Title: Because I Love You  
Author: Jamma  
Date: January 3rd, 2007  
Rating: PG  
Category: DSR all the way! Christmas fic, hopefully a lil fluffy  
A/N: A few years after the series end. Many things that happened during the 8th and 9th 
seasons were overlooked. Apologies for all spelling and grammatical errors.  
 
Summary: "With us, everything is unexpected…"  
 
This is my SoX Secret Santa gift to Cassie. It is so very, very late and I can't apologize 
enough, but I really hope you like it. Next time, I will lock myself away and ignore the 
WORLD until I finish a story for you.  
 
Disclaimer: Characters, etc. aren't mine, obviously.  
 
 
***x***x***X***x***x***  
 
December 22nd  
 
He watched her pull out the photo again. This time, she studied it. Her fingers smoothed 
over the surface of the picture, her slim digits tracing over the image frozen within. Her 
eyes glazed over and her forehead held that wrinkle, that slight wrinkle above her right 
eye, in between her brows – the wrinkle she got when she was thinking too hard about 
things that upset her, things she tried so hard to pretend didn't bother her.  
 
She sighed softly, her eyes still focused on the photo before her. It was as if she'd 
forgotten where she was, forgotten she was sitting in a basement office with him, 
working on clearing up as much paperwork as they could before they left for the 
Christmas holiday. She sighed again and her chin began to quiver slightly.  
 
"Dana?" he called softly as he stood, making his way to her side. She hadn't looked up, 
hadn't even acknowledged him. "Hey," he said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.  
 
She looked up quickly, her face slipping back to that hard, controlled façade as she 
shoved the photo beneath some papers.  
 
"Yes, Agent Doggett?" she said in an all-business tone.  
 
He studied her for a minute, watching the walls slowly rebuild themselves in her eyes. It 
wasn't the time or the place. They'd agreed that the office was for work and work only. 
Anything else would take away from their professionalism.  
 
They weren't quite sure what was between them, but they both agreed it was more than 
just partnership, more than friendship. It had surprised them both. One day they're just 
colleagues, thrown together to continue her partner's work – nothing between them but 
hard work and skepticism. Before they realized it, he had been taking extra steps to 
ensure she was all right. He'd make sure she ate lunch every day; call it a night when he 
sensed she was tired. He'd insist she call him when she got home and made it a point to 
call one last time to say goodnight to her. It was a habit they'd picked up unknowingly, 
and it wasn't until her car broke down and she needed a ride home that they realized the 
difference in their relationship.  
 
It had been a long, long day and both had given their work all they had until the AD 
ordered them to go home. They said their goodnights in the parking garage, and he'd 
been driving behind her when her car suddenly stopped. His quick thinking led him to 
swerve to avoid hitting her, and after almost an hour of his examination beneath the hood 
of her car, he offered her a ride home.  
 
As always, on those rare occasions he'd driven her home, she invited him up to at least 
have a cup of coffee before he drove home. Usually he'd decline, but for some reason, 
he'd accepted her offer. She made her way around the kitchen, fixing a pot of coffee and 
gathering the mugs before slipping off to her room to change. She came out in a pair of 
pink pajamas that made Doggett smother a smile. She looked so unlike the tough agent he 
encountered day after day.  
 
They spoke quietly on her couch, both of them relaxing more than they ever had with 
each other. They spoke of small things, personal things such as family and friends. It was 
a conversation neither had expected to take place, certainly not after a hard day's work 
with the promise of the same for the next day. She was sleepy, for she began to rub her 
eyes with the back of her hand, much like he imagined a little girl would do. It was a side 
of his partner he'd never imagined to see.  
 
After awhile, her voice began to soften as she began to lean against his shoulder. He kept 
speaking, his voice calm and smooth as his heart pounded in his chest as if it wished to 
burst through. What they'd been speaking about completely slipped his mind when her 
hand came up to rest against his cheek, her head tilted back to look into his eyes. Neither 
spoke a word. They let their eyes say what their mouths had yet to vocalize; their minds 
had yet to understand. He leaned in slowly, giving her a chance to stop him, to pull away. 
She did neither as his lips met hers, their softness dancing smoothly against his. Her hand 
slid behind his head, cradling him gently as she urged him to deepen their kiss.  
 
They continued on like so for nearly an hour, never speaking a word. Each time her 
tongue brushed against his, he felt his heart flutter and her body shiver. Each time they 
pulled away, their eyes met with question, their hands gently stroking and smoothing 
over each other. It was all innocent, sweet and gentle. It was obvious at the moment that 
they both wanted to be there.  
 
It wasn't until the next morning that he felt some regret in his actions. He felt as though 
he took advantage of her exhaustion. He walked around the office trying to ignore what 
happened the previous night, trying not to feel her eyes focusing on him. He tried to 
pretend the previous night never happened until she came up to him at the end of the day.  
 
"I think I know what you're thinking," she said with a small smirk. Her hand reached up 
to push her hair behind her ear as she bit her lip, her eyes never leaving his gaze. "I don't 
regret it," she whispered. "I wanted to kiss you. I wanted you to kiss me."  
 
Doggett chuckled softly. "How did you know what I was thinking?"  
 
"I know *you*, John. I know what type of guy you are. I know that something as… as 
big as what happened between us last night would play on your mind until you've 
somehow convinced yourself that you were, in some way, at fault.  
 
"It was just a kiss, Agent Doggett – a kiss that I hope you wanted as badly as I did."  
 
"You have no idea," Doggett murmured as he rested his forehead against hers. Her eyes 
slipped shut as she reached up to gently grab his ears. "I have to admit, it was 
unexpected."  
 
"With us, everything is unexpected," she agreed before softly pecking his lips.  
 
That had been two months ago, and though they'd never gone too far, their off time 
together included very intense kissing, groping and feelings they'd never expected to 
have for one another. It also came with boundaries such as not allowing it into the office 
– strictly Agent Scully and Agent Doggett and as little physical contact as possible until 
they could control the feelings that accompanied.  
 
"Agent Doggett?" His eyes focused on her once again, her face once again creased, this 
time with worry. "Are you okay?"  
 
"I should be askin' you that."  
 
"I'm fine," she said as her eyes fell to the papers before her. "It's just the holidays and, 
and the stress. My brothers and their families are flying in and my mother is so excited to 
see them and her grandchildren…" Her eyes filled as she fought it with a sigh.  
 
Without thought, Doggett reached beneath the papers to pull out the photograph of baby 
William. "All but one, right, Dana?" he spoke softly, his finger running over the back of 
her hand. He watched a crystalline tear slide down her cheek.  
 
"Boundaries, Agent Doggett," she reminded him in a broken voice.  
 
The office was quiet for a minute before Doggett shut down his computer. "C'mon. Let's 
call it a day."  
 
Scully glanced at her wristwatch ad smiled. "It's only two-thirty."  
 
"I know. We've been workin' hard and I think we can afford to leave early just once."  
 
"Agent Doggett," Scully said in a warning tone, her smile widening as her eyes continued 
to glimmer with residual tears.  
 
"C'mon. We'll go to the mall at eat ice cream while we watch kids take pictures with 
Santa. Chocolate-chocolate chunk ice cream, your favorite."  
 
Scully chuckled. "I'm perfectly fine to finish out the day, Agent Doggett." Her face grew 
serious. "I'll put it away," she said as she tucked the photo into her purse.  
 
"I don't want you to 'put it away', Dana. I wanna see it. I wanna see all of it… without 
boundaries." Her eyes closed as that familiar frown took place. "C'mon. My treat."  
 
He held out her jacket and was relieved when she slipped into it without further 
argument.  
 
"I want sprinkles on mine," she said softly and Doggett smiled.  
 
***x***x***x***  
 
Doggett held her as she drifted off to sleep. It was moments like this he favored, watching 
all the stress that wound her up inside fade away. She was so soft, so light and so 
peaceful in slumber. He loved how she felt so at ease with him, comfortable enough to 
allow him to hold her while she slept, knowing and not caring that he could sit up all 
night and watch her.  
 
He loved her, more than he ever thought he could, but neither had ever spoken of its 
depths. They had yet to mention anything about love to each other, though both knew that 
it was exactly what they felt for one another.  
 
Doggett felt her sigh and tightened his hold around her. His lips brushed against her 
forehead as she rested her head against his chest.  
 
"I like to listen to your heart before I fall asleep," she'd told him one night. "With every 
beat, I feel a promise is being made especially for me, that everything will be okay." She 
said it in a drowsy state, when she was most truthful, most open with him. He knew that 
anything said in such state was something she felt deeply but was hesitant to share with 
him any other time.  
 
Doggett smiled to himself. He felt so lucky to have her, so lucky that she'd taken that 
step and trusted him with her heart.  
 
As carefully as he could, he reached across, trying not to shift too much and wake her. 
His wallet lay on the nightstand, and he reached for it with his fingertips until the leather 
object inched close enough for him to grasp. He removed a small picture from inside, the 
picture Scully had been studying more frequently as the holidays approached. Baby 
William stared back at him, his toothless smile and big blue eyes capturing his heart. He 
looked just like his mother… and his father. He was the best part of the both of them, the 
best thing to come out of everything. Doggett could understand how hard it was for 
Scully, seeing her baby, knowing he's out there, and not having the chance to watch him 
grow. It was hard to watch her suffer in silence, trying to focus on anything but the little 
miracle she'd given birth to years before.  
 
With one last glance at the picture, he put it away, reminding himself to wake up early 
enough to place it back in her purse before she realized it was gone.  
 
***x***x***x***  
 
December 24th  
 
Doggett rolled over to discover an empty spot across the bed. He allowed his sleep addled 
mind to come together, his body to adjust to the morning surrounding him. He sat up and 
stretched, running a rough hand over his face and eyes as he smothered a yawn. The 
house was quiet. Usually, they'd spend time at her apartment, falling asleep next to each 
other in her bed, but Scully had insisted they spend the holiday at his home. She wanted 
Christmas in a real house, not an apartment, the apartment that held so many memories.  
 
After quickly stopping into the bathroom to brush his teeth and handle his business, he 
made his way downstairs to find her.  
 
Scully sat at the table, a mug cradled in her hands. Her eyes stared blankly ahead of her.  
 
It killed Doggett to see her so heartbroken. He could only imagine what the previous 
years had been like, the years when she hadn't let him into her life, into her heart.  
 
"Hey, sweetheart," he spoke softly, kissing her head and hoping she wouldn't rip him a 
new one for using such an endearment.  
 
She jumped slightly at the sound of him, pasting a forced smile on her face. "Good 
morning. Merry Christmas Eve."  
 
He chuckled. "Merry Christmas Eve to you, too." She stood and wrapped her arms 
around him, sighing as he enveloped her in his warm embrace. "Why didn't you wake 
me? I coulda been sittin' here with you."  
 
Scully shook her head. "I woke up kind of early. Didn't make sense for both of us to lose 
sleep." She walked over to the coffee pot, dumping the carafe to make a fresh pot. "Mom 
called my cell phone. She nearly panicked when there was no answer at my apartment."  
 
"Uh-oh."  
 
"No, it's okay. I told her I was with you. That made her feel better, though I'm not really 
sure where she'd expected me to be."  
 
Doggett scratched his head nervously. "So she, uh, she knows about us?"  
 
"She knows some. Most of it, she'd come up with herself." Scully smiled. "Mother's 
intuition." She suddenly frowned, swishing the cooled coffee in the mug for a few 
seconds before dumping it into the sink.  
 
He wished he could take her pain away.  
 
"So, what's the plan for today?" Doggett asked as he clapped his hands together, trying to 
shift the mood.  
 
"Well, um, I told my mom I would bake the sugar cookies, so I need to stop by the 
grocery store. Also, I need to stop and get another gift for my brother's stepson. He's 
spending Christmas with the Scullys this year. The stores are going to be crazy, but it's 
the least I can do. I don't spend enough time with my family, so now is the time to go all-
out for them."  
 
"Our job is very demanding."  
 
She nodded. "I know. I just… I wish there was time fit them in somewhere. I miss them."  
 
"Hey, why don't you go and take a bath. Use some of that girly stuff you like, that smelly 
oil." Scully laughed as she leaned into him. "I bought some candles and bath oils. They 
smell just like you," he whispered into her hair.  
 
She glanced up. "How did you know?"  
 
His forehead fell against hers, their noses nuzzling like Eskimo kisses. "I saw it in your 
bathroom. I wanted to know more about you. I want to know everything about you. I 
wanted a part of you here with me."  
 
She stood on tiptoe, brushing a kiss against his lips. "I lo-…" she paused, catching herself 
as her chest tightened.  
 
The room filled with awkward silence as they stared into each other's eyes.  
 
"I know," Doggett spoke quietly, relieving her. "I know." He watched her skin suffuse 
with crimson, her eyes falling to the floor as she bit her lip to check her emotions.  
 
"I'm sorry. I-I want to… but-"  
 
"Hey." He lifted her chin. "Me, too, baby. When the time's right…"  
 
She nodded, pulling away from him reluctantly. "I'll take a shower for now. We can save 
the candlelight bath for another time, okay? When the time is right?"  
 
His heart fluttered. "Okay."  
 
He watched her leave the kitchen and exhaled, his body resting against the counter.  
 
"I love you, too."  
 
***x***x***x***  
 
December 25th  
 
He was awakened this time with soft, gentle kisses. His face was covered in them, 
making him smile and tighten his arms around the light weight resting on top of him.  
 
Cracking an eye open, he was greeted by the beautiful sight of her. Her hair hung loosely 
framing her face as she gazed down at him. Her skin was slightly flush, her eyes a 
beautiful cerulean blue. Behind her, the Christmas tree shone with brightly blinking light 
– pink, blue, green and yellow echoing off the walls and shining through the red strands 
of her hair.  
 
"Looks like Santa got my Christmas list," he spoke gruffly. "The only thing I asked for 
was you under my tree."  
 
Scully laughed, her body shaking above him. "Is that why we slept under the tree? 
Because you wanted me under it this morning?"  
 
He nodded with a smile. "Cute, huh?"  
 
She rolled her eyes, trying hard not to smile. "Merry Christmas, Agent Doggett."  
 
"Merry Christmas, Agent Scully," he returned, leaning up to kiss her chin.  
 
"I got you something," she said excitedly, jumping off of him to retrieve her gift.  
 
"You did? I thought we weren't doin' that this year."  
 
"What made you think that?" she asked from behind the tree, out of his sight.  
 
"I don't know… I guess I just assumed…" his hand rubbed the back of his neck as he 
shrugged his shoulders to remove the kinks. He was too old to be sleeping of the floor, he 
though wryly.  
 
Finding her gift, she presented it to him with a small grin. "I just wanted you to have 
something to open this morning. I thought maybe… we could start our own little tradition 
– it doesn't matter where we spend the remainder of Christmas day, as long as we have a 
traditional Christmas morning, just between the two of us."  
 
Her words surprised him, and his heart sped at the meaning behind them. They held a 
promise for the future, gave insight to her feelings about their relationship. She thought 
they would be celebrating enough Christmases together to begin a tradition, and he 
couldn't express how much that made him feel complete.  
 
He took the neatly wrapped gift from her hands. "I like that idea, baby," he whispered, 
inwardly sighing with relief at her smile, at the fact that he was able to call her something 
so personal and not offend her.  
 
"Open it."  
 
Turning the gift in his hands, he made his way to sit on the couch. Scully followed him, 
sitting so close their knees touched. He took a second to look at her and caught his breath 
as he took in her tank top and pajama bottoms, the smooth skin of her chest covered in 
light freckles.  
 
"John," Scully prodded impatiently, making him smile. For the moment, she was happy.  
 
He tore at the package, his eyes lighting up with the gift inside was revealed. "You got 
me a digital camera?" He said with a smile. At some point during one of their late-night, 
drowsy talks, he'd mentioned his newfound like in taking pictures. He'd discovered how 
much fun it was during a visit to his brother's house where he used his digital camera. It 
was nothing professional, but he liked it anyway.  
 
"I hope it's the right one. It's the top-of-the-line. I asked the store employee to 
recommend the best he had, and he said this camera had the best results."  
 
Doggett smiled as he opened the package, removing the sleek object from within. "Dana, 
I love it," he professed.  
 
"Are you sure? Is it the right one?"  
 
"It's perfect." He leaned over to hug her, brushing a kiss in her hair. "Thank you."  
 
"I'm glad you like it," she smiled.  
 
Doggett watched her stand and walked toward the kitchen as her fingers combed through 
her hair. "Don't you want your present?"  
 
She froze in place, turning to look behind her. "You got me something?" she asked, her 
eyebrow raised in question.  
 
"I did," he nodded.  
 
"But I thought you assumed…"  
 
"I did, but I got you somethin' anyway." A sneaky grin appeared on his face as he held 
out an envelope.  
 
Feigning annoyance and fighting a smile, she walked back over to him, grabbing the 
envelope from him and placing herself in his lap. He leaned over her shoulder to watch as 
she opened it, revealing a piece of paper.  
 
"It's a certificate to spend the day… at a spa?"  
 
He couldn't tell by her voice whether she liked it or not.  
 
"Yeah, I mean, with everything we do… I-I just, I know how much work takes outta you 
and I know that sometimes, you don't get to, y'know, relax like you should be doin', so I 
thought it might be a good idea to send you and your mom to the spa for the day. I know 
how much you miss spendin' time with her, so next weekend, the two of you will spend 
all day gettin' the works. Massages, manicures, pedicures, facials… all the other girly 
stuff you like. After that, the two of you have reservations at one of the finest Italian 
restaurants in the area."  
 
Her eyes were wide with incredulity. "John… that must've cost you-"  
 
"Don't worry about it. You deserve it."  
 
She stared at the certificate for a moment before wrapping her arms around his neck. 
"Thank you. I love it, thank you."  
 
He could hear the unsteadiness in her voice and he tightened his arms around her.  
 
"You're welcome. I have somethin' else for you, but it's not here right now."  
 
She pulled back. "This is more than enough, John. This is perfect."  
 
"I know, but I'd already started the ball rollin' on this gift before I got the spa certificate. 
Your mom's holdin' on to it for me."  
 
Again, her eyes widened. "My mother is helping you hide gifts from me? Wow. She must 
really like you." Her grin matched his as she leaned in for a kiss. They playfully pecked 
each other, laughing until it deepened. Pulling back, her face was all seriousness. "I 
think… I want to give you something else also."  
 
"You got me somethin' else, too? See, I knew you couldn't be trusted." He chuckled but 
quickly stopped when she didn't.  
 
"Not exactly. It's something I didn't have to 'get', but it's something I really want to give 
you."  
 
Doggett was no fool. He understood what she was implying. "Dana, you don't have to-"  
 
"I *want* to. I may have trouble saying the words, but that doesn't mean I don't feel it. I 
want to give this to you." She stood, grasping his rough hands in her soft ones. "It's… the 
right time," she whispered.  
 
He watched her eyes for signs of doubt. They were firm, unwavering and held the truth of 
her words.  
 
With a gentle stroke of her cheek, he allowed her to lead him to his bedroom.  
 
***x***x***x***  
 
Maggie Scully smiled as she met her youngest daughter at the door. Her arms opened 
wide and Scully slipped right into them, taking comfort in her mother's family scent and 
feel.  
 
"Dana."  
 
"Hi, Mom," Scully said with a smile, kissing her mother's cheek.  
 
With her arm still wrapped around her daughter, Mrs. Scully greeted, "John."  
 
"How ya doin', Mrs. Scully?" Doggett asked as he leaned in and kissed her other cheek.  
 
"Good. Really good."  
 
Scully smiled at how well Doggett and her mother got along, even though they'd only 
met a few times.  
 
"Come on, John," Scully said, grasping his hand. "I want you to meet my brothers." She 
dragged him into the house, oblivious to the lingering gaze he held with her mother.  
 
The house came alive when everyone saw Scully. Her brothers immediately engulfed her 
in hugs as her nieces and nephews jumped excitedly around her. She'd missed them so 
much and wished they could spend more time together. Her nieces and nephews were 
getting so old, some of them being babies the last time she saw them were now walking 
and talking as steadily and clearly as ever. She'd missed out on all of that, and it 
reminded her how much she'd missed with her own child.  
 
A pang shot through her at the thought, and she closed her eyes to the sight before her. 
She was glad her brothers were now focused on grilling John of his intentions towards 
her. They weren't paying attention as she fought the agony of an oncoming panic attack.  
 
She missed her baby, her little boy. The last time she'd held him, he was a little baby. 
Now, he was much like her nieces and nephews, growing up and changing, learning new 
things every day.  
 
Patting Doggett's arm gently, she snuck away to the kitchen to help her mother and 
sisters-in-law. She needed to take her mind off of things.  
 
***x***  
 
The kids ran happily around the living room, spoiling their dinner with Aunt Dana's 
sugar cookies. After her brothers pronounced him an honorary Scully, he made his way in 
search of her, finding her on her mother's back porch.  
 
Her eyes held that glaze he'd become so familiar with and his heart immediately ached. 
Selfishly he thought after the morning they'd had, coming together for the first time, 
everything would be okay, or at least okay for the moment. They were perfect together, 
and he was still reeling from what they'd done, what it had meant for them and how 
much their relationship had progressed in such a short time.  
 
He loved her and would go to the ends of the earth to make her happy.  
 
Taking a seat beside her, he felt another pang as she failed to acknowledge him. In his 
hand he held a file folder, but placed it to his side as he spoke.  
 
"Your mom said dinner will be ready shortly. Smells good in there."  
 
She said nothing.  
 
"Your brother, Charlie, is gettin' into some trouble in there. He keeps tryin' to steal a 
dinner roll. Your mom's not havin' it." He smiled, but it quickly faded as she remained 
silent. "Dana," he whispered, "talk to me, sweetheart. Let me in."  
 
Tears spills over her cheeks as she redirected her gaze to the ground. "It's nothing, really. 
I'm just… thinking too much… thought I'd come out here so I don't ruin everyone's 
holiday."  
 
Doggett carefully took her hand in his. "You can't ruin their holiday. They love you and 
want you to be happy."  
 
"Exactly. I-I don't know what it is, but it's like… I can go into work and slip into this… 
'mode' where I'm this strong, tough agent and it takes a lot to make me crack. I'm aware 
of that façade I present to people because I do it purposely. It's just that when I'm around 
my family… around you… I can't keep that façade going. Everything I feel is just ten-
times stronger, especially the hurt and the pain. I-I can't be strong when I'm with my 
family and I don't know why."  
 
Doggett wiped the steady stream of tears from her cheek. "Maybe it's because it takes so 
much effort to keep that façade goin' at work, that you don't have the energy to keep it 
up with the people you love, that love you. You shouldn't feel like you have to."  
 
Her face crumpled as she choked back a sob. "But if I don't pretend to be strong," her 
voice almost a whisper, "I-I can't handle the feelings that may be exposed."  
 
"And what feelings are those, Dana?" he prodded gently.  
 
"Feelings of anger for everything I've gone through, everything my partner and I had to 
experience… sadness for everything I lost, everything I can never have. Pain and 
frustration and helplessness and confusion… it's so overwhelming and I can't handle it. I 
can't handle all of these emotions at once." She'd given in to weeping, her sobs quiet so 
that her family couldn't hear her.  
 
"So then don't deal with them all at once. Start off with one feeling. Handle that one. 
Which do you think is your strongest feeling right now?" His voice was low, deep and 
calming.  
 
Scully thought for a moment before breathing out, "Hurt." She wiped her face with the 
back of the hand that was free from Doggett's grasp. "I miss my baby so much. It hurts to 
think about him growing up and not being a part of it. He's out there somewhere playing 
with Christmas gifts I wasn't there to see him open, eating dinner I wasn't there to feed 
him, listening to stories I wasn't there to tell him. He has this whole life I'm not a part of 
and it hurts so much to think about it."  
 
Doggett took her into his arms as she finally gave up, letting her sobs free without 
holding back, shaking with the force of them as she cried into the comfort of Doggett's 
chest.  
 
He held her silently, rubbing a soothing hand over her back as his eyes focused on the 
quiet form watching them from the door. Mrs. Scully stood silently watching her 
daughter fall apart in his arms. Her eyes filled with tears as she wrapped her arms around 
herself.  
 
As Scully calmed, Maggie gave Doggett a quick nod before stepping away. He released a 
soft sigh, his fingers combing through her hair,  
 
"I'm sorry," Scully spoke in a ragged, remorseful voice. "This is your first Scully 
Christmas and I messed it up." She pulled away, taking a cleansing breath and smiling as 
Doggett offered her a handkerchief.  
 
"You didn't mess anything up, Dana. In fact, this is the best Christmas I've had in a long 
time, since I lost my own little boy."  
 
"Oh, God. Oh, I'm sorry, John. I know it must be hard for you, too."  
 
"No, don't apologize. It's okay. It was hard at first, but it's gotten a little easier over the 
years. It's gettin' easier and I have a feelin' it only gets better from now on." Scully 
smiled shyly. "I'm glad you told me how you feel. I want it to always be like this. I 
always wanna know, okay?"  
 
Scully nodded. "I'll try." She smiled, nudging him playfully with her shoulder as he 
rolled his eyes. He laughed, nudging her back until they created a playful little wrestling 
match between themselves.  
 
***x***  
 
Scully was in the kitchen helping her mom when Doggett came in. He hugged her from 
behind as he watched over her shoulder while she sliced carrots. Mrs. Scully smiled as 
she left the kitchen.  
 
"I feel so much better," she spoke softly as she continued to cut. "I think that was exactly 
what I needed. I guess… I've never cried over giving William up, not really, not like 
tonight. It just became too much, but I've never felt comfortable enough to really cry… 
until you."  
 
Doggett smiled and kissed her neck. "I'm glad you feel comfortable with me."  
 
"I do. It's so odd, but I really feel like I can be myself with you." She stopped cutting and 
turned in his arms, her eyes sparkling up at him. "I feel like I can be my personal self 
with you as well as my professional self… and I trust you not to take advantage of it. It's 
like a huge weight has been lifted and I don't have to be in this alone anymore."  
 
"That's right. You aren't alone anymore. You got me to help you carry some of that 
weight and whether you realized it before or not, you've had me to carry it since day one. 
The moment I met you and became your new partner was the moment you stopped 
playin' the game alone. I wanted you to know that from the beginning. I wanted you to 
know my intentions, but I had to gain your trust first."  
 
"I wasn't the easiest to work with in the beginning."  
 
Doggett smiled. "Only the beginning, huh?"  
 
Scully swatted at him as she laughed. "Hey, keep it up and you won't get a replay of this 
morning."  
 
Doggett's eyes widened excitedly as his mouth formed a silent 'Oh'.  
 
Kissing her cheek, he hugged her for awhile, feeling so lucky to have her in his life. 
Words couldn't describe how happy he was, how happy she made him. No longer were 
his days filled with loneliness and a longing to be with her. No longer were his nights 
spent wondering what she was doing and whether or not she was all right. As new as their 
relationship was, he felt confident that she was it. She was all he would ever need in his 
life.  
 
She completed him. She was his life.  
 
"Hey," he said, reluctantly pulling away and smiling as Scully groaned in protest. "I 
know this is our time off, but I need you to take a look at somethin'."  
 
Another groan came from Scully as Doggett led her to the table.  
 
"You know, you're suppose to leave those at *work* when you go on vacation," she said 
as he handed over the manila envelope.  
 
"I know, I know. This is just somethin' I didn't think could wait."  
 
Doggett watched her open the familiar envelope as his heart pounded. He tried to focus 
on the sound of her nieces and nephews screaming and playing, but she began to read 
aloud.  
 
"Hm… we have a white male, four-years-old, brown hair, blue eyes," she spoke with a 
droned familiarity. "Says this child has been in approximately four foster homes in the 
past six months. How sad," she said to herself. "He's currently on his way to a fifth 
home…" She paused to look at him. "This isn't an x-file?"  
 
Doggett shook his head. "No, not really."  
 
She looked at him a bit longer before returning to the papers before her. "I'm at a loss 
here, Agent Doggett," she spoke, instinctively slipping into professional mode. "This 
looks like a case for children's services to handle, not two FBI agents."  
 
Doggett nodded with a glimmer in his eyes. "Thought you might say somethin' like that." 
He coughed twice into his fist, his hand coming away to reveal a small smile.  
 
Scully frowned at him, her mouth opening to speak. She paused as she heard tiny feet 
running into the kitchen.  
 
The little boy stood still at the door, his eyes wide as he held a colorfully wrapped gift in 
his hands. Behind him, Mrs. Scully placed a gentle hand on his shoulder as she leaned 
down to whisper in his ear.  
 
Scully's frown deepened as she glanced from her mother and the child to Doggett and 
back again.  
 
The little boy smiled as he walked slowly toward the table. He looked like he held 
contained excitement and nervousness. His eyes focused on Scully and she began to 
breathe heavily.  
 
"John," she breathed, her chest rising and falling as her shaky hand closed the file before 
her.  
 
Doggett kept silent though his knee bounced nervously.  
 
Scully looked in his direction, and then to her mother. Her brothers stood next to her, Bill 
Jr. with his arm around his mom and Charlie with slightly watery eyes.  
 
"Oh God," she breathed, her eyes closing as she repeated those words in her head. Her 
eyes opened as she felt a little presence before her. His blue eyes captured hers, and 
together they stared at each other. His little teeth were biting his bottom lip as he smiled, 
his arms shaking slightly as he held out the gift for her.  
 
"For you," his baby voice said.  
 
Scully took it from him as she fought to control herself. Her eyes fell closed again as she 
pushed her hair behind her ears. Taking a deep breath, she carefully tore the paper away 
and opened the box.  
 
Inside was a plate that looked as if it was formed with clay. The edges were round and 
broken, cracked like the dried clay creations she used to bring home as a child. It was 
painted red with two tiny green handprints.  
 
Beneath the handprints read 'MERRY CHRISTMAS, MOMMY."  
 
The air gushed from her lungs as tears once again fell down her cheeks.  
 
"Oh God," she spoke aloud and unsteadily. She heard her mother quietly crying and 
looked to Doggett. "John?"  
 
A single tear slid down his cheek as he nodded.  
 
Turning back to the little boy, she held her breath as she whispered, "William?"  
 
"Merry Christmas, Mommy!" the little boy shouted excitedly and Scully broke down. 
She hugged him to her, weeping into the tiny crook of his neck.  
 
Doggett stood, wanting to hug her, wanting to hold her in his arms but he knew that she 
needed this moment uninterrupted. He stood behind her and smiled as William tried to 
crawl in her lap. Scully's grasp on him was relentless and William's blue eyes sought his 
for a little assistance.  
 
"Sweetheart," Doggett leaned over, speaking softly into her ear, "William can't breathe."  
 
"Oh!" Scully let him go as everyone let out a soft chuckle. Her face was wet and blotchy, 
her eyes never leaving his little face. "Sorry," her voice wavered an apology and William 
nodded.  
 
"Do you like it?" he asked, pointing to his little creation.  
 
"Yes, very much." Her face crumpled again as her eyes closed. "What's happening?" she 
whispered.  
 
Doggett stepped in front of her, kneeling to William's eye-level. "Hey, buddy, how about 
you go and play with the other kids out there? We'll call ya back in a second, okay?"  
 
William looked to Scully, meeting her gaze with a steady blue stare. His brow furrowed 
as he sucked his little bottom lip into his mouth. After a second, he nodded, walking 
toward Maggie and following Charlie and Bill Jr. into the living room.  
 
"What the hell is going on here, John?"  
 
Doggett kept his kneeling position, his hands coming up to wipe her cheeks. "For a few 
months now, I've been trying to track down where William went when you gave him 
away." He tried to ignore her surprised look. "I know how much it hurt you to give him 
away."  
 
"I gave him away for a reason," she whispered.  
 
"I know. You wanted to protect him. It wasn't my place to interfere then, but I feel like 
it's my place now, Dana. I love you and I want to give you everything that makes you 
happy. I know how much you love and miss your little boy and I want to help you raise 
him, help you protect him."  
 
"But… he has… a family."  
 
"No, he doesn't. Not a stable one." Her eyes questioned him as he wiped another tear 
from her cheek. "About six-and-a-half months after he was taken in, the couple… they 
were killed in a car accident while on their way to a dinner party. William had been with 
the sitter that night."  
 
"Oh my god," she whispered.  
 
"I've been looking for him for awhile and found out where he was. He's been stayin' 
with a family with twelve children, six of them foster children, including him. Four of 
those twelve kids are special needs." Doggett pushed her hair behind her ear. "I've been 
in contact with him and the family for awhile, and I've been telling him all about you. He 
knows who you are, who Mulder is, and that you loved him very much. I didn't tell him 
about why you gave him away, thought you might wanna tell him when you feel ready.  
 
"He's a very smart little boy. He wants to know you and wants you to be a part of his life. 
I walked into the room and pulled out your picture… Dana, he immediately asked if you 
were his mother." Scully gasped and Doggett smiled. "The family has grown to care 
about him, but they've obviously got their hands full. It was because they felt sorry he 
had been moved around so many times that they took him in. But as much as they care 
for him, they know that he'd be much happier with people that will give him the attention 
he deserves. I've already got the papers in order. I have it arranged so that he gets to stay 
with you until the papers are finalized and he's permanently in your custody. We have a 
social worker coming to visit two weeks after the holidays.  
 
"He's yours, Dana. My final gift to you this holiday – I'm giving you your miracle back. 
Merry Christmas, baby."  
 
Stunned and moved beyond words, all Scully could do was hug him. She asked no more 
questions, knowing that any more detail would fail to penetrate her shock. She had her 
son back and he was more beautiful than her mind had imagined him to be.  
 
"Wanna see him again?" She nodded excitedly and allowed Doggett to slip from her 
embrace. A few minutes later, Doggett came back into the kitchen, his arms full of a 
bright-eyed little boy. "Here ya go, Willie."  
 
Doggett placed him on his feet and he immediately ran in Scully's direction. Without 
hesitation, he climbed into her lap. Scully smiled.  
 
His little face turned in her direction, an inquisitive look pasted on that reminded her just 
who fathered her child.  
 
"John says I can come and live with you. He says you miss me."  
 
"I-I do… miss you very much." She willed herself to stop crying. She wanted to hold 
him, talk to him, and stare at him. If she kept crying, she feared she'd scare him.  
 
"John says I get to have my own room. With fire trucks!"  
 
Scully laughed, looking up to see Doggett and her mother laughing with her.  
 
"We can go shoppin' for your room tomorrow, buddy," Doggett said, earning him a smile 
from the little boy.  
 
Scully couldn't help but examine him, checking his hands, under his shirt, behind his 
ears. She needed to make sure he was okay.  
 
"Have you been happy, William? Have they taken care of you?" she asked brokenly.  
 
"Yes. I'm okay." He nodded before hugging her. "I'm glad I get to live with you again. 
John says I won't have to move anymore. John says we'll be like a family with a mommy 
and a daddy and me."  
 
Scully smiled, hugging her son as tightly as she could without hurting him. "John's right. 
We're a family, sweetie. No more moving," she said, wanting to apologize and explain 
why she did what she did, but knowing it wasn't the right time.  
 
After a minute, Mrs. Scully wiped the tears from her eyes before clapping her hands 
together.  
 
"Dinner's ready, everyone!" she said with extra excitement. She smiled at Scully, 
watching as her daughter talked quietly with Doggett and her son. They looked like a real 
family and Mrs. Scully wanted nothing more for her daughter than the happiness she 
desired and deserved.  
 
As Scully's nieces and nephews raced screaming into the dining room, William jumped 
off of her lap, running to catch up with them. Scully and Doggett laughed. She couldn't 
help but smile as one of her nephews announced "William gets to sit next to me!"  
 
Doggett put an arm around her shoulder. "Good Christmas gift?" he asked.  
 
She nodded, her chin quivering. "I don't… know how to thank you."  
 
"You don't need to thank me at all. I did this because… because I love you. If it's in my 
power, I'm gonna try to give you everything you want, everything that makes you happy. 
William… he's just the beginning."  
 
Scully smiled, her heart racing at his words. Her arms slipped around his neck as she 
pulled him to meet her lips. Against them she whispered "Thank you," before kissing him 
gently.  
 
***x***  
 
William sighed as he slipped his thumb into his mouth. He looked so small on Doggett's 
bed, the comforter nearly engulfing his little body. He fell asleep during the ride home 
from her mother's and Scully insisted that he sleep in the bed with them, snuggled safely 
between the two of them. Doggett agreed and after helping the sleepy little boy slip into 
his pajamas, he tucked him in before moving to stand by Scully at the door.  
 
She stood watching William sleep, her eyes never leaving his still form.  
 
"I can't believe I have my little boy back," she whispered as she wrapped her arms 
around herself. "I can't believe it."  
 
"I wish I would have told you sooner. I hated watchin' you in so much pain."  
 
"It's okay. I, I'm glad you waited. This was perfect, probably the best Christmas I've had 
in such a long time." She turned to face him, staring him in the eyes. "I don't know how 
I'll ever be able to thank you, but I do know one thing for sure."  
 
"What's that?"  
 
She took his hands in hers. "I love you so very much, John. I love you. And not just 
because you gave me my son back. I love you for being there for me, even when I didn't 
want you there. I love you for watching my back and making sure I had everything I 
needed, even when I didn't realize I needed anything at all. I love you for wanting to give 
me the world, even when I think giving me my son back is more than enough. I just… I 
love you. Thank you for everything."  
 
Doggett hugged her, his fingers in her hair, his hand rubbing her back. Together they 
stood watching William sleep.  
 
"Thank you, Dana, for giving me a family," was all he said in return, his voice low and 
raspy.  
 
Scully looked up and smiled, kissing his chin and pretending not to notice the tears 
streaking his cheeks. Her head fell back against his chest and together, they watched their 
son sleep.  
 
The End