July 16th, Present Day, Park...

Monica sipped her coffee and felt her heart race as Anna approached the climbing frame at the park. Anna was cautious and examined it thoroughly before attempting to climb it, and even then she didn't go half as high as she was allowed to and soon ran over to the slide instead. This was their last day together; Monica was going back to work the next day. She had been told by everybody that it was too soon and that she had to think of Anna, but the truth was Monica was of no use to Anna day in day out, they needed to be able to carry on with their lives and not make things any harder than they had to be.

Anna had cried for over and hour the day before when Monica had told her she was going back to work. Anna refused to accept that it was time for her to leave and to forget all about John, Monica finally calmed her down but couldn't tell her daughter that part of the reason she needed work was so that she could forget about John. Not forever but just long enough for it not to be so painful living without him. She and Anna had spent every day together for over a week, more time they had in a long while, and she felt better for it, but she needed to get back to her work. It was time.

She had taken Anna to the park with William whilst Mulder and Dana took Jack to the

doctors for a check up. It was Anna's first visit since her fall and she was handling it

remarkably well. It helped that William was there to make her feel less daunted by the climbing frame full of small children enjoying the school holidays. Both children looked over to wave at Monica every few minutes, just to make sure she was ok and to make sure she knew they were having fun.

Dana had been reluctant to let William spend the day with Anna and Monica claiming they should be alone before Monica went back to work, but Monica knew that if she wanted to get to work the next morning without her daughter screaming the house down in protest then she had to let Anna see that she could have fun and be happy without her mother around for the day.

Monica was growing rather curious about the new agent now sharing her office. From all

accounts she had settled in well in her first week and Dana had only had good things to say about her after pointing out that Phoebe Carmichael was the 'spooky' of the 21st century. Mulder had shrugged this off and hoped that the woman wasn't getting as much grief about her reputation as he had received during his time with the FBI.

Monica didn't care what anybody else had to say about her, she knew that the second she laid eyes on her she'd be able to figure her out and pin down what she wanted from the FBI. It was a gift she knew to take advantage of, and if Agent Carmichael was planning on sticking around then she needed to make sure that this was workable.

Monica pulled up outside the Mulder residence and was still getting out of the car when

Anna and William went running to the house and knocked rapidly on the door wanting to get inside and play with toys. As Monica made her way towards the house Dana appeared at the door with Jack and was smiling as she approached them.

"I don't know how you take care of two of them. I'm exhausted."

"You get used to it. Was everything ok?"

"Yeah, we had a great time, Anna conquered her fear of the park, so that was a relief. It was nice to be around two such lively souls for the day, but like I said, they ran circles around me. How'd it go with Jack?"

"Good, everything's fine and as it should be."

Monica smiled at Dana and the two women exchanged a silent understanding that it was still a testing time whilst Jack was a baby as to whether he was going to be in any danger due to his parents' pasts, but so far he was a regular kid and Monica was as thrilled as they were.

"Well, I should get Anna home, big day tomorrow."

"Yeah, and you're bringing her here for Mulder to take care of in the morning."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I don't think Anna or William would allow it any other way."

Monica smiled and called her daughter down the stairs to take her home. Dana walked out to the car with Monica and waited as she fastened Anna into her seat.

"Are you sure you're ready to go back Monica? There's no hurry you know, if you need more time..."

"It's time to go back Dana. I need to do this. I'll see you in the morning."

"Ok."

June 27th, Doggett Residence...

"Daddy! I want mommy!"

John was not having fun playing single parent. Anna was not happy that her mother had not come home the night before and for some reason she was now taking it out on her father, probably because he was there to take it.

"Anna, come on, daddy has to get to work, and he'll bring mommy home too, but I need you to help me out here."

"I want mommy!"

"I want mommy too! But right now we gotta stick together ok? Now the quicker you get dressed and I get you to Uncle Fox's house the quicker I'll get mommy home to you ok?"

Anna looked at her dad and finally stopped jumping up and down on her bed in her pyjamas. She was considering accepting his offer but wasn't quite sure about it.

"You promise that mommy will come home if I stay with uncle Fox?"

"I promise."

"Ok..."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"That's my girl."

John walked over to the bed now it was safe Anna wasn't going to lunge at him and he picked up his daughter and began to get her clothes ready for her to wear.

"I don't want to wear that!"

"Well which one do you wanna wear?"

Anna pondered the question before picking out a bright green t-shirt, a pair of jeans with yellow patterns on, a pink cardigan, and her blue trainers. John watched as Anna pulled the clothes on in a very awkward manner and finally stood beaming at him like a smiling rainbow in the sky. He laughed and couldn't think of anything he'd rather see her in. If Monica had been there she would have had a few things to say about the outfit, but as it was John was running the show, so the outfit stayed.

Anna ran out of her room and down the stairs yelling out what she wanted for breakfast as John slowly followed her wishing that Monica was here with them. He hated being apart from her even if it was just for one night, he couldn't wait until their date together, he was going to sweep her off her feet and remind her why she had fallen in love with him. He didn't need a reminder; he knew he was in love with her every single time he laid his eyes on her.

"Breakfast daddy!"

"I'm comin', I'm comin'."

"I want pancakes with strawberry sauce and chocolate sprinkles and syrup."

"Is that right?"

"Uh huh."

Anna grinned as John set about making the pancakes, Monica would kill him if she

found out about this. When he spilt strawberry sauce all over his shirt he saw why she'd kill him. He finished making breakfast and went to get changed, but when he came back Anna hadn't touched her food.

"What's wrong Anna?"

"Is mommy having breakfast in her motel?"

"Yeah, right now."

"Not pancakes though?"

"I don't know, you can ask her tonight."

"Can we save her one of mine?"

"Sure we can."

John and Anna safely put away a pancake covered in strawberry and chocolate before finally getting it together to leave. John prayed to God that he would never have to do

this alone, he fully believed that parenting was a two person job, and there wasn't a woman he'd rather be sharing it with.