From: kyouryokusenshi@michirutenou.com   
      
   Title: Affinity   
      
   Author: Kyouryoku Senshi   
      
   Rating: PG-13   
      
   Summary: Six months after Luke disappears, Monica gives John hope.   
      
   Keywords: Pre-X-Files, Takes place when Monica is assisting John on a   
   case that involves his son.   
      
   Notes: Affinity: Attractive Force, Attraction & Sympathy.   
      
   Monica watched silently as John drowned himself in his missing son's   
   files. Since they had started this case, she had felt a strong and   
   rather unusual determination to help this man get his son back. Even   
   though they had only been working together for almost six months, the   
   strong desire and determination had not ceased and only fueled the   
   desire to continue. She knew she would do whatever it takes to help   
   him find his son and put the case to rest even if it were the last   
   thing she would do.   
      
   Reluctantly taking in a deep breath, Monica moved forward into the   
   room where John still silently refused to put the file down. Her   
   reassuring presence still unable to break John's trance like state,   
   Monica quietly came up behind John and gently placed her hand on   
   John's shoulder before she began to speak.   
      
   "John, it's been a long day, you're tired, go home and get some rest."   
   She spoke softly   
      
   For what seemed like an eternity, John reluctantly placed the file   
   onto the desk. "Don't give me any of that crap, Monica, How the hell   
   do you expect me to go rest while my son is still out there somewhere?   
   I can't fail him!" He nearly broke   
      
   Monica swallowed before speaking once more "John…"   
      
   "I can't keep going on like this! I can't rest until I find him, what   
   kind of father would I be if I give up now?" he said as he placed his   
   head in his hands   
      
   Monica moved to take a seat beside him "I'm not telling to you to give   
   up John, that's not the man you are and I know you won't fail, but   
   John you can't just keep on going like your invincible. What good will   
   you be to Luke like this? You deserve a break and I promised you that   
   I would do everything in my power to help you find your son, John and   
   we will." She said as she placed her hand on his shoulder reassuringly   
      
   John sighed as he took everything in. From loosing Luke to the divorce   
   from Barbara three months ago and all of the restless nights him and   
   Monica had endured, nothing had been easy for either of them and he   
   knew full well that Monica had been working equally hard on this case   
   as much as he had if not, more. He knew he had owed her much more than   
   he could offer.   
      
   He finally rose from his chair and picked up the file once more before   
   heading over towards the coat rack.   
      
   "Where are going?"   
      
   "To take your advice." Doggett said bluntly in a defeated tone of voice   
      
   Before he could reach the door, Monica was head on his heels and   
   grasped his shoulder, stopping him from any further movement. "I have   
   an idea…"   
      
   "What?" He almost demanded   
      
   "I want to show you something." She said as she grabbed her own coat   
   and turned off the office lights   
      
   Hoping to lighten the mood, she playfully shoved Doggett out the door   
   before closing it behind her and ushered him down the hall.   
      
   Doggett looked at her quizzically "Where are we going!?" he questioned   
      
   "You'll see."   
      
   As difficult as it was, Monica had managed to convince John to take   
   her car.   
      
   "I'm serious Monica, you know I don't like surprises." He said as he   
   looked out of the passenger window watching the day as it slowly   
   descended to dusk   
      
   "I know. You've made that obviously clear, but if I know you, I think   
   you'll like this. Just trust me on this, John." She said and couldn't   
   help but smile absently to herself as she stared straight ahead before   
   she made a right hand turn   
      
   "Monica, where are you taking me?" John insisted   
      
   Monica looked over at him and smiled again before turning back to the   
   road.   
      
   After heading out of the city, Monica came to a full stop on top of a   
   hill where the entire city was in full view from below the sunset. She   
   took one last look at John before exiting the car. "Come on."   
      
   John heaved a heavy sigh before finally deciding to exit the car and   
   he placed his hands in his pockets as he examined the area. They were   
   parked on a hilltop and he was able to observe the entire city from   
   where he was standing, the sky, which was now turning into several   
   shades of oranges and reds. He couldn't remember the last time he'd   
   done anything like this or even saw anything so beautiful. He turned   
   at the sound of Monica's voice which brought him out of his reverie.   
      
   "John, over here…you can see it all from here." She said standing near   
   the edge of the hill and she motioned for him to come towards her   
      
   John took one last look around the hills where they were parked before   
   reluctantly coming up beside Monica. They both stood in absolute   
   silence while they took in the serenity of the descending twilight   
   before Monica had decided to speak.   
      
   "You know, I used to come up here when I was younger…when I first   
   found out I was adopted." She spoke softly, her gaze never once   
   leaving the beautiful scenery before them which was now turning into   
   twilight   
      
   John looked over towards her "You…you never told me you were adopted…"   
   he managed   
      
   "I know and I'm sorry. It's always been a touchy subject for me…" she   
   trailed off as she watched the sun start to seep into the earth   
      
   John almost unconsciously placed his hand on her shoulder "It's   
   alright. I know I'm not adopted but, I can imagine what you might have   
   gone through…and I don't know if I could have handled it."   
      
   Monica finally turned to face John before looking down and shaking her   
   head "I mean, don't get me wrong…I loved them vastly…and I still do.   
   Even when I found out about it, I didn't love them any less. It didn't   
   bother me weather they were my biological parents or not, they were   
   still my parents, John. They took me into their home, loved and cared   
   for me as their own and I couldn't ask for anything more."   
      
   John watched Monica as she spoke but couldn't help but felt that there   
   was something she wasn't saying. He gingerly started to rub her back   
   as she bit her lip. "…Then, what is it?" he pressed   
      
   "It's…just that, when I found out at the time, I couldn't imagine not   
   being related to them. We did everything together, and we still check   
   up on each other nearly everyday, so I came to the conclusion I didn't   
   want to know who my real parents were, I didn't want to know." She   
   couldn't help but smile at the gesture as John rubbed her back   
      
   They both returned to the scene before them as the city now glowed in   
   the twilight. "I wish I had something like that, my family was usually   
   on the go and my parents were always busy with work."   
      
   "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"   
      
   "Yeah, One older sister and one younger brother, Lisa and Daniel…they   
   live across the country though." He said as he ran his free hand   
   through his hair "What about you?"   
      
   "Only child that I know of, that is." She said with a sigh "Though I   
   wonder what it must be like…"   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)