Title: Old Age vs Love 
Author: Jacquie Sabatier

Summary: An attempt at Season 2 post fic for "Dod Kalm". AU because John Doggett is Scully's 
partner.
Pairing: Doggett and Scully (Obviously!  Lol) 
 
Archive: Sure. Just tell me where please.

----------

John's first thought when he saw the bright white lights was that he was dead. He carefully 
wiggled his fingers and then his toes.
'No pain'…His hands probed his face and then through his hair. He felt his own brown hair—it 
wasn't coarse...it felt. He was confused.. One moment they were on the sub, water 
leaking...Scully….Doggett tried to sip up. 
 
"Scully.." It came out in a hoarse whisper.
 
A nurse who had bee alerted to the movements of the man in the hospital bed came in. 
 
"Agent Doggett?" Doggett hadn't realized that the hospital staff had rigged a bell to sound when 
he regained consciousness. He looked at the new arrival, clearly taken off guard.
 
"It's alright, Agent Doggett. You're in the hospital." The blonde nurse spoke with an accent. 
'Swedish?" Doggett's fogged brain tried to identify it. 
 
"Agent Scully… Where is she?" Doggett asked hoarsely.
 
"She's in the bed next to you." 
 
Doggett put his feet down on the floor, making the move to get out of bed. He ignored the 
woman's warnings " to be cautions." All he could think about was getting to Scully. 
 
Now it was starting to come back.  Trendheim sabotaging the water supply.. Scully insisting that 
he needed to drink more than he did.. and the feel of her hand against his face before the 
blackness overcame him.
 
Doggett's eyes scanned over Scully's sleeping form, looking for any sign that something was 
wrong. She looked so small, so vulnerable.  Scully felt Doggett's hand in hers. She opened her 
eyes, knowing it was him.
 
"Hey..." 
 
"How're you feeling?" Scully asked softly. Doggett wouldn't let her ask. 
 
"No you don't," he whispered. He brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. "It's my turn to take 
care of you."
 
"John, you already take care of me." Scully started before she bit her lip. 
 
"Dana…" 
 
She found herself making room beside her since he didn't seem to want to go back into his own 
bed. 
Neither of them seemed to notice or care trhat their nurse had left the room, albeit temporarily. 
Doggett lay on his side, continuing to watch her beautiful face. 
 
"Dana?" 
 
"Mhm?" Her eyes opened to half slits. He brushed her lips with his, making her whimper.
 
"Just rest. It can wait." Doggett didn't think it was the time or place. Mostly though, he was afraid 
how Scully might react. 
 
"Sure?"  came the sleepy response.
 
"I'm sure." Doggett closed his eyes as he rested against Scully's chest. He smiled to himself as 
one of her soft, delicate hands massaged his head. 
 
"I love you.." Scully wasn't sure if he could hear her.  She closed his eyes, listening to his steady 
breathing.
 
It wasn't until their release from the hospital two days later that they discovered why they had 
been rescued.   
The commanding officer of the Navy Seals unit came by to see them off with their attending 
doctor.  The commander, Joshua Ulysses Grant, seemed taken aback by the change of 
appearance of the two FBI agents. However, he quickly regained his composure. 
 
 
"Agent Scully, Agent Doggett. Joshua U. Grant, US Navy Seals. The authorative- looking man 
introduced himself.
 
A look of comprehension came over Scully's face. "Your unit found the ship." 
 
"Yes, ma'am. That is correct."
 
He shook his crew-cut blonde head. "Damnedst thing I've ever seen." 
 
"You're tellin' me," Doggett remarked.
 
The doctor presented Scully and Doggett with their release papers. "Just sign these for me and 
you'll be on your way." Then to Scully. "I never got to thank you." 
 
"For what?" 
 
"Your journal. If you hadn't written it, we wouldn't have known what the problem was."
 
Doggett's eyes locked with Scully's over the commander's head. Remembering herself, Scully 
smiled in acknowledgement. 
 
"I'll leave you to get changed now." The doctor ushered Commander Grant out of the hospital 
room once again.
 
"Dana, you can use the bathroom," Doggett said gallantly.
 
"Are you sure about that?"
 
A small tugged at Scully's lips. Doggett touched her cheek, letting his hand linger longer than it 
probably should have. Scully started to back away and begin approaching the nearby bathroom. 
 Doggett watched her retreating back before putting on the clothes the commander had brought 
with him. He ran his hand through his short brown hair when he was dressed in a Navy seals t-
shirt and a pair of navy blue sweatpants. When Scully returned, Doggett noted with a grin of 
amusement that she was dressed in identical attire. The grin disappeared as his eyes gravitated 
to the way the shirt was clinging to her curves.
 
"Let's get out of here," Scully told him softly, taking Doggett's hand in hers. The action snapped 
him out of his trance.
 
"You okay?" Concern furrowed her eyebrow.
 
"Yeah. Just get ready to go home." Doggett smiled at her. He gestured for her to walk ahead of 
him where a helicopter was waiting to carry them to the nearest airport in Stockholm , Sweden .
Doggett promised himself that he would have a heart to heart with Scully…when they got home.