TITLE: Man Overboard (1/1)
AUTHOR: Anne Hedonia
RATING: PG
CATEGORY: SA, DSR 
KEYWORDS: Doggett/Scully, Doggett POV
ARCHIVE: I'll send to Gossamer. Anywhere else, sure! 
Please lemme know!
SPOILERS: Generally up through Season 8, and it won't 
make a lot of sense if you haven't seen "Alone".

SUMMARY/AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a very quickly-
conceived-and-written, un-betaed sequel to my fic, 
"Man Alive". It's my preferred 'Dipper ending for the 
first scene in "Alone". Or to be more specific, 
instead of having Agent Harrison walk in after Scully 
left, I would have rather this happened. Much rather.

The occurrences in this fic pretty much wouldn't 
happen without the occurrences in "Man Alive". Prolly 
oughta read it first. 

'Dippers: This is for you. Very very for you.
'Shippers and Mulderites: Dear GOD, for the love of 
all that's holy, DON'T GO IN HERE!!

Feed me, feed me! And do it at ahedonia@yahoo.com.

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I can still see her sad blue eyes gazing at me, above 
her faint smile.

I hear my question of a moment ago, repeating in my 
head: <"This is just a leave, isn't it? I mean, you 
are coming back?">

They say silence is golden, but her silence at that 
moment felt pretty much like lead to me. Or maybe that 
was just the feel of my heart hitting the floor, after 
her kind words and her embrace sent it on a dizzy 
flight barely a few moments earlier.

I drift around the office, feeling her sudden absence 
keenly as my heart pounds, and try to find a bright 
side to hang onto. Okay, she's making no promises 
about what will happen after her baby's born. That 
makes sense. Things change, especially because of 
babies, I understand that. But there's no reason to 
assume she won't be in touch, that she'll be gone from 
my life just because she doesn't come into the same 
office every morning. I know we haven't talked 
about...well, *us*, any further since that 
conversation in the parking lot, but that's not to say 
it didn't matter. I've felt it hanging there
between us ever since, lurking in her smiles and in 
her shy, polite manner around me. If she'd changed her 
mind, found her feelings weren't the same,
she'd...she'd tell me...wouldn't she?

It occurs to me in a flash that she might very well 
not. She's an escape artist, big time. I wince as the 
idea sucker-punches me. A cop's instinct for
human nature is not always a blessing.

I hear footsteps. Made by a woman's shoes. Clicking 
down the hall, this way.

My heart leaps into my throat again, in a somewhat 
pathetic reaction: more time with her. My brain says 
that I have no guarantee her return will be
beneficial to me, or even pleasant, but my emotions 
don't care. All that matters is that our estrangement 
is put off, however briefly. I move toward the door, a 
much bigger grin on my face than is seemly.

"You're not gone five minutes, Agent Scully, and 
already I feel like a stranger in my own off-"

I see her, and her demeanor surprises me into silence. 
She's walking with her head slightly down, and utterly 
focused, single-minded. Scully moves through the 
doorway with a determination that makes Sherman's run 
through Atlanta look like a sightseeing tour. She 
turns and closes the door pointedly.

I have no idea what's going on. Like that's news. 
"Agent Scu-" I begin.

I never finish.

When she turns from the door, her eyes lock onto mine 
with all the worry and fear I've ever seen, as though 
she's a drowning woman and I hold the only life 
preserver in existence. She grabs my face in both her 
soft little hands and pulls it down to hers, her lips 
landing solidly on mine.

Oh, Jesus God.

The softness, the astonishing softness of her perfect 
mouth is my only focal point as my whole world spins. 
My hands reach into her hair before I can stop them, 
but she doesn't object. A moment ago I was losing her. 
Then she came back, and I braced myself for everything 
I could think of but this. Strange how when you try to 
anticipate what a person might do, enacting one of 
your sweetest fantasies doesn't often make your list 
of possibilities.

She pulls away before I am ready, but that's not a 
surprise - I'm not sure if there is an end to how long 
I want to kiss her. She rests her forehead against 
mine, gasping softly.

"You. Be. Careful. Do you hear me?" she whispers, 
fighting to keep tears out of her voice. "You lean on 
Skinner all you need to, and don't you dare take any 
chances you don't absolutely have to take."

I have no words for her, no response. I'm just in awe 
at what she's giving me.

She looks up into my face, and I can see a struggle 
there of epic proportions. She looks away and presses 
her lips together. "I don't know if I can do this," 
she says finally.

I remember I can talk. "Do what?"

"Leave," she says in anguish. "I mean, never *mind* 
that I don't know how to *not* work. In the last seven 
years, I've completely forgotten how to have a
life..." she smiles ruefully at herself. "But now I'm 
stranding you all by yourself on this, with only six 
months actual experience. How can I do that to
*anyone*, much less..." Her eyes roam my face with an 
affection that makes me ache. "...you."

I'm overwhelmed. Adrenaline runs through me like I'm 
about to give a speech in my underwear. I want very 
much to kiss her again. I don't. I let her be in 
charge.

"Dana." I can hardly believe I'm about to urge her to 
go. "You can't keep workin' with your due date so 
near. It's not an option. Even if your doctor
*would* let you, I can think of three computer geeks 
and one assistant director who'd tan your hide for 
even considerin' it." I brush her cheek with
my fingers, and watch her relax. My whole body 
tingles. "And don't even get me started about how I'd 
feel about it."

She looks at me, eyebrow arched. "*Not* that I 
wouldn't love your company," I grin. But that's not 
her problem. She runs her palms down my lapels. I 
shiver quietly.

"I just couldn't stand it if anything happened to you 
because I left you alone." Her eyes are filling up. I 
make it my late New Year's Resolution to cause fewer 
tears in her life, from now on. "I've been in your 
position. I've been *you*. I don't know how I would 
have coped back then without..." She doesn't say his 
name. She finishes creatively. "...without all the 
guidance I had. How on Earth can we all expect you to 
deal with this without the help of someone who's been 
there?"

We're silent for a moment, till I know what to say. 
"Tell you what," I offer. "We'll just consider me your 
eyes and ears, like back in Boston. The *second* I 
find myself in over my head - heck, even up to my 
lower lip - my job is to call you and get my marching 
orders. Whatever you say, goes."

She's smiling faintly. I challenge myself to raise 
that smile to a full-fledged beam. "You'll still have 
my back," I promise. "And believe me, whatever you 
need, I'll have yours. Heartburn medicine, foot rubs, 
midnight runs for sardines and ice cream..."

There it is. Her face breaks out into a grin that 
melts me. She looks up, chuckling wryly. "You watch 
too much 'I Love Lucy'..."

My own smile takes up half my face. "Nick at Night 
helps me sleep."

She sighs. I can tell she's getting ready to go. I 
can't help wishing that she wasn't. I push it to the 
back of my mind. "You go worry about yourself for a
change," I say.

She nods obediently. Then she lingers just a moment 
more. Before I have time to second guess myself, I 
take the opportunity I'm given. I lean and kiss her 
again, softly. I pull away reluctantly and our faces 
linger close together, eyes half-closed.

She inhales deeply, as if gathering courage. "If I 
catch you doing anything stupid, I'll kick your ass."

My heart grows three sizes in my chest. I adore this 
woman. "Yes, ma'am."

She collects herself, then turns and walks out the 
door. I watch her stride down the hall. She turns back 
once to look at me. I try and reassure her with
my eyes. She warns me with hers. A few steps later she 
disappears around the corner.

I look around me, feeling my feet more firmly on the 
ground. The office is still too big without her, but I 
can feel her presence more strongly now. She left it 
here with me. To guard me. I grin. To potentially kick 
my ass.

I feel invincible.

It's all I need.
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