Title: “Let’s go Home” Author: lonegungrrly Category: DSR Rating: PG FEEDBACK: yes please! Help give writers the inspiration to keep the x files alive. Lonegungrrly@hotmail.com Summary: “let’s go home” set after ‘Medusa.’ Scully finally tells Doggett about her secret, and makes the right choice. __________________________________________________________ “Agent Scully...” Doggett looked deep into her eyes, searching for the right thing to say. She looked away,“Lets go home” Scully said, and left the room. The journey home was spent in silence, and not a very comfortable one. When the car pulled up outside Doggett’s house, Doggett said “I know it was the right call... But why didn’t you come with us into the tunnels?” Scully looked at him, awkwardly, as though realising he was there for the first time. There was a long pause. “Hey, it was the right call... I’m just curious.” Scully had been deep in thought for the whole journey home, debating whether or not to tell Doggett her secret. This past case had proved that he trusted her, and what else did she need but his trust? she wouldn’t let herself answer that question. ‘Now’s the time’ her mind told her. She took a deep breath and said “Agent Doggett... There’s something I need to tell you.” “What?” Doggett looked concerned, but curious. “..not here.” She looked around her car. “Wanna come in? I’m not a great host but I can manage a cup of coffee or two.” Scully forced a smile and got out of the car in response. Of course she was nervous, she was potentially putting her baby at stake by letting Doggett in. But at the same time it felt right. She knew that he had put his life on the line so many times to protect her, maybe he would do the same for her baby. Also, in the back of her mind, she wanted to simply let him in, to let her guard down and to be completely honest with him. He deserved that at least, after everything he had done for her. “Agent Scully? you OK?” They had reached Doggett’s front door, and Scully was still deep in thought. His blue eyes looked deep into her own for a moment, making her breath catch in her throat. “I’m fine.” She forced a smile. They could both tell that this was a lie. And wasn’t she putting her self on the line to be completely honest with Doggett? She guessed that lying and putting up walls had become second nature to her. She reconsidered and said “well, I think I will be when all this is over” Doggett thought to reply, to pry immediately, but thought better of it. She seemed ready to tell him what ever she had been hiding and that was more than enough for now. Instead, he lead her into his house and showed her to his sofa. “Tea, coffee, orange juice or water? it's about all I have to offer” he said sheepishly. She thought for a moment and asked for orange juice. Much better for the baby. Agent Doggett brought her orange juice and his own water through from the kitchen and sat down next to her on the sofa. “ so, what is it that you want to tell me?” He was so direct, so to the point. She loved that about him. Where to start? She thought. “...first of all, I’d like to apologise for treating you... Less than courteously, when I first met you” Doggett smiled, remembering the whole water incident. That had to go down in his books as the worst first-impression ever. Doggett opened his mouth to protest, to say he probably deserved it, but a look on Scully’s face told him not to. She continued, “you don’t have to defend me, Agent Doggett, I never gave you a fair chance, and... Looking back, It was very foolish of me not to. Especially now I’ve learnt that you can be trusted. I trust you with my life.” Doggett looked at her, stunned, touched by her honesty. “And I’m going to trust you with so much more than that.” She looked down, composing herself. She looked Doggett straight in the eye, took a deep breath and said, “Agent Doggett, I’m... Pregnant.” Doggett looked at her, open mouthed. It certainly did explain a lot. All that ‘personal time’ and why she was in the hospital for so long... Then two things dawned on him: Why hadn’t she told him sooner? And was Mulder the father? Both questions hurt him, but somehow the latter stung him more. He had realised for some time that he had strong feelings for Scully, why else would he put up with all the secrets and mistrust? Why else would a sceptic be assigned to the X files. He had been spending his days and nights looking for a man he had never even met to make Scully happy. At the same time, he now realised, he would be reuniting lovers, and in turn, making his role in Scully’s life non- existent. Or would he? “Who.. Who’s the father?” Scully was now detached and almost calm; she had been anticipating that question. “I..” She laughed nervously “I, This I going to sound terrible.. But I don’t know.” Doggett didn’t know whether to be relieved or more worried. She continued. “I mean, as far as I know, no one is the father.” Doggett looked even more confused. He said “you can’t mean what I think you mean... There must be someone” “Yes, there was. For some time, as you’ve probably read in my files, I have been unable to conceive. Then I had one last chance to conceive via in-vitro fertilisation... And I asked Mulder to donate to my cause, so to speak.” Realisation grew on Doggett’s face, “Then. That means-” “No. It didn’t take. We were incompatible even on such a basic level...” She seemed to be in a world of her own, saying that almost to herself. “What is it that you believe, really?” “I believe... That this” -She motioned towards her stomach- “is truly a miracle. I know that seems hard to believe, especially coming from me, but...” Doggett added, deep in thought, “But that’s what you believe. And this is the main reason that you want to find Mulder. So he can be with you, and your baby.” it took all of Doggett’s strength to stop his voice from breaking. He looked down at his feet. Their drinks were on the table, forgotten. Scully sat in silence for a moment, contemplating what to say next. She certainly hadn’t expected Doggett to say that; her calm and detachment had gone out the window. What to do now? Does she tell him the truth, or what she wanted to be the truth? Doggett had been a big spanner in her proverbial works, so to speak; she didn’t know what she wanted anymore, let alone what to let herself want. She reminded herself that the whole purpose of this was to start a fresh with Doggett, and to start telling him the truth. So that’s what she did: “Agent, Doggett, Mulder was helping out a friend. No more than that. We agreed that he would be the biological father. No more than that, as much as I might have wanted more at one stage.” She stopped, Gauging his reactions. Doggett looked up from his feet and said “not anymore?” Scully smiled gravely and said simply, “Not anymore.” Doggett felt relieved and happy for a moment. But he still had to ask, “why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Scully, now more confident that she had made the right decision replied frankly, “I’ve known you less than a year, Agent Doggett. If what I believe is true, that this child was not meant to be... Then if you were not who I thought you were, I could have put my life, and my babies life in danger.” Doggett continued, “who else knows about this?” Scully said, “just Skinner, my mother, and now you. The only ones that I can trust.” Doggett smiled, “thank you for trusting me, Agent Scully. It means a lot to me.” He looked directly in her eyes, and saw relief and happiness there. He placed his hand on her shoulder and said, “if this is true... That your baby is in danger... I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise.” Scully smiled, still looking in his eyes. It was the first time she had smiled in what seemed like a life time, and it felt good. For the first time since Mulder had left, she felt safe. Doggett removed his hand from her shoulder and let it rest on the sofa behind her head. There was another comfortable silence, where both were deep in thought. One thought in particular just wouldn’t leave Doggett’s mind. Could he be the father figure the baby needed? Would Scully let him? And in that moment, there was nothing that he wanted more. Scully was trying to think, but the only thing she could think of was how close his hand was to her head, how his fingers played with her hair for a brief second before resting on the back of the sofa. It sent a shiver down her spine. The only other feeling was an immense wave of guilt. Mulder was gone, missing and probably in pain or dead, and here she was, day dreaming about her new partner, imagining a perfect family, without Mulder. After years of loving Mulder, these new feelings felt wrong, like she was betraying a man who had no claim on her. But at the same time they felt fresh, good, and right. She broke the silence by saying, “it wasn’t the right call.” Doggett snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her, barely remembering the conversation that they had in the car. He waited for her to continue. “It wasn’t the right call, because I felt helpless up there with my monitor and mic. I should have been down there watching your back, like you would have done for me.” Doggett replied, “no, Agent Scully, things are different now. You might not have made the right call as an FBI agent, but you made the right call for your baby. And which is more important?” Scully looked inwardly for a moment, trying to articulate exactly what she was feeling. She said, “I would have said my baby, in a heart beat... but when you were out there, in danger, and I knew I couldn’t help you... I knew that I’d rather have been down there with you, regardless of the risks.” Doggett looked touched, but confused “why is that?” For the first time being honest to Doggett came as a second nature, as easy as breathing: “because I realised that I needed you. I also realised that this baby, this life inside of me, needs a father. He, or she... Needs someone who will protect us and stick around... But as selfish as this sounds... my baby was the last thing on my mind when you were in danger. I was thinking... *I* need you.” Doggett looked at her, open mouthed. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing; he couldn’t believe that he had wanted to hear that almost since he had met her. Scully looked timid, she had put more than her baby on the line; she had put her heart on the line. Her eyes longed for a response... Anything was better than waiting in limbo. Doggett sensed this, and as always in there relationship, actions speak louder than a thousand words. His hand found the back of her head, gently caressing her hair. He took her hand in his other, and both watched as their fingers slowly entwined. The tension between them was building. Every touch felt electric and new. Scully opened her mouth and let out a small breath that she didn’t realise she was holding. She looked up to meet his gaze, and in his deep blue eyes, she saw so much love and care that she felt like crying. She had no idea that you could fall in love twice, and no idea the you could fall so deeply in love so quickly; she thanked the heavens that she had second chance. In a half-whisper, in his husky-smooth voice, he said, “no... I need *you*... I have from the moment I met you... Thank you,” His voice broke, overwhelmed with gratitude and emotion, “thank you... For letting me in.” And with that, he leaned forward and slowly closed the gap between them. As their lips met, all their guilt and fear was gone. The kiss was slow and full of emotion, they knew that they has made the right choice.When they broke the kiss, Scully smiled, eyes wet, but no tears threatened to fall. She looked at Doggett, who was also smiling. “So what now?” Doggett asked. “Now, I think we have a lot of talking to do. About the future.” Doggett smiled, though the moment was serious, he couldn’t get the smile off his face; he had never been happier. He reminded her: “Our future.” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author’s note: I know it’s not how he finds out in the x files, but I like my way better. lol This is my first DSR fic, please tell me what you think. Should there be a sequel, or should I let sleeping dogs lie ? ;) lonegungrrly@hotmail.com