Disclaimer: Not mine… though if there is a statute of limitations how much longer do I have to wait until I own them? Huh? I ask!
Rating: PG
Category: DRR
Spoilers: Release, all references to Luke (John's son)
Author: Traci traci_ann@yahoo.com
Summary: John takes things out on Monica and she fears she has lost her best friend when she walks out on him and doesn't hear from him.
Authors Note: Nothing really, just my chance to say once again – I MISS JOHN AND MONICA!! But rumor has it Season 9 is coming out on DVD on May 11.
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Moving On********************
"Have you completely lost your mind this time?" John Doggett's face turned red as the volume of his voice rose. "I don't know how you ever made it through Quantico with your theories!"
FBI Agent Monica Reyes stood dumbfounded before her partner as he laid into her. Wide, brown eyes stared in disbelief.
"And you can't even support this theory," he continued.
Fighting back tears, Monica calmly responded, "John, I don't have to stand here and take this. I'm going home. When you calm down, call me." With that she walked out the door of their basement office – and flinched when she heard a chair be kicked into the wall.
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Awaking early Sunday morning, Monica glanced at her bedside clock. John still had not called her or stopped by since their fight on Friday. It was unlike him. They were friends. No matter what happened at work, no matter what disagreements they had there, once outside they were friends, good friends.
She reached for the phone but pulled back. He was the one solely at fault this time.
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John stood alone in the hallway. All he had to do was lift his hand, form a loose fist and gently tap the door yet he was unable to do that. Half expecting the police to show up after the seventh hour of standing there, he had just turned when he heard the door open behind him.
He froze.
"You were just going to walk away?"
His eyes closed at the unmistakable sound of tears in her voice. Slowly his body turned back towards the door where his blue eyes fell upon the emotionally broken form of his partner. "I…"
In silence, their eyes locked. Hers questioning why he had hurt her and his… his trying to find a way to apologize.
"How long have you been out there, John?" Monica finally asked.
He shrugged. "Couple hours?"
"Try seven. My neighbor called to let me know you were here… awhile ago." Stepping aside, she added, "Do you want to come in?"
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As John sat on the couch waiting for Monica to return with coffee he found himself amazed by her. Amazed she wasn't yelling at him or saying things to try and hurt him back. Amazed that even without his words she seemed to have forgiven him. That only made his guilt worse.
Monica handed him a mug and sat beside him. "Do you want to tell me what's going on?"
Placing the cup on the table, he shifted to look at her better. "First I want to say I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take things out on you and…" His head lowered. "I didn't mean any of the things I said to you on Friday."
He looked up into her eyes when he felt her hand cover his. A smile greeted him.
"I know, John. It hurt but… I know you. So what's really going on?"
John shook his head. "Why aren't you mad at me? Why aren't…" He sighed. "Sometimes I really can't figure you out, Monica."
She chuckled. "I was mad. All weekend I wanted to call and talk to you but… this time I waited until you realized it yourself."
He smiled at her. "You had that much faith in me that I'd come around?"
"Something like that." She reached for her coffee.
"You just happened to walk in at a bad moment."
"Is it a case?" she asked.
"No." He took a few sips from his mug. "It… had been a call from Barbara. She's getting married."
Monica sat and watched him for a few moments. She had not realized he kept that much in touch with his ex-wife and was surprised by how upset it seemed to make him. "I'm… I'm sorry, John."
Smiling again, he looked at her. "It's not that that got me upset. It's the fact that she's moving and that means…" His eyes fell from hers. "She'll be selling the house that… that…"
"Luke lived in?" she finished quietly.
He nodded. Though his son had been murdered many years back at a young age he still missed him each and every day. The thought that the last place where Luke had been happy was about to be lived in by someone other than family… Tears welled in his eyes when he looked to Monica once again.
"Is she giving you the option to buy it?" she asked.
Taking a deep breath, he shrugged. "She didn't say."
"Call her. Ask her."
"I thought I had finally let him go."
Sliding an arm around him, she pulled him closer and he rested his head on her shoulder. "John, Luke was your son. You will never truly let him go." In the next instant, she found herself engulfed in his arms as he held her tight and sobbed.
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Monica and Barbara sat at the table in the kitchen after John had excused himself to the restroom.
The two women remained silent.
"John only asked me to…" Monica began.
Barbara finally smiled. "Monica, I'm glad he has you. I know… well it's been a little awkward over the years given how… the circumstances under which we met but…" She sighed. "You mean a lot to him. He's allowed you to get past walls that even I couldn't in ten years of marriage."
Unsure what to say, Monica sipped her tea.
"When I came down to DC when you and John were investigating the man who was responsible for Luke's murder I knew it then. I even mentioned to Agent Scully that you and John could have something special if he ever let anyone in again." She paused. "He's a good man, Monica." Barbara chuckled. "But I guess you know that otherwise you would have walked away by now too."
Monica smiled. "I really don't know what to say, Barbara. You do know, though, that we… I mean I would never have…"
"I know. No matter how bad off we were back then, he is not the cheating kind. And you aren't a home wrecker. I never once thought otherwise."
"So when's the big day?"
"We're actually going to Vegas. Neither one of us wants to make a bid deal over it. His two daughters aren't overly happy about us doing that – they were looking forward to a big wedding where they could dress up but… We just want to get married – no fuss."
Monica nodded. "I can understand that."
John returned and sat between the women at the kitchen table. "Do you need any help with moving or anything?" he asked.
"No, but thank you. John, are you sure you want the house?" No matter what, Barbara would always love him and was concerned about his reasoning's for wanting the house.
"Yeah. I can… it would be a nice vacation place," he lied.
Not wanting to argue, Barbara nodded. "Then it's yours. I'll get the paperwork made up and have the title signed over to you."
"We'll be staying here for the weekend." He glanced at Monica hoping she would agree. "And you can get me on my cell if you need anything."
Barbara nodded and stood up to walk them to the door. "I'll call the real estate agent now and have him get started on it. Maybe we can even have it done before you leave."
When they reached to door, Monica smiled at her. "Thank you."
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As Monica pulled the passenger door closed on his truck, John turned towards her. "What was that all about?"
"What was what all about?"
"You and Barbara. Did I miss something?"
Her eyes locked into his. "We had a little talk. That's all."
Unsure what to think, he continued to look at her while starting the car. "Is everything alright?"
"It's fine, John," she assured him. "Now, about this 'we're staying here for the weekend' thing…"
"Oh, yeah, that. I was… If you don't want to… I just…"
"I don't mind but I didn't pack anything so if we are we'd better first do some shopping."
He nodded and pulled away from the curb.
"Where were you thinking we were staying anyway?" she asked.
"There's a place about an hour away from here that I thought you might like. It's a beach but it's not commercial."
"John, I already forgave you. You don't have to…"
Pulling up to a red light, his eyes found hers. "I want to."
"Okay," she whispered.
Two hours later, after shopping for clothes and basics, John pulled his truck up to a cozy cottage tucked among some brush and small trees. "You have your own bedroom," he told her.
"It's beautiful."
Climbing out of the truck, he turned towards her. "Wait till you see the beach side."
With a curious smile, she too climbed out and joined him.
He opened the door and led her through the house to the back porch.
Monica gasped. "John, it's… amazing." The water pounding on the shoreline while seagulls dived into the waves was breathtaking. She looked at him. "Why?"
"You deserve it. Mon, you have put up with so much from me over the years. I guess…"
Her finger touched his lips. "I never thought of it like that, John." Hesitantly, she replaced her finger with her lips.
John did not move.
Monica backed away. "I'm sorry," she said, turning from him.
As the shock dissipated, he took hold of her wrist and she turned back towards him. "Don't be." With that, he leaned in and kissed her, deepening the kiss when she parted her lips ever so slightly.
The need for air was the only thing to separate them and they stood smiling at each other.
"What changed?" Monica asked, tracing his hairline.
"I don't really know. Maybe you taking that first step that I was too afraid to." He caressed her cheek. "Maybe finally realizing that Barbara is my past and you have been my future all along." He gently wiped away a tear that had fallen from her eye. "Part of me is still afraid to lose what we already have together so if you're willing to bear with me…"
"John, there's nothing to be scared of but we can take it slow."
He kissed her once again.
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"Are you warm enough?" John asked as Monica shivered slightly in his arms on the porch lounge.
"Mmm, yeah." She snuggled further against him.
"So what did you and Barb talk about?"
Grinning, she looked up into his eyes. "She gave her blessing if and when we ever decided to be more than friends."
"Are you serious?"
She nodded and kissed him softly.
"Well, she always had good timing," he laughed as he picked a shivering Monica up and carried her back into the cottage.
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A month later Monica and John were back up on Long Island. The house was his now so she was helping him move some things there including furniture from her apartment that she no longer needed since moving in with John.
As they stood in the living room, he sighed.
"Are you alright?" she asked, rubbing his back.
"Yeah. Just memories." He looked at her. "Are you sure you won't mind vacationing in this house once in a while?"
She smiled and kissed him. "John, Barbara is married. You and I are together. She and Luke are part of your past; there is no reason I should or would ask you to forget them. They are a big part of who you are today. And who you are today is the man I love."
Pulling her close to him, he just stared at her. "How did I not see it sooner? All the time we wasted… I wasted."
"If we had pushed for something when it wasn't the right time it wouldn't have worked out." Looking around the room, she asked, "So, where do we start?"
He handed her a paintbrush and together they began the long task of fixing up their second home.
The End