They both turned to the doorway, where Skinner stood, arms folded, 
leaning 
casually, as barechested as Doggett, a slight smile on his face.
Doggett's jaw dropped a good two inches as he stared in shocked 
silence, 
but the most amazing thing, was that Scully choked on her coffee.
The calm dignified mask she always managed to wear slipped off, 
leaving 
her spluttering drink on the counter, red-faced and stunned.
"Sir..." she gasped out, struggling to wipe coffee from her chin.
"Agent Scully." Skinner nodded.

Doggett looked from one to the other, the shock settling down in his 
guts
 into something that could be called amusement. It was almost worth 
the 
heart-attack of seeing Skinner standing there. Scully undone by the 
sight of a 
shirtless AD. Who'd have thought?
Then again, the sight very nearly undid him, too.







chapter 13.

	

The only sounds as Doggett fished out another mug and poured Skinner 
a 
fresh drink, were the small noises that came from Scully both 
coughing and 
clearing up the mess she'd made on his counter.
She dabbed at the droplets with a typically dainty tissue until 
Doggett took 
pity and handed her a big wad of paper towels.
"Here. Try this."
She looked up at him, eyes impossibly wide and took the offering 
silently, 
nodding briefly.

Doggett grinned as he turned away. The unflappable Dr. Scully was 
speechless. 
No doubt too busy painting pictures in her head to bother with speech.
He slid into the chair beside her and watched as she mopped and 
wiped, saving 
one last piece for her face.  
"That better?" he asked at last, holding his hand out for the sodden 
mess.
"Yes thank you," she said in a very small voice. One he couldn't ever 
recall hearing from Dana Scully.

Eventually, while the clock ticked loudly, he watched as her blue 
eyes came up 
and stared at first  him, and then at Skinner. No-one spoke as she 
stared from one naked chest to the other, her eyes never once rising 
high enough to look them in 
the face.
If it wasn't for the shit/fan potential, Doggett could quite happily 
have roared 
with laughter at the expression of dawning comprehension on her small 
face.  
Pieces were slotting into place, and judging by her expression, he'd 
lay odds on 
what pieces and which places.

"More coffee?" he asked, not out of politeness, but the desire to 
break the silence.
Scully shook her head. "No..." she croaked. Then clearing her throat, 
tried again, 
more successfully. "No thank you."
She made it up to his eyes.

He watched as she swallowed, the questions racing in her eyes.  He 
wondered if 
she'd have the courage to ask them.
"May I have a glass of water?"
That wasn't what he expected her to say, but he nodded. "Sure."
In the time it took him to fill a glass from the faucet and hand it 
to her, the 
Scully-mask had almost settled back into place.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."

She sipped delicately, regarding Skinner over the rim.
"Ask, Agent Scully," Skinner told her. 
"Sir?"
Skinner shrugged. "Whatever you want. Just ask."
Replacing the glass very carefully on the counter, Doggett watched 
her take a 
slow breath.
"It really isn't any of my business, sir."
"But I've made it your business by being here, haven't I?"
She inclined her head at his riposte.
"So."  Skinner arched his back in the chair, easing the kinks out of 
his spine. 
Doggett watched his chest expand with interest. So did Scully, he 
noted.  
"Now would be the moment to ask."
He was very calm about this, Doggett thought. But then again, this 
whole confrontation-thing was his doing, by coming out of hiding.
"I... um..."
 
First the coffee fountain, now the tongue-tie. Indeed a night for 
monumentous revelations regarding Agent Scully. 
She glanced down at her glass, fingering the rim.
Doggett took pity.
"It's okay, Agen..." He smiled, correcting himself. "Dana. I still 
can't get over it myself."

She looked at him, those questions still firing away inside her 
eyes.  
"So this..." She waved a small hand between them. "This is what I 
think it is?"
The smile on his face gave way to a grin. It might be a touch mean, 
but he 
couldn't resist the chance to tease.
"That depends on what you're thinkin'."
Bingo! She blushed. 
"Believe me, I'm trying not to think."

Skinner threw back his head and laughed, a deep roar that made both 
of them look 
at him in surprise. He chuckled away, until at last, running his hand 
over his face, 
he shook his head.
"Oh, Scully! I'm sorry, but your face is a picture!"
Doggett looked at the face in question, watching as one eyebrow 
soared. 
"I imagine it is," she said, dryly. "This isn't quite what I 
expected, when I came by."
"Really?"  Skinner leaned forward. "I thought you and Mulder had 
discussed this."
Again, right on the button, Scully blushed.
"Well..."  She fiddled with the glass. "Not in so many words."
"Really? Which words did you use, then?" 
She lifted her head and stared at him, defensively. "I believe some 
of them were `regulations' and `contrary', sir."
"Ah."
She nodded. "Quite."
Doggett leaned forward, pushing the soggy paper towel aside. "And 
that's what you think this is, here? Just a violation of regs?"
The other eyebrow joined its mate. "I didn't say that. I'm merely 
recounting aspects
of a conversation."
"Didn't sound like a positive one."
She tilted her head to one side. "It was interesting, to say the 
least."
Skinner grunted. "I'll bet. Which side were you on?"
She gazed back at him, mask firmly back in place. "I don't take 
sides, sir. I merely report the facts as I see them."
"And will you be reporting this fact?" An open challenge.

Doggett held his breath. This might be where they find out both their 
careers had
a sell-by date.
The clock ticked out long seconds.

"What fact would that be, sir?"
Challenge thrown back.
Skinner smiled as if he had anticipated her reply. He held a hand out.
"What you see here."
"It's not against regs to... socialise with agents, sir."
There was the briefest of hesitation before the word `socialise'. 
Enough to 
make Doggett smile. She wasn't in as much control as she liked to 
think.
"True."  Nodding, Skinner leaned forward to rest his chin on his 
hands, elbows perched on the counter. "But we all know that's not 
what's going on here, 
don't we?"
Scully swallowed compulsively.
"I'm not sure what you mean."
"So I have to spell it out for you. Agent Scully?"

The emotions that skittered across Scully's face were funny enough to 
make 
Doggett bite down on his lip to keep from roaring with laughter, 
despite the seriousness of the moment.
Furious embarrassment jockied for position with raging curiosity. He 
wondered 
if Scully fell into the 90% of womenkind Maddi mentioned. 
Skinner smiled, wickedly. 
"Or would you prefer a demonstration?"
Watching the colour crawl all over her face gave Doggett his answer. 
Definitely one of the 90%'ers.

"Um..." A little throat-clearing. "I don't believe that will be 
necessary, sir."
Not necessary, but he'd bet she was thinkin' about it. He squashed a 
grin down.
"I still maintain: it's not my concern," she said, stubbornly keeping 
her eyes on Skinner's face. "Unless..."  Those blue eyes 
flashed. "Unless it begins to affect 
work."
Skinner shook his head.  "It won't."
"I hope not."
"It hasn't for the past few months, has it, John?"
Doggett shook his head, enjoying the look on Scully's face. "I don't 
think so."
"Oh." she whispered, looking from one to the other, the idea 
that `this' had been 
going on under her nose for months, taking her by surprise. "I see."

There was silence for a minute, while she processed what she had been 
told.
And then she smiled. Just a little one.
"Are you planning on telling Agent Mulder?"
"Aren't you?"  Doggett couldn't believe for a second she wouldn't be 
on her cel phone the instant she left the house. "Tell him that he 
was right all along?"
"It's not my place."
Doggett snorted. "Oh, please. He's your partner."
"So are you."
He stared at her.
"I think it's up to you to tell him..."  She shrugged. "That is, if 
you want to."
Scratching his chest in a most distracting way, Skinner 
grunted. "Puts you in a kind 
of awkward position, if we don't, doesn't it?"
She shrugged again, giving a rueful little smile. "I've had some 
practice with keeping secrets."

Doggett watched the two of them exchange a look. 
"I suppose so," Skinner said at last. "But I don't like it."  He laid 
both hands flat on the work surface. "Tell you what. Extend that 
dinner invite to the two of us, and we'll 
tell Mulder together."
A crooked grin spread over Scully's face. "That'd work," she said, 
nodding.  
And then she held up a finger. 
"Just one thing."
"What?"
The crooked grin grew wide.  "I want to watch."
Doggett couldn't resist. "Agent Scully! I had no idea you harboured 
fantasies..."
She winced, blushing furiously. "I meant watch when you tell him."
"I'm disappointed."
Skinner tapped the counter. "Behave, John. The lady is a guest. Don't 
tease."
Doggett grinned at him, relishing the chance to poke Scully's 
buttons. 
"Spoilsport."
"Infant."

Glancing to his side, he watched Scully'd head twitching from one to 
the other, incredulity written all over her face.
She spoke. "Can I ask you something?" 
Both men turned to look at her. 
She blushed again. Doggett decided it was a good look for her. Made 
her softer 
round the edges, somehow.

"Go ahead," Skinner said, when she hesitated.
"Is this..." She waved her hand in a distracted way. "Whatever it 
is... a permanent thing?"
Doggett glanced at Skinner. The other man was frowning. Not a good 
sign.  
He opened his mouth to tell her it was none of her damned business, 
but Skinner 
beat him to it.
The frown creasing his forehead, Skinner shook his head. 
"I think you know me well enough to know that I don't embark lightly 
on anything, 
let alone things of this nature." 	
Scully raised her eyebrows, a slight smile on her face. "It would 
seem I don't know you quite as well as I thought, sir."
Inclining his head at her words, he smiled slightly. "So it seems. 
I'm sorry to disappoint you."
Frowning, Scully shook her head. "I didn't say that. Please don't put 
words into 
my mouth."
"So what are you?"
She shrugged. "Surprised, I'll give you that." A grin crept out. "And 
a little
 intrigued, I'll admit, but not `disappointed'."

Absolutely in the 90%, Doggett thought.
Skinner nodded, then sighed.
"We all know it would be foolish, reckless even, to openly 
acknowledge a 
relationship of this nature in the FBI. - there are too many negative 
factors that 
would jump at the chance to make scapegoats of myself and Agent 
Doggett."
 
Scully nodded, making  Doggett's heart and guts slip in a sickening 
lurch towards his toes. Ouch! This was a bit too brutally honest for 
his liking.
Skinner continued, either ignoring or not noticing the look of 
distress on Doggett's face.
"I shouldn't think we'll be picking out furnishings at Macy's in the 
near future. And I can't see me moving in here, or buying cats 
anytime soon."
 
Staring at the other man with his eyes wide and his heart in his 
woollen socks, 
Doggett swallowed a lump that seemed to have formed in his throat.
What the hell was he getting worked up over this for?
He didn't care about furnishings or fuckin' cats!

Rubbing his finger on the counter, Skinner frowned again. 
"Actually, come to think of it, the pair of us must be out of our 
respective minds to 
be risking our careers doing this."  
Draining out of his socks and lying on the kitchen floor, Doggett's 
heart whimpered.  Don't do this, he pleaded mentally. Not today.  
As he stared, Skinner's gaze came up from the work surface, he looked 
over to Doggett and grinned.
 
"But, to answer your question, I'd say that this `whatever' as you 
call it, is 
definitely permanent, Agent Scully."  
A tidal wave of relief and affection washed through Doggett's body, 
dragging 
love along by the scruff of its neck.
He swallowed round that big old lump in his throat.
Shit. He was getting too fuckin' sappy for his own good.
"Is that okay?" he asked Doggett.

`Okay' that he just said that in front of Scully, or `okay' 
generally? Doggett didn't know which it was, not that he cared.	
"I think I can live with that," he said, hoping his voice wasn't as 
fucked up as his emotions.
"Good."
  
He lost himself in the dark eyes, not giving a shit that Scully was 
watching the pair 
of them, probably analysing every glance, every expression. He smiled 
at Skinner, suspecting that the thumping inside his chest was showing 
in the shine of his eyes 
and the size of his grin. But if the look on his face told her that 
he had fallen for 
their boss like a 13 year old girl, then so be it. He didn't care.
 
There was a small noise from the chair to his left. 
"Erm..."  
Reluctantly, Doggett dragged his eyes off Skinner and round to 
Scully.  
He lifted his eyebrows.
"So."  She coloured up again. "About that dinner."
"Sure. How `bout tomorrow?" Checking over to Skinner he nodded. 
"That too soon?"
Scully shook her head. "No. That's okay. You eat pasta?"
Skinner laughed. "He eats everything, Agent Scully. And lots of it."
Doggett frowned. "I don't eat `everything'."
"Oh yeah? I've never seen you turn anything down."
"Tuna." Doggett pulled a face. "I don't do tuna."
"Conservationist objections?" Scully asked.
He grimaced, shuddering.  "Nah. Just tastes like shit."  He looked 
up, wryly. 
"Sorry `bout that."
Laughing, Scully lifted a shoulder dismissively. "I get the message. 
No tuna."
"Tomorrow it is then."  Skinner rubbed his hands together. "I shall 
look forward 
to that."
"So shall I," Scully agreed, swinging her short legs round to slip 
down from the 
stool. Doggett rose and put his hand to her elbow. She looked at him, 
amused.
"Thank you."
He helped her down then removed his hand, lifting it to scratch at 
the back of his 
neck, embarrassed.
"No tuna?" 
"No tuna, John. Mulder, but no tuna."
Doggett grinned. "I can cope with that."
"Okay." She stretched, her hands in the small of her back. "Time for 
bed."
"Absolutely," Skinner agreed.
 
Doggett saw Scully look sideways at him, colouring up again, her 
imagination obviously doing the funky monkey in her head.
He shook his own head. Tomorrow was going to be interesting, to say 
the least. Maybe they'd better get an early night to be rested.
He glanced at Skinner standing by the counter bare chested and tanned.
Nah. 
Early night my ass.




chapter 14. 

Pulling absently on the  buttons of his denim shirt, Doggett watched 
through 
the window as Skinner filled the truck with gas.
He'd forgotten he was low and consequently they had to make an 
emergency 
stop on the way to Scully's apartment. Skinner said it was his own 
fault for 
draining Doggett's brain through his cock.
Smiling, he couldn't argue about that.
 
Skinner looked up from the nozzle and stuck out his tongue.
Replying in kind, Doggett wondered what the rest of the Bureau would 
make of it, 
if they could see the AD doing that. Commit him for tests, probably.
He had wanted to wear his green sweater tonight, but Skinner had 
hidden it, 
saying there was no way he'd let him out of the house wearing it 
again.
He fiddled with the neck of the tee shirt under his denim. Damn, he 
was fond of 
that sweater.

"Stop messing." Skinner said as he slipped behind the wheel.
"I feel over-dressed."
Skinner looked him up and down. "You look fine."
"I'd rather..."
"I told you - you're not having that ratty old thing back until the 
weekend."
"I like that sweater," Doggett complained.
"It could do with being thrown out."
Doggett pouted. "I got a lotta fond memories of that sweater."
Swatting his knee, Skinner frowned. "Don't pull that face. You look 
like 
Mulder."	
"Bastard."

Skinner grinned and turned the corner to Scully's road. He pulled to 
a stop 
by the curb.
"You think this is such a great idea?" Doggett gripped the bottle of 
wine tighter.
"You got a better one?"
No. He didn't.
"Do you think she told him?"
Skinner shook his head. "No. She said she wouldn't. I believe her."
"No. I mean about us both coming tonight."
That threw Skinner. He stared out of the windshield. " I don't know."
"Maybe we should arrive separately."
"Why?"
"I dunno. Break him in gently?"
Skinner gave him an evil grin.  "Freak him out more, you mean."
Doggett grinned back. "Y'think?"
Skinner's eyes flashed in the light of the street lamps. "Yeah. Let's 
go for it."  

He fished in his pocket. Pulling out his phone, he pressed a speed 
dail number and 
put it to his ear.
"Agent Scully? Skinner here. Yeah, no problem" He glanced at 
Doggett. "Look 
we decided to arrive separately, okay. No. More discreet. Sure. No 
problem. 
See you in a minute."

Clicking off, he turned in his seat. "Heads or tails?"
"What?"
"Heads you go first - tails, its me."
"You're twisted, Skinner."
He dug in his pocket and produced a quarter. "Okay?"
Doggett sighed. "Get on with it."
The coin twisted in the air and landed in Skinner's palm, heads up.

						*

He squared his shoulders and knocked firmly. No need to be nervous. 
It was just dinner.Yeah. Dinner and declarations.
The door opened. 
"Hi there, Agent Doggett," Mulder grinned at him. "Come in."

The apartment was lit by a mixture of candles and soft lighting. It 
was comfy, 
he had to admit.
He wandered in, looking around.

"Scully's just doing the last minute girl-things to the tuna 
casserole."
Doggett's head whipped round.
Mulder laughed and held up his hands. "Just joking."

"Are you misbehaving already, Mulder?" Scully came through from the 
kitchen, 
wiping her hands on a towel.
"Uh-uh, Scully." He grinned at her. "I'm being a good boy."
"I doubt that."  She tossed the towel at him. "Hello, John. Glad you 
made it 
okay. How's the eye?"

Doggett leaned towards her, showing her. "Comin' on nicely. Should be 
gone 
by the end of the week, I think." 
She put her finger to it, gently. "I think you're right."
"How come you're never that gentle with my injuries, Scul?" Mulder 
whined.
She gave Doggett a long-suffering look.
 
Remembering the bottle in his hand, Doggett held it out. "I, um... 
Thought non-alcoholic would be best. You know..." He glanced 
down. "Considerin'." 
"Thank you, that's lovely." She waved at Mulder. "Get John a beer, 
will you, Mulder? I'm sure he'd appreciate a real drink."
"Do I get another one?" Mulder called through from the kitchen. 
Scully smiled. "Why not?" she called back, winking at Doggett.  
"He might need it," she whispered.
	 				
		

				



chapter 15




"...And you actually drank this `Yard of Ale'?" Doggett asked 
dubiously. 
Mulder shook his head sadly. "I tried. But I just couldn't get it 
right, got drenched 
in beer every time. Seemed like everyone in the pub was laughing at 
the dumb Yank 
who couldn't do it."
Doggett grinned. He'd have paid money to see Fox Mulder drowning in 
English ale.
"Sounds like a well-rounded education to me," Scully commented from 
the armchair, 
where she sat with her legs curled up underneath her.

He'd been here long enough to drink most of a bottle of Bud, and 
Skinner still hadn't 
shown up. He was itching to look at his watch, but didn't dare.
Mulder stretched out his legs. "Only the English would think up a way 
of drinking beer 
that was so damned difficult. Almost like its a trap for the 
foreigners."
"Worked, though," Doggett commented dryly.
Grunting, Mulder swigged his beer. 

The unexpected knock on the door made him choke.
Scully didn't stir. "Would you get that, Mulder?"
"You expecting someone else?" Mulder asked, wiping his chin.
Scully nodded. "As a matter of fact, I am."
"Who?"  
"If you answer it, you'll see."
Muttering, Mulder made his way across the room. "If it's your 
brother, I'm not 
staying." He pulled the door open. Then stared. "AD Skinner..."  
"Agent Mulder."  
The two men stared at one another. 
"Are you going to let me in?" Skinner asked, looking past Mulder's 
shoulder.
Mulder just stared at him.
  
Across the lounge, Doggett looked at Scully and grinned. 
"Mulder," she called. "Let him in, for goodness sake."
Stepping to one side, Mulder made room. 
"Hello, sir," she said.  "Glad you could make it." 
Skinner held up a bunch of flowers. "These are for you, Agent Scully. 
I hope that's still
 socially acceptable." He smiled. "It's been a while since I was 
invited to dinner."
She reached up and took his the flowers. "They're lovely. Thank you. 
I think tonight it 
should be Dana, don't you?"
Nodding, Skinner smiled. "Only if you make it Walter, okay?"
"Okay..."  She hesitated, as if trying the idea out in her 
head. "Walter."

Behind them, Mulder shut the door with a little more force than was 
strictly necessary.
"You didn't say," he said to Scully, a hint of a frown on his face.
"Didn't I?" Scully was the picture of innocence, inspecting the 
flowers.
"No. You didn't."
Skinner looked him up and down. "You have a problem with me being 
here, 
Agent Mulder?"
Mulder shifted a little, jamming his hands in his jeans. "No... I'm 
just surprised, 
that's all."
"What that I eat real food? Or that I come out in human form at 
night?"
From the sofa, Doggett chuckled.
Chastened, Mulder shrugged. "No. I just..."
"Oh, Mulder." Scully heaved herself out of the chair. "It's my 
apartment, I may invite 
whomever I please." 
"I know."  That infamous Mulder-pout came out. "I'm just..."
"You're just getting our guest a drink, aren't you?"
Sighing, Mulder made for the kitchen
"And put these in some water, while you're in there, will you?"

Taking the flowers just this side of a snatch, Mulder stalked past 
Skinner. 
"Beer okay with you?"
"No thank you. I'm driving. Something non-alcoholic would be great."
Mulder grunted and walked off, staring at the flowers as if he 
thought they might 
bite.
"They really are lovely. Thank you again."
"They were John's idea."  He glanced over at Doggett. "He's the 
charmer."
Scully looked at him with an amused expression.  "You don't say?"
He held up his free hand.  "Hey... I'm just a lean, mean sex machine."

And then wide-eyed, clapped his hand over his mouth when he realised 
what he'd 
said. There was a pause, and then Scully burst out laughing, her own 
hand coming up
to cover her mouth. 
"Too much information, John," Skinner told him, shaking his head.
"What is?" Mulder wandered back, a glass of juice in one hand the 
flowers in the 
other.
Doggett pulled his hand down, willing none of the others to 
elaborate. He looked at 
Skinner, hoping the other man wouldn't use the moment to do the whole 
outing-thing. 
He wanted to eat first.

"Oh, Mulder. Is that the best you could find?" She took the wide-
necked wine bottle 
from him, shaking her head. 
"What's the problem?" he said, handing Skinner his drink. "They're in 
water, aren't 
they?"
Scully rolled her eyes. "Excuse me a moment. I have to find a vase."  
She indicated the 
couch. "Please sit down. I won't be a moment."

Sipping his apple juice, Skinner looked at the couch, then at 
Doggett.  Taking the hint, 
he hitched up, making room.
"Thank you." Skinner placed himself down, his large thigh 
deliberately brushing 
Doggett's as he settled.
"So." Mulder perched on the arm of the other chair. "Human form, eh?"