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Title:  The Argument

Author:  Amy H

Rating:

Spoilers:

Summary: Scully and Doggett have
an argument; somethings are said
that shouldn't be...

Disclaimer:  Characters belong to
Chris Carter and 1013 productions. 
I do not intend to infringe.

THE ARGUMENT
Amy H

This was one hell of a day and it
was only 12:00.  It all started with
a simple guesture, too; a kind and
polite guesture at that.  Doggett
sat across from Scully in the little
diner in downtown Georgetown.
He sipped his coffee impatiently as
they awaited the arrival of their
meals. Scully sipped her ice water 
simultaneously.  Work had been
slow this time of year.  It was Christmas
and nothing was really happening
besides the murdering mall Santas
that seemed to lurk in the inner city
shopping centers, and frankly, they
were both sick of those cases.  They
were too cliche and overused by now.

"So.." Doggett began suddenly, trying
to make simple small talk, he tapped
his fingers against the table top and
glanced up at a slightly peeved Scully.

"What?" she replied.

He shrugged, "how's life been treating
ya?"

Scully rolled her eyes and leaned back
against the chair.  His New York city
cop persona was starting to get to her,
especially that terrible accent.  Why didn't
he just drop it?  He lived in DC now 
anyways.  His constant fomenting at her
was  probably the most perturbing
about him.  He always HAD to ask how
she was-- even if he knew what she would 
say.

"Fine," she stated plainly.

"That's good."  

Doggett continued to tap the table.  He
knew  she was mad, but not why.  She
always seemed to get into these sour 
moods ever so often in which he did not 
want to be around her.  It was no doubt 
because of Mulder, but she always seemed
to have a cloudy head, too.  She never looked
right at him when she looked at him.  It
was a distant gaze that always trailed
off.  Maybe it was because of insecurity,
but who knew?

"Are you mad at me?" he asked suddenly.

She cocked her head to one side and glared
at him.  Oops, he just made quite a mistake.
Everyone knows you're not supposed to ask
a woman if they're mad at you because, for
one, if they are mad, it makes them madder,
and two, even if they aren't mad, they think
you're up to no good and become suspicious,
leading to anger.  He mentally kicked himself.

"Why would you think THAT?" she replied
deviously.

He opened his mouth to speak, but luckily
the waitress brought their food over to them
and he took a large bite of his burger.

"Doggett--" she began and made a disgusted
face, "Do you know how much fat is in that
burger??"

He shrugged.

"What do I care?" he said in between chews.
"I work out, I'm active.  I usually eat what I
want."

She rolled her eyes yet again and gazed down
at her caeser salad.  She truly had no appetite,
probably due to pregnancy.  She actually was
beginning to feel nauscious.  She sipped her 
ice water

"Well, are you gonna answer me?" she retorted.

No, he thought.  He didn't want to tell her why
he thought she was mad because it would
contain the word 'bitch' and that would REALLY
get her mad.  So he just shook his head no. She
rolled her crystal blue eyes and took another sip
of ice water, placing it back on the table when she
finished.  She let out a deep breath and looked at
him.  He swallowed and took a mouthful of hot 
coffee, BIG MISTAKE.  It burned! Ahhhck!  He 
gulped it down quickly and then grabbed her 
water.  He took in a long sip and set it back 
down.

"I'm sorry," he panted, "it was hot.."

She stared at him blankly.

"What the hell were you thinking?  That was
MY water..."

"My mouth was burning hot!  I'm sorry!  I'd
let you have my water if you took a large
sip of scolding hot liquid and needed to cool
your mouth down," he shook his head, "jeeze,
it's not that big of a deal anyways.."

The last part was said under his breath, but
unfortunately, Scully heard it.

She snapped her head up.

"Doggett- will you quit being such a jackass?"

"Uhhhh," he stared at her offendedly, "Agent
Scully, that was uncalled for."

"Whatever," she said and stuck her fork into
her salad.  Doggett wondered if she'd even
eat anything.  She was a thin woman and
needed all the food she could get.  She probably
would take offense to his saying so though, so
remained silent.

"You know Agent Scully.." he began and
cautiously sipped his coffee, "you are a very
complex and enigmatic character- I doubt 
Shakespeare would have even been able to 
write you."

Her jaw dropped open.

"That was a compliment- I meant nothing
harmful by it.."

"How the hell did you come up with THAT
remark, Doggett?  Sometimes you scare the
hell out of me." She picked up a lettuce leaf
and twirled it around in front of her.  It
became increasingly less appetizing as the
seconds went by.

"Well, you gonna eat it or stare at it?" he
said finally.  She puffed out her cheeks
and looked into his eyes: fury.  She was 
about to snap and he could tell.  He was
totally provoking her though and he knew 
it.  It was his own fault.  She was probably sick
or having a "feminin kind of day" so he
stopped.  A woman with PMS was considered
dangerous on his terms.

Scully put her fork down. 

"You know what Doggett?" she began,
"you're probably thinking I'm bitter- and
let me tell you- you're the one MAKING me
act this way!  You are egging me on and you
know it!" 

She kicked him under the table.

"Ahhhh, my shin!" he cried out in pain.

Her pregnancy hormones were taking a
dangerous leap- but could that actually be
considered battering of another agent?  She
highly doubted it.  Doggett was just being a
baby.  She touched her hand to her abdomen
rubbed her thumb over it.  She missed Mulder
right now, probably because what Doggett
was doing reminded her of him.  It just seemed 
like it wasn't his place to be pissing her off.
Doggett was supposed to be a good guy, not
an evil son of a bitch who wants her to get mad!
What was going on???

He cleared his throat and looked up at her.

"Agent Scully.. I'm sorry."

She let out a sigh and stood up.

"I'll be right back.."  the nausea had crept up 
her spine and attacked, causing her to flee
to the bathroom and vomit.  She was just inside 
of the stall when she bent over the toilet bowl
and let her insides pour out.  The thought of who 
had sat on this toilet at earlier dates just made
her heave more and more.  She spilled out her
breakfast and ice water and flushed.  Ahhh, the 
joys of pregnancy she thought.  Her stomach
felt upset still.  She stared into the bathroom mirror
and pulled out some concealer from her purse.
Her face was red and her eyes were bloodshot and
watering from the heaving.  She grabbed a paper
towel and dabbed it to her eyes.

Doggett waited outside for his partner impatiently.
Maybe she had an eating disorder and he had 
spurred her to go and vomit!  Oh no!  He felt
awful.  He was really being a son of a bitch though,
he had to admit.  Poooor Scully. Although,
he doubted that any doctor would develop
an eating disorder knowing how terrible
the consequences are.  He pondered just as she
stepped out and faced him again.  She looked
like she actually had been throwing up.

When she sat back down he placed his hand
atop hers.

"If you're having any problems, please, feel
free to tell me.." he said concerned.  She
looked at him with an indescribable expression.
What was he talking about?  How did he know
about the pregnancy?  She felt her face get red.

"So.. you know?"

"Well," he began, at least she was being honest
about her eating disorder, "it's kind of obvious."

She looked down at her abdomen.

"You think?  I was going to go buy some
different clothes that fit better.  I really need
to since it's so obvious..."

"Listen- you are a beautiful woman, clothes
don't matter.." Doggett began.  He didn't think
she would actually admit to being sick.  Bulimia
was a terrible illness- his sister had developed it
when she was in her mid-teens.  He knew how to
treat people stricken with it.

Scully blushed again.

"Thank you.. I thought Skinner was the only
one who knew though," she looked into his
eyes.  He looked very sympathetic.

"Has he been trying to get you help?"

She grabbed her ice water and sipped it
nervously, "well, yes, he has been very
supportive."

"When did this all start?"

She hated to think of the day she found
out she was pregnant because it was the
same day she's discovered Mulder was missing.

"Well.. I found out the day Mulder was taken
actually, it was quite a surprise."

Doggett shook his head.

"I should have known.."

She snapped her head up to look at him. He
should have known what?  That MULDER
was the father??  How much did he know?  How
much had people told him?  She stared at him
angrily.

"Doggett- are we talking about the same thing?"
she almost yelled.

"You're bulimic, it's okay to talk to me about 
it.."

Her jaw dropped open, bulimic??  BULIMIC?
Oh Lord!  And the whole time she though he
knew she was pregnant..  why would he think
she was bulimic!?!  Was it her throwing up?
How did he know she had just thrown up?

"Oh God, Doggett.. I thought you were talking
about something else completely.  I'm not
bulimic- I'm not even sick!" She let out a deep
sigh of relief and kicked herself mentally.

"What were you talking about then?"

She sipped her water.

"Forget I ever said anything.. all right,
this was just a misunderstanding."

Doggett flinched and scratched his forehead.
Now he was curious.

"You can't just leave me hanging you 
know.."

Sculyl swallowed the lump that had
been forming in her throat and let
out a silent laugh.

"No no, you don't WANT to know."

"Well sure I do, come on-"

"Doggett... soon, I'll tell you soon or else
you'll be able to figure it out yourself."

He sighed and took another bite of his
unhealthy burger.  He really WANTED
to know now, it was like torture making 
him, a New York City detective, remain in
ignorance.  He scowled.

"You really are conniving, ya know?"

Scully was so relieved that he didn't know 
her secret that she let that last remark
slide.  She took a bite of her salad finally
and swallowed.

"Ya know Doggett, you really have
lightened my mood.. finally."

He raised an eyebrow.

"All right..."

"Well eat, drink and be merry, for 
tomorrow we may die!"  

Doggett looked at her strangely.

"You feeling okay?  That was quite
a moodswing I just witnessed."

She swallowed another bite of salad
and sipped her water.  

"Yeah, finish eating, we have to be
back to work in.." she checked her
watch, "15 minutes."

He nodded and looked down at his
half eaten burger.  It seemed so dull
now that the creature across from him
had chenged from witch to angel.

"Eat!" Scully demanded and bit into 
her salad again.  He obeyed and continued
to eat his meal.  

When they finished and returned to
work- to his surprise, her mood had
not yer dissipated.  She was bright and
cheery.  He just hoped- and that was all 
he could do, that it would last for the 
holiday season.

"DOGGETT?!?!" Scully screamed suddenly.

He jumped then looked up astonished and
bit his lip.

"Y-yeah.." he replied sheepishly.

She stared into him like hot coals and
spoke in an atrocious tone.

"Can you tell me why there is coffee
spilled on my desk??"

He gulped.  As he had said- he could 
ONLY hope her mood would last, and
of course- it did not.