From: skypilot_dlm@yahoo.com   
      
   Glowing Embers   
   By: skypilot_dlm   
   Rating: PG-13   
   Category: DRR   
   Spoilers: Oh, let's just say if there are any it's probably season 9.   
   Disclaimer: Sadly John Doggett and Monica Reyes do not belong to me.    
   If they did, John would have kissed Monica in "Audrey Pauley"!   
   Summary: A little Christmas cheer for John and Monica.    
   Archive: Ephmemeral, Gossamer, XFMU, The Vision, anywhere else let me    
   know!   
      
   Friday night, Christmas Eve. Monica and I plan to have a quiet dinner    
   at home. Which is nice, I'm really looking forward to spending some    
   quiet time alone with her. It's been a very busy few weeks, I feel    
   like we just see each other in the morning when we get up, and then    
   at night when we go to bed.  Since the x-files were shut down Monica    
   and I are no longer partners. I was transferred to Violent Crimes and    
   Monica to Missing Persons. But we do consult each other on cases from    
   time to time.    
      
   The decision to separate us came as a shock, but there really wasn't    
   anything we could do. The first couple of months were rough, after    
   being used to seeing Monica— being with her everyday to only seeing    
   her at lunch or the occasional weekend, was awful. To be honest I    
   felt like I did when she moved to New Orleans all those years ago,    
   lonely and miserable.  It was then I realized what I was feeling was    
   all because of my inaction. I came to my senses and finally pulled my    
   head out of my ass and took my relationship with Monica to the next    
   level. It really is amazing what a good woman do can do for a guy.    
   Monica is perfect, and she makes my life complete. That was a year    
   ago and we've been together ever since.   
      
   As I pull up to the house, I notice it's still dark. Mon must not be    
   home yet. I get out and look up at the house. It's been about four    
   months since I asked her to move in with me. We always spent more    
   time here than at her apartment and when it came time for her to go,    
   the house always felt so cold and empty after she left. So I, being    
   the pragmatist that I am, asked Monica to move in. And with a smile    
   that could light up a black out, she agreed.    
      
   Living with Monica is... it's beautiful, exciting, and frustrating    
   all rolled into one.  I had forgotten after all these years what    
   living with a woman was like. It took a lot of compromise in the    
   beginning. I am a morning person, she isn't, I love my pizza and    
   beer, Monica on the other hand enjoys that stuff only on occasion. It    
   turns out our Friday night meals of pizza and beer were her once a    
   week indulgence, so our fridge is filled with stuff from Whole Foods.    
   I wonder how I missed this organic stuff when I'd raid her fridge    
   when we lived apart. And I'm sure there are things I do that drive    
   her crazy, but I know she wouldn't have it any other way, and neither    
   would I.   
      
   It's the little things she does that make me so thankful I came to my    
   senses when I did. Like when she comes by my office (four floors out    
   of her way) with a coffee fixed just the way I like it and a kiss    
   hello. Or at our units' monthly joint meetings, she'll make it a    
   point that the chair beside her stays empty until I get there. And    
   there's the beautiful smile she always has for me.  It's been a hell    
   of a year.   
      
   The cold and the falling snow pull me away from my thoughts. I look    
   around and a good amount of snow has already fallen. Looks like it'll    
   be a white Christmas this year. I grab the things I bought for dinner    
   out of the truck and head inside. As I walk in, I notice the house is    
   a little chilly. I put everything away and then put on a fire. Monica    
   likes it when the fireplace is going; she says it makes the place    
   cozier, and she's right.    
      
   This is our first Christmas together as a couple and I want tonight    
   to be special. Ever since Luke died, Christmas for me has not been    
   worth celebrating, but with Monica everything is different. Just    
   watching her tell stories of her childhood Christmases in Mexico    
   makes my heart beat fast. Her amber eyes sparkle and I can just    
   imagine her as a little girl, sitting on the floor, opening her    
   gifts. Christmas for Monica still holds that special magic and seeing    
   her so happy makes me happy. I just hope I can make her as happy as    
   her memories do.    
      
   After straightening up a little, I stop and check out my handiwork.    
   The fire is glowing and the tree lights are twinkling. I smile to    
   myself, Monica's gonna love this. With dinner in the oven and    
   everything all set down here, I run upstairs to clean up and change.    
   After swapping my suit for a couple of long sleeved t-shirts and a    
   pair of jeans, I go back downstairs and check on our dinner. I glance    
   at the clock on the microwave. It's coming up on quarter to eight and    
   Monica's still not home. With the snow coming down at a good clip out    
   there I'm beginning to worry. I walk over to the window and look    
   around for any sign of her car.   
      
   "Alright John, keep it together," I mutter myself to keep my    
   imagination from running wild. I exhale slowly and move away from the    
   window.    
      
   I survey the living room once more and try to get my mind off the    
   fact she's still not home.  I sit on the sofa and consider the box    
   sitting on the table. It's Monica's. It's my gift to her. I pick it    
   up and look at it, God I hope she likes it. I wrap and re-wrap it    
   about a hundred times. Fifteen minutes later, I sit back and admire    
   my clever wrap job. Just then I hear the key and the front door    
   swings open. Monica's home, I can breathe easy now.   
      
   "I'm so sorry John—I know we said seven for dinner," she says as she    
   bustles about.    
      
   "But ugh, you wouldn't believe the day I've had. First AD Williams    
   gives us three new cases, three. And then my sister decides she's    
   going to call me every fifteen minutes to tell me about some stupid    
   fight she and her boyfriend are having..."    
      
   I just watch as Monica moves around the entry way, telling me about    
   her day. I smile to myself, every day her beauty amazes me, but it's    
   so much more than that with Monica. She carries on with her apologies    
   and the removal of her winter layers. Her cheeks are flushed and her    
   nose is red from the cold, and her hair is covered in snow. She stops    
   and looks at me. She tilts her head to the side and smiles. I walk    
   over to her and slip my arms around her waist, pull her close and do    
   what I've wanted to do all day. I place a soft kiss on her lips and    
   warm her up with my embrace. We part smiling.   
      
   "Never mind all that, it's okay, you're home now," I tell her softly.    
   Her packages in the corner grab my attention.    
      
   "What's all that? I thought you finished all your shopping," I say    
   and nod to her bags.    
      
   She gives me a sneaky smile. "I got a few more things today while I    
   was at lunch," she says softly and slides her arms around my neck.    
      
   Monica leans into me and rests her head on my shoulder.  "I missed    
   you today," she says quietly.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)