"The Best Birthday Present of All"

Author: Jacquie Sabatier (colbysgurl@shaw.ca)

Summary: This is just a little something I wrote to celebrate Doggett's birthday. 
 
Pairing: Doggett/Scully 
 
Rating: ch 1= K=+, ch 2 = more than likely M... 
 
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Doggett really didn't want to be here and Reyes could tell. She could also tell that his 
eyes were searching for someone that was missing. She put a beer in her friend's hand. 
 
"She'll be here, John." 
 
"Who?" Doggett snapped back to reality, taking a long swig from his beer bottle. 
 
"Dana. She knows about your birthday party." 
 
"Yeah. Thanks for this. I needed the reminder that I'm old and alone." Doggett saluted 
Reyes with the mouth of his beer bottle. 
 
"John, you are not old. Fifty is the new thirty." 
 
"And what does that make you?" 
 
"Someone who believes that age is only a number." 
 
Doggett smiled for the first time since that morning when he realized he was fifty and 
alone. Everyone else around him had someone, even Reyes. But where was Scully? 
 
As if Scully was reading Doggett's mind, she came through the door, finger combing her 
wind-blown red hair. She met Skinner first, who gave her a beer. 
 
"Someone's been looking for you all day." He indicated Doggett with his head, where he 
was taking to Reyes and looking at the decorated rec hall where the party was taking 
place. 
 
"He looks pretty miserable," Scully observed. 
 
"He's putting up a pretty good front. He pretended to be surprised when he and Reyes 
came in." Skinner gave Scully a nudge, adding gruffly, "I think some of us are tired of 
trying to cheer him up." 
 
"Why would John need cheering up?"  
 
Skinner glanced at Doggett, then back at Scully. "He thinks he's going to die alone." 
 
Frowning slightly, Scully walked toward Doggett and Reyes. Reyes saw her first. "I'll see 
you later." 
 
Doggett's puzzled look evaporated when he saw Scully. 
 
"Happy birthday," she smiled. "Sorry it took so long for me to get here." 
 
"You're here now." And that's all that matters. 
 
"I left your present at my apartment," Scully admitted sheepishly. "Did you want to get 
out of here so I can give it to you?" Unnecessarily, she added, "We can get the beer you 
like." 
 
Doggett didn't need to be persuaded. He put down his half-drunken beer on the nearest 
table, then put Scully's down. He took Scully by the elbow and ushered her out. They 
hailed a cab at the corner of the block. Seeing that Scully was shivering, he put his jacket 
around her shoulders. 
 
"Now you're going to be cold.." 
 
"Nah. I'll be fine.." A cab pulled up in front of them. "See?" 
 
Doggett gave the driver Scully's address and they pulled into the busy afternoon traffic.


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The moment they were back in her apartment, Scully handed Doggett's jacket back to 
him. 
 
"Thanks." She picked up a few toys that were lying around: a red Tonka truck, a small 
airplane, a plastic soldier. "Sorry about the mess. I was baby-sitting my nephew." 
 
"How old is Matthew now? Three?" 
 
"Almost four. He's good most of the time." 
 
"I'm sure he is. He loves his aunt Dana." Unshed tears glistened in Doggett's eyes as he 
thought of Luke. 
 
"John?" Scully spoke his name softly. She put her small hand into his larger one. Not 
getting a response, she pulled him into her arms. "Hey, you okay?" 
 
"Was thinking about Luke," Doggett whispered into Scully's hair. "I still miss him." 
 
"I know you do," Scully whispered, stroking his back. "He used to wake me up with 
breakfast in bed. " Doggett emitted a small chuckle. "The pancakes were always half raw, 
but he was so eager to please…" He held Scully until he was sure that he was under 
control, then he slowly pulled away. Scully giggled in embarrassment when her stomach 
growled. 
 
"When was the last time you ate?" 
 
"Breakfast." 
 
"I'll go get you something." Doggett started for his jacket. 
 
"Or we could just order in." 
 
"Long as you eat something." Doggett touched Scully's cheek, feeling a shiver go through 
them both. Scully's eyes were closed when Doggett looked at her. "Dana?" 
 
"Yeah…" Scully smiled sheepishly. "I'll run down to the corner store. Why don't you 
order something? Your choice." 
 
"Your choice," Doggett insisted. "You're the one that hasn't eaten." 
 
"Pizza?" 
 
"Pizza's good," Doggett agreed. 
 
"No anchovies," Scully reminded him as she fixed the collar on her jacket then grabbed 
her keys. 
 
"Don't worry, I remember," Doggett assured her, a smile playing on his lips. 
 
When she returned, Doggett had her table set. He had a Yankees v. White Sox game on 
TV. 
 
"Hey." 
 
Doggett took the bag from her hand, allowing his fingers to brush over hers. "The pizza 
should be here in the next ten minutes or so." 
 
"Sounds good." 
 
Doggett took out two bottles of beer and put the remaining four in Scully's refrigerator. 
 
"What's the score?" 
 
"2-0 Yankees in the third inning." 
 
"Go Yankees.." Scully took a sip off her beer before taking vegetables out to make a 
salad. 
 
"I can do that," Doggett offered. 
 
"Don't be silly. Go sit down. Relax. It's your birthday." Scully gave him a gentle push in 
the direction of the couch. 
 
Doggett chuckled. "Are you sure?" 
 
"Positive. Go." 
 
By the time Scully had finished dicing the last stalk of celery, the pizza had arrived. Her 
stomach growled even louder when she smelled the mouth-watering aromas. 
 
"Come sit down, Miss Tiger." Doggett had her chair pulled out for her. 
 
"Thank you." Scully gave Doggett her best smile. She didn't start to eat until he was 
comfortably seated across from her. Their eyes went to the TV when they heard cheering. 
 
"Looks like the White Sox just scored a run." 
 
"Care to put some money down, Agent Doggett?" Scully smiled in amusement behind her 
beer. 
 
Doggett grinned. "A bet huh? How much?" 
 
"All depends. Do you feel lucky?" 
 
"If I win, you have to do my paperwork for a week." Scully wrinkled her nose at that. 
"And if you win, I buy your lunches for a week." 
 
"And no smart remarks about the low-fat yogurt either." 
 
Doggett made a zipping motion across his lips before extending his hand to Scully. With 
an impish smile, Scully obliged, shaking Doggett's hand. 
 
"By the way, which team are you picking?" Doggett asked as he turned back to the TV. 
 
"Yankees." 
 
Doggett sipped on his beer. "Play ball!" 
 
Seven innings and half a pizza later, it was Scully who was the victor. 
 
"I'll take the week's supply of blueberry low-fat yogurt behind door number three, 
Alex…" 
 
"Starting on Monday," Doggett promised.