The rest of the evening went by peacefully. John and Monica sat close in their corner the entire evening, while Mulder and Scully danced. As surprising as it sounded, Mulder turned out to be a very good dancer. They left John and Monica alone, where they enjoyed each other's company. The few times Mulder and Scully came back to take a sip from their drink; John and Monica didn't even acknowledge them. They were so wrapped up in each other that the world around them seized to exist.
At the end of the night, John drove Monica home, enjoying their last moments together, wanting to take out as much as possible. He didn't want the night to end just yet, but he was too scared to do something about what was going on between them. He stopped his SUV in front of her apartment, hesitating to get out. He decided to be a real gentleman and opened Monica's door. She got out and their eyes locked, both smiling. John was fighting an internal battle about weather to kiss her or not. He gave her a tender look and gently kissed her on the forehead. She took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Monica turned around, almost inside of her building. She had almost reached the front door when John called her back. "Do you want me to walk you to your apartment?"
Monica smiled and gave him a cheeky grin. "I'll be fine, John. Are you scared to stay in the car by yourself?"
"Maybe. How about you? Someone could be hiding in your closet."
"Right, John. And last time I checked, I was Esmeralda."
The corners of John's mouth curled into a grin. "I always knew you were a princess, Mon."
John's words surprised her and caused her to blush violently. "You're such a flirt sometimes, John Doggett."
"If there's a problem, just call me. I've got this strange feeling."
"We're not in the movies, John. I'll be just fine."
John sighed. "If you say so. Maybe I should come up and see if everything is okay."
Monica smiled thankfully at him. She wanted him to come up, she really did. But he had to do it for the right reasons, not just because he was worried about her. She wanted him to come up because he wanted to be with her, not check up on her. But deep down she knew that it would take some more time before John was at ease with his feelings. The things he had said and done today didn't lie. He was slowly taking their relationship to the next level. Still, she knew it could take a few months before they reached that next level. She started to wonder how long it would take him before he kissed her. Not just a peck on the corner of her mouth. That didn't count. She wanted the fairytale kiss. Like a prince kissed his princess. Eventually, they would get there, but she also knew they had a long and bumpy road ahead.
John was standing at the bottom of the stairs, watching her almost disappear into the apartment. He had a concerned look on his face. Monica gave him one last glance. "John, nothing is going to happen to me."
"Okay then."
"Thanks John, you're adorable."
"Yeah, I know." He grinned at her. «Goodnight, Monica."
"Night, John."
Monica turned around and John walked back to his SUV. He opened the door, but for some reason he didn't get in.
Fifteen minutes later he was still standing there, leaning against his SUV, looking at her apartment. He had a very strange feeling in his guts, but he didn't know what it was. Something held him back from leaving. Maybe it was regret; he should have kissed her when he had the opportunity. God knew how much he wanted to kiss her, but fear held him back. The same thing had held him back right before her accident. He knew he couldn't go on playing those games for much longer. It wasn't fair to him and it certainly wasn't fair to Monica. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew that in some way he was hurting her. Even if the urge to kiss her was strong, the lack of courage was even stronger.
Like a knife cutting right through his soul, he heard an icy scream coming from Monica's apartment. He fumbled with his keys to get in and ran upstairs as if his life depended on it. And in a way it did. He almost ran her door down in his hurry to get in. He made his way through her apartment and was knocked down by someone, with his pants hanging to his knees. John got up and his brain started to work in overdrive; he already feared the worst. He found Monica on the bathroom floor, naked from the waist down. She clutched a nearby towel and her sobs became uncontrollable. John walked to where she was laying and gently picked her up. He walked her to her bedroom, lifted the covers and laid her down in bed. He dialled Scully number and told her what had happened. He didn't really know what the guy had done to Monica, but she had bruises and cuts on her face. Her mouth was bleeding and her eyes were almost closed. He didn't touch her anymore than needed to; he just sat next to her, afraid how she would react if he took her hand. He doubted she even knew he was there. She seemed to be in her own world, sobbing like he had never seen her before. Tears sprang in John's eyes. He didn't know what to do and he hated to see Monica vulnerable like that. And right at that moment he decided that he would find the bastard that had hurt her like that and would rip his heart out with his bare hands.
Monica moaned softly and John held a cool washcloth against her forehead, carefully avoiding the cuts and bruises. The friend in him wanted nothing more than to clean her wounds and take the pain away, but the agent in him knew he couldn't do that. Monica seemed to calm down a little from the cool touch and her eyes fluttered open slightly. "John?" Her voice was soft and John barely recognised it.
"Take it easy, Mon. Scully is on her way. Try to stay still, you're safe now." He lay down next to her and tried to hold her without disturbing or hurting her too much. She crawled closer to him and he gently rocked her in his arms, still trying to avoid her wounds. She sobbed into his shoulder and John was trying to be brave for her sake. He stayed like that for a while, tears finally finding their way out of his eyes. He fought them back, but it seemed that the gates to heaven had been pulled open. A soft sob escaped his mouth and his shoulders started to shake slightly.
He heard Scully come in and she made her way into the bedroom. John didn't bother to hide his tears; he just looked at Scully with a worried face. Scully was shocked to see Monica in such a state, but she hid it well. As bad as Monica looked, John didn't look much better. He was crying like a lost puppy and his face was turning a shade of blue. Scully finally broke the silence. "John, you've got to let her go. She needs to go to hospital."
"I can't... This is my entire fault."
"It's not your fault, John. You can't be with her 24 hours a day. The best you can do for her right now is getting her to hospital. They have to check her out. She's got wounds that need to be cleaned. And they need to do a...." Upon seeing the look on John's face, Scully fell silent."
John let out a deep sigh, trying to control his emotions. "I know, Dana, they have to..."
"She'll be fine, John. Come on; let's get you both to hospital."
John shook his head. "She's not fully dressed. You..."
"I'll put some sweatpants on, John." She gave him a straight look. "But I need you to do something, John."
"Okay, what do you want me to do?"
"Get a bag and pack the clothes she was wearing. It's probably the closest to evidence we have. Do you think you can do that?"
John nodded, made his way to the bathroom and threw her clothes in a bag. In the meantime Scully pulled out a pair of sweatpants out of Monica's closet and put them on. She didn't fail to notice the cuts Monica had on the insides of her thighs.
John was standing in the doorway, looking down at Scully. "How bad is it, Dana?"
"I can't tell, John. But I can tell you that she has cuts on the insides of her thighs."
"Oh God..."
"We don't know what happened yet, John. Try not to fear the worst."
John raised his voice, anger getting the better of him. "How can I not fear the worst when the most important person in my life is lying on that bed helplessly? Don't tell me how I should feel!"
Scully seemed less than surprised at his sudden outburst. It was a normal reaction. Nevertheless, seeing the always-calm John Doggett like that scared her. "John, I'm not trying to tell you how you should feel. I just..."
John bowed his head and looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Dana. I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just that I dunno how to help Monica."
"It's okay, John. Why don't you carry her to my car? That's how you can help her. Be there for her, helping her. Don't go into blind anger, it won't get you anywhere."
"Okay." John walked past Scully and she put a hand on his arm, trying to offer little comfort. He gently picked Monica up and followed by Scully, walked her to his car. He turned around to find Scully shaking her head.
"I think you're in no condition to drive."
John nodded his approval. "You're probably right." He walked to Scully's car and she opened the back door for him. He put Monica down gently, and climbed in next to her, laying her head in his lap, trying to make her feel as comfortable as possible. "Who ever did this Dana, I swear I'm gonna get that bastard."
Scully looked in the rear-view mirror, hatred in John's eyes. "We'll get the guy, John. But don't do anything stupid. How do you think that'll make Monica feel?"
Monica stirred next to him and softly mumbled. "She's right."
"Mon?" John put a lock of hair behind her ear, but she didn't answer. She was unconscious again. He looked at Scully. "Is it normal that she's in and out of consciousness?"
"She's probably in pain John and that's a normal reaction of the body. She would feel way too uncomfortable if she was awake."
"Okay."
The rest of the drive to hospital was spent in silence, John staring out of the window and tenderly caressing Monica's hair. Every now and then he checked up on her, but the stayed unconscious the entire drive to hospital. Scully had managed to call the hospital and warn them about their arrival.
When they finally made it there, she pulled into emergency and a couple of nurses were already waiting with a stretcher. John managed to get her out of the car without disturbing her too much and laid her down on the stretcher. They took her away in a hurry, leaving a guilty-feeling and worried John Doggett behind. He tried to get in with her, but they wouldn't let him. He was glad Scully was with her. At least she would have someone waiting for her when she woke up.
John was walking up and down the corridor, waiting for more news about Monica. They had arrived a little less than two hours ago and it were one of the longest two hours in John's life. Finally, Scully emerged, a worried look on her face.
John walked over to her. "How's she doing?"
"I'm not gonna lie to you, John. She's sleeping for now, but I'd say she's in pretty bad shape."
"What really happened to her?"
"She was badly beaten and she has cuts and bruises all over her body. She will hurt like hell for the next few days, but the good news is that she wasn't raped. You probably came in just in time to scare the guy away."
John let out a deep sigh he didn't know he was holding. "Can I see her?"
"Sure John, but like I said, she's asleep."
John turned around and made his way to Monica's room. He had tears in his eyes and he had to fight back sobs when he saw her lying on the bed like a fragile little girl. She was crushed, staring in front of her. He face had turned blue and her eyes were swollen and purple. When she saw John, she started crying again. John stood in front of the door motionless, not sure what to do or to say.
"Leave me alone, John. I don't want to see you."
John took a tentative step closer to her. "But Mon."
She clutched her bed sheet to her and then everything happened in a blur. She jumped up from her bed and started yelling at John. "I don't need your help! Why don't you just leave me alone?"
"Mon."
"Are you deaf? I told you to get out. Get lost! I hate you John Doggett and I don't want to see you ever again. You're just like all the guys and I don't trust you!"
John was just standing there; feeling like his heart had been ripped out of his chest. He was unable to move, let alone speak. He felt like a truck had hit him. He turned around and opened the door, getting ready to leave Monica's room. Behind him, Monica was crying. She cried with all the tears she had left. "Come back, John. I need your help. Please..."
John turned around again and walked up to Monica. He sat down on her bed and he put his arms around her. She clutched to him and he took her small hand in his. "Everything will be fine, Mon."
They stayed in each other's arms for what seemed like an eternity. Slowly, Monica's sobs were subsiding. She looked up at John, a sad look crossing her features. "I'm sorry, John. I didn't mean what I said. I trust you with my life."
John put his hand on her cheek and played with a lock of hair that had fallen in her face. "I know Monica. And I'm sorry too. For not being there for you when you needed me. For failing you again. I wanna help you, Mon."
"Thanks John, but I don't know if you can help me. I don't know if anyone can help me. I guess I'll have to get through this alone."
"You're not alone on this, Mon. I'll be with you all the way, no matter what it takes."
She smiled thankfully. "Thank you John. It means a lot to me. Do you think we could go for a walk?"
"I dunno Mon. You're supposed to rest."
"Five minutes won't hurt me. I need to get out of this room for a few minutes or I'll go crazy."
"Okay then." John helped her up and hand in hand they left the room. Scully was waiting for John outside.
"Are you okay, Monica?"
"I've had better days, but thanks Dana."
"You shouldn't be up yet. You should be in bed, sleeping."
"I'm just going for a walk down the hall."
"Be careful. And if it starts hurting again, come back. I don't want you to open your stitches."
At that, John turned his head to Scully. "Stitches? You didn't tell me about stitches."
"John, you were in a hurry to go and see her. I was going to tell you, but you left before I had the chance."
John mouthed an 'o' and looked back at Monica. "Does it hurt?"
"They don't really hurt, but they are at a very uncomfortable place. Let's just say it itches and I'm afraid it'll be painful to go to the bathroom."
Scully laid a caring hand on Monica's arm. "They won't hurt too much. Like you said, they will make you itchy."
Monica looked back at John. "Can we just take a little walk please? I don't want to be stiff in the morning."
John put his arm around her shoulder and they walked down the hall. Scully shook her head; Monica was obviously in denial. She was blocking what had happened to her out of her mind. She acted as if nothing was wrong. This was a natural reaction. But eventually she would have to talk to someone about it. Scully hoped that she would open up to John, who would be there for her. When they came back, John gave Scully a weak smile. He got inside with Monica and not five minutes later he emerged. "I guess the medicine is kicking in. She fell asleep like a rock."
"Good. I need to talk to you, John."
He followed her down the hall and didn't miss the serious look Scully had on her face.
"What's wrong, Dana?"
"We have to talk about Monica."
"She seems to be doing fine, doesn't she?"
Scully shook her head. "Don't think that, John. She's putting up a face. She's not doing fine. John, Monica is in denial. She needs to talk about what happened."
"I guess she'll talk when she's ready for it."
"I don't think so. You need to try to get her into talking."
John rolled his eyes. "I can't force her."
"No John, you can't. All you can do is being there for her and maybe she'll come to you by herself. She needs a confident and my best guess is that you will be it. She trusts you John and I think she'll probably talk to you. But if she doesn't, it's going to hit her in the face sooner or later. And when that happens, she's gonna need you more than ever."
"Okay. When can I take her home?"
"They want to keep in observation overnight. You can pick her up tomorrow afternoon."
"I'll be here." John smiled at Scully. "Thanks for being there for her, Dana."
Scully laid a caring hand on John's arm. "She'll be fine John."
John smiled weakly and left the George Washington Hospital, hoping for Monica to have a peaceful night.
John arrived at his place not much later. The hospital was not too far from his place and in a way he was glad. If anything went wrong with Monica tonight, he would be there in a heartbeat. Deep down he knew nothing would go wrong with her, but he couldn't help but worry. He traded his jeans for a black boxer and a large NY Knicks t-shirt and crawled into bed. He tried to close his eyes and rest, but he couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about Monica and how this would affect her.
FBI HEADQUARTERS, NEXT MORNING
After a sleepless night, John arrived at the bureau around 9.30. It was Saturday, but he called Skinner and he would meet him at 10. He needed to tell him what had happened to Monica and ask him for some leave, so he could take care of Monica. He knew Monica would probably say she was okay to stay alone and that he didn't have to waste his leave to stay with her. But he wanted to be there for, take care of her.
John sat behind his desk, trying to do some paperwork while waiting for Skinner. But how hard he tried, he couldn't concentrate on anything else but Monica. She was constantly on his mind. He kept trying to figure out how to help her. And the more he thought about it, the more he realised that all he could do was be there for her. She was the one who had to get over it. She was the one needing to deal with it. He had to deal with it too, but Monica was the victim and not he. Monica had to do the talking. All John could do was listening. It made him angry. He was an ex-marine, and ex-NYPD cop and an FBI agent. And he couldn't do anything to help his best friend. Monica was his partner, like his big sister, his confident. And still, she was so much more than that.
He was deeply thinking about Monica when his phone rang. It was Skinner, telling him that he could come up. John left his office and took the elevator to Skinner's floor, still in deep thoughts. He softly knocked on the door and was greeted by a casually dressed AD. "Take a seat, Agent Doggett."
John nodded his head. "Good morning, Sir."
"What can I do for you, Agent?"
John looked at Skinner, a hard expression crossing his features. "It's about Monica, Sir."
"John?"
John sighed deeply and looked at the older man, a worried look on his face. "She was attacked in her apartment last night."
"Attacked? What happened?"
John hung his shoulders and looked at his fingers. "Well, I dropped her off at her place last night and apparently someone was waiting for her. I had a strange feeling when I dropped her off and I couldn't leave immediately. About fifteen minutes later, I heard a scream coming for Monica's apartment and I ran inside. I was ran over by a guy, his pants half down. I found Monica on her bathroom floor and she was..."
"Not fully dressed?" the older man finished for him.
"No, Sir. She's in hospital right now. She can leave this afternoon. Sir, I'd like to investigate this."
"Have you called the police, Agent Doggett?"
"Yes Sir, they were at her place this morning."
"Have they spoken to Monica yet?"
John rolled his eyes at Skinner. "But Sir..."
"You have to let them speak to her."
"I'll call them from home."
"Make sure you do so, Agent Doggett. How's Agent Reyes doing?"
John let out a puff of air. "Not too good, Sir. She has cuts and bruises over her entire body, she has a few stitches and she's in denial. But there's some good new too, Sir; She wasn't raped."
"You probably came in time to spare her that ordeal."
"I dunno, Sir. I think I could have done more."
Skinner shook his head. "There's nothing you could have done, John. This is not your fault. So don't go feeling all guilty over it."
"Right Sir."
"So I take it Agent Reyes will be on sick leave for a while?"
"Yes, Sir. And I wanted to ask you for some time off so I can keep an eye on her."
"Granted, Agent Doggett. Take as long as you need. I'm sure you have put in more than enough hours to get some time off. Don't worry about anything; I'll take care of it."
"Thank you, Sir." John gave his boss a small smile and left the office. He was about to take the elevator when his cell phone rang. "Agent Doggett."
"John, it's Scully. I'm at the hospital and..."
"Is Monica okay?"
"She's fine, John. I just wanted to let you know that she's awake and you can take her home now if you want."
"I'm on my way."
John put his phone back in the pocket of his jacket and made his way to the garage. He drove off in a hurry.
GEORGE WASHINGTON HOSPITAL, 10.30 am
John parked his SUV and made his way inside the brand new hospital. He almost ran to Monica's room and peered through the window. She was sitting on the bed, staring at the ceiling. When John softly knocked an opened the door, she gave him a brief look and smiled weakly. John sat down by her side, but she moved away from him. He tried to keep his distances, but gave her a look. "How are you feeling, Monica?"
She briefly met his gaze, shrugged her shoulders and mumbled something. John didn't understand a thing she had said, but didn't push her further. He got up, took her small bag and held out his hand to her. She looked at him, then at his outstretched hand and back at him. Hesitantly she laid her hand in his and he gave it a gentle squeeze. They walked out of the room, John keeping an eye on his partner.
They were on the parking lot, Scully coming over to them. She greeted John and nodded at Monica. "Can I speak to you both?"
John nodded. "Can't it wait, Dana? I'd like to take Monica home."
"It won't take long." She turned to Monica, who was obviously somewhere else with her mind. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, Monica. I really am. And if there's anything I can do to help you, I hope you'll let me know."
Monica gave her a small smile. "Thanks Dana."
"Do you want me to call your parents or something?"
"I don't want to let them know, Dana."
"Do you think that's wise? I mean they have the right to know."
"No!" Monica turned around and with a decided step she walked to John's SUV. John wanted to follow her, but Scully held him back.
"Let me see if she's alright."
"Just a second, John." Scully held him back with a hand on his arm. "Take good care of her."
John gave her a small smile. "I will, don't worry."
"I know you will John."
John walked to his SUV; Monica was leaning against the hood. He stood right in front of her and she was on the verge of tears. He sat down on the hood and put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned against him and tears were falling down her face. She sobbed into his shirt, soaking it in the process. They stayed like that for a few minutes before her let her go. No words were spoken after he let her go. John opened the door to his SUV and helped Monica inside.
The drive was spent in silence, Monica constantly gazing out the window, looking straight through passing cars. John didn't try to start a conversation; he knew Monica had to come around before she started talking. She was in deep thoughts, but didn't fail to notice John was driving to Falls Church.
"Where are we going John?" She gave him a sideway glance.
"I'm taking you to my place, Monica. There's not the slightest chance in the world that I'm gonna leave you at your place all by yourself. Besides, I don't think it would be wise for you to stay at your apartment. You have to recover and you can't do that if you always think about what happened."
"That's very sweet of you John, but I don't think I'll ever be able to forget what happened. Even when I'm out of my apartment."
"I'm so sorry, Mon." John took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He had been taking her hand a lot lately. It was his way of showing his support. He wanted her to know that whatever happened, he was there for her.
They finally reached John's beautiful house in Falls Church. John glanced over at Monica and she was dozing off. Although it was a short drive from the hospital, she was falling asleep. He gently tried to wake her without scaring her too much. "We're here Mon." Monica opened her eyes and looked straight into John's smiling eyes. "Sorry I had to wake you."
Monica smiled back, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "That's okay, John."
"I hope you don't mind, but I drove over to your place this morning and packed a few things. I also called the police and they checked your apartment on fingerprints. They found none of course. Your clothes turned out clean too."
"Thanks John."
He walked around his SUV and opened the car on Monica's side. He helped her out and slowly they made their way inside. Monica sat down on the couch and John went back to retrieve Monica's bag from the trunk. When he came back inside, he found her staring in front of her, softly crying. He sat down next to her and took her in his arms. She seemed to calm down from his tender touch and a few minutes later her tears were subsiding.
"Thank you so much John. I don't know what I would do without you. I'll never forget all the support you are giving me."
John took her hand and smiled lazily. "That's okay. I'll do anything for you, you know that."
"Yes John and you have no idea how much I appreciate it." She gave him a tender look, but failed to notice the unshed tears in his eyes. He took her other hand and helped her to her feet. They walked over to the bottom of the stairs, where Monica gave John a questioning look. "John?"
John turned his head in her direction. "What?"
"Where are we going?"
"You gotta rest. I've got the spare room ready for you. It'll be more comfortable than the couch."
"You're probably right."
Monica found out that the stairs were pretty difficult to take with the stitches she had, but slowly she managed to get upstairs. John opened the door to his spare room, which turned out to be Luke's old room. Monica looked at him. "Are you sure you want me to stay in here, John?"
"Yes Monica, I'm sure." He gave her a reassuring look and lifted the covers of the bed. Monica slid in bed and smiled thankfully at John. It was then that she noticed the bruises John had on his face. She carefully put her hand on one of his bruises and he jumped back a little.
"What happened to you, John?"
"Not much, I was run over yesterday and I fell on my face."
"Oh. I'm sorry John."
"Mon, you have nothing to be sorry about. You couldn't help it. Remember that it's not your fault." He gently covered her and kissed her on the forehead. He got out of the room and something came to mind; suddenly he realised that Monica could very well have been killed. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her. He cared too much about her; she was the most important person in his life. He wished there was more he could do for her, now that she needed him most.
John was cleaning the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Two female police officers were asking for Monica. John had called them as soon as Monica was in bed. He didn't really want to wake Monica, but when they arrived in the living room, she was already sitting on the couch. "What are you doing here, Monica?"
She shuffled her feet on the floor. "I heard the doorbell and I came down to see who it was."
Both officers looked at John, motioning for him to leave the room. He didn't want to leave her alone, but he didn't have a choice. He turned around and stomped away.
The youngest officer looked at Monica. "Agent Reyes, I'm Officer Kate Davis and that's my partner Bonnie Morris. We'd like to ask you a few questions about what happened yesterday."
"I don't think I'll be of much help. It all happened in a blur really. There's not much I can remember."
Kate Davis folded her hands in her lap. "I know this is hard for you, but we have to do this. Is there anything you can remember?"
Monica closed her eyes and tried to recall the evening before. "He had an accent... Spanish I think."
"Are you sure it's Spanish?"
"Pretty much."
"But you're not one hundred percent sure?"
"No, I'm not."
"Is there anything else you can remember?"
"No, that's pretty much it."
Bonnie Morris interrupted them. "You're not giving us much to go on."
Kate gave her colleague an icy glare. Monica looked at her with an open mouth and jumped off the couch. She came eye to eye with Bonnie Morris. "I told you I didn't know much."
"Maybe if you try harder." Kate glared at Bonnie, stood up and gave her a warning look.
"Give it a rest, Bonnie."
Bonnie shook her head. "It's true Kate. She's an FBI agent. She should be able to tell us more."
Monica growled at Bonnie. "I may be an FBI agent, but that still doesn't mean that I can see more than others. They guy was wearing a ski mask. How the hell should I know what he looked like?!" Monica spat at Bonnie, who took a step back.
"Take it easy agent Reyes."
"Why don't you get the hell out!" Monica started screaming and John came in to see what all the commotion was about. Monica had tears rolling down her cheeks and Bonnie started talking again.
"Agent Reyes..."
John interrupted them. "She told you everything she knows. Why don't you just leave now?
Bonnie wasn't ready to give up without putting up a fight. "Agent Doggett."
John clenched his jaw and his face turned white. "Get the hell out of my house!"
Kate took Bonnie by her arm and pulled her out of the house. John slammed the door shut behind them and he could hear them arguing. He turned to Monica, whom was curled on the couch, crying her eyes out. He sat down next to her and without any words being spoken between them, she crawled to him and he rocked her like a baby. A few minutes later she looked up at him. "I can't tell them what happened. I really can't. They are strangers and this is so.."
"I'm here for you Monica. If you wanna talk about it, I'm listening."
"I know, but..." She started sobbing again and John mentally kicked himself.
"It'll do you good to talk about it, Mon."
In between sobs and sniffles, Monica started talking. John took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "He tried to rape me! That sick bastard tried to rape me, John!"
"You don't have to tell me if you're not ready, Monica."
"I need to talk about it, John. Someone has to know what happened and I trust you with my life."
John gave her a tender look and gently caressed her cheek with his thumb. "I'm here for you, sweetie."
END PART 5
At the end of the night, John drove Monica home, enjoying their last moments together, wanting to take out as much as possible. He didn't want the night to end just yet, but he was too scared to do something about what was going on between them. He stopped his SUV in front of her apartment, hesitating to get out. He decided to be a real gentleman and opened Monica's door. She got out and their eyes locked, both smiling. John was fighting an internal battle about weather to kiss her or not. He gave her a tender look and gently kissed her on the forehead. She took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Monica turned around, almost inside of her building. She had almost reached the front door when John called her back. "Do you want me to walk you to your apartment?"
Monica smiled and gave him a cheeky grin. "I'll be fine, John. Are you scared to stay in the car by yourself?"
"Maybe. How about you? Someone could be hiding in your closet."
"Right, John. And last time I checked, I was Esmeralda."
The corners of John's mouth curled into a grin. "I always knew you were a princess, Mon."
John's words surprised her and caused her to blush violently. "You're such a flirt sometimes, John Doggett."
"If there's a problem, just call me. I've got this strange feeling."
"We're not in the movies, John. I'll be just fine."
John sighed. "If you say so. Maybe I should come up and see if everything is okay."
Monica smiled thankfully at him. She wanted him to come up, she really did. But he had to do it for the right reasons, not just because he was worried about her. She wanted him to come up because he wanted to be with her, not check up on her. But deep down she knew that it would take some more time before John was at ease with his feelings. The things he had said and done today didn't lie. He was slowly taking their relationship to the next level. Still, she knew it could take a few months before they reached that next level. She started to wonder how long it would take him before he kissed her. Not just a peck on the corner of her mouth. That didn't count. She wanted the fairytale kiss. Like a prince kissed his princess. Eventually, they would get there, but she also knew they had a long and bumpy road ahead.
John was standing at the bottom of the stairs, watching her almost disappear into the apartment. He had a concerned look on his face. Monica gave him one last glance. "John, nothing is going to happen to me."
"Okay then."
"Thanks John, you're adorable."
"Yeah, I know." He grinned at her. «Goodnight, Monica."
"Night, John."
Monica turned around and John walked back to his SUV. He opened the door, but for some reason he didn't get in.
Fifteen minutes later he was still standing there, leaning against his SUV, looking at her apartment. He had a very strange feeling in his guts, but he didn't know what it was. Something held him back from leaving. Maybe it was regret; he should have kissed her when he had the opportunity. God knew how much he wanted to kiss her, but fear held him back. The same thing had held him back right before her accident. He knew he couldn't go on playing those games for much longer. It wasn't fair to him and it certainly wasn't fair to Monica. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew that in some way he was hurting her. Even if the urge to kiss her was strong, the lack of courage was even stronger.
Like a knife cutting right through his soul, he heard an icy scream coming from Monica's apartment. He fumbled with his keys to get in and ran upstairs as if his life depended on it. And in a way it did. He almost ran her door down in his hurry to get in. He made his way through her apartment and was knocked down by someone, with his pants hanging to his knees. John got up and his brain started to work in overdrive; he already feared the worst. He found Monica on the bathroom floor, naked from the waist down. She clutched a nearby towel and her sobs became uncontrollable. John walked to where she was laying and gently picked her up. He walked her to her bedroom, lifted the covers and laid her down in bed. He dialled Scully number and told her what had happened. He didn't really know what the guy had done to Monica, but she had bruises and cuts on her face. Her mouth was bleeding and her eyes were almost closed. He didn't touch her anymore than needed to; he just sat next to her, afraid how she would react if he took her hand. He doubted she even knew he was there. She seemed to be in her own world, sobbing like he had never seen her before. Tears sprang in John's eyes. He didn't know what to do and he hated to see Monica vulnerable like that. And right at that moment he decided that he would find the bastard that had hurt her like that and would rip his heart out with his bare hands.
Monica moaned softly and John held a cool washcloth against her forehead, carefully avoiding the cuts and bruises. The friend in him wanted nothing more than to clean her wounds and take the pain away, but the agent in him knew he couldn't do that. Monica seemed to calm down a little from the cool touch and her eyes fluttered open slightly. "John?" Her voice was soft and John barely recognised it.
"Take it easy, Mon. Scully is on her way. Try to stay still, you're safe now." He lay down next to her and tried to hold her without disturbing or hurting her too much. She crawled closer to him and he gently rocked her in his arms, still trying to avoid her wounds. She sobbed into his shoulder and John was trying to be brave for her sake. He stayed like that for a while, tears finally finding their way out of his eyes. He fought them back, but it seemed that the gates to heaven had been pulled open. A soft sob escaped his mouth and his shoulders started to shake slightly.
He heard Scully come in and she made her way into the bedroom. John didn't bother to hide his tears; he just looked at Scully with a worried face. Scully was shocked to see Monica in such a state, but she hid it well. As bad as Monica looked, John didn't look much better. He was crying like a lost puppy and his face was turning a shade of blue. Scully finally broke the silence. "John, you've got to let her go. She needs to go to hospital."
"I can't... This is my entire fault."
"It's not your fault, John. You can't be with her 24 hours a day. The best you can do for her right now is getting her to hospital. They have to check her out. She's got wounds that need to be cleaned. And they need to do a...." Upon seeing the look on John's face, Scully fell silent."
John let out a deep sigh, trying to control his emotions. "I know, Dana, they have to..."
"She'll be fine, John. Come on; let's get you both to hospital."
John shook his head. "She's not fully dressed. You..."
"I'll put some sweatpants on, John." She gave him a straight look. "But I need you to do something, John."
"Okay, what do you want me to do?"
"Get a bag and pack the clothes she was wearing. It's probably the closest to evidence we have. Do you think you can do that?"
John nodded, made his way to the bathroom and threw her clothes in a bag. In the meantime Scully pulled out a pair of sweatpants out of Monica's closet and put them on. She didn't fail to notice the cuts Monica had on the insides of her thighs.
John was standing in the doorway, looking down at Scully. "How bad is it, Dana?"
"I can't tell, John. But I can tell you that she has cuts on the insides of her thighs."
"Oh God..."
"We don't know what happened yet, John. Try not to fear the worst."
John raised his voice, anger getting the better of him. "How can I not fear the worst when the most important person in my life is lying on that bed helplessly? Don't tell me how I should feel!"
Scully seemed less than surprised at his sudden outburst. It was a normal reaction. Nevertheless, seeing the always-calm John Doggett like that scared her. "John, I'm not trying to tell you how you should feel. I just..."
John bowed his head and looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Dana. I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just that I dunno how to help Monica."
"It's okay, John. Why don't you carry her to my car? That's how you can help her. Be there for her, helping her. Don't go into blind anger, it won't get you anywhere."
"Okay." John walked past Scully and she put a hand on his arm, trying to offer little comfort. He gently picked Monica up and followed by Scully, walked her to his car. He turned around to find Scully shaking her head.
"I think you're in no condition to drive."
John nodded his approval. "You're probably right." He walked to Scully's car and she opened the back door for him. He put Monica down gently, and climbed in next to her, laying her head in his lap, trying to make her feel as comfortable as possible. "Who ever did this Dana, I swear I'm gonna get that bastard."
Scully looked in the rear-view mirror, hatred in John's eyes. "We'll get the guy, John. But don't do anything stupid. How do you think that'll make Monica feel?"
Monica stirred next to him and softly mumbled. "She's right."
"Mon?" John put a lock of hair behind her ear, but she didn't answer. She was unconscious again. He looked at Scully. "Is it normal that she's in and out of consciousness?"
"She's probably in pain John and that's a normal reaction of the body. She would feel way too uncomfortable if she was awake."
"Okay."
The rest of the drive to hospital was spent in silence, John staring out of the window and tenderly caressing Monica's hair. Every now and then he checked up on her, but the stayed unconscious the entire drive to hospital. Scully had managed to call the hospital and warn them about their arrival.
When they finally made it there, she pulled into emergency and a couple of nurses were already waiting with a stretcher. John managed to get her out of the car without disturbing her too much and laid her down on the stretcher. They took her away in a hurry, leaving a guilty-feeling and worried John Doggett behind. He tried to get in with her, but they wouldn't let him. He was glad Scully was with her. At least she would have someone waiting for her when she woke up.
John was walking up and down the corridor, waiting for more news about Monica. They had arrived a little less than two hours ago and it were one of the longest two hours in John's life. Finally, Scully emerged, a worried look on her face.
John walked over to her. "How's she doing?"
"I'm not gonna lie to you, John. She's sleeping for now, but I'd say she's in pretty bad shape."
"What really happened to her?"
"She was badly beaten and she has cuts and bruises all over her body. She will hurt like hell for the next few days, but the good news is that she wasn't raped. You probably came in just in time to scare the guy away."
John let out a deep sigh he didn't know he was holding. "Can I see her?"
"Sure John, but like I said, she's asleep."
John turned around and made his way to Monica's room. He had tears in his eyes and he had to fight back sobs when he saw her lying on the bed like a fragile little girl. She was crushed, staring in front of her. He face had turned blue and her eyes were swollen and purple. When she saw John, she started crying again. John stood in front of the door motionless, not sure what to do or to say.
"Leave me alone, John. I don't want to see you."
John took a tentative step closer to her. "But Mon."
She clutched her bed sheet to her and then everything happened in a blur. She jumped up from her bed and started yelling at John. "I don't need your help! Why don't you just leave me alone?"
"Mon."
"Are you deaf? I told you to get out. Get lost! I hate you John Doggett and I don't want to see you ever again. You're just like all the guys and I don't trust you!"
John was just standing there; feeling like his heart had been ripped out of his chest. He was unable to move, let alone speak. He felt like a truck had hit him. He turned around and opened the door, getting ready to leave Monica's room. Behind him, Monica was crying. She cried with all the tears she had left. "Come back, John. I need your help. Please..."
John turned around again and walked up to Monica. He sat down on her bed and he put his arms around her. She clutched to him and he took her small hand in his. "Everything will be fine, Mon."
They stayed in each other's arms for what seemed like an eternity. Slowly, Monica's sobs were subsiding. She looked up at John, a sad look crossing her features. "I'm sorry, John. I didn't mean what I said. I trust you with my life."
John put his hand on her cheek and played with a lock of hair that had fallen in her face. "I know Monica. And I'm sorry too. For not being there for you when you needed me. For failing you again. I wanna help you, Mon."
"Thanks John, but I don't know if you can help me. I don't know if anyone can help me. I guess I'll have to get through this alone."
"You're not alone on this, Mon. I'll be with you all the way, no matter what it takes."
She smiled thankfully. "Thank you John. It means a lot to me. Do you think we could go for a walk?"
"I dunno Mon. You're supposed to rest."
"Five minutes won't hurt me. I need to get out of this room for a few minutes or I'll go crazy."
"Okay then." John helped her up and hand in hand they left the room. Scully was waiting for John outside.
"Are you okay, Monica?"
"I've had better days, but thanks Dana."
"You shouldn't be up yet. You should be in bed, sleeping."
"I'm just going for a walk down the hall."
"Be careful. And if it starts hurting again, come back. I don't want you to open your stitches."
At that, John turned his head to Scully. "Stitches? You didn't tell me about stitches."
"John, you were in a hurry to go and see her. I was going to tell you, but you left before I had the chance."
John mouthed an 'o' and looked back at Monica. "Does it hurt?"
"They don't really hurt, but they are at a very uncomfortable place. Let's just say it itches and I'm afraid it'll be painful to go to the bathroom."
Scully laid a caring hand on Monica's arm. "They won't hurt too much. Like you said, they will make you itchy."
Monica looked back at John. "Can we just take a little walk please? I don't want to be stiff in the morning."
John put his arm around her shoulder and they walked down the hall. Scully shook her head; Monica was obviously in denial. She was blocking what had happened to her out of her mind. She acted as if nothing was wrong. This was a natural reaction. But eventually she would have to talk to someone about it. Scully hoped that she would open up to John, who would be there for her. When they came back, John gave Scully a weak smile. He got inside with Monica and not five minutes later he emerged. "I guess the medicine is kicking in. She fell asleep like a rock."
"Good. I need to talk to you, John."
He followed her down the hall and didn't miss the serious look Scully had on her face.
"What's wrong, Dana?"
"We have to talk about Monica."
"She seems to be doing fine, doesn't she?"
Scully shook her head. "Don't think that, John. She's putting up a face. She's not doing fine. John, Monica is in denial. She needs to talk about what happened."
"I guess she'll talk when she's ready for it."
"I don't think so. You need to try to get her into talking."
John rolled his eyes. "I can't force her."
"No John, you can't. All you can do is being there for her and maybe she'll come to you by herself. She needs a confident and my best guess is that you will be it. She trusts you John and I think she'll probably talk to you. But if she doesn't, it's going to hit her in the face sooner or later. And when that happens, she's gonna need you more than ever."
"Okay. When can I take her home?"
"They want to keep in observation overnight. You can pick her up tomorrow afternoon."
"I'll be here." John smiled at Scully. "Thanks for being there for her, Dana."
Scully laid a caring hand on John's arm. "She'll be fine John."
John smiled weakly and left the George Washington Hospital, hoping for Monica to have a peaceful night.
John arrived at his place not much later. The hospital was not too far from his place and in a way he was glad. If anything went wrong with Monica tonight, he would be there in a heartbeat. Deep down he knew nothing would go wrong with her, but he couldn't help but worry. He traded his jeans for a black boxer and a large NY Knicks t-shirt and crawled into bed. He tried to close his eyes and rest, but he couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about Monica and how this would affect her.
FBI HEADQUARTERS, NEXT MORNING
After a sleepless night, John arrived at the bureau around 9.30. It was Saturday, but he called Skinner and he would meet him at 10. He needed to tell him what had happened to Monica and ask him for some leave, so he could take care of Monica. He knew Monica would probably say she was okay to stay alone and that he didn't have to waste his leave to stay with her. But he wanted to be there for, take care of her.
John sat behind his desk, trying to do some paperwork while waiting for Skinner. But how hard he tried, he couldn't concentrate on anything else but Monica. She was constantly on his mind. He kept trying to figure out how to help her. And the more he thought about it, the more he realised that all he could do was be there for her. She was the one who had to get over it. She was the one needing to deal with it. He had to deal with it too, but Monica was the victim and not he. Monica had to do the talking. All John could do was listening. It made him angry. He was an ex-marine, and ex-NYPD cop and an FBI agent. And he couldn't do anything to help his best friend. Monica was his partner, like his big sister, his confident. And still, she was so much more than that.
He was deeply thinking about Monica when his phone rang. It was Skinner, telling him that he could come up. John left his office and took the elevator to Skinner's floor, still in deep thoughts. He softly knocked on the door and was greeted by a casually dressed AD. "Take a seat, Agent Doggett."
John nodded his head. "Good morning, Sir."
"What can I do for you, Agent?"
John looked at Skinner, a hard expression crossing his features. "It's about Monica, Sir."
"John?"
John sighed deeply and looked at the older man, a worried look on his face. "She was attacked in her apartment last night."
"Attacked? What happened?"
John hung his shoulders and looked at his fingers. "Well, I dropped her off at her place last night and apparently someone was waiting for her. I had a strange feeling when I dropped her off and I couldn't leave immediately. About fifteen minutes later, I heard a scream coming for Monica's apartment and I ran inside. I was ran over by a guy, his pants half down. I found Monica on her bathroom floor and she was..."
"Not fully dressed?" the older man finished for him.
"No, Sir. She's in hospital right now. She can leave this afternoon. Sir, I'd like to investigate this."
"Have you called the police, Agent Doggett?"
"Yes Sir, they were at her place this morning."
"Have they spoken to Monica yet?"
John rolled his eyes at Skinner. "But Sir..."
"You have to let them speak to her."
"I'll call them from home."
"Make sure you do so, Agent Doggett. How's Agent Reyes doing?"
John let out a puff of air. "Not too good, Sir. She has cuts and bruises over her entire body, she has a few stitches and she's in denial. But there's some good new too, Sir; She wasn't raped."
"You probably came in time to spare her that ordeal."
"I dunno, Sir. I think I could have done more."
Skinner shook his head. "There's nothing you could have done, John. This is not your fault. So don't go feeling all guilty over it."
"Right Sir."
"So I take it Agent Reyes will be on sick leave for a while?"
"Yes, Sir. And I wanted to ask you for some time off so I can keep an eye on her."
"Granted, Agent Doggett. Take as long as you need. I'm sure you have put in more than enough hours to get some time off. Don't worry about anything; I'll take care of it."
"Thank you, Sir." John gave his boss a small smile and left the office. He was about to take the elevator when his cell phone rang. "Agent Doggett."
"John, it's Scully. I'm at the hospital and..."
"Is Monica okay?"
"She's fine, John. I just wanted to let you know that she's awake and you can take her home now if you want."
"I'm on my way."
John put his phone back in the pocket of his jacket and made his way to the garage. He drove off in a hurry.
GEORGE WASHINGTON HOSPITAL, 10.30 am
John parked his SUV and made his way inside the brand new hospital. He almost ran to Monica's room and peered through the window. She was sitting on the bed, staring at the ceiling. When John softly knocked an opened the door, she gave him a brief look and smiled weakly. John sat down by her side, but she moved away from him. He tried to keep his distances, but gave her a look. "How are you feeling, Monica?"
She briefly met his gaze, shrugged her shoulders and mumbled something. John didn't understand a thing she had said, but didn't push her further. He got up, took her small bag and held out his hand to her. She looked at him, then at his outstretched hand and back at him. Hesitantly she laid her hand in his and he gave it a gentle squeeze. They walked out of the room, John keeping an eye on his partner.
They were on the parking lot, Scully coming over to them. She greeted John and nodded at Monica. "Can I speak to you both?"
John nodded. "Can't it wait, Dana? I'd like to take Monica home."
"It won't take long." She turned to Monica, who was obviously somewhere else with her mind. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, Monica. I really am. And if there's anything I can do to help you, I hope you'll let me know."
Monica gave her a small smile. "Thanks Dana."
"Do you want me to call your parents or something?"
"I don't want to let them know, Dana."
"Do you think that's wise? I mean they have the right to know."
"No!" Monica turned around and with a decided step she walked to John's SUV. John wanted to follow her, but Scully held him back.
"Let me see if she's alright."
"Just a second, John." Scully held him back with a hand on his arm. "Take good care of her."
John gave her a small smile. "I will, don't worry."
"I know you will John."
John walked to his SUV; Monica was leaning against the hood. He stood right in front of her and she was on the verge of tears. He sat down on the hood and put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned against him and tears were falling down her face. She sobbed into his shirt, soaking it in the process. They stayed like that for a few minutes before her let her go. No words were spoken after he let her go. John opened the door to his SUV and helped Monica inside.
The drive was spent in silence, Monica constantly gazing out the window, looking straight through passing cars. John didn't try to start a conversation; he knew Monica had to come around before she started talking. She was in deep thoughts, but didn't fail to notice John was driving to Falls Church.
"Where are we going John?" She gave him a sideway glance.
"I'm taking you to my place, Monica. There's not the slightest chance in the world that I'm gonna leave you at your place all by yourself. Besides, I don't think it would be wise for you to stay at your apartment. You have to recover and you can't do that if you always think about what happened."
"That's very sweet of you John, but I don't think I'll ever be able to forget what happened. Even when I'm out of my apartment."
"I'm so sorry, Mon." John took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He had been taking her hand a lot lately. It was his way of showing his support. He wanted her to know that whatever happened, he was there for her.
They finally reached John's beautiful house in Falls Church. John glanced over at Monica and she was dozing off. Although it was a short drive from the hospital, she was falling asleep. He gently tried to wake her without scaring her too much. "We're here Mon." Monica opened her eyes and looked straight into John's smiling eyes. "Sorry I had to wake you."
Monica smiled back, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "That's okay, John."
"I hope you don't mind, but I drove over to your place this morning and packed a few things. I also called the police and they checked your apartment on fingerprints. They found none of course. Your clothes turned out clean too."
"Thanks John."
He walked around his SUV and opened the car on Monica's side. He helped her out and slowly they made their way inside. Monica sat down on the couch and John went back to retrieve Monica's bag from the trunk. When he came back inside, he found her staring in front of her, softly crying. He sat down next to her and took her in his arms. She seemed to calm down from his tender touch and a few minutes later her tears were subsiding.
"Thank you so much John. I don't know what I would do without you. I'll never forget all the support you are giving me."
John took her hand and smiled lazily. "That's okay. I'll do anything for you, you know that."
"Yes John and you have no idea how much I appreciate it." She gave him a tender look, but failed to notice the unshed tears in his eyes. He took her other hand and helped her to her feet. They walked over to the bottom of the stairs, where Monica gave John a questioning look. "John?"
John turned his head in her direction. "What?"
"Where are we going?"
"You gotta rest. I've got the spare room ready for you. It'll be more comfortable than the couch."
"You're probably right."
Monica found out that the stairs were pretty difficult to take with the stitches she had, but slowly she managed to get upstairs. John opened the door to his spare room, which turned out to be Luke's old room. Monica looked at him. "Are you sure you want me to stay in here, John?"
"Yes Monica, I'm sure." He gave her a reassuring look and lifted the covers of the bed. Monica slid in bed and smiled thankfully at John. It was then that she noticed the bruises John had on his face. She carefully put her hand on one of his bruises and he jumped back a little.
"What happened to you, John?"
"Not much, I was run over yesterday and I fell on my face."
"Oh. I'm sorry John."
"Mon, you have nothing to be sorry about. You couldn't help it. Remember that it's not your fault." He gently covered her and kissed her on the forehead. He got out of the room and something came to mind; suddenly he realised that Monica could very well have been killed. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her. He cared too much about her; she was the most important person in his life. He wished there was more he could do for her, now that she needed him most.
John was cleaning the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Two female police officers were asking for Monica. John had called them as soon as Monica was in bed. He didn't really want to wake Monica, but when they arrived in the living room, she was already sitting on the couch. "What are you doing here, Monica?"
She shuffled her feet on the floor. "I heard the doorbell and I came down to see who it was."
Both officers looked at John, motioning for him to leave the room. He didn't want to leave her alone, but he didn't have a choice. He turned around and stomped away.
The youngest officer looked at Monica. "Agent Reyes, I'm Officer Kate Davis and that's my partner Bonnie Morris. We'd like to ask you a few questions about what happened yesterday."
"I don't think I'll be of much help. It all happened in a blur really. There's not much I can remember."
Kate Davis folded her hands in her lap. "I know this is hard for you, but we have to do this. Is there anything you can remember?"
Monica closed her eyes and tried to recall the evening before. "He had an accent... Spanish I think."
"Are you sure it's Spanish?"
"Pretty much."
"But you're not one hundred percent sure?"
"No, I'm not."
"Is there anything else you can remember?"
"No, that's pretty much it."
Bonnie Morris interrupted them. "You're not giving us much to go on."
Kate gave her colleague an icy glare. Monica looked at her with an open mouth and jumped off the couch. She came eye to eye with Bonnie Morris. "I told you I didn't know much."
"Maybe if you try harder." Kate glared at Bonnie, stood up and gave her a warning look.
"Give it a rest, Bonnie."
Bonnie shook her head. "It's true Kate. She's an FBI agent. She should be able to tell us more."
Monica growled at Bonnie. "I may be an FBI agent, but that still doesn't mean that I can see more than others. They guy was wearing a ski mask. How the hell should I know what he looked like?!" Monica spat at Bonnie, who took a step back.
"Take it easy agent Reyes."
"Why don't you get the hell out!" Monica started screaming and John came in to see what all the commotion was about. Monica had tears rolling down her cheeks and Bonnie started talking again.
"Agent Reyes..."
John interrupted them. "She told you everything she knows. Why don't you just leave now?
Bonnie wasn't ready to give up without putting up a fight. "Agent Doggett."
John clenched his jaw and his face turned white. "Get the hell out of my house!"
Kate took Bonnie by her arm and pulled her out of the house. John slammed the door shut behind them and he could hear them arguing. He turned to Monica, whom was curled on the couch, crying her eyes out. He sat down next to her and without any words being spoken between them, she crawled to him and he rocked her like a baby. A few minutes later she looked up at him. "I can't tell them what happened. I really can't. They are strangers and this is so.."
"I'm here for you Monica. If you wanna talk about it, I'm listening."
"I know, but..." She started sobbing again and John mentally kicked himself.
"It'll do you good to talk about it, Mon."
In between sobs and sniffles, Monica started talking. John took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "He tried to rape me! That sick bastard tried to rape me, John!"
"You don't have to tell me if you're not ready, Monica."
"I need to talk about it, John. Someone has to know what happened and I trust you with my life."
John gave her a tender look and gently caressed her cheek with his thumb. "I'm here for you, sweetie."
END PART 5
