Title: After-Hours (1/1)
Author: L. M. Shard
E-Mail: lsshard@home.com
Rating: strong R
Category: S, R
Spoilers: Season 8
Keywords: Doggett/Scully romance
Disclaimer: All the wonderful characters from the X-Files 
used here belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, and Fox.  
No copyright infringement intended.
Archive: anywhere, but please let me know where.
Dedication and Thanks: To Megan for cheering me on, giving 
me some good ideas, and having me up the intensity level.  All 
naked Doggett scenes and descriptions are dedicated to her.  
Thanks also to Ginger for her input and insight.
Feedback: Please!
Summary: Having just completed a case, Scully and Doggett 
spend some downtime together.  Things get intense.




AFTER-HOURS
By: L. M. Shard



Agents Scully and Doggett were sitting in a rental car on a 
stakeout.  The hour was late and they were both exhausted.  
Much had happened before they had found themselves here.  

Yesterday evening, just as they were about to call it a day, 
Deputy Director Kersh called the agents into his office.  He 
informed them that they were booked on the red eye to 
Chicago with their final destination a tiny town on the 
outskirts.  They needed to obtain a very important disk from 
one Jake McKenna.  This surprise assignment threw Scully for 
a loop.  Now that she had William, it was hard for her to just 
up and leave on a moment's notice.

"With all due respect, Sir," she had said, "this is very little 
time for me to find a caretaker for my infant."  She regretted 
saying the words the moment she heard them come out of her 
mouth.  

Kersh eyed her indifferently.  "With all due respect, Agent 
Scully, that is your problem."  He mimicked and emphasized 
the word "respect".

"I can go alone, Sir," Doggett offered, understanding Scully's 
plight.

"No, this is a team effort.  You and Agent Scully will go 
together.  Here are your tickets and information files," he 
handed them the paperwork in a dismissive gesture.  The 
agents walked out of the office.

Fortunately for Scully, her mother was home and able to 
watch William for the next couple days or so.  He was only six 
months old and Scully hated leaving him.  But that was her 
reality now.  Although she had hoped for a somewhat normal 
family life with Mulder and William, that was just not in her 
future.  Just before her maternity leave ended, Mulder had left 
her and his son on some new quest.  He had told her that he 
did not know what the future held for them but he would 
check back every few weeks or so.  But it was clear to Scully: 
the responsibility of a family, especially a baby, was not 
something Mulder was interested in.  His quests drove him 
more than the love of any woman, even his soul mate.  They 
were the fire that burned within him, not her.  Though she 
could not completely blame him.  She had asked him to be a 
sperm donor, not a husband and father.  Those things were 
never even discussed, certainly not promised.  She had left 
him a way out and he took it.  Scully was disappointed, yes, 
but completely surprised, no.   So as a single mother, Scully 
was forced to go back to work to put food on the table and pay 
the rent.  She was just so grateful that she had her mother to 
watch William.  Mrs. Scully reveled in the role of 
grandmother and did everything she could to support her 
daughter.

Doggett and Scully had arrived early that morning and spent 
the day gathering information.  The disk apparently contained 
dozens of bank account numbers associated with money 
laundering.  Obtaining this disk would greatly help the FBI 
crack this case wide open.  Scully and Doggett had every 
indication that the disk was going to be handed to another 
party tonight and they planned on intercepting it at that point.  
Just when tonight was the question, hence the stakeout.

"More coffee?" Doggett asked reaching toward an extra cup in 
the back seat.  It was still faintly steaming.

"No thanks," she said.  "It's not doing its job anyway.  I'm 
beat." 

"Well, let's hope we can wrap this thing up tonight and head 
back home in the morning," Doggett said, a bit tired himself. 

"I'm all for that," she said, stifling a yawn.

"Why don't you catch a few minutes of shut-eye?  I'll keep a 
look out for our man," Doggett suggested.

Scully was hesitant, but the offer was just too inviting.  
"Alright, but just a few minutes."  She settled back into the 
seat and closed her eyes.  "Thanks," she mumbled already 
drifting off.

Doggett gazed at his sleeping partner beside him.  He knew 
that this was the last place she wanted to be, and the last place 
she'd have to be, had he been in Mulder's shoes.  He just 
couldn't understand how a man could choose chasing the 
unknown, or finding the truth, as Mulder would say, over 
being with Scully and his baby.  Doggett was a highly 
traditional man and had that baby been his, he would have 
married Scully before it was ever born.  Family meant 
everything to him and now that he had lost his, he believed 
that even more.  There was not a day that went by that he did 
not think of his late son and wife.

Doggett had tried to fill some of the void that Mulder had left.  
But Scully was a strong and independent woman who did not 
accept help easily.  He greatly respected her strength, yet he 
knew she needed some help and he was more than eager to 
offer it.  He had stopped by her apartment several times since 
Mulder's departure, bringing some take-out or just playing 
with William for a while.  With each visit Scully relaxed and 
permitted him to give a little more.  Just last week she had 
allowed him to cook a meal for her and, on another occasion, 
let him take William to the park while she got some much-
needed rest.  He was happy helping her, hell; he was thrilled 
for any excuse just to be with her.  Doggett was falling hard 
for this woman, he just didn't know if she felt anything for 
him.  Usually he was the type of man that let a woman know 
when he had feelings for her.  He did not like playing games.  
But Scully already had too much on her plate for him to add to 
it.  So he said nothing.  He would just have to be satisfied 
being her friend, at least for the time being.

Suddenly a man that looked like their target walked through 
Doggett's field of vision.  Quickly Doggett put his hand on 
Scully's shoulder awakening her.  "We're on," he said and 
opened the car door.

Scully shook the cloud of sleep from her head and joined 
Doggett outside.  They stealthily made their way to where 
their target was.   Eyeing him from around the cover of a 
corner they confirmed that it was indeed McKenna.  The man 
looked nervous and did his best at pretending to enjoy the 
moonlit scenery around him.  Inadvertently, he felt his coat 
pocket several times.   Scully and Doggett looked at each 
other and nodded: he had the disk on him.

Suddenly the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in Doggett's 
ears.  Out of the corner of his eye, Doggett saw a man quickly 
approaching them.  Not wanting to look suspicious, Doggett 
did the only thing he could think of on such short notice.

"Kiss me," he whispered, and before his words could even 
register in Scully's brain his lips were on hers and his arms had 
wrapped themselves around her waist, pulling her against his 
firm body.  Scully was surprised at the electrifying sensation 
that ripped through her core.  The kiss was completely 
unexpected but its impression was great.  Doggett felt the 
same electric shock at the touch of their lips and forced 
himself not to take advantage of the moment and deepen the 
kiss.

The man passed them, barely giving them any notice.   
Doggett released Scully and they peeked around the corner 
again, but not before they took a moment to look into each 
other's eyes.  Doggett saw surprise in Scully's blue orbs and 
something else; something he unfortunately did not have time 
to think about at the moment.

The man that had just passed them was now talking with 
McKenna.  "Let's keep up the pretense so we can go closer 
without causing suspicion," he said and took her hand in his. 

They walked hand in hand towards the men, looking like a 
pair of lovers on an evening stroll.  Stopping a few yards away 
from the men, they listened and watched out of the corners of 
their eyes.

"You have what I asked for?" McKenna questioned.

 "Yes, right here," the man said patting a black briefcase.  "Do 
you have the disk?"

"Yes," McKenna said.

That was the cue and Scully and Doggett both drew their 
weapons and pointed them straight at the men.  "Federal 
agents.  Put your hands in the air," Doggett barked.

Completely surprised, McKenna put his hands in the air and 
froze, but the other man turned and ran.  Doggett ran after him 
while Scully searched and cuffed McKenna to a nearby bench.  
She pocketed the disk and ran after Doggett and the other 
suspect who had just rounded a corner.

Suddenly shots rang through the night air.  Scully's heart 
skipped a beat as the fear of Doggett being hit ripped through 
her being.  She prayed he was not hurt.  Finally she caught up 
with them and breathed an audible sigh of relief as she saw 
Doggett was already cuffing the perpetrator.  Her partner 
looked unscathed.

Still breathing hard, Doggett said, "Everything's under control 
now.  He ditched the briefcase down a ways though."

"I'll go get it," Scully said, heading back.

She retrieved the case and she and Doggett drove the two 
perpetrators to the local police station.    Just over an hour 
later they left the station having received clearance to take the 
disk back to Kersh in D.C.  Mission accomplished, they finally 
arrived back at the motel.

"I'll order us up some pizza," Scully stated more than asked.  
She suddenly had a big craving for it.

"Sounds good," he said and they each entered their own 
adjoining room.

Scully flopped down on the bed and grabbed the phone book 
and phone.  She found a place that seemed close to the motel 
and ordered a large vegetarian, then thinking Doggett might 
want some meat, changed the order to half vegetarian and half 
pepperoni.  That done, she made herself comfortable on the 
bed and let her thoughts wander to the kiss Doggett had given 
her earlier.  She knew it was a kiss for the sake of a cover, and 
she tried not to read anything into it, but she just couldn't get it 
out of her mind.  It was such a powerful kiss, stirring up 
emotions she didn't even realize she had.   She respected 
Doggett greatly and trusted him completely.  In the time they 
had been partners, he proved himself time and time again.  She 
knew that she could always rely on him, and that was a 
comforting feeling indeed.  He had really been a lifesaver 
since Mulder had left: coming over with meals, taking 
William off her hands for a while.  He had been stopping by 
her place more frequently lately and she had found herself 
eagerly awaiting his visits and missing him when he left.

She inhaled deeply and then exhaled, trying to think of 
something else, but she just couldn't get the kiss out of her 
head.  She thought back to the kiss Mulder had given her the 
day William was born.  That kiss was warm, comfortable, and 
friendly, but it lacked the passion that she had hoped for for so 
many years.  The ones that followed in the months after were 
similar.  But this kiss, the one she so unexpectedly received 
tonight, was exciting and intimate.  Just the thought of it made 
her skin prickle with pleasure.

Doggett couldn't get the kiss out of his mind either.  First off, 
he couldn't believe he had actually kissed her!  He had wanted 
to do so almost from the first moment they met and wanted to 
even more after she had drenched him with that cup of water.  
He loved her fire and strength.  And secondly, he couldn't get 
the intense emotion he felt when his lips touched hers out of 
his head.  The intimacy, the spine-tingling sensation replayed 
over and over in his memory.

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair.  He had to stop 
thinking about it.  She probably hadn't given it a second 
thought.  He decided he definitely needed a cold shower if he 
was going to share a pizza with her tonight.

Several minutes later there was a knock on the door, breaking 
Scully's reverie.  She jumped off the bed, peeked out the side 
window and opened the door to the pizza deliveryman.

"That was fast!"  She exclaimed impressed.

"That's what we're all about, Ma'am.  Speedy, quality service," 
the pizza man said.  "That'll be $16.85."

Scully rummaged through her purse and handed him a twenty.  
"Keep the change," she said.

"Thanks, Ma'am.  Enjoy," he said and left.

The pizza smelled delicious and she couldn't wait to dive in.  
She walked to the adjoining door and was pleased to find it 
unlocked.  "Pizza's here!"  She said swinging the door open.  
Not getting a response, she took a hesitant step into his room.  
He was nowhere to be seen.  Thinking he must be in the 
bathroom, she was about to make her way back to her own 
room when he emerged from the bathroom in nothing but a 
towel.

Scully froze in her tracks and her eyes glued themselves to his 
incredible physique.  The man was sheer perfection!  His skin 
was still wet and the droplets glistened in the light.  Entranced, 
Scully watched one of the droplets travel from the top of his 
hard, square shoulder, over his well-formed bicep, past his 
elbow, down his powerful forearm, over his large and strong 
hand, and down his middle finger, then fall to the carpeted 
floor with the tiniest of thuds.  He made a small movement 
and her eyes were redirected to his chest, which was like a 
perfectly chiseled sculpture.  The mass of well-defined 
muscles rippled under her gaze and her heart stopped beating 
at the effect.   Her eyes traveled lower to the rather small 
white towel he was wearing.  A cut thigh peeked out from the 
open slit of the towel and Scully couldn't stop herself from 
thinking about the hard-as-steel ass that must be attached to it 
and about what hung between those muscular thighs.   Her 
face reddened at the thought and it wasn't until Doggett spoke 
that she was pulled out of her trance-like state.

"Agent Scully?"  He said addressing her formally, for he was 
completely embarrassed, not sure of what to make of her 
exploring gaze.  He noticed her cheeks redden, matching his 
own scarlet blush.

Mortified, Scully could barely form any intelligent words.  
"Ahh...sorry...uh... pizza...it's here," she said lamely.

"Great," he said, trying to regain his own composure.  Why 
was she staring at him like that?  Was she stirred by seeing his 
almost naked body?  He could only dream!  She was probably 
just embarrassed that she had caught him in a towel; he knew 
he was!

"Ahh, I'll just put on some clothes and I'll join you," he said 
grabbing a shirt that lay on the bed.  That was her cue to back 
out of his room and into her own, but she would have done 
almost anything to stay and watch him dress.

She shook her head as she entered her own room and scolded 
herself for acting like a lust-struck teenager looking at a 'N 
Sync band member.  "Get a hold of yourself, Dana.  You're 
acting ridiculously!  That's your partner you just ogled!"  She 
reprimanded herself.

A few minutes later he joined her feeling somewhat awkward.  
His body, that had just been practically naked, was now clad 
in blue jeans and a white T-shirt that hugged his taut muscles 
rather snuggly.   The image of his wet skin and rippling 
muscles flashed through Scully's brain and she quickly said 
the first thing that popped into her head to keep the blush that 
was threatening to return from reddening her cheeks.  

"Please, sit down," she said uneasily.  The rooms lacked a 
table and chairs so they were forced to sit on the queen-sized 
bed with the pizza in the middle, a bit uncomfortable 
considering the scene that had just passed between them.

"You must really be missing William," Doggett said between 
bits, trying to make small talk.

"Yeah, I can't wait to get back to him.  It is so hard leaving 
him," she said.

"You're a wonderful mother, Dana.  I love watching you with 
him," he said.   

"Thanks," she smiled and then continued, "I am angry with 
Kersh for giving me so little time to find a sitter for William.  I 
mean what if my mom hadn't been available?  I know it's part 
of the job, but honestly, William is my first priority now."

"As he should be," Doggett agreed.  "Kersh is a jerk.  They 
should send that man to sensitivity training or something."  
They both laughed at that.

"I learned early off what kind of man he is," Doggett 
continued.

"Yeah, he really was moving you around like a piece on a 
chess board.  I know I advised you against it at the time, but 
I'm glad you didn't leave the X-Files like Kersh wanted you to.  
You are a great partner, John Doggett," she said.

"Thanks.  You're a great partner too," he said.

She smiled, happy to not only have a great partner, but also a 
great friend.  And lately she had been hoping that he would 
become even more.

"This isn't half bad," Doggett said, referring to the pizza.

"Yeah, not bad for a tiny town like this," she agreed.

"I wonder what else this town has to offer," Doggett said.

"Where you thinking of something in particular?"

"Yeah, actually I was," he said.  "Wanna see if this town has a 
decent bar to grab a drink in?"

Having eaten and rested for a bit (not to mention the 
stimulating eyeful she got earlier) she had gotten her second 
wind.  "Sure."

He stuffed the last bite of pizza into his mouth.  "Great, let's 
go," he said.

"Let me just change into something more comfortable.  I'll be 
ready in a couple minutes," she said, getting off the bed.

He left the room and she put on a pair of black jeans and an 
emerald green scoop-necked top.  She quickly ran a comb 
through her hair, added some lipstick, and headed out the 
door.  Doggett was waiting for her and they started walking 
into the night.

"I think I saw a bar not too far from here as we drove by 
earlier," he said.  "You okay walking?"

"Yeah.  The night air feels great," she said.  Amazingly the air 
felt warmer than it had earlier.

About ten minutes later they reached the bar.  The place was 
alive.  Doggett held the door open for Scully and she walked 
in with him right behind her.  The smell of smoke and alcohol 
filled their nostrils and music from a local band filled their 
ears.  Several people gave them a once-over as they entered, 
liking what they saw.  One woman in particular caught 
Doggett's attention because of the intense look she gave him 
and the huge approving smile she flashed.  Doggett forced a 
quick but polite smile and looked away.  He was not interested 
in any woman except the one he was with.

They found a pair of seats at the bar and ordered drinks, a beer 
for Doggett and a white wine for Scully.

"This place is really hoppin'," Doggett said into Scully's ear.  
The music was so loud it made conversation a challenge.

"Yeah," Scully said, leaning into him.  Her nearness and her 
warm breath on his face made Doggett's heart skip a beat.  
God, she smelled good!  His mind wandered to the kiss he had 
given her earlier.  How much he wanted to place another one 
on those luscious lips of hers now, but this time a genuine one, 
one without the pretenses of a cover, one that would convey 
all his growing feelings for her in a single shared and intimate 
moment.

"Do you know that woman over to the left of me has been 
staring at you since you walked in?"  She said with a smile, 
interrupting his reverie.

He took a quick peek over in that direction.  "Nah, she's not 
staring at me," Doggett said embarrassed.

"Oh yes she is.  She practically has her tongue hanging out!"  
Scully laughed.

"Well, it seems to me you have a few admirers yourself," 
Doggett countered and nodded toward the opposite direction 
where three rather good looking men had their eyes glued on 
Scully.

This time it was Scully's turn to be embarrassed.  She took the 
last few sips of her wine as heat flushed her cheeks.

"Do you want another one?"  Doggett asked her leaning in, his 
lips inadvertently touching her ear.  That sensation and the 
sound of his deep, raspy voice sent an electric current through 
her body.  "God, what's with you, Dana?  You are suddenly so 
hypersensitive to this man!  Get a grip!"  She thought to 
herself.

"Sure," she said surprising herself.  The last thing she needed 
was more alcohol to dizzy her brain even more; she had drunk 
the first one so quickly.  But being here with Doggett like this 
somehow made her feel freer and alive.  She was comfortable 
in his presence and felt she could be herself without any 
facades.

Doggett ordered another for her and another beer for himself.  
After the bartender poured them their drinks, he poured out 
three shots of tequila and pushed them toward Scully.

"I didn't order these," Scully said.

"They are from those three gentlemen over there," the 
bartender pointed to the men that were checking out Scully.

"Oh," she said and looked in the direction he was pointing.  
The three men smiled and winked and she gave them a 
measured smile of thanks in return.  They obviously didn't 
care that she had come in with a man.

Doggett had a huge grin on his face.  "I told you those guys 
were giving you the eye," he said chuckling.  "So are you 
gonna go dance with them?"

"No, I'm not interested and they're not my type anyway," she 
said dismissively.

"What is your type, Dana?  Or should I ask you after you 
finish those three shots?"  Doggett asked.

Scully had the urge to blurt out that he was her type, but bit 
her tongue.  Instead she just smiled mysteriously and said, 
"there is no way I'm going to drink these three shots!  You'd 
have to carry me home if I did."

"I could do that," he said playfully. 

She smiled again.  "How about you drink two and I'll drink 
one," she suggested.

"Then you'll have to carry me home," he said grinning.

"I can do that," she said.

"I bet you could!"  He said, grinning even more.  The image of 
her carrying him home was just too delicious.

"Then cheers!"  She said raising her glass.  He grabbed one of 
the shots, clinked her glass and they both downed the amber 
liquid.  He quickly followed it up with the second.

"Bartender!"  Doggett called.  The man walked over to him.  
"We'll take one more shot of tequila," he said.  The bartender 
poured the drink and Doggett pushed it over to Scully.  "We've 
got to be even."

She looked at him and gave him a lopsided grin, then downed 
the shot in one gulp.  "There, satisfied?"  She asked.

"For now," he said smiling.  She smiled back and they both sat 
in silence letting the music wash over them like a river 
smoothing over rocks.  Their edges had been rounded off and 
they sat in peace enjoying each other's company.

Doggett looked at his partner sitting just a few inches from 
him.  She looked radiant.  Her cheeks were flushed and her 
eyes sparkled.  She looked relaxed and a smile highlighted her 
beautiful face.   It occurred to him that this was one of the few 
times he had ever seen her really enjoying herself, aside from 
the times she was with William.  She gave him an even bigger 
smile and leaned into him.

"What are you thinking?"  She asked wondering why he was 
looking at her so intently.  This was the kind of question she 
usually would never ask, but the alcohol, the loud music and 
the closeness it brought just let her speak whatever her 
immediate thought was.

He put his hand on her upper arm, stopping her from pulling 
back from his ear and said in a deep, guttural voice, "That you 
really are a beautiful woman."  He couldn't believe he had just 
said that!

Scully pulled back with her eyes lowered and a shy smile on 
her face.  "Thanks," she mumbled, knowing he probably didn't 
hear her.  She didn't know what else to say; she was not used 
to such compliments, especially not from a man she was 
becoming more and more attracted to by the minute, a man 
that just happened to be her partner.

He released her arm and immediately Scully missed its 
pressure and warmth.  She looked up and his eyes caught hers 
in an intense and intimate gaze.  She saw something in them 
that she couldn't quite name, but it made her feel all warm and 
alive.  They held the gaze for several moments until a woman 
suddenly appeared at Doggett's side interrupting them.  It was 
the woman who had eyed Doggett as they had first arrived.  
She wore way too much makeup and her obviously man-made 
breasts protruded out from her too small top.

She grabbed his arm and said loudly, "Let's dance, Honey."

Doggett was taken aback by her boldness and total lack of 
acknowledgement of Scully.  "No, thank you," he said as 
graciously as he could, ever the gentleman.

"Oh, come on Handsome!  Just one little dance," she persisted.  
"I won't bite."

"I'm with someone," he said, nodding toward Scully who was 
getting a kick out of the scene.  Scully smiled.

The woman looked at Scully noticing her for the first time.   
"Well, you won't mind if I just borrow him for one little dance, 
would you dear?"  Doggett gave Scully a "help me" look.

Scully was tempted to say, "Sure, go ahead," but just couldn't 
bring herself to let Doggett be tortured any longer.  "Actually I 
do mind, dear," she said, emphasizing the word "dear".  "This 
is my man; go find one of your own."  For effect she slid off 
her stool and placed herself between Doggett's bent knees, her 
back pressed against his chest, all the while keeping her eyes 
firmly on the annoying woman.  Immediately, Doggett 
wrapped his strong arms around her tiny body and held her 
tightly against him.  She caressed his forearms with her hands 
and he laid his cheek against her hair.

The woman turned on her heel in a huff and walked away.  
Doggett and Scully burst out laughing.  "Thanks," Doggett 
said into her ear after their laughter had faded.  Neither of 
them moved from their position, each enjoying the smoldering 
heat it brought.  Again Doggett spoke, his voice incredibly 
low in her ear.  "Would you like to dance?"  He asked, 
brushing her ear with his lips, the caress almost feeling like a 
kiss.  

She turned around in his embrace and blue met blue.  "I would 
love to," she heard herself saying, mere inches from his face. 
Their lips were so close and she was tempted to bridge the gap 
and touch her lips to his.  The heat radiating from him was 
making her weak in the knees and she couldn't help thinking 
of the image of his buff chest glistening with water just a few 
hours ago.  That same chest was now pressed against hers and 
her heartbeat sped up a few notches.  She was reluctant to step 
out of his embrace and she closed her eyes, her head dizzy 
with alcohol and lust.

Her intimate proximity was getting to Doggett as well, and if 
he didn't redirect his attention immediately he wouldn't be able 
to get up from the stool without everyone seeing just how 
much this closeness to Scully was affecting him.  He grabbed 
her hand and led her to the crowded dance floor.  

The music cranked out of the speakers and they danced to the 
lively beat.  He couldn't keep his eyes off her and observed her 
every move.  He watched her legs stomp out the rhythm, her 
hips gyrate in time, and her chest rise and fall with every 
breath.  The warmth from the alcohol in the pit of her stomach 
let her dance without inhibition, and her beauty and movement 
entranced him.  He had an overwhelming urge to feel her 
movement, so he wrapped his arms around her waist and 
pressed her against him.  She did not resist and instead draped 
her arms around his neck and kept on moving with the beat of 
the music.  Doggett's senses were on overload having her 
move like that against him and his manhood responded 
instantly.  Pure heaven on earth was the only way to describe 
the feelings her gyrations brought him.

Scully felt like she was swimming in a sea of lust.  Feeling 
him hard against her body heightened all of her senses.  The 
musky, salty smell of him intoxicated her and his firm, 
rippling muscles crushed against her were driving her insane 
with need.  She had to remove herself from his touch, just for 
a moment, so she could gather her bearings.  So she took his 
hand from her waist and held on to it as she twirled circles 
under it.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, the annoying woman 
appeared again and pushed herself between Doggett and 
Scully.  She grabbed his arms and led him away from Scully 
in a whirling dance.  Doggett barely knew what hit him and 
was rendered speechless.  The only things he could think of 
saying at the moment were considerably rude, but being a 
gentleman, he bit his tongue.  A couple minutes passed and 
having had enough, he was about to just tell her to get lost, 
when Scully grabbed his hand and together they ran out of the 
bar laughing hysterically. 

After several minutes their laughter tapered off and Scully 
said, "You should have seen your face when that woman 
grabbed you and swooped you into a dance!  You were 
mortified!  I'll never forget that expression on your face!"

They laughed again, doubled over in amusement.  "That bad?"  
He asked, through fits of laughter.

"Oh yeah, that bad!  Definitely a Kodak moment!"  She said 
erupting into another round of laughter.

Suddenly the clouds ripped open and fat rain droplets fell from 
above.  They looked at each other in amused surprise and 
laughed some more.  Doggett glanced back at the bar, making 
a non-verbal suggestion to go back inside.  Scully shook her 
head from side to side then smiled mischievously.  On impulse 
she grabbed his hand and pulled him into a run.  Doggett 
gladly followed her, happy to be alone with her again. 

They ran through the rain hand in hand, giggling like a couple 
of school kids on spring break.  The rain was warm and 
cleansing, making the pair feel young and so very alive.  They 
arrived at the motel out of breath and completely soaked but 
their souls felt free and invigorated. 

They stopped and faced each other, catching their breaths.   
Scully studied a sopping-wet Doggett and was reminded once 
again of the view she had the fortune of seeing earlier that 
evening.  Now his clothes adhered to his body, leaving little to 
the imagination.  His powerful thighs were well defined in his 
jeans, as was the noticeably large bulge between them.  The 
rain ran down his face and she yearned to lick it off, drinking 
anything that touched him.  God, she wanted him!  

Doggett watched Scully keenly too.  He watched the rain run 
down the length of her hair, down her face, down her heaving 
chest and into her low-cut shirt.  Her clothes clung to her, 
accentuating her petite and curvy figure and outlining her 
breasts and hardened nipples.  The sight of her like this was 
irresistible to Doggett and without inhibition he repeated what 
he had said to her earlier: "You are so beautiful."

She looked him straight in the eyes and held his gaze.  She 
saw something feral and primal in them and her heart raced at 
the recognition of the meaning.  The intensity in his blue eyes 
was greater than usual and the intimacy at which he looked at 
her made her body hum with excitement.  Suddenly Doggett's 
hand was on her cheek and in one swift and fluid movement 
he pulled her to him and covered her mouth with his.   His 
tongue demanded entry and she yielded to him without 
hesitation.  The kiss was explosive and burned with the 
intensity of white-hot flames.  The tremendous passion and the 
bare-bones need and fierceness of the kiss were earth-
shattering.  Never had a single kiss made her feel so 
completely overwhelmed with want and need. 

Doggett's entire being felt aflame with desire.  Her 
unrestrained response, her total vulnerability and eagerness to 
the kiss, drove him wild.  It felt so right and he hardened 
against her, unafraid to let her feel it.  And feel it she did.  
Unconsciously she ground herself against it and a small moan 
escaped her.

Breathless, he released her and their eyes continued the 
unspoken dialogue of all they felt but what was just too soon 
to say out loud.  He saw the same emotions, heat, and lust in 
her eyes that he knew she must be seeing in his.  His heart 
smiled and his lips followed.

"Let's get out of the rain," he breathed into her ear.  She 
nodded and he hoisted her up as she wrapped her legs around 
his waist.  He carried her to her door resting her back against it 
and she placed the room key in his hand.  He kissed her 
fiercely as he shoved the key into the lock and opened the 
door.  They stumbled in giggling and threw the door shut 
behind them. 

The moonlight that shined through the windows illuminated 
the room, giving it a surreal feel.  Scully didn't bother with the 
lights and instead concentrated on removing Doggett's soaking 
T-shirt.  Her craving to run her hands across his bare chest was 
overpowering.  With his help she tore the shirt off over his 
head and let it fall to the floor in a wet heap.  Instantly her 
hands glided along his physique, feeling every muscle, every 
curve, every cut angle.  Her desire mounted a thousand-fold 
and she ran her hot tongue down his chest, searing a path to 
his nipple.  She circled it with her tongue then gently bit its 
tip, eliciting a low moan from Doggett.  She did the same to 
the other nipple, feeding off of his scent and lapping up the 
salty wetness that glistened on his skin.

Her ministrations were driving Doggett crazy with desire.  He 
had and urgent need to feel her skin against him and he ripped 
at her shirt, tearing it off in one quick movement.  It joined his 
in a wet pile on the floor.  To his amazement and sheer 
delight, Scully removed her bra in a flash and pressed herself 
against him, obviously having the same skin-to-skin need as 
he.  They moaned in concert at the sensation, knees buckling 
in heightened desire.

He gently pushed her to the bed then hovered over her with his 
body, studying her perfect breasts in the moonlight.  "You are 
a goddess," he breathed and used the waist of her jeans to pull 
her closer to him.  It was an incredibly feral and possessive 
move, one that aroused her even more.  He covered her body 
with his and ground his face into her neck, licking and sucking 
and biting, while his massive hands massaged her breasts with 
finesse.  The pleasure was exquisite.  

He lifted his head and looked into her eyes.  They were fully 
dilated and he could clearly see her every emotion reflected in 
them.  He knew that if they continued any further there would 
be no stopping.  "John," she whispered hesitantly.

He placed his fingers on her lips.  "Shh... I know.  I agree," he 
said knowing she was thinking the same thing.   He wanted 
her more than anything right now, but he had too much respect 
for her to let their first lovemaking be something impulsive 
that might be regretted later.

"We better say goodnight," she said reluctantly, her voice 
raspy with desire.   Her words went directly against what her 
body was screaming to do, but she wanted this to be the 
beginning of something lasting, not a transitory one-night 
tumble in the sheets, and she knew he wanted the same and 
was willing to wait.

He looked at her with dilated eyes, forcing his body to comply 
with her sensible words.  "Yeah, we better say goodnight."

He got up off the bed and immediately she missed his heat.  
Her body ached for her to pull him back, but her mind told her 
it would be better to wait.  She got up as well and threw on a 
dry shirt that was laying on the bed's edge.  Doggett had just 
picked up his wet shirt and was heading for the adjoining 
door.

He turned around to face her.  "We should leave here at 8:00 
tomorrow to catch the flight," he said looking directly into her 
eyes.

"Yeah, I'll be ready," she said, not wanting him to walk 
through that door and out of her presence.  She gazed at his 
lips, the lips that just moments ago had devoured hers in kisses 
that had left all previous kisses before today in the dust.  She 
wanted desperately to feel them on her lips again.  
"Goodnight," she whispered.

"Dana..." he said in a deep, gravelly voice.

The sound of her name from his lips made her lose all restraint 
and she took two giant steps and fell into his arms, pulling him 
down into another fiery, all-consuming kiss.  He pressed her 
hard against his body and for a moment they were completely 
one.  Then she tore herself from his embrace and he walked 
into his room shutting the door behind him.

Closing his eyes, Doggett leaned against the closed door.  He 
could still feel the heat from her kiss and the taste of her 
tongue on his.  He was completely, head-over-heels in love 
with her.  A total goner.

Scully threw herself on the bed and stripped off her soaked 
jeans and underwear.  Her heartbeat slowed down to a normal 
pace and her head spinned partially from the alcohol, but 
mainly from the passion that she had just shared with Doggett.  
My God, she was falling in love with him and she was quite 
sure that he felt the same way.

The rain continued to fall through the moonlit night, pitter-
patter against the roof, washing away the old and making 
room for the new.

Scully awoke to a brand new day, with the sun streaming 
through the windows.  She stretched and a big smile covered 
her face as she thought about what had transpired the night 
before.  She couldn't remember ever waking up this incredibly 
happy before!  Doggett's handsome face flashed before her 
mind and she suddenly had a great yearning to see him.  She 
jumped out of bed and into the shower.  The sooner she was 
ready the sooner she would see him, and right now all she 
could think of was the sooner the better.

Doggett woke up to a profound sense of happiness as well and 
had to think for a moment to make sure what happened last 
night wasn't just some very real-feeling dream.  It was almost 
too good to be reality.  Quickly he showered and got dressed.  
He couldn't wait to see Scully.

At about 7:45 Doggett knocked on Scully's adjoining room 
door.  She opened it almost right away.  His heart beat wildly 
as a sudden nervousness crept into him.  He prayed she didn't 
have any regrets.  He sure didn't.

She looked stunning in a black Armani pantsuit.  With 
perfectly coiffed hair and toned down makeup, she looked all 
business.  But one look into her eyes told him that she did not 
regret what had transpired between them last night.  In fact he 
saw the same emotions in them right now that he had seen last 
night.

"Good morning, Dana," he said smiling.

She flashed him a huge smile, "Good morning, John."

It was as if Scully was a magnet for he was completely drawn 
to her and before he realized it, he was standing just inches 
from her.  His desire, his need to kiss her again, hold her body 
against his, was suddenly overwhelming and he was just about 
to lean down to feed that desire when his cell phone rang.

Disappointed, Doggett answered it, all the while keeping his 
eyes fixed on Scully.  Her disappointment was clear as well. 

"Doggett," he said into the phone.  Scully could make out the 
voice on the other end as Kersh's.

"Yes Sir.  We should be there by noon," he said and hung up.

"Kersh is anxious for that disk.  We better get a move on," he 
said to her.  "Let me get your bag."

Minutes later they drove off to the airport in comfortable yet 
charged silence.
  
An hour later they were seated on the plane, heading back to 
Washington D.C.  They mostly talked small talk, skirting the 
issue of last night.  It was just too new, too fragile to discuss.  
But they both privately cherished the images of their 
encounter.  Halfway through the flight, Doggett took her hand 
in his.  She squeezed it and laid her head on his shoulder.  
Those tiny, intimate gestures were all they needed to know 
what the other was thinking. 

As promised, they were in Kersh's office at noon to deliver the 
disk.  He was very pleased with their work and surprisingly 
gave them both the rest of the day off.  Glad to be done with 
their part in this case, Doggett drove Scully back to her place 
and carried her bag up to her apartment door.

"William sure is gonna be happy to see his mommy again," he 
said as he set the bag down on the floor.

"Not happier than I am.  I've missed him so much," she said, 
hoping that her comment hadn't made it seem like she wanted 
him to leave, for that was the furthest thing from her mind.

"Then I won't keep you," he said, a slight hint of 
disappointment in his voice.  "There is one thing I have been 
wanting to do all day though," he continued.

"What's that?" Scully asked with interest.

He walked towards her, stopping mere inches from her.  
"This," he breathed and lowered his lips to hers in a tender, 
emotion-baring kiss.  She responded readily pouring her 
feelings into it as well.  They parted and he turned to walk 
away.

Scully had just stuck the keys in the door when he turned 
around and said, "Dana, will you go out with me tomorrow 
night?"

Bliss raced through Scully's body and she threw him a big 
smile.  "I would love to," she said.

"Great," he said sending her an even bigger smile back.  "'Till 
tomorrow," he said smiling and walked away.

"'Till tomorrow," she repeated as he disappeared into the 
elevator.

She leaned back against her door, happier than she had ever 
been, knowing that this was just the beginning of many happy 
tomorrows.


THE END