August 8th, Present Day, X-Files Office...
Monica was staring at the clock on the wall wishing for it to move faster so that she could get home. There was so much she had to get ready for Anna's birthday party and she was running out of time. The past week had disappeared into thin air. Sunday night had been spent with Anna in her room, both of them in tears as they talked about John, and Monica repeatedly apologised for being so horrible to her about what she says she saw. Anna was a very understanding little girl and assured her mom that she just wanted to make her pain go away, Monica had told her that it was her job to make sure that Anna's pain went away not the other way around.
They spent the night listening to old music that John used to love whilst singing along and dancing on the bed. Anna enjoyed every second. And Monica made a stricter promise with her self to be a better mom and to treat Anna like the child she was rather than the adult she could sometimes come across as.
Just that morning she had been for a doctor's appointment. There was a particular medical condition she needed his advice on, and more specifically his conformation on. He had done just that and Monica had spent the rest of the day staring at the clock in her office trying so hard to listen to what Phoebe was telling her at the same time.
"Listen Monica why don't you go home?"
"What?"
"Go home, you've been on another planet all day."
"Fitting analogy considering the office we work in."
"I'm serious, I know you have a party for your daughter to finish arranging. Go home, I'll cover for you."
"Really?"
"Yeah well there's only so much more of you staring at the clock and tapping that pen on the desk that I can take." Monica smiled appreciatively and stood up quickly throwing her jacket around her shoulders.
"If you need me to come back just call ok?"
"Go, have a great weekend."
"Thanks." Monica walked to the door before reconsidering something she'd been thinking about all week. And she turned back.
"Umm, Phoebe listen, if you're not busy tomorrow, you're welcome to come by and meet the smallest person in my world that takes up so much of it."
"Really?"
"Sure. I know that Fox Mulder is desperate to meet the other half of the team running his baby now."
"Wow, Fox Mulder? The Fox Mulder?"
"Yeah. Any time after one is fine. It'd be great to see you there." Monica walked out of the office feeling she'd done the right thing and happy with her decision.
When she got home she was incredibly surprised to find Dana sitting on her doorstep.
Monica laughed as she walked over to her.
"What are you doing here?"
"I had to know, your appointment was today right?" Monica smiled coyly and opened her front door.
"Come on Monica, it's been driving me crazy." Monica laughed and Dana smiled. She already knew that answer to her question anyway. She could see it in Monica's eyes.
"Yes. I am pregnant. My final gift from John."
"Oh Monica, I'm so happy for you!" Dana rushed over to hug her and both women fell into fits of laughter and took a deep breath as they pulled apart.
"I haven't told anyone, not even Anna, so don't say a word. I'm gonna tell her tomorrow
morning."
"Ok, I wont. This is all so surreal. John actually told you before you knew."
"It would appear so."
"Did you get your due date?" Monica smiled again and couldn't speak through the first genuine smile she had had in months.
"April 4th."
"April 4th?"
"Yeah."
"But that's... hang on, isn't that..."
"Yes it is. It's John's birthday. Believe me the dates had not skipped my attention. Something tells me there was divine intervention somewhere along the way."
"Somebody somewhere is looking out for you."
"Yeah. And I think I know who."
July 3rd, Doggett Residence...
Monica hadn't even noticed it was dark. She hadn't moved from the seat she had collapsed into in the garden at hearing Dana's words. They were playing again and again in her head 'I'm so sorry Monica'... 'We lost him'... 'John's gone'... She hadn't known how to react at first. But then nature took over and she had collapsed in fits of tears and anger whilst Mulder hurriedly ushered the children indoors to hide them from the sight of all this pain. He had sat beside Monica on the grass at first and rocked her sobbing and limp body in his arms not having anything else he could possibly do or say.
Not long after that Dana had appeared with William clinging to her despite her insistence that he go back inside. He told her he knew something was wrong and that he wanted to know why everybody was upset. It was then that Monica called for Anna to come and sit with her. They were left alone. And Monica had had to tell her daughter that her dad was dead.
"But he's supposed to read my story tonight, it's his turn."
"I know baby, we'll read it together though, is that ok?"
"I guess... Will he come back?"
"No. He's gone sweetheart."
"Forever?" Monica nodded her head as she began to cry again and Anna had stood up on the bench so that she could wrap her arms around her mom. Monica had welcomed her little girls company and had sat with her for a long time before Dana had come out to take her inside.
She informed Monica that she had told William what had happened and he had wanted to see Anna to make sure she was ok. Monica couldn't talk or move from her seat on the bench. Dana had sat beside her and the two women had both sat and cried not needing any words to express how they were feeling or what this news had done to them.
The entire Mulder family stayed at the Doggett house that night. Monica didn't come inside until it was almost ten pm. The three children had found their way onto Monica and John's bed. Anna and William had wanted to be able to feel as if John was still with them. His photograph and his scent surrounded them. And as Monica went up the stairs to see them they all lay sleeping soundly on her bed and she found herself want John to see it. To stand with him and say how adorable they looked at that she wished she had a camera. But she couldn't.
She would never take a photograph with John ever again. And she couldn't cope with it. She just couldn't cope. Not now and not ever. This was the end of her. He had promised they would grow old together. And now he wasn't even alive. He had betrayed her but she couldn't be angry with him. She loved him. And she missed him and she wanted him to come home. That was all she would ever want again.