#htgsc

Merry Christmas, @welsharcher! Thank you for your wonderful present! And now, a post-How the Ghosts Stole Christmas!

[Ao3]

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One Christmas season, four little Scully children had been bundled up and taken to view the San Francisco Ballet’s rendition of The Nutcracker. That production's exuberance and playful grace haunted their memories for weeks, manifesting in high-kick attempts and fumbling pliés. 

“Any big dreams squashed when you barely dusted five two?” Mulder asked, fondness crinkling around his eyes despite the pawing tease. 

“No.” She sipped a rummage of cocoa her partner had forgotten in his cabinets, feet tucked under an Aztec blanket. They’d turned on the tv after presents, leaving it to drone on in the dreary coolness of his apartment. “No more than any other little girl enchanted by pretty dresses and sugar plums.”

“I’ve heard those have great effect on little boys, too.”

Scully chuckled, lips briefly parting around her teeth. “Did you ever get fitted for a pair of tights, Mulder?” 

“No more than any other little boy.” His shoulder knocked hers, his chin nudged towards her gift. “We fell for consumerism again, Scully.” 

“I don’t recall falling for consumerism. In fact, I specifically remember not falling for consumerism.”

“Then what do you call that guilty chunk of sin sitting on my end table?”

“A testament to our partnership.” She paused, tongue circling in thought. “What do you call it?” 

“Uh uh.”

“‘Uh uh’?”

“Next Christmas, you bring a present you promised not to buy-- failing, yet again, to resist the pull of seasonal shops and sales and interpersonal expectations--”

“Mulder--”

“--and I’ll bring a similar present, having failed to live up to my own principles, and we’ll exchange them. And then, and only then, will I tell you what I believe them to be.”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah. I’ve gotta have something to keep you coming back.” His smile held, but his eyes dipped. 

Growing serious, Scully set her gift down, carefully situating it on the old leather couch. She sighed, considering. “Next year, we skip the gifts. But,” she stipulated, waiting for him to look back up, “no more haunted houses.” 

Mulder nodded. “I think that can be arranged.” 

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Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

Also tho: The adorableness of original BABY Cindy Lou. She is such a lil angel, I love Grinch being so sweet to her in the story. He's lying to her, but he still takes the time to tend to her too.

I never have liked the antagonistic way Grinch and the older Cindy Lous interact with one another.

[If you'd like to submit a character, please send it over here to the askbox]

[Only requirement for submissions is that the character is fictional]

The Grinch grows up in an orphanage ( like the 2018 film ) but is adopted by Clair and Rose Who ( 2000 Grinch film. ) Around the time when we first see a flashback of his childhood in both movies, he still dislikes Christmas- but he doesn't truly despise it, yet. Just had anger towards it, but the bullying from his peers is what pushes him over the edge; causing him to flee to the snowy mountain where he stayed the rest of his life.

Years later The Grinch stumbles across a crying baby in the landfill by his cave, after Cindy Lou's pumbersella was knocked off course the night before, which leads to her ending up in the care of The Grinch.

At first, he didn’t plan on keeping the Who girl, he had enough on his plate and didn't need the responsibility of another living thing. He could hardly take care of himself, not to mention Max. ( Or that's what he wants to believe, he doesn't do much with his day, ) but he knew he would never take her to The Whoville Orphanage, he wouldn't want any kid to grow up like that- even if the baby was a Who and therefore his natural enemy. So he decides to raise her, but keeps the relationship at arms length, treating her more like an annoying roommate than anything.

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Similar to how Cindy Lou meets The Grinch in the 2000 Jim Carrey movie, but the rolls r slightly reversed, they meet Groopert ( htgsc 2028 ) who's delivering a letter to Santa, he falls in the sorting machine / she helps the Grinch wrap him up in wrapping paper.

After that Groopert is obsessed with finding the feral Who girl who was with The Grinch. He grow up hearing about The Grinch and the feral Who('s) who live on Mount Crumpet, his father ( I headcanon tht Mayor Augustus Maywho son ) spoke nothing but horrible things towards The Grinch- everyone was either scared or curious. Than much like what Cindy Lou did in the 2000 movie, he went around asking people abt it- he meets The Grinch's mom's and they explain his childhood.

Some time passes n he decides to invite The Grinch / Cindy Lou to the Whobilation and nominate him for Holiday Cheermeister. It goes the same as the movie, only with the added part of Cindy Lou helping him burn down the tree / escape.