Author's Note: The characters aren't mine, they're Chris Carter's, and the song is Tori Amos'.

Leather

            John's bedroom was dark. Apparently, he was supposed to meet someone there. He was slightly wary about this – it could all be a big ploy. He had his gun just in case he needed it, but if he knew who was planning this, he'd have something else of his ready to shoot.

            He stereo suddenly turned on and he instinctively reached for his gun. A soft, teasing melody filled the air, and a figure stepped out of the shadows.

            He gasped as he recognized the woman standing in front of him. "Monica?"

            She smiled and began to mouth the words to the song…

Look, I'm standing naked before you

Don't you want more than my sex?

I can scream as loud as your last one

But I can't claim innocence

Oh, God, could it be the weather?

Oh, God, I'm not really sure

If love isn't forever

And it's not the weather

Hand me my leather

I could just pretend that you love me

The night would lose all sense of fear

But why do I need you to love me

When you can't hold what I hold dear?

Oh, God, could it be the weather?

Oh, God, I'm not really sure

If love isn't forever

And it's not the weather

Hand me my leather

I almost ran over an angel

He had a nice, big, fat cigar

In a sense, he said, you're alone here

So if you jump, you best jump far

Oh, God, could it be the weather?
Oh, God, I'm not really sure

If love isn't forever

And it's not the weather, lalalala lala

Oh, God, could it be the weather?
Oh, God, it's all very clear

If love isn't forever

And it's not the weather

Hand me my leather

            Throughout the song, Monica had slowly stripped out of her clothes, leaving nothing but a lacy black bra and a tiny thong. She had on stiletto heels and had a whip in her hand. "You've been a very bad boy, John," she murmured. "And, look, I have my leather. Time for your punishment."

            "Mon, I had no idea," John managed. She came over and straddled his lap, caressing his face.

            "I've wanted this for such a long time," she admitted, rubbing her body against his.

            "So have I," John moaned, "So have I." He grabbed her lips in his mouth, smothering them. He stripped what was remaining of her clothes off of her and proceeded to make steamy love to her.

            The passionate foreplay led to wild sex on John's bedroom floor, and the only noises were those of pleasure. Deep moans of ecstasy, screams of each other's names, all leading to the final climax, where they lay spent in each other's arms.

            The CD continued to play in the background, and the enchanting sound of Tori Amos' voice filled the air again, this time with "Little Earthquakes." Monica sighed happily and cuddled up to John, playing with his nipple.

            "That was wonderful," she purred. "Shall we do it again?"

            "What do you think I am? A sex machine?" John teased, a sexy grin on his face.

            "Well, how long has it been since you've gotten any?" Monica asked. She certainly wasn't shy, that was for sure.

            "That is none of your business," he responded, tweaking her nose and standing up. He walked into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.

            "I take that to mean it's been awhile," she called after him. She wrapped his bed sheet around herself and followed him out to the kitchen.

            "I can't believe this happened," John said in awe. "I've been waiting for the right time, but with us working together, it wasn't going to happen unless we wanted to get reassigned."
            "Yeah, especially with Brad as our boss," Monica scoffed. "Although he thought we were involved before."
            "Really?" John asked. "And what did you tell him?"

            "I told him we weren't. He made it sound like I went home with Post-Its on my ass."

            John let out a chuckle and whispered sultrily, "Maybe we can make Brad's dream come true." Monica burst out laughing and gave John a kiss.

            "Well, if we want to do that, we should get ready for work," Monica insisted. "I don't know about you, but I'm dying to take a shower."

            "Ooh, sounds promising. Can I join you?" John asked teasingly.

            "You have to ask?" She smirked at him and he raised an eyebrow at her. She held out her hand for him to take and they walked to his bathroom.

            "So," Monica said as she slipped out of her robe, "you gonna fuck me or what?"

            "I love it when you talk dirty," John growled.

            "Who's talking dirty?" Monica said, heaving herself onto John's naked form.

            "Just being hopeful, I guess," John shrugged, pounding into her.

            "Do you always talk this much when you're having sex?" Monica questioned him.

            "I don't know. It has been awhile," he teased.

            "So I was right!" Monica said triumphantly.

            "Well, at least I'm getting some now."

            "Shut up and fuck me."

            "With pleasure." He continued to slam into her as they stood by the sink, nearly falling over with each thrust. Finally, she tightened her thighs against him and collapsed onto his chest. "Any complaints?"
            "Only that we can't do it all day and all night long," she gasped.

            "Who said we can't?" John said sultrily, nuzzling Monica's neck.

            "I thought you weren't a sex machine."

            "I never said I wasn't." She picked her head up and gave him a look that said she didn't believe him, but he just shrugged. "Don't believe me, then. Let's just see where that'll get ya."

            "John…"
            "You'll be begging for me later," he said cockily.

            "What makes you think I'll have to beg? I'll just say your name and those pants'll be down in a flash." She smirked at him and slipped into the tub. "Come on, I don't want to be late. Imagine explaining that to Skinner."

            "Or Brad," John said, suddenly grinning.

            "Alright, now what?" Monica asked, smiling herself.

            " 'Oh, sorry, Assistant Director, we were just having a morning quickie before we came in. We'll wait until we get here next time.' That would be great," John sighed.

            "You wish," Monica laughed. "Now, get your ass in here before I drag you in."

            "Whatever you say, madame," John teased, stepping into the shower. They quickly showered, washing each other, and got dressed to go to Monica's apartment so she could get dressed for work.

            "I should keep some clothes at your place now," Monica realized once they got in John's truck. "Ya know, just in case."

            "You mean, just in case we get called to go off on a case in the middle of the night and the only clothes you have is a black teddy? Yeah, probably a good idea."

            Monica laughed aloud. "You're a kinky man, John. Really, I had no idea."

            "I'm kinky?" John asked incredulously. "Who's the one that broke into someone's house in a little piece of fabric and a whip? If I recall correctly, it was you."

            "Whatever," Monica laughed, then suddenly stopped laughing and muttered, "Oh, shit."

            "What?" John looked ahead of them and muttered, "Fuck."

            Sitting in his car outside of Monica's apartment building was Assistant Director Brad Follmer. It looked as if he had been trying to find Monica, and if he saw her with John, he would know exactly where she was and what she was doing.

            "What are we going to do?" Monica hissed. "If he sees us together…God, who knows how long he's been sitting there! If he sees you, he'll have just the ammunition he needs to take us off the x-files and close it down permanently. We can't let that happen."
            "We won't," John confirmed, a look of determination in his eyes. "Here's what we'll do. I'll pull around the back and you go around to the front to go in. If Brad accosts you, make up an excuse about where you were and where your car is."

            "Shit! My car! If he goes by your place at all, he'll see it."

            "I'll take care of it. Now, go get ready for work. I'll be around back to pick you up." Monica leaned over and gave him a kiss before exiting the car and heading for her apartment.

            "Monica," she heard Brad say. She stopped walking and turned around, an annoyed look on her face. "I've been looking for you all night. Where've you been?"

            "What, you're keeping track of me now? You don't own me, Brad. Not even close." She started to walk away again, and this time he grabbed her arm to stop her. "Let go of me!"

            "Answer the question, Mon. Where were you last night?"

            "That is none of your fucking business," she spat out, glaring at him.

            "I bet I know where you were," he said, dropping her arm. "I bet you were at good ol' Agent Doggett's house, fucking him just like you fucked me."

            Monica's face hardened and she slapped Brad across the face as hard as she could. "You are such an asshole, do you know that, Brad? Don't you EVER say things like that about John again, do you hear me?"

            "Oh, so it's John, is it?" Brad said mockingly. "I'll bet he's just great in the sack if you're on a first name basis."

            "For your information, Brad, yes, that is where I was last night. Fucking John, and it was damn good. More so than I could've ever hoped for with you." She turned and stomped her way up to her apartment, leaving Brad to stand there in awe.

            When she was ready, she slammed her apartment door and headed out the back way, grumbling to herself. "Fucking bastard. What does he think he's doing, checking up on me like that? I can't wait for John to hear about this so he can shove his foot right up Brad's ass." She smiled to herself and headed for John's truck.

            When she opened the door, John was nowhere in sight. "Oh, shit. He probably went after Brad. I have to stop him! He doesn't know that Brad had his gun on him." She quickly ran to the front of the apartment building, where she saw the two men struggling.

            "John, no! He's got a gun!" Monica screamed, running towards them. Before she got there, someone fired the gun and she screamed again. This time, however, she was screaming in pain as the bullet hit her in the left shoulder, knocking her to the cold pavement.

            "Monica!" John yelled, running to her. Brad threw down the gun and scrambled to his car. He pealed out in a cloud of exhaust and a squeal of tires. "Mon, can you talk?" He knelt beside her, lifting her head gently as she opened and closed her mouth, gasping for breath.

            "Can't – breathe," she wheezed out.

            "Shh, it's okay. I'm gonna get you to a doctor." He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and dialed 911. "This is Special Agent John Doggett of the FBI and I have an agent down…"

            Soon, the ambulance arrived in a whirl of flashing lights and sirens. The EMT's rushed out and gently lifted Monica onto the gurney. "How long ago did this happen, sir?"

            John looked at his watch, remembered that he didn't know when he had confronted Brad, and guessed, "Maybe 20 minutes. I don't know for sure."

            "We have to get her in surgery right away," another technician ordered. "Would you like to ride along, Agent?"

            "Yeah, that'd be great," he answered, climbing into the back of the ambulance. He held Monica's hand all the way to the hospital and as they wheeled her to the operating room. "You'll be okay, Mon. I'll be right outside the whole time." He kissed her hand and watched as they wheeled her into surgery.

            "Agent Doggett," he heard a voice behind him say. It was A.D. Skinner and Agent Scully. "I just heard. How is she?"

            "I think the bullet just went through her shoulder," he responded. He was still shook up about what happened, so he was fairly out of it for the time being. "That should've been me that took the bullet."

            "What do you mean, John?" Scully asked. "What happened?"

            "I was arguing with him, then he just pulled out his gun, and we wrestled for it, but then he fired it," he explained, staring ahead blankly.

            "Who? We didn't hear the whole story," Skinner wondered.

            "Brad Follmer," John said, finally looking at them.

            "Dammit!" Skinner cursed quietly. "I knew he was going to cause problems for Agent Reyes. So, where is he?"

            "I don't know. He ran off after it happened, and I stayed with Monica until the ambulance came." Skinner suddenly ran off, leaving John and Scully to stare after him. "Where the hell is he going?"

            "My guess is to get his ya-ya's out," Scully responded, turning back to John. Before John could ask what she meant, a doctor came out of the operating room.

            "How is she, doctor?" John asked, rushing up to him.

            "Well, her arm will be pretty sore for a few weeks, but she's fine," he replied, smiling.

            "Can I see her?"
            "For a few minutes. She needs her rest."

            "Thanks, doc." He turned to Scully. "Would you mind if I went in alone?"

            "No," Scully said, smiling. "If that was Mulder in there, I'd be asking you the same thing."

            "Thanks for understanding," John said. He gently pushed the door open and stood just inside the room. Monica rolled over and looked at him. "How are you feeling?"

            "Like someone clobbered me with a sledgehammer," she grunted, sitting up.

            John walked over to the bed to help her, and then sat down on the edge of the bed, picking up her hand. "I knew Brad was going to do something stupid. You could've gotten killed!"

            Monica shook her head, a small grin on her face. "You're so funny, John. There's no way Brad could've shot and killed me, unless he got really lucky. He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn."

            "What do you mean?" John asked, the mouth slightly upturned at the corner.

            "He hasn't fired at a shooting range since he first joined the Bureau, and trust me, he wasn't that great then."

            "Well, well, well. Looks like Mr. Assistant Director of the FBI isn't as talented as we thought he was," John smirked.

            "I don't know about you, but I didn't think he was all too talented at anything," Monica stated, raising an eyebrow at John. He grinned at her implication, then stood up. "Where are you going?"

            "The doctor said you needed some rest, and I tend to agree with him. After all, you didn't get much sleep last night." He grinned again, and bent down to give her a kiss. "I'll let you rest for awhile, and be back as soon as I can."

            "You better be," Monica threatened jokingly. "After all, we still have to finish what we started."

            "Yeah, but we have to be quiet about it," John whispered. "If Skinner finds out about us, we're both screwed."

            "Come on, he wouldn't do that. Look at Mulder and Scully."

            "That's true," he realized, nodding. "But we still don't want to take advantage of his position. He could get in a lot of trouble if he helped us and someone found out."
            "Who? Kersh? He's had it in for us since the moment we started working on the x-files. No one would believe he wasn't biased. And we know Brad isn't your biggest fan."

            "But, Mon," John protested, sitting back down on the side of the bed, "it doesn't matter what we see. Everyone's against us and they're looking for any excuse they can to boot us out of here and close down the x-files for good."

            Monica smiled and said, "Somehow I thought I would be the one making that speech."

            John grinned back at her and shook his head. "You're going to get it one of these days, Agent Reyes."

            "And I'll be looking forward to that day," she responded knowingly.

            John rolled his eyes and stood up from the bed. "Now, I really have to get going before I get bitched at by some nurse." He gave her another lingering kiss and went to find Scully.

            On his way out, he was stopped by a hand grabbing the back of his shirt collar. "Now I've really got something I can hold against you, Agent Doggett," the voice hissed at him.

            "What the hell do you want?" John asked, trying to turn around.

            "Keep quiet about what happened, and I'll keep quiet about your torrid little affair with Agent Reyes. Although I'm sure Deputy Director Kersh would like to know all about it."

            "You wouldn't."

            "Oh, John, you underestimate me. I'm ever so disappointed in you. Just keep your mouth shut and you can keep your job."

            "What about Monica?"

            "What about her? She'll be where she belongs in no time. With me."

            "You bastard," John growled, lunging at Brad.

            "Uh-uh-uh, Johnny boy," Brad reprimanded him teasingly. "Word gets out that you've been assaulting a superior, and you'll be out of a job. And I won't even have to do anything. Life is great."
            "I'll get you for this, Follmer. You won't know when or how, but you'll get what you deserve, and no one will be there to help you out."

            "No, I believe you are the one who will be getting what he deserves. Namely, you'll lose your job and your lover. And then Monica and I can pick up where we left off," Brad retorted.

            John grabbed Brad by his shirt. "If you lay even a finger on Monica, you'll be hearing from me. You got that?" He continued to stare into Brad's face with a vengeance until he heard Assistant Director Skinner's voice behind him.

            "Agent Doggett! What is going on here?"

            "Well, Assistant Director, it looks like we have our man," John answered.

            "Let us take care of that, John," Skinner insisted. "You could get into a lot of trouble for assaulting a superior."

            "Told ya," Brad said childishly.

            John made as if to lunge at Brad again, but Skinner separated the two men before he could. John was left glaring at Brad, and Brad straightened his tie as John and Skinner walked toward the nurse's station.

            Brad made sure they were facing the opposite direction, then snuck across the hall to Monica's room. He eased the door open quietly and tiptoed in.

            "Back so soon? What, couldn't get enough?" Monica teased, thinking it was John.

            "I can never get enough of you, beautiful," Brad said softly.

            Monica turned her head toward the door quickly, and angry look on her face. "Get the fuck out of my hospital room," she ordered.

            "Shh, shh. You're not supposed to be under any stress." He attempted to brush a stray hair behind her ear, but she pulled her head away.

            "I would be less stressed if you were gone," she hissed.

            "Now, what did I ever do to make you so angry with me?"

            "Just being an asshole was enough for me," she said.

            "You just wait. You'll be crawling back to me when your precious Agent Doggett runs off with Agent Scully."

            "Scully would never to that to Mulder," Monica insisted. "She loves Mulder."

            "Aw, isn't that sweet?" Brad mocked. "And I suppose you and John are in love, too." Monica stayed quiet, pondering his words. She loved John, but she didn't know if he was in love with her or not. Brad took her silence as a no, and said, "Did I hit a nerve, Monica?" He grinned cockily at her.

            "I love John," she retorted, shooting a glare at him. "I have ever since Luke disappeared."

            "What? Was it love at first sight?" Brad asked sarcastically. "I don't buy all that bullshit. You need a life, Monica. I mean, you could be somewhere in the FBI instead of investigating UFO sightings and science fiction. I bet the only reason you took this job is so you could follow Agent Doggett around like a lost puppy dog. I doesn't surprise me at all that you two got involved. You were always there. I was impossible for him not to notice you."

            Monica was starting to get upset, and it showed in her eyes. "Oh, really? Is that what you think? For your information…"

            "I don't need an explanation, Mon," Brad butted in. "I know why you do it – cling to him, even when there's no chance for love. You're just afraid to be alone." He gave her one last look, shook his head, and left the room. Monica rolled back over to face the window, tears shining in her eyes.

            "I won't let him get to me," she whispered to herself, her voice cracking. "I can't let him get to me. Not if I want to live my life the way I want to live it. I need to find some way to get him out of my life for good."

            Suddenly, she sat up, inspired. "I've got it! The perfect idea for getting Brad Follmer out of my head and out of my life for good."

            She laid back down, a sly smile spreading across her face.

            The next day, Monica made plans to put her scheme into action. Once John got there, she would relay her idea to him in hopes he would go along with it.

            "Hey, knock, knock, daydreamer," Monica heard. She turned towards the door, smiling. "What were you thinking about?"

            "The most handsome FBI agent I've ever met," she responded.

            "Hey, I told you before, Agent Mulder is off limits," John joked.

            "I know, so I had to settle for you," she said just as sarcastically.

            "Don't forget what I said before. You're going to get it." She grinned back at him, and he asked, "So, are you ready to head home?"

            "I am more than ready," Monica answered. "But, first, I need your help with something."

            "Of course. Whatever it is, I'll do it."

            "You might want to hear what I have to say first." He raised his eyebrow at her, giving her a questioning look. "It involves getting rid of Brad."

            "Getting rid of him? You don't mean…"

            "No, I don't mean killing him," she said, hitting him in the arm. "In order for my plan to work, we need to pretend we're getting married."

            "What the hell is that going to accomplish?"

            "I knew it was a bad idea. I shouldn't have even asked you."

            "No, no, I'll do it. I just don't see how that's going to get rid of Brad."

            "Brad is still in love with me, and in his delusional little world, I'm in love with him. If we suddenly announce our engagement, he'll be so furious that he'll do something rash, and hopefully, he'll lose his job at the Bureau," Monica explained.

            "Yeah, that'll get him out of the Bureau, but how is that going to make him leave town? If anything, it'll make him stay and fight for you, if he really does love you."

            "You wouldn't give up on us, would you?" Monica asked softly, looking down at her hands.

            John lifted up her head, looked into her eyes, and said, "Not in a million years, Monica. No one could ever make me give you up. You're important to me. I need you in my life."

            "That means a lot to hear you say that," Monica said softly.

            "Hey, I wouldn't tell you anything I didn't mean. Now, come on, we've got to get to the jewelry store to get those engagement rings."

            "You're really going to do this, aren't you?" Monica laughed.

            "Why not?" he said, shrugging his shoulders. "It'll be fun. We get to see how many people we can piss off – like Deputy Director Kersh."

            "Oh, no, Kersh is not finding out about this," Monica insisted. "We'd be out of the Bureau so fast, and then they'd close down the x-files for good. Only a few people – outside of the FBI – are going to find out."

            "But Brad still works for the Bureau. How is it that he'll find out and we won't get in trouble?"

            "Believe me, I've gotten that taken care of." She grinned at his questioning look, then got up and put her arms around his neck. "But we've got more important things to do right now – like finish what we started earlier."

            "Aren't you the devil in disguise?" John responded, kissing her.

            "Anything you want, John. Anything you want." They slipped out of the hospital room, unnoticed by all except one man.

            "Just wait until the FBI hears about this," he said, smiling to himself and following the two agents out of the hospital.

            "So," Monica was saying to John, "this engagement ring, it has to be flashy. And expensive. I want it to look real." They were getting into his car in the hospital parking lot.

            "How expensive?" John asked warily.

            "Oh, about 3 or 4 thousand should be good."
            "Are you crazy? I don't have that kind of money!"

            "Relax, John, I was just joking," Monica laughed. "I don't want the ring to be flashy at all. That would just draw unwanted attention. Besides, a huge diamond might look suspicious. We want it to look like we're really in love, and not like we're trying to pull something off."

            "You've put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?" John asked, giving her a sidelong glance.

            "Well, I haven't had much else to do," she said. "Besides, I want Brad to leave me alone so I can get on with my life."

            "So we can get on with our lives," John corrected her. "As long as you're a part of my life, Brad will be, too. That is, until we get him to leave."

            "I'm so glad you decided to help me," Monica said. "I just wish there was a different way to go about this. I hate putting you into this position."

            "I told you, Mon, it's not a problem."

            "Alright," she said reluctantly. "Hey, have you noticed that this car behind us has been following us since we left the hospital?"

            John glanced in his rearview mirror, and sure enough, there was a green sedan behind them. "Maybe they're just going the same way as we are."

            "I don't know, John. Who knows how many people are against us? Mulder and Scully always had problems when they were on the x-files. And look at all the trouble we've had since we've been working on them."

            "Mon, you're just being paranoid. Look, I don't want to get into this right now. I'm going to take you home so you can get settled in, and then," he stated, kissing her, "we can move on to the next stage of your plan."

            Soon, they arrived back at Monica's apartment, where John escorted her up the stairs. He guided her down the hall, one hand on the small of her back, and waited as she took out her keys to open her door.

            As she slipped the key into the lock, her door pushed open slightly.

            Monica turned to John with a surprised look on her face. "I'm sure I locked it before I came down to meet you the other night."

            "You better wait here," John ordered her softly. "I'm gonna make sure nobody's in there." He pulled out his gun and slowly pushed the door open, stepping quietly in case someone was still in there.

            Monica stood outside her apartment, anxiously awaiting confirmation that the coast was clear when she heard John let out a surprised yelp. At that moment, she didn't care if he told her to stay put – she was going in.

            "John, are you okay?" she called out to him, pulling out her gun and checking the rooms. Finally, as she opened the bathroom door, she saw John holding his head, a bloody gash on his cheek. "Oh my God, what happened?"

            "I happened." The bathroom door was flung shut, trapping them in the cramped space as Monica gasped at the intruder.

            "Nicholas Regali? But…I thought Brad shot you," she managed to say.

            "What can I say? I've got a hard shell," he shrugged, lighting a cigarette.

            "What the hell are you doing in my apartment? How do you even know where I live?" Monica asked angrily.

            "Come on, Agent Reyes," he answered, leaning against the sink and taking a drag from his cigarette, "it's not like you're in the friggin' Witness Protection Program. Besides, it's pretty damn easy when I follow you from the hospital."

            "That was you behind us," John realized. "What the hell do you want with us?"

            "You don't press charges against me, I don't tell the FBI about your little tryst," he offered.

            "You killed my son, you bastard!" John yelled, lunging at Regali. "Do you think I would let you get away with fucking murder?! Do you?!"

            Regali stubbed his cigarette out on John's forearm, forcing John to release his grip on Regali's neck. Regali rubbed his neck and said, "I just figured I'd give it a shot. Once you're out of the FBI, you can't do anything to me, anyways."

            "Brad Follmer knows about it," John hissed, his face inches away from Regali's. "There's no statute of limitations on murder, you sick bastard."

            Regali shrugged again and said, "Nothing to worry about. Mr. Follmer knows what'll happen if he gets on my bad side. The only problem I have now is you two. So, you stay quiet about the murder of your son, and you can keep your jobs."

            "Mr. Regali, I have to ask you one question," Monica piped up. "If all you want is for us to be quiet, then why are you bothering with bargaining with us? I've worked on mob cases before. You don't bargain. You just flat out kill people. If you really want us to keep quiet, why don't you just kill us?"

            "Monica!" John hissed at her. "Don't give him any ideas."

            Regali chuckled softly and said, "Relax, Agent Doggett. Killing you two would just put me in a world of hurt. So, I figured the best thing to do was deal with the problem in a civil manner."

            "Mr. Regali, I'm going to ask you this nicely," Monica stated. "Please get the fuck out of my apartment."

            "What the fuck was so nice about that?" Regali spat.

            "I said please, didn't I?" Monica smirked, then her demeanor turned fierce. "Now get out, before I haul your ass out."
            "You haven't seen the last of me, agents," Regali threatened. He stormed out of Monica's apartment, slamming the door on his way out.

            "What a nice thing to come home to, eh?" John said sarcastically, grunting as he lifted himself from his sitting position on Monica's bathroom floor.

            Monica hurried over to help him up, being careful not to aggravate the burn on his arm. "Are you okay, John?"

            "I think I'll be fine. All I need to make me feel better is to get rid of that son-of-a-bitch once and for all."

            "But if we kill Regali, then we'll really be in deep."

            "Says who? Nobody needs to know that we were the ones who did it. Besides, I don't really care. That bastard killed my son. My own flesh and blood."  He looked her in the eye and continued. "Luke was my sole reason for living. I had realized that Barbara didn't love me as much I as I loved her, and that hurt. It hurt a lot, Mon. She was my wife, for Christ's sake! After I realized that, everything I did was for Luke. Then he disappeared. I could've died right then and there." He paused and looked at his hands. "Sometimes I wish I had."

            "Oh, John," Monica whispered, touching his arm lightly.

            "But that was the past. I will never truly forget my son, and I will never stop loving him, but I have moved on with my life. And now that I look back, I shudder to think what would've happened if I hadn't met you."

            Monica had tears in her eyes as she managed to say, "I believe that we would've met sooner or later if we hadn't met that day. You can't tempt fate. I'm just sorry that we had to meet the way we did. If it could've been any different…"

"We might not be sitting here today," John finished. "I could still be married to Barbara…"

"And Luke would still be alive," Monica finished for him this time. "In short, you would be living your life, and I would be living mine. We'd be living the

lives we led 8 years ago. God, I might be married to Brad right now. How crazy would that be?" She laughed nervously, when all she felt like doing was crying.

"Monica, I'm not trying to make you feel bad," John murmured softly. "Anything but. Like you said, you can't tempt fate. There's nothing any of us can do

 about what we're dealt in life. You either get a good hand at first or keep drawing for a better one. I'm sure we've both drawn for better hands, and I'll say we've got pretty good ones right now. About the best you can get."

            "Thank you," Monica whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks. John used the pad of his thumb to wipe them away, then gently kissed her on the lips.

            She returned the kiss, gently easing his lips apart with her tongue. Her hand moved to caress his back, his shirt silky in her hand. As their lips meshed, John found the buttons on her shirt, and began to undress her. When Monica's shirt was off, they stood up, still kissing, and stumbled into her bedroom.

            They slowly lowered themselves to her bed, where they finished undressing each other and finally broke away from their kiss.

            "You're welcome," John murmured slyly, smirking at her.

            "Ooh, you're so sexy when you're polite," Monica responded, groaning in pleasure as he forced himself inside of her.

            "Hey, I thought you didn't like talking when we're fucking," John grunted, thrusting inside Monica.

            "Fucking, huh? You make it sound so dirty," Monica gasped.

            "I thought you liked it dirty," John said breathlessly.

            "I do. God, I do." He continued to pound her tirelessly, until they both collapsed in sated delight.

            John moved up beside Monica, sucking on the side of her neck. Monica slapped his hand gently, informing him, "I don't need a hickey, John. People probably already suspect we're involved. We don't need anyone reporting us to the Director for 'disorderly conduct.'"
            "But that's my favorite kind of conduct, Mon," John joked. Monica shot him a look, so he apologized. "Okay, I'll stop. I won't give you a hickey, but that doesn't stop us from having a little fun, does it?"
            "No," Monica agreed, smiling. Suddenly, her smile fell and her eyes grew wide. "Oh, shit."
            "What? What is it?" John asked. "We didn't leave your apartment door open, did we?"
            "No, this is potentially much more life-affecting than that," she stated.

            "Well, then, what is it?"

            "I…" she started, having to regain her dignity and start again. "I think I forgot to take my birth control."

            John's eyes grew huge. "What? You did not just say that. There's no way. You had to have taken it."

            "I don't think I did," Monica wailed. "We were busy at the hospital, then we found Regali, then we ended up in here, and I was supposed to take it earlier. What are we going to do?"

            "Just calm down, Mon," John ordered, gaining control of the situation. "We don't know anything yet. You'll have to go to the doctor ASAP and get it checked out."

            "I can't! Please, you can't take me back to the hospital, she begged him.

            "Why the hell not?"

            "The doctor will get mad," she said, sounding like a little girl. "He told us not to have sex for a couple of weeks, and what do we do? Come here and screw like rabbits."

            "Come on, Monica. It'll be alright. I'm sure he won't get mad at you," John assured her. "Besides that, whatever happens, I'll stand by you."

            "I know you will," Monica sighed. "It's just that…what are we supposed to tell the FBI?"
            "Hey, nothing's happened yet," John said softly. "All we know is you didn't take your birth control. It doesn't necessarily mean you're pregnant."

            "Who's pregnant?" John and Monica heard. They looked at each other with wide eyes as Mulder and Scully walked into the room.

            "What are you guys doing here?" Monica asked, quickly covering herself with her sheet. "How did you even get in here?"

            "The door was wide open," Mulder announced.

            "No it wasn't," John corrected him. "Regali slammed it on his way out."

            "John!" Monica cried, upset that he revealed Regali had been there.

            "Nicholas Regali?" Scully asked. "The man who killed your son? I thought he was dead."
            "Yeah, so did we," John said. It was silent for a moment, then Mulder asked, "So, who is pregnant?"

            "No one," Monica answered, confused. "I mean, not that we know yet."

            "Yet?" Scully asked, curious.   

            "You two gotta promise you won't tell anyone about us," John begged. "Monica just realized she forgot to take her birth control today, so…"

            "There's a possibility she could be pregnant," Scully finished. "I understand."

            "Yeah, I suppose you've been there," Monica said. "But what will I do if I am pregnant?"

            "That's something you'll have to make your own decision about," Scully responded. "I didn't tell anybody right away when I was pregnant, although I probably should have for my own sake and the baby's. Skinner was the only one who knew until Agent Doggett found out…"

            "It was a good thing I did find out, too," John interjected. "I was able to protect you and the life of your child."

            "Sometimes I'll wake up, and I think I hear William crying," Scully admitted, tears forming in her eyes. "I just hope he's alright. Wherever he is." She started crying visibly, and Mulder enveloped her in his arms.

            "Oh, Dana," Monica said softly, reaching out and touching her arm, "I wish we could find him and bring him back to you and Mulder. He belongs with you. He's your child."

            "Yes," Mulder agreed. "He's our child." He looked down at Scully and wiped away her tears as she looked up at him with a loving look. She leaned up on tiptoe and gave him a chaste kiss as John and Monica looked at each other and knew everything would turn out perfectly.

            Mulder and Scully suddenly broke out of their reverie and turned to John and Monica. "Well, we're sorry to have interrupted," Scully apologized. "If you need anything, please call me."

            "Thanks, Dana," Monica said, a warm smile on her face. Mulder and Scully left her apartment, closing the door softly behind them.

            Once they were gone, John turned to Monica. "So, are you ready to start on your plan?"

            "I was ready," Monica sighed. "But I don't know what I want to do now."

            "It'll be alright, Mon. Whatever happens, I won't leave you. You gotta believe that."

            "I do believe that, John," Monica insisted, taking his hand. "It's just that…I don't know it'll affect you if I am pregnant. I don't know…if it'll remind you of Luke."

            John shook his head. "I don't want you to feel like you're a burden to me. You're not. I want more children." He paused and took her hand before continuing. "And I know now that I want to have them with you."

            "Oh my…" Monica started, tears rolling down her face.

            "Monica, I love you," John said softly. "I know that now. It just took me awhile to realize it."

            "God, I thought this whole time that I was chasing something I could never have," Monica admitted, smiling through her tears. "I have loved you for so long."

            John laughed in triumph and hugged her fiercely. "See what we get for keeping quiet for so long?"

            "Yeah, just a lot of hell," she replied, wiping her face off.

            John gently used his thumb to wipe away newly formed tears, and kissed her on the lips. "Now, come on, no more crying. We have to start on your plan." He got a devious smile on his face, and Monica shook her head.

            "Boy, I can see you're going to enjoy this."
            "Of course. I'm doing it with the woman I love." He kissed her again, and they prepared to head out to the jewelry stores and put Monica's plan into action.

            It was rather late, so they had to postpone their trip to the store, but as soon as they got up the next morning, they headed over to John's place so he could change, and they would make their way to the shopping district from there.

            They pulled up in John's driveway, turning off the car and joining hands as they walked up to his front door.

            As John was unlocking the door, they heard, "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

            John whipped around, and prepared to attack Follmer.

            "What the hell are you doing on my property, you son-of-a-bitch?" John snarled, advancing towards Brad.

            "John, don't," Monica begged him. She held on to his arm, trying to pull him back. "It'll only help Brad get what he wants."

            "And just what do you think that is, Monica?" Brad asked her angrily.

            "I know damn well what you want," Monica replied with a growl. "You want us out of the Bureau, just to fulfill some sick little desire you have to control my life."

            "Bravo, Agent Reyes," Brad said sarcastically, clapping his hands. "You've got me all figured out, don't you? I do everything just to spite you, just so I can close down the x-files and ship you off to somewhere else in the country. Come on, Monica. You're starting to sound like Fox Mulder. And God knows where that'll put you."

            "You don't know anything about us, Mulder, or the x-files, Assistant Director," John announced. "As a matter of fact, we were just leaving. We're late for an appointment at the jewelry store."

            "Let me guess. You're off to buy an engagement ring," Brad said sarcastically.

            "You're good, Brad," Monica told him. "You got it on the first try. If you'll excuse us, John has to change his clothes. He wasn't at home last night." They walked into John's house, leaving Brad fuming in the front yard.

            As soon as they reached John's bedroom, Monica turned to John. "Did you see the look on his face?" Monica asked, grinning. "He looked horrified! I can't thank you enough for doing this for me."

            "I told you I would do anything for you," John told her, pausing from undressing. He grabbed a white t-shirt and slipped it on over his head. "Besides that, I'd do anything to take down Brad Follmer."

            "I know what you mean," Monica nodded. "Brad has done nothing but make my life a living hell since I got to Washington."
            John sat down on his bed, nodding in agreement. "I've got an idea. It involved revising your plan a little."

            "Okay," Monica drawled. "What are we going to do?"

            "You'll find out," John responded, a twinkle in his eye. "Come on, we have to make our 'appointment.'" He stood up again and offered Monica his hand. She took his hand and they left his house once again and headed for the shopping district.

            "Alright, which one?" John asked her once they got into the district.

            "Wow, they're all so elegant," Monica said in awe. "Are you sure you can afford this?"
            "Trust me, it'll be worth it," he responded, squeezing her hand. She gave him a surprised look, then grinned. Who knew what he was planning.

            They pulled up in front of the DeBeers store. Monica's eyes grew wide and she turned to John. "Here? You've got to be kidding! This place has to be one of the most expensive in the city!"

            "Well, in case Brad shows up," John explained, emphasizing Brad's name, "we want him to see how much in love we are."

            Monica had a small smile on her face as she said, "We don't have to pretend, John. We are in love. At least, I'm in love with you."
            John turned to her. "Hey, I love you, too. I was the first one to say it, remember?" Monica looked down at the ground, avoiding his eyes. "Mon? What's wrong?" He lifted her chin, seeing that she was starting to cry. "Hey, come on, I told you no more crying. Now, what's wrong?"

            "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just – I just can't believe any of this is actually happening."
            "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked softly. "Do you think I'm lying to you?"

            "No, no," Monica assured him. "I'm happy. I don't even know why I'm crying."

            "Uh-oh," John muttered under his breath, turning away from her.

            "What? 'Uh-oh' what?" Monica demanded. He didn't answer her right away so Monica threatened him. "Dammit, John, if you don't answer me, I'm going to kick your ass."

            "Well, I was just thinking about when I was married to Barb, and how emotional she got when she was pregnant with Luke…" John said.

            "Oh, so now I can't be like any other woman and cry for no reason at all? That is such a guy thing to say," Monica wailed.

            John looked absolutely lost at Monica's sudden turn in attitude. "I never said that," he stammered. Monica was facing the other way, making sobbing noises, when suddenly she flipped around, grinning.

            "I had you going there, didn't I?" she asked.

            John shook his head, smirking sexily. "You little devil," he accused, shaking a finger at her.

            "Just the way you like me," Monica beamed.

            "You're gonna get it," he warned her.

            "What're you gonna do? Spank me?" she teased, her eyes sparkling.

            "Ooh, kinky," John murmured, moving closer to her. "I like kinky." He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her with fervor.

            "I would do that in private if I were you."

            John and Monica broke away from their kiss and turned around to face Skinner. "Would one of you care to explain?"

            "It won't happen again," Monica promised. "We'll be more careful from now on."

            "From now on?" Skinner asked incredulously. "You better be damn glad I saw you rather than someone else from the Bureau. If anyone finds out you two are investigating each other…"

            "I know, I know," John told him. "They'll have just the ammo they need to close down the x-files permanently. Monica said the same thing. But I don't care."

            "You don't care if they shut down the x-files?" Monica asked. "The x-files are important. If we don't ask these questions, no one will, and nobody will ever know the truth."

            "Mon, that's not what I was saying," John assured her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I don't care what people say, I will not give up on us. No one can change the way I feel about you."       

            "Maybe not, Agent Doggett, but you have more to think about than your relationship with Agent Reyes," Skinner interrupted. "If they close down the x-files, chances are you'll both be transferred – to different cities."

            "So what?" John fumed. "If they split us up, I'll just quit."

            "John!" Monica exclaimed. "You're not serious."

            "The hell I'm not! Monica, you're the most important thing to me, and I'm not going to let some fascist uppity-up tell us we can't be together."

            "I don't really need to hear this," Skinner announced, shielding his eyes. "Just know you've been warned. Watch yourselves." He straightened his tie and walked away.

John shook his head and turned to Monica. "I can't believe him. He's trying to tell us what we can and can't do. We don't have to listen to him."

"John, he's right," Monica admitted. "We can't let them see us together. This was a bad idea."

"What?" John asked softly. "I thought you wanted this. I thought you wanted to give us a chance."

"Oh, John, you misunderstood me," Monica assured him. "I meant the pretending we're engaged thing. Who knows what Brad will do now that we've told him."

"I don't think we have anything to worry about," John stated confidently. "If things go the way I have planned, everyone will end up happy."

Monica raised an eyebrow at him in wonder. "You are a very mysterious man, John Doggett."

"That I am. That I am," John agreed, opening the door of the jewelry store and walking in after Monica.

Monica walked straight to the counter full of engagement and wedding rings. John could see the awe and excitement in her eyes as she pointed to a few rings she adored.

"I wish I could actually keep one," she said wistfully.

John said nothing, just smiled a little as he hugged her back.

Monica seemed rather surprised at his sudden chance of attitude, but smiled to herself as she relished in the love she felt when she was with him.

"Which one?" John asked, tearing her out of her reverie.

"What?"

"Which ring do you want?"

"I don't know. They're all so beautiful." She caressed the countertop gently, gazing at the jewels.

"Whichever one you want, it's yours."

"Really?" Monica said softly. She looked at her choices once more, and decided. "That one. It's perfect." The ring she had pointed to was a 3-stone ring – a past, present, and future ring. It was set in platinum, and all three of the stones were flawless emerald-cut diamonds. "It's expensive, though."

"It doesn't matter. You're worth it."

"John, that's so sweet of you. And generous. This ring must cost $3,000."

"I've got a rainy day fund that's just sitting around," John told her, shrugging.

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" Monica asked, putting her arms around him.

"Hmm, not that I can remember. Please, refresh my memory," he teased.

"I love you, John, and no one is going to change my mind about that." She leaned in and gave him a soft peck as the salesman came over.

"I saw the two of you looking at engagement rings. Is there a wedding in the future?"

Monica turned back to John, not sure what to say. He decided to answer for her.

"Yes. There is a wedding. In the very near future." Monica gave John a surprised look. The salesman smiled and moved over to the counter.

"Which ring were you interested in?"

"The 3-stone," Monica answered, pointing at it.

"That's a very good choice," the salesman said. "Would you like to try it on?" Monica looked at John, who smiled back at her and squeezed her hand. She nodded and took a deep breath as the salesman opened the case and removed the ring.

He handed the ring to John, who took Monica's left hand and placed it on her ring finger as he looked deep into her eyes.

"It's beautiful," Monica whispered, moving her hand so the stones glistened in the light. "I'll take it."

"Is your fiancé to pay for it?" the salesman asked.

Monica looked at John and knew the answer. "Yes. He is."

The salesman went to ring up the total and prepare the ring for them to take, and Monica impulsively threw her arms around John.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too, Mon," John responded. The salesman returned with the ring in a velvet box.

"Here you are," he said, handing John the box. "I hope you two are very happy."

"We will be," Monica answered. "I know we will be." She and John linked arms and walked out of the store.

Later that week, John and Monica made plans to surprise a few people with their scheme. What Monica didn't know was she was about to be surprised herself.

"John, are you ready? I'm leaving," Monica called to him as they were preparing to go to work and reveal their news.

"Hold on, I'm coming," John muttered, stumbling out of his bedroom, buttoning up his form-fitting blue jeans.

"What are you wearing?" Monica cried. "We're going to work, not a baseball game. Go change. Now." John shuffled back into his bedroom, grumbling. "And hurry up! We're going to be late!"

John came back into the living room, asking, "Is this alright with you?"

"Yes. Come on, let's go." They grabbed their briefcases and headed out the door.

Once they got to work, they deposited their briefcases in their office and were about to go visit A.D. Follmer when John stopped Monica.

"Monica, there's something I need to ask you before we go up there."

She turned around, pausing in the doorway. "Yes?"

"Well, the thing is, aw, jeez, I don't know how to say this," John stumbled.

"Just say whatever it is you want to say," Monica told him. "And be quick with it. I want to get this over and done with."

"Well, it's about what we're about to do."

""Don't tell me you're having second thoughts. I knew I shouldn't have asked you to do this."
            "No, it's not that. It's not that at all." He sighed, then continued. "Sit down, Monica." She gave him an odd look and made her way to the chair in front of John's desk, while John closed the door.

"John, what's going on?" Monica asked nervously.

"I don't want this to be just something we're pretending anymore," he started.

"Oh my…" Monica began, realizing what was going on.

"Monica, will you marry me? For real?"

Monica was in tears as she answered him. "Of course I will. I'll marry you, John."

He produced the engagement ring from his jacket pocket, and slipped it on her finger. Monica threw her arms around him, sobbing with delight.

            "I can't believe this. This is so amazing," she said. "I never thought I'd see this day."

            "Well, it's here," John stated, smiling. "Now we can really stick it to Follmer."

            "What? No, we can't."

            "Why the hell not? I thought you wanted to make him get his ass out of town."

            "I do, but things have changed. We're actually getting married now, and it's made everything different. If Brad finds out, who knows what he'll do. I don't want to risk it," Monica explained.

            "I understand," John sighed. "But we gotta tell someone. I want to celebrate!"