Title: I Just Don't Get Her Author: Spookyteacher Rating: PG Category: V, A Spoilers: US8 Archive: Spooky Awards, Epehemeral, HOF are okay. I've already sent it to Gossamer via xfc-atxc. All other site managers who want to archive it-- please just e-mail where you have it. I want to visit your very tasteful sites! Summary: This is my attempt to get inside Agent John Doggett's head. He is an interesting character, I must admit. I have the feeling that he is getting quite frustrated by Scully. It's Doggett POV. Notes: The dust cover for this story, along with my other stories, can be found at my archive, http://www.geocities.com/spookyteacher (Spookyteacher's Classroom X). Feedback: Send to spkyteach@aol.com Special thanks to Susan F. for her constant encouragement and beta-reading. Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, the Lone Gunmen, Skinner, Krycek, and the Smoking Man, et al, are the creative property of Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions, and Fox Television. You guys have written them so well I can't resist having a go at it myself. I really am a classroom teacher, which is synonymous with POOR. Hint, hint... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I Just Don't Get Her by Spookyteacher ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She's not who I was expecting at all. I should be typing the file information for the case we wrapped yesterday. Of course, it wasn't really wrapped, not in the same terms we used upstairs. I'm used to actually getting some concrete answers and flesh and blood criminals. Now, we get half-explained possibilities, open-ended conclusions, and unaccounted-for perpetrators. I'm not used to it yet and I'm not sure if I will ever get accustomed to working like this, not like Agent Scully has. Perhaps that's why instead of typing the file I sit here contemplating her. She came to work here seven years ago, much like I did, when she joined Agent Mulder, a far-out believer if there ever was one. Before I met her, other agents told me some things about her. She was described as professional, scientific, clinical, even cynical. She was given this assignment because of her scientific background. They told me she was supposed to put his theories to a scientific test. She'd even been dubbed "Mrs. Spooky" when she came down here to work with "Spooky" Mulder. However, they insisted she was widely respected and sought after for forensic consultations. After working with her these past weeks, I'm wondering if this is the same Agent Scully. She's still a professional, and I'd call on her anyday to do a thorough forensic for me. But she is not a cynic, at least not by my definition of the word. She keeps coming up with these wild, way out theories. Sometimes I want to laugh at her conjectures, but then I realize she's serious. Actually, her wild hypotheses are more along the lines of what I'd expect of Mulder. She told me she's seen things that she cannot deny. That she's become more open to extreme possibilities. And here she is now, fresh from Skinner's office. "How's Skinner?" I ask her. She doesn't even look at me as she walks past my desk and answers, "Fine. He wants our report on the Midland case tomorrow." "Working on it, now," I tell her. She just nods and sits at her desk, the one that had been Mulder's desk. I watch her for a few moments as she starts going through paperwork piled on the side before turning my attention back to my desk. She and Skinner are tight. Often when she and I meet with Skinner he'll ask her to stay, and then I'm dismissed. He's made it clear to me not to push her and that I'd have to deal with him if I hurt her in any way. It's almost as if he's her bodyguard instead of her boss. They're trying my patience. I hear her desk drawer slide closed and look up to see her putting on her glasses. She shifts in her chair and sighs audibly before opening the file. I know she doesn't really trust me. I can't blame her. The way I introduced myself was a little sneaky. I thought it was quite clever, but she was quite upset by it. Kersh forcing her to have me as a partner didn't help, and we've had no leads in the search for Mulder. All that adds up to strain. I glance back at her as she reads. She closes her eyes and reaches for something. It's then I notice she's got a bag of crackers on her desk again. I swear the woman is addicted to saltines! I guess we all have our own way of dealing with stress. She's been sick a lot lately. She's complained of a stomach virus for two weeks straight now. I told her to see a doctor. She informed me that she is a doctor. I got the message loud and clear: it's none of my business. However, I am an FBI agent and trained to be observant. She's been tired, almost exhausted. I even found her asleep on her desk one day when I returned from checking in with the guys upstairs. I think that fatigue may be causing her to seem preoccupied. Often, it's like she's thinking about something else. As her partner, this preoccupation worries me. Perhaps she's just working too hard. She's here most mornings when I arrive and she stays late every night. The woman is a workaholic. She was here one morning at six after I left her at eight o'clock the night before. I'm begiining to wonder if she sleeps here! I look up at her and watch her studying the paperwork. Today, she's very focused. Whatever she's working on, it's got her full attention. She just might be wearing herself out working too hard, but I have a gut feeling that it's something else that I can't put my finger on, yet. I can't help wondering how she changed so much over the years she worked with Mulder. I wonder what he did to her. I've read his personnel file and all the X-Files. The man was a loony bird, but he was also a dead-on profiler. Despite his wild ideas, he could get into a criminal's mind like no other agent. The guy disappeared in the weirdest way. It's like he was living up to his nickname. Everything about his case is spooky. As much as I want to blame him for everything, I can't. I'm not sure why, but I think I can empathize with the guy, to a point. Working on these X-Files for years and years might eventually drive me over the edge, too. When I look back at Agent Scully, I notice her brow is furrowed and she's frowning. Whatever she's reading, it's upsetting her. It's then that I see tears in her eyes. She cups her hands to the sides of her face, hoping to shield her sadness from view. Her face tells me what she's reading is terribly painful for her. I'm suddenly very uncomfortable. I clear my throat and stand. "I'll be right back," I offer as I walk through the door. She doesn't answer. I head down the hall to the men's room. As I turn on the water and wash my face, I'm still trying to figure out what could've upset her. Maybe she was pouring over Mulder's case. I close my eyes and shake my head. This assignment has been one long irritation. I open my eyes and dry my face. As I toss the paper towel in the garbage can, something catches my eye. It's in the corner under the sink. I bend over and try to determine what it is, but I can't. I crawl under the sink, pick up the paper, and examine it. The edges are torn and the writing smudged on the small piece of paper. I can just make out the words, "House of Boobs." It's a ticket stub for a porn flick. It must've been Mulder's. I'd heard about his penchant for skin flicks. We have to find him. I know Mulder had something to do with Agent Scully's change. He may have had a LOT to do with it. I want to ask her about it but I know she'd never tell me. I want her to tell me about their partnership because I wonder if there was more there. There were the usual male-female partner rumors running through the offices. I'd chalked them up to being just that - rumors. But, considering Agent Scully these past weeks since he's been gone, I have to wonder. Wherever he is, whatever the hell he's doing, he has to come back. There are questions to be asked and answered. Only he can give us those answers. Most of all, I want to solve this case and move on. I don't want to leave it a half-explained mess. For this one, I want a clear-cut answer, and I believe there is one. I clear my throat again as I feel the acid building in my stomach and climbing up my esophagus. The third Rolaids of the day gets popped into my mouth. I think these X-Files may be giving me an ulcer. After tossing the ticket stub in the garbage, I head out the door and back to the office. As I turn the corner, I'm startled by a flash running straight at me. "'Scuse me," Agent Scully mumbles over her shoulder as I fall back against the wall. I watch her for a second before I stand up straight. She disappears into the ladies' room without another word. I shake my head in frustration and head back to the office. I just don't get her. The end ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please send feedback to spkyteach@aol.com. I hope you enjoyed it!