Lost In Stormy Visions
Chapter 13
Monica just barely made it out of the Big Man's office before her shoulders slumped at the weight of the world upon her shoulders. She couldn't remember ever having felt this depressed, this without hope, before. She looked down the hall and spying the women's restroom she knew that's where she needed to go-to compose herself, to find a few moments of quite solitude.
She walked into the bathroom and checked underneath the stalls. She was all alone as the last rays of sunlight came pouring through the frosted glass window.
Monica walked up to the sink. Her hands gripping the side of it, she looked up into the mirror that hung right above the sink. She looked like hell, but that wasn't what bothered her. It was her eyes that were staring right back at her, that were telling her she had failed and that if Luke was still alive, he soon wouldn't be. Suddenly, something changed about the eyes. For a second it was as if Luke's terrified eyes were staring back at her, then Barbara's and finally John's disappointed and heartbroken eyes. Then she snapped back to her own eyes staring back at her in confusion. That was when the tears started to fall.
It was a release that had been needed after two days of a fruitless search for the missing son of a man she had learned to respect and care about in this short period of time. She realized at the end of this journey, she would not be able to face him. She would not be able to look him in the eye and tell him that his son would be lost, quite possibly, forever. She knew that when that moment came, his disappointed and heartbroken eyes would haunt her forever, as would the face of a smiling, happy, blond haired little boy who never deserved the hand life had dealt him.
Monica hunched over the sink, unable to look at herself in the mirror any longer. The tears flowed freely coursing down her cheeks and finally falling into the sink. But it was not a silent cry as a few sobs escaped her throat.
After a few seconds she heard the gentle tapping at the door and a man's voice calling her name softly. Monica stood up, quickly wiping the tears away and gathering her composure. She must have waited too long to answer because the next moment John Doggett stuck his head in the bathroom door. Seeing her, seeing her all alone, he proceeded into the women's restroom. Under any other circumstances, Monica would have thought this was strange and would have said something, but right now a man in the women's restroom was the absolute least of her worries.
John walked up to her saying, "Agent Reyes, I'm really sorry about back there in the interrogation...." John never finished his sentence. It was then that he really looked at Monica and he realized, taking in her red eyes and bright cheeks, that she had just been crying. He was at a loss for words. He had come in to apologize for his outburst, knowing that he had been totally out of place, now that he had calmed down. He knew the routine and had been only hoping that he hadn't caused any irreparable damage to the search for his son, that he hadn't caused Monica any trouble. It had been he who had insisted to be included in the investigation and all the trouble of it should be his. And here was this woman crying about the loss of his son, a boy she had never met. Not for the first time since he had met her, John was blown away. His heart was suddenly filled with a love for this woman, a woman who cared deeply, who was doing everything in her power, to find his son. For this alone, he would be eternally grateful to her.
But Monica, alone in her own grief, could sense none of this. She only knew that he realized she had been crying. She reasoned he probably thought that she had become too emotionally involved in the case, that she was unfit to continue. She thought he was right. "Detective Doggett, I...um...I have just been informed that Bob Harvey's alibi has been verified. There is nothing to tie him to the disappearance of Luke. They are going to release him presently."
She had been expecting some sort of argument, but got none. John only betrayed his disappointment by the slight drop in his shoulders. She couldn't bring herself to tell him that they only had 24 hours left before the investigation was scaled back. But that thought made her say something she never thought she'd ever hear herself say. "Maybe, maybe it would be best if I requested that they assign another Agent as lead investigator."
John looked up at her startled at her words. "No," he said firmly.
It was Monica's turn to look surprised. It was not the answer she had been expecting. She opened her mouth to reply but she never got the chance. John took a step closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder. His touch was electric. He looked into her eyes and said, "I need you on this case." That was all he said. It was all that needed to be said, but a moment later the two felt that some line had been crossed that perhaps shouldn't have. Somewhat reluctantly, and surprised at his reluctance, John removed his hand from her shoulder and then walked out of the bathroom leaving a stunned Monica all alone in the now darkened restroom.
There had been something in his words, his look, his touch, that filled Monica with a renewed sense of hope. She was going to find Luke Doggett.
Chapter 13
Monica just barely made it out of the Big Man's office before her shoulders slumped at the weight of the world upon her shoulders. She couldn't remember ever having felt this depressed, this without hope, before. She looked down the hall and spying the women's restroom she knew that's where she needed to go-to compose herself, to find a few moments of quite solitude.
She walked into the bathroom and checked underneath the stalls. She was all alone as the last rays of sunlight came pouring through the frosted glass window.
Monica walked up to the sink. Her hands gripping the side of it, she looked up into the mirror that hung right above the sink. She looked like hell, but that wasn't what bothered her. It was her eyes that were staring right back at her, that were telling her she had failed and that if Luke was still alive, he soon wouldn't be. Suddenly, something changed about the eyes. For a second it was as if Luke's terrified eyes were staring back at her, then Barbara's and finally John's disappointed and heartbroken eyes. Then she snapped back to her own eyes staring back at her in confusion. That was when the tears started to fall.
It was a release that had been needed after two days of a fruitless search for the missing son of a man she had learned to respect and care about in this short period of time. She realized at the end of this journey, she would not be able to face him. She would not be able to look him in the eye and tell him that his son would be lost, quite possibly, forever. She knew that when that moment came, his disappointed and heartbroken eyes would haunt her forever, as would the face of a smiling, happy, blond haired little boy who never deserved the hand life had dealt him.
Monica hunched over the sink, unable to look at herself in the mirror any longer. The tears flowed freely coursing down her cheeks and finally falling into the sink. But it was not a silent cry as a few sobs escaped her throat.
After a few seconds she heard the gentle tapping at the door and a man's voice calling her name softly. Monica stood up, quickly wiping the tears away and gathering her composure. She must have waited too long to answer because the next moment John Doggett stuck his head in the bathroom door. Seeing her, seeing her all alone, he proceeded into the women's restroom. Under any other circumstances, Monica would have thought this was strange and would have said something, but right now a man in the women's restroom was the absolute least of her worries.
John walked up to her saying, "Agent Reyes, I'm really sorry about back there in the interrogation...." John never finished his sentence. It was then that he really looked at Monica and he realized, taking in her red eyes and bright cheeks, that she had just been crying. He was at a loss for words. He had come in to apologize for his outburst, knowing that he had been totally out of place, now that he had calmed down. He knew the routine and had been only hoping that he hadn't caused any irreparable damage to the search for his son, that he hadn't caused Monica any trouble. It had been he who had insisted to be included in the investigation and all the trouble of it should be his. And here was this woman crying about the loss of his son, a boy she had never met. Not for the first time since he had met her, John was blown away. His heart was suddenly filled with a love for this woman, a woman who cared deeply, who was doing everything in her power, to find his son. For this alone, he would be eternally grateful to her.
But Monica, alone in her own grief, could sense none of this. She only knew that he realized she had been crying. She reasoned he probably thought that she had become too emotionally involved in the case, that she was unfit to continue. She thought he was right. "Detective Doggett, I...um...I have just been informed that Bob Harvey's alibi has been verified. There is nothing to tie him to the disappearance of Luke. They are going to release him presently."
She had been expecting some sort of argument, but got none. John only betrayed his disappointment by the slight drop in his shoulders. She couldn't bring herself to tell him that they only had 24 hours left before the investigation was scaled back. But that thought made her say something she never thought she'd ever hear herself say. "Maybe, maybe it would be best if I requested that they assign another Agent as lead investigator."
John looked up at her startled at her words. "No," he said firmly.
It was Monica's turn to look surprised. It was not the answer she had been expecting. She opened her mouth to reply but she never got the chance. John took a step closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder. His touch was electric. He looked into her eyes and said, "I need you on this case." That was all he said. It was all that needed to be said, but a moment later the two felt that some line had been crossed that perhaps shouldn't have. Somewhat reluctantly, and surprised at his reluctance, John removed his hand from her shoulder and then walked out of the bathroom leaving a stunned Monica all alone in the now darkened restroom.
There had been something in his words, his look, his touch, that filled Monica with a renewed sense of hope. She was going to find Luke Doggett.