SUMMARY: It's William's first Christmas, and Scully is missing Mulder.

AUTHORS NOTES: This is my very first writing of any kind. Please let me know if you like it.

Maggie Scully knocks on her daughter's door. Dana answers the door wearing her seemingly ever- present pjs and robe.

"Hi, Mom. What are you doing here?"

"Can't a Grandma just come by to visit her grandson, and beautiful daughter without a reason?"

"Well, yeah, of course. Come in. Can I get you anything? Some coffee?"

"Nope. Just point me in the direction of that sweet baby. Oh, there he is. Hi Sweetie!"

Maggie picks her grandson up from his bassinet and gives him a big kiss as Scully shuts her door.

"Actually, I do have an ulterior motive, Dana. I think its time we went Christmas shopping!"

"Oh Mom. Please, not today. I really don't feel like it and--"

"Dana, honey. If not today, then when? When will you feel like it? Just look at this place! Here it is, just a few days until Christmas, and there's not one single decoration up! You always loved Christmas and always begged your father to let you keep the tree up until New Year's."

"I know Mom, but I'm really not in the mood to celebrate this year."

"Honey, I know you miss Fox and I know he desperately misses you and his son. But I know that Fox doesn't want you to continue this moping around the house. He wants you to be happy and keep living your life until he can come back to you. AND, this is William's first Christmas! You don't want your son to miss his first Christmas, do you?"

A tear rolled down Scully's cheek as she gently rubbed her son's hair.

"No Mom, I don't. You're right. Let me go get dressed."

Later that day Scully, Maggie, and William are having lunch at the food court in the shopping mall. Packages and shopping bags are hanging onto and out of every inch of William's stroller.

"I can't believe William didn't cry when he had his picture taken with Santa! But, I should have known. You never did either, Dana. Missy, Charlie, and even Bill were always scared of the shopping mall Santas, but you never were."

"Well, you have to admit it, Mom. This Santa was a little different than the ones we used to see. The sign with the information from the Guinness Book wasn't lying. He is definitely the World's Smallest Santa, or at least the smallest one I've ever seen. He looked more like one of his elves! The pictures are adorable. I bought some extras, so I could send one to Bill and Tara and one to Charlie. Oh, and here's yours," Dana says as she hands her Mom an envelope containing the picture of William with Santa. The three remaining envelopes of precious pictures are placed into the diaper bag.

Dana hesitates for a moment and looks down at her hands, and says, "Thank you Mom. For making me come with you. This is exactly what I needed. I feel much better, but I'm getting a little tired."

"Well, there's just one more store I want to stop at and then we can go back home. I want to go to this wonderful little shop that sells the most beautiful ornaments. I'd like to get a special one for William, for his first Christmas."

Dana pushes the stroller and Maggie leads the way through the crowded mall. Neither notice a tall man wearing a winter hat, glasses, and long heavy coat who is following them. He has been watching them all day, from a very safe distance.

"Oh Mom! This place is wonderful," exclaims Dana as they enter the ornament shop. "Look, they even have bubble lights! I haven't seen those since I was a kid!"

"Oh, those always were your favorites, weren't they? You could never wait until your father hung the bubble lights on the tree. I wonder what happened to ours? They must have gotten lost in one of our moves."

"Well, I'm going to buy a few sets. I think William will like watching them."

As she decides whether to get white bubble lights or multi-colored bubble lights, the tall man walks by quickly and removes an envelope from William's diaper bag while also dropping something into William's diaper bag.

With the busy day of shopping finished, Maggie helps Dana lug William and all of her packages up to her apartment. As Dana gently places a sleeping William into his bassinet, she turns to her mother and says, "Mom, why don't you take your coat off and have some hot tea with me?"

Maggie says, "Thanks dear, but I better be getting back home. Its getting dark, and you know how I hate to drive in the dark. I'll come back tomorrow and we'll put your tree up."

"Ok, Mom. Thanks for the nice day. I really did have a good time. Be careful driving home. I'll see you tomorrow." Dana kisses her mother on the cheek and gives her a hug, then Maggie leaves.

As Dana starts unpacking her purchases, she finds the special ornament that Maggie had bought for William. Dana unwraps the tissue paper that is protecting it from being broken and sees it for the first time. A breath catches in her throat as a single tear flows down her face. The ornament is made of blue glass and has the words "Our First Christmas 2001" and "Fox, Dana, and William" painted on it.

"Oh Mom. You didn't have to do that, but thank you," Dana whispers. Then the tears start falling faster until Dana is almost sobbing.

"I miss you so much Mulder. I wish you could be here for your son's first Christmas. I wish you could be here for me. I just miss you so much."

Dana gently re-wraps the ornament and places it back in its box. She wipes the tears from her face and walks over to the diaper bag to get William's Santa pictures. There are only two envelopes of pictures instead of three.

Wondering what could have happened to the third envelope, Dana opens one and gasps. It is not a picture of William with the World's Smallest Santa. It is a picture of Mulder with the World's Smallest Santa! Mulder, wearing a winter hat, and a long heavy coat, is kneeling beside Santa. One hand looks to be holding a pair of sunglasses while the other hand is behind Santa's head giving him antlers.

Written on the envelope, in Mulder's handwriting,

Do you think I'd miss a chance to see the World's Smallest Santa?

You might not see me, but I'm always there with you and William. Merry Christmas Scully.
All my love, Mulder

P.S. Tell Bill that I'll give him a picture of my son with Santa next year.

Dana smiles as she wipes the tears from her face. She opens the other envelope and removes the picture of William with Santa. She places the pictures of William and Mulder on her mantle as she thinks that this might be a Christmas worth celebrating after all.