chapter 10. There had to be a rule or regulation somewhere that said she shouldn't be enjoying this as much as she was. Bound to be. Tucked away in the FBI handbook along with `No Sleeping In The Same Bed As Your Partner', and "No Fantasizing About Him In The Shower'. Probably listed under `101 Things To Get You Fired'. But hell, this was nice. Walking through the parkland in the afternoon sun, side by side, almost close enough to touch, talking about nothing much, feeling the hot sun on their skin. Beat sorting through folders in the basement. Beat it into a dusty dead heap on the floor. "She looks almost harmless, doesn't she?" Doggett said, watching Tor playing `fetch' with a spaniel. Scully laughed. "That she does." "Wouldn't think she had a vicious left hook and a mouth like a Marine." She looked at him. "You were a Marine." He nodded. "I know. That's what I mean." She smiled. "Use bad words a lot, Agent Doggett?" "Oh...' He shook his head. "Constantly. A real potty-mouth." "I wouldn't have said that." He shrugged, still staring out at where Tor played. "Try not to, you know.. In front of ladies." His old-fashioned chivalry squeezed her insides. Oh, God, she was getting in deeper with every passing moment. She forced herself to look away from the side of his face before she reached up to stroke it. "I'm touched. But I'm sure I've heard it all before. I grew up on Navy bases." He turned to look at her. "Yeah? I didn't know." "Ah, there are a lot of things you don't know about me, Agent Doggett." Wasn't that the truth, she thought to herself. And just as well, too. They watched an elderly man walking along the path towards them. A dogs' leash hung from his hand. Scully felt Doggett stiffen, his hand automatically flexing, as if reaching for his gun. "Steady," she whispered. "That's probably his dog Tor's torturing." "Yeah," he said, not relaxing at all. The man approached. "Hiya," he said, saluting them with the leash. "That your girl?" "Sure is," Doggett lied, smiling. "That your dog?" "Sure is," the man echoed, grinning hugely. "Name's Doofus. Doofus the dog." Scully couldn't help laughing. "Uncomplimentary, but apt, Ma'am. Dog's a darned fool." "Looks rather sweet, to me." "Oh, he's sweet, alright. Just lacking, upstairs, if you know what I mean." He put his thumb and finger in his mouth and gave a whistle. "DOOFUS!" Both dog and girl looked around, making Scully smile. She grinned wider as both began to run up the slope to them. The dog reached them first, dashing in and out of the three sets of legs in paroxysms of delight, getting dog-spit everywhere. Scully grimaced at the smear across her hand. Yeuch. "Hey there boy." Doggett seemed unconcerned with the state of his pants as Doofus wiped himself all over his legs. "Who's a good dog, then?" he asked, rubbing brown fur every which way. Scully restricted herself to a pat of the relatively dry head. "You wanted me?" Tor reached them, breathing hard. She looked at Doggett. "No," he said, laughing. "That was this gentleman. Calling the dog." "Your dad calls you `Doofus'?" The man chuckled. "How `bout that?" "Oh, he calls me that all the time," Tor said, her face the picture of innocence. "I do not!" Doggett protested. "And worse things, too." Tor grinned at them. "Oh, dear." The old man shook his head. "How very sad. It sounds like somebody's daddy needs sorting out." Scully looked at Doggett face, a mixture of indignation and annoyance, and at Tor's smug satisfaction and burst out laughing. "I'm afraid a certain young lady is pulling your leg, sir." "Really?" "Absolutely." Feeling outrageously daring, Scully slipped her hand into Doggett's. It was deliciously warm. She tugged on it. "Her daddy's a complete softie, when it comes to our little angel, aren't you, dear?" Doggett gaped at her, his eyes flicking down to where they were joined. "Er... yeah," he muttered. "I reckon I am." She had to grind her teeth together to keep from howling with laughter. Oh, dear God, his face! "You little minx." The man smiled at Tor, wagging his finger. "Trying to get your daddy in trouble." "He's not..." "Tor!" Scully held her breath. Rolling her eyes, Tor finished her sentence. "I was going to say, he's not so bad." "I bet." The man laughed. "Young ladies tend to have their fathers wrapped around their little fingers. I should know." He chuckled. "Got three of `em, myself." He slipped the leash over the dog's neck. "Well. Must get on. Nice to meet you folks." Tor nodded. "Nice to meet you, to, sir." It was Scully's turn to look stunned. Had she just heard right? Tor was bent, busy petting Doofus. Scully glanced at Doggett and he gaped back at her, eyebrows almost in his hair. He'd heard it too. "See you again, perhaps," Scully said. "Bye." Doggett raised his hand as the man moved away, dragging Doofus with him. Doofus, who clearly wanted to carry on playing. They both turned to look at Tor. She sensed their gaze and turned to face them. "What?" "That was..." Doggett floundered, not knowing quite what to say. "Yeah?" Scully stepped in. "That was lovely, Tor. Very polite." The girl shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Then bending to grab a stick, she ran off back down the slope. The two of them stared after her, silent. A strange one, indeed. Eventually, Scully realized that she was still holding Doggett's hand. And he was holding hers right back. She swallowed. And made no move to let him go. She wondered who was going to make the first move. Despite that fact the need to hold hands for `cover' had passed, it felt so damn good, that she knew one thing. She didn't want it to be her. In the end, of course, it wasn't a `movie' moment, one that had them looking deep into one anothers' eyes and falling into a gentle kiss as they held hands. No. Life wasn't like that. Not hers, anyway, thought Scully. Moments like that were strictly for daydreams. And although her mind was playing out the meaningful gazes and the touch of lips, reality reached out and tapped her on the shoulder. "Erm.." Doggett held up their hands between them and grinned. "Felt like slipping into character, Agent Scully?" Damn. Not so much tapping her on the shoulder as kicking her in the teeth. She pulled her hand away. "Is that a problem, Agent Doggett?" she snapped. Damn him. Had to go and ruin it. She began to stride away, stuffing her hands in her pockets, calling across the grass. "Tor! Come on. Time we were getting back!" Damn. Damn. Damn. Why did she feel like he'd just punched her in the belly? "Scully?" He called from where she left him standing. "Hey!" She ignored him. She was good at doing that. Tor raced up the slope and fell into step beside her. "Cool dog, huh?" she said. "He was," Scully replied, scowling. Dammit. Maybe talking to Tor would settle her down. She glanced at the girl. "Have you ever had one?" "Nah." Tor swiped the stick at the grass. "Can't keep a dog where I live." "Why not? You could have a small one, maybe." She laughed, a harsh bark. "Yeah, right. Someone'd either eat it or use it for target practise." Scully was shocked. "Really?" Tor nodded. "That's what happens to the cats round by us, anyway." Scully shook her head. "That's terrible." "Whatever." Subject closed, Tor glanced behind. "What's with him?" Scully didn't bother to look back. "Nothing." "Doesn't look like nothin'. He's got a face like a smacked ass." Scully tried not to smile. "No swearing." "Oh, you gotta be kiddin'! `Ass' ain't swearin'." "It's not particularly nice, though, is it?" Tor sighed. "You two. Couple of tight-a..." She glanced at Scully. "Be-hinds," she finished, then grimaced. "Now that just don't sound right." "No, you're right. It doesn't," Scully admitted. "Tha mean I can..." No." Scully shook her head. "It doesn't." They walked in silence for a while, Doggett still trailing behind them. At least she thought he was behind them, but she didn't want to look. "He still there?" she asked. Tor looked back. "Yep. Still with a face on." "Good." Scully walked a little faster. Another hundred yards passed, then Tor spoke again. "You two have a fight?" "No." "Looks like you did." Scully didn't answer. She replayed his snarky remark, still smarting. "Well, if you ask me..." Tor began. "I didn't." "If you ask me," she continued, regardless. "It looks like you have..." She pulled her arm back and threw the stick away. "And if I didn't know any better, I'd say it was a lover's fight." Scully's head whipped round. "It most certainly was not!" Tor shrugged. "Whatever." "It wasn't!" "So you said." Scully walked on, frowning. Lover's fight. Yeah, right! Had to be lover's to do that. And there was exactly zip chance of that, by the look of it. Nada. Niet.Nil. She could feel a growl in her throat. Damn him. Making fun of her. "So. You're not lovers, then?" That growl slipped out with a sharp bite. "No." "Oh." They walked a bit more. "You like him, though." "I most certainly do not." Liar! Her guts yelled. Ooh, you liar! You more than `like' him... "Oh." There was everything and nothing in that one word. Scully turned to look at the girl at her side. "You have something to add?" she asked. "Nope." Tor shrugged. "You don't like him. Got it." she broke into a slight jog as the cabin came into sight. Damn. The little minx didn't believe a word of it. She just knew it. And neither did she. * When Scully offered to cook supper, he didn't argue, just nodded and disappeared out of the back door. She didn't ask him where he was going. She just went about peeling, chopping and slicing in grim silence. Oh, yeah. Just like a real family. By the time the potatoes had come up to the boil, Scully was calmer. Mindless chores would do that to you. Unfortunately, she also began to suspect that she' reacted a teensy bit too harshly to what he'd said. There was a nagging voice telling her that she was firmly in the wrong and owed someone an apology. She slammed her mind shut on the voice and tried to ignore its shouts from under the door. She sighed and looked around, but both Doggett and Tor were nowhere to be seen. She was obviously giving off major `leave me alone' vibes. Deciding that she ought to make a move to rejoin the human race, she wandered through to the lounge area. No Tor. No Doggett. She considered calling out, to find out where they'd gone, but that really was too lame. In a place this size, they couldn't be far. Tor's door was open. She walked over to it and looked in. The girl was kneeling on her bed, elbows on the sill, staring out into the yard. "Hi," Scully said, surprised at how much the girl jumped when she spoke. "Oh... Hi," she replied, turning and blushing furiously. Scully's curiosity pricked up its ears. "What're you doing?" she asked, walking up the bed. Tor fidgeted and squirmed, looking so guilty that Scully's alarm- bells started ringing. "Oh... n...nothin'. Honest," she stammered, blushing even more. "Uh-huh." Just for a second, Scully had an insight into what her own mother must have experienced, when she caught Scully doing something she wasn't supposed to. Instinct, or maybe something as basic as recognition. Whatever it was, her whole body was telling her Tor was as guilty as a puppy by a puddle. She went around the side of the bed and peered through the window to see what had held her interest. "Oh..." Anything she might have said drained away onto the floor, leaving her open-mouthed and speechless. Doggett was out on the back yard. Doggett was out on the back yard, washing the car. Doggett was out on the back yard, washing the car, minus his shirt. Scully gawped out of the window, absolutely, completely and utterly unable to tear her gaze away. Her partner was standing in the last patch of evening sunshine, reaching across the car roof. His skin shining in places where the water had splashed him as his muscles stretched and pulled, showing off their definition in a most delightful way. Scully stared. Damn. He was beautiful. She had suspected it, by the way her body had begun to react to him over the last couple of months, and she imagined he was, in the confines of her imagination. But now she was looking at wet, perfect proof. He was completely beautiful. It took her breath away. As he bent to pick up the sponge, her eyes narrowed and she decided that there should be a law against John Doggett ever wearing anything other than jeans. Tight jeans. No matter what colour, just so long as they didn't hide that ass. He turned his back to the window, broad shoulder flexing and stretching over the car. "Not bad for an old guy, huh?" "Huh?" Scully replied, not taking her eyes off the sight on the yard. "I said: Pretty buff for a old guy." Scully grunted low in her throat, thinking, God, yes, pretty damned gorgeous, if you ask her... And the reality of the situation crashed in on her. "What I m..mean..." she stammered. "That is..." Tor knelt back up to join Scully at the window. "Whatever," she said, looking across the yard, resting her chin again. "Tor..." Scully ran a hand through her hair, suddenly feeling very exposed, very vulnerable. She felt like she'd just given the teen a peek inside of her, when she hadn't really had a chance to examine it herself. "You know, we shouldn't be..." Her eyes betrayed her, dragging her attention back to the sunshine and glistening skin. Damn, he looked good. They watched, side by side as Doggett rinsed the water from the car, stopping to squeeze out the cloth every now and then, his biceps bulging as he strangled the water out. "Wow." Tor whispered. Scully nodded, her throat too dry to reply. Wow, indeed. She doubted she could stretch her hands around them when they bulged like that. "You think he works out, or somethin'?" Scully's mind was busy focussing on the `something', as another mental video was being recorded. One with John Doggett lying on a bench-press, all sweaty and damp. "Tor..." she said, still not taking her eyes off Doggett. "This is a violation of John's privacy. We shouldn't be watching him like this." "Yeah?" Tor stared out of the window. "Yes." Scully forced herself to close her eyes briefly, vaguely distressed to find the backyard scene playing on the inside of her eyelids. "Come away." Tor ignored her, still staring. "Tor..." With supreme force of will, Scully made herself look at the floor. "Come help me set the table for supper. Turning, Tor looked Scully up and down. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, clearly puzzled. Absolutely nothing that a good hard bout of love-making wouldn't cure, thought Scully. "Nothing at all's wrong with me," she replied firmly, moving towards the door. "It's just not right to stare at someone when they don't know you're doing it." Especially when you're getting off on it in a big way, she added, mentally. Tor sighed, flopping back down on the bed. "Now come give your old mother a hand in the kitchen." She forced a smile out onto her face. "Do I get to have that ice cream for desert?" Scully feigned ignorance. "What ice cream?" "I saw a tub of banana split in the freezer." "I don't think so." Scully shook her head. "No. You must be mistaken. No banana split in this household." "I saw it!" Tor jumped from the bed. "Uh-uh. Nope." "Oh, man... You are so busted!" Successfully diverted, Tor raced out of the bedroom, and with a last longing glance outside, Scully sighed and followed her. God was really on top form, today. Must have a real long list of things to do to torture Dana Scully. Chapter 11. It was tough, but she managed to stagger through supper without spending too much time thinking about wet Doggett. Either the showered or valeting version. Conversation was sparse, whether due to her distraction, or Doggett's mood, it was hard to tell. But in the end, it didn't really matter, as Tor seemed to have discovered the art of the monologue in a big way. She held court over the table, talking about dogs, a scramble bike she helped restore in school and the state of the baseball season. It was only when she got around to discussion the demise of the neighbourhood pets, that Scully entered the conversation and asked her to move onto something other than the state of felines after collision with various vehicles. That kind of talk didn't sit well with the strawberry sauce on the ice cream. After Doggett and Tor washed and dried the dishes, they all watched a couple of hours of trashy TV, then Scully sat on the sofa trying unsuccessfully to read a novel while the two of them lay on the floor, playing a rowdy game of monopoly. She had declined Doggett's offer of joining in, deciding that she couldn't bear to lie on the floor with him, without possibility of getting naked. There was only so much torture a girl could take. So she sat and stared at the pages of her book, unseeing and distracted, listening to the other two, arguing and bickering over the rules of the game. Doggett was good with children, she mused. Good with Tor, anyway. She supposed it was pushing it a bit to call her a `child' but he handled her well. She wondered if that was because he'd had one of his own. Maybe parenthood was something you never forgot. *She* had been a mother, she supposed, but she hadn't had Emily for long enough to become a parent. She watched as Doggett shared his can of soda with Tor without thinking twice about it. He was a natural. She sighed and closed her book. It was no good. She couldn't concentrate. "I think I'll take a shower," she announced, rising. "`Kay," Doggett mumbled, counting out money. "We're nearly done, here." "No way! I'm gonna beat you down!" Doggett shook his head and snapped his hand. "Not gonna happen, loser. I'm da *man*." You certainly are, thought Scully, staring down at his tight ass. "Well, I'll lock up, then turn in," she told the back of his head. She turned to Tor. "I won't be long - then you can jump in the shower." Tor stared at her. "What for?" Scully stared back. "To get clean, of course." She wondered if the girl was pulling her leg. "I'm fine." She went back to the game. "Look. Just take a shower, okay?" Scully didn't feel inclined to enter into a discussion on personal hygiene at this point. "Uh-uh. I'm fine." "Tor...." There was a dramatic sigh. "Gimme a break. I'll take one when I feel good and ready, okay?" Scully gritted her teeth. Were all teenagers like this, or was she just lucky? "I don't want to fight about this, Tor.." "Fine. Then leave me alone." Didn't want to fight, but it looked like she was going to get one, regardless. "Tor..." Doggett shook the dice and threw them across the board. "Don't take too long when you shower, Tor. I want one after you." He counted his marker along four spaces. "Okay, sure." Tor nodded and tapped the board. "That'll be two hundreds dollars please, loser." Scully stared. That was it? She stared at the two of them. Argument over, easy as that? She shook her head. One word from Agent Doggett and the kid jumped? She frowned. Damn man. And damn her. She stalked over to the front and back doors, locking them firmly, then into the bedroom, snatched up her nightdress and disappeared into the bathroom trying very hard not to slam the door. She sincerely hoped she was due her period very soon, because if she wasn't, she wasn't at all sure she liked the way her emotions were all over the place. And certainly didn't like what that meant. * There was a crack in the plaster on the ceiling that looked just like the outline of Canada. And another one over in the corner that was definitely an old woman with a huge nose. Looked like that old bat, Mrs Waters in the apartment two down from hers. Funny Australian woman, who muttered poetry as she walked up and down the corridor and kept a cat called Les that lurked outside her apartment, waiting to catch her unawares, making her jump. Strangely, both Mrs. Waters and the cat drove her nuts. She sighed. Reduced to thinking about neurotic neighbours while she lay in bed listening to the shower. How sad was that? Tor had long since taken hers and gone to bed. Doggett had waited a while before taking off all his clothes and working up a lather on his rippling... Scully groaned and rubbed her eyes. This was no good. She was going to be certifiable by the end of the week. The doctors would have to come and peel her off the cracked ceiling, she'd be hanging there by her fingernails, screaming about the pictures in her head. They'd lock her up forever. The bedroom door snicked open and the object of her distraction slipped in. Silently, he made his way over to the bed, putting his clothes on the floor. He hesitated, standing looking down at the bed. "For goodness sake... Just get in. " She sighed. "Don't stand there like you need an engraved invitation." There was a snort, then with a swift pull, he shrugged off his shirt and climbed in, sending the last of Scully's peace of mind scurrying out of the room. "You'll ruin your shirts, taking them off like that," she said, suddenly wanting to point out at least one fault. "I know," he said quietly. "My mama always smacked the back of my head when she caught me doin' it like that." He wagged a finger in the dark. " `Always pull from the hem, Johnny'." "She was right." They lay in silence for long minutes, Scully with her eyes tightly screwed up, trying to banish all inappropriate thoughts, particularly to do with him pulling off any shirt at all, Doggett thinking goodness knows what. Probably baseball scores or football stats, she imagined. Damn him. She took her hand out from beneath the covers and rubbed her eyes. Please let me sleep, please let me sleep, she chanted. Next to her, so distressingly close, Doggett cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Agent Scully." Her eyes snapped open. What the hell? She turned to look at him. He was lying on his side, one hand tucked under his cheek, the other resting on top of the covers. He looked very sweet. Very serious, and very, very sexy. Oh, shit, she was in trouble. "I beg your pardon?" she said, mesmerized by those blue eyes. "I think I owe you an apology." She frowned. "How so?" He sighed, minty breath whispering on her face. She tried very hard not to close her eyes and inhale it. "I behaved like an asshole, this afternoon." Unable to reply, Scully just stared at him. "You know... When we were in the woods and that man was talkin' to us." He paused, his hand moving up to scratch the side of his nose. Big hands, Scully thought. Big, strong... She blinked. He was apologising for that remark. He was apologising for upsetting her. Bless his heart. She shook her head on the pillow. "No. It's fine. It was me." "No... I shouldn't have made that crack. It was unprofessional. Stupid." He sighed again, and this time she did breathe it in. She couldn't help it. Embarrassed, at being unable to help herself, she shifted to lie on her side, facing him. "Thank you. But I should apologise, too - for my reaction. It was..." She hesitated. "A little over the top, shall we say?" He grinned, teeth shining in the moonlight. "Y'think?" "Hey!" Smiling, she flapped the blanket at him. His hand came up to grab at the covers. "Okay... okay. Peace." Still held by those baby-blues, Scully tucked her hand under her chin, in an unconscious imitation of his pose. He nodded. "So. We okay, now?" He really did have the most extraordinary eyes. Hypnotic. They seemed to change colour, depending what he was wearing, what the light was like. Right now, they were a deep blue. Almost a royal blue. "Is that a `yes'?" She jumped slightly. "What?" Oh damn, she'd been doing it again. Tuning out. "...I mean, pardon?" Doggett smiled a lazy grin that pulled something loose, deep inside her. "Am I boring you?" She smiled back at him. "No, of course not. I'm just..." ...Horny as hell? ...Turned on so much it hurts? ....Desperate to lean over and kiss you? She shrugged. "A bit tired, that's all." "Fair enough." He turned and lay on his back, the covers falling to his waist. Scully's eyes tracked the exposed flesh, counting his ribs in the dim light. God, she wanted to run her fingers over them. Or her tongue. Or her.... "So... What d'you say?" She swallowed, trying to calm her heart. "About?" "We okay, now?" "Are you always this insecure, Agent Doggett?" He laughed, the skin around those lovely eyes crinkling up. "Let's just say I never like sleeping in the same bed as a woman that's mad at me." "And that happens a lot, then?" God, it was such fun teasing this man. He sighed and stretched both arms above his head, sending all sorts of desperate questions racing to Scully's fertile imagination. ...Is the hair under his arms as soft as it looked? ...Is he ticklish? ...Hell, would he let me handcuff him to the headboard? "I was married." The arms came down with a grunt and a shrug. "It happens." Shit. The `m' word. It made her feel very uncomfortable, and from the look of it, it did him, too. Damn. Now the whole moment was spoiled. He'd be thinking about is ex-wife, she'd be thinking about his ex-wife and neither of them would be thinking about any light flirting, or teasing. Damn. She stared, contemplating the side of his face, the bump on his nose, the mole on his chin. As she watched, he looked over at her and moved his arm across the gap between them, sending her pulse rate soaring. His forearm was practically under her nose. "Come on then," he said, looking at her. For one wild second, Scully saw herself ripping off her night shirt and throwing her body on top of his, to grind herself into him, pausing only to slam her tongue into his mouth. She blinked as in her head, her wild hands found their way to his groin. "What?" Her voice wasn't much above a croak. His other hand reached across and tapped his shoulder. "It's your turn to use me as a pillow, remember?" Ohshit-ohshit-ohshit... "I can't..." "Why not?" He had no idea... absolutely *no* Goddamned idea what this was doing to her. Scully sent up a little prayer for forgiveness and one of panic. "I'm shower-fresh," he smiled, blissfully unaware of what was raging in her mind at that moment. "It wouldn't be... appropriate," she muttered. He tapped his shoulder again. That tanned, muscled and daintily freckled shoulder. "Trust me, Agent Scully. I won't tell anyone, and I promise I won't bite." He dipped his head in mock seriousness. "You're not gonna drool on me, are you?" No, but I might be tempted to rip off your shorts and mount you like a sex-crazed, bitch in heat. She smiled. "No, I'm not a drooler." She also wondered if what was racing through her mind was leaving any trace on the outside. "Good." He tapped again. "Come on. It's only fair." No... Fair is the last thing this is, she though, inching a little nearer to him, despite her better judgement. Actually, her better judgement had been beaten up and stuffed in a large box, the instant he stretched out that arm towards her. She shuffled closer. "That's it," he said, as she nestled into the crook of his arm, all sense departed. Shower gel. He smelled of shower gel... and warm skin. The closer she got the stronger the scent. She sincerely hoped he wouldn't be able to smell her. Her arousal. She clamped her legs together, just in case. "Get comfy." His arm curled over the back of her and rested casually around her shoulders. She was anything but casual. She was strung out tighter than cat-gut, hyper-aware of everything. The smell of him, the weight of his arm on her, the warmth of his body, so close, so undressed, so outrageous. Eyes on main-beam, she stared ahead, not daring to move, lest she groan and betray herself. She could see down the length of his body whenever she tipped her eyes down, all the way down to his navel. His skin was smooth, even beyond that, to where the hem of his boxers taunted her.Yet, strangely enough, she found a smattering of hair on his sternum, just fine enough to have missed it from a distance, just golden enough to catch the moonlight. She yearned to touch it. She wanted to touch all of him. Wanted to brush her palm over his nipples to feel them harden and stand to attention... wanted to place her mouth over the nearest one and stroke it with her tongue. God... "You okay, there?" he rumbled, the sound echoing through her head. Nodding, she forced her eyelids shut. She could do this. She could do this. "`Kay, g'night." "Night," she whispered. He reached down and pulled the cover up to her shoulders, hiding his body from her gaze, but wafting another wave of his warm scent over her. She inhaled deeply, turning it into a sigh. Oh, Lord... This is what I want, she screamed inside her head, feeling his breath in her hair. This is what I want. This is what I want... This is what I want... chapter 12. When she woke up, she was alone. The bed felt huge and bereft of life. Rolling over onto her belly, Scully sniffed deeply on Doggett's pillow. A hint of his scent was still in the material, but it was cold. He had obviously gotten up a while ago. She sighed and rubbed her face in it. Damn, she was hopeless. Two nights in his bed and she was a goner. And they hadn't even so much as kissed, let alone had sex. No. That wasn't right. They wouldn't have had sex. No. They would have made love. And the worst of it was, the throbbing that started in her groin roughly two days ago, was now beginning to drive her slowly insane. Morally acceptable or not, she was seriously thinking about having a quick fiddle in the shower, this morning. Maybe after an orgasm, she could think straight. She threw back the covers and swung her legs to the floor. Yeah, that'd be a plan. Shower and a you-know-what. As she stepped out of the room running a hand through her wild hair, Doggett appeared around the doorway. "Hi," he said, disgustingly cheerful. Scully grunted. She was most definitely not feeling her best. "Not much of a morning person, are we?" he smiled. "Yet you slept well, last night." Scully's head shot up. "How d'you know that?" Reaching across his chest to pat his shoulder, he grinned. "I did pillow-duty, remember? You were well away before I even had chance to think twice." She blushed. "Yes, well..." "Must be because you had a rough night, the night before," he said, waving into the kitchen. I was just coming to tell you breakfast is ready." God, was there no end to his good side? Up first and cooked, again. Made her feel like a slob. "You should have let me fix it, today," she grumbled. "Not a problem. Next time." He leaned over her and banged a fist on Tor's door. "GET UP! Come on, Tor! Breakfast!!" Scully winced at the volume. He was right. She most certainly not a morning-person. "Yeah, yeah..." Tor threw the door open and flounced out. "Keep your hair on. I'm up." She stomped through to the kitchen and sat down, grabbing a rasher of bacon on the way. Damn. Scully looked down at herself. She was the only member of the `family' not dressed. Oh... damn. "Don't bother getting dressed, yet. It'll go cold." It seemed Doggett was a telepath, too. On top of everything else. "I suppose," she said, resigned. "I'll just get my robe." There was no way she'd sit at the table without it. This shirt wasn't the thickest of materials, and she didn't want him looking at her nipples over toast. Not until she'd inspected his, properly, anyway. She grinned. Look forward to that... "What's so funny?" Doggett asked as she wandered back through. "Erm..." She felt herself starting to blush. "Nothing, really." "Prob'ly embarrassed to be seen wearin' that godawful nightie," Tor announced over a mouthful of egg. Scully looked at her, too relieved to be mad. "What's wrong with it?" She looked down at the bit that showed at her neckline. Tor pulled a face. "Puppies? Oh my God. How old are you?" Scully felt that blush dash back up her neck. "I happen to like it, thank you." "Suit yourself." "It's not that bad," Doggett shrugged. "It's kinda cute." Scully stared at him. Cute?? "Yeah, if you're seven," Tor snorted. Scully looked down at herself, annoyed that a teenager could make her feel embarrassed about her sleepwear. "Cut her a break, Tor. It's not silk, but it's okay," Doggett grinned. That made her blush even more. Gee, Doggett, thanks a bunch. Tor laughed derisively as she pored honey over her toast. "You only think that cause it's got dogs on it - Mister Dog-it." No it was Doggett's turn to blush, Scully noted. That was interesting. She watched his ears glow. Very interesting indeed. "I do not," he muttered. Tor snorted and drank her milk. Scully pondered and nibbled her breakfast, thinking. * "I'm bored." Tor sat on the front steps, swinging her legs back and forth. "Bored, bored, bored." Scully glanced over to where Doggett was dumping the kitchen trash. The girl had been chanting this over and over for the last hour and had now slipped from chanting into whining. And Scully couldn't take much more of it. They had been for another walk, swept the yard, and done a little light housework, but there was really a serious lack of things to do for the kid. Actually, doing the laundry had been the highlight of Scully's morning. Not only had it gotten her out of the way of a whingeing teenager, but she got to handle Doggett's clothes. While she was fully aware that getting a kick out of sorting through someone elses dirty laundry probably put her high on a list somewhere of sick perverts, she found she really didn't give a shit. Not only did it give her a sense of familiarity to be doing something so mundane, but she also took the opportunity to screw up his tee shirts and take deep sniffs. Yeah... Perverse, she knew. But what the hell. He smelled so good... But with the post-lunch lull, it was apparent that Tor was beyond appreciating the peace and quiet. She was going for the sulky- teenager thing like a creature possessed. "I'm so freakin' BORED!" she yelled, making Scully jump. "Tor!" She snapped, more annoyed at being startled than anything else. "What! `Freakin' isn't swearing!" "Well, it's...." Scully shook her head, not willing to concede defeat. "It's still not very nice." Tor threw her arms up. "Oh my GOD!" Scully glared a a `you talk to her' statement over to Doggett, standing by the kitchen door. He could deal with it, being as he was so damned good with kids. He smiled a little smile at her to let her know he could read her like a book. "Hey! You think we should go into town to pick up some stuff?" he suggested. "Like what?" Tor was suspicious. Doggett shrugged, looking a Scully. "Oh, I don't know. How about a couple of videos?" "Yessss!" Punching the air, Tor did a victory-dance on the grass. "At last! Enter-damned-tainment!" Scully hid her smile. "Of course, we'll have to take the time to get groceries, too." The dance faltered a little. Doggett shrugged. "Or I could go do the shopping by myself." He raised his eyebrows. "I'm sure I could pick out some films. I've always quite fancied seeing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang again." Scully made no attempt to hide the grin that came as Doggett said that. Tor exploded in a fit of utter contempt that left her red-faced and practically fitting in front of them. "So you don't mind putting up with a little grocery shopping, then?" he asked, innocently when the outpouring of disgust finally stopped. Oh, he was good. Tor pouted. Doggett merely waited in silence, arms folded over his chest. "I suppose," she eventually sighed. "Good." "You ready?" Doggett asked her. Scully rose and smoothed her jeans. "Sure. I'll just get my purse." "I'll grab the list. We need to stock up. " "I'm telling you now - I get to choose the videos," Tor informed them, stomping off to the car. Doggett followed her into the kitchen, pausing to snag the scribbled list off the front of the fridge. Unable to resist, "Chitty Chitty?" she said, eyebrows on the rise. Doggett grinned. "Oh, sure. That Truly Scrumptious was hot." Scully gave him a look. "And it was a damn good story," he added, shrugging. "You gotta admit that much." She snorted. "I always thought highly of the Child Catcher, myself." He laughed, thrilling her deep inside. God, he looked wonderful when he threw his head back and did that. "Mind you," she admitted, grabbing her purse. "I have to admit that as a child, he scared the living daylights out of me." She shook her head. "I used to hide my face every time he came on. Practically wet my pants." She jumped, startled, as Doggett bent his head to whisper from behind. "Me too." She laughed, rubbing the goose bumps on her arms that had leapt up when his mouth brushed her ear, hoping he wouldn't notice what two words had done to her.