Author: monicaxrohrer
Date: November 18, 2006
Distribution: Don't Not Believe, Master Sergeant and XFMU. Anyone else, please ask.
Rating: PG
Category: Rohrer/Reyes
Timeline: Post-Scary Monsters
Episode References: "Scary Monsters", "Nothing Important Happened Today I"
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: Monica goes to see Knowle after not hearing from him in a few months, and Knowle continues his struggle of transitioning into a government Super Soldier.
Author's Note: This is the second story of my "Human Connection" series, be sure to have read "Human Connection: Thin Threads" before you read this.
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"You doin' anything this weekend, agent Reyes?" John Doggett asks as he puts his arms through his coat sleeves.
Monica Reyes looks up at him from the paperwork on her desk.
"I may see if there's anything worth seeing at the movies." She replies. "You?" "Well, after last weekend I think I'm ready for a vacation."
Monica smiles. "No more scary monsters, huh?"
"There's only so much of an active imagination I can take." He smiles. "I'm actually going ice fishing."
Monica gives him a curious look.
"Ice fishing?" She questions. "I wouldn't have taken you for the kind of guy to go ice fishing."
Doggett smiles and shrugs as he opens the office door.
"Going alone?" She asks before he leaves.
He stops at the door and hesitantly turns around.
"Yeah." He answers with a tone that says he's lying.
Monica looks at him, hearing his lie. She smiles after a moment, realizing he doesn't want to say who he's going ice fishing with.
"Well, I hope you can manage to stay warm all by yourself."
"I think I'll survive." He smiles. "I'll see you on Monday."
"Bright and early." She replies as he leaves the office.
She shakes her head and looks down at the paperwork in front of her. She lets out a heavy sigh and pulls open her desk drawer. Her eyes fall to the pack of Morely Lights she's been hiding. She bites her lower lip. She's been without a fix for six months and she knows she shouldn't cave, but she's been feeling stress lately.
She caves and grabs the pack and pulls out a cigarette.
"There are other ways to relieve that kind of stress and frustration, agent Reyes."
The man's voice startles her and she drops her cigarette to the floor. She looks up to the doorway, wishing the man was someone else.
"Assistant Director." She smiles politely as Brad Follmer enters the office.
"You seem tense, Monica." He stops in front of her desk and looks down at her. "Picking up that bad habit again?"
Monica looks down at the cigarette on the floor.
"Not exactly." She replies as she looks back up at him. "I don't have a lighter on me."
"Hmm." He sits down in front of her. "Then its safe to assume the center of your stress and frustration is not from a cigarette." "I haven't smoked in six month."
"Then could it be that your partner is going on a weekend getaway with a certain lady friend, and she's not you?"
Monica winkles her brow.
"What?"
"John Doggett." He explains.
Monica rolls her eyes and lets out an irritated sigh.
"You're kidding me, Brad." She's not in the mood for this again.
"Then I don't get it, Monica." He says. "If it's not him, then why haven't-"
"-Did it ever occur to you that I could have a relationship with a man who isn't working at the FBI?"
Brad looks at her, slightly stunned fro her words. He didn't even know she was seeing someone.
"You're seeing someone?"
Monica doesn't say anything. The relationship has been rocky and she hasn't even seen Knowle Rohrer in a few months.
"Do I know him?" Brad asks, trying to hide his jealously from Monica.
"No."
"How long?"
"I met him when I was working in New Orleans."
"So it's long distance then?"
"No." Monica answers. "He lives here."
Brad nods his head.
"I could've sworn when you asked me out for drinks when you first got here that you were giving me some interesting signals." Brad points out. "I could've sworn you wanted to work things out with me then. Are things going all right?"
Monica looks at him. Why does he always seem to know when things aren't well with her? And why does he always hit the wrong buttons? "We're fine." Monica replies. "I asked you out for drink so I could leave your office. If you recall, you kissed me and-"
"-I see it's still fresh in your mind." He smiles slyly at her. She gives him an irritated look.
"-And I didn't appreciate it." She finishes her sentence and closes the file of paperwork that sits in front of her on her desk. "If you don't mind, Assistant Director, its after five on a Friday, and I have a date."
She stands up and gives him a look to leave the office.
"Well then, I hope you and this mystery man of yours have a good night." Brad says as he stands up from the chair and leaves the office.
240 YOAKUM PARKWAY Alexandria, VA
Monica's heart races. She hasn't seen him in months. The last time she spoke to him he told her that if he didn't contact her that she shouldn't come looking for him. Despite knowing the dangers, she can't help but want to see him again. He told her once that she is what makes him feel human and that she is his last remaining human connection.
She gently knocks on his door and a moment later she looks up at the peephole, sensing he's there. She hears his locks unlatch and he opens the door.
"How is it you always seem to know when I'm at my door?" Knowle Rohrer asks, remembering how every other time she's knocked on his door he would look out the peephole and that's when she'd look up at him.
"Maybe I'm psychic." She smiles at him. "May I come in?"
He opens the door and she walks in.
"You look cold." He observes as he closes the door.
"It's snowing out again." She replies. "How are you doing?" For anyone else this question seems so careless, but between them it means so much more.
"I've had a rough couple of months." He replies as he makes his way over to her. "May I take your coat?"
She nods her head and he goes behind her. His strong hands pull her coat off of her. He turns away and hangs it on the coat hanger by the door.
Monica's eyes look around the apartment. Though he lives here, it feels as if it is empty, not lived in. She feels his strong arms wrap around her waist. His warm lips kiss the back of her neck.
"I've missed you." He whispers into her ear.
"She smiles. "I've missed you." She turns around to be face to face with him. "You said you've had a rough couple of months. What happened?" Knowle looks into her eyes. He'd rather forget all about it, but he knows she's worried for him.
"They took me again. Did things to me." Knowle replies as tears start to well in his eyes. "I'm barely human, Monica. They've made me do things that I can't control."
"What did they make you do?" He shakes his head. "I don't want to tell you, but I should." He looks into her eyes. "They put something inside of me and at a command they can make me kill. It's worse now than when I hurt John. Now I'm being ordered. I can't stop them, they have complete control over me."
He breaks eye contact with her.
"I hear them, Monica." He shuts his eyes, trying to block what he hears.
"Now?" She asks with worry. "You hear them right now?"
"Yes." He opens his eyes and looks at her in a way she's never seen. "They've telling me to kill you. You have to get out of here." She looks into his eyes, not wanting to believe this is happening. She feels his grip on her tighten. She winces, his strength hurts her.
"Knowle, let me go." She tries to pull away from him, but she can't. "You're hurting me." Tears well in her eyes, knowing he can't stop what's happening to him. He doesn't deserve what they've done to him. She pushes at his chest with her hands, trying to break free. He grabs onto her wrists, preventing her from trying to pull away.
"I can't stop it, Monica." Tears fall from her eyes as his grip tightens around her wrists. He slams her up against the wall and she lets out a gasps of breath.
"This isn't you, Knowle." She tries to get through to him. Knowle moves one hand from her wrist and grabs her neck. "Fight it." She manages to gasp out.
His grip doesn't let up. She shuts her eyes, on the verge of passing out. Knowle looks at her, his grip tight around her neck. His expression changes as control is given back to him. He releases his hold on her and she falls to the ground.
"Shit." He kneels down and checks her pulse. She's still alive.
He sits down on the ground in disbelief of what just happened. He's thankful they didn't have him kill her and aloud him to stop hurting her. How did they know she was here? However they know this, they don't want her with him. She knows more than she should. He's put her in danger.
67 BENNETT AVENUE WASHINGTON, D.C.
7:05 A.M.
Monica Reyes lies in her bed, covered with blankets to keep her warm. Her neck has a faded red mark and her wrists are bruised.
The telephone rings loudly, breaking the morning silence.
Monica wakes with a start. She looks over at her clock just as the time turns to six minutes after seven.
The phone rings again and Monica sits up. She looks at her wrists. She doesn't even remember how she got home last night.
She reaches over to her phone on the nightstand and picks up.
"Hello?" "Monica, it's Dana. I'm sorry to call you so early in the morning." Dana Scully's voice is awake for being this early on a Saturday morning.
"Is everything all right?" "Yes, everything's fine." Scully replies. "I have a huge favor to ask of you, and I apologize for asking on such short notice." "What is it?"
"My mom's out of town this weekend and there's some plans I can't break. I was wondering √ if it's not too much trouble √ if you could' watch William over night tonight?" "Yeah, sure. It's not problem at all."
"Thank you." Scully sounds relieved. "I'll be over in an hour. Is that all right?"
"Yeah, that's fine."
"Thank you. Bye." "Bye." She hangs up the phone and notices a piece of white paper folded in half with her name on it. She picks it up and reads the note.
'They don't want me to see you. Stay away, I'm not safe.'
Tears well in her eyes. She knew this would be a losing battle, but she always hoped they could win in some way.
THE END.