That Mirror Was Modest Productions - 'Fox & Rat'
Title: No Fate But What We Make
Written by: Cassie
Summary: Another day at the FBI.
Spoilers: None.
Disclaimer: I do not own John Doggett, Monica Reyes, Fox Mulder, Alex Krycek, Dana Scully, Walter Skinner, or Marita Covarrubias. They belong to Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions, and 20th Century FOX Broadcasting. Robert Alfredo belongs to me and my partner in crime, Kristi.


FADE IN:

INT. JANITOR'S LOUNGE - FBI BASEMENT - 3PM

Doggett sits at a table, taking a short break from a hard day at work. You know, the usual Mulder and Krycek "pranks", Scully moping around not being any help, Monica smirking at him...

Doggett sighs heavily and pops a grape into his mouth. Then the expected happens. Someone comes in and disturbs the peace and quiet.

MONICA
(off screen)
John? I've been looking all over for you.

DOGGETT
I was gettin' away from everyone.

She takes a seat across from him and takes a grape from his plastic bag and eats it.

MONICA
So. A.D. Skinner called our office.
He wants to speak with you and
Agent Scully ASAP. (beat) Dana went
up there about seven minutes ago.

Doggett stands up and puts his plastic ziplock bag into the mini fridge.

MONICA
This lounge is missing something...

Doggett leaves the room before Monica can get into a ridiculous "feelings" discussion.

Once he's in the hallway, we see Mulder fall out of his office and to the ground. He lies there in pain, chanting "owie, owie, owie". Doggett steps over him as he heads toward the elevator.

After he is gone...

Krycek comes out of his, Mulder's and Scully's office, he looks upset. He glares down at Mulder.

KRYCEK
Can you believe that? You could
have been dying and he stepped
over you like you were dog crap.
Agent Doggett is a heartless man.

Mulder sits up.

MULDER
Don't speak that way about John.
He is a Super Buddy, and
all Super Buddies have to love
one another.

Monica emerges from the Janitor's Lounge. The boys spot her.

MULDER
(stands)
Monica! You've known John a long
time. Is he a "heartless man"?

MONICA
Depends on who you ask.

KRYCEK
We're asking you.

MONICA
John has a lot of heart for others,
but he's afraid to show it.

KRYCEK
Say for instance one of us may
be dying, and he ignores that
person and steps over him and leaves.

MONICA
Then I'd say, Johnny has his mind
occupied with something else even
more tragic than any of our deaths.

Mulder and Krycek are suddenly concerned.

MONICA
However, he knows you two have been
pulling pranks all day, so I'm guessing
whatever you were doing when he passed
you was going to end up-

KRYCEK
(excited/interrupting)
- Stupid and immature?!

MULDER
(excited)
Yeah Buddy!

Monica excuses herself and returns to her's and Doggett's office. She sits down at her desk and pushes a daisy in a vase into a more pleasing position.

Inspired by her feeling that the Janitor's Lounge is missing something, she stands up and leaves her office.

CUT TO:

EXT. SKINNER'S OFFICE

Doggett enters and sees that Kim (secretary) is not there to let Skinner know he has arrived. Doggett walks up to Skinner's office door and is about to knock on it, but:

SKINNER
(off screen)
What is it with you lately? I mean,
one day you're the Dana I fell in
love with, the next (beat) it's as if
I don't even know you!

SCULLY
(quiet/calm - off screen)
I'm not the same person that you
met and fell in love with-

SKINNER
(interrupting/off screen)
- What?! What do you mean by that?

SCULLY
(getting more worked up/off screen)
Oh you know very well what I mean...

Doggett is now sitting on the couch, waiting for a better moment to arrive. He feels guilty about evesdropping, but he knows so little about the Scully/Skinner relationshp that he can't help but listen in.

INT. SKINNER'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Scully and Skinner are standing in front of the desk arguing.

SCULLY
We've been on and off for about
eighteen years, the reason you
became "interested" in me was because
of the Group, I'm still doubtful that
you love me after what I learned last year-

SKINNER
- Dana...

SCULLY
My point is we've both changed...
and maybe we should seriously rethink
our future together and whether that's
what we really want.

Scully takes her eyes off Skinner as she sits down in front of his desk. It's very awkward for them at the moment, so much has changed in the past few years, nevermind the fact they died and were given a second chance to do things right.

SCULLY
(quiet)
You know, we've been through it all,
yet somehow we managed to be faithful
to eachother the whole time. At least
we'll have that to say about our relationship...

Uncomfortable, Skinner rubs the back of his neck and lets out a nervous cough. He's about to respond to her statement, but Doggett knocks on the door and opens it after a beat. He pokes his head in.

DOGGETT
Your secretary wasn't at her desk.
Agent Reyes said you wanted to
speak with me.

Skinner motions for him to come in and take a seat. Scully keeps her head lowered.

CUT TO:

INT. ROBERT ALFREDO'S OFFICE - 5TH FLOOR - 3:30PM

Robert is at work, typing up a case report. There's a knock on his door, he looks up to see Monica standing in his doorway. He's so surprised at this unexpected visit by one of the FBI's most beautiful agents, he doesn't know what to say.

MONICA
Agent Alfredo, I was wondering if you'd
like to come downstairs for a little game
of double "O" seven on playstation.

Alfredo wipes the stupid expression off his face and leans back in his chair, crossing his arms across his chest.

ALFREDO
Don't agents of the x-files division
have better things to do with their time?

MONICA
No, not really. You should really hang
out down there sometime. That way you
can see for yourself what the FBI's
most unwanted division goes through every
day. (beat) So you wanna come?

ALFREDO
How'd you find my office?

MONICA
I have my ways, plus I think
I may be psychic.

He gives her a weird look.

MONICA
Ok, I'm kidding about the psychic part.
(beat) Come on, take a fifteen minute and
keep me safe from Agents Mulder and Krycek.

Alfredo saves what he is working on and goes with her.

ALFREDO
Aren't Agents Scully and Doggett
enough to protect you from them?

MONICA
(laughs)
Oh no. I need a real man to protect me...

Oh my God! Is she flirting with him?! A goofy smile appears on Alfredo's face at that thought.

CUT TO:

INT. SCULLY/MULDER/KRYCEK'S OFFICE - 3:38PM

Mulder and Krycek are in the middle of the office. Mulder is blindfolded and has a piece of fabric stuck on a tack in his hand. Krycek is spinning him around in place. Once Mulder is good and dizzy, Krycek faces him toward... drum roll please ... a surveillance image they printed out on a large piece of paper, of Deputy Director Kersh's ass.

KRYCEK
(to Mulder)
Remember, pin the butt hair
on Deputy Director Kersh's butt.

Mulder puts his arms out like a zombie and approaches the image.

In the hallway, Krycek hears Monica and Alfredo trying to quietly pass their office, he pokes his head out and watches them go into the Janitor's Lounge... hmmm... what is afoot at the FBI?

Behind Krycek, Mulder has stumbled about and is heading straight for Krycek. We see him lift the blindfold to see where he is going (the little cheater!). Mulder takes aim at Krycek and sticks the tack in his behind. Krycek yelps.

MULDER
Ha! Ha! I finally got you!

Krycek headlocks Mulder and gives him a noogie.

As we leave them, we exit to the hallway and work our way into the Janitor's Lounge.

Monica and Alfredo are hooking up the Playstation so they can play games.

MONICA
You're doing it wrong.

ALFREDO
How do you know, you said
you never played one of these before.

MONICA
(lying)
I haven't. I just know a lot
about technology stuff.

ALFREDO
Stuff?

Monica squats down next to him and starts fooling around with the wiring. Behind them Mulder and Krycek secretly enter, as the soundtrack theme to "The Pink Panther" starts playing.

Mulder mouths off "ready?" to Krycek and Krycek smiles oh so devilishly.

MULDER
GET HIM KRYCEK!

Krycek grabs the back of Alfredo's pants and lifts him off the ground as much as he can. Alfredo is getting the FBI's biggest wedgie to date. Mulder and Krycek are laughing.

Monica turns around to see what is going on.

MONICA
(appauled)
Agents!

Krycek drops Alfredo to the ground and stops laughing.

KRYCEK
We were just about to ask him where
our "Hawaiian Bunny" video is.

MULDER
(to Alfredo)
Where's our video? It seems
you've had it for years.

ALFREDO
(from ground)
You know what, there have been
a good many times that I was going
to return it, but then you'd do
something mean to me, so I didn't.

KRYCEK
That has nothing to do with it.

ALFREDO
No. That has everything to do with it.

Alfredo stands up and Krycek gets up in his face, pissed off.

KRYCEK
Look, Alfredo, you don't want me
mad at you. I can get away with many
things. I don't think you want your
death to be what gets us our video back.

Doggett coughs from behind Krycek, he has heard the whole "death threat". This cough shuts Krycek up.

Doggett and Scully enter, they don't look happy with what is going on.

DOGGETT
Agent Krycek, I think you need to
get back to work. A.D. Skinner
expressed some concern about your
lack of participation in this division.
I don't think you can afford to lose this job.

Krycek and Mulder leave, their heads hanging low. Doggett is right, they don't want to get stuck with another "Adopt A Highway" assignment.

SCULLY
(to Monica/different topic)
I hope you two are getting things
accomplished. At least some couple
should be happy around here.

Alfredo gets embarrassed, Scully knows that he likes Monica. Scully winks at them and then leaves.

MONICA
(to Doggett)
Is something wrong with her?
She seems really down.

DOGGETT
I overheard her and A.D. Skinner
arguing. Guess it has something
to do with that. (beat) Anyway,
what are you two up to?

ALFREDO
Setting up to play video games.

Doggett "senses" there is something more to this story, especially since Monica is involved.

DOGGETT
Well, I'll let you be, but
keep it a short break. Skinner
isn't in the best of moods.

Doggett leaves them. Alfredo gives Monica a look.

ALFREDO
See why I don't hang out down here.

MONICA
I can't believe you take that kind
of crap from those boys. Can't you
stand up for yourself?

ALFREDO
I can stand up for myself.

MONICA
Is that why you kept quiet when
Agent Doggett came in and saved
your butt?

ALFREDO
No one gave me a chance to do anything.

MONICA
No kidding.

Monica rolls her eyes, she can't believe this is the same Robert Alfredo she knew when she was here when everyone else was dead.

MONICA
(under breath)
You weren't this way last time...

ALFREDO
What?

MONICA
Nothing. I just think you need
to stand up for yourself. You
have it in you.

Suddenly Alfredo looks confident.

CUT TO:

INT. DOGGETT/REYES' OFFICE

Scully is seated at Monica's desk, dazing off into space, consumed by her own thoughts. Doggett enters the room with his back of grapes.

DOGGETT
(holds out bag)
Grape?

SCULLY
No thank you Agent Doggett.

Doggett sits at his desk. He has nothing to do. He looks around searching for anything to keep him occupied. The more time that passes and he hasn't found anything to do, the more he thinks of his evesdropping and feels more and more guilty about it. He shouldn't have listened into a personal discussion of Scully's.

SCULLY
(out of the blue)
Do you believe in fate, Agent Doggett?

She looks up to him.

DOGGETT
I believe in a person's ability to
create the situations they get into,
and that we chose the people we
surround ourselves with.

SCULLY
What I mean is, is it fate that decides
all of that for us, even though we think
we control it for ourselves?

DOGGETT
(hesitates for a beat)
Is this about your arguement
with Skinner?

Scully gives him a look. He overheard that?

SCULLY
There's a lot you don't know about
our relationship. Some of it I'm not
sure I understand myself. (beat) You know when
you're with someone and your gut tells you
something isn't right, that it's time to move on?

DOGGETT
I'm not one to believe in "gut feelings",
but... I do know what it feels like when
somethin' is coming to an end...

Scully looks down at the engagement ring on her hand.

SCULLY
Walter and I have never worked...
I don't know if you know this, but
this is the second time we've been engaged.

Doggett listens on, waiting for her to get out whatever it is she needs to say.

SCULLY
I'm not sure I want to go through this
with him. Yet at the same time, I care
for him and don't want to hurt him. I
almost feel as if I owe it to him after
all these years, but then I know I'd never
be truly happy...

Scully holds back a tear. Doggett goes to her and sits himself on top of Monica's desk, in front of Scully.

DOGGETT
(quiet/comforting)
Dana... I think you know what to do.
You don't want to go through life
unhappy, trust me on that one-

The door to the office swings open and then slams shut. Doggett stands up and touches Scully on her shoulder, letting her know he'll deal with whomever is out there.

Doggett goes to the door, we hear Mulder and Krycek whispering outside the door. Doggett opens it with an intense look on his face. The boys have water guns with them.

DOGGETT
What do you guys want?

KRYCEK
To squirt you with this water gun.

MULDER
Actually to soak Scully with water.
She's wearing a white blouse.

The boys laugh, like this behaviour is acceptable. Doggett steps out into the hallway and closes the office door.

DOGGETT
Guys, Dana's had a real rough
day. I'd suggest you put your
toys away and leave her alone.

Mulder and Krycek share a look. Then Krycek aims his water gun at Doggett, he pulls the trigger and soaks him. Mulder joins in. The boys are humored greatly.

Doggett just stands there, calmly taking the abuse. He doesn't have the energy to sink to their level and get them back.

Mulder and Krycek stop, suddenly all frowny-faced. It's not fun when people don't fight back and get upset.

KRYCEK
You're no fun.

MULDER
Party pooper.

They walk off.

CUT TO:

INT. JANITOR'S LOUNGE - 4:07PM

Alfredo and Monica are wrestling on the ground. Alfredo has her pinned on her stomach. She's laughing hysterically.

ALFREDO
See. I can defend myself.

MONICA
Oh that's nothing (laughs)
I'm a meak little woman!

ALFREDO
Yeah right, then what was all
that Judo crap you were attempting?

MONICA
Oh... um... I was just trying to
pin you to the ground.

ALFREDO
And why would you want to do that...?

She just smiles up at him, refusing to answer. The door to the room opens and a JANITOR walks in, he is confused to see FBI agents in there, especially since the plaque on the door reads "Janitor's Lounge: Janitor's Only".

JANITOR
Hope I'm not interrupting anything.

Alfredo gets off of Monica. They stand up.

MONICA
No, nothing at all... why are you in here?

The Janitor points to the sign "Janitor's Lounge: Janitor's Only".

JANITOR
This lounge is for janitor's only.

MONICA
Agent Krycek told me no one
uses this but agents assigned
to the x-files.

JANITOR
You believe everything Agent
Krycek says?

He walks in and sits down on the couch and kicks off his shoes. Monica and Alfredo leave.

ALFREDO
What about my Playstation?

They see Doggett coming out of the mens room, patting himself dry with a lot of paper towels. Monica and Alfredo share a look, what did they miss? Doggett disappears into his and Monica's office.

ALFREDO
I really ought to get back
to work, Agent Reyes.

MONICA
(correcting him)
It's Monica.

He smiles at her and gets inside the elevator.

ALFREDO
I had fun, Monica.

The elevator doors shut and Monica smiles to herself. Here's to her first step at making Agent Robert Alfredo her's.


THE END