From: lilytiger73@yahoo.com   
      
   Title: The Darkness of Night   
      
   Author: Dana Doggett - feedback@danadoggett.com   
      
   Date: June 25, 2006   
      
   Distribution: Semper Fi, XFMU, Gossamer, Spookys   
      
   Rating: Strong PG-13   
      
   Category: DSR - Doggett/Scully   
      
   Timeline: Four years after season 9 as if "The Truth"   
   never happened (and there is no baby). Set in the year   
   2006.   
      
   Disclaimer: In my hands these characters really aren't   
   the characters that surfer created, they're better   
   than that, they like to explore more extreme   
   possibilities.   
      
   Beta: Alexa   
      
   Summary: The sun has set and Dana musters up the   
   courage to tell John how she feels.   
      
   Dedication: For any and all active DSR fanfic authors.   
   Here's to keeping the DSR alive.   
      
   -----   
      
   She feels his eyes watching her. No matter what she   
   does, or where she goes, he's always there to protect   
   her. It's only the ocean and she isn't even in past   
   her waist, and he's keeping a close watch on her.   
      
   Dana skims her hands over the surface of the water.   
   She sighs and looks out to the horizon. The sun is   
   setting beautifully this evening.   
      
   She glances back at John over her shoulder. He's   
   oblivious to the way he makes her feel. She smiles to   
   herself. If only he knew. If only he feels the same   
   way for her.   
      
   Usually she wouldn't wear her bikini. For years she   
   felt as if no one had wanted to see her wear it, so   
   she avoided swimming pools and beaches altogether. It   
   may have been out of desperation to receive her   
   partner's male attention that she suggested they come   
   to the beach on their last day in Hawaii.   
      
   She's crazy to think that her straight-laced, by-the-   
   book partner would even let himself think about her   
   in unprofessional ways. They should have just   
   returned to their hotel and gone their separate ways.   
      
   She brings her hand up to her shoulder. She's felt a   
   kink in her muscle since yesterday. She kneads the   
   muscle with her hand, shutting her eyes to enjoy the   
   sensation.   
      
   She wonders, is he watching her? What is going   
   through his mind? She looks back to shore over her   
   shoulder. He's not there.   
      
   "Hey."   
      
   She turns to look where John's voice came from. She   
   almost didn't recognize it. It's so deep, raspy,   
   almost... seductive. She sees him next to her. His hair is   
   wet and water runs over his chest.   
      
   She lets her hand slide down from her shoulder,   
   gently and ever so slightly caressing against the   
   side of her breast. The sight of his naked torso   
   warms her, and sends a tingling sensation through her   
   nipples as they harden at the sight of him. She looks   
   up at him through lowered eyes. She pouts her lips.   
      
   "Hey." She can't think of anything better to say. He   
   takes her breath away.   
      
   He takes a step toward her.   
      
   "It's startin' to get dark. You should come back to   
   shore."   
      
   Her heart sinks. The seduction in his voice is no   
   longer there.   
      
   She looks away from him and back out toward the   
   setting sun.   
      
   He touches her shoulder, sending waves of pleasure   
   through her body. It's been years since any man has   
   touched her like that.   
      
   "John..."   
      
   She faces him again. He doesn't remove his hand from   
   her. It slides down her arm, resting just above her   
   elbow. He looks at her in a way he's never looked at   
   her before. Well, at least purposefully. His eyes   
   speak a thousand words he's too hesitant to say   
   aloud. His eyes are soft and loving. Actually, she's   
   seen this look in his eyes many times before, just   
   not like this, not so... intimate. Not when they're off   
   the clock. His beauty silences her. She's forgotten   
   what she wants to say.   
      
   Why do words always get lost between them?   
      
   He opens his mouth to say something, but stops   
   himself. He looks away from her, unsure of himself.   
      
   Dana touches his bicep... We Shall Not Forget... He's   
   loyal, faithful, dedicated, caring, respectful,   
   noble, honorable. These words. These words define for   
   her qualities in a man that she's always desired, but   
   never had the courage to search out. Instead she chose   
   for herself men who were not good for her. Two   
   teachers, one of whom was a married man. Fox Mulder, a   
   man who could never love her as much as he loves his   
   quest. Ed Jerse... None of these men could ever compare   
   to John Doggett.   
      
   John looks at her again, desire burning in his eyes.   
   He lets go of his gentle grasp on her arm.   
      
   "We should go, Agent Scully. We got an early flight   
   back to D.C. tomorrow."   
      
   He starts heading back to shore; his body language   
   screams out disappointment. The warm setting sunlight   
   causes the beads of water to glisten on his muscular   
   back.   
      
   "John..." Her voice is weak. Who cares about   
   humiliation? If she doesn't ask, she may never know.   
      
   He stops and looks at her with sad eyes. The same   
   look he regarded her with soon after Mulder had   
   returned years ago.   
      
   "What is this?" She crosses her arms across her bare   
   stomach. She hopes this isn't a mistake, bringing   
   this up. Crossing her arms is for protection of her   
   heart and emotions.   
      
   "What's what?" He heads back to her.   
      
   "Between us. What is it?"   
      
   He looks at her, not quite understanding what she's   
   talking about. He pretends not to understand anyway.   
      
   "This feeling, John, between us. What is it?"   
      
   "Feeling?" He rubs his hand on the back of his neck,   
   an indication that he's nervous. He knows exactly   
   what she's talking about.   
      
   Dana touches his forearm and looks up at him.   
      
   "This feeling that I have for you, John."   
      
   He looks at her hand. What is he thinking?   
      
   "What about Mulder?"   
      
   That name again. She sighs.   
      
   "What about him?"   
      
   "I always figured you two... you know..." He rubs his   
   index finger under his nose.   
      
   "Not for a long time now, John." She smiles to assure   
   him that she's over Mulder, and that it is over   
   between them.   
      
   She runs her hand up his well-toned torso. Her skin   
   has never felt so alive. She feels the texture,   
   everything. His skin is so sensual.   
      
   "But let's not talk about him. I want to talk about   
   this thing with us." She gets things back on track.   
      
   John doesn't say anything for a minute. Dana   
   continues to gently caress his chest. Her fingertips   
   glide softly across his chest hair. Why is he so   
   quiet? Maybe all these years he's believed she and   
   Mulder had been a couple. Maybe the thought of that   
   not being fact is something he needs to get used to.   
      
   She can help with that. Risking rejection again, Dana   
   places a few small kisses on his chest. She presses   
   her chest against his. She closes her eyes and sighs.   
   Nothing from him.   
      
   "Dana... I want this as much as you do, but..."   
      
   Her heart skips a beat. He wants this too. But what?   
      
   "... but... I'm hesitant."   
      
   "Why...?" She gazes up at him.   
      
   "The last relationship I was in... didn't end well.   
   Divorce, actually. It's been a good thirteen years   
   since the divorce and since I've been with a woman."   
   He rubs the back of his neck again. "I liked you   
   right from the start... a good six years running now."   
      
   He flashes her a shy, lop-sided grin.   
      
   "If it makes you feel any better, I haven't been in a   
   good relationship since the twelfth grade."   
      
   The look he gives her says that he doesn't believe   
   that.   
      
   "You can't tell me that my relationship with Mulder   
   was a good one can you, John?" She gives him a   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)