Author: monicaxrohrer
Date: August 28-29, 2007; September 2, 2007
Distribution: Don't Not Believe, Master Sergeant, We Shall Not Forget and XFMU. Anyone else, please ask.
Rating: PG-13 (language)
Category: Knowle POV, Rohrer/Reyes
Timeline: 9x13 "Audrey Pauley"
Spoilers: 9x01 "Nothing Important Happened Today I", 9x13 "Audrey Pauley"
Beta: Dana Doggett
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it. All X-Files characters belong to Chris Carter, Ten-
Thirteen Productions and 20th Century FOX Broadcasting.
Summary: It has been several months since Knowle had to leave Monica in "One Last Night". He's laying low in Washington, D.C., the constant threat of his Super Soldier out to exterminate him continues to loom over him. But tonight he just can't hide...
Author's Note: Like with the story before this one ("One Last Night"), in my world there are two Knowle Rohrer's: one an employee of the Department of Defense who has knowledge of government and military secrets, and the other: a Super Soldier created from the DNA of the human Knowle. Also, I took inspiration from the new Garth Brooks song ("More Than A Memory") for this story, but not the full story that he sings about, just a couple of verses in there that really made sense to what I was writing. If you've heard the song, you'll know what I'm talking about.
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Am I stupid? I'm in danger and I come back to Washington. What's wrong with me? Too many things to count. I need to make sure this Super Soldier replica of me isn't going to do more harm to people close to me. Tonight though, my main problem is that I can't get her out of my head.
I shouldn't be in this fucking bar tonight, but I need to go somewhere where no one will know me. And this bar outside of town is the only place I could find.
What would a once respectable Department of Defense employee be doing in a place like this anyway?
The very thought of how my life is going downhill is enough to make me down my shot of whiskey and signal to the bartender for another. He shakes his head to tell me he won't. I've had too many.
If he only knew what I've gone through in the past few months, he'd hit me up with several more rounds and let me get as drunk as I want.
There's no use in telling him, who would believe it anyway? Imagine how crazy it would sound to him: There are two of me walking this planet. One is me, full human with emotions. The other, a Super Soldier, designed to kill and not be killed, to be emotionless. I'm in danger because this Super Soldier needs to wipe me from existence.
I pull out my wallet and pay him an amount of money that I'm not proud to have spent on alcohol.
My night seems rather dull, the usual now that my life has gone down the drain. But just then, I see someone I know. Well, I don't exactly know the man at all, I've only heard of him from Monica.
But what could Brad Follmer possibly be doing here in this shitty part of town? And who is that shady man he's talking to?
He doesn't know me, so I can easily be near him without him wondering what I'm doing here. But as I walk by him, he looks at me. I almost freeze, but then I'd look like a deer caught in the headlights so I keep moving and sit at the table behind the two men.
Does he know me? Maybe he does. I was up in New York once when he was the Agent in Charge of that field office. That's where I met Monica, who was in an office affair with him. She was unhappy back then, I can only wonder how she's doing now.
My thoughts stop as I hear Monica Reyes's name come from Brad Follmer. I casually lean back in my chair, hoping to look like I'm getting comfortable. And then I hear what's going on, Monica's been in a car accident.
But why would Follmer talk about that here, with the kind of man who looks to be a mobster. What the hell is going on?
"I told you, FBI." I overhear the shady man. "I make the rules and if you don't follow them, people get hurt."
"Why her?" Anger is in Follmer's voice.
I'm not looking but I can sense that shady bastard form a smirk before he answers.
"She means a lot to you." He finally says. "If I were you, I'd reconsider our deal, Mr. Follmer." Sounds more like a threat than something to think about.
I hear the wooden chair scrape against the floor of the bar and the shady man leaves. It's just Follmer and I now. I'd like to ask him some questions, but I couldn't possibly. I have to lay low, that's why I vanished in the first place. But at the same time, my heart wants to know if she's all right.
I hear Follmer stand and walk away from me. I cautiously turn to watch him. He's going over to the bar to order a drink and I find myself sneering at him. He cares for Monica and this is what he does after she's been in a car accident?
I get up and leave the bar.
I know I look out of place in this hospital. I'm tall, wearing a ball cap as my disguise, and I know I look like I'm avoiding eye contact with people.
It wasn't hard to find out which hospital she was in. John Doggett's her FBI partner. He would be notified. A little phone tapping on him and I got all I needed to know.
I turn the corner near the waiting room and quickly draw back. There he is, John Doggett, looking upset. He's always hard on himself when these things happen. I can only imagine what he must have been like when Luke died.
A short red-head passes me, and I freeze. I recognize her. She's Dana Scully. She could recognize me. I met her briefly and I'm sure she'd remember me and how she didn't trust me. Luckily, she's so focused on John to notice.
I peek around the corner and see her rubbing his back. How interesting that he calls her to come comfort him.
I make my move now that they are both pre-occupied and I find the front desk.
"Excuse me." The nurse looks up at me and I can tell she's a bit weary of me and that's probably because of my disguise. "Could you tell me where Monica Reyes is?"
"She's in the ER. Are you family?"
"No, a close friend."
"She's in good hands." The nurse smiles, hoping to calm me. "Her FBI partner is in the waiting room if you'd like to talk to him."
She smiles and leaves. I look back at the waiting room. Too many questions would be asked if I went in there. I've heard about what my Super Soldier look-a-
like has done and I can't imagine John would want to see my image anytime soon.
I decide to head in the opposite direction and leave the hospital. Right now it's too risky for me to be here.
The streets are wet and I wander them aimlessly. There's too much on my mind to really think about where I'm walking so I just walk. Though I'm outside my mind is back at the hospital. I'm worried for her and there's nothing I can do. I can't even see her all because I'm laying low so I don't get killed.
And here I thought serving my country as a Marine and working for the Defense Department would give me a good life. What a fucking joke that was. No one ever told me when I signed up that the government was full of secret agendas and government conspiracies. How could I have been so foolish?
A store catches my eye. It must be fate that it's open this late at night. I step inside and there's a young man behind the counter. He greets me as I look around at my options.
She likes yellow. Yellow roses, though they represent friendship they also represent caring and I want her to know I care.
I look to the man and ask for a bouquet of white and yellow roses. She'll know they're from me, I've always given her white roses.
I've been sitting on this cold bench for hours waiting for a moment to get inside and find out what's going on. The sun is starting to rise which means morning traffic will start to pick up and I'll have to leave.
The first bus of the morning stops. I wave the driver along since I'm the only one here and I don't plan on leaving yet. I still have these flowers I want Monica to have. I look back over to the hospital and see Monica's parents have arrived. I don't know if this is good or bad. They didn't bring much, looks like they just tossed some of their things into one bag and got the first flight out of Mexico City. Her father haggles with the taxi driver and there is a definite language barrier between them.
I get up off the bench and make my way over to them. Her father speaks in Spanish. Monica told me he was no good at speaking English. Her mother is trying to get their bag out of the back seat of the taxi. And the poor taxi driver doesn't speak Spanish and has become so frustrated that he speaks in his mother tongue, Russian.
Luckily, I speak both languages fluently and I help them out. Her father shakes my hand with gratitude, then heads off into the hospital.
I don't have much time to turn away when John Doggett exits the building. I turn as quickly as I can, hoping he won't notice me. I don't hear his footsteps walking in any direction so I know he's just standing there.
Shit.
It would be better if he'd just say something.
"What the hell are you doin' here?" I can hear the shock in his voice to see what he must think is a Super Soldier standing outside the hospital with a bouquet of flowers.
I turn to face him, not sure what to say. I start to think that I should have walked away when he came out.
"You do this to her?" He accuses me.
"No." I answer him, hoping he'll believe me. He looks me over and I can see the confusion on his face. I'm holding the flowers, I'm unshaven for a couple of days now, and I look like shit. I'm sure I'm the exact opposite of the Super Soldier version of me.
"What the hell is this?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, John."
"Last I saw you..." He looks around, not sure if he's safe with me. "You tried to kill me, then lost your own head."
John's such a skeptic. His mind just doesn't go to extreme possibilities and now he's faced with one.
"So how about you tell me what the hell is going on."
I'm not sure how to answer him and in all honesty, I'd rather not. But I know John. I've been through a lot with him from our days in the USMC. He won't let this go.
"It's not safe for me to be seen-"
"-The hell it is!" He interrupts me. "I've seen you die twice and here you are in front of me. What the hell are you?"
"I'm human, John." Should I tell him? "Ever stop to think that maybe this Super Soldier that's been walking around all high and mighty is just that? A Super Soldier. Ever stop to think of how they managed to make a Super Soldier out of me?" "I heard it already." I can hear the anger in his voice. "Shannon McMahon told me everything. How you and she were drafted right out of Bravo Company."
I shake my head. "I was never drafted, John. You were lied to. The Shannon McMahon that gave you that information wasn't the same Shannon McMahon that you knew back in Beirut." I stare at him intensely. "She's dead. Been replaced by the Super Soldier you spoke with. They're programmed to kill the original so it can be the only one in existence."
I can tell he didn't know any of this. He only knows the surface of what is going on. I can only hope that he never knows first hand like I do.
"Why?"
"So that the human race can survive the alien invasion." I sound crazy and I think back to when John first needed my help. I made fun of him for talking about extraterrestrials.
He stands in silence for a moment. I can tell that my words are sinking in. Then he looks up at me once again.
"Still doesn't explain why you're here." He comments.
"I heard about what happened to Monica." I answer him and I see his eyes drift to the flowers I carry with me.
"How do you know her?" His voice has calmed.
"Met her in New York. Kept contact." I answer him, my own voice calming down as well. "I care for her, John."
He looks me over and I wonder what's going on in his head.
"You love her?" He asks.
"Yes."
"She's come out of her coma." John continues. "She's doing all right. No brain damage at all."
This is the news I've been waiting to hear all night. My eyes drift over to the hospital doors.
"If it's not safe for you, Knowle, then you better leave." John tells me. "You never know who's working against you, right?"
"I know." I shouldn't have come, but I needed to be here. "Thank you, John."
He nods his head at me and I walk away from him, but stop before I enter the hospital. I turn to him.
"John." He turns around to look at me. "Don't tell anyone that I-"
"I know." He says in a reassuring tone. "You were never here." He nods his head at me and walks away.
I enter the hospital and make my way up to Monica's room. I quietly pass her parents who are talking with Agent Scully in the waiting room.
I stand in the doorway and see her lying in her bed. Her eyes are shut so I quietly enter. I set the flowers next to her bed. I won't be here long, but I take a seat anyway.
I look her over. Her hair is longer than I last saw her. My time away from her has only made her more beautiful in my eyes.
I take hold of her hand, remembering the last time I saw her. I held her hand then, right before I left and she opened her eyes. Our goodbye was silent. I don't believe in saying "goodbye", it's too final.
I sit silently for a while. I don't know if I should say something to her, or if I should wake her. Would it be too painful to look into her eyes again just to say "goodbye" all over again? I don't think I could do that again.
I finally stand up and let go of her hand. I lean down towards her and I whisper quietly in her ear, even though she's asleep I know she can hear me in her subconscious.
"I promise we'll be together again." I kiss her forehead. "I love you."
I leave her side reluctantly once again.
THE END.