AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story is set in Mexico because I thought it would be a good place for Doggett and Reyes to lay low in and because it's the land of my birth. I have not visited either of the cities mentioned herein; therefore, any errors of geography or language are mine simply because I was too tired to do the research. ;-D

Also, this story is the direct result of listening to the song "Hero" from the "Spider-Man" soundtrack one too many times. It is written and sung by the fabulous Chad Kroeger of Nickelback fame. And in case you haven't guessed, I think John Jay Doggett is one of the most heroic characters I've ever had the pleasure to know. The lyrics, which IMO are so JJD, are included at the end of the story.

The Patsy Cline references are threefold: (1) she sings divinely; (2) so many of her more popular songs are apropos to our Dynamic Duo; and (3) ain't nobody like Patsy to help you wallow in your own misery!

ACKNOWLEDGMENT: My eternal beta thanks to the incredibly patient, wonderfully generous, tremendously talented and absolutely incomparable coolbyrne – you're the best, kiddo! It never would have gotten done without you. If this story is any good at all, it is largely your doing. If it is rotten, the blame is solely mine.

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"Heroes are often the most ordinary of men." Henry David Thoreau

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The music hung heavily in the apartment. And that's exactly the way he wanted it – he wanted to feel the music all over, wanted to friggin' drown in it. He hadn't been this way in quite a while – wasn't he entitled to feel sorry for himself once in a great while? Get shit-faced while listening to Patsy Cline, the Queen of Pain? Didn't he deserve it?

"Crazy...I'm crazy for feelin' so lonely
I'm crazy...crazy for feelin' so blue…"

Yeah, that was him all right. He downed the first tequila shot quickly, and then followed with the salt and lime. This was definitely one of the highlights of living down here – the best and smoothest tequila in the world and all the fresh limes you could handle – sweet.

"I knew you'd love me as long as you wanted
And then someday, you'd leave me for somebody new."

Well, that wasn't quite true was it? She had certainly allowed him into her life, however briefly, but she'd never loved him. Respected him? Sure. Trusted him? Not as much as he would have liked. Loved him? Hell, no! And she didn't leave him for somebody new. It was, in fact, somebody old -- a retread from a previous life…a thrilling, exasperating life that had gone on long before his entrance into her life and would, no doubt, continue long after his exit.

"Worry...why do I let myself worry?
Wonderin'...what in the world did I do?"

Yeah, what in the hell had he done anyway? Oh, he'd kept her alive, kept her safe from the various monsters and boogiemen, but, in the end, it hadn't meant jackshit when compared to seven years of shared lives and, in all probability, shared love. In his mind, he would constantly place the set of experiences side by side on the scales and his set would always be high in the air, brought up by the heavy weight of her life with the other guy. Even now, two years later, he couldn't bring himself to even think the guy's name. Jeez, how pitiful was that?

"I'm crazy...for thinkin' that my love could hold you…"

Oh yeah, that's a good one! He chuckled mirthlessly as the tequila burned a pathway down his throat. He once had the temerity to think that his love could make her forget her pain, her misery, her past life…and then he was resurrected – Jesus, Lazarus and Einstein all rolled up into one perfect package – what a demented, stupid asshole he had been for thinking that he could make a difference in her life!

"I'm crazy for tryin', and crazy for cryin'
And I'm crazy for lovin' you"

And still, he hadn't quit loving her, hadn't quit adoring her, hadn't quit worrying about her. Crazy? Hell, he was fuckin' out of his mind!

The loud ring from the security phone interrupted the pouring of more tequila.

"Señor San Lucas," came the smooth voice of Raul, the manager of the building.

"Si, digame, Raul."

"Señor San Lucas, hay una mujer aqui que quiere hablar con usted. Dice que ustedes jugaron besibol en los estados unidos." His mind meandered along the trails of his past -- a woman who wanted to talk to him? And they played baseball in the United States? This oughtta be good.

"Beisbol?"

"Si, señor, beisbol."

"Y como es, Raul?" He was definitely intrigued. Man, if this was another puta sent here by his well-meaning crew, he would have to say that they were getting more inventive.

"Chaparrita con pelo negro y ojos aquamarinos. Quizas tiene peluca y contactos pero no estoy completamente seguro. Pero su piel señor, -- es blanca como la nieve." Hmmm, petite with black hair and aquamarine eyes.

Raul's thinking she might be wearing a wig and contacts so, yeah, she probably was. And white like snow…damn, if this was one of the local escorts, they had definitely paid an arm, a leg and probably an ear for her services. And Jesus, Mary and Joseph what in the hell was up with Raul? "Blanca como la nieve." Since when did he get so goddamn poetic?

"Es prostituta, Raul?"

"Creo que no, señor San Lucas. No la conozco. Y es sumamente divina. No es como otras mujeres que yo he visto jamas en mi vida."

Whoa! He didn't recognize her, she's supremely divine, he's never met anyone like her before…damn, this babe might be worth meeting. Even though he never indulged himself carnally, he sure as hell still liked to look. Maybe this one could lighten his mood marginally.

"Dirigila a mi apartamento, Raul."

"Inmediatamene, señor San Lucas y buena suerte."

Good luck? That brought the first genuine smile to his face in what felt like weeks.

No need to prepare anything. The place was spotless, he was spotless and only a tad buzzed. It would take more than the half a bottle of tequila he had consumed thus far to make a dent in his lousy mood. And no need for a weapon, either. Although Raul worked the front desk, he was a fully trained former policeman who had been well schooled in security measures. If this chica was coming up, it was because she had passed Raul's careful scrutiny.

The buzzer rudely announced the arrival of the raven-haired mystery woman. He opened the door carefully and started immediately, "Señorita, quiero saber cuando y que tipo de besibol…" before his jaw stopped working. Normally, he wasn't one to believe in any of that paranormal crap, but he could see how a damn good case could be made for it. There she stood. From heart to thought to door.

"Hey, there, Mr. San Lucas. Aren't you going to invite me in?"

And still he stood there, slack-jawed and frozen like some dumb, unbelieving statue.

"I fall to pieces,
each time I see you again."

A small smile quickly floated across her luminous face.

Finally, one whispered word managed to work itself out of his mouth. "Dana?"

"John?"

"Pasale, por favor," he stammered and thought 'I mean, shit, what do I mean?' "Of course, come in."

Scully stepped into the apartment and turned to face a still incredulous Doggett. "John, it's wonderful to see you!" Scully hesitated for the slightest of moments before squaring her shoulders almost imperceptibly and then moved determinedly towards him. She hugged him tightly and fiercely to herself.

"Dana, it is incredible to see you," Doggett said softly. Especially, he thought gratefully, since he had never expected to see her again. He returned the hug awkwardly, almost as if he was afraid of breaking a rare and precious object.

"Ummm, John," she asked warily as she felt the wall of musical sorrow and spied the half-empty bottle of tequila, "Have I interrupted a pity party or are you just trying to see if you need to up the Prozac dosage?"

He snorted a small laugh. "Busted. Let me turn it off."

"No, don't turn it off. Just turn it down a little – I want to be able to hear your voice clearly again after all this time."

Doggett grinned as he picked up the remote and fiddled with the volume.

"Better?"

"Yes, much," Scully sighed. "So, John, how the hell have you been? It is okay to call you John, right?"

"Yeah, Dana, very okay. Hell, I didn't even ask. Is it Dana or are you goin' by somethin' a little more colorful these days?"

"Well, I had been going by something different, but I'd rather it be Dana and John here. All right?"

"Sure. Jeez, where in the hell are my manners? Please sit." John pointed to the leather couch in the living room. "Can I get you something? Coke? Mineral water? Beer?"

Scully walked down the few steps to the sunken living room and sat on the sofa. "Not right now, thanks. I'd rather just sit and talk a little. Okay?"

"As they say here, 'Mi casa es su casa'. You are in your home." Doggett sat down in a large chair that adjoined the sofa.

Another cryptic smile flitted across Scully's face.

"What? What'd I say?" Doggett asked.

Scully smirked. "I think it's a little what you said and how you said it. Forgive me, because it's been awhile, but your Spanish wasn't that good, right? And the language? Why, it's almost poetic."

Doggett smiled brilliantly. "You must have that effect on all men," said Doggett remembering Raul's rather poetic turn of phrase.

Scully shot the eyebrow at Doggett.

"Damn, put away your weapon, Agent," Doggett drawled. "I can see that ya got the BS detector cranked to 11."

Scully smiled and lowered her eyebrow.

"Much better. After all, there's no reason to use deadly force, right?"

Doggett grinned winningly at her. Scully returned the grin and her eyes invited him to continue.

"In order for me to speak Spanish, I have to think in Spanish. And I think it's a more poetic language than English, ya know?" Scully nodded marginally.

"And sometimes when I'm translatin', the poetry kinda stays behind. Does that make any kind of sense?"

"Perfect." Scully and Doggett exchanged quick smiles.

"So, I don't wanna be rude or anythin', but what in the hell are you doin' in Mexico City? I haven't heard from you since we all separated out in the desert two years ago. You look your usual self – exceptin' the eyes an' hair, o' course. Have you been okay? Are you all right?"

Scully saw the unasked questions as well – "Where's Mulder?" "Why isn't he here with you?" "Has he been treating you well?" She also saw a reluctance on his part and so decided to edit her conversation to fit the audience.

"Would you like your answers in order or would you just like some general information?" Scully inquired.

Doggett snorted softly. "Whatever ya feel like givin'. Remember, this is your house and I want you to feel comfortable. Okay?"

"Yeah, the poetry. I remember," Scully said. Doggett smiled, nodded and waited for her to continue.

"Listen, could we go somewhere quiet? Maybe get something to eat?"

"Damn! What kinda host am I? Please don't think that livin' here has made me rude. I guess your bein' here has thrown me for a curve and I'm still tryin' to figure out how to swing at the pitch." Doggett's sheepish grin brought an answering smile to Scully's face. "I know just the place. By the way, I'm really curious about something," Doggett said as they walked out the door.

Scully turned an expectant face to him. "We played baseball together?"

Scully laughed happily. "Well, we did share an adventure with a bat, right?"

Doggett's laugh rumbled down the hallway as he closed the door behind them.

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End Part 1

"Memo, como estas esta noche? Y quien es esta divina flor de mujer?"

"Mira, Miguel, te quiero presentar a mi querida amiga, la señorita Catarina San Tomas." Scully looked momentarily confused, but recovered quickly with a genuine smile. Doggett gave the barest of apologetic shrugs as he looked at her.

"Señorita San Tomas, encantada. Bienvenida. It is indeed a rare pleasure to meet a woman as lovely as you." Miguel gallantly took Scully's proffered hand and kissed it.

"Down, boy," Doggett drawled.

"A pleasure, Mr. …" Scully looked at the man patiently.

"Please, call me Miguel. And again I say, welcome." Miguel offered Scully his arm and continued talking to her as he led Scully to a secluded booth.

Doggett trailed behind dutifully. "Memo rarely comes in here with company and he certainly does not come in here with company as beautiful as you."

"So, Miguel, exactly what kind of company does 'Memo' keep?" Scully asked archly.

Doggett could feel the sarcasm in Scully's voice and grinned to himself.

"Ay, señorita. Siempre con los mismos feos. He's always here with those ugly boys on his staff. Once in a while we see the lovely señorita Reyes and sometimes we see La Lilie, but most of the time…feh! We call Memo 'el padrecito' behind his back." Miguel winked at Scully and laughed heartily.

"Que chistozo! Get back to the kitchen and do some actual work, why doncha?"

Doggett tried a stern look with Miguel, but Scully could tell that he was having none of it.

"Memo, in honor of this grand occasion, I will personally prepare the meal. Do you trust me?" Miguel asked.

"Con mi vida," Doggett replied.

"Excelente. Señorita San Tomas, bienvenida a la capital," Miguel said as he kissed Scully's hand once again.

"Gracias, Miguel," Scully said graciously.

"Memo, seremos invisibles," Miguel promised.

"Lo aprecio sinceramente, Miguel," Doggett replied. With a nod, Miguel left for the kitchen.

"Invisible? Are you conducting an investigation without me?" Scully teased.

Doggett colored slightly. "Aww, Dana, ya know it's just Miguel's way of offerin' us some privacy."

"So I gathered. Now how about filling me in on the rest 'Memo'?" Scully asked quietly.

"Ya want it in order or do ya just want a general overview?" Doggett retorted. Scully nodded her head and waited for his reply.

"Hmmm…okay, let's see. First of all, you're sayin' the name wrong. It's 'Memo', with a short 'o'. Spanish don't have long ones, okay? And the name itself? It's short for…"

"I know, John. It's short for William." Scully covered his large hand with her small one. Doggett looked down at their joined hands. "It's okay, really. Monica already told me and I'm totally okay with it. In fact, I appreciate the gesture more than you could ever know."

He nodded and noticed that Scully did not lift her hand from his. "So, just how much has Monica told you?"

Scully finally removed her hand and began speaking in quiet, measured tones. "Well, I know that you and Monica headed here after we split up in New Mexico. And that you and she laid low for a couple of months with her parents while things sorted themselves out. I know that you studied Spanish intensively for six months and I also know that Monica's father helped you get a job with Lilie Montenegro, the famous Mexican singer and actress."

"Shit, Dana, is there anythin' you don't know?" Doggett grumbled.

Scully placed her hand gently on his forearm. "Please don't be angry. Monica and I have been in regular contact since we all separated two years ago. Obviously, you weren't aware of this and I don't know why. She always said you were well and sent your regards. I guess I assumed that you had your reasons for not contacting me directly. After all, we didn't separate in what could be called optimum circumstances, did we?"

"Uh, that would be a big 'Hell, no' wouldn't it?" Doggett retorted. "But I still don't see why Mon wouldn't have told me that you were doin' okay. Jesus, Dana. You'll never know how much I worried about you…" Doggett hesitated and cast his eyes downward. "…two…" How much he wanted to hear her sweet voice he wanted to add, but, ultimately, couldn't.

The waiter interrupted their discussion by bringing the food to the table.

With a slight flourish, he presented the meal. "Huachinango a la veracruzana con arroz."

Doggett nodded. "Red snapper cooked like mama makes it…in the state of Veracruz," he drawled for Scully's benefit. She giggled. "With rice," he added rather unnecessarily since she could see it on the plate. She shook her head and grinned. "Gracias," he said to the waiter. "Todo se ve delicioso."

The waiter smiled and withdrew.

They ate in companionable silence for a while before she continued their discussion. "I'm sorry to have worried you. She must have had her reasons for not telling you. And I never questioned her or asked to speak to you directly. Like I said before, I just assumed you had your reasons for not wanting to talk to me. After all, I was quite the untrusting ice queen that last year in the X-Files, wasn't I?" Doggett looked up at this. "There's no use denying it. My behavior was unconscionable and I can't apologize enough to the both of you for the way I acted."

"I really appreciate that. I can't speak for Monica, but it was pretty rough for me when you refused to let me in on what was happenin'." Scully's eyes watered noticeably. "I thought we'd established a good workin' relationship…maybe even a friendship, ya know? And then, when I could've helped ya…" Doggett's voice trailed off miserably.

Scully's eyes filled completely at this lonely admission. Finally, a tear trailed down her cheek and she grasped his forearm tightly. "Oh, John. I know. I really do know. And I'm so sorry." Doggett's watery eyes gazed forlornly into hers. "You and Monica were my strength that year, though you wouldn't have known it by the way I treated you two." Doggett smiled slightly at this. "I was so caught up in my own problems that I couldn't even see how much you two were suffering on my behalf."

Doggett was acutely aware of her obvious distress. "Hey, s'okay. We did what we had to do – what we wanted to do. We just wish we could've done more – that ya would've let us do more, trust us more." He tentatively covered Scully's small hand with his large one, his thumb soothingly stroking the back of her hand. Somehow he had to make it better for her. She'd suffered so much those years they had been together. He wished desperately that he could offer her some comfort for all that she had lost, for all that she would surely lose in the future. Her liquid eyes shone brilliantly in the dim light of the restaurant. Doggett reached across the small space between them, gently placed his hand alongside her face and wiped away the evidence of the tear with his thumb. Scully's eyes looked sadly into his.

"Perdoname, señor. Necesita algo mas?" Doggett and Scully quickly separated at the sound of the waiter's voice.

"No, gracias. Solamente la cuenta, por favor."

The waiter inclined his head towards Scully."No, señor, no hay cuenta. El señor Miguel dijo que permitirnos ver esa cara es pago bastante."

Doggett laughed out loud and nodded his head. "It sure as shit is. Por favor, dile gracias a Miguel de nuestro parte." Doggett slid out of the circular booth and offered his hand to Scully. Looking slightly puzzled, she accepted Doggett's hand and exited the booth gracefully.

Doggett and Scully looked towards the kitchen and waved when they saw Miguel in the narrow kitchen door window. Miguel inclined his head to them as they continued out of the restaurant.

Doggett was still grinning as they walked arm-in-arm back to the apartment. "Okay, Hotshot. What the hell was that all about?" Scully asked.

"I guess the BS meter don't translate." Scully frowned. "Miguel comped the dinner. Said allowing them to see your face was payment enough." Even in the dim streetlight, Doggett could see the blush on Scully's face. "Hmmm…wonder what we'll get when he sees you without the wig and contacts?" She released his arm to punch him in the shoulder. "Ow! Nice to know that you can still pack a wallop with the best of them," Doggett said as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Yeah, right. How do I know that you're not bs'ing me with the translations?"

Scully asked as she took his arm once again.

"Have I ever lied to you before?" Scully raised the eyebrow. "I mean, after the first time we met?" She smirked. Doggett smiled as he said, "I would never willingly lie to you, of all people. Ya gotta know that by now, right?"

Scully nodded. "Yes, even I know that now. It took me long enough, but, yeah, I do know that."

He rewarded her with a brilliant smile as they approached the apartment building. "So, where you stayin' at? Can I give ya a lift?"

"Actually, this is kind of embarrassing. Can you help me find a place to stay? Preferably close to either you or Monica's parents? They offered to put me up at their house, but it just didn't feel right without her there," Scully explained.

"Hey, I know just the place. How about Casa Doggett?" She looked slightly uncomfortable at his suggestion. "Now before you completely toss out the idea, let me tell ya why it's a good one." Scully relaxed slightly. "You'll be relatively near to the Reyeses so you can see them if ya want and I can act as your guide and translator while you're here in the capital. I got plenty of room and I can get ya a sweet deal on the room rate." Doggett winked, but Scully still looked uncomfortable. "I promise to be on my best behavior," he said quietly.

She stared seriously at him. "Okay, I'll stay with you," she said, "but only if you promise to do normal guy stuff – you know, belch and and swear and sit around in your shorts and scratch your stomach like you usually do."

Doggett's eyebrows climbed high on his forehead before Scully let loose a snort and started laughing. "Oh, come on, don't look so surprised. I've got two brothers. I remember…guy things."

Doggett shook his head and grinned. "Okay, who's the wiseass now? Shit, ya really had me goin' there for a minute." Scully covered her mouth and stilled her laugh to a genuine smile. "So where's your luggage?"

"Actually," Scully admitted guiltily, "they're with the building manager – Raul is it? I was kind of hoping…"

"…that you could stay with me," finished Doggett. "Is that it?" She nodded marginally, refusing to give him the satisfaction of an admission. "Good call, Red."

"Wait just a goddamn minute, Slick." Doggett laughed. "What's this 'Red" crap?" Scully barked.

"Think of it as your baseball nickname. All the good players have one, right?"

"Damn straight. I guess you're right about that 'Dawg'," agreed Scully who did her best to avoid his glare as they walked into the apartment building together.

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End Part 2

"Okay, here's your room. The bathroom is right through there. It should have everythin' ya need." Her eyebrow rose slightly. "Ms. Montenegro's personal staff keeps it stocked just in case." Her eyebrow rose again. "Hey, she sometimes sleeps here when…" Doggett's voice hesitated as he noticed Scully's inclined head. Doggett began again, "Sometimes when it's late she…" Scully waited patiently as the silence seemed to stretch on forever.

Finally, her laugh penetrated the silence. "I'm just messing with you. Remember, Monica and I are in frequent contact and…"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. A ta B ta C. I never stood a chance, did I?" Doggett groused.

"That's a big 'negative', Agent Doggett," Scully smirked.

"Well, let me quit now while I'm so far behind." Scully smiled at this. "Really, though, if ya need anythin', let me know, okay?" Doggett's hand lifted slightly, but then dropped back to his side.

"Thank you." Impulsively, she gave his arm one last brief, reassuring touch before she turned, walked into the room and closed the door behind her.

Doggett gently placed his hand on the door for a moment as if he couldn't quite agree to break contact with her, even through the barrier between them. Catching himself, he laughed at his guilty subconscious, and with a good-natured shake of his head turned towards the living room.

Doggett sighed audibly as he sat down on the leather couch and poured himself one for the road. There was something about Scully's demeanor that worried him. Sure, she was still as beautiful as ever. And even though she had smiled and laughed a lot tonight, he felt that she was carrying the weight of the world on those small shoulders. She had always been so serious during their brief partnership, but there was something different about her now. Doggett wondered if she and Mulder had uncovered something truly horrible – something so bad that she couldn't even tell him if she wanted.

Well, shit, he could do something about that, couldn't he? He'd never presume to talk her out of any quest or crusade, but he could help her relax a bit…maybe make her forget about that weight for a couple of days. He knew about the oppressive weight of the past, the heaviness of an unsettled and uncertain present. Hell, hadn't he felt completely useless the first month he and Monica got here? He felt that he had been standing still waiting for those whatever-the-hell-they-were to corner him and Monica. When it became evident that nobody was interested in them as long as they stayed away from U.S. law enforcement, Doggett accepted the offer of assistance from the Reyes family. He learned the language and made a great living as the head of security for a rich and famous Mexican star. Sure, he missed the U.S., his family and home, but he still had hopes of returning one day. After all, hadn't he been missing Scully with every last little piece of his soul and hadn't he been granted the miracle of not only seeing her but also actually spending time alone with her? The return home didn't seem quite so impossible anymore.

Despite the boogiemen and the conspiracies and the evil, there was still a great deal of beauty and goodness in this world and Doggett was determined to show some of it to her before she had to go back to the trenches. Doggett padded over to the kitchen and grabbed the phone knowing that his call would be answered despite the late hour. "Jose Luis? Soy Memo San Lucas. Si, muy bien, gracias. Necesito tu ayuda, Jose Luis. Tengo una querida amiga de los estados unidos…"

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Doggett woke up feeling better than he had felt in a long, long time. It was as if making the decision last night had freed him somehow. He was now actually looking forward to this time off instead of dreading it as he had before…before Scully's miraculous arrival. And that's the way he looked at it – a miracle. To go from believing that he would never see her again to sharing some time together alone – well, that was a goddamn miracle to him and he didn't want to waste a single second. Doggett nearly jumped out of bed in his eagerness. He shaved, showered and dressed in record time, then went looking for his special guest.

Doggett passed by her room but noticed that she wasn't there. The momentary feeling of panic he experienced dissipated, as he smelled the freshly brewed coffee. Maybe she was in the kitchen. He walked into the kitchen, but she wasn't there either. Well, he thought he might as well grab a cup of coffee while he was there. He poured himself a cup, black and strong, and wondered where she had gone.

Maybe she had ventured outside to get something to eat. After all, Scully was a big girl who had proved herself time and again in tough situations – certainly tougher than trying to navigate a strange city with a strange language. Hell, most of the restaurants around his apartment building had English speakers anyway, so no problem there. Doggett smiled to himself as he thought about Scully. Jesus, she'd hand him his ass wouldn't she if she knew that he thought of her as a girl? Thank God mind reading wasn't one of her skills.

Since he knew that she'd eventually turn up, Doggett headed over to his office to check his email and scan the headlines. He opened the door to discover Scully, without the wig and contacts, sitting at his desk, her hands hovering over the keyboard of a small notebook computer. Doggett's face fell.

"Mornin'. Listen, uh, I'll just come back later…didn't know you were busy…" he said as he turned to leave.

"John…" but he had already closed the door.

Scully finished typing the email, but hesitated before hitting enter. Hitting enter would change things, perhaps irrevocably so. Was she strong enough to do this? More importantly, did she really want to? She was taking a hell of a chance on nothing more than a vague feeling. She felt that she was a fairly intuitive person, but this? It might not have been an exaggeration to say that this decision was on a cosmic level. Her finger was now on the key, but still she couldn't find the strength to push. Then she thought of the man on the other side of the door…thought about his strength of purpose, his innate gentleness, his determination. She hit enter and closed the notebook.

She found him sitting on the couch, staring at the cup sitting on the coffee table in front of him. His elbows were on his knees and his chin rested on his intertwined fingers. To her eyes, he resembled nothing so much as a monk lost in desperate prayer.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," he replied just as softly.

"I'm sorry I was in your office without your permission. I just needed a little privacy for…"

Doggett interrupted her. "It's okay. I shoulda knocked before entering."

"That's ridiculous. This is your house. I should have asked permission."

"Now who's bein' ridiculous? Remember, I said this was your house, too. I'll just be more careful about closed doors, okay?"

"John…"

"Really, it's nothin', okay?" His eyes burned into hers.

"Okay." She swallowed hard. "You didn't really interrupt anything important. I was just…"

"Look, ya don't haveta explain anythin'. I remember from last time – it's none of my business." Doggett's eyes looked downward.

Scully winced. "But it is. I just sent an email to Mulder to let him know that I found you and would be staying with you for a few days. I know it's a little late to ask, but I hope that's okay with you."

Doggett's eyes snapped back up and his face registered genuine surprise. "I…uh…sure, yeah, that's great. I just thought that you were…uh, I mean I assumed that, uh…"

Scully smiled. "You thought that I was coming in here to tell you 'Thanks for dinner and for putting me up for the night, glad to see you're okay but I have to run'. That's what you were thinking right?" She found her answer in his averted gaze and sheepish grin. "Well, partner, you're not getting rid of me that easily. I believe that you said you'd act as my translator while I was here in the capital, right?" He nodded and smiled. "Well, I didn't come here just to catch up on old times. I spent some serious bucks getting here – greased a lot of palms, if you catch my drift. Damned if you're not going to take me to all the tourist traps." Doggett's smile was blinding. She looked around the room, and dissatisfied with what she saw, placed one hand on her hip and held out the other slightly to her side. "By the way, what's a girl gotta do to get something to eat around here?" Doggett laughed, grabbed her by the hand and led her out of the apartment.

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End Part 3

Doggett turned out to be a great tour guide. Not only did he know all the best places, everybody seemed to know him. Shopkeepers, restaurant workers, museum guards, policemen – they all knew Doggett. And it was clear to Scully that they not only respected him, but held him in high esteem as well. She had mentioned this to him, but he brushed it off as it being "all a part of his job". But Scully knew better. Once upon a time, she had been lucky enough to work with him, too. No one could have asked for a more knowledgeable or more compassionate partner.

He took Scully everywhere and every day was a different adventure. Since Doggett's apartment was off the famous Paseo de la Reforma, everything was convenient, or at least as convenient as it could be in a metropolis of around 20 million warm bodies. They ended up going to many of the "touristy" places. ("Hey, ya did ask, ya know," he reminded her.) He took her shopping in the Zona Rosa and they walked all around the Zocalo. They saw Diego Rivera's murals in the National Palace and rode the boats in the floating gardens of Xochimilco. They picnicked among the stands of trees in Chapultepec Park and later visited the National Museum of History located in Chapultepec castle. Towards the end of the week, Scully was beginning to feel that Doggett had taken her to each and every museum in the Distrito Federal.

But he also took her to see the unusual places as well. They visited the painter Frida Kahlo's house in Coyoacan. It was there that Scully learned of the talented artist who had sublimated herself for the love of the equally talented muralist, Diego Rivera. They ventured to the east to see the perpetually snow-capped twin volcanoes, Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl. And they took an entire day to examine the ruins at Teotihuacan. They walked along the Street of the Dead and even ventured to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun. The climb had been arduous but Scully and Doggett had been rewarded with an absolutely magnificent view of the surrounding area.

Doggett recounted legends and explained the history of the area in great detail and with obvious enthusiasm. And in doing so, he confirmed one of Scully's cherished notions about the man. She had always suspected by the number and type of books in his house that he was a closet historian – she was delighted to discover the reality. She spent many an hour that week listening to him and watching his handsome face as he regaled her with his impressive knowledge of the country.

It seemed that everywhere she looked there was beauty to be found. In fact, it felt like Doggett was taking great pains to literally surround her with beauty. The murals in the National Palace, the flowers in the parks and gardens, the incredible architecture, the snow-capped mountains, the dancers in their colorful traditional Mexican costumes…the beauty was almost overwhelming.

Scully's favorite part of each day, however, was the good night ritual that had begun her first night in the capital city. Every night Doggett would take her to her room, tell her to call him if she needed anything and wish her a peaceful night. Every night she would thank him for a wonderful day, assure him of her safety and well-being and tell him that she would see him the next morning. Every night, Scully would close the door behind her. And every night, Doggett would gently touch the door. There were a few times that she thought Doggett would say something different – maybe do something different.

She thought she saw something in those electric blue eyes of his – something that went beyond the normal level of concern and friendship. But, in the end, it always seemed to disappear and be replaced by a slightly sad smile. She wanted so badly to say something to him, to reach up and touch that noble face. But, ultimately, she couldn't and the moment would be lost. And the door would be between them.

On Sunday morning, Doggett woke Scully early and took her just north of the city to a small community by the name of Gustavo A. Madero. Scully was a bit confused until she saw the basilica looming large in front of them. Doggett was taking her to mass at the site of the appearance of the Virgin Mary or the Virgen de Guadalupe as the apparition came to be called. All around them, religious pilgrims "walked" to the basilica on their knees. Even though she didn't understand the language, the mass was the same and she managed to follow it without difficulty. Afterwards, she reflected on the tremendous faith and affection that Mexicans showed to their patroness saint. The thought gave her great comfort and peace.

They returned to the capital for a late breakfast. After the waiter took the order, Doggett turned to look at Scully. "So," he said to her in that rumbly voice.

"So," she echoed softly.

"Has it been a good week? Are you okay? Did we try ta do too much?"

Scully sighed deeply and smiled beatifically. "It has been a tremendous week. Yes, I'm fine and no, we didn't try to do too much." Doggett breathed his own sigh of relief. She ran her fingers along the sleeve of his jacket and looked directly into his eyes. "Really, John, it's been wonderful and I'm so grateful to you for…just everything."

Doggett took a deep breath and steeled himself. "I haven't asked 'cause ya haven't said anythin', but how much longer can you stay?" His eyes looked deeply into hers.

"How much longer would you like me to stay?" she asked softly.

'Forever,' thought Doggett. "Well, I've got one more week of vacation," he said hesitantly.

"What a coincidence," said Scully. "I happen to be free for another week. What do you have in mind?" she teased.

Doggett was beyond happy. "How are your sea legs, Red?" he playfully smirked.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Scully was very curious about their destination; however, Doggett was playing it very close to the vest. "So what should I pack?" she asked loudly from her room.

"Pack lightly. Think tropical," he yelled from his.

'Ha!' thought Scully. She had arrived with very little and had not allowed Doggett to buy her hardly anything, though he had tried on numerous occasions during their travels. ("Not even one goddamn, lousy ceramic painted pigeon? C'mon, Dana!") She laughed at the memory. She ended up re-packing all her meager belongings and was about to close the case when she had a last-minute inspiration. She rushed out to the living room, grabbed the item and threw it in the case.

Doggett chose that moment to walk in. "Ready?" he asked.

She closed the case. "Ready as I'll ever be." They grabbed her bag at the same time. She removed her hand slowly from over his on the handle. "Sorry. Force of habit. I still don't know many gentlemen," Scully admitted.

He laughed. "C'mon, let's go."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

She knew they were heading in an easterly direction, but she still didn't know the destination since they weren't taking a commercial airliner. It was some sort of chartered flight – no doubt another generous gesture from Doggett's employer. "So, to whom do I owe this pleasure?" Scully asked as her arms spread out to take in the cabin's elegant interior.

"It's the boss's," Doggett confirmed. "She left all this stuff at my disposal. Probably hoping that I was actually gonna take a vacation like I said I was gonna do." The tips of his ears turned red and he looked away from her.

"Uh-huh. And your reaction tells me that had I not come down here, you would never have taken this trip. Am I right?" She stared pointedly at him.

He refused to meet her gaze. "Yeah, so what if you are?"

"John, look at me." He continued to stare determinedly out the window.

"John."

The commanding tone of her voice could not be ignored and, in any case, he could never refuse her for long. Doggett turned slowly to look at her.

And in that gaze, she saw not only the truth of her statement, but also the reasoning behind it. There was his loneliness and his vulnerability and his…shame? Was he ashamed of showing his weakness to her? "Hey, partner. I'm not judging. Just teasing, okay?"

Doggett's eyes lit in understanding. He hadn't meant to give so much away, but it looked like she didn't get it. Not all of it, anyway. He breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Yeah, okay." She smiled back and he relaxed visibly. The last thing he wanted to do was to burden her with any of his problems or shortcomings. How could he throw the spotlight back on her? He smiled slyly to himself. "So, how come ya haven't asked where Mon is all this time?" It was Scully's turn to look away. "Hey, partner. Not judging, okay?" "Bastard!" she chuckled and he joined in. "As you've probably figgered out by now, I knew that she would be in Europe with your boss. That you wouldn't let your boss travel out of the country without someone you trusted at her side." He nodded at this. "What I don't get is how you thought Europe would be safe with two unattached beautiful, young women roaming its countryside."

"Shit, you're right! I better get out there now!" Doggett made a motion to get up, but Scully restrained him firmly. He laughed out loud and she smiled back at him. "Actually, from what I was able to gather, they do this almost every year. In fact, I went with them last year." Doggett smiled ruefully at the memory. "And that's why I sent my biggest, ugliest guys along with them."

"Big brother is watching?" Scully raised her eyebrow.

"Siempre en vigilia," Doggett agreed.

"But back to the matter at hand," she said. He focused on her. "She obviously has some trust issues with me…at least where you're concerned." Doggett looked away for a moment, and then returned his gaze to her. "I wanted to see you, but I didn't want to confront her so…" she trailed off uncertainly.

"'s okay. I'm sure she has her reasons and I'm sure you can work out any problems between the two of ya," he said confidently. Scully nodded. "In any case, I'm glad you came."

"Me, too," she said. "So…are we there yet?"

He grinned. "Quit buggin' me and look out the window."

Scully eagerly turned to look and was rewarded with a view of the coast in the not-too-far-off distance. "Oh my God," she breathed. "It's absolutely beautiful!"

"Yeah, this is a beautiful view, but wait 'til we get on the ground. It's almost unbelievable," he said quietly.

"We're going to the Yucatan peninsula, aren't we?" she asked.

"Yeah, ya know it?" he asked.

"Sort of. Mulder and I had a case there once." Doggett nodded ruefully. She noticed this and quickly said, "But this area doesn't look familiar."

"Oh, yeah," he replied. "I remember reading about the case. You guys were investigatin' the disappearance of some American archaeologists, right?"

Scully nodded. "Yeah, well, this place ain't quite so primitive," he grinned.

The pilot's voice came on over the intercom. "Abrochen sus cinturones, por favor."

Doggett fastened his seatbelt and Scully followed suit. She took another look out the window and spied the turquoise waters below. "Oh, yeah," she sighed.

"This looks a hell of a lot better."

Doggett smiled again.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

End Part 4

They were met at the Cancun airport by a relatively tall, lanky young man dressed in khakis and a tropical print shirt. "Mando, como has estado?"

Doggett asked as he put down their bags to shake the young man's hand.

"Bien, señor San Lucas," Mando replied.

"Mando, esta es la señorita San Tomas. Es una compañera mia de los estados unidos," he explained.

"Mucho gusto," Mando replied as he shook Scully's hand.

"Igualmente," she replied uncertainly. She turned to Doggett who gave her an approving look.

"Es todo, señor San Lucas?" Mando asked as he picked up their bags.

"Si, Mando," Doggett replied. "Pero queremos ir a la ciudad antes de ir al hotel. La señorita Tomas necesita algunas cosas."

Scully frowned. "La señorita Tomas doesn't like the sound of this."

Doggett laughed. "Look, in order to uh, fully enjoy the activities I have planned, you're gonna need some stuff." She did not look convinced. "Bottom line? I have the dinero and you ain't got shit in the way of comfortable clothing, okay?" Mando snickered. Scully shot him the eyebrow and he quieted immediately. "You ain't gonna win on this one, trust me."

She thought about the clothing in her bag. Most of it was geared for the cooler weather in Mexico City. She'd probably die if she wore that stuff in this warm climate. Doggett saw the dawn of understanding in her eyes. "Okay, you win – this time," she said warily. He grinned at her. "But you realize I'm going to pay you back, right?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied as they got into the car.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A couple of difficult hours later, they were finally on their way to the hotel.

"Well, that was a helluva lotta fun," Doggett said without enthusiasm.

"If you hadn't tried to buy me everything in sight, we could have been finished much sooner," Scully said primly.

"Quit exaggeratin'," he replied. "I was just tryin' to make sure you had what ya needed."

"Oh, yeah. I needed that evening dress, earrings and necklace," she smirked.

"Hell, I know ya didn't need that stuff, but ya sure did look purty in it," he drawled.

"You can take the boy out of Georgia…" she teased.

"Yeah, all right. Back to the clothes issue…"

"No, Memo, there is no clothes issue." Doggett smiled at the use of his alias. "Trust me. Between my own wardrobe and this little shopping inquisition," he smiled again, "I have enough to get me through the week," Scully said confidently. "By the way, I noticed you packed rather lightly for this week."

"Yeah, well I knew I had to so I'd be able to lug all your shit around," he said snidely.

Scully huffed and raised the eyebrow. "Uh-huh. Yeah, well I noticed your wardrobe wasn't quite complete so I got you this when you weren't looking."

She pulled a small paper bag from one of the shopping bags.

"What the hell is this?" He suspiciously eyed the bag.

"It's what every well-dressed man wears…" she smirked as Doggett pulled out the tank t-shirt. "…face down in the Cancun gutter."

He grinned and shook his head. "Honest to gawd, Dana, I didn't think you had it in ya." He smiled again at the familiar Cancun cautionary tale:
"One tequila,
Two tequila,
Three tequila,
Floor."

She was slightly perturbed at his surprised reaction, but then realized that she had rarely, if ever, shown him her sometimes-wicked sense of humor. She relaxed measurably at being able to share this side of herself with him.

"I think we're both done as toast in the wardrobe department," he stated affably.

"Good. Now I've got a question for you."

"Fire away."

"Why are we driving away from the city and into a…jungle?"

"We're goin' to the hotel, verdad Mando?"

"Si, señor," Mando affirmed.

"Oh, okay, I see," Scully said. "You said it wasn't quite so primitive."

Doggett nodded. "What you're really saying then is that this place is only slightly primitive," she said as she gestured at the thick, tropical foliage. Doggett snickered. "Well, we will be surrounded by a tropical rain forest."

"I knew it! That's why you were trying to push those shorts and hiking boots," she asserted.

"Which you finally accepted, I might add," he rejoined.

"Yeah, well, it's a good thing I did," she said as she continued to look at the jungle on either side of the rather narrow road.

"Ya gotta admit – it is beautiful," he said as he stared at her.

She turned to focus on him. He quickly shifted his gaze past her to the palms lining the road. "Yes, yes it is," she agreed as she continued to look at him.

"Hey, we're getting' close," he said as he touched her arm lightly. "Look straight ahead."

She reluctantly turned her head from him and followed his eyes forward. The road began to widen a bit and there was a clearing in the surrounding jungle. The car drove around a large fountain and went through a gated entrance. Just beyond the entrance lay a small compound of sorts. It reminded her of those small Mediterranean fishing villages that she had often seen in travel brochures. There were groupings of white stucco buildings and the green of the jungle, on a more manicured scale, surrounded the premises.

"God," she breathed, "this is incredible."

"Yeah," he replied as the car slowed to a stop in front of what was clearly the hotel administration building. Doggett got out of the car and went to Scully's side to open the door. She got out slowly and extended her hand to him. He took it and they walked hand-in-hand to the front desk.

The young woman at the desk looked up from her paperwork with a smile. "Señor San Lucas, bienvenido otra vez a Maroma."

"Gracias, Rosalinda. Esta es mi amiga, la señorita San Tomas. Es norteamericana y no entiende mucho español," he explained.

"Bueno, señor San Lucas." Rosalinda turned to face Scully. "Welcome, señorita San Tomas, to Maroma Hotel. We hope you will enjoy your stay with us."

"Gracias," she said shyly, "I'm sure that I will."

"Rosalinda," Doggett said, "puedo hablar con Pilar o Ricardo?"

"Si, señor, inmediatamente," Rosalinda said as she picked up the phone.

"No te molestes, Rosalinda," he said quickly. "Ire a la oficina a verlos."

"Bueno, señor," said Rosalinda. "Necesita algo mas?"

"Por favor, lleva la señorita San Tomas al cuarto," he said.

"Si, como no, señor," said Rosalinda as she nodded to one of the bellmen. She turned once again to Scully. "Señorita San Tomas, Carlos will be taking you to your room." Carlos smiled at her as he picked up the suitcases and bags that Mando had left at the front desk.

Scully looked uncertainly at both Carlos and Doggett. "Listen," Doggett said quickly. "I've got to firm up some plans for our stay. Carlos, here, is gonna take you to the room. I'll join you as soon as I can, okay?"

"I guess I don't have much choice, do I?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Okay, I think I can survive a little while without you," she snarked.

Doggett grinned and gave her hand a squeeze before he reluctantly let it go.

He watched her as she followed Carlos out into the courtyard. 'I will not fuck this up,' he thought to himself. He continued to watch her small form as she walked through the courtyard and only turned to leave when he couldn't see her anymore.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Scully was sitting in the living room of their "room". Only, of course, that it wasn't a room at all. She shook her head in amazement. Their "room" had turned out to be an oceanfront villa with three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a living room, a dining room, a private pool and an open-air terrace complete with hammock and hand-painted tile. Carlos, whose English was decent, explained that the hotel had a combination of 36 rooms, suites and villas.

The furniture and art was made on the premises by the hotel's own artisans and the buildings themselves had been made without the benefit of electricity or machinery. And now, here she was, surrounded by comfort and beauty. She shook her head again and smiled. 'A little less primitive', indeed!

Scully's head turned toward the sound of a key in the lock of the door.

"Hey," said Doggett as he walked through the door.

"Hey, yourself," said Scully from her perch on the sofa.

He noticed that she had closed herself off sitting like a tight, little ball in the corner of the sofa. "Hey," he said again softly, "what's wrong?" He sat in the middle of the sofa, body turned to her. "I thought you'd be down by the beach or maybe walkin' aroun' the grounds."

"I don't know. I think maybe I'm a little overwhelmed by…this place." She hugged her knees even tighter and let her eyes travel over the immensity of the "room" once again.

He brought one leg up in a sort of triangle on the sofa and smiled warmly at her. "Yeah," he nodded, "I was blown away the first time I came here, too." She lifted her head slightly. "Look, Dana, I don't want you to worry about anythin' while we're here, okay?" She unclasped her arms from around her knees and lowered her legs to the ground. He moved closer to her and reached along the top of the sofa to ruffle his large hand through her golden red hair.

Scully sighed deeply. "John, this is all so incredible. And I know this beauty has to come at a price."

"Hey, what did I say 'bout worryin'?" She smiled shyly. "Really, it's all okay. I think you know by now that my boss is a very rich woman. She's also very generous. You just lucked into sharing my bonus is all," he said with a wink and a smile.

"Yes, but there must have been someone else you could have shared all of this with," she said with a hint of distress.

"Dana," he said as he took one of her hands in both of his, "there is nobody else in this crazy world that I would have wanted here more than you…nobody who deserves it more than you." Doggett's eyes shone brightly in the dying rays of the sun.

"Oh, I can think of someone else who deserves it more," she said. "Luckily, he's already here." She smiled happily at him.

His gravelly chuckle filled the silent room. "Great! Now that the First Official Meeting of the Scully and Doggett Mutual Admiration Society is adjourned…" Scully snorted and smacked him playfully. "Whaddaya say we do a little explorin' before dinner?"

She offered her hand in response.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

End Part 5

They awoke early the following morning. They had each taken one of the two smaller bedrooms. The master bedroom, with its huge king-size bed, stood empty and with its door closed – "No Man's Land", Scully thought to herself, then wondered where that thought had come from. She smiled, shook her head and wandered out into the living area.

She found Doggett in the dining room working on a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper. "Good morning," she said.

"Hey, good mornin'," he replied as he put down the paper. "Can I getcha a cup of coffee?"

"Thanks, I'll get it." She made herself the Mexican version of café au lait, café con leche, and sat down next to Doggett. "So, what's the latest?"

"SSDD." Scully smiled. "So you're familiar with the terminology?" he asked with a grin.

"'Same shit, different day'. Yeah, I'm up on most acronyms," she replied.

"I'm a Navy brat, remember?"

"Right, and that's what it's all about today," he said.

"What what's about?" she asked with a puzzled smile.

"Our little trip," he said as he grabbed a Mexican pastry from a tray on the table.

"Our little trip?" she queried. "You're usually not this cryptic," she said as she served herself some fruit.

"I kinda wanted it to be a surprise, but then I want ya to be dressed properly so…"

"Well, then, let's compromise," she said. He nodded. "Do I look okay?" she asked. She was dressed in khaki shorts, a jewel-toned, tropical floral print camp shirt and sandals.

Doggett smiled. "You look beautiful," he said.

Scully smiled back. "Okay, let's try this again." He chuckled. "Am I dressed properly?"

He laughed again. "If you've got a bathin' suit underneath or have one packed, that'll be perfect." Scully grinned. "Oh yeah, you'll probably want some sunscreen and maybe a hat." She nodded and was about to stab a particularly beautiful piece of mango when he broke in, "And a pair of sunglasses, a water bottle, maybe somethin' to read, a change of clothes…"

She cut him off. "Okay, time out Sarge." Now it was his turn to look puzzled. "Are we still talking about a 'little trip' here or are we about to embark on a full-fledged excursion?" she said rather testily.

"I just wanted to see if you were really awake," he said with a smile. She appeared to be only slightly mollified. "The truth?" Scully waited. "Okay, the truth is that we're gonna be in the sun today – a lot – and I wanted to make sure that you'd be protected."

"I should have known," she said. "I got it covered, Sarge. And I guess it wouldn't do me any good to remind you that I am a doctor and am aware of what the sun can do to a redhead like me, would it?" Doggett shook his head. "I thought not," she laughed. "All right, then. I'll prepare myself as best as I can even though I know that you're still going to do your best to protect me. Deal?" She offered her hand across the table.

"Deal!" he said as he took her hand and shook it firmly.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Scully was thrilled to see the little cabin cruiser in one of the many marinas in Cancun. She was even more thrilled to see Doggett release the one-man crew from his duties. Not that they needed the privacy – although that was nice – no, she was thrilled to perhaps have the opportunity to pilot the little ship herself.

"So, would you like to do the honors?" Doggett asked once they were on the cruiser.

"Are you kidding?" She nearly shoved him out of the way to get to the controls.

He watched her a few minutes before going out on the deck. She seemed to know what she was doing and he didn't want to make her nervous by hovering. He pulled up a deck chair and sat down. It looked like it was going to be a great day. She looked happy and that, in turn, made him happy. He sunk down in the chair, closed his eyes and relaxed.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"Hey," she said as she shook him gently. He stirred slowly. "Some First Mate you turned out to be," she chided.

"Damn, where are we?" he rubbed his eyes.

"We are exactly where you said we'd be," Scully smiled. "We've actually been here a little while." Doggett grinned. "You looked so peaceful and relaxed – I hated to wake you up," she said.

"Aww, Dana, I didn't mean to abandon you," he said remorsefully.

"John, you could never do that," she said and felt the truth of that statement. They looked at each other for a long moment before she had to turn her head.

'Man, what a shithead I am. I gotta get things back on an even keel,' he thought then smiled at his choice of words.

"What's so funny?" she asked noticing his smile.

"Me. I'm a funny guy," he smiled.

"Of course you realize that the requisite reply here is 'Looks aren't everything,'" she deadpanned.

They looked at each other a moment and then burst out laughing. "I'd say we were both pretty friggin' hilarious," he managed to get out between laughs. As their laughing subsided, he asked, "What would you like to do now? Fish? Swim? Snorkel?"

"You know what? Since we're anchored here, I'd like to see you fish for a while. Okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, okay," he replied gratefully, feeling that a small disaster had been averted.

Scully pulled up a lounge chair. Before she made herself comfortable, she wanted to make sure she didn't get too fried. She pulled off her shirt and shorts to reveal a turquoise bikini. "Hey, would you mind helping me out with some sun block if I promise to do the same for you?" she asked.

Doggett, who had been working with the fishing gear, grinned and turned to look at her…and almost skewered himself with a large fishing hook. In all his most cherished dreams and fantasies of Scully, he had never imagined that the reality would be so incredible. She looked so perfect and beautiful to his eyes that his heart gave a little lurch as he struggled to control his breathing. "Sure, lemme get that for ya," he said as he took the bottle of sunscreen from her hand. "Why don't ya turn around?"

She smiled and did as she was told. "Thanks." He gently rubbed the lotion on her shoulders while she quickly moved her hair out of the way. 'Oh, my God,' she thought as he continued his task, 'he has the most gentle touch.' She closed her eyes, relaxed and sighed contentedly.

He continued to rub the sunscreen on her, careful to remain neutral in thought and touch. 'ShitshitSHIT! I've got to control myself…I can't let her know what I'm really feeling.

Okay…Alaska…glaciers…penguins…iceberg…Antarctica…Antarctica in the dead of winter…' he recited over and over to himself as he tried to complete his task. When he heard her chuckle, his hands stopped. "Ticklish?" he asked.

She turned her head slightly and replied, "No. But I can hear you muttering 'iceberg' under your breath. Care to explain?"

His hands resumed their duty as he conveniently ignored the question. She gave another small laugh and went back to quietly enjoying his touch. His hand moved to the small of her back and he let his eyes drift to what was immediately below. 'Jeez-us, look at that beautiful ass, so small, so perfect…so…'

"ICEBERG!" he blurted out.

"Mmmm?" Scully purred. "Is this a 'Titanic' thing with you?"

Again he chose to ignore her dig. "All done," he said, the relief evident in his voice.

She mentally shook herself from her relaxed state. "I believe it's your turn, sir. If you'd please take off your shirt we can proceed," she said in her best clinical tone.

"Yes, Dr. Scully," he said as he shrugged off his shirt. He began his "cold" mantra again as he felt her small hand on his back. 'Alaska…glaciers…her small perfect hand…penguins…rubbing the cool lotion…iceberg…Antarctica…this oughtta be illegal…'

It had been a long time since she'd seen him without his shirt. She smiled as she saw those freckles on his powerful shoulders. When she first saw them, she had thought them a little incongruous – a boyish feature on so obviously masculine a man. Now – well, they were exactly what they had been all along – adorable. She smiled secretly to herself as she continued to apply the sunscreen, her hands slowly taking the time to make sure they covered every square inch. 'For the sake of his health, of course,' she said to herself. He had a beautiful back – muscular without being bulky. 'Actually,' she thought, 'he is beautiful and I'm enjoying myself thoroughly without his knowledge'. She stopped suddenly. "All done," she said somewhat guiltily. She quickly sat back in the lounge chair and put on a hat and sunglasses.

"Thanks," he said. "You mind if I leave the shirt off? I think I might be more comfortable without it."

"Of course…you don't even need to ask," she replied.

"Thanks," he said softly as he turned to his fishing tackle.

Behind her sunglasses, she felt free to resume her guilty pleasure and examine Doggett more closely as he prepared to fish. He really was wonderful to look at – all hard edges and muscles. His chest was as beautiful as his back. He had well-developed pectorals and didn't have much in the way of chest hair. His abdomen was flat and it, too, was nearly hairless. She noticed a few scars below his waist – shrapnel scars? – and several large ones on his legs. Scully felt sick to her soul. Were these his "souvenirs" from Lebanon?

"John, would you mind if I asked you some questions about your time in Lebanon?" she asked quietly.

"I was kinda wonderin' when you were gonna bring it up," he said matter-of-factly as he sat back in the chair and cast his line. "Most people are curious the first time they see the tattoo."

"Actually, this isn't the first time I've seen it," she said. He looked slightly puzzled. She smiled at his look. "I saw it back in Idaho." He still wore the puzzled look. "When the EMTs cut your shirt off, I butted in to examine your wounds," she explained reticently. He nodded, finally understanding. "I never asked about it then because I didn't know you at all and didn't want to intrude. And," she paused significantly, "I had other things on my mind, not the least of which was if you'd survive the attack."

Doggett huffed at this admission. "If you don't want to talk about it, I'll understand completely."

"Naw, 's okay," he said as he cast his line again. "Whaddaya wanna know?"

"What do you remember about that day?" she asked quietly.

"To tell you the truth, not much," he said as he kept his focus on the horizon. "I was still asleep like most everybody else when it happened. When I woke up again, I was in a military hospital – and in a helluva lotta pain." Even though he wasn't looking at her, Scully nodded. She sat upright, removed her glasses and moved towards Doggett to stand behind him. "Let me tell ya, I was glad for the pain…I welcomed it for all those guys who couldn't feel it anymore," he said calmly. She moved closer to him and tenderly placed a hand on his shoulder. He reached up to cover it momentarily with one of his never once taking his eyes off the horizon. "Sometimes I think I can see the explosion, feel the concrete crushing me, hear my friends' screams…then my mind tells me that it's just my imagination tryin' to even things out…me tryin' to feel what they must have felt. Ya know, I sometimes wonder why I got lucky…why me and not one of those other 241 men?" he said almost to himself.

"I don't have an answer for you, John," she said "but I believe we all have a role to play in this life. You're a brave, strong and decent human being who has helped thousands…"

He shook his head and interrupted. "Thousands? Don't exaggerate, Dana. Ya got the wrong guy."

She continued as though she hadn't been interrupted. "Thousands," she said with great emphasis. "The people of Boston owe you a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid." Doggett started to shake his head, but a gentle hand on his cheek stopped the movement and he finally turned to look at her. She lowered herself to an almost kneeling position by his chair. "I'm not going to let you get away with that bullshit again, Agent Doggett," she said tearfully. He smiled his crooked grin. "You saved my life and that of my child and you reunited me with my partner…my former partner," she amended carefully. Doggett wondered at this but kept his face neutral. She looked at his strong angular features and suddenly saw something else, too. "You're an extraordinary man and to me, you're a gift from God. And I know this is terribly selfish, but I'm so very glad that you're here in this world now."

She reached up and kissed his forehead.

He smiled and patted her arm. "The fish aren't bitin' here. What say we pull up anchor and just ride around a little while?"

"Sounds like a plan," she said with a smile of her own. She stood up and headed towards the cabin.

His eyes followed her the short distance to the cabin before she disappeared from sight. He took one more look at the far-off horizon, and then began packing the fishing tackle.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

They spent the next few days exploring the nearby Mayan ruins at Kabah, Uxmal and Tulum and they climbed the beautiful pyramid at Chichen Itza. In between trips to the ruins, they cooled off by swimming in the cenotes, the natural limestone wells unique to the Yucatan peninsula. Time and again, Doggett proved to be a superb guide, amazing Scully with his thorough knowledge of the Mayan culture.

On the final full day of their stay, they decided to trek through part of the adjacent 300-acre rainforest jungle. Scully was amazed and delighted by the incredible biodiversity of the rainforest. Everything was so green and so lush – she couldn't ever remember seeing so many different types of plants and flowers. There were many different animals as well. Small monkeys swung through the canopy of trees and there were reptiles crawling around the jungle floor. Bright, jewel-colored parrots cackled and yelled on tree branches and smaller birds as brightly colored as their larger cousins flittered everywhere. Scully surreptitiously stole glances at her companion throughout the day and noticed that he did not seem to be enjoying the expedition as much as she was. Instead of observing their surroundings with an appreciative eye, he seemed to be casing the joint looking for potential problems.

Late in the day, Scully decided to follow the sound of the ocean. She seemed to have an unerring instinct for the sea and they soon found themselves on the cliffs that surrounded the property. They sat down and looked at the vast expanse of turquoise water before them.

After a few minutes of wind-tossed serenity, Scully noticed that Doggett still did not look relaxed. "Agent Doggett," she ventured, "do you ever go off duty?"

"Shit," he said, "am I that obvious?"

"Maybe not to an untrained observer," she said soothingly. He smirked. "Well, okay, maybe them, too," she agreed.

He looked down at his hands for a moment before lifting his head and looking directly at her. "I'm the oldest of five – two brothers and two sisters. As long as I can remember it was 'John, take your brother here, take your sister there. Make sure they don't get into trouble. After all, it's your responsibility as the oldest to take care of them.' He shook his head ruefully at the memory of his parents' admonishments. "Most of the time, I took my duties seriously. They were a royal pain in the ass, my brothers and sisters, but I loved 'em anyway, ya know?" She nodded and smiled.

"One summer day – I couldna been more than nine or ten – I was on my way out to my favorite creek when my mother stopped me. 'Jackie, take your sister with you and whatever you do, take care of her. I don't want to hear about any problems between the two of you.' Hell, I thought I was too old for that crap and I sure as hell didn't want to be saddled with my five year old little sister." Scully nodded at the familiar-sounding story. How many times had Bill been asked to take care of tagalong baby sister? She secretly smiled.

"We got down to the creek and I told her to do whatever she wanted 'cause I was gonna be very busy catchin' tadpoles. I'd look up every once in a while to make sure she hadn't drowned or nothin' but, generally speakin', I wasn't payin' attention to her and she was keepin' pretty quiet just wadin' in the water and lookin' at the tadpoles and minnows." He looked down at his hands again and said, "Another good long while passed before I thought to look again at my sister. When I finally did, I saw a long, brown branch close by Cherie's foot. And then that long, brown branch started to move and I knew it was trouble."

"A snake?" she asked.

"A snake," he confirmed as he looked up at her again. "And not just any snake, but one of the most poisonous in all the South – a water moccasin or cottonmouth as it's sometimes known. And there it was, by my sister's foot."

He looked at her, all his fear conveyed in his eyes. She saw his discomfort and took one of his hands in one of hers. He smiled and gave her hand a little squeeze, grateful for the comfort. "Let me tell ya, I'd never been so scared in my life. All I could see was my mother's face cryin' and tellin' me how disappointed she was with me." Scully's thumb rubbed back and forth on the back of his hand.

"My mind's a little fuzzy on what happened next, but I do remember that I ran over to where she was standin', picked her up like a goddamn football, tucked her under my arm and ran like hell. And I didn't stop runnin' 'til I was back on our front porch. She was cryin' – I'm pretty sure I had scared the shit outta her – and I remember beggin' her to calm down or else Ma would never let us play together again."

She smiled. "She quieted down quickly, didn't she?"

"Yeah," he said. "How'd you know?"

"Because that would have calmed me down. I would have done anything to make sure that I could keep playing with my big brother Bill. Anything," she replied knowingly.

Doggett smiled. "I guess Cherie felt the same way. I also made her promise not to tell Mom or Dad what had happened. She really wasn't aware of why I had panicked, so she agreed pretty quickly." He chuckled quietly and shook his head. "Jesus, we were so goddamn lucky. To this day, I don't know why that snake didn't strike." He sighed deeply. "I hadn't really thought about it, but I guess that was the beginnin' of my protective streak. It took a near disaster like that to make me aware of how important my job was…how things could go sour so quickly just by my not payin' attention."

Scully withdrew her hand from his and placed it on his cheek tenderly. "But, John, don't you feel that sometimes you take this protector role a little too far? You can't always be there for everybody."

He smiled ruefully. "I know that, but I can sure as hell be there for the people I lo…care for," he stumbled.

She looked at him thoughtfully. "All right, then. Let's head back and have dinner on the beach tonight, okay?" He nodded and smiled. "We'll drink a toast to adrenaline and…Boy Scouts," she said with a grin. He laughed heartily as he stood up and offered her a hand. She accepted it and didn't let go as they walked along the path at the edge of the cliffs.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

End Part 6

Doggett began packing for the trip back to Mexico City. It wasn't much, but he preferred to get it done tonight rather than wait until the morning. He hadn't asked, but he had a feeling Scully might want to spend their remaining time on the beach. And he wanted very badly to give her that opportunity. She seemed to love the ocean so much. He had noticed during this past week that her face turned to it whenever possible. How often had he seen her stand perfectly still in the gently lapping waves, close her eyes and just inhale the ocean breezes with the slightest of smiles on her beautiful face? Maybe she'd like to do that again before they had to leave. He sighed heavily and resumed his task.

"Crazy...I'm crazy for feelin' so lonely
I'm crazy...crazy for feelin' so blue…"

'Why that sneaky little shit,' he thought affectionately. 'She musta snuck that CD outta the apartment when I wasn't lookin'.' Was it really only two weeks ago that he been crying in his tequila lamenting the fact that he would never see the love of his life again?

"I knew you'd love me as long as you wanted
And then someday, you'd leave me for somebody new."

His heart staggered a little at the realization. That's what she was, wasn't she? Sure, he had loved Barbara…hell, he would always love her a little – she was the mother of his beloved son. But Scully was different. The lightning bolt had fucked him over good and proper, hadn't it? Was it as far back as that goddamn cup of water in his face?

"I'm crazy for tryin', and crazy for cryin'
And I'm crazy for lovin' you"

And despite everything – the distrust, the biting sarcasm, the little thing of having another man's child – everything…he still loved her with all his heart. Rationally, he knew that it was human nature to find someone new to love, but his goddamn traitorous heart told him otherwise. He released a sad sigh and decided to look for her and see if she needed help with anything.

He passed by the large master bedroom with its closed door. He couldn't hear anything going on behind the door and assumed that she had not had a reason to go inside. He then went by her room, but she wasn't there either. The only thing in the room was her suitcase that was sitting in the middle of the bed.

"I fall to pieces,
Each time I see you again."

He walked a few paces more and finally saw her outside on the terrace. He shook his head and smiled. Of course she'd be out there trying to commune with the ocean for as long as she possibly could. Since her face was turned to the ocean, he took the time to study her unobserved.

"I fall to pieces
Each time I see you again.
I fall to pieces,
How can I be just your friend?"

The almost-full moon bathed everything in a kind of silvery glow. Scully, who was dressed totally in white, looked like an alabaster statue perched as she was on the whitewashed terrace wall. He wasn't surprised to see her sitting on the wall – sitting on the patio chairs wasn't close enough to her beloved ocean. Her eyes were closed and he noticed that her mouth was set in the slight smile – her "ocean smile" as he had come to think of it. The only discernible movement besides her windblown hair was the gentle rise and fall of her chest. She looked incredibly beautiful and Doggett knew that he would hold this memory of her in his heart forever.

He knew something else, too. He knew that he could not let another moment go by without telling her how he felt about her. There had always been a reason not to tell her – she was emotionally distraught over her partner's disappearance, she was emotionally distraught over her partner's death, she was emotionally distraught over her partner's rebirth, she was emotionally distraught over her partner's departure – it was always something. And there was also the slight problem of her being in love with said partner. There was no way in hell that he was going to interfere in that relationship.

But something had changed his way of thinking these last two weeks. He had seen a "different" Scully. She was still beautiful and cryptic, but she was also funny, relaxed and so, so strong. He almost couldn't believe how strong she was. She seemed to have an inner serenity that she didn't possess before…like she had discovered something important about herself and the world around her. She was almost happy, though he suspected that she would always have that air of sadness touching her.

But it was the strength and inner serenity that called to him. He felt that he could tell her everything without adding to her burden. And he knew that it wouldn't be welcome, but that finally, it wouldn't be unwelcome either.

"He tells me over and over,
That he loves me so.
He gives me love that I never got from you,
He loves me too,
His love is true,
Why can't he be you?"

He moved closer to the terrace archway. "Hey," he called out to her. She turned her head to face him.

"Hey," she replied softly.

"Pretty light with those fingers aren't ya?" he teased. She looked puzzled for a moment, and then flashed a slightly guilty smile. "I fell in love with it last week – I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not. In fact, I want ya to have it. You never did let me buy you a souvenir," he said wistfully.

Scully looked uncharacteristically sad. "Thanks," she said.

"And he does all the things,
That you would never do,
He loves me too,
His love is true,
Why can't he be you?"

"John, why don't you come out here and join me?" she asked.

"'Cuz I can't right now," he paused and took a breath. "I wanna tell ya somethin' – somethin' important to me. I don't wanna lose my nerve and I'm afraid that if I get any closer to you, that's exactly what's gonna happen," he said nervously.

"I thought you weren't afraid of anything?" she teased.

"Maybe I finally found somethin' that scares me," he replied seriously.

"Now you're worrying me, John. What's this about – what's scaring you?"

"Dana, I gotta tell ya this, but I don't know how to do it," he said as he looked at her beautiful concerned face.

"Why don't you just say it? That's one thing, John – I've never known you to be reticent," she said with a gentle smile.

"If you've got leavin' on your mind,
Tell me now,
Get it over,
Hurt me now,
Get it over,
If you've got leavin' on your mind."

He chuckled. "No, I guess not," he replied. She smiled and waited. "These last two weeks have been a couple of the best weeks of my life..." He looked down and then raised his eyes to her. "Dana,…".

'Shit, now what?' he thought to himself as he looked nervously between his feet and her face. He could tell her that he'd noticed a change in her demeanor – that she appeared to be stronger, more sure of herself. He could tell her how he hated the thought of her going through friggin' eternity not knowing how he really felt about her. He could tell her about a million different things, but what in the hell could he say to her that wouldn't sound stupid or ridiculous? Doggett knew his face was a roadmap of his inner turmoil, but he noticed that Scully was still patiently waiting for him to reach his ultimate destination. He looked helplessly at her and she smiled encouragingly at him in return. And then, suddenly, there it was – the truth as he knew and felt it. The only thing he could possibly say.

"I love you." He smiled as he said this, but his eyes were swimming with tears.

Scully's eyes were mirrors of his own. For what seemed like an eternity she said nothing, though her face said everything. Surprise, to be sure. But there was something else there that he wasn't expecting. Hope.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" she said as she stood and moved closer to him.

"Because I knew it wouldn't be welcome. Because I knew it wasn't his love. Because I knew that I could never be him in your eyes."

"And now?" she almost whispered.

"Now? Now I know that you're strong enough to take on this extra knowledge. Now I know that this knowledge won't be a burden to you." He paused and took a deep breath. "Now I finally realize that I don't haveta be him to offer you my love." The tears that had been swimming in his eyes moments before now fell freely.

Scully moved again to stand right in front of him. She carefully reached in an upward motion to cup his handsome face in her small hands. Carefully, she wiped away the traces of his tears with her thumbs.

"I've been so wrong,
For so long,
Thought I could live without the love that you give,
I was wrong,
Oh, so wrong."

"Let's dance, shall we?" Her hands moved to place his on her hips just below her waist. After she had positioned his hands comfortably, she moved hers to clasp around his neck. Since he seemed to be frozen, she began to sway back and forth. He finally got the message and began to move her around the floor.

After the barest of moments, she pulled his head down for a gentle kiss.

Doggett was so surprised he kept his eyes open. She pulled back for a moment, looked into his surprised eyes, smiled and said, "You know, this would be more satisfactory if I could have your total participation." She pulled his head down and began to kiss him again. He hesitated slightly, then began kissing her with all the love he had in his soul.

"I've been so wrong,
For so long,
I didn't know that I loved you so,
I was wrong."

She broke the kiss to catch her breath. "God, I knew it would be good, but that was…"

"Satisfactory?" he smirked.

"Yeah, satisfactory," she agreed.

"Well, I never knew I could want you, darlin', oh so much, Now that you're gone, I dream of you and your sweet touch."

"Dana, I gotta know…"

"I was hanging on to Mulder for all the wrong reasons, but I couldn't let go until I admitted them to myself and to him. For the longest time I was so afraid, so weak…". Doggett touched her cheek. She turned her face to kiss his palm. "In any case, I finally got to where I needed to be. We had many long discussions this past year about our feelings for each other…for our lives together." She hesitated slightly before continuing. "I'll always love him and I know that he loves me in his way but I came to realize that I couldn't and didn't want to live life on the run anymore and told him so." Scully shook her head ruefully. "You know, to this day, I don't know if he really understood me – really understood that I was leaving for good one way or another. I don't even know if he understood any of the conversations we had. Not even after my email."

"Ya mean that mysterious email you sent from my apartment?"

"Yes, the very same," she admitted. "I told him I was in love with you and wouldn't be coming back if you gave me even the slightest indication that you reciprocated my feelings."

Doggett looked incredulous. "Yeah, I know…I was pretty surprised myself." He began to release her, but she held him even closer. "Not surprised that I loved you – since you're so very easy to love – surprised that I was strong enough to tell him that I wasn't coming back, not even if you rejected me." He smiled and kissed her cheek.

They danced for a few more moments before she suddenly stopped in front of the massive closed door of the master bedroom. She broke from Doggett's embrace and opened the door wide. She took his hand in hers and began walking through the doorway. "Oooh, look John, mosquito netting…" He hesitated.

Scully looked at him tenderly. "I wonder how 'La Lilie' feels about personal physicians…"

Doggett smiled, picked her up and carried her the rest of the way into the room.

"But I've seen the light,
Darlin' I'll make it right,
I was wrong."

Fin

Artists: Chad Kroeger, J. Scott
Song: Hero
CD: Spider-Man Soundtrack

I am so high
I can hear heaven
I am so high
I can hear heaven
No heaven, no heaven don't hear me

And they say that a hero can save us
I'm not gonna stand here and wait
I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles
Watch as they all fly away

Someone told me love will all save us
But how can that be, look what love gave us
A world full of killing, and blood-spilling
That world never came

And they say that a hero can save us
I'm not gonna stand here and wait
I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles
Watch as they all fly away

Now that the world isn't ending, it's love that I'm sending to you
It isn't the love of a hero, and that's why I fear it won't do

And they say that a hero can save us
I'm not gonna stand here and wait
I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles
Watch as they all fly away

And they're watching us
(Watching Us)
As they all fly away