Present Day...
Dana picked up the phone and was in no mood to hear Skinner's voice on the other end trying to talk to her in a matter of fact way that she had no time for. She wasn't due back at work until the day after and she was looking forward to being with her family for the day.
But it wasn't her that the call was about. He wanted to warn her in advance that the powers that be were not impressed with Monica and John's relationship and the extent to which they had become involved with each other.
"They were married Sir, I don't see what the problem is."
"You don't get it do you?"
"So the bureau doesn't like agents to get too familiar with each other, they were married for almost six years working in that office and the bureau looked the other way rather than making a big deal out of it, what's the problem now that they can never work together again?"
Dana knew that she was getting angry and it was wrong to over the phone, but she wished Skinner would just come to the point.
"Agent Reyes is looking at losing her job over this."
"What?"
"I know, I'm trying my best to work a way out of this for her, but the fact of the matter is John's little outburst before he got shot has reached a lot of important people's eyes and ears. She's in a lot of trouble."
Dana couldn't believe what she was hearing and she couldn't believe that these were the kind of people she worked for. It was ridiculous, and if she couldn't hold the entire government accountable for their stupid rules then she would find someone that she could.
"For God's sakes don't tell Monica."
"I don't plan to, but they wanna move this fast, and we don't even know when she plans on coming back to work."
"Her husband just got killed sir, allow her the time she needs to grieve. If you tell her this then you may as well be pulling a gun at her too. Please, keep this to yourself."
"I'll try, but if she doesn't hear about it from someone she can trust, then she's going to take it much harder from someone else."
Dana put down the phone and Mulder softly rubbed her back as he lay beside her in bed.
"Skinner?"
"Yeah."
"Is everything ok?"
"Not really. I have to go and see Monica."
Monica had somehow managed to get dressed and make her way into the living room where Anna was watching TV. When Anna heard her mother coming into the room she turned the TV off and sat quietly on the floor holding a doll. John had bought it for her a few months ago, she loved it and it went everywhere with her, and now it was a part of dad that she could hold onto forever.
Monica walked into the room and tried to think positive. But she had heard the TV go off and was now paranoid that her daughter was afraid of upsetting her and so was going to be as quiet as a mouse all day until she snapped out of it. She went to sit beside her and Anna didn't look up from her doll.
"Anna, I'm sorry if I haven't been a very good mom these past few days. It's just that I miss your dad, and I'm not sure how to be a good mom without him to help me."
"I'm scared that I wont be a good girl without him to tell me when I'm doing something wrong. I want to be good mommy. I don't like that you cry so much."
Monica took Anna into her arms and hugged her as she cried again.
"I don't like that I cry either baby."
As they sat together on the floor they didn't hear the car that pulled up outside or see Dana step out of it looking very pale at the thought of what she had come here to talk about. *********
June 24th, Doggett residence...
"Mon? Are you home? Anna?"
"Up here!"
Doggett went up the stairs to find Monica and Anna sitting in his and Monica's bedroom reading a book. Anna jumped up at her father's voice and met him half way for a hug as he picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom. He sat down with her and kissed Monica as Anna sat beside him.
"Where've you been daddy?"
"Working sweetheart, and it is way past your bedtime!"
"No it isn't..."
"I think it is..."
"But mommy was reading the next chapter..."
"Well how about you go and get ready for bed and I'll send mommy to finish reading to you in a few minutes ok?"
Anna reluctantly agreed with her father and slid off the bed to go to her own room. Monica looked at John and he smiled.
"I'm sorry I'm so late. I wanted to see Skinner when I got back from Maryland but he's been giving me the run around all afternoon."
"Why?"
"Hell if I know!"
"No I mean, why'd you want to see him?"
John looked at her with his big blue eyes and her heart melted. She was trying to be strong about this whole Mia Dukes thing, but it was driving her crazy that she and her own husband hadn't been able to talk about it yet.
"I went to see him because I don't understand why he had Dana and I lookin' into this case. It's not right, he's the only one in the entire FBI who knows we're married and yet he gives me this case that he knows I'm gonna find difficult."
"It's your job John. You leave your personal life at the door. We said we'd be able to do that, that's why we got married."
"We got married because I love you, and I can't leave you at the door when you're involved in a case. Skinner's outta line with this one. And I'm so sorry I didn't say that this morning instead of running off doing as I'm told."
"It's good that you did. Did you meet Mia Dukes?"
"Yeah."
"And?"
"And, she's an angry teenager with an axe to grind, she has no case against you Mon, anyone can see that."
For some reason hearing John say that everything would be ok worked better than anyone else telling her that and to his great relief she smiled at him. He took the book out of her hands and kissed her as he reached to unbutton her shirt.
"John..."
"What... I've been thinkin' about this all day, I hate it when I don't see you..."
He continued to work his way down the buttons of her shirt as he kissed her and Monica was finding it incredibly hard to remember why this wasn't appropriate behaviour right now.
"Mommy! I'm waiting!"
John rolled over onto the bed and Monica laughed. She got up and fastened her shirt and kissed John before walking out of the room to read to their daughter. As soon as Anna was asleep, she was going right back... *********
Dana picked up the phone and was in no mood to hear Skinner's voice on the other end trying to talk to her in a matter of fact way that she had no time for. She wasn't due back at work until the day after and she was looking forward to being with her family for the day.
But it wasn't her that the call was about. He wanted to warn her in advance that the powers that be were not impressed with Monica and John's relationship and the extent to which they had become involved with each other.
"They were married Sir, I don't see what the problem is."
"You don't get it do you?"
"So the bureau doesn't like agents to get too familiar with each other, they were married for almost six years working in that office and the bureau looked the other way rather than making a big deal out of it, what's the problem now that they can never work together again?"
Dana knew that she was getting angry and it was wrong to over the phone, but she wished Skinner would just come to the point.
"Agent Reyes is looking at losing her job over this."
"What?"
"I know, I'm trying my best to work a way out of this for her, but the fact of the matter is John's little outburst before he got shot has reached a lot of important people's eyes and ears. She's in a lot of trouble."
Dana couldn't believe what she was hearing and she couldn't believe that these were the kind of people she worked for. It was ridiculous, and if she couldn't hold the entire government accountable for their stupid rules then she would find someone that she could.
"For God's sakes don't tell Monica."
"I don't plan to, but they wanna move this fast, and we don't even know when she plans on coming back to work."
"Her husband just got killed sir, allow her the time she needs to grieve. If you tell her this then you may as well be pulling a gun at her too. Please, keep this to yourself."
"I'll try, but if she doesn't hear about it from someone she can trust, then she's going to take it much harder from someone else."
Dana put down the phone and Mulder softly rubbed her back as he lay beside her in bed.
"Skinner?"
"Yeah."
"Is everything ok?"
"Not really. I have to go and see Monica."
Monica had somehow managed to get dressed and make her way into the living room where Anna was watching TV. When Anna heard her mother coming into the room she turned the TV off and sat quietly on the floor holding a doll. John had bought it for her a few months ago, she loved it and it went everywhere with her, and now it was a part of dad that she could hold onto forever.
Monica walked into the room and tried to think positive. But she had heard the TV go off and was now paranoid that her daughter was afraid of upsetting her and so was going to be as quiet as a mouse all day until she snapped out of it. She went to sit beside her and Anna didn't look up from her doll.
"Anna, I'm sorry if I haven't been a very good mom these past few days. It's just that I miss your dad, and I'm not sure how to be a good mom without him to help me."
"I'm scared that I wont be a good girl without him to tell me when I'm doing something wrong. I want to be good mommy. I don't like that you cry so much."
Monica took Anna into her arms and hugged her as she cried again.
"I don't like that I cry either baby."
As they sat together on the floor they didn't hear the car that pulled up outside or see Dana step out of it looking very pale at the thought of what she had come here to talk about. *********
June 24th, Doggett residence...
"Mon? Are you home? Anna?"
"Up here!"
Doggett went up the stairs to find Monica and Anna sitting in his and Monica's bedroom reading a book. Anna jumped up at her father's voice and met him half way for a hug as he picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom. He sat down with her and kissed Monica as Anna sat beside him.
"Where've you been daddy?"
"Working sweetheart, and it is way past your bedtime!"
"No it isn't..."
"I think it is..."
"But mommy was reading the next chapter..."
"Well how about you go and get ready for bed and I'll send mommy to finish reading to you in a few minutes ok?"
Anna reluctantly agreed with her father and slid off the bed to go to her own room. Monica looked at John and he smiled.
"I'm sorry I'm so late. I wanted to see Skinner when I got back from Maryland but he's been giving me the run around all afternoon."
"Why?"
"Hell if I know!"
"No I mean, why'd you want to see him?"
John looked at her with his big blue eyes and her heart melted. She was trying to be strong about this whole Mia Dukes thing, but it was driving her crazy that she and her own husband hadn't been able to talk about it yet.
"I went to see him because I don't understand why he had Dana and I lookin' into this case. It's not right, he's the only one in the entire FBI who knows we're married and yet he gives me this case that he knows I'm gonna find difficult."
"It's your job John. You leave your personal life at the door. We said we'd be able to do that, that's why we got married."
"We got married because I love you, and I can't leave you at the door when you're involved in a case. Skinner's outta line with this one. And I'm so sorry I didn't say that this morning instead of running off doing as I'm told."
"It's good that you did. Did you meet Mia Dukes?"
"Yeah."
"And?"
"And, she's an angry teenager with an axe to grind, she has no case against you Mon, anyone can see that."
For some reason hearing John say that everything would be ok worked better than anyone else telling her that and to his great relief she smiled at him. He took the book out of her hands and kissed her as he reached to unbutton her shirt.
"John..."
"What... I've been thinkin' about this all day, I hate it when I don't see you..."
He continued to work his way down the buttons of her shirt as he kissed her and Monica was finding it incredibly hard to remember why this wasn't appropriate behaviour right now.
"Mommy! I'm waiting!"
John rolled over onto the bed and Monica laughed. She got up and fastened her shirt and kissed John before walking out of the room to read to their daughter. As soon as Anna was asleep, she was going right back... *********