Moving On

X Files: Moving On…

Agent Scully struggles to move on after the death of Agent Mulder…
(Takes place during the first 3 months after Mulder's funeral in Deadalive, season 8).

Disclaimer:
I do not own the TV show The X Files, nor do I own the characters Agent Dana Scully, Agent Fox Mulder, Agent John Doggett, Agent Monica Reyes or AD Skinner. This story is entirely fictitious from the writer.

April 2001
Monday, 5th
12pm

The mood in the X Files office was still and quiet. The 'I Want to Believe' poster was peeling off from the wall a little bit, and one could hear a pin drop even though two agents were going through and sorting out Agent Mulder's Files.
Agent Doggett sighed as he finished updating a file and added it to his finished pile. Agent Reyes looked up from her file and raised an eyebrow at him. The two agents had offered to up date and sort out the files for Agent Scully as she stayed home on bereavement leave. It was a daunting task- there were hundreds of files that were out of date or needed to be uploaded onto the computer system.
Agent Reyes was editing newer files while Doggett was uploading older files.
Doggett rubbed his eyes and sat back in his chair. "Need a break, John?" Agent Reyes asked him without looking up from her file. "Yeah. Could do with one. Want some coffee?" he asked her. Reyes looked up and smiled. "Sure, thanks. I'll have a latte," she said, and Doggett grinned at her before saving his work on the computer and then gettingg up to go to the coffee machine at the upper floor.
He thought about Scully as he got into the empty elevator. He hoped she was okay. Since Mulder's funeral he had visited her twice at her home in Georgetown during the last month, and it had been a week since he had seen her. He made a mental note to go and see her after work today as he got their coffees.
A few minutes later Doggett was back in the X Files office and had given Reyes her coffee before sitting back at his computer. "How is Agent Scully doing?" Reyes asked as she carried on editing her reports. "She's been okay. I'm gonna visit her tonight as I haven't seen her since last week," Doggett told her. "I wonder who the father is," Reyes wondered out loud.
Doggett looked up, suddenly annoyed. "What?" he asked. His annoyed tone made Reyes look up from her reports. "I just wonder who the baby's father is, that’s all," she repeated. "I just haven't heard her talk about it. Has she talked to you?" Reyes asked, completely nonplussed to Agent Doggett's annoyance at her.
"No, you know why? Its private and its Scully's business, not yours. Get that straight okay?!" Doggett told her angrily.
Reyes looked up from her work. "Sorry," she said, In a tone that made Doggett think she wasn’t sorry at all. He didn’t know how to act with Reyes sometimes, and he rubbed his temple in frustration as Reyes calmly and simply answered, "just thinking out loud, that’s all," before going back to work as Doggett sat there glaring at her.
"Don't mention it again, Reyes," he told her, before going back to his work.

Same day,
6pm

Agent Doggett sighed as he shut down his PC that evening and put on his jacket. Reyes had left an hour ago and he told her he'd lock up.
As he stood up and made his way to the door, Doggett thought about Scully. He had thought about nothing else all weekend- when they were apart, he thought of her, and when they were together he still thought of her. It was getting intense, and Doggett was thinking if he should stay away from her for a while, just until he could control his feelings for her.
Now that Agent Mulder had been found and had passed on, he was all Agent Scully had now. They were free to be with each Other as colleagues or partners, if they wanted to.
As Doggett walked across the FBI garage to his car he decided not to visit Scully in the end, at least not until tomorrow as he needed time to think.
Once he got in his car, Doggett made a quick phone call to Scully on his cell. Her answer machine picked up the call- Doggett guessed she must have gone out shopping, so he left a message.
"Dana, I just want you to know ill stop by yours after work tomorrow- I'll bring dinner. Let me know you're okay," he said before hanging up.
He then drove home after stopping by a store to buy some beer. Once home he had a beer and watched some TV as he wrestled with his feelings for Scully. He realised Reyes might have had a point when she wondered who the father of Scully's baby was. Doggett did try to talk to Scully about it, but he couldn’t do it. He didn’t want to pry and he didn’t want their feelings to come between their working relationship.
Doggett was also afraid to talk to Scully too, Incase she said that she just wanted to be colleagues with him and nothing more. Doggett rubbed his forehead. Even with Mulder gone he still couldn’t relax with Scully, not after knowing how deeply she was grieving now for him.
She was grieving more than Doggett thought she would and that made him think she was going to need a lot of time to move on from Mulder- If she could even move on from him at all.
Just then Doggett's cell phone rang and he turned off his TV before looking at the callers name. "Scully?" He asked out loud, before answering on the third ring. "Agent Scully?" he asked. "Hi Agent Doggett," Scully replied. "You okay? Did you get my message?" he asked. "Yeah, thank you for that John. Sorry I wasn’t there, but I was just out doing some grocery shopping," she told him. "That's good Dana," Doggett replied with a smile.
"So what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" He asked. "Well, you know I told you about parenting classes that I need to go to soon?" Scully asked. "Yeah, you did mention that," Doggett said. "What's wrong?" He asked.
"Nothing. I was just wondering if you would come with me," Scully asked. "Really?" Doggett asked in surprise. "You don’t have to come in with me if you don’t want to, you could wait outside," Scully added hopefully. "Sure Dana," Doggett replied, "I'll go in with you if you need me," He told her, feeling good to know that she needed him. "Great. Thank you so much John, I appreciate it," Scully told him happily. "So when is the class?" Doggett asked. "It's this Saturday at 10am, downtown Washington DC. We can take my car if you like," Scully offered. "No that’s okay, Dana," Doggett assured her. "We'll take my car and I'll pick you up and go to the class with you before getting you home. How does that sound?" Doggett asked. "Sounds great John. Thanks again," Scully repeated. "So how was your weekend Agent Scully? Did you get some rest?" Doggett wanted to know. "Yeah, I jut spent it on the couch watching talk shows on tv," Scully told him. "And you Agent Doggett?" Scully asked. "What did you do?" She asked. "Oh nothing. Just watched the NASCAR race on tv with pizza," Doggett told her. "Sounds as exciting as mine was," Scully said with a giggle. Doggett smiled as he loved to here her laugh. Her laugh was like the sound of music to him.
"I'm sorry I didn't stop by to see you Dana," Doggett told her, "but I just had some car washing and I stopped by work for a bit to finish sorting the files," Doggett told her. "How's work going?" Scully asked. "Okay I guess," Doggett replied. "Reyes and I are just updating and uploading the files into the FBI online archive system. We're nearly done. We all miss you Dana. When will you be back?" Doggett asked.
Scully sighed before replying, "I think I'm due back at the starr of next week. I got to be at work as much s I can before my maternity leave soon," she told him. Doggett couldn’t help but smile. He couldn’t believe she was coming back so soon. "That’s great Dana," he said happily, hoping that Dana didn’t hear how happy he was. He didn’t want her to know how much he liked her in case she rejected him. "Good, it'll be good for me to come back," Scully said. "Well John I gotta go. Have a good week with the Files and Ill see you this Saturday?" Scully asked. "Yeah sure. You have a good restful week at home too Dana okay? I'll see you on Saturday," he told her.
"Thanks John," Scully said. "See ya," she told him. "See ya," Doggett replied, still smiling as he hung up. He then went back to watching a movie on tv as he finished drinking his beer.
He was looking forward to seeing Scully again.

Chapter 2
Wednesday, 6:30pm
Georgetown, Virginia
Scully's apartment

Scully sat down on her couch, watching talk shows on television. She had been eating a fair amount of chocolate and knew that was her cravings.
She had told her mother she was pregnant a couple of weeks ago and she was over the moon when she found out she was going to be a grandma.
Scully smiled to herself, feeling pleased that her mom was happy with the baby. Just as Scully got up and was about to go to the kitchen to make dinner, there was a knock at her door. She raised her eyebrow in surprise, as she wasn’t expecting any visitors that evening.
But she went to the door and looked through the peephole, only to see Agent Doggett standing there. He was dressed in his usual casual clothes- jeans, blue sweater and black leather jacket. He was also carrying a bag.
Scully smiled in surprise when she saw it was him. She wasn’t expecting him till the weekend so she was glad to have some company before then. Ever since she had gone on leave for bereavement she had to admit she was slightly bored.
With a smile, Scully opened the door. "Dana," Doggett greeted her happily. He looked like he had missed her. "John," Scully replied. "This is a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting you till this weekend," she said. Doggett nodded. "I know," he said, "but I found myself In your neck of the woods and thought you could use some company.. and dinner," he said, holding up the bag he was carrying. "Have you eaten yet, Dana?" Doggett asked. "No, not yet, I was just about to put a pizza in the oven. Come in, John. That smells great. What did you get?" She asked as she ushered him in and directed him to sit on the couch after he gave the bag to her. "Fish and chips," Doggett said enthusiastically. "Plus I got you a little something on the side for dessert," he told her. Scully beamed at him, grateful for his kindness. "It's great. Thank you, John," she said as she put the bag on her kitchen worktops. She smiled again as she saw the block of chocolate that was in another bag that Doggett had given her.
"How did you know?" she said with a smile as she held up the chocolate bar. Doggett grinned. "I've seen you eat a few bars recently," he told her, pleased that he had made her happy.
"How's the little one doin'?" He asked as he sat on the couch and watched Scully prepare their food. "The baby's fine, thank you John," she told him before rewarding him with yet another dazzling smile. Doggett couldn’t stop staring at her beautiful face. They shared a moment before Scully coughed and went back to the kettle in order to make them coffee.
Ten minutes later Scully and Doggett were sitting side by side on her couch with the food and drink laid out on the coffee table. They watched tv as they are but there wasn’t anything interesting on so Doggett decided to talk about the baby.
"Dana," he began after eating some of his chips. "Yes John?" Scully asked after eating a piece of fish. "I think we need to talk about us and the baby," he told her. Scully returned his serious look and nodded, understanding what he wanted to say.
"What's on your mind, John?" Scully asked. He looked thoughtful for a minute before asking, "Where do we stand with each other Dana? I mean, I know the baby's father is your business, but why haven't you told anyone?" Doggett asked. "Is it Mulder's? You can tell me Dana, and Ill never tell anyone," Doggett promised her.
She smiled sadly at him for a minute before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, John," she said, "I appreciate you caring but I can't tell anyone, not yet. You remember the FBI have rules on male and female agents working relationships. If I told them the baby's father was in the FBI, they could fire me, I could lose my home, my reputation- everything," she explained to him worriedly as she bit her lip. "You know what the FBI means to me John. It's not just a job, it's my passion. It's everything to me," she told him. "But I can tell you John, the father is working in the FBI. Can you keep that to yourself please John, until I can tell you the whole truth?" she asked, hoping he would say yes. Doggett sighed before nodding. "Okay Dana," he said to her relief, "I'll never tell anyone what you just told me," he said. Then a thought occurred to him.
"What is it John?" Scully asked in concern, seeing the worried look on his face. "We better make sure your place isn't bugged," he told her before feeling around the couch and surrounding furniture.

Chapter 3
The following Saturday, 9am
Georgetown, Virginia,
Scully's apartment

Agent Doggett smiled to himself as he got out of his car and made his way to Scully's apartment. After checking her place wasn’t bugged, Doggett went home and the rest of the week went by slowly with just him and Reyes. Doggett found himself missing Scully and would occasionally talk to Reyes about her.
Now today was the day he had to take Dana to her parenting class. He knew Scully was very skilled but being a parent was something she needed more training in. He was wearing casual clothes again and left his jacket in the car as it was a hot sunny day.
Doggett reached Scully's door and knocked. A minute later the door opened and Doggett was pleased to see Scully standing there ready to go with her hand bags. She was wearing her brown sweater and black pants.
Doggett was happy to see her piercing blue eyes twinkle at him as she smiled. "Hey John," she said. "Right on time. Someone's eager," she said with a raised eyebrow as she closed and locked her door behind her.
Doggett looked at the floor with embarrassment as he shuffled his feet. "Hey Dana," he managed to say. "I just didn’t want you to be late for your class," he told her. He looked up to see Scully beaming her dazzling smile at him. "You're too good for me, John,"she said softly. They then shared a moment before Doggett cleared his throat. "Shall we ma'am?" he asked, stepping back so Scully could lead the way back to his car.
Scully nodded and took a deep breath before leading the way. "To tell you the truth John, I'm really nervous about the class," she confessed as they walked back to his car. "You'll be al right, Dana," Doggett replied with a little chuckle. "If there's one thing I've learnt from working with you it's that I know you're a tough cookie," he told her. Scully grinned. "Thanks John," she replied. Doggett opened the passenger door of the car so Scully could get in. He then went to the drivers side and got in the drivers seat before starting the engine and beginning the journey downtown to Scully's class.
Half an hour later Doggett had parked his car outside a large building which was the town's community centre. He then let Scully get out of the car again before they made their way to reception. Scully checked in with writing down Doggett as her colleague in the visitors book. They were then shown to the class room where they waited for a few minutes as they were a little early.
A minute later another couple turned up. The woman was a young brunette wearing a white maternity tshirt and black pants. The man had worn black denim jeans with a blue tshirt. They smiled at Doggett and Scully as they approached them.
"Hey, this is the room for the parenting class?" The woman asked. Scully smiled back sad she thought the woman sounded friendly. "Yes, this is the right place," Scully told her as the two men shook hands.
"I'm Sarah and this is my husband Burt," the woman said. "Hey," they greeted each other. "You two married?" Burt asked Doggett. Sarah pinched his arm scodingly. "Burt," she hissed. Burt was a very forward man and he reminded Scully of Doggett. "We're close friends," Scully told them as she cleared her throat.
"Cool. Nice to meet you guys," Sarah told her as the rest of the class showed up but by bit. Scully was starting to enjoy the class and found it fun meeting new people. Maybe they'd become friends and share advice about babies, she thought eagerly as she smiled at Doggett. The class teacher opened the door and smiled at them all brightly. "Hi, Im your teacher, Chrissie Bright. Please come in and take a seat," the teacher said. She was a tall woman with long dark black hair and wore a long purple dress. Scully took a deep breath, still feeling a little nervous. She then felt Doggett's hand on her shoulder, comforting her. "I'm right behind you, Dana," he told her softly. She smiled back gratefully. "Thanks, John," she replied, feeling better that he understood her.
A couple went in before them so Doggett and Scully went in second and took their seats in the second row, as their new friends Burt and Sarah sat next to them in the same row and smiled at them. "Here goes nothing," Scully said.

Chapter 4

An hour later the class ended and Scully smiled as Doggett opened the door for her as they exited the room.
She was feeling good about the class now and understood some life skills as well as having the chance to make a new friend with Sarah as they chatted during the class. As it turns out, Sarah lived in Georgetown too in a nice house with Burt. She was on maternity leave and expecting her first child with her husband Burt. She worked as an administrator in their local law firm and Burt was a mechanic.
They lived half an hour away from Scully and before they left they said she and Scully would definitely meet up for lunch.
Doggett smiled s he drove them home. "What are you smiling for John?" Scully asked with a raised eyebrow as they drove towards her home.
"I'm just proud of you Dana. You did very well in there as I know how nervous you were about it before," he told her honestly, looking at her with admiration. Scully smiled, pleased that she had impressed Doggett. "Thanks, John," she replied, "I couldn’t have done it without you though," she told him with a grateful smile as he took his eyes off the road briefly to gaze back at her. They shared a moment before Doggett cleared his thought and turned his attention back to driving.
"So what have you got planned for the rest of the day?" Doggett asked her. Scully shrugged. "Lunch, dinner, tv, bed," she told him with a grin. He grinned back. "Wow. Exciting," he said with a raised eyebrow.
"It would be if you wanted to come and have lunch with me? I'll pay to say thanks for coming with me today," Scully offered. Doggett smiled in surprise. "Oh I don’t want to intrude," he said. Scully shook her head. "You’ve never been intruding John," she told him. "Please, I insist that you let me treat you to lunch," she told him.
Doggett smiled happily. Scully was full of surprises. "Okay, but I'm taking you there and back. Deal?" He asked her. Scully smiled. "Deal," she said, and they drove in friendly silence for the rest of the way back to Scully's place.
An hour later Scully and Doggett were sitting on Scully's sofa at her apartment eating their lunch of a takeaway pizza as they watched tv.
They decided to stay in the apartment in the end to save Doggett from driving back and forth an hour later.
Doggett felt so relaxed for the first time in a long while as he sat there eating his pepperoni pizza with Scully.
They were watching a talk show on to and Doggett enjoyed seeing Scully giggle at the shows carious remarks now and again. Scully 'a laugh was like music to his ears as he sat there casually by her side.
He laughed too at a joke the presenter made and Scully smiled with him. "Thanks for coming John," she said a few minutes later when the commercials came up. "You don’t have to thank me. It's a pleasure chilling out with you," he told her honestly. Scully blushed as he looked at her. "This is fun you know. I've not had this much fun since…," she began and her voice trailed off as she struggled to finish that sentence. Her eyes began to water and she wiped them with her sleeve, feeling embarrassed.
"Since Mulder?" Doggett asked gently, giving her an understanding look. Scully nodded. Then she felt Doggett's gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss, Dana," he said softly as he drew her in for a hug. "I'm sorry I didn’t find him alive. I'm sorry I let you down," he told her, his voice beginning to tremble as he thought how much he had failed her. "I've failed you and I will never forgive myself," he added, as he brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.
Scully looked up at him and gazed into his eyes as she placed a hand on his cheek. "You never let me down John," she told him softly. "You always do your best for me," I'm glad you're my partner," she told him before they continued to gaze at each other. "But you did find him for me John. One way or another, and I will alwayss be in your debt for it," Scully added.
Doggett found himself getting lost In her eyes and before he knew it, he was moving in for a kiss.
Their lips met a second later and Scully kissed him, slowly at first, before letting the passion build up.
Doggett was surprised by the strength of her kiss and kissed her back, hoping it would never end.
But somehow it did. They pulled apart, each looking at the other sheepishly. Doggett was too dumb founded to talk first so Scully said, "wow, John, I had no idea you felt that way about me."
Doggett stood up quickly. He didn’t want to hear the rest of what Scully was going to say incase she didn’t feel the same way about him like he did for her. "I gotta go," Doggett said abruptly as he grabbed his jacket from behind the sofa. "Thanks for lunch. I look forward to seeing you soon, Dana," he said to a disappointed looking Scully before leaving.

Chapter 5
FBI Headquarters,
J Edgar Hoover Building,
Washington, DC
Sunday, 9am

Agent Doggett sighed as he made his way down to the X Files office the next day. He felt like a jerk for leaving Scully confused and disappointed like that but he couldn’t help it. Why would a beautiful, strong woman like Dana Scully ever want to be with him?
He could still feel the soft pressure of her lips on his and he found himself blushing when he thought of it.
Doggett had now got off the elevator before taking the X Files office keys out of his pocket and he was just about to unlock the door when he heard muffled voices coming from the office.
Curiously, he pressed an ear to the door and heard muffled laughter. It was Reyes. He heard shuffling movements and a deep voice chuckling softly.
What the heck is going on? Doggett wondered. Shouldn't they show more respect to the office at a time like this? he thought. "Reyes," he called out. "Reyes, are you in there?" Doggett asked. There was a pause before Reyes managed to answer, "Yeah, it's me."
"Why is the door locked?" Doggett demanded, feeling his patience drip away. "I didn’t think anyone was here today," came Reyes muffled reply. "All right, Agent Reyes. I'm coming in," Doggett said firmly before unlocking the door only to reveal an uncomfortable looking AD Skinner standing there as he smoothed down his suit. "Agent Doggett," Skinner said to him in greeting.
"Sir? What're you doing here? It's the weekend," Doggett pointed out. He then looked at Reyes and was surprised to see her hair was scruffy and her blouse also needed smoothing down which she did as she averted her eyes from Doggett's questioning gaze, giving Doggett the impression that she was feeling guilty about something.
"I was just helping Reyes put in a new cabinet for more files," Skinner told him gesturing towards anothe black cabinet next to the original one.
"Sir?" Doggett pressed. Skinner chose to ignore this as he simply said, "it's done now, so if you'll excuse me, I'll just be going back up to my office," he told him.
"See you Agent Reyes, Agent Doggett," he added before leaving. "See you Sir," Reyes replied, finally looking at Doggett as she tried to work out his reaction.
Doggett looked at his colleague suspiciously as he closed the door after Skinner's exit. "What else were you doing with him, Agent Reyes?" Doggett asked sternly. Reyes appeared to be blushing as she straightened her blouse before sitting back down in the chair opposite Mulder's desk.
"Like Skinner told you, Agent Doggett," Reyes replied. Doggett rubbed his temple in annoyance. "Come on, Reyes. I wasn’t born yesterday. Is there something going on between you and Skinner?" he demanded again as he folded his arms across his chest.
Reyes looked at the floor guiltily again and didn’t answer, which Doggett took to mean that he was right.
"For God sake, Reyes. Have you no respect at all? Mulder is dead and Scully's still on bereavement leave, and this is what you do when everyone's away by having an affair?" He demanded. Reyes managed to look up at him. "I'm going to say this politely, Agent Doggett. What I do in you’re absence is none of your business, okay?" Reyes asked.
Doggett shook his head as she grabbed her jacket and bag. "Well we have a new cabinet now, so I'm going home. Enjoy the rest of the weekend, Agent Doggett. I'll see you tomorrow," she said before walking out of the office, leaving an annoyed Doggett looking over at the new cabinet, wondering what went on with Skinner and Reyes. He then wondered if he should tell Scully. After all, it was Mulder's and hers office, she has a right to know what went on in there.
With a sigh Doggett sat down at his desk and thought about the situation.
In the end he decided not to tell Scully. After all, as Reyes said, it was none of his business and he didn’t have all the facts. He also didn’t care about Reyes half as much as he cared about Scully.
So he decided to keep quiet and hoped Scully wouldn't find out as she was going through enough already.
Doggett then spent his Sunday putting a few Files in the new cabinet, and when he got no phone calls after two hours or so, he decided to go home and have his favourite polish sausage for lunch. He decided to make the most of his Sunday, as he knew tomorrow was going to be a long day with Reyes and Skinner.

* END OF PART 1 *

X Files Moving on Part 2
Takes place during DeadAlive Season 8
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters Special Agent Dana Scully, Special Agent John Doggett, Special Agent Reyes, AD Skinner, Fox Mulder or Margeret Scully. X Files is owned by 20th Century Fox and this story is entirely fictitious from the author.

Doggett tries to step up and prove his love for Scully. Unfortunately for Doggett, fate had other ideas.
Rated T for implied passionate affair.

Chapter 1
FBI Headquarters,
J Edgar Hoover Building,
Washington DC,
Monday, 3 months after Mulder’s funeral
5pm

Agent Doggett sat at his desk in the X Files office and smiled at Agent Scully, who was talking to Agent Reyes about numerology.
It was good to have Scully back again, he thought as he logged off and turned off his PC. Scully’s absence left a big impression on Doggett which is why he was spending most of his attention on Scully now. He had missed her a lot and was thrilled to have her back, though he tried not to show it for fear of rejection.
“So that's my first day back done,” Scully was saying to both of them. “How did lose it feel to be back?” Doggett asked her. She smiled at them. “It feels great, thanks John,” she told him. “Did anybody miss me?” She asked, gazing at him.
Doggett couldn’t answer that. He looked away shyly as he didn’t want her to know how much he missed her, in case she would laugh at him.
Luckily, Reyes answered her question for them. “Oh yeah,” Reyes said. “I really missed having you to talk to, Dana,” she told her. Scully raised an eyebrow. “What about him? Don't you guys talk?”she asked, gesturing to Doggett who was gathering his things and getting ready to go home. He had decided that he needed to do something to show Scully how much he loved her, and he will do it as soon as he could.
“What? That chatter box over there?” Reyes was asking as she looked towards Doggett. Scully giggled and Doggett blushed a little as he stood up and put on his jacket. “Well,” he said, “looks like that's my exit cue,” he told them as he grabbed his keys from the desk and made his way towards the door. “Are you okay John? Where are you off to in a hurry?” Scully asked in concern. Doggett smiled at her.
“It's nothing urgent. Are you sure you don't want me to drive you home, Dana?”he asked her. Scully smiled and shook her head. “Thanks but no thanks. Monica said she’d take me home tonight,” she told him.
Doggett nodded. “Okay Dana. See you guys tomorrow,” he said to them.
“See you John,” Scully replied, and Reyes just nodded her head in acknowledgement as he left them both to talk in the office.
Doggett made his way to his car in the FBI garage. Once there he got in his car and drove out of the parking lot.
Ever since Mulder’s passing Doggett felt his love for Scully increase as he watched her deal with difficult situations that most women wouldn't be able to handle or sort out. To Doggett Scully was brave, bold and a beautiful strong woman who he adored.
Thinking about it earlier made him want to put things in into action. So instead of driving home, he drove to the nearest shopping mall which was an hour away and parked in the mall’s parking lot before making his way through the mall to the nearest jewellery shop.
It didn't take long for Doggett to pick out exactly what he wanted- an 18 carat gold Forever Diamond Ring, just right for a brave and beautiful woman like Scully. Doggett paid for the ring on his credit card and smiled at the cashier before leaving and made his way back to his car. Once he was in his car again, he sighed happily and opened a small box to look at the ring inside. He knew he wasn't worthy to have a woman like Scully as his wife, but he hoped with all his heart that she had grown to love him as much as he loved her.
Doggett closed the box and put it back in the bag before starting the engine and beginning the drive home. Now all he had to do was figure out how to ask Scully to marry him.
Doggett felt bad for Scully, but he had to admit, with Mulder gone maybe now was the time and his chance to step up and look after her.

Chapter 2
FBI parking garage
J Edgar Hoover Building
One week later
Monday, 4:30pm

Agent Doggett took a deep breath as he stood in the empty elevator which was taking him down to the X Files office. It had been a busy week for Scully as she settled back into work again with Doggett and Reyes.
She was so busy that Doggett decided to wait a little bit before proposing, so she wouldn't have too much on her mind.
He straightened his tie as the elevator doors sprung open to reveal the corridor to the X Files office. Doggett opened the door and saw to his disappointment, that there was just Agent Reyes standing by the X Files cabinets and touching up her make up.
She spun round with a big smile on her face before stopping in surprise when she saw Doggett standing there.
“John,” she said, surprised. “I thought you went home,” she added as she quickly put her make up bag away in one of the desks drawers. Doggett had a sneaking suspicion that she had thought he was Skinner.
Doggett shuffled his feet uncomfortably. “I was but then I needed to talk to Scully alone about something,” he told her. Reyes nodded. “Well she left ten minutes after you. She said she had to get home so I offered to finish off editing the new files. I'm almost done, just got two more to do then you can upload them tomorrow if that's okay?” Reyes asked him as she casually leant against the cabinets.
Doggett nodded. “Sure. Thanks for the info about Scully. I'm going now, you want a ride?” He asked her. “Oh thanks but no thanks, John. I've got my car. You can go now. I'll see myself out,” Reyes told him. Doggett raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you expecting any visitors, Agent Reyes?” he asked. “Like a certain Assistant Director perhaps?” He prodded, half joking, half serious. He knew Reyes would get into serious trouble if the FBI found out about her secret rendezvous with her boss no less, so he decided not to tell anyone about their affair, not even Scully. At the end of the day Reyes was still his friend and partner on the X Files. He would feel bad if he told on her. As long as it didn't upset Scully, then he was fine about keeping it to himself.
“Maybe,” Reyes answered sheepishly. “I won't tell. I just hope you know what you're doing, Agent Reyes,” Doggett told her. She smiled at him gratefully. “Thanks John,” she said. “I owe you one,” she added. Doggett nodded. “Sure. Well, see ya,” he said as he turned to leave. “See you, Agent Doggett,” Reyes replied with a smile as she watched him go after closing the door behind him.
Half an hour later, Doggett parked his car outside Scully’s apartment. After turning the engine off he sat for a minute, trying to gain his confidence.
Then he got out of the car and walked to Scully’s place. When he reached the door, Doggett felt his nervousness over take him again and he paced back and forth in the hallway.
“Come on John,” he coaxed himself. “Be a man and ask her,” he muttered as he played with the ring box in his hands.
Just as he was about to knock the door, it opened to reveal a surprised Mrs Scully followed by Scully herself as they almost bumped into him. “Whoa,” Margret Scully said in greeting as she steadied herself. “Hey Mrs Scully,” Doggett replied before smiling at Dana. “Hi Dana,” he said to her before she grinned at him. “Mom, this is Agent Doggett. You remember him don't you? From Mulder’s funeral?” Scully asked her mother. Mrs Scully smiled at him. “Of course I do, dear. You're my daughter’s new partner, is that correct?” Mrs Scully asked as she and Doggett shook hands. Doggett smiled at her, pleased and relieved that he had her approval of working with her daughter. “That’s right,” Doggett replied respectfully. “Good to see you again, Mrs Scully,” he added.
Margaret grinned. “Please, call me Margaret,” she told him, and Doggett just grinned in reply. “Sorry about almost bumping into you, John, but mom was just about to take me out for dinner at our local café. Is there something you need to see me about?” Scully asked her partner in concern.
Margaret looked at her daughter and then Doggett- she sensed they needed space. She cleared her throat. “Dana, “you two stay here a minute. I think I need to get my keys,” she said, and Dana smiled at her before she left them space to talk. “What is it, John?” Scully asked, seeing the seriousness in his deep blue eyes.
He took a deep breath and fumbled in his pocket for the box. Well, it's now or never, he thought to himself. He got the box and held it up as he got down on one knee, surprising Scully. “John, what're you doing?” She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand in shock.
“Dana Katherine Scully,” Doggett managed to say, “will you marry me?” He asked as he flipped the box open to reveal to Scully her gold ring.
Scully said nothing for a whole minute. Finally she spluttered out the words, “I d-don't know,” before looking away in shock.

Chapter 3

Raleigh, North Carolina,
The following Saturday,
1pm

Scully stood by Mulder’s grave as she wore her black mourners outfit. Her mother Margaret was waiting in the car for her while she spoke sadly to her buried friend and partner. A few people walked past her as they cried softly for their losses. Scully smiled at them sympathetically as they walked on and they smiled sadly back before making their way back to the church.
“Hey Mulder,” she greeted the grave. It wasn't raining but it was still chilly in North Carolina, so Scully pulled her jacket tighter around her as she spoke.
“I thought I’d come to tell you some news,” she began. She took a deep breath. “You’re not going to believe this but, um, Agent Doggett asked me to marry him a couple of days ago. Can you believe it?” she asked the grave. “I know it's crazy, I've only been working with him a few months and I feel something between him and me, but I don't know if I can marry him. I don't think I feel the same way about him as I did about you, Mulder,” she explained, wringing her hands anxiously.
“He got me a beautiful gold ring so I know he was serious,” she continued. “That's why I felt really bad and had to come here to tell you- what’s been going on,” she added, as her voice began to crack at the end of that sentence. A single tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it away.
“I couldn't say yes to him, so I just said I'd think about it. But you're not here anymore, are you Mulder?” she asked brokenly as she began to cry silently.
She placed a hand on his grave for support. “Do you remember on our first case when I went to your hotel room and was scared about some marks on my back as I thought they were alien marks but you just told me they were mosquito bites?” Scully asked as she managed to wipe her tears away and sniffles into a tissue.
“We hugged for a long time after that, didn't we Mulder?” Scully asked him with a sigh. “When Doggett hugs me, it's different,” she said. “So that's why I came, to tell you I am still having a hard time getting over you Mulder, and you'll always be in my heart, whether I'm married or not,” she said softly. “I better go, I'll visit you again when I've decided what to do,” she told the grave as she got ready to go. “Goodnight Mulder,” she said with one last look at the grave before walking towards the front of the church and getting into her car with Margeret at the wheel. “So how'd it go?” Margaret asked her daughter as she put on her seatbelt and started the car, squeezing her shoulder sympathetically.
Scully nodded. “It's getting there,” she said as she wiped the last of her tears away with her tissue.
“If you ask me I think you should marry that nice gentleman you work with now,” Margaret advised her daughter with a gleam in her eye as she drove back towards home.
“Mom!” Scully exclaimed, shocked at the bluntness of her mother’s thinking. “I know you don't think you can look at anyone again after Mulder, but head me out Dana. Mulder’s gone now and you need to move on. Live life to the full and marry that handsome partner of yours. Trust me Dana, that man is a catch and he looks like a keeper to me. I'm sure Mulder would want to see you happy so just go for it,” she said.
Scully gave her a dead pan look. “You don't have to accept right away of course,” Margaret said as they swung into Georgetown. “But just think of it. You're my daughter Dana, I just want to see you happy,” she reasoned. Scully smiled sadly. “I know Mom, and I promise, I'll think about it okay?” She asked softly. “That’s my girl,” Margaret said looking pleased at her daughter as they headed home.
“You deserve to be happy Dana after everything you've been through,” she said in ending. Scully bit her lip as she took in her mother’s words. She knew she was right, but she also knew it was going to take her a long time to get over Mulder…

Chapter 4

Falls Church, Virginia
10pm
Later that evening…

Agent Doggett sat back on his sofa as he drank beer and watched an alien movie. He was feeling low, upset about the unsure answer that Scully had given him when he proposed to her. He couldn’t believe it when she said it was a beautiful ring, but she still needed time to get over Mulder.
He sighed again as he took another long swig of his beer. He knew Mulder would be a hard act to follow and he always felt second best in a way. From what he read in the X Files, although Scully was reluctant to believe half of the theories Mulder came up with, she was still very loyal to him and would try to come to a solution that satisfied them both.
Just as Doggett was about to switch off the to, his phone rang and he switched off the to before answering it.
“Yeah,” he said into the phone, part of him hoped it was Scully, yet another part of him hoped it wasn't. He still felt embarrassed by her rejection, even though she tried to console him and assure him that there was nothing to be embarrassed about but he couldn't help it.
“John,” Scully’s voice came through the phone a second later. Doggett found himself blushing. “Dana,” he greeted her, trying but not succeeding to sound not too depressed. “Are you okay John?” Scully asked. “I was worried about you after we last saw each other,” Scully said, referring to the proposal situation. “Yeah, I'm okay,” Doggett said, lying through gritted teeth. He didn’t want to upset Scully but he couldn’t help but feel neglected.
“I'm sorry John,” Scully told him. “But I do need to talk to you about your proposal,” she said Doggett sighed. “What, you want to talk about it so you can run it in my face and say no again?” Doggett asked, unable to stop the hurt, anger and frustration build up and emerge from him.
There was a stunned silence and Doggett could hear Scully take a deep breath. “Whoa, John, I didn't say no exactly, I just needed time to think about it,” she said. Doggett took a breath and managed to regain his composure. “But no answer means no anyway right?” He asked with a sigh, resigning to the idea that he may never marry Scully. While they were working together he always knew she was too good for him. But he had hoped against hope that he would be worthy of her love as they both worked hard to trust each other.
“Not exactly,” Scully told him. This made Doggett sit up and he felt hopeful. “You mean…?” He asked, hoping her answer would be yes.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you more about. But I feel I need to talk to you in person. Could you drop by my place tomorrow if you're free please John?” She asked. “Sure. I can visit you in the morning if you like,” he suggested. “Sure that will be great. Shall we say 10am?” Scully asked.
Doggett allowed himself a small smile. “Sure. I'll be there,” he told her.
“Thanks. Good night, John,” Scully replied happily. “Good night, Dana,” Doggett replied before they both hung up.
He stood up and went over to his bedside table and picked up the ring box, hoping against hope that Scully would say yes.

* * *

Scully put the phone down and rubbed her aching neck. She still didn't know what to say to Doggett’s proposal. Sure, they worked well together and found Mulder, but Scully had been working with Mulder for 7 years and she still thought about him everyday.
Maybe Mom was right, she thought as she made her way to her bed and gently lay down to sleep. Maybe it was time for her to move on and be happy. Surely Mulder would want her to be cared for and happy. Scully rested a hand on her stomach and felt the baby kick again. She was still getting long bouts of morning sickness throughout the day but she was getting used to it now.
She sighed as she pulled the covers around her, thinking about Doggett again and what she wanted to do about their relationship. She knew she could trust him, he was always loyal to her like she was to Mulder, but something inside her kept preventing her from agreeing to marry him and confirming their commitment to each other. Scully didn't mean to hurt Doggett’s feelings when she said she wasn't sure if she could marry him- It was just that Mulder left such a big void in her life and she felt his absence every day. Which is why she felt compelled to visit his grave earlier rather than go to another parenting class. She had called her friend Sarah and told her she would make the next one instead, and Sarah said that was okay. Scully felt she couldn't take Doggett with her into the class until they had talked about where they stood with each other.
She tried to settle down to sleep but found that she could only after looking at a photo of Mulder.

Chapter 5
GEORGETOWN, VIRGINIA
Sunday, 10am

Agent Doggett parked his car outside Scully’s apartment block on Sunday morning.
After a good sleep he had accepted that Scully may never feel about him the same way he did about her. For the sake of their working partnership, he decided that whatever the outcome of this talk was, he would never hold it against her to ensure there wouldn't be tension in their work.
Having Scully as his working partner was better than not having Scully there at all, he decided, as he found out when she went on bereavement leave. He had missed her so much and she was only away for a month.
He stopped outside Scully’s door and gave it a light knock. A minute later the door opened and Scully was there. Doggett thought she looked great and flawless as always as she was dressed in a light brown sweater and black maternity pants. She looked glowing.
He smiled at her. “Hi,” he said softly. No matter how he was feeling, the sight of Scully standing before him always lifted his spirits.
“Hi,” she replied, smiling that pretty smile he knew all too well. “Come in,” she said as she stood aside to let him in. He entered her apartment before she closed the door behind him. “Thanks for coming,” she said. Doggett nodded. “That's okay. We need to talk about this,” he added as he sat down on Scully’s couch. “Would you like some coffee?” she asked.
Doggett nodded in appreciation. “Please,” he said and Scully smiled as she went to the kitchen to put the kettle on.
“So what are you thinking, Dana?” Doggett asked as he placed the ring box on the table. Scully sighed as she went and sat next to him and gave him his coffee. “I do trust you John, and I am grateful to know and work with you,” she began. Doggett sighed. “But..?” He prompted wearily.
Scully laid a comforting hand on his arm which he didn't push away. “I just feel like there's things about you that I don't know yet, John. It's like… like you're holding things back from me so I don't quite understand you yet, I don't know if that makes sense,” she said and her voice trailed off as she sipped her coffee.
Doggett listened and realised it was kind of true. He knew what she meant and so it was his turn to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder, as he mentally kicked himself for not realising this sooner.
“It does make sense,” he told her softly, and like he did, she didn't withdraw from his touch either. “There’s some things that I cant tell you about me, maybe it's because we just don't get time because if work, or maybe…,” he too trailed off as he tried to put his thoughts into words as he sipped his coffee.
“That you just don't trust me enough yet?” Scully tried, before remembering some of the first things he said to her when they first met. She wondered if he still thought that way about her. “You think I'm too ambitious?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. Doggett looked at her and grinned. “That was one of the first things I said to you when we first met, wasn't it?” he asked her as he remembered it all too well.
“Do you think that way about me?” Scully asked. Doggett thought for a moment. “No,” he said finally, shaking his head.
“I have come to trust you, Dana,” he told her. “I trust you a lot. I just can't tell you about my past, and it's not just you, Dana. I can't tell a lot of people about my life outside work. I trust you more than I trust Reyes,” he explained.
Scully smiled and took another sip of her coffee. “So do you ever think we can be together? If you give me time then I would open up to you. Would you marry me then?” Doggett asked her hopefully. Scully smiled again.
“Maybe…,” she began, “maybe when and if the X Files get shut down, and maybe when I'm fully over Mulder, then we can start concentrating on being together," she said softly, looking deep into his blue eyes so Doggett knew she meant every word.
He nodded. This was more than he hoped so he allowed himself to smile as he picked up the box and flipped it open for Scully to see. “I'll keep hold of this then shall I?” he asked her.
Scully grinned back and nodded as she closed the box gently with her freehand. “Do keep it, John,” she told him softly. “It really is a beautiful ring. You have good taste and you seem to know what I like,” she said with a raised eyebrow.
Doggett chuckled and shrugged his shoulders as he put the box back in his jeans pocket. “Well, it's nothing. I saw that cross necklace you wore, and it was gold, so I figured, hey, she might like gold,” he said and Scully joined in with his laughter. “That’s just like you John,” she said wistfully shaking her head. “You’re a typical man aren't you?” She asked.
Doggett grinned back as he took another gulp of his drink before asking, “so what does your mom think of me?” He asked. Scully couldn't help but grin.
“She thinks you're the bees knees,” she told him with a chuckle, enjoying spending time with Doggett like this. Doggett finished his coffee with one big gulp before saying, “Really? Well at least when I ask you again I know your mom will still want me to be around you,” he said. Scully nodded before looking at her watch. “Hey it's almost lunch. Would you like anything to eat John?” She asked. Doggett shook his head. “Thanks but no thanks, Dana. There's a car race on the box that I really wanna watch,” he said as he got up. “Okay John. If you're sure,” she said as she gave Doggett his jacket and showed him to the door.
“I'm sure,” he said as he took out his keys as he stepped out into the hallway. “Thanks for the coffee and the talk, Dana,” he told her. Scully smiled. “Thanks for coming and being so understanding, John,” she replied. “Take care. See you at work?” Doggett asked. “Yeah. See you then,” Scully answered and they both shared a long look before Doggett nodded, smiled and walked away as Scully closed her front door behind him.

END.

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