TITLE: MEET THE NEW BOSS (1 of 1)

AUTHOR: DAVID HEARNE

CLASSIFICATION: Post-ep for "Medusa"

RATING: PG

SPOILERS: Medusa, Never Again, Requiem

PERMISSION TO ARCHIVE: Yes.

Website is located at http://members.dencity.com/hearne

Send feedback to ottercrk@sover.net

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"So why did you never get your own desk?"

John Doggett was asking this question in an airport bar. The target of
the question was Dana Scully.

At first, she was a little surprised. "Ah...I never did get one, did
I?"

"So you told me."

"Hm. I did bring the issue up with Mulder. Once. Then I kind of forgot
about it. More...pressing matters came up."

"Do you wish you had gotten one?"

Scully took a sip of mineral water and considered that question. "I'm
not sure. Part of me says, 'Hell, yes.' I mean, I was...I am one-half
of the X-Files. A desk would have symbolized my work and dedication."

"What does the other part say?"

"It says, 'Respect Mulder's wishes.'"

Doggett frowned. "He never wanted you to have a desk?"

"He never wanted the X-Files to become my life."

"Sounds like it was."

"It was, but...I got side-tracked into it. Railroaded there." Scully
looked at Doggett. "Just like you."

Doggett shrugged. "And like you, I've dealt with it."

"But neither of us would be there if it hadn't been for Mulder. He was
the one who re-opened the files. He was the one who started this
rolling. It was his passion which drove them forward." Scully paused,
then said, "Of course, it became personal for me, too. Very personal."

"I understand that. Of course, working at the FBI has always been
personal for me. If I'm trying to find some guy who kills kids for
fun, then..."

Doggett stopped talking. Scully watched him as he stared into his
glass of beer.

When he spoke again, he said, "Well...you know what I mean."

"Yes. Still, whatever we brought to the X-Files, Mulder was there
first. It was his territory."

"So he was boss."

Scully let out a breath through pursed lips. "I don't like to think of
it in that way. I wanted us to be partners. So did he. But there was
always that...imbalance. It would keep coming up, intentionally or
not. Mulder was almost always the one who decided what case to
investigate."

"Because the strange stuff was his...specialty."

"I agree. I learned to rely on his intuition. However...well, like I
told him once, we just kept going around in circles on this issue."

"Well, part of it was you, wasn't it?"

"How's that?"

"You're saying that Mulder often controlled your life. But you started
out saying he didn't want to control your life. Maybe how he felt
depended on how you would react."

Scully looked away from Doggett and pressed her fingers against her
mouth.

"I'm not saying it was your fault..."

"I know, I know," she said and lowered her hand. "In the beginning, I
had never conceived my involvement in the X-Files to go beyond a year.
A year later, they were shut down and I missed them. They would become
very important to me. And Mulder...he made it clear that he wanted me
to work with him. But he also told me..." Her fingers twitched on the
table as if she was typing on a keyboard. "...he thought I could do
more with my life. At some point, it had to end."

Both Scully and Doggett sat quietly for a long time. Doggett spent the
time studying Scully as she looked at the far end of the bar.

"It hasn't ended," Doggett finally said.

"No," she admitted. "It hasn't."

"And whoever may have ran the X-Files in the past, I think we know who
runs it now." Doggett lifted his glass. "Here's to the new boss."

Scully turned to Doggett. She examined his honest face, then lifted
her own glass. "To the new partnership," she said and clinked glasses
with Doggett.

"So where's my desk?"

Scully smiled. "I'll get back to you on that."

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