mind." "Go on you can ask me." "No it's okay." "Honey you can ask me anything it doesn't matter how personal you think it is." "Okay.. Was Dad your first?" "First, last and only." "Really?" "Yes really." "Have you ever wanted to be with someone else?" "I've been attracted to other people. It's only natural but I've never really considered actually being with someone else. You know it's funny; I was thirteen when I met your father. I've known him nearly all my life." "How old were you when you guys uh you know." "Eighteen." "You knew each other for five years before finally getting around to it?" "Honey I was a kid and your father is three years older than me. I was your age when we moved in together. He was eighteen. You're not the only one who wasn't ready for sex at fifteen. Anyway I had always thought that your Dad saw me as a little sister." "Well obviously he didn't." "That's right cos if you're father was filled with such brotherly affection for me you wouldn't be here right now to hear me tell the tale." "You know what?" "What?" "For someone who never had a Mom of her own I think you're doing a pretty good job of being one." Charlie's throat tightened. She felt tears bubble up to fill her eyes. "You know what?" "What?" "I only have to look at you to know that I'm doing a pretty good job." Charlie wiped at the tears on her cheek and heard the door to her daughter's bedroom creak open. Dani poked her head in and squinted at the glowing bedroom light. Her hair was turbulent with sleep and a huge yawn split her face. "Why wasn't I invited to the slumber party?" "Cos you were already asleep stupid." Dana drew the covers back. "Get in its cold and switch off the light too." Dani closed the door behind her and flicked the switch as sauntered into the room. She crawled onto the bed but chose to slide under the covers on her mother's side. They each claimed one of Charlie's shoulders as a pillow and wrapped their arms around her middle. "Why are we all in bed together?" Dani yawned again "Because it's Christmas and my girls never cuddle me anymore." "You think Santa's been yet?" "For Jasin maybe but definitely not for you." "But I've been good this year." Dani was teasing her and she knew it. "You're still skating on thin ice after your last episode of drunken debauchery. Don't push your luck kiddo." "You still love me even when my breath stinks of regurgitated tequila." "Ewww Dani you're so gross." "No I'm not you are. You and Justin may as well hook plastic bags over your ears. You guys drool over each other all the time. It's so gross.. it's borderline evil." Charlie laughed as her daughters teased each other from either side of the bed. It didn't matter that they were growing into beautiful young women. They would always be her sweet babies no matter how old they got. X