Special Agent Monica Reyes is driving her car back to DC from Quantico, she has been delivering a series of lectures on Satanic and Ritualistic Crimes, she is tired and a little depressed, these lectures always take it out of her so much sadness. She drives past the J Edger Hoover Building and on impulse she pulls into the parking garage, she makes her way to the front desk and flashes her badge to the security guard, he nods.
"Excuse me where would I find Agent Doggett," she asks a fellow Agent
"In the basement you can't miss it, it's the only office down there" the Agent replies, puzzled Monica heads for the lift
The X Files Office 15th February 2003 5.45pm.
Special Agent John Doggett is sitting by himself contemplating what has happened in the last few months or so, he has looked into the eyes of Satan, helped save the world from alien colonization and seen the lives of his partners fall to pieces and he thought he had had it bad. He looks at Mulder's desk he had promised Scully ages ago that he would clear it out for her and he still could not bring himself to do it. Poor Dana she'd told him last year when they first met that the X Files had cost them so much, he hadn't believed her but, for the want of something to do he'd read the files in the cabinet, now he had a better understanding of what she'd meant. They'd cost Scully her health and her chances of motherhood and cost Mulder his family and almost his sanity, he looked at the 'I want to believe' poster behind Mulder's desk and wished he had the faith they did, he was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the knock on the door.
"Knock knock anyone home," says a familiar voice
"Monica" he gets up and hugs her, she is a little surprised at this gesture and more than a little pleased "what are you doing here, I thought New Orleans was your home now".
"I'm giving a lecture at Quantico, I thought I'd come and say hi" she replies
"It's really great to see you after so long" he has the first genuine smile on his face in days.
"Do you really mean that? You usually break out in hives when you see me," she says with laughter in her voice, she looks around the office "so who did you hack off to get sent down here".
"Everybody I think Kersh, Satan, the Catholic Church, you name them and I've upset them" he replies
"Satan! I'd heard rumours in New Orleans that you'd caught the Devil Worshippers from Brooklyn, what happened" she remarks.
"Yeah we caught them, but I don't think we stopped them" Reyes' eyes widen "c'mon Monica this is your thing you must have seen the signs"
"I know what's been going on and it had crossed my mind but are you really sure" she asks, he nods.
"We've had several tips that the devil is here, but the only person who knows who he is ain't saying" says Doggett "we're still looking for O'Bannion but he's disappeared or changed his appearance and you were right all along he was the one who killed Luke, but not the reasons you thought at first".
"What! why?" interrupts Reyes
"Revenge, O'Bannion killed my son for revenge" he finishes
"Why for Gods sake" she asks
"Because I ruined his world domination plans," Doggett replies
"And he leant on the Director and Deputy Director to make sure your life was ruined again" she finishes.
"Something like that, I'm beginning to wish the aliens had colonized," he adds
"Excuse me, are you telling me that you John Doggett, the worlds biggest sceptic helped stop the aliens taking over the world," she's laughing now.
"Yes, we stopped them but it wasn't a happy ending, Mulder was shot by some guy called Alex Krycek, a former FBI agent apparently, he's still alive but he's ...you know...a vegetable his partner. Scully she took it bad, she's still out on leave at the moment, I don't know if she'll come back she's...kinda lost without him, they've been together for nine years" his voice trails off, not knowing what else to say, suddenly the phone rings.
"John Doggett...yes sir...erm yes I'll be there in a couple of minutes" he puts the phone down
"Sorry Monica I'll have to leave you for a bit, Deputy Director Kersh wants to see me, hopefully I won't be too long, I'm not exactly flavour of the month with him at the moment" he says.
"Sure go ahead" she replies "umm...John do you mind if I have a look at some of these files. I've heard all about Fox Mulder and his X Files, this is some kind of dream come true for me to be here" the expectant look on her face reminds him of a child in a sweet shop, he can't deny her request.
"Sure, I don't mind" he can't help but smile at her enthusiasm
He makes his way to Kersh's office wondering what he could want; he knocks on the door and goes in.
"You wanted to see me Sir," he says
"Yes John come on in, I'll come straight to the point" he hands Doggett a file "Lieutenant Joshua Kendrick was found dead at his home two days ago, asphyxiation so the autopsy report says and his family are claming it was the family of Lieutenant Commander Martin Jackson a Marine who committed suicide. Lieutenant Kendrick and two of his colleagues were cleared at a Courts Martial of any involvement in Commander Jackson's death but Jackson's family are sure he was murdered and that's where I come in. His mother Martha Jackson is a friend of mine, she asked me to look in to it and that's why I'm asking you to do me this favour" Kersh replies
"Me! You want me to do you a favour you've gotta be kidding me" Doggett retorts
"Please John, you've got every reason to distrust me, but you're the only person on who's...discretion I can trust" Kersh adds.
"Discretion? What's going on" Doggett is intrigued now "surely this is a job for the Judge Advocate General's office"
"I know but I know something they don't" Kersh takes a deep breath "I think Voodoo maybe involved".
"You think Voodoo maybe involved, you! who's been trying to close down the X Files since you got here, now you suddenly want our help" Doggett starts to laugh "I wish Mulder was here to see this, ok I'll help you, it's worth it just to hear you plead" Doggett is beginning to enjoy this now "so, the Voodoo hoodoo".
"Well Martha said that her Great Granny told her how when a murderer was confronted by his crime justice would be done, it just seems coincidental that the day she told me this the man she accused of killing her son dies, mysteriously" explains Kersh. "Plus you must still have contacts in the Marine Corps you can cut through the red tape".
"Well I don't know about that but I'll try and while we're talking favours Sir I need one" John replies
"I can't move you from the X Files" puts in Kersh
"No I don't mean that, but as Scully's still on leave and I'm on my own down there I'd like Agent Monica Reyes to assist me on this case, if Voodoo's involved, she'd be an ideal partner, this is her speciality" he asks, Kersh thinks about this.
"Ok John you've got yourself a deal, but remember I need you to be discreet" says Kersh
"You can count on it," remarks Doggett.
He heads back downstairs to his office wondering what made him agree to do Kersh a favour, something to do, a desire to keep the X Files open for Mulder's sake, a chance to get back on solid ground again with the Marines or a chance to work with Monica. He gets back to the office to find Reyes engrossed in one of Mulder's precious X Files, he suppresses a smile as he walks in.
"Having fun," he asks her, she looks up from the file
"God this file will put you off having kids for life, nope no IVF for me, no, nien, non, uh uh, no way" Doggett starts to laugh.
"Is that the one with the two little girls who poisoned their father's with Digitalis that they made themselves" Monica nods "I know that put the fear of God in me too, so how do you feel about dreams coming true"?
"Why?" she asks suspiciously
"Well Kersh wants me to do some discreet digging into a case involving the death of a Marine which may have been caused by a Voodoo curse" he replies.
"Voodoo?" she asks
"That's what he said, so do you want to join me on this X File or not" he's teasing her now, a big grin breaks out on her face
"Try and stop me," she says.
