Present Day...
Monica opened the door to Dana and smiled. They went into the living room and Anna jumped up to give Dana a hug.
"Hey, how are you sweetie?"
"Is William with you?"
"No he's at home with his... With Uncle Fox..."
Anna didn't hide her disappointment at having to keep herself amused whilst the two women talked, she went up to her room and made a point of closing the door loud enough for them to hear her do so.
Dana looked at Monica and was trying so hard to figure out what she was going to say to her. Maybe telling her about Skinner's call wasn't the right thing to do after all...
"Dana what's wrong?"
Dana looked to the floor before she spoke and only looked back at Monica's face when she had finished talking.
"I had a phone call from Skinner this morning. There's some trouble at the bureau about your relationship with John."
"What are you talking about?"
"They're concerned that if they let this slip under the carpet then other people will try and do the same. They're serious about this Monica."
"How do they even know?"
Dana was confused until she realised that Monica hadn't heard what John said before he ran to protect her from his would be killer. She had missed out on him opened his heart to a van full of FBI agents prepared to lose his job over it just to save her.
"He lost his temper in the van before he ran out after you that day... The deputy director told him to stay put, that you knew what you were doing... John told everybody that you were his wife. And that you had a daughter together... I'm so sorry Monica."
Monica didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He wasn't even around anymore and yet John was leaving his presence clearly felt. But she couldn't lose her job. Not now.
"How can this matter? John's gone. Why is this even an issue?"
"Because you got away with it for six years... They've been made fools of..."
"And they want to make an example of me?"
"Something like that..."
"I see..."
Monica stood up and grabbed her jacket; she called Anna down the stairs and went back into Dana.
"Can you take Anna for me?"
Dana stood up surprised but agreed to help.
"Where are you going?"
"To see Skinner."
"Are you sure that's such a good idea?"
"No. But I'm sick of people telling me that things are gonna get easier, they sure as hell wont if I'm unemployed."
Anna came walking into the room with a red face and puffy eyes, she had been crying, again.
"Baby Dana's going to take you to stay with her whilst mommy takes care of something important ok?"
Anna nodded her head and took Dana's hand. It broke Monica's heart, but she had only herself to blame. John had been dead for six days now and already their daughter was drifting away from her too. She didn't wait for anything else, she walked out of the house and Dana picked up Anna as she stared so carefully after her mom wishing more than anything that she was going with her. *********
June 25th, Doggett residence...
Monica rolled over in bed and John was already awake. He was leaning on the back of the bed watching her, and when she looked at him he smiled.
"Mornin'."
Monica yawned.
"Morning... What time is it?"
"It's early. But seein as we're both awake..."
"Again?! John, twice last night..."
"Can't a man make love to his wife without it being a big deal?"
Monica laughed as John began kissing her. She glanced at the clock, it was six thirty, they had at least an hour before they needed to get up and get ready for work. What the hell, it wasn't very often they could get away with this kind of thing with a four year old sleeping in the next room...
Anna came running into the room very much unannounced and didn't bat an eyelid as her parents fumbled around under the sheets before smiling at her.
"The one day she decides to get up early..."
Monica laughed at John's exclamation of disappointment and Anna jumped up onto the bed.
"Mommy, am I going to stay with Uncle Fox today?"
"You are, but only if you promise to be good."
"I'm always good..."
Monica got out of the bed and went into the bathroom. She could hear John making small talk with Anna and her giggles every now and again. It was music to her ears. When she walked back into the bedroom Anna jumped up and announced that she was going to get dressed. Monica sat down at her dressing table to make herself look presentable for the day. John stood up behind her and put his arms around her.
"I think we should go out."
"Where?"
"I don't know, just out, one evening this week. Dana will take Anna for us, I miss not being able to have you all to myself."
Monica smiled and John knew he was a very lucky guy. Any man would have given his right arm to be where he was right now, but Monica had chosen him, she had fallen in love with him and they were a family. But he wanted just one night alone with her, to not have to get up for work, or to put their daughter to bed.
"So whad'ya say? If I arrange it may I take Mrs Doggett out on a date?"
Monica laughed.
"Yes."
John kissed her and she turned around to face him as he crouched down on the floor to be level with her as she was seated. As they sat kissing they were rudely interrupted by the telephone ringing and John got up to answer it.
"John Doggett... Yes sir... I understand... Is that really necessary?... Can I ask why you wouldn't see me yesterday?... I see... Yeah... Whatever you say sir."
John put down the phone and looked at Monica, she was already looking at him waiting to hear what had made him so sarcastic to the person on the phone.
"That was Skinner. You've got a meeting with a lawyer this morning at eleven."
"What?"
"I know, this is crazy. He says it's precautionary. In case somebody decides to take up Mia Dukes case."
"I don't believe this."
John walked back over to Monica as she stood up.
"It'll be ok Mon, I promise."
"How do you know that? You don't..."
"I do. This crap needs to end. And I'll make sure it does."
Monica draped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"My hero."
They both smiled and parted to finish getting ready for work. But no matter how much either of them smiled, this wasn't just going to blow over. *********
Monica opened the door to Dana and smiled. They went into the living room and Anna jumped up to give Dana a hug.
"Hey, how are you sweetie?"
"Is William with you?"
"No he's at home with his... With Uncle Fox..."
Anna didn't hide her disappointment at having to keep herself amused whilst the two women talked, she went up to her room and made a point of closing the door loud enough for them to hear her do so.
Dana looked at Monica and was trying so hard to figure out what she was going to say to her. Maybe telling her about Skinner's call wasn't the right thing to do after all...
"Dana what's wrong?"
Dana looked to the floor before she spoke and only looked back at Monica's face when she had finished talking.
"I had a phone call from Skinner this morning. There's some trouble at the bureau about your relationship with John."
"What are you talking about?"
"They're concerned that if they let this slip under the carpet then other people will try and do the same. They're serious about this Monica."
"How do they even know?"
Dana was confused until she realised that Monica hadn't heard what John said before he ran to protect her from his would be killer. She had missed out on him opened his heart to a van full of FBI agents prepared to lose his job over it just to save her.
"He lost his temper in the van before he ran out after you that day... The deputy director told him to stay put, that you knew what you were doing... John told everybody that you were his wife. And that you had a daughter together... I'm so sorry Monica."
Monica didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He wasn't even around anymore and yet John was leaving his presence clearly felt. But she couldn't lose her job. Not now.
"How can this matter? John's gone. Why is this even an issue?"
"Because you got away with it for six years... They've been made fools of..."
"And they want to make an example of me?"
"Something like that..."
"I see..."
Monica stood up and grabbed her jacket; she called Anna down the stairs and went back into Dana.
"Can you take Anna for me?"
Dana stood up surprised but agreed to help.
"Where are you going?"
"To see Skinner."
"Are you sure that's such a good idea?"
"No. But I'm sick of people telling me that things are gonna get easier, they sure as hell wont if I'm unemployed."
Anna came walking into the room with a red face and puffy eyes, she had been crying, again.
"Baby Dana's going to take you to stay with her whilst mommy takes care of something important ok?"
Anna nodded her head and took Dana's hand. It broke Monica's heart, but she had only herself to blame. John had been dead for six days now and already their daughter was drifting away from her too. She didn't wait for anything else, she walked out of the house and Dana picked up Anna as she stared so carefully after her mom wishing more than anything that she was going with her. *********
June 25th, Doggett residence...
Monica rolled over in bed and John was already awake. He was leaning on the back of the bed watching her, and when she looked at him he smiled.
"Mornin'."
Monica yawned.
"Morning... What time is it?"
"It's early. But seein as we're both awake..."
"Again?! John, twice last night..."
"Can't a man make love to his wife without it being a big deal?"
Monica laughed as John began kissing her. She glanced at the clock, it was six thirty, they had at least an hour before they needed to get up and get ready for work. What the hell, it wasn't very often they could get away with this kind of thing with a four year old sleeping in the next room...
Anna came running into the room very much unannounced and didn't bat an eyelid as her parents fumbled around under the sheets before smiling at her.
"The one day she decides to get up early..."
Monica laughed at John's exclamation of disappointment and Anna jumped up onto the bed.
"Mommy, am I going to stay with Uncle Fox today?"
"You are, but only if you promise to be good."
"I'm always good..."
Monica got out of the bed and went into the bathroom. She could hear John making small talk with Anna and her giggles every now and again. It was music to her ears. When she walked back into the bedroom Anna jumped up and announced that she was going to get dressed. Monica sat down at her dressing table to make herself look presentable for the day. John stood up behind her and put his arms around her.
"I think we should go out."
"Where?"
"I don't know, just out, one evening this week. Dana will take Anna for us, I miss not being able to have you all to myself."
Monica smiled and John knew he was a very lucky guy. Any man would have given his right arm to be where he was right now, but Monica had chosen him, she had fallen in love with him and they were a family. But he wanted just one night alone with her, to not have to get up for work, or to put their daughter to bed.
"So whad'ya say? If I arrange it may I take Mrs Doggett out on a date?"
Monica laughed.
"Yes."
John kissed her and she turned around to face him as he crouched down on the floor to be level with her as she was seated. As they sat kissing they were rudely interrupted by the telephone ringing and John got up to answer it.
"John Doggett... Yes sir... I understand... Is that really necessary?... Can I ask why you wouldn't see me yesterday?... I see... Yeah... Whatever you say sir."
John put down the phone and looked at Monica, she was already looking at him waiting to hear what had made him so sarcastic to the person on the phone.
"That was Skinner. You've got a meeting with a lawyer this morning at eleven."
"What?"
"I know, this is crazy. He says it's precautionary. In case somebody decides to take up Mia Dukes case."
"I don't believe this."
John walked back over to Monica as she stood up.
"It'll be ok Mon, I promise."
"How do you know that? You don't..."
"I do. This crap needs to end. And I'll make sure it does."
Monica draped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"My hero."
They both smiled and parted to finish getting ready for work. But no matter how much either of them smiled, this wasn't just going to blow over. *********