Title: Men and Boys
Author: Katherine Scully
Author email: dolphin_66th@hotmail.com
Rating: PG13 for language and violence
Series: The X-Files
Timeline: After Mulder’s return (so post-DeadAlive—NOT a DeadAlive
Post-ep!).
Spoilers: None
Feedback: Come on, don’t make me beg.
Archive: ATD, TLS and SHODDS can have it if they want it. Also eventually
at MTA. Anyone else please ask first.
Disclaimer: The X-Files and all related characters are property of Chris
Carter and 1013 Productions. No copyright infringement is intended.
Note: Response to SHODDS challenge: Doggett in a bar fight.
Men and Boys
By Katherine Scully
Scully drove towards the west end of Washington, replaying the conversation
she’d just had over in her mind.
“Is this an Agent… Scully?” the male voice on the other end of the phone had
asked when she’d picked up.
“Yes.”
“This is Sergeant Jenkins over at the 123rd Precinct. We’ll need you to
come by and retrieve your partner from our holding cell.”
“Mulder? What’s he done now?” it was the only person she could think of who
would be stupid enough to get himself arrested.
“Um, no, Agent Scully, it’s Agent…” there was a pause as the sergeant had
apparently checked his notes. “Doggett.” Scully was silent for a moment,
digesting this. Doggett? In jail?
“What’s he done?” she asked, still stunned.
“He got himself in a fight in a bar. Knocked one guy unconscious and was
pounding the snot out of some other guy. Did you say you’re familiar with
Agent Mulder?”
“Yes. He’s my other partner.”
“Ah. You’ll want to retrieve him from the hospital in the morning, they’re
keeping him overnight for observation. He’s the guy Agent Doggett knocked
out.” She was silent for another long pause.
“How drunk was Doggett?”
“About two-thirds of a bottle of vodka.”
“Damn!” Scully had exclaimed, thinking the worst punishment to give Doggett
would be to wait until tomorrow morning when he had a hangover to yell at
him. She knew she wouldn’t do that, though. “I’ll be there soon,” she
said.
“Right.” Jenkins had hung up and Scully now found herself pulling into a
parking spot in front of the 123rd.
She parked her car, got out, locked the doors and went into the building.
She spotted Jenkins immediately, behind a desk on the phone with three
lights blinking. He hung up and looked at her.
“Can I help you?” his voice was the same as it had been on the phone.
“Sergeant Jenkins?” she asked. He nodded. “I’m Dana Scully.”
“Can I see some identification?” he asked. She displayed her badge for him.
“Right this way.” He grabbed a key ring and headed for a door at the other
end of the hallway.
She heard his voice almost as soon as they walked through the door, loud and
drunk and singing cheerfully. He didn’t even seem to know where he was.
She glanced down at the mug of coffee she’d brought with her and wondered if
it would be enough.
“Has he been doing this all night?” she asked. Jenkins nodded.
“Yes, ma’am, from the moment he was brought in.”
“Oh, brother,” she muttered. She shook her head in annoyance as they
arrived at the cell where Doggett was detained. He was oblivious to the
world around him, singing happily.
“Daaayyyyyynnaaaaaaa,” he drawled excitedly when he spotted her. She
couldn’t help but smile as Jenkins opened the cell door and Doggett plodded
over to her and swooped her into his arms in a bear hug. Scully’s heart
pounded but she forced her voice to be firm.
“Agent Doggett, put me down!” she commanded. Reluctantly he released her,
and she took his hand. “Let’s get you home and sober,” she said.
“You’re takin’ me home, Daaaayyynnnaaa?” he drawled. God, she loved that
drawl. Even drunk, his voice sent shivers down her spine. The tender way
he said her name touched her heart. John Doggett made an adorable drunk.
“We hardly know each other,” he said. Scully shook her head, smiling, and,
dragging Doggett along by the hand as he stumbled drunkenly after her, she
followed Jenkins back out to the main office.
“Sign here please, Ms. Scully,” Jenkins said, handing her a form. She
signed by the X (the irony of that didn’t escape her) and pulled Doggett
outside and loaded him into her car.
As they were driving to his apartment, the singing continued. She glanced
over at him, wondering how drunk he truly was, and decided to see if he
could handle answering a question.
“John?”
“Hmm?”
“Why did you hit Mulder and that other man?”
“Cause,” he said. “The udder guy instt-ulted you an’ Mulder didn’t say
nothin’. The udder guy called y’a paranoid bitch.” His voice was bitter,
and Scully realized he’d been defending her when he got into that fight.
“Mulder shoulda defended you. He din, so I did.”
“That’s so sweet, John,” she said, genuinely touched. “Who was the other
guy, John?”
“Dunno. Mulder seemed ta know ‘im. Smoked like a chimney.”
“Did you go drinking with Mulder?” Scully asked, wondering about the man who
smoked. The Cigarette-Smoking Man? Drinking with Mulder? If it was him,
the insult made sense. He could have been trying to get a rise out of
Mulder or John. Agent Doggett, she corrected herself.
“Yeah. He wan’ t’talk. Old smokey guy comes over to our table. Starts
talking to Mulder. Mulder seemed ta know him, not happy ta see him. Then
he insulted you. Mulder din say nuttin. Sho I did.” Doggett slurred.
“What did he talk to Mulder about?”
“Dunno. Some case. Talked a long time. I jus’ drank,” Doggett said. How
curious, Scully thought. Mulder was talking with the Smoking Man about a
case and Doggett didn’t think anything was unusual about that? Interesting.
“We’re here,” she said. “I need your keys.” She held out her hand, and he
placed them in her palm, but grabbed her wrist and kissed her fingers
lightly, sending a jolt of electricity up her arm.
The third key fit the lock, and she was inside his place. She led him into
the bedroom and told him to lie down. He nodded, but swooped her into his
arms and kissed her deeply. Scully allowed herself to respond to his kiss
but she made sure she was the one to break it off and push him back despite
her body’s reactions to his closeness. It ended far too soon.
“John,” she told him firmly, trying not to sound breathless though she
doubted he would notice in his state, “go to sleep.”
“Only if you come with me,” he said, pulling her towards him and kissing her
again. She wanted to, oh God, she wanted to, but she refused to given his
condition. She firmly pushed him back and insisted he go to bed alone. She
would sleep on the sofa. He obediently kicked off his shoes and stretched
out on the bed. Within minutes he was snoring.
<><><>
Morning found Scully with a stiff neck from sleeping on Doggett’s couch,
awaking to the sound of a loud groan and a flushing toilet. The bathroom
door opened and a haggard-looking Doggett stumbled out.
“Are you all right, Agent Doggett?” she asked him. He glared at her.
“Don’t yell, Scully, please. I haven’t been this hung over since high
school,” he said. “Were you here all night?” he asked. She nodded.
“I wanted to make sure you were all right,” she said. She went into the
kitchen and started opening cupboards.
“What are ya doin’?” he asked. She smiled.
“Drink this,” she said, handing him a glass. “It tastes awful but it works
like a charm on hangovers. It’s a family secret,” she said. Obediently
Doggett drank, then grimaced, and she started pulling food out of the
fridge.
“Now what?” he asked, his tone curious rather than annoyed. She glanced at
him.
“You need to eat, as much as you might not feel like it. We both have to
work today,” she said. Doggett groaned.
“Trust me, you’ll thank me later,” she said, making omelets for both of
them.
<><><>
“Dana, whatever that stuff was that you gave me this morning really did
work. I feel great,” Doggett said two hours later as they were both hard at
work in the X-Files office. Scully smiled.
“I told you,” she said. He tossed a paper ball at her and missed. He
grumbled something incoherently.
“Scully… Dana… I want you to know I really appreciate you coming to… rescue
me last night. It was above and beyond the call of duty,” he said. She
shook her head.
“That’s what friends are for, John. I’ve done the same thing for Mulder
more times than I can count,” she said. Doggett nodded.
“Well, thanks,” he said. She smiled at him.
“Any time.” She looked away from him, her thoughts dwelling on the kisses
he’d given her last night, as he studied her face. He knew there was
something that he should remember that had happened last night before he
fell asleep, but damn it, he couldn’t put his finger on it. Scully wasn’t
talking, and damn, he wished he could remember. He knew it was something
important, something crucial to their relationship, but he didn’t have a
clue what it could be. He wished he did; anything that happened with Scully
was something he wanted to remember. He knew he was in love with her; he
only wished he knew if she felt the same way.
Scully could feel his gaze on her but was determined to ignore him. She
wondered if she should tell him about the kisses last night, but decided not
to. He would remember on his own, and when he did, and he remembered how
much she had enjoyed them, who knew where their relationship might end up?
~Finis~
