Unending thanks to Karen for her willingness always to suffer through my fics and edit them, and an extra special thanks for the title. Oh, how I wish I owned these characters...

(Missing scene from "Invocation." Takes place just before the final scene.)

Motel 6 in Dexter, Oklahoma

11:21 P.M.

"Agent Doggett, may I ask you something?" Scully was straightforward.

"Shoot," Doggett replied, fiddling with the motel door key and finally pushing his way into the room. Scully followed, dropping her own key in a pocket for later. She took a deep breath, still hesitant to ask something personal when she didn't yet know her new partner very well.

"Well, we didn't get to finish our conversation from earlier in the car, and I - I was wondering about what the psychic said to you." She saw his broad shoulders tense, but he didn't say anything as he dropped his key on the dresser and turned toward her. His steely gaze caused her to retract, "I - I'm sorry…"

"It's all right, Agent Scully," he sighed, his piercing blue eyes losing some of their shine. She immediately regretted bringing it up. "Shall we?" he asked, gesturing for her to sit. She took up a spot on the end of the bed and he dragged a chair over and sat down in front of her. They were sitting level with each other, and she could see how drawn his face was and how tired he looked. She suddenly felt concerned.

"Agent Doggett, are you feeling okay?" The bags under his eyes had been packed for quite a vacation, and the wrinkles in his forehead were along for the ride. Scully knew this case had been important to Doggett, but she didn't know why. She continued to study him, her medical eye searching for any underlying causes of his symptoms, but she found nothing. He was in excellent physical shape and showed no signs of anything more serious than fatigue. As her eyes trailed back up to his face, he finally spoke.

"I had a son," he began, pausing to take a deep breath. "His name was Luke, and he was kidnapped while riding his bike around our block. There was nothing to go on. No ransom note, no evidence of any kind, just a lonely bike laying abandoned on the edge of the sidewalk. We searched for him for three days before…" Doggett's voice broke as he put his head down in his hands. Scully subconsciously reached out and placed her hand on his knee. She had known Doggett only a short time, but she already knew that emotions weren't his thing. He was the brave one, the one who always held it together. He must trust her to let himself be so vulnerable. She moved her hand to his arm, and he let her pull it down. "I'm sorry." His eyes, though still dull, glistened with a few shed tears.

Scully's heart ached for the man in front of her. She knew this pain, this loss, but not on this level. She'd known Emily only days and had accepted the complications of her impending illness. Doggett had years with his little boy and no warning. She wished she knew what to say, but his revelation had left her speechless. This new partner that had seemed so presumptuous and uptight had just exposed his deepest pain to her, and it immediately made her feel extremely close to him. Her hand had returned to his knee and one of his own covered it. She could feel the heat forming under her palm the longer it sat, but she didn't move. "Agent Doggett," she whispered, tenderly breaking the silence that had settled between them. "It's getting late. We should get some rest." She cursed herself for sounding so apathetic, but she suddenly found the idea of sitting here alone in a motel room with him disconcerting.

"Yeah, you're right," he said, gently squeezing her hand before releasing it.

Scully stood and placed a comforting hand on Doggett's shoulder. "I'm sorry, John." As she started for the door, he grabbed her arm. His touch sent a shock through her and she turned, surprised at herself.

"Thank you, Dana." His voice was so sincere, and even though she still regretted making him relive it, she was glad she knew. She smiled and gave him a slight nod. When she opened the door, she stopped and turned.

"Good night, Agent Doggett," she said, then walked out, the door falling shut behind her.

"Good night, Agent Scully," he whispered to the empty room.