Title: Conflict of Opinion 
Author: RPcrazy 
Rating: NC-17 (language, graphic sex scenes) 
Category: SR 
Keywords: Doggett/Reyes, Romance/Smut, casefile. 
Summary: Are disagreements Doggett and Reyes are having more 
and more lately driving them apart or bringing them closer 
together? Notes: Thank you Scifinerdgrl for your support and 
inspiration on this. Thanks also to desertrats and Muskrat for your 
additions ;)

Chapter One

Skinner's Office Reception

"What's this?" "What's what? "Here in the conclusions." Doggett 
sat outside Skinner's office with an open file in his hand seeming a 
tad agitated, his head moving back and forth over the lines of the 
report. "Huh?" Reyes looked up from inspecting her nails, her gaze 
absently transferring to the framed certificate on the wall, choosing 
not to look at her partner. She'd been thinking of the dinner she 
was going to make that night for Brad.

"Did you write this?" He didn't even look up from the file he was 
reading.

"Write what?" She peered over to Kim who looked up from her 
paperwork for a moment with a slight smirk and then went just as 
quickly back to work when she saw she was noticed. <What did 
that mean?> she thought.

Still without looking up he persisted, "It says here that the perp 
used his powers of telekinesis to get the key off the wall to be able 
to open the door." As he spoke his voice crescendoed ending in 
decibels that shook Reyes from her previous non- committal.

"We discussed this already John. Don't you remember?" He shook 
his head in frustration. "I remember me saying that the window 
had been tampered with and most likely he'd entered the house that 
way." Monica looked at her watch, beginning to feel the effects of 
the long wait.

Assistant Director Skinner didn't often make them wait so she was 
not prepared to have nothing to do in the fifteen minutes they'd 
been there. The last thing she wanted was an argument with 
Doggett.

"Dammit Monica!" He continued to raise his voice not caring there 
was another pair of ears in the room. "We agreed on this, 
remember?"

"Why do this to me now, we're about to report to Skinner." Reyes 
tried to keep her voice low to counteract his volume. "You agreed 
with me John. Remember, we discussed it on Friday afternoon 
over a beer?"

"I recall that ..," he paused his sentence, breathing deeply and 
shuffling through the papers in the file. "Here." He handed a green 
form to Reyes who took it lazily. "It says there that Agent Bowman 
found crowbar marks on the window next to the door and they 
even found shoe prints in the house matching that rat Grollo's." 
"John, didn't we discuss that the marks on the window were 
probably made a few months back at a previous break in and the 
shoe prints could belong to anyone with size 10 Nikes?"

"I don't remember you saying any such thing." His shoulders 
slumped and his mouth was flat with frustration. "Look Monica, 
before changing the report, our case report, you should have talked 
to me first."

"I did John. Don't you remember I said that I got a friend of mine, 
you know Carmen, the one into psychic phenomenon, to do the 
testing at the scene." Reyes refused to see Doggett's eyes roll and 
the slight shake of his head. "She also tested Grollo and turned up 
a perfect match. Just as in the house concentrating around the key 
board the perp also had residual signs of telekinetic energy." Reyes 
remained calm; she knew she'd discussed this with Doggett.

"This turned out not to be an X-File, don't make it into one 
Monica." His face was solemn.

"John. We talked about all this on Friday. You told me to write it 
all up in the report and that's what I did." "You should have made 
it very clear to me what you were going to put here. I could have 
made a fool of myself in there." His head pointed to Skinner's 
door.

"Since when is it my fault you don't listen." Reyes was beginning 
to get annoyed. It wasn't often she felt this way but lately Doggett's 
fuse was becoming shorter. "What do you mean, I don't listen! I 
can't hear what's not spoken to me. I'm not telepathic, or maybe 
you'll make me into an X-File too, just like this case!"

By this stage Kim had abandoned all duties to listen to the sparring 
partners. It wasn't often she'd have entertainment such as that, this 
side of Skinner's office door.

"How do you expect me to hear what you're saying when you wear 
those clothes."

"What clothes?" Her voice was louder. Normally Reyes would 
calmly smile at him feeling flattered that he noticed but this was 
getting all too unreasonable.

"The ones that show your....your..." he hesitated, his gills inflated, 
his face blushing.

"Show my what John, my assets? Is that it? You are distracted by 
my tits?" In general she wouldn't use such suggestive language in 
his presence but this had gone past a joke. Reyes thought she 
dressed for comfort. She knew that her comfort level often left her 
wearing less material than maybe her female counterparts but that 
was Monica Reyes' nature. She was not going to change it all 
because an unreasonable partner was distracted by her boobs. She 
was female - woman had cleavage - fact!

Doggett just had to stand at that point. He needed to let the blood 
rush back to his legs from his head and neck. Reyes also stood, 
arms across the cleavage Doggett was so distracted by.

Skinner stood silently at his door. Neither agent had heard it open 
or even heard Kim's *ahem* from her desk.

"You're always springing things on me like this. You deliberately 
go out of your way to confuse me. You confuse me Monica." Both 
agents were quiet, then slowly became conscious that there were 
two pairs of eyes on them.

..........................

The X-Files partners sat rigidly in their chairs facing the assistant 
director, neither wanting to relent.  The offending report was open 
in front of him on his desk. There was a staring match, as Skinner 
glanced from a fuming Doggett to a quietly resolute Reyes, a look 
of 'not this again' on his face. The room was thick with hormones. 
Skinner, the oldest and most experienced investigator of the group 
knew exactly the agents' problem but hoped they would find out on 
their own by then.

This conflict of opinion between the agents wasn't the only one 
he'd witnessed in the last month, and not the only one he'd heard 
about on the grapevine.

"You really must work this out, you two." Skinner said in his no 
nonsense way. "This problem of yours is affecting your judgement, 
it's also being noticed by others."

"What problem is that sir?" Doggett had to be joking with that 
question, Reyes thought, oh but no, he was a stubborn bastard 
sometimes, refusing to see what was right in front of his face. 
Unless it was 'meat and potatoes' it didn't exist. 'Emotion' was too 
hard a thing to define.  She looked across to him but he kept his 
eyes straight ahead. If they'd been in their own office and weren't 
in the meeting Reyes could have stared at her partner a lot longer. 
There was something about him that attracted her, when he was 
quietly angry like that. Was it that stern look, or his jaw moving as 
he clenched it? Maybe it was the fact that he seemed so vulnerable, 
losing some ability to reason effectively. She calmly wondered 
what he could do with all that energy in the bedroom. How long 
had it been since he'd had a woman. He'd never discussed it with 
her and it had never been hinted at. He was all so attached to his 
work to fit in a social life let alone a sex life too.

Doggett caught Reyes staring and looked back penetrating her 
essence. She had been angry before, why did she have a small 
smile now? He couldn't make out what she was thinking 
sometimes. Most of the time he was so frustrated with her calm 
approach even in times of peril. He would get worked up and she 
would stay unruffled. It annoyed him no end and no way was he 
going to ask her why. That would show up his confusion to her. It 
wasn't in his nature. His eyes absently wandered down to her 
cleavage. She wore a black v-necked tight fitting top underneath 
her unbuttoned gray suit coat. Her chest moved in and out as she 
breathed giving him a good view of her breasts. Her skirt as she 
sat, rode above her knees showing off her shapely long legs. 
Doggett's gaze went back to her face and abruptly knew that his 
thoughts were being read. His eyes widened before he averted back 
to the assistant director.

"The problem is, Agents Doggett and Reyes, you need to settle 
your conflicts away from public gaze. If this goes on much longer I 
may have to transfer one or both of you out of the X- Files."

"Sorry sir, Agent Doggett and myself will work on that." Reyes 
crossed one leg over the other in Doggett's direction. He couldn't 
help noticing how enticing her legs were and there was no way of 
knowing if she was doing it deliberately.

"I have a new case for you." "Sir?" Doggett redirected his attention 
straight ahead. ........................

"I've had a family ring me from a small community outside Austin, 
Texas; Fredricksburg, west of Austin in the hill country. They own 
a farm there with their 19-year-old daughter. They've been getting 
anonymous threatening calls." "Where is this an X-File sir?" Reyes 
interjected. "It's not." Both agents looked confused. "It's a no 
brainer, probably someone in the community who has a grudge 
against them." "Sir?" Doggett was about to talk. "Agents, you don't 
get the hint, do you. You need to work out your differences. I'm 
giving you a chance to do so. It's beautiful country out that way. 
Solve the case, enjoy the surroundings."

Doggett began nodding his head before he said, "Okay."

"Your flight leaves at 8 tomorrow morning. When you arrive in 
Austin there'll be a hire car waiting. See Kim for all the particulars, 
flight tickets, directions to the Pendletons and also more details 
about the case."

Doggett was beginning to calm down now and as his face settled 
Reyes could see what she so admired about him. She had always 
thought highly of his strength of character, his dedication to all he 
did and resolution to get the job done but she also liked the other 
side of her partner. She'd come to look forward to the times they 
would talk about anything but work. She smiled thinking about the 
previous Friday and how he'd told her about the time when he was 
younger a friend of his, who was into amateur pyrotechnics, would 
plant skyrockets in neighbours' gardens at night then light them to 
see people's reactions. Reyes told him some of her misdemeanours 
too. They'd compared notes and decided they'd both been 
precocious as children.

They'd had a few good laughs together and found they were getting 
closer as friends as well as colleagues. One night it almost came to 
a head. Reyes wanted desperately for Doggett to show some sign 
that he wanted to be more than just friends. By God, she just 
wanted him to kiss her, what was one lousy kiss going to do? The 
opportunity arose one night a month back and had been lost when 
he'd decided against it for only reasons he would know. It changed 
things between them; Reyes wanted Doggett but she didn't know if 
it was all unrequited. Those fun times had diminished over the last 
month directly corresponding to the lost chance and to Brad's 
renewed interest in her affections.

"Agent Reyes?" Was that the second time Skinner had addressed 
her? She found the closed file in front of her face and looked up to 
see Skinner next to her. "Take this back, talk it over together, then 
get back to me before you leave. Next time get your story straight 
before you bring it to me. Is that clear agents?"

"Yes, clear sir." They both chimed.

................................

Chapter Two Reyes' Apartment 9pm

Since Reyes had joined Doggett on the X-Files, Brad had been 
paying a little more attention to her than usual. Originally she had 
pushed him away especially after he was so forward at their initial 
meeting in his office the first day she'd seen him after two years. 
Lately she had been getting used to his company more and more.

He had expressed concerns, or was that jealousy, on occasions 
when she and Doggett would be on away cases together and would 
often quiz her on small matters such as if they had separate rooms 
or did they have meals together. It was FBI protocol to have 
separate rooms so why not! It would have been a little lonely 
eating unaccompanied so why not have Doggett's company. 
Sometimes she felt like telling him what was on her mind those 
nights but that would just complicate matters.

Secretly she dreamed about Doggett in the next room and what 
they would do if they shared a bed. It would be totally against 
etiquette but the secrecy of it all excited her. She would imagine 
tiptoeing into his room in the dark of night and slipping under the 
covers. He would wrap his strong arms around her and she would 
melt into his warm body. He would silently nuzzle into her hair 
and smell its sweetness. Her fingers would travel over his naked 
body feeling it for the first time. He would take the hem of her 
nightgown in his fingers and help lift it up her body and over her 
head, leaving her skin bare just like his. She would imagine his 
very first kiss. It was passionate and wet and warm. He used his 
whole body to kiss her, not just his mouth. He would roll on top of 
her never breaking the kiss and she would spread her legs. As he 
kissed fervently he would push inside her filling out what was 
previously empty. Monica would go to sleep holding the only man 
she really wanted to be with.

That was not the first time Reyes had imagined what Doggett 
looked like under his clothes or even what he'd be like in bed. She 
looked forward to the days he would come a little late and she 
would be in the office before him. As the elevator ding sounded 
and his footfalls were heard she could almost predict his mood 
even before he entered the office.

Sometimes he would say good morning in a cheery voice and she 
knew they would be having a happy day. Other days he hardly said 
a word but went about his business almost not noticing her 
presence. A few times he'd say nothing and she knew to keep quiet 
until he was ready to say what was on his mind. He would often 
come in, hang up his jacket and begin rolling up his sleeves. That's 
where she'd got the image of his strong arms and also what lay 
beyond. A number of times he'd caught her staring but she'd found 
him staring other times so they were even.

"Earth to Monica." Brad's smile stared at her from across the half 
eaten meals. "You were deep in thought. Care to share?" "Oh 
Brad." She suddenly remembered where she was. Looking down at 
the meal she'd cooked she became conscious that her appetite was 
lost. "I'm just going to the bathroom. Take the dishes to the kitchen 
will you Brad?" "You were thinking about him weren't you 
Monica." Follmer's smile changed to concern. Could he actually 
read her thoughts? "About who?" She said non-committally. "Just 
how far have you gone with John Doggett? Has he kissed you 
yet?" Reyes stood and placed her napkin on her half-finished plate. 
"It's not like that." She lied. "He hasn't kissed me. You make it 
sound as though I want to have his babies." She went to move off 
but he clasped her wrist and looked up. "Do you? I've seen the way 
you look at each other. I'm a trained investigator too Monica, don't 
forget that."

"We work closely together, that's a given. We do have affection for 
each other or I wouldn't be working with him." "So it's true." 
"What's true Brad, that he's swept me off my feet and we fuck 
every chance we get? I've lost count how many times we've done it 
on his desk." She could have gone on and told him about her wet 
dreams for him but she'd made her point. Follmer just shook his 
head. "I'm off to the bathroom, we can talk about this more when I 
get back." She leant down and gave him some reassurance. "He 
doesn't see me that way Brad. We're friends, okay?" Follmer 
nodded partial understanding.

Reyes washed her face and looked into the mirror. Who was she 
kidding; Doggett didn't see her the same way. She could lust after 
him all she wanted but if it wasn't reciprocated then why bother. 
Her thoughts went to Follmer. He was a good man really. He was a 
great kisser and excellent between the sheets. She thanked her 
lucky stars she had someone to share her sex life.

As she exited the bathroom strong arms caught her and warm lips 
captured her mouth. Follmer pulled Reyes closer into his body. 
They kept kissing all the time moving backwards towards the 
bedroom. As they got to the door Reyes was fumbling with 
Follmer's shirt buttons as he tried to lift her top over her head. 
When they reached the bed they were down to underwear.

"Oh Monica," Follmer breathed into her mouth. "You are so 
beautiful." His flat hands traced down her sides and over her hips 
then up her back to unclasp her bra. Pulling the straps from her 
shoulders he kissed over her neck. She leant her head to the side 
urging him to continue. He pulled her bra off releasing her breasts 
and kissed down and licked one nipple. One hand cupped her other 
breast and began squeezing rhythmically while the other hand 
roamed down her back to her underwear. With her help the 
underwear came off leaving her completely bare and prone to his 
affections. "Keep doing that Brad." She breathed a contented sigh. 
He worked on the other breast then snailed his way back to her 
mouth. "On the bed." He commanded and she complied at once, 
lying there letting him take in the heavenly scene. He flopped on 
top of her without hurting her and began kissing feverishly. Reyes' 
hands went to the rim of his boxers and she began extracting them 
from his body until there were two writhing naked bodies on the 
bed.

"Monica." He broke the kiss and looked seriously into her eyes. 
"What Brad?" "Marry me." He did look as though it was a serious 
question. It was certainly a surprise but not a question that needed 
answering immediately.

"Depends how good the sex is." Monica quipped. Brad smiled into 
her face and kissed her forehead then down to her mouth again, 
which was once more open and ready for him.

There was a forceful knock at the front door.

....................

 The lovers didn't comprehend at first until they heard a voice also. 
"Ignore it Mon." They kept kissing but Reyes was on edge from 
the continued knocking. Follmer reluctantly let go of the woman 
under him. "Give them a donation then tell them to go away so you 
can finish screwing me."

"Yes Brad, whatever you say." She laughed as she tried to look for 
her clothes. The first thing she found was Follmer's shirt. She lifted 
it and asked silent permission to wear it. As she walked towards 
the banging on the door she put her arms through the sleeves and 
did up a few of the buttons. In her haste she left the top buttons 
undone exposing a little too much cleavage.

"Monica, open up." It was John's voice from behind the door. She 
nervously looked back to the bedroom then to the front door. What 
could he want at this hour?

She opened the door to an anxious looking Doggett. Without 
permission but just like on numerous occasions before, he brushed 
past her and into her apartment. "Something has come up about 
this case." He stopped in his tracks when he saw what she was 
wearing. His wide eyes looked her up and down, settling on her 
partially exposed breasts. It was then she knew she was showing a 
little too much flesh. "John, what is it." She asked, quickly 
covering her honor by doing up a few more buttons.

"You often wear men's shirts around your apartment Monica?" She 
loved that lop-sided lip-curl of his. He looked up at her tousled 
hair. "Did I get you out of bed?" "You might say that." He looked 
into her eyes and then frowned. "What do you want John?" Her 
gaze went to the folder in his hand.

"Monica, who is it?" Follmer's voice could be heard at the 
bedroom door. Both sets of eyes turned to see the assistant director 
dressed only in his boxers. Doggett slowly looked back at Reyes, 
his face red, understanding imprinted all over it. "Looks like I've 
come at a bad time." He growled with gritted teeth. His eyes 
sparked fire.

Reyes couldn't say a word so Follmer spoke for her. "Doggett, I 
think Monica here was just going to ask you to leave." Doggett 
cast Follmer a severe look then back to Reyes. Teeth still gritted he 
began to walk towards the door. As he passed Reyes he whispered. 
"I hope he's a better fuck than me." "John." Reyes almost sounded 
apologetic. "Because now you'll never find out."

He stormed to the door and just as he opened it Follmer called out. 
"Next time Mr. Doggett leave work at work, okay?" He turned 
slowly to give the assistant director an enraged stare then looked 
back at Reyes. He opened his mouth about to say something but 
decided against it, and then he was gone, slamming the door 
behind him.

.................................

Chapter Three

Flight ATA 297 Washington DC to Austin, Texas. 9.00am

It had taken this long for one of them to speak. The tension was 
thick since leaving DC, ever since the previous evening's 
revelations. Apart from a few cool words of greeting when Doggett 
picked up Reyes from her apartment they had been silently 
brooding. Every so often Doggett would look up from his file and 
stare out at nothing through the airplane's window.

Neither of them had had much sleep, both tossing and turning in 
their separate dwellings and beds. Follmer had chosen to go home 
rather than stay the night after the argument he and Reyes had 
about John's attitude. The jealousy was all too obvious on both 
men's parts. Doggett had said his provocative comments to Reyes 
just loud enough for Follmer to hear, making Reyes' boyfriend 
very suspicious of her partner's true intentions. How far had they 
actually gone? How often did Doggett visit his work partner late at 
night? Was Monica misleading him be saying they were just 
friends?

On the other hand it also was an indication to Reyes that Doggett 
cared for her much more than he let on. Had he thought about 
making love to her? She only hoped. She looked across to him 
looking down at his reading material. His face was solemn yet sad. 
What was he thinking? Was it about the case or her?

Doggett had left the apartment and sped home narrowly missing a 
speeding fine. Before bed he'd gone down to his basement and 
given his punching bag a good workout imagining Follmer's smug 
face stuck to it. Images of Reyes naked in bed with that man 
flashed over and over in his mind as he'd tried to sleep. Having his 
partner romantically to himself then seemed past hope. He'd 
pummelled his pillow to shape it into something more comfortable. 
There was truth in the saying, 'You never know what you have 
until it's gone'.

Doggett looked up from the file that lay on his lap, breaking the 
silence. "It says here their names are Sally and David Pendleton. 
They have a 19-year-old daughter called Sharon." He kept reading 
as Reyes lazily turned her head back towards him. "They've been 
getting menacing phone calls mainly at night after they go to bed, 
sometimes up to six a night."

"That would turn anyone crazy. Did they say if they recognized the 
voice, male or female?" Reyes wasn't sure if she'd be able to 
concentrate on this case. The thought of losing two men in her life 
was too painful. "It says here that the voice is digitalized so they 
can't make out the gender."

"Anything else?" "Just that the daughter has been the one most 
affected by it. She doesn't want to live in the house any more." 
"Oh?" "Doesn't say why she's this upset. It's very strange. Local 
PD have tapped the calls but they can't be traced." He went quiet 
again reading more of the pieces of paper before him.

"John, there's something bugging you, talk to me." Reyes broke the 
second verbal drought.

He dropped the file back to his knees and looked at her with 
exasperation.

"Did you have to bring so much luggage? We'll only be there a 
couple of days." "How do you know how long we'll be there John? 
You're the one who will run out of clean clothes." Monica turned 
slightly away from him and folded her arms. "Skinner said it's a 
no-brainer case, or weren't you listening?" Doggett teased, turning 
his body on the same angle but towards her. "If it's such a no-
brainer then why put us on it, why not get someone else?" She 
turned so that Doggett only saw her back. "Monica, don't be like 
this." He spoke more softly; he really didn't want this woman to be 
mad at him. He enjoyed her company; she was intelligent, funny 
and she was comfortable to be around. It was just a damn pity that 
she loved Follmer and not him.

"Like what John? Being a dick, because that's what you were last 
night in my apartment." "How can you sleep with him Monica, 
after New York and all? He can't be trusted."

"Maybe he was right and that I had jumped to conclusions about 
his corruption. Perhaps I left him back then without giving him the 
chance to explain." She turned her body back around to face him. 
"John, Brad's asked me to marry him."

........................

Doggett turned to the window again quietly fuming. When he'd 
calmed down somewhat he turned and responded. "I'm pleased for 
you." He lied. "So when's the happy day?"

"Don't be like this John. Maybe it's for the best."

"Do you love him?" "I admire him, the sex is good. I suppose I do 
love him." He turned to the safety of the window again. Reyes 
clearly sensed the tension. Why was he so upset? He should be 
happy for her.

"How do you know there isn't someone better out there for you. 
Monica, having been through a marriage break-up I know how 
important it is to make the right decision the first time round."

"Are you trying to tell me something John?" "I'm trying to tell you 
Monica that to get married, to make that lifelong commitment 
there should be no doubts." "Are you trying to talk me out of this? 
I thought you'd want me to be happy." "I do want you happy, just 
not with him." That was the truth. "Please tell me you haven't said 
yes." His faced looked so sad with those worry lines of his. On 
occasions she'd wanted to reach out and with her thumb wipe those 
lines away. This time was no exception but she held her hands 
tightly to herself. "You turning up like you did last night sort of 
broke the mood." "He asked you last night?" His voice was more 
strained, almost breaking.

"Look John, I'm no spring chicken, I want to spend my life with 
someone. Waiting for the right one to come along may take a 
lifetime." Doggett went silent again holding in what he was really 
feeling. He wanted this woman for himself but there were too 
many obstacles to dodge. It was easier to sit tight and just stay 
quiet, no matter how painful it was for him to hear Reyes' thoughts 
about marriage and future plans.

"So you think I should not accept Brad's offer and give up perhaps 
my only chance at happiness?" Reyes probed. She really wanted 
Doggett to show some sign that he cared for her. The previous 
night's jealousy scene had sparked an ember of hope that Doggett 
cared more than he let on.

"I think you should wait for a while and not rush into anything." A 
few breaths later he continued, "I care for you Monica, I don't want 
to see you walk into the biggest mistake of your life."

That gave her a little food for thought and she pondered as she lay 
back on the headrest. There were a few things that niggled at her 
about the situation. Clearly Doggett didn't like Follmer and that 
concerned her, being married to Follmer and working with Doggett 
may have complicated things in the future. When she thought 
about it, there wasn't a huge amount she had in common with her 
boyfriend. They both liked similar food, seeing similar movies, he 
was very pleasant to look at, and then there was the sex, but that's 
where it ended. Their relationship had not grown over the past 
month like she'd expected. Then there was the final thought; her 
constant dreams of being with Doggett. Even in bed with Follmer 
she sometimes imagined it was her work partner with her. Were 
those natural thoughts for someone who was thinking of settling 
down with her current lover? She'd never really contemplated 
marriage before.

"John?" Doggett didn't move but waited for her to talk. "What did 
you mean last night about hoping Brad's a better fuck than you?" 
"Monica." He turned and spoke closer to her ear. "People might 
hear us." He did like the way she was open with her thoughts but 
sometimes she needed keep her voice down a little.

"Answer me John, then you said, 'Because now you'll never find 
out.'" "Nothing, I meant nothing by it. Just drop it Monica, I've had 
enough. Marry the jerk, be happy." His voice was tinged with 
sarcasm but Reyes sensed the hurt there.

The captain's voice came over the speakers. "Ladies and 
gentlemen, it's a lovely sunny spring day in Austin. We are making 
our descent now and should arrive in approximately twenty 
minutes. Please observe the fasten seatbelt signs."

Reyes looked across to her partner then down at his hand clutching 
the closed folder. She wanted to hold that hand in hers as she had 
done on a number of occasions before. The comfort of fingers 
entwined would have been reassurance that she held affection for 
him and he for her. Instead she held back the urges in favor of 
playing it safe. If she didn't act on her thoughts then she wouldn't 
have to suffer rejection.

............................... Chapter Four

Austin - Bergstrom International Airport 7pm

"You're no different John." "No different? There's an ocean of 
difference between us missy." "Missy, is it? You into denigrating 
women now?" "Only when they are as stubborn as you."

After depositing their luggage in the car trunk Reyes and Doggett 
got into their hire car with Doggett driving. Reyes extracted the 
map from the file for directions to Fredricksburg where the 
Pendletons owned their farm. They were to stay a few days or until 
the case was solved. Reyes tried hard to stay composed but the 
way Doggett was behaving since learning the news about Follmer's 
proposal was flaring up her usually calm demeanor.

"Interstate 25, then Highway 71. It was their mistake John; they 
didn't have a car booked for us. I was just pointing out that she 
could have treated us with more respect. You would have done the 
same if I wasn't there."

Doggett turned the ignition and put the car in drive. "Which 
direction out of the gate?" Reyes moved the map around in an arc. 
"Left, I think." "You think! Monica, I would have just accepted the 
situation for what it was, no big deal." "Yes left." She positioned 
the map on an angle. "It's just that service is getting sloppy these 
days. Someone needs to tell them." "And that someone is 
Ms.Perfection herself."

As Doggett followed the signs to I 25 Reyes wondered what the 
next days would bring with them if she was going to have a 
grumpy partner. Perhaps she should have kept her mouth shut and 
not mentioned Brad's proposal. It was important to her she was 
open with her partner. She chose to ignore his final unreasonable 
statement and just quietly enjoy the scenery.

When they reached the highway the air had calmed a little. The 
day was sunny and warm and the air smelt of spring flowers: 
chrysanthemums, roses, hibiscus were examples of the flora they 
saw on the way. Healthy looking pink and red oleander bushes 
lined one roadside for much of the drive. They passed fields of red 
desert paintbrush and others of blue-violet bluebonnets.

"This almost seems like a vacation. This is so beautiful here John. I 
could live here." She lay back on the headrest and gently closed 
her eyes. "Yes, it is." Doggett's tension had eased on the drive. 
Reyes had been silent and given him the chance to just think. The 
image of Follmer at Reyes' apartment the previous night dressed 
only in boxers was painful but the news that he'd probably just 
proposed to her hit an agonizing nerve. He couldn't let her make 
this mistake. How was he going to show her that she didn't love 
him enough to make such a huge commitment? How was he going 
to show her that the man for her was sitting right next to her?

His eyes went down to her legs that were stretched out in front of 
her, slightly crossed at the ankles. He had often just stared at her 
long slender legs, sometimes starting at the feet and then working 
his way up and wondering what it would be like where her thighs 
met her torso. He imagined finding out by undoing her belt as he 
lingered over her. The warm coffee of her eyes stared back into his 
with love and lust as he worked the zipper down then peeled away 
the fabric to reveal her transparent lace underwear. She would lift 
her hips to help him take down her pants. It would take forever to 
get to her feet where he would take off her shoes then slip the 
material over her bare feet. He would drink in her beauty before 
kissing down those legs to her feet, sucking on each toe then 
working his back up again, licking and sucking on her flesh.

His mind suddenly shifted to the thought of her shaving her legs 
and it turned him on so much that he hoped she hadn't heard his 
breathing change. Did she shave in the shower or before or 
afterwards? Doggett imagined Reyes accepting his offer to shave 
for her. He would lather up his hands with cream then run them all 
over her legs, adding more than enough. Then with deliberate 
strokes he would run the razor from her ankles up, going so slowly, 
savoring every seductive stroke. After towelling her down she 
would look at him like a temptress then unhurriedly take down her 
underwear until she was bare and urge him to trim her bikini line. 
She would spread her legs and moan as he trimmed her hair, then 
rub the cream over her bikini line, using his thumbs to lightly 
touch her labia and tease the lips apart. He would see her getting 
wet for him but controlled himself as he ran the razor through the 
hair and cream, part by part leaving it neat and enticing. Doggett's 
heart thumped, he wanted her so badly in that way. The control he 
had over his actions was becoming weaker.

In his mind he towelled away the excess cream then moved down, 
his mouth open and his tongue ready to lick his lover clean. She 
would writhe as his tongue glided over her dampness and would 
moan as he gently sucked her clit until she could take no more. Her 
juices were sweet and as they slid over his tongue and down his 
throat. He was devouring his lover's physical desire for him.

"JOHN!" The shrillness of Reyes' exclamation woke him from his 
daydream. Quickly he swerved to miss the long horn that had 
wandered away from it field and was crossing right in front of 
them, and slammed on the anchors. The car screeched to halt on an 
angle, the front tires in the ditch at the side of the road. Doggett's 
heart pounded as he rested his head on the steering wheel. "John, 
what were you thinking!"

"I'm sorry. I was distracted for a moment." His head stayed on the 
wheel. "Yes, you were. It must have been good. You look a little 
flushed. Were you thinking about sex or something?" He lifted his 
head quickly and looked at her incredulously. "What?" "Oh never 
mind. Let's get going, I want to get there before the Pendletons die 
of old age." She sat relaxed in her seat, her head straight ahead 
waiting for his next move.

.........................................

The Pendleton's farm Fredricksburg, Texas. 9pm

It was dark when they arrived. The Pendleton farm was remote, 
nestled at the base of huge cliffs and was illuminated by a single 
porch light. There was a small stream close by, which the agents 
could hear but not see in the blackness. To the right were vast 
fields lit by the pearly white reflection of the almost full moon. 
They looked forward to the day when they would see the setting in 
sunlight.

Their old single story house was weatherboard and inside the 
furnishings were old world, immediately giving the visitor a sense 
of home. The smell of the house was of recently baked teacake 
adding to the agents' initial calm.

"You must be agents Reyes and Doggett." "I'm Monica Reyes and 
this is my partner John Doggett. A lovely place you have here." 
Reyes smiled sweetly, one of her warm smiles that sent waves of 
instant attraction towards her. "I'm David and this is my wife 
Sally." The Pendleton's would have been a couple in their late 
forties. The farmer's weathered face displayed stories of hard, long 
days working on his farm and his wife seemed more reserved, 
probably the one content to stay at home and support her husband 
physically and emotionally. "This farm has never left the family. 
It's been passed on down from generation to generation for a 
couple of hundred years but it looks like we'll be the last of the 
Pendletons in Fredricksburg."

"Oh, why's that?" Doggett was quiet while Reyes spoke. He chose 
to take in his surroundings and sum up the two people before him. 
"It's the business going on here. It's driving Sally and myself 
insane. It's already driven Sharon away." "And why is that?" 
Doggett finally spoke. "Where is your daughter Mr. Pendleton?" 
"Please, call me David." Doggett nodded. "The phone calls and 
other goings on have made her emotionally unstable. Just today 
she's moved in with my sister in town. When this is all over we're 
selling and moving to Austin. I'm not sure if anyone will want a 
place that's been the center of troubles." "You say, 'other goings 
on', in our report it only says you've been getting disturbing phone 
calls." Reyes questioned.

David looked from the agents to his wife, indicating her turn to 
talk.

"Come agents, let's have some cake and some refreshments and 
we'll fill you in on everything we know." They followed Sally to 
the source of the delicious smell and they were ushered to sit 
around a large kitchen table. In the past many a hungry family 
member would have eaten there. Reyes sensed this had once been a 
house teaming with life. It saddened her now that with all that past 
history, all those stories would be lost if the Pendleton family left 
that place.

Reyes and Doggett found the couple easy to get along with. They 
were open and honest and not seeming to hold anything back. 
Doggett sensed that the fear in them was genuine and this was their 
last resort, for these investigators to stay with them to get to the 
bottom of the mystery.

'So you're saying that you don't know what the phone messages 
are?" Reyes was surprised. "We get calls up to six times a night. At 
first we used to answer them but then had to invest in an answering 
machine so we could get some sleep. We have a tape here. I'll go 
get it." Sally got out of her chair and went to a nearby bench. "And 
David," Doggett continued. "It says in our report all this started 
happening a few months back?" "Yes, on October 9." "Is there 
anything significant about that date David?" Sally turned from 
what she was doing and answered them. "It was our daughter 
Sharon's nineteenth birthday." All four adults looked from one to 
the other comprehending the connection. "Listen to this." Sharon 
pushed 'play' on the machine to hear the messages. Reyes' and 
Doggett's faces altered from flat to slow frowns as they listened to 
the garbled tone. No words could be made out but it did have a 
digital quality to it but that was not all. It sounded a lot like white 
noise but with various fluctuations of uncertain vocal frequencies.

"What's it saying?" Reyes asked not expecting an answer. "We 
were hoping you would be able to find out. You may have the 
equipment to be able to make sense of this." "Is it the same 
message each time?" Reyes was the one who was more curious. "It 
sounds similar but there are minor alterations as far as I can make 
out. Look agents," David appeared solemn. "We have listened to 
these over and over and we are at our wits end."

"Okay, give us a copy of the tape. We'll send it off to DC to the 
sound technicians there. See what they come up with." Doggett 
was definite. That's what Reyes loved about him, that's why he was 
comfortable to be around. He got the job done in a no nonsense 
way. He saw the logic, which complimented Reyes' gift of going 
beyond the black and white.

"Anything else you can tell us?" The farm couple looked at each 
other tentatively and with silent communication Sally nodded. 
'There have been the break-ins." "The break-ins?" Doggett hadn't 
read that in the report.

"That's why our daughter couldn't take it any more." "Why Sally?" 
Reyes spoke warmly. "About once a week someone has entered the 
house but there had actually been no sign of forced entry." "What 
happened?" "The only reason why we knew was because our 
daughter's things would be strewn on the floor in her bedroom. 
She'd wake in the morning to find her clothes all over the room." 
"It wasn't your daughter doing this, she just didn't remember?" 
Doggett was the practical one.

"Sally here is a light sleeper, she didn't hear anything. Also a 
couple of times she's slept in the same room and it's not our 
daughter doing this." "Fingerprints?" Doggett asked again. 
"Nothing. I hope you can see why Sharon has left. It's affecting her 
studies, the worry and uncertainty of it all."

"Let's finish up here and I'll show you to your rooms. David can 
get your bags from the car." Doggett nodded and handed over the 
keys.

Reyes was shown a room with a single bed, everything simply and 
comfortably furnished. A spray of spring flowers sat in a vase on 
the mantel and fresh towels lay at the foot of the bed. She sat on 
the bed, bounced a little then laid her head on the pillow while 
Doggett was shown to his room.

His room was a little larger and had a three-quarter-size bed, a 
little larger than a single. It had similar furnishings and a floral 
arrangement. The main difference was a large dresser over on one 
wall and the open door to an ensuite bathroom on another. "We 
made the adjacent bedroom into a bathroom for my daughter. This 
is her room; I hope you don't mind. Agent Reyes can use the main 
bathroom and you have your own for privacy."

"I have to ask you something." "Yes?" Just then her husband 
appeared at the door and deposited Doggett's single bag. Doggett 
looked from Sally to David. He wanted an explanation of 
something he'd seen earlier "Why the bags by the front door? You 
going somewhere?"

.............................

The Pendletons looked from one to the other a little shyly. "We are 
going to stay with my sister too, just until this is over." "But I 
thought...." Doggett's voice trailed off.

"We've had enough worries. You two coming here has eased our 
minds somewhat and we'd like to keep that peace for a while. We 
trust you agents. I think it best we leave you to your own 
investigating." Reyes appeared at the door. "John?" She walked in 
and stood next to her partner. "Help yourselves to food. There's a 
stocked pantry." Sally looked to both agents. "Make this house 
your home until you find out something for us." "How can we 
reach you?" Sally handed Reyes a slip of paper. "Here's the phone 
number of my sister-in-law. Her name is Sophie."

Reyes looked at it like she'd looked at the map earlier, as though 
she needed to inspect every angle before seeing the bigger picture. 
"Do you have a cell number?" Reyes' voice was light and airy. 
They just smiled and said 'no'. Not everyone in the world revolved 
around cell phones.

After a moment's silence the Pendleton's made their move. "We'll 
leave you to it then. My sister's waiting." The agents followed the 
couple to the door. "One more thing." Doggett caught them before 
they headed too far to their vehicle. He ran up to them and spoke 
softly. "It said in the report that you have no idea who's doing this? 
You have no one who would bear a grudge?" Doggett just had to 
make sure. "No one Agent Doggett. I want you to have success 
here. I hope we haven't left you in any danger." David got into the 
car after placing the bags in the trunk. Reyes was still at the front 
door to the house watching.

"Agent Doggett?" Sally had one foot in the car but took it out to 
approach him. Quietly she spoke out of earshot of the female 
agent's. "She loves you, you know." "What?" "Your partner. She's 
very beautiful and I don't see a ring on either of your fingers." 
Without waiting for him to react she continued. "What does one do 
when they're alone through the night with someone they love?" 
She left him to ponder those thoughts and went back to the car 
smiling.

...............................

"What did she say?" The noise of the Pendleton's car was 
becoming more distant as Doggett reached Reyes on the porch. 
"Oh, she just reminded me that we can feel free to live like it's our 
home." He lied. Reyes noticed he was trying to hide something but 
decided not to pursue it. "So let's go inside. We need to talk."

"John, I'm tired and I need a bath. How about we both freshen up, 
get ready for bed then talk before bedtime." "Fine by me. So meet 
me in my room after your bath." Reyes' eyes went wide and 
Doggett noticed her mistaken impression but decided to play on it 
especially in the light of what Sally Pendleton had witnessed. "We 
can make the important decision of whose bed will be slept in 
tonight." He waited for her response with a slight smile. "John!" 
She pushed his arm. "Wishful thinking buddy." "For moral support 
only, I wouldn't try to seduce you." His smile was wider. "So if I 
slept with you for the night you wouldn't lay a hand on me." Reyes 
was fishing.

"It's more like the other way around. If you were in my bed you 
couldn't help but touch me." "So Mr. God's gift to women. Do I 
hear a challenge here?" "If we sleep together tonight and you win I 
will...." He paused for dramatic effect. "Cook all the meals for 
tomorrow." "Okay, if I came to your bed tonight and you ended up 
seducing me no matter how minor you would make me breakfast 
in bed too?"

"That's if I seduce you but that's not going to happen." "Oh?" 
"Unlike someone I know, I have a strong will when it comes to 
having someone of the opposite sex in my bed." Doggett stayed 
light-hearted so she wouldn't take that remark the wrong way. 
"You are way wrong Mr. Doggett. Okay, you're on.  I'll sleep with 
you tonight."

...........................

Both agents had big smirks on their faces as they each went to their 
respective rooms. Reyes picked out the most revealing nightwear 
she could find. She was going to bring down John Doggett big 
time. The thought of his hands touching her through the silky slip 
of material sent tingles to places she'd forgotten about. Her chest 
heaved out imagining his hands covering each of her breasts and 
playing with both nipples with his thumbs. Still looking into her 
eyes he would trace those hands down, gliding over the silk, to her 
abdomen where he would run circles around her navel. Then one 
hand would slip between her legs and with his thick middle finger 
he would run long strokes along the side of her wet hard clitoris, 
alternating sides with each caress. When she was suitably aroused 
he would then let it slip inside her; each outward stroke touching 
her sensitive nub. Oh how she wanted him to do this to her. She 
almost came on the spot from the mere thought of his finger 
bringing her to orgasm as he looked into her face for each stage of 
ecstasy.

On the way to the bathroom with sexy nightwear and fluffy clean 
towel she thought about what it would be like to sleep with 
Doggett all night. Apart from making passionate love she would 
get to hold him, feeling his warm skin against hers. It would be 
like taking a heavenly bubble bath but all night long. They would 
caress each other and kiss whenever they woke and the other 
would croon then fall back into blissful slumber. This was what 
she'd wanted from Brad but he hated to be woken up during the 
night. He was so good with the physical side, excellent in fact, 
sating her every need but she needed more from the emotional. As 
she lay in the heat of the water she thought about what Doggett had 
said on the plane flight after she'd broken the news about the 
proposal. In a commitment as important as marriage there should 
be no doubts. She had to admit to doubts but how could anything 
be different. Doggett was not in love with her as much as Follmer.

What would Follmer think if he knew what she and Doggett were 
going to do that evening? In a way she didn't care. They'd had a big 
argument over his jealousy for John and she'd decided not to tell 
him about their new case. He could find out for himself. In a way 
Follmer was right to feel slighted, there she was having wild 
fantasies about another man.

As she towelled herself dry and slipped on the silky cool material 
over her body she felt in a very sexy mood. She decided to miss 
the underwear just leaving on the slip that barely covered her ass. 
Her hair she tied up wanting Doggett to release it for her. His 
hands would run through it as they worked down her body.

Leaving all the bathroom leftovers on her bed she made her way to 
Doggett's room.

The door was ajar. "John, I'm here." She pushed the door further 
in. Her mouth hung open and her heart fluttered wildly. Doggett 
had just had a shower and he'd taken off the towel from around his 
waist and was standing there totally bare his hair still spiky and 
wet on his head. Reyes couldn't believe the sight. She'd imagined 
his athletic body underneath his work clothes but nothing prepared 
her for this. He was a god, in perfect proportion, golden skin and 
muscles in all the right places. The ass was the most shapely and 
enticing she'd ever seen.

"Monica," He quickly bent to retrieve his boxers from in front of 
him on the bed and hastily put them on. "I didn't hear you come 
in." Her eyebrows stayed raised as he watched all his muscles flex 
while lifting his legs to put on his bedclothes. "Obviously not or 
maybe you are trying to cheat." "Cheat?" "Seeing a man naked like 
that can do certain things to a woman." "Sorry Monica I didn't 
mean to...." He'd seen what Reyes was wearing and his face 
changed playfully. One eyebrow went up and he smirked. "Talk 
about cheating." "What?" "Where's the rest of it?" "The rest of 
what?" Reyes feigned cluelessness. "Your pajamas." "This is it. 
This is what I like wearing to bed." "Not in my bed you're not!" He 
gave a small chuckle. "Oh, you mean I should take it off?" She 
went to the hem of her nightshirt and began to lift it giving him a 
glimpse of her neatly trimmed snatch and her slim hips. "No!" he 
said a little too forcefully and she let go, the material sliding back 
to cover her nakedness.

The look on Doggett's face showed that her plan was working just 
the way she expected. "Monica, you're a tease." His chest was 
rising and falling nicely. "As much as you may want me tonight.." 
He looked her up and down. "I will be keeping my hands to 
myself." He was calling her bluff. "Maybe to be fair I should sleep 
with nothing on." "Uh uh John, one article each and we're even." 
Reyes walked over to the bed and Doggett pulled down the covers 
for her. The bed was not as large as first thought and when Doggett 
slipped under the covers beside her they couldn't help but touch 
bodies. "That wasn't counted." Doggett mentioned quickly as his 
movements caused her nightshirt to lift a little. Both agents lay 
down on the pillow facing each other. It had been a long time since 
they had been this close. Both partners had secretly wanted this for 
some time. The combined heat of their bodies warmed up the bed 
to a snug heat.

.......................

"Just remember Monica, you're going to be married. What would 
your intended say if he saw you now?" "I haven't accepted." "Not 
yet." "What do you mean, not yet?" "You're the one who said you 
may not find another man as good as him." "That's not exactly true. 
I said I'm getting older and I want a man to share my life now, not 
when I'm in my forties." "And Brad is that man, he loves you 
Monica." His alluring blue eyes looked into hers and she looked 
down at his lips wanting to kiss him then but restrained because of 
the bet. He saw it too. "Are you giving in Monica? Will I win the 
bet? If you want to kiss me then do so but I win."

She took stock and shook her head. "You are the one who is going 
to lose the bet, but you'll really win because you'll get me." "Hmm, 
but it's Brad who has you, not me. That's why I'm not touching you 
tonight or any night." He was teasing her but she wasn't sure. He 
whispered with that husky voice, "I told you last night that you'll 
never find out who is the better fuck Monica." He could see the 
doubt in her eyes and was pleased he'd made her think.

"So what do you think is happening here?" It was time to change 
the subject leaving her feelings in limbo. Reyes was soon pleased 
about the change of topic; she was so close to proving once and for 
all who was the better fuck, John or Brad. Maybe Doggett could 
see that too. His face was so pleasant to watch and his smell was 
wonderful drawing her closer. Mentally she shook herself out her 
lustful state.

"You go first John." In the dark of the bedroom he smiled. "I think 
there's someone who does have a grudge against the family for 
some reason. I think we should start with the daughter's friendship 
group." "Why do you think that John? Don't you think that's all 
been looked into already?" "I just think that maybe someone 
missed something. It's happened before. It's the simplest 
explanation."

"Yes John, but I don't think that's what's happening here." "Oh?" 
"As soon we entered the house I've felt this energy. It's hard to 
explain but there is a presence here other than the auras of the 
family." "Come on Monica, not this metaphysical bullshit again." 
"There have been many documented cases of people being able to 
sense entities beyond this realm" "But there's always a simple 
explanation. Someone's playing a joke, doctored photographs, 
technology is almost foolproof these days." "It's not what's 
happening here." He looked at Reyes as though she had lost all 
reasoning. She'd seen that look before and had accepted his natural 
scepticism but lately she was hoping he would just trust her 
judgement and go along with it.

"How are you going to prove that? Monica, sometimes you talk a 
whole lot of bull." "John, trust me on this one. Those phone calls; 
they were not natural. I sensed someone or something that is trying 
to reach out to the family was making them. We just have to find 
out who or what." "Or what? You think Casper the friendly ghost 
is doing this, is that it?"

"Some sort of entity."

"Monica, you've had some loopy ideas in the past, but you've lost 
your mind on this one." Reyes suddenly felt cold. Was Doggett's 
bed where she should be?  All she wanted was for Doggett to at 
least once trust her judgement. She'd had enough.

Getting out of bed she answered him back,

"You don't want a ghost? Well here's one, now I'm here, now I'm 
not. We both lose." Reyes flew out of the room and back to her 
own. "Come back Monica, what do you mean? I'll listen." Doggett 
called after her with opportunity lost written all over his face, not 
even thinking that his narrow attitude could be to blame. "Brad can 
have you." He said under his breath and rolled over, moving the 
bed covers over his shoulders.

................................

Have a look at these websites for some of the sights of Texas and 
its hill country in spring. (Thx Scifinerdgrl) 
http://www.texashillcountry.com/ http://www.texfiles.com

..............................

Chapter Five Follmer's Residence, 10 pm

Follmer lay in bed staring up at the ceiling he'd stared at for the 
last few hours. He decided it needed painting. More than that he 
was worried about Monica and her feelings. He had been stubborn 
and decided to let her cool off after their argument and had waited 
for her to call. The waiting had been all day and the phone had sat 
in silence. Work that day was a blur, preferring to think about his 
girlfriend and if she would still want to marry him after his childish 
display of jealousy the previous night. The thought of that man in 
her presence all day, every day was hard enough to bear but when 
he deliberately wanted to get her thinking about how 'good' he'd be 
in bed, that was where he drew the line. What had he said to her 
again? <"I hope he's a better fuck than me."> That line he'd 
churned over and over in his head until it sent him into a spinning 
fit and he'd almost punched a hole in his office wall. He flexed his 
fingers under the bed covers and winced at the pain he still bore.

He rolled over onto his side and began staring at out his bedroom 
window. The mini blinds muffled the outside scenery. When was 
the last time he'd washed his drapes? This was ridiculous; he 
would call her and apologize. He would put all thoughts of Doggett 
out of his mind and work on his relationship with the beautiful, 
intelligent agent.

"Hi lover, where are you honey? I've missed you and want to 
apologize, I'm an ass, I know. Please call me." As much as he 
hated to apologize on answering machines it would have been 
more frustrating to wait until she called. His head hit the pillow 
hard and once again his gaze went to the ceiling, wide-eyed.

What if she was with him now? Why else would she not be home 
at this time if it weren't a case? He'd had something urgent he'd 
wanted to discuss with her when they'd been interrupted by his 
unannounced visit. He rolled his head from side to side wanting to 
shake all the doubt away. He had to admit to himself, he was so 
envious of Doggett and how Reyes would talk about him often. His 
thoughts went to them naked in bed together and he winced as he 
made a fist again.

He sat up on one elbow and with the other hand reached for the 
bedside phone.

"Skinner." The voice on the other end was perky, working late 
again. "Where's Monica? Is she on a case?" "Is that you Follmer? 
Yes, didn't she tell you?" "Where?" "Are you okay Follmer? You 
sound different." "Lack of sleep can do that to me." There was a 
short pause then he continued.

"John and Monica are on a case west of Austin, Texas." Follmer's 
stomach knotted at the fact that she'd left and hadn't told him. 
"Brad, I'm surprised she didn't make you aware of this."

"Monica and myself sort of haven't been on speaking terms 
recently." "You've had a falling out?" Skinner wasn't the first 
choice of Follmer's for a heart to heart about anything let alone his 
love life but he felt like telling someone. "You might say a minor 
disagreement. It'll work out." "Brad, you might want to think more 
about your intensions towards Monica." His brow furrowed not 
understanding the intent of Skinner's comment and he change the 
phone receiver to his other ear. Also not wanting to talk further 
with someone he had rarely seen eye-to-eye, he changed the 
subject. He forced himself to think on a different tangent.

"So what's the X-File?" "If you think you're going to follow them 
out there or interrupt their investigation..." Skinner trailed off. Why 
did he say that? "I just want to know where she is, is she safe?" 
"Don't worry yourself Follmer.  The case is straight forward, they'll 
be back in the next couple of days." "Just give me a contact 
number." Again there was silence. "Brad, I'll give it to you on one 
condition, you use it for emergency only." That made Follmer 
think, what was it about this case that made it so important for 
them no to be interrupted?

Skinner rang off after leaving the contact phone number but it 
didn't leave Follmer in a better mood. His hopefully 'wife to be' 
was out on a case with his rival Doggett in a remote area of Texas.

As his head sank further into the pillow succumbing to the sleep he 
needed his thoughts went back to the phone conversation. What 
did Skinner mean about his 'intensions towards Monica'? Did he 
know something? Also why did he say his other comment about 
'not interrupting their investigation'? These thoughts churned over 
and over forcing him into some sort of semi-conscious sleep.

The phone rang jogging him out of semi sleep. "Follmer." He said 
blearily and just before the response, he sat up hoping it was his 
lover. "Brad Follmer, remember me?" There was silence as the 
assistant director's heart almost stopped on recognition of the 
voice. He sat up in bed almost becoming light headed. "Spinelli." 
"We need to meet." Follmer listened in silence to the calm voice, 
what could he say? "Tomorrow morning, 6 am, you know, the 
usual place." "I told your boss I wanted to have no more to do with 
this business. I wash my hands of it." "Now that Regali's gone, you 
answer to me Mr. FBI Assistant Director, understand?" With that 
the phone hung up hard. Follmer remained sitting in bed, the phone 
still against his ear, staring ahead into space like a statue.

................................

Chapter Six

The Pendleton's farm Fredricksburg, Texas. 3 am

Doggett's eyes flung open at the shrill ring. It took him a moment 
to perceive that he was in a different bedroom, in another house. 
Quickly he got out of bed and headed to the kitchen and the only 
telephone in the house. He knew exactly what he would hear but 
he had to hear it with his own ears.

There was the familiar sounding white noise interference that he 
had heard on the Pendleton's answering machine tape. With his 
trained ear he listened for any clue as to the source and message. It 
was clearer than on the tape and he could almost make out 
something there in the background. Was it someone talking 
through all that interference? The lab technicians would get onto it, 
clear away the rubbish and hopefully leave something useful to go 
on.

"Who is this?" There was no change at Doggett's voice, none that 
he perceived anyway.

"John?" Reyes' sleepy voice came from the door. He turned, still 
with the phone to his ear. She had covered up more than before and 
now wore a matching satin gown that covered a little more of her 
body. Her hair was tousled from what looked like a restless sleep. 
Doggett secretly hoped she felt bad about leaving him the way she 
did. She was the one being unreasonable. If she thought this was 
the paranormal then she'd have to prove it. To him this could all be 
man made. He signalled for her to come over and listen.

She took the receiver to her ear and listened to what sounded to her 
as unearthly voices mixed with interference. Suddenly Doggett 
noticed her bend over stiffly with one hand on the bench propping 
her up, the phone almost falling from her hand.

"Monica!" He took the phone and placed it back then put an arm 
around her to get her upright again. "What happened?" She took 
some breaths then appeared normal again. She stayed there in his 
arms, not wanting to move.

"There is something not right here John. There is evil in this house, 
I can feel it. I felt it all around me when I was listening to that 
call." "Are you still feeling it?" Doggett was beginning to regret 
being so harsh on her previous judgements. Monica was not 
charading all this. She had shown in the past that she had a sense 
beyond reality and this seemed to be one of those genuine times.

"Let's get you back to bed. I'll switch on the answering machine 
and put the phone on mute so we can get some shut-eye." Reyes 
had no qualms letting Doggett guide her back to the bedroom. He 
held up the covers and once she was in bed, covered her up.

He leant down close to her face and said in a low rumble, "You can 
always come back to bed with me, all bets off." He hoped that 
would lure her but her eyes were closed and he didn't have the 
heart to pursue his wishes and disturb her. He kissed her lightly on 
the forehead and went back to his room.

..........................

The clock said four am when there were loud banging sounds 
coming from what seemed like outside the house on the roof. They 
were amplified by the previous deathly silence of the remote area. 
They were both immediately jarred awake by the terrifying sounds. 
Reyes fumbled in her bag for her FBI issue flashlight and put on 
her slippers and went out to investigate. Doggett met her at the 
front door.

"You stay here, I'll check. We don't want anything getting in the 
house." That seemed fair. She waited shivering at the door. 
Doggett had put on a T-shirt over his previously bare chest. There 
was something about him that he looked so good to her clothed or 
unclothed. The night air was a little brisk out there.

Minutes later he was back. "Anything?" "No, nothing." By then the 
noises had stopped as quickly as they had started. "Maybe it was a 
large bird or animal." Reyes just nodded although she knew 
differently. She would make sure before she brought it up again. 
"Let's get back to bed, it may have just been a coincidence, there 
was nothing in the report about this." "John, there have been a few 
things not in the report." She reminded him. He nodded and with a 
hand on the small of her back directed her back to the bedrooms.

Before they went their separate ways Doggett spoke. "Look 
Monica, I'm sorry for doubting you before. I'm a dickhead. Come 
to my bed and I'll keep you safe. No one needs to know."

"What do you mean, you'll keep me safe? You don't think I can 
handle a bit of jeopardy?" "Monica, I didn't mean ......" "Men and 
their myths about weak frightened women!" She left his bodily 
space and moved towards her room.

"Okay, be a new age woman, there's nothing wrong with a woman 
being with a man for protection and comfort." "There is if that man 
thinks that he's owed the Nobel Prize for manhood! John, grow up 
and look at the world! Women are not the weaklings men once 
thought they were. I feel sorry for all those past women who had to 
pander to their men's egos. Well I'm not pandering to you John 
Doggett."

Doggett began to fume again as he watched her walk away. He 
called after her.

"Let's see who's the first to come running when this situation really 
gets scary." "Well it won't be me! Go to your room, dream about 
getting laid because that's what you need John Doggett a good 
fucking lay!"

...................................

Neither of them slept well after all the events. They had been 
mentally and emotionally over stimulated. When they heard the 
same sounds again thirty minutes later they were not surprised. 
Reyes was out the door first with her flashlight. She was scared 
beyond belief but she was not going to show her stubborn partner 
that. Doggett this time waited at the door but when she hadn't 
returned after ten minutes he went out to investigate, closing and 
locking the door behind him.

"Monica?" He moved his flashlight around and was halfway 
around the house when he heard moaning. "Monica, is that you?" 
The strong beam of light caught movement near some bushes close 
by and he walked swiftly over. "Monica!" She was doubled over 
on the ground clutching her stomach. "It's here John," She strained 
out the words as she rocked back and forth, her face contorted. 
"What's here?" "It's evil." She got the words out just as she 
slumped to the ground seemingly unconscious. "Monica!" Doggett 
was anxious. "Can you hear me?" When she didn't respond he 
lifted her, somehow managing with both flashlights and made his 
way unsteadily to the front door. As he tried to think how he was 
going to manage unlocking the door while he had Reyes in his 
arms, she stirred deliriously awake. "John." He carefully let her 
legs down and waited until she was steady on them. He unlocked 
the door and still holding her, letting her lean against him, they 
entered the house.

He left her on the couch. "Wait here, I'll get some water." Her head 
lolled back but she was seemingly much better than she had been 
outside. He came back with a tall glass and she sipped it as he 
watched. "I'm good now John." "Was it the same feeling you had 
on the phone?" Reyes nodded. "This time it was more intense as 
though my stomach was being squashed by strong hands." "What 
should we do?" Doggett was not normally at a loss for actions but 
he was stumped. How could he defeat a force he knew nothing 
about?

"It's gone for now. I sense it won't be back tonight." "Okay, then 
let's get some sleep. We have some research to do tomorrow. I'm 
going to get to the bottom of this Monica. Come on." He helped 
Reyes to her feet and let her lean on him towards the bedrooms. 
After settling her in her bed he turned to go back to his own.

"John." He stopped and turned. "Hold me?" It took only a moment 
for him to decide that he would accept her offer. In a way it was 
her way of giving a peace offering. He went around the other side 
of the bed and slipped in next to her. They were so close together 
in that single bed they couldn't help but touch bodies. Doggett 
edged closer to Reyes who had her back to him and cupped her 
body with his own. His arm cocooned her and they fell asleep as 
the bed became warmer and more snug. ...............................

Chapter Seven The Pendleton's farm Investigation day. 9am

Reyes rolled over on her back and then realized something was 
different. Doggett had slept the night in her bed but he was gone. 
He was probably showering or getting breakfast, she thought. She 
smiled at the memory of him holding her. It was so different to 
Brad who didn't like to be touched when he was asleep. Wrapping 
her own arms around herself she imagined they were his. The 
memory of how he had enveloped his body around hers for all 
those hours sent out a wave of pure contentment starting at her 
stomach and radiating out. If she hadn't been so tired her thoughts 
would have gone carnal.

There was a slight morning chill in the room but it was sunny out. 
Reyes decided to rise and see what her partner was doing. It wasn't 
often she slept in that late in the morning. She felt justified because 
of the wakeful events in the early hours. As she got out of bed she 
felt calm knowing that the previous night's threat was no longer 
there. Also she knew that being in bed with Doggett seemed the 
most natural thing in her life right then.

As she went towards Doggett's room she thought about Brad again 
and how he would feel if he knew her doubts. She would have to 
deal with that when she got back to DC. The mood between her 
partner and herself was changing. Never before had he offered for 
her to go to his bed, never before had they held each other as they 
had the previous night.

She pushed the open door half expecting him to be dressing but 
that was wishful thinking. The memory of his naked body before 
her came rushing back and if he had been there, and the room had 
not been vacant like it was, she was in the mood to seduce him. It 
looked like she would be the one who was going to have to 
convince him that she wanted to try a sexual relationship.

As she searched the house for signs of life she imagined wrapping 
her arms around his naked body from behind and feeling over his 
chest with flat hands. His head would tilt back a little letting her 
continue. She would trace down over the skin of his abdomen and 
down his thighs feeling the hardness she'd previously witnessed. 
Then curious fingers would venture to his manhood and find it stiff 
for her. He would moan out her name as she first ran both sets of 
fingers up and down the shaft. Then with both hands she would 
hold it and squeeze. Slowly his body would turn to hers and lift the 
slip of material that she wore, over her head and they would hold 
each other flesh against flesh. His hard yearning for her would 
sandwich between them as they moved their bodies slowly 
together feeling the skin contact they both craved of each other.

After looking dreamily into each other's eyes their heads would 
steadily move in for a kiss. His mouth would be open and ready 
and inviting. Their first kiss would be gentle and sexy making her 
crave for him to push more inside her than just his tongue. The kiss 
would be hot and wet making her want to link with him forever. 
His hands would work wonders up and down her back up to her 
hair and down her spine, eventually resting on her butt where he 
would draw her hips into his squashing his erection even more.

She would push him back so that the backs of his legs touched the 
bed. Coaxing him to sit she would straddle him, both knees beside 
his hips. Without words, constantly looking into each other's eyes, 
she would slowly move her hips so that she lingered over his more 
than ready erection. His flushed face and heaving chest and 
obvious passion for her, made her wild with sexual longing. The 
first time he entered her would be measured. His cock pushed in oh 
so slowly, his eyes slid closed as bit by bit he filled her with his 
massive hard on. The fit was tight making her stretch to capacity, 
the new sensation eliciting moans from her throat that were primal. 
With hands on his shoulders and using knees for leverage she 
would lift her hips letting his cock almost escape and then she'd sit 
slowly again until it was fully embedded. The feel of him finally 
inside her would be enough to bring on a huge orgasm but she 
would keep it held in to be able to savor this experience for as long 
as possible.

They would continue the work out, getting faster each time. His 
hips would come to meet hers and even if the bedsprings were 
noisy that would not deter them from fucking harder and harder. 
With one swift motion, still staying deep inside her, he rolled her 
over onto her back and took control. His dick pushed hard up 
against her cervix, thrusting in and out with insatiable force. Sweat 
dripped from every pore of their bodies adding to all the divine 
exchange of bodily fluids that this athletic session produced.

His gorgeous blue eyes looked into hers and then closed a little as 
she felt the gush of hotness inside her. His mouth opened letting 
out a small gasp shaping his lips in a lazy 'O'. Her body then 
shuddered beneath him and he smiled his sexy smile as her own 
heat escaped, following the contours out to all her extremities. Her 
blood was at boiling point but she saw him smiling at her pleasure 
and it made the moment even more intense. He remained inside 
wanting this first moment to be etched in their memories. Then he 
moved down for a final thank you kiss. It was warm, loving and 
heart felt, his body resting lightly on hers.

He said he loved her and that he'd worshipped her from afar for so 
long and now they had finally linked bodies and souls he wanted to 
be with her forever. Reyes had to hold onto her bedroom 
doorframe to remain standing. The intensity of the images she was 
having was bordering on real. Gradually throughout her fantasy it 
had become more and more real until she was there in real life. 
She'd had fantasies many times in her life and many about Doggett 
but that last one seemed as though it was happening right there and 
then. Her legs and body were numb and tingly just like she'd 
actually experienced an orgasm. Something trickled down her 
inside thigh. She'd collected her breath when she felt a hand on her 
back. It made her inhale a quick breath and turn around suddenly 
but nothing was there.

.........................

"John!" Reyes just had to call. She was starting to think that maybe 
it had been real but when Doggett appeared from the front door 
clothed in blue jeans and navy blue T-shirt she shook her head in 
confusion. "Monica, what's wrong?" Her legs began to give way 
underneath her and Doggett moved in and caught her. He'd 
forgotten that she was wearing nothing under her sleep shirt and 
when it rode up revealing everything he flushed thinking back to 
his vivid dreams that morning as he woke up with her in his arms. 
Oh how he wanted to just touch what he could see but she 
belonged to Follmer. He must keep his hands off her. Sporting a 
massive hard on he had to get out of the bed before she became 
aware.

"John?" "Yes?" Doggett got her to sit on the bed and found her 
matching sleep gown to drape over her shoulders. "Tell me 
truthfully. Did you have fantasies about me when you were 
married?" His eyes suddenly went to the floor and he sat next to 
her on the bed. "So you did." "You're a beautiful woman and sexy 
as hell, it was hard not to." "What did you dream about?" 
"Monica." He thought for a moment, not sure what he should say. 
He didn't think it appropriate telling her that he fantasized about 
what it would be like to make love to her. He wanted to feel over 
her whole body, to know every intimate detail about her. He 
wanted to know what it felt like when she came. He wanted to 
spend a whole night with her, touching her, playing games, making 
love. "Do you fantasize about me?"

"I just had an amazing sex scene in my head. I opened your 
bedroom door and that's when it started." She looked into his face. 
"Where have you been?" "Outside, checking for signs of last 
night." Doggett didn't want to change the topic, he was curious. 
"Tell me about these images." Normally Reyes would have kept 
this to herself but she wanted some clarity as to why her dream 
seemed real. No, it was genuine. Was all this connected to the 
strange goings on in the house?

"You were making love to me John, on your bed." It sounded 
forward of her but she also wanted to see his reaction. "Oh, was I 
good?" Doggett wanted to keep his overt curiosity to himself. His 
nervous laugh was born out of surprise at her openness. "It was so 
good it seemed real. You were outside all this time?" She 
confirmed. "What are you telling me Monica, that this fantasy was 
somehow out of the ordinary?" "I've never had one that seemed so 
real before. It started in my head and ended up in your bed, but I'm 
here." "You saw me in your dream?" "Yes, no doubt." "Maybe we 
can go and test it now. I'll make love to you on the bed and you can 
compare notes."

"John, this is serious. Don't make light of it." "It's just not possible 
Monica. I believe you felt these things but I was outside checking 
for clues for what went bump in the night. I wasn't here and if I 
was then I wouldn't rape you."

.........................

She looked into his eyes to help him understand. "It wasn't rape 
John. I did it willingly. I even...." Her voice trailed off deciding 
against telling him that she also experienced the ultimate in sexual 
pleasure. The dampness between her legs reminded her. "Even?" 
"Never mind, I have to shower and dress." She got up to collect 
together some clothes for the day from the dresser by the wall. 
Doggett appeared behind her and she felt the warmth of his body 
close to hers, his sweet breath on her neck. His hands moved over 
her stomach through the satiny material of her nightshirt then up to 
her breasts. His large hands cupped them and squeezed gently. Her 
legs automatically parted and she leant over on the dresser as his 
hands ventured under the material and over the tingling skin of her 
back. They traced up to her shoulders then under her armpits and 
back to her breasts. He flicked over her nipples and they instantly 
became hard. Her breathing was becoming audible as her arousal 
heightened. She wanted him so badly. The hands lifted the fabric 
off her body and she was bare for him to do his will.

Doggett moved his hands down to between her legs and with a 
finger from each hand he teased apart her lips and stroked her. All 
thoughts of Brad left her; she wanted her work partner to make 
love to her there and then.

"John," she moaned a breathy response to his affections.

"Yes?" Something was not right. Her body jolted and she looked 
down swiftly and saw she was still clothed. Turning, she saw 
Doggett still on the bed where he had been a moment ago. The 
throbbing between her legs was aching matching the 
embarrassment and confusion she then felt. "Monica?" "Where 
were you just now?" "What?" Doggett's face slowly showed 
understanding. "You had a dream again?"

Reyes wanted to tell him what had just happened but it was slightly 
embarrassing and a little too candid. "I'm going to have a shower 
okay?" From the drawer she extracted the lemon fitted track pants 
with the flared leg and her matching wrap around top that tied at 
the back. She also got out her white t-shirt bra and matching 
panties. Her wardrobe choices for these few days had been 
designed to seduce her partner but she was not sure if that would 
happen.

"Monica, tell me. If this has anything to do with this case....." She 
didn't hear him finish because she was off down the hallway to the 
bathroom. He wouldn't believe her anyway. He'd put it down to an 
overactive imagination or wishful thinking.

"What brought this on Monica?" Doggett followed her into the 
bathroom. "Tell me what you were imagining. Was it me again?" 
"Look John, you don't believe me anyway." "Maybe it was Brad 
this time, is that it?" Doggett found it hard to leave the barb out of 
his comment. It pained him to see her with that man after all he'd 
done and to have been sleeping with him hurt him more.

"You think I dream about you all the time? You must have a big 
ego." Reyes was beginning to doubt that her partner wanted her 
that way. Perhaps he just thought of her as a friend after all and not 
the lover she desperately wanted him to be. "I have a big ego. 
What about that boyfriend of yours! I don't know what you see in 
him Monica."

This was getting beyond a joke. "Look John, he is kind to me, he 
loves me and he gives the most amazing kisses I've ever had. Now 
if you don't mind John, I need to shower and dress, unless you 
want to watch."

"Oh 'smooth tongue' Follmer, no doubt he makes you wet for him 
too."

Reyes felt like slapping him for that provocative comment but 
chose to turn her back and prepare herself for a shower. "Don't turn 
your back on me when I'm talking to you Ms. Reyes." He grabbed 
her elbow and pulled her back almost making her lose balance. 
Surprisingly she let him continue his grip on her as she spoke. "Mr. 
Doggett, if you want to know about Brad then yes, he does make 
me wet when he kisses me." Reyes just did one of her own steely 
stares as Doggett gradually comprehended. His blue eyes widened 
as she continued, "And not just that, he's the best lay I've ever 
had." Her bottom lip moved as though she was imagining his 
kisses at that moment. Blinking and moving his eyes down, her 
lips were glistening; the translucence sending positively charged 
energy to Doggett's very essence.

His hand still fastened to her elbow, he involuntarily gripped her 
tighter and pulled her body closer to his. Surprisingly she provided 
little resistance. Their bodies were sandwiched together, neither 
agent breaking the gaze, neither wanted to be the first to give in to 
weakness. His expression was non- descript as his other hand 
snaked its way down her arm to her opposing wrist and gripped it. 
With equal force on both her left elbow and her right wrist he spun 
her around forcefully and pinned her against the bathroom wall. 
His body pushed against her, their faces only centimetres apart.

"So you like this power John? You use your strength and your 
charms to coerce all your women?" He pressed his body closer not 
letting her get away this time, all the time looking down into her 
eyes. The shared heat and energy between them could have lit a 
fire; the pulse rates combined were earthquake material.  "Oh, 
that's right, you haven't had a woman since your wife." She was 
deliberately baiting him. "You wouldn't remember how to kiss 
right. Did you make Barbara wet when you kissed her?" Doggett's 
gills were once again flexing as his left hand ungrasped her elbow 
and moved down to her wrist. His breath was hot on her face. With 
both her wrists in his prison he lifted them up slowly against the 
wall, never breaking his stare on her face. Each word that 
emanated from Reyes' glistening lips added a degree of Doggett's 
pressure and heat to her body. "What are you going to do, force me 
to kiss you?"

It took an eternity for him to react, each second turning to minutes. 
"Because I won't give in. Kiss me John. Go on. I won't yield."

Finally, with his lustful eyes still fixed on his partner's, his head 
moved in and turning he placed his lips deliberately on hers. Reyes 
couldn't move, or didn't want to. In a sweeping motion his open 
lips brushed over hers probably testing the waters. He still had a 
tight grip on her wrists against the wall. He then hovered his lips 
above hers, barely touching, his hot breath teasing them apart. 
Reyes didn't resist so he continued. His tongue ventured from his 
gaping mouth and traced the line of her lower lip sending her 
hormones racing. She held herself motionless, letting him take 
control. Her mouth opened too giving him more access to continue, 
letting the death hold on her wrists be the excuse.

Reyes' limbs were fast becoming numb. Never before had she felt 
so sexually vulnerable. John's hard body so close to hers in this 
way was so different. He'd hugged her before as a colleague and 
friend but never before as a sexual being. His lips once again went 
to hers. What flashed in her mind was that he was determined to 
show he was better than Brad. That notion was quickly squashed 
when he pressed his lips in closer and opened his mouth. Reyes 
relented to the pressure, and opened up to him also. Doggett's grip 
on Reyes' wrists let up a bit as he kissed her. His lips meshed and 
pushed in as his hips pressed in. This wasn't an ordinary kiss. Even 
though their lips connected so did their bodies making it an overall 
spiritual experience.

As Doggett kept his mouth on hers, grinding slowly, adding more 
and more pressure, Reyes found herself going weak kneed. His 
tongue danced marvels on her lips then moved inside her mouth 
finding hers. Sucking and licking and pressing went on for minutes 
until Doggett broke the kiss suddenly. His breath was ragged; his 
lips seductively wet and still open. His eyes seduced her. A 
delicious hard-on pressed against her groin.

What happened next was totally unexpected. He let go of her 
wrists, moved away from her body but never broke his seductive 
gaze. With his left hand he cupped her face and he went in for one 
last long, wet, lingering kiss. Then into her mouth he growled, 
"Tell me that didn't make you wet." As he moved back again her 
arms flopped to her sides and she slowly slid down the wall until 
she was in sitting position. Leaving her mesmerized he turned and 
left the room only looking back once, not letting on how pleased 
with himself he was.

...............................

In the kitchen they sat in silence over cups of coffee. It was 
difficult concentrating on the case with what had happened 
between them in the bathroom. They could hardly make eye 
contact. They both knew that there were sparks between them, the 
electrifying kiss proved that.

Doggett was the first to speak. "I'm sorry Monica. I shouldn't have 
done that." "Don't be sorry, I was asking for it." "I shouldn't have 
forced you like that, it's not me." Doggett's puppy dog expression 
melted her. "John if you had forced me and I was unwilling, trust 
me, you'd have very sore balls right now."

Doggett chuckled and lifted his hot cup for a sip of the black 
liquid. Reyes was one tough woman and he admired her for that. 
Under that often calm, smiling exterior there was a woman of fire. 
All those qualities in a woman, and the fact that she was very 
alluring to look at, were very attractive to him. "It's just that you 
belong to another man. It was wrong of me to touch you."

"John, I don't belong to anyone. You make it sound as though I'm 
Brad's possession." "I didn't mean...." "He's asked me to marry him 
but I haven't said yes. In fact I've thought it over and I'm not sure I 
want to marry him." Reyes broke off Doggett's sentence. "You 
don't? What changed your mind?" "Nothing changed my mind 
John. It was never a question of marriage in my mind. I just 
wanted to see your reaction." "My reaction, why?" Reyes was 
getting frustrated with his refusal to see what she was meaning.

Getting off the chair she took her empty coffee cup to the sink and 
then placed two hands on the rim, thinking. After a few moments 
she turned to see him eyeing off her attire. She smiled inwardly at 
his gaping mouth and the lips that had given her an exquisite kiss.

"Can I make a confession?' She walked over to the table noticing 
her partner's eyes not leaving her body. Sitting on the edge of the 
table just near him she continued,

"I love Brad but I'm not in love with him." His eyes quickly 
diverted up from her partly bare midriff. "What?" Doggett seemed 
in a daze. "You're not?" "I thought I was at one stage, back in New 
York but I didn't know what love was back then." "And you know 
now?" "Yes, I know now because I'm in love with someone else." 
Doggett's eyes grew wide and there was a look of shock on his 
face. "Who? Someone I know?" His voice was a little shaky. "It's 
someone you know." Reyes could see his brain ticking over all the 
possibilities not once seeing whom she meant. "But John, you 
might be able to sway my opinion."

"What do you mean Monica?" She smiled playfully and took his 
hands in hers. They were large and strong and she remembered 
back to when those hands had held her wrists previously in the 
bathroom. She moved them to her hips and slid her body so that it 
was directly in front of his.

"John," she spoke quietly. "Kiss me again." His wide eyes looked 
up into hers for confirmation of what he'd just heard. "But this 
other person you say you love?" Holding his hands over her hips 
she moved them up and around her waist where her skin was bare. 
He let her guide his hands up over her back and shoulders feeling 
the soft lemon material of her wrap-over casual top. Back down 
her spine she took them, then to the front and up to her breasts. 
"Monica, you want me to do this?" "Yes John, feel me, kiss me." 
She slowly let go of his hands and they stayed on her breasts as he 
got out of his chair to move closer. "You're in love with someone 
and you want me to kiss you. That doesn't make any sense." Reyes 
was going to leave him to make the connections. Her hands were 
going to convince him. She ran her hands over his chest through 
the T-shirt then down to his belt and began removing it.

"What are you doing?" He moved back, releasing the hold on her 
body. She went for his belt again and pulled him back closer so 
that their bodies touched. She spread her legs to accommodate his 
hips and ran her hands over his ass, drawing him in closer. She 
looked into his confused eyes.

"I want you to kiss me John, then I want you to carry me to your 
bedroom where you will make long slow love to me." He looked 
down into her seductive eyes and she knew then that it was all 
falling into place. Her hands moved up his back and through his 
hair. Pulling his head down to meet hers she initiated the kiss and 
he didn't stop her. She kissed on his mouth first then ran a wet 
tongue along each lip. Her head titled more to deepen the kiss and 
in turn his mouth opened letting their hot wet tongues meet. Reyes 
felt her neck flush and her body melt into his. She couldn't believe 
what a hot kisser he was. Again he kissed her with his whole body 
and soul.

Doggett had forgotten how good it felt to touch a woman. He'd had 
sleep partners on occasions since his wife but none that he truly 
loved. Most of the time he'd lose interest when they started 
wanting the relationship to go further and he wasn't ready. He was 
more than ready for this partner but when she appeared to have 
been taken by Follmer he reluctantly took a step back.

It was all a dream to him; caressing the lips he had only imagined 
kissing. His hands moved slowly over the fabric on her back and 
down to the tie he had moments ago imagined untying. Swiftly he 
tugged and unwrapped her as he watched the sexy, enticing present 
inside unfold. Her chest rose and fell seductively as the lemon fell 
from her breasts revealing her seamless white T-shirt bra. Doggett 
placed the lemon fabric over the chair behind him and went back to 
the vision before him.

"John, touch me." She leant back with her hands on the kitchen 
table for support showcasing her body for him, giving him 
permission to do his will. With open hands he placed them on her 
bare shoulders and licked his lips as he eyed over the skin in front 
of him. As his hands moved slowly down her arms he brought the 
straps of her bra with them. Reyes' head rolled back, her hair 
falling behind her. His fingertips ran hungrily down and over her 
breasts outlining their perfect round shape. "Take it off John." 
Reyes' legs spread wider obviously wanting more than just touches 
from him. His hands obliged and traced the skin just under the 
strap to the back clasp.

Unclicking it he pulled it off her body and not taking his eyes of 
her he placed it over her top on the chair. "Oh Monica, this is 
unreal." "This is real, I'm here and I want you to make love to me." 
She sat up a little to begin undressing him. He wriggled out of his 
T-shirt and left it on her clothes. Both smiling, they moved closer 
together, wanting to feel their bare skin touching. He laid her on 
her back and moved on top of her. They kissed again with more 
heat, this time rubbing skin against skin. Between her legs Reyes 
could feel the Doggett's readiness for her just like the bathroom 
episode. She wanted to be naked with him, to feel him deeply 
inside her, for him to take control and play with her body.

She reached once more for his belt and undid it and slid it out of its 
keepers. His eyes closed and mouth opened as she felt his hard on 
with her hand. He wanted it free soon to probe deep inside her. Her 
smell was too enticing; he wanted to lick it all off her. Reyes undid 
his button then unzipped carefully and began to take down his 
jeans.

The shrill ring of the telephone stopped them mid track. There was 
nothing like a loud sudden noise to kill the mood. "I thought you 
put that on mute?" Reyes was puzzled. Doggett looked at the 
phone as though it was a very unwelcome sight. "I did." 
............................

"What do you want?" Doggett's voice was raised. He wasn't 
thinking clearly. He had just been interrupted mid sex and the 
blood still needed time to rush back to the brain. "Why are you 
calling, Follmer?" He turned to look at Reyes still prone on the 
kitchen table, bare from the waist up, a mixture of arousal and 
disappointment on her face.

Suddenly aware of her own nakedness she slipped off the table and 
reached for her clothes. Clutching her top and bra to her chest 
Doggett watched her every move as she left the room, a furrow in 
his brow expressing his disenchantment and notion of lost 
opportunity. This made him all the more mad at the caller. Why 
was it that Follmer had to be the reason for keeping Reyes and he 
apart all this time? The moment they discovered their mutual 
affection he had to go digging the knife further in. It was almost 
like he picked his moments deliberately.

"Skinner gave me this number." "Look Follmer, if you're checking 
up on your girlfriend, there's no need." He looked over to the door 
wondering whether Reyes would come back. He also wondered if 
there would indeed be another opportunity like the one they just 
had and how soon would it be. They had a case to solve. They 
weren't here for romance.

"I hear you're trying to find ghosts. You believe in all that 
Doggett?" His pious voice rang through the receiver. "Doesn't 
matter what I believe, we'll get to the bottom of this case. Now 
unless you have anything to give us then ...." His voice rang off as 
Follmer interrupted. "In fact, I do have something." "You been 
sticking your nose into the X-Files now Follmer?" "Ha ha ha," the 
Assistant Director chuckled.

"Before I give you that information I need to ask you something." 
"What?" Doggett was becoming more impatient. There was a 
slight pause before he spoke.

"Has she found out yet?" "Found out what?" There was another 
break in the conversation. "Who is the better fuck, you or me." He 
said the last three words spelling each out clearly. "You're a 
paranoid bastard, you know that." Doggett wasn't sure how to 
reply. Should he deny what had transpired sexually between he and 
his partner or should he rub it in this dickhead's face. "You're the 
one who seemed to be peeved when you saw me at her apartment, 
who's the paranoid one?" He didn't have the pleasure of talking 
face to face or that last comment could have elicited a sharp blow 
to his right cheek. To add insult to injury he continued, "She calls 
out my name when she's coming, does she do that for you?" 
Doggett was quietly seething and thinking how to respond to this 
moron.

"Follmer, if you really want to know, I'll tell you." It was his turn 
to pause wondering what was going through the mind of caller. 
"Just before you rang I had Monica on the kitchen table, we were 
almost undressed and I was just about to fuck her brains out." 
There was a longer pause, every second Doggett gloated more.

"So you must know about that small sexy mole underneath her 
right breast." "Left breast actually." This time there was an audible 
gasp from Follmer and Doggett smiled satisfaction. "I don't believe 
you." "The feeling's mutual." Follmer then felt the need to change 
the subject. Doggett could imagine his expression then, incredulity 
written over his face.

"Skinner was going to call but I said I could kill two birds with one 
stone if I did it." "Oh?" Doggett wasn't sure what to believe when 
Follmer spoke. "He says that you know a Carmen Stone?" 
"Carmen Stone?" Just then Reyes breezed back into the room and 
stood before him nodding.

Doggett placed his hand over the receiver and asked Reyes, "Who's 
that?" "Remember our last case, Carmen is a specialist in psychic 
phenomenon. Ask him more."

He spoke into the receiver once more. "What about her?" "Skinner 
read your last case report and thought you might need a hand to 
catch your ghost."

Reyes was motioning to talk to Follmer herself. Doggett handed 
over the phone without speaking.

"Brad?" "Monica, I miss you." "Me too, what's this about 
Carmen?" Not sure whether to listen or leave, Doggett moved 
around the kitchen. The mere fact that Reyes was talking to that 
man made his skin crawl. Did he say he loved her? Did she 
respond back in kind? Maybe if they had consummated their 
newfound relationship then he wouldn't be having these doubts. 
"She's on her way to you now. She should arrive after dark. After 
reading the report again he thought that a little extra back up might 
be helpful. I offered but having no expertise in the paranormal I 
wouldn't be much help." He thought he was being funny.  After a 
moment's silence he questioned,

"Doggett tells me you two are tight." "Oh he did, did he?" She 
looked up to see him looking at her, wondering the topic of the 
conversation. "Are you sleeping together?" "We have separate 
bedrooms if that's what you mean." Doggett moved closer to Reyes 
and the phone. He shook his head telling her not to pursue the 
questioning. Reyes understood and nodded. "Brad, don't concern 
yourself with sleeping arrangements all right? Our minds are on 
solving this case. We should be back tomorrow or the next day at 
the very latest."

"I love you Monica." At those words she felt a pang of remorse. 
She had reciprocated those words to him on occasions but they 
were out of force of habit. "Me too." She found herself saying only 
half believing and feeling a little guilty at the admission. Looking 
up at Doggett she could tell by his face he knew the conversation 
just by the tone of her voice. "Bye." She hung up the phone then 
looked back to a forlorn Doggett.

During the course of the phone call Doggett had zipped himself up 
and thrown on his T-shirt. They were both clothed again and Reyes 
put her arms around him in reassurance.

"I want this, I want us. We will get to do this but it has to be the 
right time." "But Carmen?" Another person in the works was going 
to mean self-restraint. "Carmen is open minded and knows when to 
keep her mouth shut. Let's just wait and see shall we?" She moved 
her hands up around his neck and drew him closer. The softness of 
his lips on hers she craved. Their mouths instantly opened and 
joined, each knowing the pleasure their mutual kisses gave. As the 
kiss began to get a little more heated Reyes decided to break it.

"John, now is not the time." A single hand felt over his chest. "I 
promise you the first time will be special. I want it to be 
memorable." He had to agree. He'd waited this long to make love 
to her, he could wait a little while longer.

"Something's niggling at me though." She moved over and sat on 
the edge of the table again. "Didn't Skinner want us to solve this 
'no-brainer' case by ourselves and 'work out our differences'?" 
"Yes. What are you saying?" "Why is he sending Carmen without 
consulting us first? That's not like him?"

.......................................

Chapter Eight Pendleton Farm 4 pm

The two agents had spent most of the day working on the case, just 
stopping long enough to have some lunch. Doggett had gone into 
town and sent off the answering machine tape by courier to DC for 
testing and they had gone over the surrounding area around the 
dwelling looking for any clues as to why there should be such 
strange noises at night. They'd come up empty handed. After lunch 
they'd decided to visit the Pendleton's to update them on the 
procedures and also spoke to their daughter Sharon.

Doggett and Reyes sat by the stream nearby the house. The blue 
sky and sunny day cast the surrounds in a golden light that brought 
out all the colors of spring, the reds, oranges, yellows and purples. 
A few Prairie Cone Flowers sprouted nearby and Reyes studied 
one in detail marvelling at their unusual shape and their yellow and 
burgundy hues.

The stream before them gurgled like liquid gold as it made its 
rocky path over sand and pebbles. A horse further up the stream 
imbibed thirstily as another one approached alongside and also 
partook. A gentle breeze wafted over their faces as they drank in 
the tranquillity. It was truly a beautiful place. It would be a real 
shame if the family had to leave because of something that was not 
yet explained.

Reyes was hopeful that when Carmen arrived she would be able to 
shed light on whether this case was indeed paranormal or 
something else. Doggett was sure the lab would come up with 
some answers on testing the recorded phone messages. He looked 
across to his peaceful smiling partner and took her hand in his. She 
squeezed his in reciprocation of friendship.

"I'm still annoyed how the contents of the case file didn't make us 
fully prepared for this situation. Those noises in the night, your 
incapacitation." "The Pendletons did say they'd only heard them a 
few times and thought, like we did, that it was a large animal or 
bird. To them it wasn't significant to the case."

"Every little bit helps." Doggett was right.

"So do you think Sharon was telling the whole truth?" Reyes broke 
the silence but spoke softly. "I think she was holding something 
back. Did you see her eyes look down when you mentioned your 
dreams?" Doggett was always astute with the body language. 
"She's had them too." "How do you know?" "I didn't want to press 
her in front of her parents because if they were indeed sexual like 
mine then I can understand her embarrassment." She felt his hand 
tighten on hers as she spoke. "John, they were so real."

"Tell me how that can be. You say it was me who was doing these 
things to you, when I wasn't even touching you." He still looked 
sceptical. "It was you John, no doubt." "It's all beyond me." He 
looked away into the distance then back at his partner. "Let's hope 
your friend Sharon has something to add because I'm at a loose 
end."

There was silence as they once again taking in the marvellous vista 
and pondered.

"So where should Carmen sleep?" Doggett wanted Reyes to come 
up with the solution he needed. "Perhaps on the couch, I'm not sure 
we should let her stay in David's and Sally's bed." She smiled at his 
slight annoyance. "You were hoping I'd say that she can I have my 
bed and I'll sleep with you." "Yes, after what happened today in the 
bathroom and on the kitchen table we need some closure thanks 
Ms. Reyes." "So you want to make love to me tonight in your bed 
while Carmen is in the bedroom next door." "I had thought about 
it." Doggett continued nodding but then changed his tune. "And 
that would be highly unprofessional." "Got it Mr. Doggett."

"So you're saying we have to go through sexual frustration while 
Carmen is out there sleeping on the couch." Reyes held his hand 
more tightly and smiled. "When's she expected anyway?"

"If she got a flight the same time as us then it'll be around nine." 
"Hmm." Doggett looked at his watch. Four thirty, nine o'clock. 
That leaves us three and a half hours. One hour to cook and eat 
dinner and the rest of the time to.....?" He looked at Reyes out of 
the corner of his eye to see if she got the hint he was making.

"If you mean what I think you mean then you're a randy man John 
Doggett." He squeezed her hand tighter then got up to a standing 
position pulling her with him.

"I have this technique for getting women wild for me." He spoke 
into her ear. "You mean apart from just talking to them with that 
voice of yours?" He chuckled and responded, "Want to try it out? 
One hundred percent guarantee." "Do I get my money back if it 
doesn't work?"

"If it doesn't work then you get Brad back." The look on his face 
was mischievous. She liked this side of her X-Files partner.

...............................

Doggett lay Reyes on her back on his bed, spread her legs and 
knelt between them. She looked up at him with a flushed neck just 
aroused by the way he picked her up and carried her to his bed. 
He'd taken her socks and shoes off and then his own and was just 
waiting there looking at her expression of curiosity mixed with 
sexual anticipation.

All he used was his left index finger, leant over her and ran it along 
her lips, first the upper then the lower. She opened her mouth to 
kiss it but he shook his head.

"Absolutely no moving or I stop." She immediately complied. 
With the same finger he traced her eyebrows, along her forehead, 
seductively over her cheekbones and then her jaw line. "It only 
works if you are completely still and just feel it." The finger traced 
a slow trail down over her hot neck, zigzagging as it went down 
over the fabric of her clothing to between her breasts. He ran 
spirals around each breast but just leaving the most sensitive part 
to crave his touch.

She wanted to move her chest so that he touched her nipples. He 
stopped for a moment and looked deep into her eyes. "No moving 
or you keep Brad." He teased. She was wet for him just by his 
voice and demeanour even though he'd barely touched her yet. The 
lone finger moved to her abdomen where he lifted the hem of her 
top exposing bare flesh. He then drew lazy circles around her 
navel. Over and over he spiralled in, starting further out with large 
arcs then making smaller and smaller circles until he barely 
touched the navel. Her wetness was soaking her pants by then. She 
wanted to just rip off all her clothes and his and go for it but the 
determined look on his face suggested to her that he would deliver 
on his threat.

The finger trailed over her hip down her thigh to her knee then 
slowly up the inner thigh almost to her wetness. He smiled 
seductively as the finger intentionally missed that spot that she 
craved for him to touch and repeated the procedures on her other 
thigh. His touch tantalized her even through the thin material of her 
pants. It seemed as though he had perfected this move because it 
was highly arousing. Then she understood his confidence. His left 
hand moved up to her chest and with the backs of his fingers he 
felt her thumping heart and he smirked.

"So are you wild for me yet Monica Reyes?" "Yes," she 
whimpered, anxious about moving. "I didn't hear you. Say it!" He 
taunted. "Yes, I'm wild for you John." "Good." He got up and 
began to leave the room. "John?"

He turned back with the sexiest smile she had ever seen. "The 
guarantee was to make you wild for me. I've done that at your own 
admission." "Come back here. You're not leaving me hanging like 
this." "Oh, you wanted the first time to be special remember. Will 
this be special enough?"

"Yes, it will be, just come here and fuck me!" The look on his face 
changed from boldness to lust as he walked back over to the bed. 
He straddled her hips and leant down and breathed words on her 
mouth. "I'm going to make you come like you never have before." 
As she began to answer, he took her words in his mouth, 
enveloping her lips. This time the kiss was even better; he moved 
his whole body over hers as he moaned out her name between 
kisses. Their oral hot fluids exchanged and combined in a mix of 
pure lust. Reyes could take no more. She tugged at the hem of his 
T-shirt and he got the hint and lifted it off over his chest and 
amazing arms. She watched as his muscles flexed and it made her 
ache for him even more.

"Come on, sit up a bit." He once again undid her lemon wrap-over 
top and took it all the way off and dropped it on the floor, there 
was no need for neatness, sex was far more important. He let her 
breasts free with a swift unsnapping of her bra.

He smiled as he looked at her perfect form and saw that small mole 
just underneath her left breast. Follmer had been testing him. Now 
he snickered knowing that what Follmer wanted he had. How 
would he feel then if he knew that his lover was underneath 
another man about to be fucked hard?

Reyes anxiously went for his belt and he let her undo it as he 
played with her breasts. The nipples stuck out even further than 
before showing heightened arousal. When her hand once again 
went to the mass that was in his jeans and clutched it he had to take 
action and quickly.

"Monica, be prepared to be fucked." He awkwardly got off the bed 
to take off his jeans and briefs. To remove them on the bed would 
have been awkward in his condition. She eyed him with passion-
filled awe as he let his manhood free. It wavered enticingly as he 
got back on the bed and her mouth salivated thinking about that 
shaft being inside her. She wanted to engulf it in her mouth but that 
could wait for another time. There was plenty of time to explore 
that side of sex.

As he hooked his fingers in her pants and underwear he pulled 
them down slowly to reveal her naked beauty. As they came off he 
didn't watch where they fell because he had his eyes on her. He 
lingered over her as she spread her legs for him, his erection just 
there pressing against her hot, wet entrance. "This is it Monica," 
He breathed, the tip of his penis rubbing against her clit. "There's 
no turning back after this. Do you want me?" How could she not 
want him when his naked, alluring body was on hers and he had 
his weapon right at her cavity? She could see the pulse in his neck 
throb from the strain of over stimulation.

"Yes, I want you John. Do it to me." To help him along she moved 
her right hand down and held his stiffness. It felt so good in her 
hands and knew it would give her pleasure many times to come. 
She moved the head over her clit collecting juices and then found 
her entrance. What she felt next was far better than any of her 
fantasies. John Doggett, her partner and now lover was pushing his 
erection inside her for the very first time. She moved up to meet 
him wanting to feel him fill her completely with his shaft. She 
expanded to accommodate his perfect size and wanted it to stay 
there indefinitely.

The look of pure elation and concentration his face was an extra 
turn on for her. He slowly pulled out and then pushed in again just 
as gradually as though this was a totally new experience for him. 
In a way it was. She was a woman who loved him and wanted him 
to make love to her for the first time. He had done this before, 
many times. He knew just how to get her juices flowing. He was 
experienced at lovemaking and she was so pleased she would be 
able to experience with him a whole new repertoire of sexual 
activities.

As he moved in and out more freely he leant down to kiss her 
mouth again. The slow pumping below quickened as both their 
bodies became more active and vocal. Reyes could feel her soul 
leave her body as the first twinges of her orgasm approached. 
Doggett must have sensed the change in her and quickened his 
movements.

"Jo - ohn!" Reyes moaned his name as he thrust in and out of her 
with force. Her orgasm grew to a crescendo spilling out her fluid 
onto his throbbing shaft. As it died down and her body convulsed 
with the after shock he spilled his seed into her with a rumble 
coming from his throat. She'd never heard this sound previously 
from him but she'd never been made love to by him before. It 
excited her that there was so much of John Doggett yet to explore.

"Was that special enough?" Doggett smiled and kissed Reyes 
lightly on her rose-petal lips.  She smiled back with fulfilled 
affirmation and they shared a longer more passionate kiss, their 
skin touching and sharing body heat. ...............

Chapter Nine Pendleton Farm 6 pm

The agents were woken from their post-coital drowsiness with 
what they thought in hindsight may have been a knock at the front 
door. Their naked bodies were sprawled out on top of the bed 
covers in the same positions they had been when Doggett had 
rolled off his lover after the incredible kiss that brought their first 
coital encounter to its magical conclusion. Doggett's arm draped 
over Reyes' midriff and her right knee bent up, her ankle linked 
with his. Someone could have painted his and her picture and it 
would have been admired for years as the perfect aftermath of 
loving sex; a beautiful contented naked couple sleeping after 
glorious union.

Their eyes drowsily opened and focussed on the room around them 
then on each other. The cloud of recent sex and slumber 
progressively cleared and they looked at each other with renewed 
focus. Each of them had waited an eternity for this day, Reyes 
longer than Doggett. Both smiled as Doggett ran a lone finger over 
Reyes' dewy abdomen. She moved her toes up and down his 
calves. Their first physical union had been beyond their 
imaginings. The foreplay had been teasingly sexy and the act had 
been explosive. Follmer was great between the sheets but the man 
beside her was only one in fantasies and in the movies. She'd often 
seen Doggett as a sexual being. The passion, dedication, fire and 
athleticism he exuded in his work life she'd imagined permeating 
into his sex life. She was not half wrong. She'd imagined correctly. 
He was strong yet controlled, desiring gratification yet wanting to 
give pleasure more.

Doggett had first had fantasies of Reyes when he was still a 
married man. His marriage was failing but she had been there for 
him. He had been attracted to her caring, empathic and positive 
side. He thought some of her notions were downright farfetched 
and fanciful and to that day couldn't understand where some of her 
thought processes emanated. However, without complaint she'd 
calmed his inner demons and tempered his scepticism. What had 
first attracted her to him was the way she wore her clothes and her 
dress sense. Just like a male his dick ruled his heart but as he spent 
more time with her, he found her more and more comfortable to be 
with.

She may have had a tender, caring, accepting nature but she was 
not a walkover either. If she disagreed with unfairness she would 
speak her mind. Doggett admired her inner strength and the fact 
that she'd stand up for what she believed in no matter the quizzical 
looks or insubordinate frowns she would receive. When she was 
right and got results what could they do?

As Doggett began moving his fingers over her breasts she sighed 
contentment and rolled her bare body towards him, her arousal 
building again with every measured caress. Her hand went to his 
chest feeling over the bumps then with a flat hand on his skin and 
looking into his impious face with her own lust, she moved her 
hand up slowly and then over his shoulder and down his left upper 
arm feeling more hard bumps of his physique. This was the body 
she'd only dreamed about feeling and could only imagine in the 
last years underneath his work clothes.

He watched her intently as she followed the movement of her hand 
on his curves. Each caress, every pore traversed sent energy to his 
core, his sexual furnace.  He could tell by the licking of her lips 
and her eyes probing his that she wanted sexual gratification again. 
It had all been too long in starting. He wanted it too. His internal 
oven had reignited. He looked down into her eyes from above then 
moved his gaze to her lips. Her jaw moved just as she had in the 
car that time she'd wanted him to kiss her on one Friday night after 
a beer.

His lips dropped to hers in synchrony with his warm naked flesh 
on her chest. Her legs spread in response to his uncovered hips on 
hers. Once again his mouth met hers but this time they were 
kissing as consummated lovers. His hard on waited at her opening 
for her to grant entrance once again. It wasn't often she wanted sex 
so soon after the previous session but this man made her hot for 
him. Just a look, a simple touch sent messages to her core to let 
this man into her heart and body. With silence because no words 
were needed Doggett pushed himself inside her. This time he knew 
what it would be like, hot, wet and tight. His face went trancelike 
as he thrust deeply.

There were many faces to John Doggett but the expressions mid 
sex were the most exciting and novel to her. He would never be 
able to hide his true feelings from her. His face said it all and this 
face was in another world, one of pleasuring his woman and in the 
process receiving indulgence himself. She watched him; her feet 
feeling up and down his calves, her hands moving wantonly over 
the skin of his back, until her own ecstasy took over and once more 
the tide was coming in.

The whimpers, sighs and accelerated movements of their bodies 
increased as they pushed each other towards the best gratification 
sex could give. Doggett surprised himself that he could come again 
so soon after the first and that it was even better. He looked down 
at his lover and saw satisfaction written all over her. Her internal 
muscles spasmed on him drawing out more love juices than he 
thought possible to give.

Still in virtual silence they embraced. In between numerous kisses 
they smiled at each other knowing they had made the right 
decision to become sexual partners. It was all too good to be true, 
it was a fairytale, but it was very real.

Then there was a loud banging on the bedroom window and an 
accompanying voice.

....................

At first they thought it had been their imaginations, then they 
considered that the entity or whatever it was might have returned. 
After the next knock on the bedroom window they realized that 
Carmen must have arrived earlier than they thought. Through the 
curtain haze they made out a form.

"Monica, are you there?" Carmen's voice could be heard just 
outside the window.

Suddenly the unhurried air changed to haste. They were both 
totally naked and sweaty after having made love for a second time 
and someone wanted to be let inside.

"I'm coming. Go to the front door." Doggett called to the shape at 
the window. "You certainly did come Agent Doggett." "Hmmm, 
yes and so did you if I recall, twice." With a contented rumble and 
a smile he gave her a single kiss on her lips.

Doggett got out of bed and hurriedly put on his clothes leaving his 
socks and shoes for later. He ran his fingers through his tousled 
hair and indicated that he'd answer the door. Luckily they had 
locked it or their visitor may have unexpectedly found a couple of 
unclothed agents in bed together, something they didn't want as 
common knowledge just then.

"You talk to her John? I have to have a quick shower or she'll 
know we were being playful." "Okay, a quick one, I'm not 
convinced who we're dealing with here. If she's a crackpot I'm not 
sure I'll give her good first impressions."

Monica got out of bed in good spirits. "She's not a crackpot as you 
so tactfully put it. She's a very charming gifted woman. And since 
when did you care about giving good first impressions?" She 
joked. He looked sideways at her with mock annoyance. "You 
deserve punishment for that remark Agent Reyes." One last time 
he approached her with a playful air and wrapped his arms around 
her nude form. "Have you ever been spanked?" "No I haven't." She 
quipped back. "Then anticipate it because that's what you deserve." 
He growled into her mouth just as he took her lips with his. The 
kiss was fervent overlooking the person who was waiting at the 
front door. It was also a promise of what was to come.

Reluctantly they broke apart. Doggett's lips were moist and 
inviting. She could have kissed them for hours. She quietly 
resented the intrusion at that time but Carmen was the one needed 
here to help move their case along.

Doggett pointed to her and impishly smiled as he went to the door. 
"You just wait," he mouthed. Reyes' heart thumped with 
expectation at his sexy words. Once out of the room and the door 
closed she headed for John's ensuite bathroom.

..........................

"You must be Agent Doggett." Carmen held out her hand and they 
shook just before she brushed past him into the living room of the 
Pendleton farmhouse. She looked and walked around the room as 
she spoke. "Where's Monica?" She ran a finger along the mantel as 
though checking for dust then rubbed her fingers together. Picking 
up a framed family photograph she studied it then placed it back in 
the same position. Doggett noticed she was particular with its 
placement.

"John." He was trying to sum up this woman who had breezed into 
the house and seemed at home already. He had still to form his first 
impressions of this friend of Monica's.

Before him walked an attractive woman with mid length brown 
hair, amazing green eyes and dressed in a casual green v-neck 
sweater and low cut denim jeans. She was a little shorter than 
Reyes but so far seemed to have the personality to match. Doggett 
could see why the women got along.

"Took you a while to let me in." At that comment Doggett 
wondered how long she had been waiting and how much had she 
heard before knocking on the bedroom window and why that 
window? What had they been doing just before her knocking 
interrupted them? Doggett's jaw clenched a little recalling the 
decibels of their mutual orgasms and the euphoric feeling of 
having Reyes' sweaty hot body clinging to his.

"We were just having quiet time before dinner." He tried to be 
discreet but some diffidence must have shown through. "We didn't 
hear you knock."

She looked over to him with a small smirk. Did she know or 
suspect?

"So how did you meet her?" She continued her scrutiny of the 
room as she listened. "Meet Monica?" It occurred to him then, why 
hadn't he known of this friend of Reyes' before the previous case? 
There was a lot about Monica Reyes he didn't know. It was she 
who listened to him about his troubles. She just took it all in, 
everything he imparted to her, his anxieties, his spur of the 
moment troubles. He was going to have to get to know her better. 
"I don't really want to get into that now, maybe later." The thought 
of bringing up the death of his son and how Reyes had been 
assigned to the case was not part of his current agenda.

As though she owned the place she began to walk towards the 
bedrooms. Doggett didn't want her stumbling across his room and 
the state of his recently played in bed so had to distract her.

"She's just showering. She'll be out soon." With those words to her, 
she looked across to him, really looking at him for the first time. 
Her eyes gazed over the man before her. "Hmm, John, I can see 
what Monica sees in you. Do you cook too?" "Pardon?" "She's told 
me all about you, you know." "No, what's that?" "Oh, just girl 
talk." Her gaze went to a painting on the wall. It was a family 
portrait. Not the Pendletons but the similar facial features 
suggested they were relatives. A lone finger ran over the canvass, 
falling over two parents and a boy and girl siblings probably about 
eight and ten.

Seeming to have finished her scrutiny of that room she dreamily 
turned and moved towards Doggett. "Did I disturb something by 
coming here?" Doggett followed her gaze down to his crotch. He 
quickly did up the half zipped fly of his hurriedly put on jeans and 
continued as though nothing had happened.

"Look Ms. Stone, Monica seems to think that you can be of help 
here." "Please call me Carmen." She smiled confidently into his 
eyes. "Two people, alone in a house in a secluded area, both single 
and attractive........" Doggett knew where she was coming from and 
probably had an idea that Reyes and he had recently consummated 
their relationship. Not wanting this as part of the conversation he 
stuck to the original reason for her appearance.

"We're also federal agents and partners." He left that topic behind. 
"Carmen, do you feel anything here, or whatever you do to sense 
the paranormal if that's what it is?"

"She told me about your non beliefs." "Whatever. We just want 
this case solved, simple as that." She smiled and went towards the 
kitchen with him following. Looking into a few cupboards and 
then around the room as she spoke,

"At the moment I feel normality but it's presumably at night these 
things have been happening?" "So you have no equipment, 
technology to test for these things, just your feelings?"

She laughed a self-assured laugh. "I have equipment in the car 
outside." "What, a Ouija board or something?" She laughed again, 
"That too. I have to tell you John that most of the time people who 
think that it's the paranormal at work it's not. The human mind is 
very powerful and can conjure up what it believes are very real 
experiences."

"So do you think that might be what's happening here?" "Just 
because I don't feel anything now John doesn't mean that it's all 
your imagination. We'll need to wait and see." He nodded, not 
knowing what else to say.

"Seems these entities of yours haven't stopped you from enjoying 
yourselves." Her smile was puckish. Not that topic again. Doggett 
just rolled his eyes hoping Reyes would make her presence known 
really soon.

...........................

Reyes, dressed in fresh clothes, went to join the other two in the 
kitchen. She wore her Johnny collar burgundy ribbed sweater and 
her low rise blue London jeans that flared from the knee. Doggett's 
eyes widened as she entered the room and she glowed appreciation 
at his expression. The afternoon before the plane trip she'd made a 
trip to Victoria's Secret knowing that her selection would wow her 
suitor. So far it had all worked to plan.

There was a gentle throbbing in her groin as her gaze fell on his 
and remembered the amazing sex they'd shared not long 
beforehand. Looking at him standing there in his clothes that only 
made her hotter for him she hardly noticed Carmen at first.

"Monica." The women greeted each other with a hug. "You look 
great. I can tell you're in love. I've seen that look before." Reyes' 
expression turned quizzical and she looked over to Doggett who 
slightly shook his head. "Carmen, what do you mean?" "Brad told 
me you two had stepped your relationship up a notch."

Doggett didn't want to hear this. It all could be dealt with back in 
DC after the solving of the current case. He wanted all thoughts of 
oily faced Follmer and what would occur when he found out for 
certain about him and Reyes' relationship, to stay at the back of his 
mind.

"Ladies, it's been a long day, I'm off for a shower too." "Okay 
John. I'll fill Carmen in as to what's happened here." Doggett 
smiled thinking about Reyes leaving out some of the more 
pertinent details such as how good it had been in bed together. 
He'd rearrange the bedcovers and get rid of all evidence of his and 
Reyes' recent intimacy. He had a feeling Carmen would be 
inspecting the place very carefully.

When Doggett was out of earshot Reyes had to have some 
questions answered.

"Carmen, you saw Brad recently?" She pulled out a chair and sat at 
the kitchen table. Her friend followed suit. "Yes, he said you might 
need a hand here." "He was the one who sent you?" It suddenly 
occurred to her that perhaps their immediate superior had not been 
informed of this. "Yes, what's wrong?" "So, what about Assistant 
Director Skinner? Does he know about this? He's the one who sent 
us here. I was under the impression he wanted us to solve the case 
alone." "All I know is that Brad called by my place and mentioned 
this case to me and thought it would be up my alley. I just assumed 
it was all above board."

Reyes saw it all for what it was and felt very tempted to call 
Follmer and take a piece out of him. On the other hand she didn't 
want to even think about him and his slimy tactics any more. "You 
seem annoyed Monica. Should I leave?" She rested a consoling 
hand on her friend's arm.

Reyes shook her head before she spoke, "No Carmen, stay. We do 
need you after all. It's just that Skinner should have been 
consulted; Brad has no authority. Don't worry, we'll call him in the 
morning." "So what's going on Monica? Why would he do that?"

She got out of her chair and went for the fridge. "Juice Carmen?" If 
she was going to talk about this with someone she needed 
something she could grip. "Yes please, is there apple?" "There's 
cider, non-alcoholic." Reyes poured two tall glasses and placed 
them on the table as she sat. After a moment she decided to just 
come out with it. "Brad's asked me to marry him." "Oh Monica, 
that's wonderful. Have you accepted?" Carmen's whole body 
looked alive.

"That's where it's tricky." "Tell me Monica." They both took long 
sips from their glasses. "I'm in love with another man." Her friend's 
continued body language suggested that it was all so exciting, 
almost like an episode of 'Days of Our Lives'. "I've been in love 
with him for a while but he hadn't seemed to reciprocate that way 
so when Brad wanted to start dating again it seemed the logical 
way to go." "I sense more here than meets the eye. So Brad knows 
about this other man and has to keep an eye on you?"

Reyes didn't want to let on that this other man was Doggett. It was 
too soon, so decided to steer her thoughts away from that notion. 
"Maybe he thought I'd be here with him and that's why he sent you 
as an oblivious spy." "Okay, that makes sense." Carmen took 
another sip. "He wants me to ring him in the morning to report 
back." "And he'll ask you about more than just the case." "Have 
you slept with this man Monica? You don't have to give me details 
if you don't want to."

"Yes and it's the most wonderful experience you can imagine. He 
is so sexy and loving and gentle, just perfect in bed." "Does he 
have a brother?" She smirked and Reyes chuckled. "Sisters-in-law 
sounds good to me." Carmen downed the rest of the cider. "You 
have to tell him Monica. Let him down gently. He'll be hurt by 
this." "I know and it's my fault for leading him on as I did."

Both women were lost in their own thoughts only being interrupted 
when the phone rang.

.........................

They looked at each other with startled expressions. "Brad?" 
questioned Carmen. Reyes got up to answer and held out the 
receiver for her friend. "Who is it?" "Just listen." Carmen held the 
receiver to her ear and her eyes widened. Reyes watched her every 
expression seeing her eyes expanded with interest. "There's 
definitely someone or something there, they are trying to 
communicate." She listened to the phone call longer. "It's a 
message that I can't quite make out." Her eyes squinted as though 
that would help focus her mind. "It's the same message repeated 
over and over."

"Like it's recorded?" "No," She listened longer. "Hello, do you 
hear me?" The distorted noise continued unaltered. "You can talk 
to me, I'm here to listen." "Anything?" Reyes had one hand on the 
kitchen bench resting part of her weight. Carmen shook her head. 
"I'm ........ cheated........." "Is that what you hear?" Reyes was more 
attentive. "I'm, something, something cheated, and a few more 
words I can't make out." "You can hear that through all that 
noise?" "Listen." She handed the phone to Reyes. As she listened 
her face began to contort. "Monica?" Reyes' mouth opened then 
she bit her lower lip as her body folded over in pain, a death grip 
on her stomach. The phone receiver clunked on the bench and 
Carmen returned it to the cradle and moved to her friend. "Tell 
me."

Reyes began to unfold again as suddenly as she had collapsed. 
Carmen looked from the phone to Reyes putting two and two 
together, but not understanding why. "What did you feel? Tell me 
Monica." "As though a hand was squeezing my stomach tightly." 
She was fully upright then and seemed back to normal. "So it 
stopped when I put the phone back." Reyes just nodded, not 
understand any of that.

"Carmen I am glad you are here. There's so much to fill you in on 
that's not in the report. I assume you are familiar with the facts." 
"Yes, Brad informed me." Reyes was curious as to how he could 
have got his hands on the information if Skinner didn't know about 
this.

"Let's talk over dinner. The Pendleton's have left us with enough 
food for a month." "Okay, while you're getting organized here I'll 
go get my things from the car. I know, I'm happy to sleep on the 
couch, unless...." "Unless what?" She wondered if Carmen had an 
idea how badly Reyes wanted to sleep with Doggett all night. 
"How big is John's bed?" Reyes' eyes lit in apprehension. "Maybe I 
could bunk with him." "You're a tease Carmen." She just chuckled 
and went for the front door then turned back for one last remark. 
"He's some looker, I don't know why you haven't snapped him up 
already."

..................

Reyes smiled as she went towards Doggett's bedroom to let him 
know about dinner arrangements. "Yes he was a looker, as Carmen 
had so tactfully put it, and even more, and she was hers now. Their 
recent sexual union had placed their relationship into the lovers 
category and it made her feel very contented.

The hum of the shower could be heard through the open ensuite 
door. Her mind went to his naked body that she had seen a few 
times and wondered what it would be like in that shower with him. 
She slipped into the steamy heat of the bathroom and saw an arm 
go up above the curtain and she knew he must have been soaping 
himself.

"John?' "I didn't hear you come in." His face appeared around the 
curtain. She'd seen him wet before but never like this. The wet hair 
and the drips running down his face made her want to drink them 
all off him and then everywhere else on his body. "I'm just going to 
make something for dinner, will you be ready soon?" "I'm ready 
for you now." His face was impish. "Join me." "We can't John." He 
head turned back to the open door. "You don't know how tempting 
that offer is." "Then come here and kiss me." Reyes moved over 
and leaned her head towards his. His lips were hot from the shower 
and tasted delicious. She licked over each one then went in for a 
deep kiss. Droplets from his wet hair tickled her nose and she 
moved back laughing. "Oh John, I only wish we were alone." 
"Then close the door. We'll be quiet." "I can't, we can't risk this 
getting out. She's talked to Brad you know." Just then the front 
door slammed shut. Reyes closed the bathroom door and went 
back for one more kiss.

"You're making me wet!" "I should hope so." Doggett laughed at 
her choice of words. "I meant the shower."

"John?" A voice could be heard from the other side of the door. 
"Yes?" Doggett put a quietening finger to his lips. "I can't seem to 
find Monica, would you tell her I'm going into town? There's 
something I forgot to bring with me. I need to check if there are 
any stores open." "Okay, I'll tell her." They exchanged 
mischievous glances. "I'll be about an hour okay?" "See you when 
you get back."

Doggett took Monica by the elbow and pulled her closer, almost 
making her slip on the wet floor. "John, this outfit cost me a 
fortune, you'll ruin it." "Come in here with me and I'll buy you two 
more." This side of Doggett she had rarely seen and it made her 
wild for him. "Just let me take my clothes off first." "No time. I'm 
ready for you now. Wanna see?"

Monica grinned as she began taking off her sweater while Doggett 
watched from the other side of the curtain. She had hoped for this 
occasion to show off her recently purchased sexy underwear. 
Doggett's eyes were transfixed at chest level. Her black plunge bra 
showed more cleavage than he's seen before. "Monica, come here." 
His outstretched arm caught one strap but she pried off his wet 
fingers. Then she stepped back a little to begin removing her jeans.

"Just wait John. You can have me. You can do anything you want 
to me but first let me undress." She slowly wriggled out of her 
pants revealing black v-sting panties. As her jeans moved down 
her body she turned showing the cherries motif on the back v.

"Anything I want?" Doggett was very aroused by that stage. He 
didn't wait for her to take off her underwear, he reached out and 
caught her elbow and gently pulled. She'd just got rid of her jeans 
and footwear when she was half way to the shower. "You're not 
going to let me finish are you?"

With just a mischievous grin Doggett pulled her into the shower 
with him. Reyes didn't resist this time; she knew it was no use. 
They stood there under the hot beads of water looking into each 
other's lustful eyes only for a moment before Doggett pinned her 
against the wall and planted her with the most heated kiss so far. 
The sounds that came from their oral ministrations were primitive. 
Reyes hoped that Carmen had indeed left the house by then or she 
would have come running to find out who was in pain. Getting 
closer to the source of the noises she'd recognize it was rapture.

The thin material of Reyes' underwear clung to her body as the 
steaming shower water made it more and more wet. This outlined 
the sexy shape of her curves even more and her hard nipples 
showed through the thin, revealing fabric. Doggett stood back as 
the water bounced off their bodies and he admired the goddess 
before him. His eyes travelling down to her v-string thong, up to 
her breasts then to her mouth made Reyes tingle all over and the 
heat between her legs began to rise. This was exactly what she'd 
imagined in her fantasies; Doggett looking over her exposed body 
with wonder, only this was real.

He ran two fingers of his left hand slowly down one bra strap to 
the cup and then slipped those fingers just inside the wet fabric and 
slithered them down over her cleavage to the front clasp. That 
manoeuvre alone made her wonder how recently he'd done this. 
His fingers were experienced in finding a female's weaknesses. He 
must have had woman chase after him. Why hadn't she been 
witness to this? He was certainly not the type to live like a monk 
for all these years. Then with his other fingers he worked on the 
remaining strap and ran those fingers inside the cup. Reyes' chest 
rose and fell deeply as she allowed him to take possession of her 
body. With fingers and thumb he snapped open the front clasp and 
let the fabric peel back a little revealing wet, tantalizing cleavage.

Everything she hankered for him to do he did, it was so seductive. 
She willed him to kiss and lick her breasts but he went one further. 
He kissed her mouth and then moved kisses down her neck to her 
breasts. Reyes felt his hot breath on her skin, which sent shivers 
down her spine. With his teeth he slowly peeled back the wet 
material from one breast exposing the nipple and then with a flat 
tongue he slurped up the trickles of shower water that ran over her 
rosy exposed flesh. He placed his whole mouth over her nipple and 
began suckling. Reyes positioned her hands on his shoulders and 
began feeling down his arms willing him to keep going. He kissed 
in the dip between her breasts over to the other soaked cup that 
stuck to her skin. Again with his teeth he peeled back the wet 
fabric like a second skin so that both breasts felt the spray of the 
water. His hot tongue on her nipple made her chest move closer to 
him. While he was licking, kissing and sucking her mind wandered 
to between her legs and how ready she was for him. As he paid 
oral attention to her breast his hands slipped up over the hot wet 
skin of her shoulders and pulled down the bra straps. Everything he 
did was slow, letting her feel each sensation ten times over. 
Gradually he stripped off her bra and let it drop with a splat to the 
shower base.

As her lover moved again to the other breast Reyes looked down to 
see his back and how each muscle moved as he lavished attention 
on her aroused skin. The water bounced off of him leaving his 
flesh glistening; she wanted to kiss every pore of his body.

She hoped he would kiss down to her wetness and suck there like 
he was doing to her nipple. As if by some psychic ability Doggett's 
mouth moved off her breasts and kissed and licked her navel. Yes, 
he was moving down, this was a good sign. The anticipation of 
how it would feel him sucking on her was causing her body to 
gyrate in waves with accompanying moans.

"Yes, John." Monica found it not easy to talk. "More." With two 
fingers of each hand he linked her v-string thong and deliberately 
pulled it down by the leisurely centimetre revealing more and more 
skin. He licked long strokes where the thin strap had been. Reyes 
heart thumped wildly in anticipation of where that tongue would be 
soon. His tongue licked over the exposed closely shaved pubic area 
as he moved the thong further down. With every lick and hot 
breath her temperature rose to boiling point. Her hands were 
absently sliding more quickly over his shoulders.

The straps were on her thigh when he lightly licked her labia 
sending rays of energy to every pore.

"Oh John, yes." As he licked he peeled the wet piece of fabric 
down her legs at a snail's pace. When it was at her ankles Doggett's 
knees were on the floor. She lifted her ankles one at a time to flick 
off the last remnant of her soaked underwear. Her legs 
automatically unwrapped, opening herself up to him. His sizzling 
breath on her labia was almost burning. With his thumbs he teased 
apart her sensitive lips and blew on her exposed sex making her 
shiver as his breath bounced off her clit. The expectation of what 
he would do next was overwhelming.

Then he finally took a long, gentle, lavishing taste of her wetness 
as the spraying water hit his strong back. Reyes was approaching 
an orgasm as he used all his mouth to suck and devour between her 
legs. This was something Brad never had done, been able to make 
her come by sucking her off. Reyes just knew that Doggett was 
doing all the right things to make her come in a big way. His lips 
nibbled at her clit and then he ran long strokes with his tongue all 
over her vulva.

The hint of her first ever orgasm this way with him was 
approaching as he ran his large hands gradually down her legs to 
her calves then felt all over her legs on the way up as far as they 
would go. How a man could do all these things at once was beyond 
her. His hands repeated the downward pattern but this time they 
came up even slower.

"Oh John, fuck. Keep doing that." She wanted to let him know that 
she was close. Doggett smiled as he felt the first flutters of her 
release on his mouth. This made his movements even steadier until 
the full force of her gushing juices hit his mouth. As she came and 
came he licked and sucked and swallowed everything slowly as 
she squirmed and moaned out his name feverishly. From the 
numbness in her legs her back began slipping on the wet shower 
wall. She couldn't think straight and would have hit the floor with a 
thud if Doggett hadn't planted his arms underneath hers.

Holding her steady, letting her recover, he looked at her natural 
beauty. Her eyes closed and her mouth a little open, her hair glossy 
wet and slicked back on her head, he felt proud he could do all the 
right things to make the woman of his dreams react the way he had 
always wanted his woman to respond.

When her breathing slowed he gently lifted her to her feet, 
constantly holding her until he felt her more steady. "How do you 
do it so well?' Reyes opened her eyes to look into John's. The area 
was still steamy and the steady beating of the spray on their skin 
was a reminder where they were. "Just you." It was a simple reply 
but the way he said it seductively into her ear gave her an 
overwhelming sense of love and longing for this man.

She moved her lips to his again as they hugged gently in the 
shower. Their linked bodies rotated unhurriedly letting the water 
hit parts that had recently been almost dry and cooling.

"Now it's your turn John." Reyes pulled back from the kiss to 
speak in a controlled whisper. "What would you like me to do for 
you? Something you've wanted for a long time."

..................................

"Monica, you don't have to. Just seeing you this way is all I need." 
He looked all over her face as he spoke. "You letting me do 
that....." He broke off emotionally. "What John? What is it?" He 
took a moment with unfocused expression then looked back into 
her face. His hands slipped over her back as he spoke. "I've only 
dreamt about doing that to you. That's the first time I've had 
anyone respond the way you did." "How could they not John? It 
was wonderful.' "Maybe because I've never felt this way about any 
woman for a long time." "This way?" "I've known you for a long 
time Monica." His left hand went to her cheek and with one finger 
he gently wiped away the moisture. She leant into this gesture and 
contentedly sighed. "I've never known a woman this long before I 
made love to her." "Me neither." Doggett smiled at her logical 
reply.

"I want you to know that everything we've done has been the most 
natural thing in my life." "Yes, it's been perfect John. You are 
perfect and now let me do something for you."

Keeping both hands on his chest she leant in for another delicious 
kiss. The way he moved his lips on hers and his tongue exploring 
sometimes gently and other times more forcefully made her want 
to be in that position for hours. She could imagine whole nights 
under the covers with this man just holding his naked body against 
hers and between dozes they would kiss for ages at a time. Their 
bodies would slither against each other slowly and their hands 
would explore, until sleep took over and they once again nodded 
off.

Reyes stood back a little and looked up and down the sexually 
equipped body she was about to devour. She had imagined what it 
would be like to lick this man all over but never understood just 
how enticing his body would be. Beginning at his chest she licked 
and sucked the water from his nipples. Using her tongue she traced 
his breastbone then ran circles over his pecs. Doggett's sudden 
intake of air made her more determined to let this man experience 
what she had wanted to try with him as soon as she'd seen his 
enticing naked skin for the first time.

He softly kneaded her shoulders as she made her way to his 
abdomen. For support she held onto his butt; it was also a part of 
his anatomy she had been keen to touch. It was tight and muscular 
and flexed enticingly as she slurped the water from his navel.

From the first time Reyes began moving down his flesh he knew 
her destination and anticipating this sent his blood pressure 
soaring. His erection bobbed near her neck and as her head moved 
down she let her chin feel along its hard, hot shaft. She nuzzled it 
with her nose making it sway back and forth.

"Monica." His voice was broken. As his body leant back gently 
into the wall she took the first taste with her tongue. It was slightly 
salty and knew the taste wasn't just from the shower spray. 
Doggett's heart was pumping madly as Reyes' tongue ran circles 
around the head and then just put the tip in her mouth and sucked. 
Her lover's knees began to bend but he knew he would have to 
keep standing or maybe miss this opportunity to be engulfed by the 
most tantalizing woman of his dreams.

Lightly with her teeth she scraped over the head and he gasped and 
grunted. She was gauging his reactions; she wanted to do this right. 
Lifting her head into the stream of water she filled her mouth a 
little then went down on him again, this time sucking more 
feverishly. Her smile moved downward along his shaft then up in 
long slow movements. Doggett was making moaning noises with 
his throat each time he felt most of his penis deep inside her hot 
mouth. He had never had a head job quite like this before. No one 
had put their heart and soul into it like Reyes was doing. The 
mouth was alive and the movements of her tongue hit all the right 
places. Every so often she would slow the pace to nuzzle him again 
and run her tongue over the rigid skin then when she engulfed him 
again it felt even better.

Doggett knew he was about to come. His hard on had raged ever 
since before he'd seen her undressing. Would he urge her to stop so 
he could finish the job deep inside her, pinned against the shower 
wall, or let her continue the control? She knew exactly what she 
was doing and anyhow it was too late. Reyes knew it too because 
her head bobbed up and down on him with more rhythm willing 
him to explode in her mouth. The surge was too much to resist. 
Like a swarm of bees the rush came on from a distance until it was 
close enough to deafen the thoughts of his surroundings. He was 
barely aware of what was happening below until he looked down 
and saw Reyes still holding his sated dick in her mouth. At no time 
had she let go so she must have swallowed. He'd had blowjobs 
before but this felt totally natural and unforced. It was clearly 
number one.

When she was done she slowly stood, feeling over the contours of 
his back as she reached full height. "You are an amazing woman." 
"Helps if the man I suck off is as enticing as you." She smiled a 
smug smile and they held each other knowing they had each had 
experienced more than just sex.

................................

"So what's this about Carmen and Brad?" Even though they had 
both showered and soaped they did this again, each helping the 
other to reach those places that women wanted to touch on men 
and that Reyes wanted Doggett to touch on her.  They'd both 
reached orgasmic states but this was also arousing. All their 
dreams at once were becoming reality. It heightened in them their 
sexual libidos. As they spoke both sets of hands soaped seductively 
over each other's skin.

"Do we have to talk about him?" Reyes relathered her hands and 
ran them over that back that not too long ago had made her weak at 
the knees to watch. Her fingers and palms felt every muscle. "Just 
tell me does Skinner know?" His hands trailed down her back to 
her butt. The slow movements of their limbs were gradually 
reigniting their passion. "Does he know about Carmen being 
here?" "How did you know that Brad sent her?" His hands moved 
to her breasts and she smiled and crooned as he cupped and 
squeezed them. "It was obvious from the phone call. He's keeping 
tabs on us Monica." Moving his fingers to the soap dish he rubbed 
up and lather and then moved both hands down slowly slipping 
between her opening legs. Reyes took a while before she could 
speak. He was once again doing wonders below, this time with his 
fingers. Her hands slid down the hard curves of his biceps as her 
blood pressure was rising again. "And he has every right to be 
worried." Reyes squirmed as two fingers slid inside her and began 
thrusting and moving in circles alternately. "How can I go back to 
him after this?" Doggett caught her last words as he placed his 
mouth on hers, as though reinforcing her thoughts that the better 
man in every way was with her right then. "John." Her lips moved 
back so they were just touching his. As she spoke he felt her mouth 
move on his. "Let's continue this in bed."

Doggett grinned and began rinsing off the soap on his hands, then 
her body. When they were both clear of lather they stepped out of 
the shower and dried each other. Each got a lingering look at the 
naked body with whom they had just been intimate. Once dry 
Reyes took Doggett's hand and led him to the bed. It was narrower 
than they had been used to but it meant they had to be close.

She encouraged Doggett into the bed first then she snuggled back 
into him. He burrowed up behind her hard as a rock and started 
nibbling on her ear and lightly caressing down her arm. She melted 
into his body and reached back to handle his manhood. She stroked 
him remembering back to the shower when this hard large alive 
member was in her mouth. It was solid and warm and rigid for her. 
Her fingers felt over his balls lightly rolling them in her fingers. 
His hot breath in her ear reminded her of how close they had 
become in so little time. It was as though they had been making 
love for years. Love making with this man was so natural. With 
Brad it was good but this was special, both lovers expressed 
passion beyond words.

They were both so turned on by the mutual friction.  Reyes moved 
into position for him to enter her. He parted her legs slightly and 
moved his hips to glide into her, slowly pumping in and out. 
Doggett rumbled into her ear as his thrusts gained rhythm. Her 
head moved back so that her cheek met his mouth. He kissed it 
slowly brushing his lips over the velvety surface. The fresh clean 
smell of their bodies and the soft texture of skin on skin contact 
made the experience trance like.

The rhythm continued as both sets of hips moved to get the deepest 
possible penetration and pleasure.

Doggett's hand snaked around from her arm, over her abdomen and 
to between her legs. As his dick pumped her chasm his fingers 
rubbed her hard clit, shooting waves of raw gratification through 
both of their bodies. Her hand moved down over his arm feeling 
the few hairs there and down to the fingers that were working on 
her clit. As he handled her she rested her finger on his as if going 
along for the ride. Then she placed her hand so she could feel him 
penetrating her, wet and slippery, just resting her fingers gently. 
She imagined what her fingers were seeing and it made her wild 
with rapture.

Her hand feeling his plunging shaft and balls was too much for him 
to bear. "Oooh Monica," he breathed on her face. "Beautiful." He 
began to lose control but as he did he felt gushes and pulsing on his 
fingers and felt free to let loose and enjoy the experience knowing 
that he had also satisfied the woman with whom he was in intimate 
contact. They were in their own little bubble as the heat slowly 
returned to normal. The two lovers stayed in the same position in 
which they had finished just sinking into the bed, letting all their 
muscles relax. This was better than at the end of a good session of 
yoga. Reyes was the first to move and turned lazily to face him. 
Their contented expression reflected off each other.

"So why should Brad be worried?" Doggett couldn't help but bring 
up the previous conversation as he held her in a soft, close 
embrace. She moved around in his embrace getting the best 
position to fit her body with his. "He doesn't know how good you 
feel with your arms around me. He doesn't know how I feel when 
you make love to me with your whole self." Her hand wandered 
absently over his back. "Why him Monica? Why did you go back 
to him with what he did?"

She looked into his searching eyes and felt content that the face 
looking at her was the one she wanted forever. "You weren't 
available. I needed someone and Brad was there." "I wasn't 
available? You don't know how much I've wanted you. Ever since 
you were setting up your apartment that was a sign you were 
definitely going to stay in DC. When I came that first day I knew 
there was something in your manner that seemed more than 
friendship."

"Hmm." Reyes smiled with the memory. "That was a moment that 
showed we were comfortable with each other." She nestled in 
closer starting to feel the air around her chill a little. "So what will 
you tell Brad when we get back?" She draped her arms tightly 
around him gathering all his warmth. "That I will need to think 
through. I don't want to hurt him but I can't go back to him now." 
"Maybe if he catches us in bed together in your apartment he'll get 
the hint. He does have a key?" "So what would you want us to be 
doing when he walked in?" Reyes said playfully.

"I'd want to be fucking you hard and show him what really needs 
to be done to please a special woman." "So you wouldn't stop 
when he caught us?" Reyes knew the answer by the rascally look 
in her lover's eyes.

"So will I get a key? "You'll get keys to more than just my 
apartment John Doggett." She beamed and kissed his lips.

This time they heard the car pulling up outside and quickly visited 
the bathroom and dressed before they were caught out again.

.................................

Reyes let Carmen inside with a shopping bag in one hand and a 
black PC laptop case in the other.  Reyes took the laptop as the bag 
looked quite heavy, and trailed her to the kitchen.

"I didn't think the family would be expecting a third party here so 
I'm replacing some of the provisions, some for tonight and 
something you two might like later."  She busied herself in the 
kitchen unpacking the bag. Reyes left the black case on the nearby 
table. They were unspoken while Carmen took a couple of bottles 
of champagne, and some other goodies that began to make Reyes' 
mouth water. In fact it was unusually silent. Her friend was 
regularly quite talkative. "You didn't have to, there's plenty here." 
Reyes tried to read into Carmen's body language. There was 
something wrong, it wasn't often she would have her back to her as 
they conversed. She decided to wait until her friend was prepared 
to talk.

"Monica," She spun around really noticing her friend for the first 
time since she'd returned. "What?" Carmen was looking at her 
strangely for an instant. Reyes didn't think that she might have to 
explain about her still wet hair when she'd already had a shower 
before her friend left. "You get caught in a sudden downpour?" 
Reyes instinctively put a hand to her hair following Carmen's gaze. 
"Um," she was stuck for words as she tried to read the expression 
before her. "Never mind," She shrugged. "I am starved. After 
dinner and before bed I'll have to set up." Reyes was a little 
relieved that the inconsistency was so easily dismissed but still felt 
the changed vibes in the air. There was a definite change in the 
Carmen before the outing to the woman afterwards. Something had 
happened in the past hour, more than just shopping.

"Set up?" Doggett enquired as he entered the room for the first 
time since Carmen's return. She looked over at a relaxed looking 
man and saw him look towards his partner, his eyes full of life. 
"Yes," she hesitated a moment, looking a little off guard. 
"Detection meters." "Detection meters?" "Yes," she looked from 
one agent to the other. "Equipment to detect evidence of the 
paranormal." "Evidence of ghosts." Doggett's voice sounded 
unconvinced. "I thought you said our imaginations were doing all 
this." "No, what I said was that most of the time it's nothing to do 
with the presence of the paranormal. Most situations can be 
explained logically."

"And that's what's happening here, right?" He continued to probe. 
All this time Reyes stood back from the conversation and watched 
the interchange between her friend and lover. "I don't know yet. 
There have only been two things I've seen so far that would 
suggest anything out of the ordinary, that phone call and the way 
Monica reacted as she listened. The noises in the night you told me 
about, I've yet to witness."

Doggett darted a glance at Reyes as Carmen continued, "How do 
you feel now Monica?" "Totally normal." "Has there been any 
other time you've felt this other than on the phone?" "Have you 
told her Monica?" Doggett used his matter of fact voice. Reyes 
was holding off as long as possible telling her friend about her 
lucid dreaming. It was slightly embarrassing talking about 
something so intimate and she didn't want to give away that these 
were involving her work partner. "How about I get some dinner for 
us and you two can talk." As Doggett went to the refrigerator 
Reyes followed him with her gaze. She couldn't help but watch 
him as she had done many times in the past but this time it was 
through different eyes. He had just made love to her in one long 
slow session. She took an intake of breath as her thoughts went to 
the sensational feeling of his tongue and lips playing with her 
intimate areas and that she had come twice because of his 
remarkable touch.

"I don't know Monica." She was shaken out of her daydream by 
Carmen's voice. "Don't know?" Her eyes still looked at the spot 
that Doggett had just left. "Why you haven't gone after him in a big 
way. He is one handsome man and available." She spoke out of 
earshot of the man and placed a hand on her forearm. "I know, he's 
your partner and it wouldn't be right and you are in love with a 
mysterious man." Her eyebrows lifted and Reyes smiled really 
wanting to tell her the truth. "Come on, help me get this equipment 
from the car and tell me about those dreams of yours."

..........................

"So you mean that you actually believed you experienced these 
dreams?" Reyes just nodded her face still a little flushed from 
having to explain the details. Carmen unclicked the locks of the big 
black box they'd hauled from the rental car and opened the lid. 
Inspecting the variety of gear enclosed she continued, "You and 
me both know you have the gift Monica. Maybe your empathic 
side is beginning to develop. You've told me yourself that your 
abilities have increased with age, these are signs that you are going 
through further changes."

"No Carm, this is not what's happening here. Anyway I thought 
you were meant to seek out signs of the paranormal not disprove 
them." She chuckled as though she'd heard it all before, "I come at 
each case as a skeptic would, those are my tactics. When I am 
convinced that there is more than human over reaction I go 
further." "How often would that be?"

"Oh, about one case in one hundred. There are not many real 
paranormal cases out there." Reyes looked at her in astonishment. 
"I know in your line of work you find it hard to believe. You see 
the unexplained and the unusual all the time. In my line of work I 
rarely see the unexplained, most of it can be figured. The parties 
involved usually just need reassurance that all is not what it seems 
and their lives typically return to normal."

"So you don't find many ghosts?" Carmen began to busy herself as 
she returned the conversation. She got out a small black meter of 
some sort. "Put it this way, I have never seen a ghost. They are 
pesky little buggers." She laughed at her choice of words. "I can't 
believe it." Reyes' mouth hung open. "Don't get me wrong, there's 
definitely something out there but I've never seen it with my own 
eyes." As she spoke she moved over to her friend, holding out the 
equipment in her hand. "What's that?" "It's EMF detection meter. 
Electro-magnetic field gadget designed to seek out disruptions in 
this energy. It registers the presence of paranormal activity but 
people need to know how to use it properly because it can also 
detect things that aren't supernatural." "So it's not fool proof." 
"People like me just need to know how to use it properly."

"What's that?" Reyes pointed to another hand held device that 
Carmen promptly picked up. "A thermal scanner, its proper name 
is remote IR thermal probe meter. It measures accurately changes 
in temperature often associated with visitations." She placed it on 
the table. "And these are motion devices. I'm going to place one in 
each of your rooms tonight." "Motion devices? Won't they detect 
us moving?" Reyes picked up the plain white square contraption 
with the strange looking white knob and some perforations that 
looked like where the alarm sound would come from.

"It disregards any animate movement concentrating only the 
abnormal. If there is any movement out of the ordinary in your 
rooms the alarm will wake us all."

The smell from the kitchen began to permeate the living room 
where the two women spoke, giving them hunger pangs that had 
lain dormant for the past hour. "You snooze you lose." Carmen's 
eyebrows rose as she looked to her friend. "What?" "I can't believe 
you haven't introduced me to this partner of yours before now. You 
know I'm attracted to a man who can cook." Her eyes widened 
further. "He's just reheating it, the Pendletons left us with 
precooked meals."

Reyes noticed this woman was eyeing her reactions. "I thought you 
two would have eaten by now. I was prepared to reheat stuff when 
I got back." "Oh, we thought we'd wait for you." Carmen looked to 
her still damp tresses that were beginning to dry. Reyes began 
finger drying her hair further. "Why do I get the feeling you're not 
telling me everything here Monica? What did you two do while I 
was gone? I hope it was a good romp on his bed then I'll know that 
his gorgeous body is not going to celibate waste."

"Dinner time." They followed Doggett's voice to the kitchen, their 
stomachs growling from the anticipation of filling the void.  Just 
before they entered Carmen whispered, "Tell me he is not your 
mysterious man and that you're not fucking him." The blatancy of 
the remark startled Reyes. 'No,' was her first croaked response that 
she immediately regretted but it was too late. They were in the 
kitchen in front of a table filled with food and Doggett's pleased 
face.

As Doggett sat, Carmen squeezed Reyes' arm and a pang of 
concern followed, echoing in the depths of her heart. "So ladies, 
what's planned for tonight's ghost catching?" He took a bread roll 
from the breadbasket and began tearing it apart.

As they began eating, Carmen explained to Doggett the equipment 
she had brought with her and its function. They were going to bed 
that evening armed with paranormal detection devices and a 
special piece of equipment would be hooked up to the phone so 
that when the caller rang the three household members would find 
out more information about who or what was on the other end.

.....................................

Chapter Ten Pendleton Farm 3 am

Still not wanting to let on that she and Doggett were lovers Reyes 
had gone to sleep in her own bed. The thought that Carmen might 
make a move on her partner worried her but she knew Doggett 
would not allow her to go past that point of letting her too close. 
For now she would have to trust him. She smiled contentedly 
knowing she could do just that.

As she had lain there looking up at the darkened ceiling her mind 
went back to the amazing sex they'd had before Carmen had 
arrived and in the shower and on his bed that evening. The touch of 
his hands on her naked body, the feel of his warm skin on hers, his 
appendage wedged deep inside her sent sparkles of lust all over. 
She had considered sneaking into his room after Carmen was 
asleep but if they were to be found in the morning like that there 
would need to be explanations she didn't want to give right then.

She'd fallen asleep with a grin all over her face, imagining his 
warm body in bed with her. This time the thoughts were more 
genuine because she knew exactly how he felt to touch and be 
touched. She pined to be with him for real but was content in the 
fact that there would be many nights in the future they could be 
together and make love in the privacy of their own homes.

Her dreams through the night were numerous and usually sexual. 
Others were grim where she was being chased by an unknown 
entity that lashed long sinewy arms at her as she ran. She would be 
jolted awake just before she was cornered at the foot of a tall brick 
wall with no place to go. Those were short lived and few and far 
between. What did they mean?

"Keep eyes shut." A voice appeared from her dreams. Although 
still sleepy she did as she was asked. "Open your mouth." She did 
so and felt lips on hers. They kissed languorously as a hand crept 
under the sheets feeling over and along her breasts then under her 
tank pajama top. Doggett was taking a big risk doing that. If 
Carmen heard anything then she'd be in there and catch them. They 
were probably all sleeping lightly that night in anticipation of the 
likely disturbances.

The hand crept up to her breasts and began playing as the mouth 
continued to caress her lips. She wanted to stop to look into his 
face and tell of the danger if they did this and they were caught but 
she couldn't move. Fingers stirred slowly down and underneath the 
silk of her drawstring bottoms. Her inner thighs tingled as the 
touch made its way over her abdomen and downward. Lips never 
left hers as exploring fingers fooled around between her open legs.

The room was dark except for a little silvery moonlight reflecting 
off the furniture closest to the window. Not even Doggett's face 
could be seen but she didn't care, favouring the fact that it was so 
erotic being fondled in semi dark. It didn't occur to her at first that 
it was strange that he didn't get into bed with her or even that he 
was standing over the bed rather than sitting.

The sensation was small at first but something was not feeling 
right. This was not a dream but it was not quite reality either. The 
rigidity of her body and the surreal feeling of the experience 
showed it to be more than a dream. The hand was doing incredible 
things to her but it was beginning to feel different to Doggett's.

At this realization she jolted awake and sat bolt upright in bed. The 
panic that had started in her stomach began to take over her whole 
body as she tried to make out if she had company in her room.

"John, are you there?" She said softly at first trying not to take the 
circumstances out of proportion. There was no response. 'John?" 
She announced a little louder. Suddenly there was a piercing noise 
that Reyes took a moment to remember. At the same time she felt 
clenching pain in her stomach as though it was being gripped from 
the inside. She doubled over groaning and rolling on top of the bed 
not seeing that Doggett had come running into the room.

"Monica? Did you call me?" Noticing her visibly in pain he 
quickly switched off the alarm and then moved swiftly to her side 
and enfolded his arm around her.

"Were you just in here John?" "Did it happen again? One of your 
dreams?" "Just tell me. Were you in here?" She spoke through the 
pain. "No. I came running when I heard the alarm go off." Doggett 
was at a loss as to what to do next. His woman was hurting having 
seemingly just experienced another lucid dream.

"You two okay?" Carmen appeared at the door, a faint light from 
behind her indicating she had switched on a house light. 
"Something was here, I sensed it even before the alarm." She 
approached the bed and noticed Reyes was probably recovering 
from a similar pain to the attack she'd had listening to the phone 
call that evening.

"She had another one of those dreams." Doggett looked briefly at 
the bedroom visitor then back at Reyes who was beginning to 
unbend again. "Dreams?" "You know, the ones where...." "John, 
she does know." Reyes broke off his sentence. "I've told her."

Carmen began walking around the room with a device in her hand. 
"Mind if I turn on a light?" At Carmen's request Doggett leant over 
and switched on the bedside lamp. As she looked around and then 
at her readout she spoke, "Tell me this dream."

Reyes had recovered enough to speak. Doggett left his arm around 
her out of concern. "It seemed so real. I imagined there was 
someone here with me." "With you?" Carmen had almost circled 
the room when she came back to stand beside the bed opposite to 
Doggett. "There was something here but it's gone now." 
"Something?" Doggett questioned. "That's what I got on the read 
out, residual electro-magnetic activity." She held the device 
towards a mystified Doggett. "How do you feel now Monica?"

"Better." As she straightened her back Doggett's hand fell down to 
rest on the bed behind her. "And the dream?" Carmen took up a 
small space at the edge of the bed. The two agents exchanged 
glances before Reyes told her about the seemingly real experience 
she'd had. "Did you recognize the person in your vision?" Reyes 
looked a little uncomfortable at this question and looked up to 
Doggett's face. He was obviously wondering what she was going 
to tell this woman. "It was my lover." "This mysterious man you 
won't disclose to us? John, you must have met this person." He just 
shrugged non-admittance. "Looks to me as though this entity has 
some gripe with you Monica. It's almost like a bittersweet 
relationship. He rewards you and then punishes you for some 
reason we're going to have to find out."

"You don't seriously believe all this shit." Doggett's brow furrowed 
in disbelief. "The machines don't lie John." She held up the hand 
held equipment. "Looks like this case is the one in a hundred I was 
telling you Monica."

"One in a hundred?" Doggett questioned her. "There is an uneasy 
soul in this place and we'll need to find out who and why." "You 
really believe that bull?" She looked over to a perplexed Doggett. 
"John, I know there is something here." "Yes, it's a neighbour or a 
boyfriend or disgruntled customer, I don't know but we'll find out 
who and nab the bastard." "I know, and usually that is the case but 
that's not what's happening here." She looked to Reyes for 
confirmation. "John, I know what I saw and felt and it can only be 
explained through the paranormal." Reyes placed a reassuring hand 
on Doggett's arm.

All three visitors stopped their conversation to hear what sounded 
like a rushing sound from another room. Then the sound amplified.

.....................................

'Why would that happen?" Doggett asked neither woman in 
particular as they sat in the living room chairs still dressed in their 
night attire. Carmen responded as she sat on the couch where she'd 
made her bed for the night. "I've seen it before. By the entity 
turning on all the faucets in the house at the one time it's a way of 
getting our attention, a way of communicating with us." "You 
mean like the phone conversation too." Reyes added. "Yes, and the 
sounds you heard last night," she looked from Doggett to Reyes. 
"The lucid dreaming you've been having Monica, they are ways 
this spirit can converse."

"So how do we know what it's saying, what it wants? Why is it 
Monica who is being harmed and not us?" Doggett was beginning 
to see that he needed to go along with this. If it was indeed 
supernatural then Carmen was the one they needed with them. If it 
were man made then she would find that out too.

"I sense that the entity is at rest for now." She also held up her 
hand device to show the meter's needle reading at normal. "Let's 
get some sleep and in the morning I'm going to do some research 
about this family and this house."

"So you think there may be something in the Pendleton family tree 
that may help?" Reyes needed something to give her hope that the 
dreams of hers would stop and soon.

"I think there's a reason why you Monica are being singled out and 
it has something to do with this family and their heritage. I believe 
it's no coincidence that you were assigned to this case." Reyes 
looked across to an equally puzzled Doggett. "Skinner deliberately 
gave us this case knowing I would have a connection somehow?"

"I don't know whose idea it was but this was all designed for you 
to be here and you in particular." Carmen knew she couldn't give 
them any more answers that night until she had done some 
research and also checked the phone messages in the morning. "It's 
safe for now, let's get a little sleep before morning."

Doggett got up to leave for his bedroom but Reyes was hesitating. 
"Monica?" "I'm not sure I want to go back there alone. I've been in 
some scary places but the thought of that thing coming back..." She 
trailed off. "Maybe you and Carmen could swap." Doggett 
watched Carmen's expression. "You sleep here and she takes your 
bed." He looked from one woman to the other.

"No," Carmen was resolute. "Monica, I'll sleep in your bed if you 
wish but you don't want to sleep here, it's like lying on a creek bed 
all cold and rocky. Maybe John will let you sleep in his bed with 
him. It's a bit bigger than yours and should fit two people."

Neither agent believed what had just been suggested. Here was an 
opportunity to sleep together even with Carmen in the house. "I 
don't know." Reyes acted uncertain. "Come on Monica, we are 
adults." Doggett held out his hand to her and she took it. He helped 
her to standing position.  "It's not like we haven't been together in 
bed before." "What?" She looked a little shocked. Doggett laughed 
and continued, "Remember that case back in January when the 
only room left had a single bed and the heating had broken down?" 
Reyes nodded, her eyes diverting to Carmen's. "Thank goodness 
for body heat, that's all I can say." Doggett saw the funny side. "Oh 
come on you two, cut the crap." Silence filled the room as they 
froze with bafflement. "You know it, I know it, it's amazing Brad 
doesn't know it." She said a little more quietly with a hint of 
sarcasm. "You want this, you've already done this. Do you think 
you could keep this from me?"

"What?" The two agents didn't quite know how to respond. "It's 
written all over you two. You love each other and you want to 
sleep together." She looked at Reyes. "My god girlfriend, I gave 
you enough opportunities to tell me. How can you not want this 
man?" She looked to Doggett. "And you, there were plenty of 
chances for you to come out with it too. What about before in the 
kitchen?"

"What?" Reyes looked up to an uncomfortable looking Doggett. 
"I'll tell you soon." Carmen just chuckled and shook her head.

Doggett's hand began to run light circles over her back through the 
red silk pajama tank top that Reyes wore. He looked down to the 
ground and then up to see Reyes' beautiful face watching his. His 
hand enveloped her waist and turned her towards his bedroom.

"And this time don't make as much noise as you did in the shower, 
I left my boyfriend back in DC remember." The lovers blushed but 
then smiled relief knowing there secret was finally out. Reyes 
turned one last time. "Please let me tell Brad?" She made a zipping 
movement with her fingers and lips and smiled.

"Good night Carmen." They both chimed as Doggett led his lover 
to his bed for the rest of the night.

...............................

Chapter Eleven Follmer's Residence 3am

Brad Follmer had had fitful sleeps since Reyes, his girlfriend and 
lover had left for Austin, Texas on a case. He'd resigned himself to 
the fact that his rival and his lover worked together as partners but 
he'd thought Doggett wasn't as interested in her romantically. Now 
he wasn't so sure. Since Doggett's little outburst in Reyes's 
apartment his beliefs had gone opponent mode and he had to know 
once and for all if he had designs on his hopefully future wife.

The thoughts of her lying in bed with him at the remote farm, the 
images of that man touching her sexually made his body go rigid 
and a single fist slam into his pillow. He'd had these paranoid 
thoughts in the past especially when he found out that Reyes was 
in DC and working on the X-Files with Doggett. She had quelled 
those doubts telling him they were just colleagues. That was true 
but he never missed her furtive glances and that she was becoming 
more and more comfortable with her co-worker.

He lay on his side looking into darkness. He was fully awake yet it 
was still in the early morning hours. It comforted him a little to 
know that Carmen was with them and that she was reporting back 
to him the progress they were making, every small detail. Reyes 
wasn't aware but he had known Carmen since high school when he 
had dated her, fascinated by her unique ability to know what he 
was feeling and to empathize. It struck him that he was attracted to 
women like this. Maybe he needed the comfort of someone who 
would understand him without having lengthy conversations, 
women who would accept him for the man he was. The one thing 
he was uncomfortable with was having to explain himself and his 
actions. He was a private man with personal emotions and a past 
that at times he felt ashamed of. Empathic women didn't need to 
delve into his life; he preferred it that way.

He was the one who had introduced Carmen to Reyes knowing the 
two would hit it off as friends, as they had. He also knew that she 
would still be loyal to him if the situation arose where she had to 
choose sides. Carmen and he had a special connection that went 
past friendship that Reyes was yet to discover. Follmer rolled over 
to settle facing the other way and pulled the sheets over his 
shoulder.

Thoughts went back to the telephone conversation they'd had the 
previous evening. It had surprised him that the case seemed to be 
shaping up as genuine paranormal. Carmen had assured him that it 
was early days but the signs were there pointing to a supernatural 
cause. So it was an X-File after all. He felt a little uncomfortable 
about sending Carmen on the case without consulting Skinner but 
now that there was a genuine need for her talents he didn't feel so 
bad. Skinner would just think that Reyes had sent for her.

So Reyes and Doggett hadn't been sleeping together, they had 
separate beds and bedrooms; that was a comfort. Him knowing that 
information about Reyes' mole concerned him but he could know 
things about her without being intimate. He smiled for the first 
time that night as he remembered the quip Carmen had made about 
going after Doggett herself. He'd thought that had been a perfect 
solution and had actively encouraged her in that direction. That 
was exactly what his rival needed, a distraction from the attentions 
of the love of his life.

He rolled onto his back staring up at the dark ceiling, his mind still 
too active to sleep.

The room had been smoky even at that time of the morning. He'd 
wondered why a hole-in-the-wall would be open so early but for 
the mob anything went. After a few too many coughs emphasizing 
his distaste for the addiction he had sat at the table opposite the 
well-marked face of the new top man Victor Spinelli. He'd looked 
around the room to see three more tables occupied by three single 
men all watching him intently as they smoked with one hand then 
sipped espresso coffee from small cups with the other.

Trying to look composed, hiding the turmoil that went on inside, 
he'd waited for Spinelli to speak. Without request a coffee was 
placed in front of him and he nodded up at the unsmiling, uncaring 
waiter. He'd had little sleep since the phone call requesting his 
presence at the early morning meeting.

His worst fears had been realized at that rendezvous. He was a man 
that was owned by the mob. If he didn't continue to pass along 
important information about cases that involved them then not just 
he would die a slow death but they had threatened the life of Reyes 
too. That he could not tolerate. There was a way out of this 
continual prison he'd made for himself and he would find it but in 
the meantime, to keep his future wife safe he would go along with 
them, stalling as much as he could until then. The meeting had 
ended with his first assignment, a test so to speak. There was a 
case involving illegal gun trading, he was to change the names and 
addresses on the report to fictitious ones. He could do that and 
hopefully not affect too many people in the process.

Forcing himself to at least get some sleep before morning his 
thoughts deliberately went to Monica Reyes. His hand reached out 
to the side of the bed she would sleep on the occasions she stayed 
over. They both preferred her apartment and the key he had was 
confirmation of this. She was yet to get a key to his place. That 
would soon change when she accepted his proposal of marriage 
and they would discuss cohabitation. Against Skinner's advice he 
would ring her later that day. He wanted to stay foremost in her 
mind and in her heart. Visualizing her calm, accepting face, feeling 
her hand in his as they slept he felt himself sinking more into the 
bed, beginning to doze.

The vibration of his cell phone caught him off guard and he 
jumped from his slumber. Rolling over to his bedside table he 
irritably checked the caller ID and slumped down on his pillow. 
Would those guys ever leave him in peace again?

...........................................

Chapter Twelve Investigation Night 4am

It was unusually arousing being in bed with each other knowing 
there was someone within earshot in the next room. Reyes 
cocooned into Doggett's back. His bed was warm from their 
combined body heat. "Hmm, this feels good." Reyes wrapped an 
arm around his chest and squeezed. Doggett ran his fingers behind 
him and down over her leg pulling her closer, if that was possible. 
They lay there wide-eyed wondering if sleep would come. Both of 
them knew that they needed to get some shut eye if they were to be 
awake and functioning well enough in the daylight to be able to 
concentrate on this case. They were also heavily counting on 
Carmen and her equipment to help them with most of the evidence. 
If this was truly the supernatural, which it very much seemed, then 
their houseguest had the knowledge and expertise to put things 
right.

"How are you feeling now Monica?" Her bed partner expressed 
concern. "I'm good. I'm in bed with a most amazing man and you 
ask me how I'm feeling?" She pressed her face into the fabric of his 
bed shirt. "You know what I mean." "I'm better. It was scary before 
not knowing what was happening." Her cheek rested on his back 
and she felt the comforting rumbles as he spoke. "So was it me 
again? What did I do this time?" Reyes was uncertain how much to 
tell him. The presence had been sexual with her, how would he 
react? "Monica?"

"I thought it was you but it was dark." "Did I touch you?" "Yes." 
Still unsure how much to say she answered simply. "Did I do 
this?" He ran his hand over her ass and down behind one leg then 
drew her knee up over his thigh. The same hand moved back to her 
ass and began gentle strokes until she felt his fingers between her 
legs through the material of her pajama bottoms. "No." The fingers 
were just touching and stroking an extremely sensitive spot making 
her neck pulse and her breathing begin. He stopped what he was 
doing and rolled over to face her. She still had her leg over his 
thigh and her arm was now around his back. "Then show me what 
I did." Even though it was dark she could see his face and the 
sparkle in his eyes. They both knew where all that would lead and 
each wanted it badly, sleep could wait.

The hand that was on his back moved up to behind his head and 
her fingers spread through his hair pulling him forward. Her mouth 
opened and moved close to his until lips were just touching. "So I 
kissed you?" His breath was hot on her mouth and his voice 
rumbled in an almost whisper. "What was it like?" "I'll show you." 
She responded feeling his lips on hers. Each minute they slow 
kissed the pressure gradually built until they were eating each other 
alive. Reyes' leg curled around his hip and their crotches fused and 
writhed. They had both dreamed this for so long they had to feel 
everything to make sure it was all real.

Needing a breather they broke apart looking hungrily into each 
other's eyes, mouths still open. "Is that all I did? If it was really me 
I would have gone further than that." "Oh, you did more." She took 
his hand and ran it slowly over her breasts then down and 
underneath her tank top. Letting his hand free he knew exactly 
what to do with it. It moved over her breasts feeling everything 
with an experienced touch. Reyes' eyes closed taking in the feel of 
his hand and what it was doing to her body chemistry.

"Is that when you called out my name?" Without words she took 
his hand again and moved it underneath the rim of her pajama 
bottoms. "Hmm, so I did go further. Show me exactly what I did?" 
"Shh John, we have to be quiet." Reyes laughed. "The only thing I 
can do quietly now is sleep."

"Then hopefully Carmen sleeps deeply because I feel some noise 
coming along too." Reyes moved in to kiss him silent as his hand 
moved underneath lightly grazing her abdomen. As his fingers 
loomed closer to the place she wanted them to go she increased the 
pressure of her lips. Her hips moved forward willing him to take 
control. He didn't disappoint but moved his fingers slowly down 
and in between her legs.

"Is this what I did?" He spoke resting his lips on hers and slid two 
fingers between her other lips. Reyes blew on her partner's face as 
his thick fingers collected her moisture. "Oh Monica." His voice 
was low and rumbly. She had always loved the timbre of his voice 
but in the throes of passion it was even more alluring. She felt the 
vibrations of his voice on her skin as he did marvels around her 
clit. Her hips squirmed slowly giving him hints as to what she 
liked. He pushed one of the fingers inside her opening as he also 
thrust his tongue inside her mouth. Their mouths kissed hungrily 
not aware of the decibels of their moans. Doggett pushed two 
fingers inside her and began driving them in and out, brushing her 
clit on the outward motion. "Come for me Monica." He respired on 
her sensitive wet lips. How could she not come when he was doing 
those things to her?

Reyes felt the hardness of his erection through his boxers sweep 
her abdomen. "John." Her desire for him was profound. "Not yet." 
Doggett sensed his partner's urgency but wanted to feel her release 
on his fingers first. Her lips moved off his as she began to float in 
the air. The patient rhythm of his fingers was perfect. She sensed 
him looking at her face and that's when she began to feel those first 
signs. As her lower abdomen tightened and the pressure built 
Doggett kept up his manipulation until he felt the throbbing and 
wetness spill out of her. His eyes never left her as she came for 
him.

Still a little sensitive he pulled his fingers away and out of her 
pants. Her pulse was still rapid as he pulled the hem of her tank top 
and lifted it slowly up her body and over her head. He felt the 
gentle curves of her breasts before removing his own bed shirt. She 
lay there watching him as he unclothed fully then began to work on 
her pants, drawing them leisurely over her hips. His eyes explored 
every inch of flesh they could see in the darkened room. He 
flopped her pants on the floor then moved towards her and ran his 
fingers over her shoulder blades and down her spine.

"I'll only do this if you want it." She could tell from his stiffness 
against her that it would be cruel to refuse him. She wanted him to 
be satisfied too. Even if she didn't come again she savored the feel 
of his length inside her, the feel of his flesh against hers. "I want it 
John." She said with all sincerity.

His hands moved from her spine down over her ass just grazing the 
skin. Fingers became firmer as they trailed down her leg to the 
back of her knee and then pulled it over his hip opening herself up 
to him. Her hand moved to his erection and encircled its mass, hard 
and ready for her. They gradually position their hips for him to 
enter her. It felt so good as he slid into her hot wet core. His 
fingers had felt good there moments before but this was so much 
better. It was thick and rock hard just the way she wanted it.

They made slow sexy love. Doggett made love with his whole 
body not just with certain parts. He'd wanted it for so long, he'd 
rehearsed it in his mind but nothing has prepared him for how 
profound making love to this woman truly was. She enjoyed 
everything he did to her. Her whole being informed him that he 
was very special to her. If this was what lovemaking was like then 
he wondered why he had left it so long. She was as surprised as he 
was when she started to feel an orgasm coming, her second. She'd 
never experienced two orgasms in such quick succession before 
but that was what was happening. It was the way he held her and 
ran his hands over her skin as he plunged into her. It was his scent, 
his warm breath on her face, the way he moaned her name without 
realizing. It was the small rumbling in his throat on each inward 
thrust, the warmth and sexiness of his body touching hers so 
closely entwined.

His hand held her knee to his hip as he released inside her while 
she pounded around his spilling shaft. The room was silent but for 
their arduous breathing. Doggett could feel her love for him 
through her fingertips as they played down and around his chest. 
They trailed up to his neck, eyes following their every move. They 
cupped his neck then went through his hair.

Her eyes slowly slipped closed and her face relaxed falling onto 
contented slumber. Doggett watched her at peace until he too felt 
heavy lids and sleep take over his depleted body.

........................... Pendleton Farm 7am The smell of breakfast 
cooking wafted into the bedroom gently coaxing the dozing lovers 
awake. The room was in the semi light of early morning and so 
quiet. The bed suggested the warmth only two bodies could give. 
As she gently opened her eyes Reyes gradually remembered she 
had slept with her partner.

Her whole body smiled as she put her arm out and ran fingers 
lightly over Doggett's back. She'd wanted to touch him this way for 
so long. She'd often wondered what touching his bare skin would 
be like. Now she had touched it numerous times and it still felt to 
be a wonderful sensation. It had been too difficult to lie there and 
just watch, she had been compelled to make contact. Doggett's 
shoulders rose and fell showing he was awake and enjoying the 
attention. Her hand then felt with a little more force and ventured 
further, along his shoulders and down his arms. His body was 
warm and hard and far too sexy just to stop there. She moved up 
close and put an arm around his chest to feel over his pecs and 
down to his abdomen.

Wandering fingers moved up again over his chest then up to his 
face where she ran the knuckles along his jaw feeling his morning 
stubble. He moved his face to kiss her fingers, sending the 
sensation of pure desire through her body. The kissed fingers 
moved down over his neck and down over his arm to his fingers 
where they linked with his and squeezed. All this was done 
wordlessly, no need for conversation. He brought her arm up to his 
chest and hugged it.

The call of the wild was beckoning and her hand slipped down to 
the extreme heat between his thighs. "Monica." Doggett only 
breathed her name. It was a quiet plea to go further. She felt over 
his hip and then along his pubic hair flicking his hard on. He 
sighed loudly but she kept feeling everywhere else except where he 
wanted it most until he was almost hyperventilating. Her body was 
close, breasts squeezing against his back and her feet touching his. 
Her lips brushed and kissed along his shoulder.

She took his erection in one hand and squeezed. It was so hard, hot 
and alive. She'd only dreamt what he might be like fully erect for 
her but this was no dream. He was perfect. Her fingers went for his 
balls and felt over and around them lightly then went back 
encircling his shaft and moving her hand up and then down 
imaging through her fingers what it looked like.

"Monica, I want you." That was magic to Reyes' ears. She hoped it 
was more than lust she was hearing but for then all she wanted to 
do was make love with this man again. "I want you too." "No 
regrets?" "Shhhh." She knew exactly what he meant. Her actions 
then and on the previous day told him that Brad was not in the 
picture and probably wouldn't be again.

Her fingers lightly traced his balls then back to the shaft that grew 
even bigger and twitched in her hand. His body was one big 
furnace rising and falling with each movement of her palm. 
"Please." He pleaded. She wanted him too knowing he was more 
than ready for her. The thought of him being inside her again, 
being so closely connected, made her resolute to make this more 
than enjoyable for her lover. He had done wonders to her body 
only hours before, now it was his turn.

She moved her hips away from his and pushed herself to a sitting 
position. Knowing what she wanted he rolled onto his back 
looking at her for the first time that morning. Never breaking their 
lustful gaze she straddled him letting his hard on brush her 
wetness. His eyes slid closed as her hips moved on him just teasing 
his cock at her entrance. With one hand she held his shaft and 
rubbed it over her clit collecting the hot moisture.

Reyes felt his heavy breathing on her face and knew he needed to 
be connected with her then. She inched slowly down letting herself 
stretch to accommodate him until he was fully inside. His hands 
holding her hips told her to begin moving. With her hands either 
side of his head she began her thrusting hip actions. Lowering her 
head they had their first morning kiss as both sets of hips met in 
measured rhythm. They broke off for a moment, both pairs of eyes 
closed sensing the full extent of their joining.

Then with only silent communication and still remaining joined 
Doggett slowly rolled Reyes over onto her back. He needed to be 
in control and to be even more embedded inside her. Reyes 
enjoyed his strength and the feel of him above her, hovering over 
her hot body. The look on his face was priceless as he concentrated 
on hitting the right spots to make her feral for him. Her hands 
travelled up his arms to his shoulder then the backs of her fingers 
glided over his sweat-filmed chest. Her ankles linked with his 
wanting more skin contact. As the rhythm increased he moved 
closer to her and kissed for an instant. Reyes loved the small 
furrow of concentration on his brow as he thrust inside her.

At that point it was difficult being quiet and neither of them cared 
if they were heard. Each was at the point of release and signalled 
this with the volume of their breathing. Sweaty bodies slipped 
together heavily holding each other tightly as first Reyes began to 
come. Love filled her whole body as she spilt out for this man 
above her. She cooed and rolled her head back as her hands dug 
into his upper arms. He gave a few grunts and then stayed 
momentarily still as he pumped inside her. Hazy eyes watched his 
face wrinkle and then relax as the heights of sexual release began 
to ebb. He finally opened his eyes fully to look into hers then bent 
down for a final kiss.

There was a quiet knock then the bedroom door opened slowly. 
"John, Monica? There's some hot breakfast out here for you." 
Carmen stayed out of sight behind the door. Doggett smiled above 
his lover and slipped out of her, lingering there a moment before 
lying close beside her. "After breakfast I have something to tell 
you." They pulled the covers over their naked forms. "We'll be out 
soon." Doggett waited for signs that she had gone and then pulled 
his lover closer for one final embrace before getting up to shower 
and dress. "That was wonderful. You are so beautiful." "Hmm, you 
can do that to me any time Agent Doggett." Her fingers felt down 
his back. "If Carmen wasn't here I'd be making love with you all 
morning." "Until the sheets burn?" "How would we explain the 
scorch marks to the Pendletons?" Her fingers ran down his arm. 
"Um, the iron was too hot?" "John Doggett, you don't iron your 
bed sheets do you?" "Doesn't everyone?" Reyes couldn't make out 
whether he was joking or not. Then after a few moments they 
laughed together.

..............................

"So what did Carmen try to get you to do?" A towel clad Reyes 
walked back into the bedroom with her clothes for that day. 
"What?" "She said last night about something happening between 
you two in the kitchen. You said you'd tell me later."

Doggett was pulling up his jeans and doing up the fly. "She was 
trying to test us." He went for a clean pair of socks and his Adidas 
basketball black and gray shoes to match his charcoal gray T-shirt. 
"We know that now. She knew everything. I could have sworn we 
were being discrete." "If it was us we would have known, that's our 
job. She's just more astute than most." "So what happened?" "She 
came up behind me in the kitchen and I thought it was you." He 
pulled on both socks and began on his shoes. "Her hands were on 
my ass." "Oh?" Reyes was interested to see what came next. "I'm 
not sure I blame her." "I grabbed her hands from behind and was 
about to kiss you when I saw it was her and quickly stopped." 
"That was a test that passed with flying colors if ever I saw one." "I 
just thought she might think that at times I was normally playful 
with my partner." "Playful." "Well, we've known each other for a 
while, we're comfortable with each other."

Sitting at the edge of the bed Doggett stopped tying his laces, 
frozen in place and began staring as she took the towel from her 
naked body and draped it over the bed. She'd placed her clothing 
items on the bed when she noticed his gawk. Smiling at his gaping 
mouth and wide eyes she walked over, bent down and took his 
hands in hers and pulled him to his feet, bringing him within 
touching distance.

"John Doggett, as much as I think about how hot you look in those 
clothes if that woman wasn't out there having cooked us breakfast," 
She turned her head to the bedroom door and continued, "I'd have 
that outfit ripped off your body in no time." "Oh?" He looked 
down into her eyes and ran searching hands down and up her body 
feeling over the silky bare curvy skin and taking in her freshly 
washed scent. "If she wasn't here we wouldn't even leave this 
bedroom." 'Oh, and why not?" She teased and placed cupped hands 
on his ass and squeezed through the fabric of his jeans. "We have a 
case to solve here, it's our job." She pulled his hips towards her and 
ground herself into his growing hard on. The influence she had 
over his emotions and bodily functions was empowering.

He leant down and whispered in her ear, his hot breath feathering 
her neck. "If I had my way I would be making love to you all day 
and the coming night. We wouldn't be able to breathe between love 
making sessions." "So you want me to kick her ass out of here 
because it's mighty tempting." Her lips went to his as she spoke. 
His head moved to meet hers as he fell back on the bed bringing 
her with him. She fell heavily on top of him, his hard body 
cushioning her fall. Their lips met and meshed demonstrating their 
mutual desire to let the emotions continue their ride. Doggett's 
body underneath hers was almost too good to refuse. Reyes' naked 
sexy form on top of his was making him forget about breakfast and 
ever eating again in his lifetime. Nourishment other than of the 
sexual kind was not an option.

He rolled her over on the bed to take the dominant position and 
fastened her arms out at ninety degrees then moved them slowly up 
so they were above her head. "How would you kick her ass? I've 
seen you at your best Monica Reyes." He breathed like an oven 
over her face and her legs spread in response to his increased 
midriff pressure on her hips. "How would you want to me to kick it 
Agent Doggett?" Her chocolate eyes matched his intensity wanting 
him to test her resolve. He matched her fire with his kiss, pressing 
his lips into hers and indelibly implanting his emotion on her 
consciousness.

The phone ringing in the distance and someone answering were all 
a blur. The way they were in their own world made them forget 
they'd slept together that night, had their mutual morning shower, 
and were in the throes of repeated sex. The sound of Carmen's 
voice at the door was muffled.

"Monica." The English language wasn't recognised at first. "John, 
there's a phone call and some breakfast for you here." Reyes' eyes 
opened and looked into her aroused lover's eyes. Their bodies 
jolted awake.

They both smiled knowing that this would have to wait. Their 
current case came before their sexual desires for each other. "I'll 
get the phone, you get dressed." Doggett said matter of factly and 
waited for Reyes' agreement before he carefully moved off her 
bare body. As he got off the bed she rose but held onto his hand 
not letting him leave just then. He looked from their joined hands 
to her face and knew she wanted one last kiss as remembrance of 
the night spent together. Neither of them knew when this would 
happen again. The kiss was brief but passionate.

...........................

"John Doggett." He looked across to Carmen as he spoke. She was 
filling a plate with bacon and eggs. He presumed it was for him 
and he felt himself suddenly get hungry. "So what's she doing there 
Agent Doggett?" "Assistant Director?" "You and Agent Reyes 
were meant to solve this case alone." "We thought you knew sir." 
Carmen looked up from what she was doing, knowing the 
conversation was about her. "I didn't authorize it." There was a 
moment of silence, Doggett not knowing what to say. It was all 
Brad Follmer's doing. Was it to spy on them? Well now he would 
know everything if Carmen had told him. Facing an angry Follmer 
when they returned was not a pleasant thought. "She tells me that 
you've solved the case."

Doggett's eyes widened and looked over to Carmen's pleased face. 
"Solved the case sir?" "I want you to get on a plane back here 
today. I expect a report done and on my desk tomorrow morning." 
"Yes sir." Doggett was confused. "And on another note." His voice 
quietened. "I hope you've solved that other matter." "Other matter 
sir?" Just as he said the words he remembered the original reason 
why they had been sent on the seemingly no- brainer case. "Yes 
sir, we're both fine." "Good to hear. Nine o'clock tomorrow then." 
"We'll be there."

Assistant Director Skinner was the first to hang up leaving Doggett 
still confused. "Solved the case? You found out something we 
don't know Carmen?" He replaced the receiver and walked over to 
the table. "I'll explain everything after breakfast. I've had to reheat 
this for you. I'm not doing it again." "Thank you, looks delicious." 
"I can tell you don't have a cooked breakfast often." "Not with the 
hours I keep." He sat then lifted his knife and fork to begin eating.

"And with the level of activity you're used to." "What?" He bit a 
piece of buttered toast. "Could you be any noisier? If I'd known 
you two were going to have sex I'd have brought earplugs." He was 
about to give his apologies just as Reyes walked into the room. 
They both watched as she glided across the floor. Doggett couldn't 
get his eyes off her. She wore well-fitted black velvet flared pants 
and a soft pink cashmere cardigan unbuttoned to the cleavage and 
undone at the lower band exposing some midriff. Doggett then 
understood why she needed to bring all that luggage with her on 
this case, it was a fashion show. If it was for him then he was 
impressed. He hadn't seen her quite so beautiful as she was on this 
trip. "And here's the accomplice now." Carmen mentioned as 
Reyes gave a confused look to her admiring partner.

"Seems we were a little noisy last night." Doggett's eyes looked up 
to Carmen without lifting his head. "And it also seems we've 
solved the case. Skinner wants us back in DC." He just as quickly 
changed the subject. "Solved?" She looked across to Carmen. 
"Have some breakfast and I'll explain." "I'll just have toast." Reyes 
sat and lifted some toast from the rack and placed it on her plate.

Carmen brought over the pot of freshly brewed coffee and poured 
three cups as she spoke. "I was up early checking my equipment 
and working on my laptop. I decided to look up the Pendleton 
lineage and hopefully find something that may have cleared this 
case for you."

"What did you find?" Reyes took a sip of the hot black liquid, then 
bit into her toast. Doggett was listening as he ate. "I found an 
interesting story for starters. A few generations back there were 
two sisters, Charlotte and Carla Pendleton. I contacted David 
Pendleton who says they were his grandmother and her sister. 
There was a family tragedy. It was all hush hush in the community 
but the family stories filtered down to him that Charlotte 
committed suicide after her lover and fiancé cheated on her by 
having an affair with her sister Carla."

"So Carla was David's grandmother?" Doggett took a sip of his 
coffee. "Yes, she later married David's grandfather."

"And they lived here?" Reyes was confirming what she knew 
would probably be true. "Yes, all the Pendletons have lived here. 
David and Sally's parents are still alive and living in a small 
apartment in town. They moved out and left the farm to their son 
and small family."

"So what does all this have to do with what's happening here?" 
Doggett wanted answers. "Charlotte's fiancé was grief stricken 
after her suicide and went into reclusion. Not much is known about 
him after that. Apparently it was rumored that he died not much 
later but no one knows the cause."

"Still doesn't explain what's happening here." Reyes finished her 
last bite of toast. "Oh but it does." Both Agents stopped chewing 
for a moment as she revealed all. "The fiancé is the one responsible 
for the disturbances here."

"You're kidding me." Doggett's usual skepticism shone through. 
"How do you know this Carmen?" Reyes was interested in all the 
details. "I sense it." "You sense it." The male agent chuckled and 
shook his head. "And John, everything fits. He was grief stricken, 
his soul is not at rest and everything happened under this very roof. 
It's only logical that his troubled soul would concentrate here."

Reyes nodded understanding. "Then why me? Why have I been the 
only one affected by these lucid dreams?" "Come with me." The 
rest of their breakfast could wait. She led the two agents to her 
laptop computer that was set up on the living room table. "I told 
you I was looking up the Pendleton family tree on the Internet and 
I came across something very interesting." She moved the mouse 
to release the energy saver screen and the two agents looked on as 
the monitor came to life.

As they watched their eyes widened and they peered closer not 
believing what they saw.

.......................

"So Monica, do you understand now why you're the one 
experiencing those dreams?" Carmen rested a hand on her arm. 
"Yes, but how?" "That's you." Doggett had to blink a few times to 
focus his eyes. "It's not Monica but someone looking very much 
like her. That's a photograph of David Pendleton's grandmother 
when she was twenty, before she was married. David put me onto 
this site. His sister who's very much into genealogy and heredity 
started up this website after collecting a heap of information. She 
decided to share it with others with like interests."

"So this entity thinks I'm Carla, Charlotte's sister?" "Maybe it 
knows you're not her but it's another way to communicate with us. 
He wants to be at peace. He is still hurting for cheating on his 
fiancé with her sister who very much looks like you and for 
causing her to be so grief stricken that she would take her own 
life."

"I just can't believe all this crap." Doggett was still shaking his 
head. "John, the fiancé was pleasuring Monica and then causing 
her pain to show his own conflict of having slept with David's 
grandmother. It's all clear to me, it will be to you too soon. Come, 
there's still the telephone message."

They both followed Carmen back to the kitchen towards the 
telephone. She disconnected the recording device from the phone, 
rewound and then pushed play. "Listen to this." It began with the 
usual white noise but then there were words, more recognisable 
this time. The voice was eerie, slow and unearthly but they made 
out what was being said. <<I'm sorry I cheated, please forgive 
me>> She played it a few more times so they would get the idea 
that it was indeed the same message they'd heard the previous two 
nights.

"He's sorry he cheated on Charlotte. He wants to make amends but 
doesn't know how. I've seen it all before. These entities are trapped 
in a cycle from which they don't know how to escape." Doggett 
still didn't believe it could all happen but he had to admit all the 
pieces did seem to fit.

"So what do we do now? How can we help a ghost?" Reyes 
questioned. "Don't you worry about that. Leave it all with me. This 
wouldn't be the first time I've helped spirits leave this realm and go 
to a hopefully better place. Go back to DC, write your report and 
talk with Skinner. I'll contact the Pendletons when all is settled 
here."

"What I still don't understand is why Monica? How did she of all 
people get to come on this case? Would Kersh have known of the 
resemblance between the grandmother and Monica here? Is 
Skinner in on it too?" Doggett still had unanswered questions. "I 
don't think either of them knew. In fact I don't even think it was 
Kersh who put Skinner onto the case in the first place. There is 
more going on here than we know."

....................................

Chapter Thirteen Washington DC JEH Building AD Skinner's 
Office 9am

"How did you find out about this case sir?" Doggett sat across 
from Assistant Director Skinner's desk with Reyes in the seat 
beside him. "Why? In the usual manner. What's this about Agent 
Doggett?" Skinner placed on his desk the case report the two 
agents had just given him. "Sir, we have reason to believe that this 
case was contrived." Reyes mentioned calmly. "Contrived, how do 
you mean Agent Reyes?" "I don't mean contrived in the sense that 
it was made up, it was all too real. However I do mean that it was 
no accident that it was meant to be me going on the case, sir."

Skinner looked puzzled so Doggett continued on behalf of his 
partner. "Look sir, can I talk freely here?" "Go ahead." Skinner 
leant back in his swivel chair and placed one hand lazily on the 
other, both resting at the edge of his desktop. "Were you given this 
case personally by the Deputy Director? Did you have any direct 
dealings with him over it?" "No, why?"

With a closed mouth Doggett moved his jaw and looked across to 
Reyes with one of his 'I thought so' expressions. Reyes looked at 
him calmly knowing exactly where he was going with it all. She 
knew her partner so well by now. "How did you come to find out 
about this case?" Skinner leant forward and flipped through a few 
manila folders and pulled out the one pertaining to the Pendleton 
case. From it he extracted a piece of notepaper and handed it over 
to Doggett who leant forward to receive it.

After initially reading, with a straight poker face, he gave it to 
Reyes to read.

"Sir?" Reyes looked up from what she'd read. "Do you have any 
other notes written by Kersh?" "I think so, why?" He rummaged 
through a few files and piles of papers then pushed the button on 
his intercom to his outer office. "Kim, get me that file on the recent 
bay side murders will you?" A 'yes sir' could be heard and the click 
of the off button.

"So let me get this straight." Doggett leant a little forward in his 
seat. "Kersh personally gave you this file?" "No, it was placed on 
Kim's desk when she wasn't there. On occasions Kersh will have 
someone run the cases down here when he's overtaxed upstairs. It's 
not unusual." "Don't you think it strange that he would hand write 
a note? Why not have his secretary type up a more formal request 
or better still email you with his suggestions."

"At times he has written me notes when he hasn't had access to a 
computer I suppose."

"I think what Agent Doggett is trying to get at sir, is that this 
probably isn't Kersh's handwriting at all." Reyes rested her free 
hand lightly in her lap. "You're saying it was staged?" "No, not 
staged, the case was real enough, it was indeed an X- File but we 
were the puppets in a bigger game." "Who would do that and 
why?"

There was a light knock at the door then Kim came in with a single 
folder. "Here's the file you wanted Sir." Skinner simply nodded 
then opened it to extract a single piece of paper. Doggett let Reyes 
take it.

"Look," Reyes got out of her seat and leant over Skinner's desk and 
placed the two notes right way up on the cleared area in front of 
him. "The writing is similar but there's been no attempt here to 
copy the script. These two notes were written by two different 
people." After Skinner had finished examining them she gave them 
to her partner who also scrutinized them.

Skinner looked from one agent to the other. "If you think this all 
has something to do with this case then go for it and get back to 
me." He got out of his seat indicating the meeting was almost over. 
"Yes sir," Doggett spoke. "I think that there is more here than what 
is in that report. Even more than that forced note. We believed it 
was solved but there are more links here than we first thought." 
Reyes and Doggett also rose. "Agents, get back to me when you 
have something. I need to know if someone needs their ass 
kicked." He opened the door and Reyes exited.

Doggett went to leave but Skinner stopped him.

"Agent Doggett." He said more softly not wanting others to hear. 
"You two seem more relaxed with each other. Can I assume all 
worked out well?" "You can assume that sir." The male agent 
could tell his superior wanted more. "You want me to tell you 
something that may get our asses kicked, out of the FBI?" Doggett 
smiled a wide smile and then chuckled as he left the room turning 
once to see Skinner's perceptive face.

...........................

The X-Files Basement Office 10 am

"So will it be me or you who confronts Follmer?" Doggett let 
Reyes leave the elevator first and followed her to their office. "I'll 
do it John. I just have to find the right time." Reyes turned back a 
little as she spoke. "I'd just tell him outright, the man's a bastard." 
"John, Brad has feelings too. Let me do this."

Without waiting for his reaction Reyes opened the door to the 
office that had been vacant for the past few days. As she entered it 
all seemed different. Doggett felt it too. Normally taking off his 
jacket, hanging it over the coat rack, rolling up his sleeves would 
be second nature to him but this time is seemed a little strange.

They both stood still in their tracks towards one another knowing 
that their feelings were probably mutual. Doggett finished rolling 
up his sleeves to loosen the tension.

"John, what should we do about this?" Still feeling a little awkward 
they stayed their distance. "I suppose it boils down to how much 
we want to keep our jobs." Doggett went to his desk and began 
fiddling through a pile of paper. "I've done it once, keeping a 
relationship hidden behind closed doors, I don't think I could do it 
again." Sensing the need to discard her jacket she also walked over 
and placed it next to Doggett's. "Monica, no need to jump into 
anything, it's still early days." "You mean this relationship of ours 
may not last?" Reyes felt the need to test him.

His chuckle helped him relax enough to drop the papers back on 
his desk and walk over to his partner. "Monica." He lifted a hand 
to cup her chin and gently lifted her face towards his. "I've felt this 
way about you for a while now. It's not going to suddenly go away 
now that we've slept together." Those words were comforting to 
her and she gave a small smile of acknowledgement.

Her arms slowly embraced him and his hands slid over her 
shoulders and down around her waist in a hug. "So you've been 
thinking about me for a while. What is on your mind when you are 
knee deep in paperwork over there?" Her head flicks towards his 
desk. "You make it sound as though I can't concentrate on my job 
when there's a beautiful, sexy woman metres away from me." Her 
hands roved up over his back and experienced the warm skin 
through his dress shirt. "What about you? Sometimes I wished I'd 
had a glass of ice water handy to throw over me just watching you 
there good enough to eat."

"Which part would you eat first?" He teased, eyes looking down 
into her face. "You really want to know? I'll tell you one of my 
thoughts if you tell me one of yours." "Deal, you first." Doggett's 
hands moved over his partner's back and his arms encircled her 
more firmly. "When you are there looking all yummy I've 
imagined walking over to your desk slowly and seductively with 
your eyes on my every move." "Okay, then what happens?" "I lean 
down as though I'm picking something up off the ground but I 
don't come back up again. Instead I crawl under your desk. The 
first thing you feel is your knees being moved apart and then my 
face in your lap."

"You haven't thought that!" Doggett knew what was coming. She 
just nodded and lightly bit her lower lip. "I then rub my face in 
your crotch paying special attention to a certain part." She moved 
back a little towards her desk and rested lightly on its edge, 
bringing him with her. "You become harder and harder as my 
whole face rubs you." Doggett's eyes fell closed for a moment as 
he imagined Reyes in the shower that time giving him head. It was 
such a sensual experience. So she'd rehearsed it in her mind. "Your 
are bent over the table with your arms either side for support. 
When your erection is straining in your pants I undo the belt and 
let the ends flop to the side. Then I slowly unzip kissing your firm 
mass as I go."

She just knew what effect this talk would have on him and felt his 
erection pushing on her and his searing breath on her face. She 
continued, "I tease out your hard on from your briefs and move my 
face over it flicking it from side to side. I let my closed lips touch 
the tip. Then bit by bit I open my mouth to accommodate you." 
"Monica," he breathed with a low rumble. Encouraged by this she 
continued. "First I circle the head with my tongue, then my lips 
move down slowly over your hot skin. I breathe out to add to the 
fire of our combined heat." Reyes by this stage was also imagining 
doing all this to him. She'd had him in her mouth before and knew 
what pleasure it gave him.

"I feel the pressure build slowly as my mouth continues to suck 
you off.  You begin trembling between my teeth and I hear some 
un-John-like whimpers from above and you come furiously just as 
Dana enters the room talking about something we don't want to 
hear right then." "What happens then?" "I keep stock still hidden 
under the desk and you have to look as though nothing has 
happened and hope to hell you don't have to stand up." Reyes 
opened her legs more as Doggett pushed his crotch into her. "You 
really have wicked thoughts like that about me?" Their bodies 
squeezed together more tightly. "I've also dreamed about doing 
this." Her hands went to behind his head and lured him down to 
her lips. Even before they touched their mouths were open and 
ready, warm and soft.

"What's happening here?" They quickly broke the kiss and Doggett 
moved back from the person he'd just been devouring. He looked 
around to see a puzzled Follmer at their door, a bunch of flowers in 
his hand.

.........................

Doggett thought quickly. He'd had his back to the door so maybe 
Follmer hadn't seen everything. He sure as hell hoped he wasn't 
looking down to his still straining pants. "I was just getting 
something out of Monica's eye." Realizing the deflection for what 
it was Reyes began opening and closing one eye. "I think you got it 
John, thank you." "My pleasure." A little awkwardly he moved 
back to his desk, sat and looked across at Follmer for any sign of 
understanding.

"What are you doing here Brad?" Reyes walked around and also 
sat at her desk. Follmer's face was unsure. To him it seemed more 
than what they'd said but he hadn't expected a picture such as that 
as he entered the office and wasn't prepared. It was still hazy in his 
mind. He looked from a confident looking Doggett to an equally 
secure Reyes searching for more. Despite Doggett bragging to him 
on the phone about having Reyes on the kitchen table, Carmen had 
assured him there was nothing going on between the two agents. 
He just didn't believe this agent, he trusted Carmen more. That had 
initially calmed his suspicions but this situation changed things 
once again placing doubts in his mind. "What, I can't welcome my 
lady home after a few days away?" He handed the flowers to her. 
"Thanks Brad, they're lovely." She smelt and admired them enough 
to thank him for the gesture then placed them on her desk.

He moved around the desk and bent to kiss her on the lips. She 
moved her head so that he kissed her cheek instead. "What's 
wrong?" "Can we do this later?" She motioned over towards 
Doggett who couldn't help but watch. Had Follmer noticed he was 
a little calmer than the other night when he'd caught him at Reyes' 
apartment? "All right, if you want. I'll pick you up at seven and 
we'll go somewhere."

Reyes needed a little more time to formulate how she was going to 
approach him over her change of loyalties and also wanted to 
broach the idea of a real date with Doggett. "I have to work late 
tonight, how about tomorrow?" Reyes noticed her partner's eye 
widen and then she could see him silently laugh. "Monica, I've 
missed you." He lowered his voice as if the other male occupant 
wouldn't hear. He then took her hand and this time she didn't refuse 
the gesture. Standing facing him she couldn't help but feel sorry for 
this man, the man she had led on because she needed the affection 
that she really wanted from Doggett. When he leant in to kiss her 
she couldn't move away. As their lips met she wondered what her 
partner was thinking only hoping he trusted her. Follmer had 
always been a good kisser but Reyes restrained from encouraging 
him further. The office wasn't the appropriate place. She broke 
their lip lock and looked into his eyes.

"Brad, not here. We'll get together tomorrow okay? There's 
something we need to immediately follow up about this case." 
"We? So you're going to be with him tonight?" He looked across to 
the other desk with a slight sneer. "He's my partner." "Monica, can 
we go somewhere and talk?" He almost pleaded. "This is work 
time Brad, you know it'll have to wait. What about lunch?" She 
darted a look over to her partner who had his head buried in a file. 
He'd heard her but seemed to trust that she would tell Follmer in 
her own way. "I have a meeting over lunch." "Then it's tomorrow. 
I'll meet you for breakfast. How about that place we went to last 
week?" Follmer nodded still troubled but tried to stay strong with 
his rival only metres away.

"7.30 then?" Follmer began to back up a little not wanting to leave. 
"Hold up a minute." Doggett didn't want him gone just yet. He got 
out of his chair and went to sit on the front edge of his desk.

............................

"What's this I hear about it being you who gave Skinner this case?" 
Doggett decided to go out on a limb and just say it. "What do you 
mean?" Doggett recognised that look of Follmer's for the craftiness 
it was. "This whole case was designed to test us, our relationship." 
He looked over to his female partner who watched on with her 
usual expression giving nothing away. "You wanted to see if 
Monica and myself would hook up and fuck."

"That's enough Agent Doggett, you're talking with your superior 
here." He became defensive. "Not if that superior is being a sneaky 
bastard and slipping Skinner cases without him knowing. What's 
with that?" Follmer looked across to Reyes then back to Doggett. 
He realized he couldn't deny it to these very astute agents who'd 
had an excellent track record in solving cases in the past.

"Okay, I was the one who found the case." "And you tried to make 
it out as though it came from Kersh. Why not just hand it to 
Skinner yourself?" He probably didn't need to answer that 
question. The response was obvious.

"Brad, so you did this?" Reyes looked a little forlorn. "Why didn't 
you just talk to me, ask me?" "Monica, that's what I wanted to talk 
to you about privately." He accentuated the final word.

"Don't pussyfoot around Follmer. You wanted to test us by sending 
us to the middle of nowhere to a seemingly straightforward case. 
Somewhere where we'd be alone to sort out our feelings. You then 
sent in your spy to report back. Is she really who she says she is 
because I'm starting to have my suspicions." All this time Follmer 
had just listened trying to stay in control. He really didn't want to 
be talking about it in front of this persistent man.

"No, she's for real." Follmer wasn't prepared to give out any more 
information to this agent. "What did she say about us?" Doggett 
glanced over to his partner who was all too interested in the future 
reply. "Did she say how we couldn't keep our hands off each other 
and that every chance we could get we fucked each other stupid?" 
He kept a straight face not giving any more information away. He 
only speculated what Reyes might have felt at that moment.

"Agent Doggett!" "Well what did she tell you?" Doggett was his 
usual unrelenting self. "She said that you had a good friendship 
relationship which is more than just partnership." It was plain to 
see that Follmer was still suspicious but didn't know all the facts. 
"That all?" Doggett tried to hide his disbelief. "Is there something 
she missed?"

At that point Reyes got up and moved over to Follmer resting a 
hand on his forearm. "Brad, I'll see you for breakfast tomorrow 
morning okay?"

With silent daggers he looked at Doggett and then gave his woman 
a light kiss on the lips before heading towards the door. He took 
one last look at the partners before he was gone.

..............................

"I think he wanted you to invite him to your bed tonight." Doggett 
moved over from his desk towards Reyes. "You look sad Monica. I 
hope you're not regretting all this now that you've seen him again." 
"No, it's not that." She moved around her desk and once again sat 
on the rim. "It's just that I've hurt him before by breaking off the 
relationship." "You should have thought of that when you started 
seeing him again." She looked into his eyes and knew why she 
loved him. The way he took the facts and made them fit logically, 
the way he saw things for the way they existed were traits so 
attractive to her. She would work on the more imaginative side of 
him later.

"What do we do now Mon?" She lifted a hand to his face knowing 
that it would probably be the last time they displayed that level of 
affection in their work office. "We try to keep our personal and 
work lives separate." Doggett nodded thoughtfully. Reyes found 
the opportunity to ask him something that had been on her mind. 
"For not thinking about sex and each other for the rest of the day 
let's reward ourselves with a date tonight?"

"What about work? We have to work late, remember?" Doggett 
taunted. She pushed him a little and laughed. He knew exactly 
what she'd meant by that. "A real date?" Like dinner and a movie 
type date?" "How about having some real fun." Her face lit up as 
she gauged his reaction. "Like what, some dancing? I hope you 
don't mean bunge jumping or skydiving, I'm too old for all that." 
His face was so attractive when he smiled. "You're not too old." 
Her flat hand felt over his shoulder. "John Doggett, if you can do 
what you did in the bedroom for the past two days then you can do 
anything." "Don't make me think about sex or we won't have that 
reward later." "Oh, you'll be rewarded." Reyes gave him a playful 
look. "So your place or mine tonight?" He said in his soft husky 
voice only centimetres from her mouth. "Let's just wait and see 
where the mood takes us." She saw the adoring look in his 
expression. "One last office kiss for the road?" After momentary 
appreciative looks they tilted their heads and once again connected 
in a deep kiss.

................................

Chapter Fourteen Reyes' Apartment 6pm

"Two lots of flowers from two different men in one day?" She took 
the bunch of twelve long stem roses and looked up at him, her 
eyebrows slightly raised. "Oh, but I brought you this too." Doggett 
with his good-humored look produced something from behind his 
back. Reyes' eyes lit up even more. "It's so cute John." She held the 
small soft brown teddy bear in one hand. "How did you know I'd 
like this?" "I just sensed it." Doggett looked smug. She smiled and 
lightly laughed as she expected him to follow her into the kitchen.

"Hold him while I find a vase?" She held out her new acquisition. 
"It's a him, how can you tell?" Doggett quipped. "I sense things 
too." She looked around to him with a pleased expression. "When 
you're not here he'll be you." "So I'm just your big teddy bear." 
Reyes placed the flowers on the kitchen bench and moved towards 
him wrapping her arms around his neck. "You are adorable , you're 
cuddly, your hair is soft, you have gorgeous eyes and you're good 
to take to bed." "Thanks, I'm glad some of my male friends aren't 
here to hear you say that." He chuckled. "They don't know the side 
of you I do." He handed back the teddy bear and she smiled as she 
ran her thumb over its belly. She leant in to kiss her lover softly on 
the lips. His hands slipped down her back to rest on her butt as the 
kiss intensified.

"Monica, we'll be late." She had begun moving him in the direction 
of the bedroom. Her arms wrapped tightly around him still 
clutching the teddy as they neared her room. "We can't." "Just a 
quick one." Her breath was heavy on his face. As she tried to move 
him into her bedroom he stood in the way by spreading both arms 
out to block the entrance. "Monica as much as I'd like a 'quick one' 
we have a hockey game to catch." He waited until she saw a little 
reason and spoke in a softer voice.  "This'll make it even better 
later."

She let go of him and nodded. "Then watch out for later because I 
have all this built up energy I'm going to release on you." "And I 
know you keep your promises." John smiled and winked.

As Reyes collected her bag and placed her new acquisition on her 
favorite cushion he saw for the first time what she was wearing. If 
he had been conscious of it before then they'd have been in the 
bedroom fucking that moment. She wore a tight fitting black 
ribbed turtleneck with a red wool A-line miniskirt. He hadn't often 
seen her in skirts but he made a mental note to suggest wearing 
them more often. He needed to remember to close his mouth when 
he saw her dressed like that.

He looked down at his own clothes of jeans, denim jacket and open 
crew neck dark green shirt and made a note himself he needed to 
do some clothes shopping to keep up with his lover.

Game time....

In the truck ride over to the MCI Arena for the Washington 
Capitols/Colorado Avalanche game there was an awkward silence 
between the two agents. Doggett kept peering over at his lover's 
legs and dwelled on how short her skirt actually was. 'I could have 
some fun with that,' he thought to himself. He couldn't help but 
want her then, but if they pulled over to do anything they both 
could end up in jail for unbecoming conduct on a public highway. 
That was the sort of attention that neither of them needed, 
especially since Reyes had yet to finally let Follmer in on the 
current situation.

"So, John," Reyes said loudly to break the silence, "Why a hockey 
game?"

Doggett quickly shook himself out of his train of thought. Just 
being near this woman made him lose all common sense. "Um, I 
was able to score a set from someone who couldn't make it tonight. 
You said you wanted adventure. I hope this is good enough."

Reyes quickly picked up on Doggett's flushed expression, even in 
the darkness of the night. She placed her hand on his inner thigh 
near his crotch and gave it a gentle squeeze. She laughed devilishly 
as she teased him with her hand, making him gasp for what little 
air was in the cab of the truck. "What's the matter, Agent 
Doggett?"

"Do you have to do this to me now?" Doggett asked in anguish.

"Don't worry, John, we're almost there." Monica replied back as 
she saw the 6th Street entrance to the parking structure. John 
quickly turned in and pulled up to the parking window. He paid the 
parking fee and drove up four levels to park the truck. "I'll make 
you a wager, John Doggett."

Doggett could hear the playfulness in her voice. Composure was 
beginning to return as soon as she removed her hand from his leg. 
"What's that, Agent Reyes?"

"I'm a big Avalanche fan. If they win, I get to choose what we do 
later tonight."

"And if they lose?" Doggett was more than willing to take the bet, 
even if he lost it was still a win-win situation. He parked the truck 
in a space and set the emergency brake.

Monica unbuckled her seatbelt and sat in John's lap. She placed his 
hands on her thighs and inched them up under her skirt, where 
John soon realized that she wasn't wearing any underwear. "If they 
lose...you get to pick..." She whispered in a sex- hungry voice as 
she licked around his lips. Doggett's hand massaged her soft flesh 
as their lips met in a powerful wet kiss.

"Monica," Doggett got out in between breaths, "the game..."

Reyes opened Doggett's door and carefully stepped out onto solid 
ground. He followed behind her, his expression once again flushed 
by this woman's ability to make his blood boil. He slammed the 
truck door shut and walked with his lover hand in hand to the arena 
entrance. "You gonna be warm enough in that? It is ICE hockey...it 
will be a bit chilly in there."

Reyes squeezed Doggett's hand and smiled. "You can keep me 
warm." There was suggestion in her eyes at that moment and 
Doggett was anxious to see for himself where she would go with it.

First Period:

Doggett and Reyes paid a visit to the concession stand for nachos 
and beer before heading up to their seats. Their tickets said they 
were in the side mezzanine in row T, seats 3 and 4. After a short 
elevator ride to their level, they easily found their seats and sat just 
as the puck was about to be dropped at center ice. They were high 
up, but the whole ice rink was easily visible and the amount of 
people around was sparse in their area, the main crowd being on 
the other side. Monica had been to a couple of hockey games in the 
past, but just the minor league teams when she was in college. Joe 
Sakic of the Avalanche team and Jaromir Jagr were facing off at 
center ice as the linesman dropped the puck and the game was 
underway. The players buzzed around the rink like bees to get at 
the puck.

The body checks and yelling could be clearly heard at the upper 
mezzanine, and Reyes was enthralled with adrenaline watching the 
high-action game. The Capitals would skate the puck into the 
Avalanche zone, then the Avalanche would pick the puck off of the 
Caps player and take it the other way. Number 4 of the Avs, which 
was Rob Blake, power skated his way into the Capitals zone and 
took a slap shot at the puck from the blue line that could burn a 
hole through the back of the goalie's net. Olaf 'Zilla' Kolzig didn't 
even see it coming as it screamed past him into the Capitals' net. 
Blake held his stick up in victory for scoring the first goal of the 
game as his teammates congratulated him in a huddle at the Caps' 
end of the ice.

Reyes smiled and looked over at her partner, who was sipping on 
his beer. Doggett shook his head and chuckled. "It ain't over yet. 
It's just the first period of the game." He grabbed a nacho chip 
oozing with cheese and Reyes took his hand and snatched the chip 
with her teeth, licking the cheese off of his fingers. "You are 
REALLY asking for it if you keep doing that." Doggett envisioned 
her licking something else of his at that very moment as she'd 
described in their office that morning. She smiled at him, knowing 
his very thoughts as she did that to him. What little of a crowd 
there was, they booed at the visiting team as both sides met again 
at center ice to face off. Reyes took a sip of her beer and watched 
the game play on with power plays and penalty kills until the first 
period came to an end.

Second Period:

During the first period intermission, Doggett went out and refilled 
their nachos and beer to enjoy the second period of hockey. He 
was hoping that the Capitals would tie it all up at one a piece to 
make Reyes sweat a little. What if the game ended up in a tie? Not 
likely with Avalanche, they kicked ass under pressure and their 
goalie Patrick Roy was like trying to get a puck past a brick wall. 
Stranger things had happened.

Doggett sat down next to his lover and co-worker and handed her a 
beer. The puck was dropped at center ice again to begin the second 
period, and two players dropped their gloves and started to boxing 
match in the middle of the ice. It was Scott Parker of the Avs and 
Brendan Witt of the Capitals. Doggett had noticed those two 
picking at one another during the first period. Reyes kept shouting 
"Kick his ass" to cheer on her team as the two players spun 
themselves around until they were worn out enough that the 
linesman could get them separated. The two players went to their 
appropriate penalty boxes as the commentator made the penalty 
announcements. They got two minutes each for roughing, and each 
team had to play a man short.

"John?" Reyes looked to Doggett. "Can I borrow your jacket?"

Doggett looked down to see that the skin on her legs had 
goosebumps all over them. He whipped off his jacket and laid it 
across her sexy legs he would be contorting into some sexual 
position later. His fingers lightly swept across her flesh and it was 
chilling. He still wondered why she wore a skirt to a hockey game. 
Was it to tease him? It worked if that was the intention. He took a 
last swig of his beer and set the empty cup on the ground next to 
his feet. He wanted to be able to drive back home after the game, 
but something told him he was in for a shock once it was over.

Reyes sat facing forward watching her Avalanche team struggle 
against the Capitals. They were winning by a goal, but she was 
counting on a complete slaughter. Rob Blake had suffered a 
concussion from being boarded and was out for the rest of the 
game. She didn't think anyone could take that guy out, and she 
worried about what Doggett was going to do to her if she lost the 
bet. The second period ended without anyone scoring, so she was 
still on top of the game.

Third Period:

After the center ice face off to begin the period, Reyes thought of 
doing something mind blowing to Doggett, but was not sure if she 
could get away with it. The jacket still draped over her legs, she 
guided Doggett's hand underneath it onto her thigh. Her flesh was 
still cool, but it warmed quickly with his touch. She had to keep 
her expression discreet so that she would not alarm any of the 
arena's facility members. The warmth of his hand on her leg made 
her completely forget about the game as she sat back in enjoyment.

Doggett played with the hem of the skirt, but Reyes guided his 
hand underneath it to feel the wetness that was spilling out from 
her pleasure zone. He leaned in toward her and their mouths met in 
a fiery hot kiss that could have melted the ice down below. 
Unmindful to their surroundings they stayed that way for the entire 
third period until the Capitols scored a short-handed goal during a 
Colorado power play. The crowd cheered and the foghorn went 
off, jarring both lovers out of their erotic trance. It was at the tail 
end of the period with seconds left to play, and John could clearly 
see the worry on Reyes' face. "Don't worry, Monica, I won't 
penalize you too harshly..."

"How long are you going to keep me in your penalty box?" Reyes 
asked as she came in for another kiss.

"How long will you keep me in yours?" Doggett growled as he bit 
her lower lip. The third period ended, but only a short intermission 
would ensue before the five-minute sudden death over time period 
started. Doggett slid his fingers back under the jacket and quickly 
found the hot spot between his lover's legs. Reyes returned the 
favor by placing a hand on his groin and slowly massaging his 
growing erection. He groaned into her throat as they kissed and 
fondled one another to sheer insanity.

He wanted to take her right there in the seat. Ignorant once again to 
the game from their attention to one another, they locked 
themselves together by their lips. Her hand was doing double-time 
on the hardness underneath Doggett's jeans and she was getting 
wetter each second that counted down. She took both hands and 
unbuttoned his jeans, feeling his hot hockey stick under the 
material. With the jacket still on her legs, she moved to his lap and 
he knew then that he had to do something about it.

Sex in a public place was erotic in and of itself, but to do it at his 
favorite hockey club's arena was just a wild thought in itself. He 
adjusted his pants down enough so he could extract his swollen 
member for his version of a power play. Reyes carefully sat down 
on his lap as John guided himself into her volcanic center. All of 
the blood rushed down to his loins, making him light headed as she 
slowly rocked back and forth. Doggett rested his head against the 
chair and held onto her waist. The thought of being caught was 
exciting to him in a way; the combination of nervousness, stress 
and the cold made it all worthwhile. He couldn't see his partner's 
face, but he could tell by her breathing she was enjoying herself 
very much.

She rubbed his balls as she bounced on him, making his cock swell 
at a rapid rate. The more she did that, the more he could feel 
himself approach a climax. Just as he came, the Capitols scored the 
game winning goal and the buzzer sounded. The both jumped, but 
as his powerful orgasm subsided hers began and she shuddered 
around him. She fell back into him, barely able to hold on to the 
jacket to keep them both covered. "So, Agent Doggett, what's my 
punishment?" Reyes whispered.

"You just got it." John gasped.

"You read my mind exactly," she smiled and purred against him. 
"Let's go back to my apartment or to your house." Doggett could 
tell by the tone of her voice that she wanted to continue on with the 
physical scrimmage and was ready to oblige.

...................

Chapter Fifteen Falls Church 9 pm

All the way back to Doggett's house Reyes was thinking of what 
they had just done and what they were going to do later. Never in 
her wildest dreams did she believe she would act that way at a 
sporting game. It had been one of her fantasies to have sex in 
public place but that was just it, a vision that would probably never 
have eventuated. This man beside her brought out something in her 
that was wild and adventurous and had been missing for a long 
time now. She'd thought she'd loved Follmer but she was certainly 
in love with Doggett. He was the whole parcel not just company 
and sex. He was smart, work driven, rational, active and sexy as 
hell. These were not just traits she loved in any man but when it 
was partnered with his compassion and the meld of his own unique 
life experiences that's what she loved, that was the whole package.

Her thoughts went to Follmer and what she was going to say. She 
could have told him that morning in their office. She could have 
had her morning break and taken him for coffee. Letting it out 
gently that way could have worked but in a way she had to admit 
she was putting it off, procrastinating.  As if he didn't know what 
they were doing as he'd entered the office. She inwardly smiled 
thinking about Doggett's quick response and also admired him for 
letting it be her to break the news rather than find out the hard way. 
That would be just too hurtful. The anguish on his face was all she 
could see as she rehearsed the words, 'Brad, I'm in love and have 
been sleeping with John.' What would that do to him? The last 
thing she wanted to do was hurt anyone, it wasn't in her nature. 
Tomorrow morning would be the clincher.

She looked across to her lover as he concentrated on driving. He 
was truly a beautiful man in more ways than one. Was he also 
thinking what they'd done earlier? It had been surprising he'd gone 
along with it. This was certainly a different John Doggett than she 
had been used to but with her help he was finally learning to 
separate his work life from leisure. Her limbs felt weak thinking 
about the possibilities of the night ahead of them, and hoped he 
was up for a night of fun because she felt very active.

The number of times she had been over at his place to work on 
cases and sometimes just as friends had been many but things had 
changed. This time she would step over the threshold as his lover 
as well as friend and partner.

The truck pulled into the driveway and Doggett push the remote to 
the garage door. He looked over to her and took in a breath 
knowing full well the look in her eyes and that he'd need to be 
prepared for anything. With one of his wide grins he turned to her.

"Wait there." He opened the door and stepped out. She watched as 
he swept around the front of the truck. He was just so sweet 
sometimes. The way he held onto those old fashioned ideals. It 
wasn't often she came across someone who would open the door 
for her.

As her feet hit the concrete of his garage floor he took her hand 
guiding her out of the vehicle. After closing the door he led her 
silently into his house. No words were spoken as he took off his 
jacket and hung it on the coat rack. Looking into her eyes he gently 
took her purse from her shoulder and strung it up next to his jacket 
and walked towards the kitchen.

"Can I get you anything? Beer? Coffee?" "I'm fine." She elevated 
her arms and slipped them around his waist as he turned to meet 
her close gaze. "That was breathtaking tonight John, the game, 
you, everything." She looked from his eyes to his lips and leant in 
to give them a brief kiss. "What was it with seducing me like that? 
We could have been in big trouble if we were caught." "We 
weren't caught and you must admit it was risky and sexy." Reyes 
moved her hands to his and linked fingers, pulling them down to 
her ass giving him some suggestions what she wanted him to do 
with them. "Monica, I'm not sure I'm up to this so soon." He shook 
his head as he spoke. "Okay, then what will we do until you're 
ready?" His lover smiled. "What do you want to do? I have a few 
movies." Her hands felt over the muscles of his upper arms and 
then over his chest all the time thinking and grinning. 
..........................

"I want to know how you keep in shape. You're in really good 
physical form for a man in his forties." Her hands went to his back 
running her touch over his shoulders. "You're not so bad yourself." 
His hands squeezed her ass and he remembered she had no 
underwear. His libido was returning. "I asked you first John." 
"Okay, you know I do some bike riding for an aerobic workout, 
also to keep my legs fit and for upper body work I have some 
equipment in the basement." "I hope it's bondage." Her hands went 
to his neck and her fingers splayed through his hair. She pulled 
him in for a kiss determined to get him in the mood. She had plans 
for the night that she wanted to share with him. "Monica, you're 
bad." His voice was low and seductive as his lips swept hers then 
went in for a deeper kiss. Those hands stayed on her ass feeling it 
ever so gently.

"Show me." A lone finger traced along his jaw to the lips she'd just 
kissed. "If you want." He stayed looking into her eyes. "What are 
we waiting for?" Without another word he took Reyes' hand and 
led her to the basement door. The downstairs room was illuminated 
after Doggett flicked the light switch.

She'd been everywhere in Doggett's house but this small room. As 
she moved down the steps the first thing she saw was the punching 
bag that hung from a hook on the ceiling. Just as the rest of his 
dwelling, this was neat and well ordered. There were a few pieces 
of gym equipment scattered around the room including a bench 
press, rowing machine and a rack of free weights.

"Why haven't I seen all this before?" She sat on the bench press 
surveying the room. "You didn't ask." Doggett remained standing.

"So show me." "Show you what?" Doggett needed some guidance. 
"Give me a demonstration." "Okay, what would you like to see 
first?" He looked to each piece of equipment that he would use at 
least three times a week. "How about the punching bag?" As she 
spoke he undid his shirt buttons revealing his white T-shirt 
underneath. Reyes like the image of him hot and sweaty after him 
going hammer and tongs at the padded bag. "I'll time you," She 
looked at her watch. "Two minutes, then I want you to show me 
how to use this." She patted the seat she was on.

He made two fists and moved his feet slightly and concentrated as 
though preparing psychologically for the effort. "Five seconds, 
three, two, one, go!" He threw a left hook first and then a right, 
continuing the procedure until he got into a steady rhythm. Reyes 
watched amused as his jaw clenched and his brow began to bead 
up.

"What do you imagine while you're doing that?" She noticed his 
arm muscles bulge and relax. "Oh, this and that," he puffed. "Do 
you think about Brad?" He gave an almighty punch and paused for 
a moment before continuing his assault on the bag. "Maybe." 
"Don't worry John, Brad and me are past history."

"I know." He truly believed that but would be happier after Reyes 
informed him. "Is it two minutes yet?" "Yup." He turned to her, 
beads of sweat covering his brow. "So what now? Want me to 
show how I lift weights?" The direction of his head indicated the 
bench press she was sitting on. "Or maybe it's my turn to watch 
you." As he peeled off his soggy T- shirt she witnessed his muscles 
swell.

She stood indicating she was going to approach him but Doggett 
turned towards the rack of free weights. "I have a suggestion. 
You'll need to take off your top."

............................

He grinned as he picked two five pound weights off the rack. 
Reyes wriggled out of her black turtleneck sweater revealing her 
black lacy bra underneath. He stopped in his tracks staring.

"So are you in the mood yet?" Her eyebrows rose as she smiled. 
"Maybe," he breathed as he placed each bar bell in her hands. 
"Now what?" "You bend your elbows like this." His hands moved 
over her bare forearms to her wrists, lifting them towards her neck. 
He moved in behind her and guided her arms down and then up. 
His chest on her back sent messages down her body that she 
couldn't cope with while her hands were occupied that way. 
Doggett was aroused. Apart from his crotch pushing into her from 
behind, she could tell by the way his hot breath hit her skin and he 
did everything in slow motion.

"John." Reyes almost dropped the weights when his large hands 
felt over the warm skin of her abdomen. Her head fell back onto 
his shoulder when his hands moved down over the rim of her 
woollen mini. When his fingers clawed at the hem of her skirt, 
skimming the skin of her inner thighs she had to lower the weights 
before they dropped out of her hand and did some damage.

As she rose to full height again he continued to feel both inner 
thighs with nimble fingers as he licked and nibbled her right 
earlobe. She leant back onto him letting his fingers do their work 
slowly traveling up to the fiery arena between her legs. Her groans 
increased in volume as fingers from both hands pushed between 
her slippery lips. Her butt pushed against his hard crotch and 
moved from side to side enjoying the feeling of him growing for 
her. The tongue licking her ear drowned out the moans coming 
from her mouth.

"John, I need you now." Almost pre-empting her thoughts he 
began removing her clothes slowly as his fingers felt every bit of 
flesh, as it was uncovered. After removing her bra, letting her 
breasts free, she turned and moved her chest on his. Her hands 
went to the clasp of his jeans as she moved him backwards towards 
the bench. When she'd lowered his jeans and briefs to his ankles 
she had to remove his shoes and socks. He flicked off the last 
remnants of either of their garments and grabbed her in a tight 
embrace, opening his mouth for an enduring kiss.

"You are going to get laid woman." Doggett voice was tinged with 
sex. "Oh, and by whom?" She teased. With a mock sneer he held 
her naked body and positioned her so that her back was on the 
bench press. He spread her legs for her and looked at the angelic 
form before him. One leg straddled the bench as he lifted her knees 
and moved in closer. His arms solidly held the bench beside her 
head as she felt him slowly push in below. The sensation of him 
filling her was nothing like sex she'd ever had before. He was 
ideal, a perfect fit and more. His hips swivelled and thrust as his 
erection slid in and out. Sometimes it was slow as though he was 
feeling every small sensation. Other times it was faster, his hips 
rotating to get the best penetration. His eyes opened spasmodically 
gauging his lover's pleasure.

He flopped to her mouth and they slurped kisses in between 
frenzied movements. Doggett's hands then cupped and squeezed 
Reyes' breasts as the thrusting became more and more urgent. The 
way he held he knees at just the right angle put pressure on her clit 
letting her desire and fire grow to their zenith. The build up was 
slow and measured and she kept her eyes open watching her lover's 
expression of deep gratification. This made her wild for him and 
the throbbing of her release was so intense she hardly noticed him 
spilling out his delicious seed inside her.

It wasn't until their movements had slowed and their breathing 
almost return to normal that she began to feel the chill.

"You're wonderful Monica." Doggett kissed her on the forehead 
before making his way down to her mouth where he occupied her 
lips for the next minutes. "Cold?" He felt her shiver. "A little." She 
smiled a satisfied smile up to the man who had just made hot, 
sizzling love to her. "You have two choices to get warm." "One 
being bed with you?" "There's plenty of time for that later." "Then 
tell me." "Shower or hot tub?"

............................

"A Quick Dip" by Muskrat

"So Miss Reyes, what's it going to be, shower or the hot tub?" 
"After what you just did to me I'll take the hot tub." He rose up off 
her so they could both go and rinse off the evidence of their 
frenzied love making before getting in.

The water was hot at first, as they settled into position at the 
water's edge. "Just how high is the temperature of this water 
John?" "Not that high, maybe the heat radiating off your hot sexy 
body is changing the temperature." "John Doggett you wouldn't be 
coming on to me again would you?" Doggett smiled. "And what if 
I am Miss Reyes?" Doggett slithered across the water toward her 
about half way and went under. Reyes smiled as she thought about 
what Doggett could do to her while he was under there. She could 
feel him touch her as he ran his hand down her leg and wrapped it 
around her ankle.

Before Reyes realized what was about to happen it was too late. He 
grabbed her other ankle and pulled her under. Moments later he 
came bursting out of the water like a big bear with arms raised 
ready to pounce. Reyes also came bursting out of the water. She 
threw her head back splashing John's chest with water from her 
soaked wet hair.

She slid up Doggett's wet naked body and wrapped her arms 
around his neck. "You know John, if you want me wet you should 
do it this way instead." She took his hand and placed it between 
her legs. Before letting him go any further she placed her open 
mouth on his, teasing him with her tongue.

He tried to resist her hoping she'd try harder to get him to do what 
she wanted, but he couldn't, there was no resisting this woman. He 
opened his mouth taking in her tongue. Her tongue was playful as 
it tried to entice his out and into her mouth. Her playfulness paid 
off as his tongue slid over her moist lips and into her mouth. 
Remembering where their hands were Reyes guided his fingers 
into her using her own. As they move in and out, the warm water 
flowed with them bringing the sensation to a new height of 
enjoyment.

Doggett gently removed his fingers and Reyes tried to do the same 
but he stopped her. She pulled away from their kiss. "John?" He 
whispered into her ear, "I want you to feel what I feel when you 
have an orgasm."

Reyes had turned herself on in the past but she had never felt her 
own orgasm in such a way. She closed her eyes to enhance her 
other senses, paying close attention to her sense of touch. Doggett 
had never had a woman do anything like that while in his presence 
nor had Reyes ever done anything like that in the presence of her 
lover. The experience was going to be new for both of them.

As Doggett watched her he could see that her breathing was 
getting heavier and that she'd started to move her whole body to 
the rhythm of what was happening under water. As her breathing 
got heavier her moans got louder. She bent her head back exposing 
her breasts. Doggett could sense that she was close to climaxing. 
He began sucking on her breasts going from one to the other. 
Reyes too could feel herself getting close to the point of release. 
She called out to her lover, "Oh god! John!"  He quickly slid his 
fingers back in, they glided in and out together. She opened her 
eyes and looked at John just as she released.  The feeling was like 
nothing she'd ever felt before. "John, that was the most incredible 
feeling, thank you for this wonderful experience!"

Thanks so much Muskrat - you're the best!!!! :D

................................

Next morning

Doggett woke up with cramps in his legs and a stiff body. He 
stretched his limbs, his arms up over his head, loosening out the 
knots. His foot brushed over hers before he became fully conscious 
that there was a female body beside him in his bed. He'd been so 
used to sleeping by himself the past years that momentarily he was 
put off guard.

He rolled over onto his side and resisted the urge to run his fingers 
over her naked back and through her tousled dark hair. He would 
let her sleep. The activities they had been involved in the previous 
evening and throughout the night had taken their toll on both their 
bodies. The last few days had been sexually memorable. He and 
Reyes had certainly tested their stamina to the hilt.

Pulling off the covers carefully so as not to disturb his sleeping 
sweetheart he got out of bed and padded to the bathroom. Maybe 
some hot water pounding on his sensitive flesh would loosen him 
up more. The cool of the surrounding air hit his naked body 
making him motivated to turn the faucet and step into the steam.

As he soaped himself under the soothing stream of heat he thought 
back over the previous case and how Follmer had set them up. He 
chuckled at the fact he hadn't known it was exactly what they'd 
need to kick start their relationship past the next level. Sneaky 
bastards like Follmer deserved reward such as this. Oh, how he 
wished he could just rub it all in his face and tell him he'd slept 
with the person he'd asked to marry him. In fact, he'd delight in 
telling him just how good she was in the sack, how she felt when 
she came while he was inside her, how soft her skin was to touch 
with his fingers and lips as she lay in his bed.

He'd promised Reyes that she could tell Follmer of their 
relationship and this was the morning he'd be told. Doggett placed 
a dollop of shampoo in his palm and began lathering his hair as he 
thought about how this information would affect their working 
association.  Doggett felt like smirking in his face when he next 
saw him.

"John?" Reyes' quiet voice could be heard in the room. "Good 
morning."  Her lover was certainly in a good mood. He grinned as 
she stood before him dressed only in a wide smile. "Can I join 
you? I have to meet Brad in an hour." "Sure, what time is it?" "Six 
thirty." He quickly rinsed his hair before she stepped in with him. 
"So are you as sore as I am lover boy?" She went for the soap and 
began to lather her hands. He took the soap from her and foamed 
up his own hands. "Feel like a ten ton truck hit me." "Only ten?" 
She quipped then immediately sighed as he ran soapy fingers over 
her shoulders then down to her breasts. "What are you going to tell 
him?" His voice lowered in whispers. He lathered again and 
motioned for her to turn. His hands circled, cleaning her back as 
she spoke. "I'll break it to him gently and tell him I can't marry him 
because I'm in love with you." He foamed his hands more then ran 
slippery snakes over her butt and down her legs.

"You love me?" She turned and with her expression and words, 
confirmed what she'd just said. "Yes, I love you John." "Are you 
sure?" His eyes narrowed as she laughed. "Of course I'm sure." Her 
arms journeyed to his neck and brought him closer experiencing 
their first kiss of the morning. "I have to leave soon John." "But I 
haven't soaped everywhere yet." His voice was husky and inviting. 
Just as she expected he moved soapy hot fingers between her legs. 
"Mmmmm." Doggett was trying to convince her to stay by feeling 
over her susceptible area with those experienced fingers of his. 
"John I can't."

"Yes you can." His body overshadowed hers as their hot skin 
touched. "I have to go home and change before I meet Brad." "Be 
late." He continued his relentless control of her passion with one 
hand while the other moved up her body to her hair. The cubicle 
was steamy from more than just the searing water. "I can't." Her 
legs spread wider willingly showing him she wanted more. "Just 
tell him you were with me all night." He slipped his fingers inside 
her. "Tell him how it feels to make love to me." "John." She hardly 
heard what he'd said as her head leant back on the tiles, her nails 
digging into his shoulders. His other hand splayed though her wet 
tresses. He could tell her anything and she would lap it up. "Tell 
him how it feels when I'm on top of you, both of us naked." "Yes." 
Had she heard him? His fingers probed deeper. "He needs to know 
just how intense your orgasms should be." In her delirium did she 
comprehend his mouth on hers? The water bounced off his back as 
he assaulted her mouth and down below unremittingly. He kept 
repeating his movements until he felt those first vibrations on his 
digits and her ragged breath into his mouth as she concentrated on 
releasing her physical manifestation of her love onto him.

He couldn't believe how what he did could bring his woman to 
such heights. Her muscles gripped his fingers and he kept them 
still for a moment, just feeling the pulsing and surging. "Tell him 
exactly what it's like to come with my fingers on and in you."

Her pants slowed just as her body began to slide down the shower 
wall. Doggett slipped his fingers out just in time to catch her under 
the arms.  He lifted her and pinned her body against the wall until 
her legs were stiff again.

"John, I have to go." Her eyes remained closed. "I know." His lips 
coated hers lightly for a quick but loving kiss and her arms 
enfolded around his solid body. He felt so hot for her but knew 
there was no time. She had loved and paid attention to his needs so 
many times that night, he felt he'd just repaid the debt.

..........................

"Monica, there's still something about this case that bothers me." 
With his towel around his waist he went to his dresser drawer and 
got out a clean pair of briefs. "Oh?" "Something doesn't sit right 
with me." "And what is that John?" Reyes pulled on her ribbed 
sweater from the night before. "Sure you wanna wear that again? I 
can lend you something." "John." She laughed, "You don't exactly 
have women's clothes here. I'll be fine, I'll go straight home and 
change before I meet Brad."

"Okay." He nodded as he slipped on his dress shirt for the day and 
began on the buttons. "So what doesn't feel right about the case?" 
She got her red skirt from over the chair and began slipping it over 
her hips. "There's something missing. I don't know, I just have this 
feeling that we haven't been told the whole truth." "You know I 
trust your feelings John but what possibly could we have missed?" 
She slipped on her shoes and stood, smoothing down her short 
mini. "It just seems a coincidence that David Pendleton's 
grandmother looked like you. Would Follmer have known that and 
that's part of why he sent us?" "I don't know." Her fingers ran 
through her hair as she looked over to her lover's dresser for a 
hairbrush. "I have a feeling that he knew nothing about that, and in 
my book that resemblance is no coincidence." He pulled on his 
dress pants and did up the fly as she brushed her hair with 
Doggett's hairbrush.

"Maybe the Pendletons knew something." Reyes found her bag and 
extracted her makeup kit just as Doggett finished tying his 
shoelaces. "I don't think so." "Why not?" She freshened up her face 
in Doggett's mirror. "They would have recognised you. I saw 
nothing in their expressions or words to suggest they had any prior 
knowledge of you or us." "You mean David didn't recognize me as 
resembling his grandmother?" Her lipstick glided over the lips that 
her lover had kissed to the point of numbness for hours during the 
night. "I would have seen it too if he had." "Maybe he hasn't seen 
many photos of his grandmother when she was younger, I don't 
know. Someone knows something here Monica, and I'm going to 
find out who and why." He did up his tie and went to pick up his 
suit coat that was on a hanger on the door of his closet. "And 
anyway, I need to know what's happened with the Pendletons and 
their daughter."

Reyes smacked her lips together and patted them lightly with a 
tissue inspecting her mirror reflection. "You look beautiful 
Monica." Doggett admired her mirror image as his hands rested 
calmly on her shoulders. She turned in his arms and looked him 
squarely in the face. "John, I do love you." "I know." He said 
serenely.

After an instant of introspection she spoke, "So what will you do?" 
"I'm going to see Carmen. I want her to tell me what's happened 
since we left Texas and if she knows anything more about the 
Pendletons that we're possibly missing here." "I want to come too." 
Her hands traveled down over his arms to his hands. "Monica, you 
have to see Follmer." He looked into her eyes. "You can't put it off 
any longer. He needs to know. I need to know he knows."

She nodded as she looked at the floor. "I'll tell him but I'm not 
looking forward to his reaction." Her eyes moved up to his clear 
blue irises again. "Monica, life's too short to string relationships 
along. He'll grieve and then move on. Just like I....." He stopped to 
reflect. "Just like you and Barbara." "Just like me and Barbara. Just 
as I have you now he will find someone who will share his life, no 
doubt." He took a moment until she agreed. "Now come on and I'll 
drive you home. I'll be back at the office perhaps midday. We'll 
talk then."

He leant in and kissed her cheek not wanting to spoil her freshly 
applied lips. As they made their way downstairs Doggett just knew 
that this day would be a significant one in their affiliation. The first 
time they'd made love was still clear in his mind but this would 
bring freedom and a whole new dawn in his existence.

......................

Chapter Sixteen Reyes' Apartment 7am

There was a stirring in Reyes' bed and Follmer's eyes flung open 
when he heard the front door open and someone enter. He rolled 
over bringing the sheets with him, to look at the bedside alarm 
clock that indicated the early hour just thirty minutes before he and 
Reyes were to meet for breakfast. His legs swung over the bed side 
and he held his head as a shade of vertigo swept through him. He 
was still dressed in the casual clothes he'd worn to visit her the 
previous night hoping she'd be home and they could have that 
much overdue discussion. His anxiety wouldn't let him wait until 
the morning. Using the key Reyes had given him he'd let himself in 
to surprise her but soon saw that the apartment was empty.

He'd looked at his watch that had said 10 pm. She'd worked late in 
the past but not often that late. Follmer had decided to wait for her 
so watched a bit of television, read through some articles in a 
Vanity Fair magazine, made himself some supper and a hot drink 
and then when the time went past midnight he'd lain on Reyes' bed 
expecting her home any moment. Before sleep overtook him he'd 
thought about all those signs that Reyes was drifting away. The 
angry Doggett in her apartment and her reaction to him wasn't the 
first. In hindsight he could tell she had affection for him even 
before that. Conveniently finding that case in Fredericksburg, 
Texas was the way to find out for sure. The phone call with 
Doggett was another sign. How could he have been so naïve as to 
not believe him? The mole was a dead giveaway. He'd trusted 
Carmen and she'd let him down. He would have words with her 
about that. Then in their office, at first he hadn't expected to see the 
two agents embracing but on reflection that's exactly what they'd 
been doing. He'd forced a chuckle at Doggett's quick comeback but 
then immediately his face had fallen again at the implication.

At the edge of the bed he quickly put on his socks and shoes. He 
wanted to be fully clothed when he confronted her with his 
thoughts. Grabbing the comb from his pants pocket he ran it 
through his hair. There was some rustling in the living room then 
the footfalls walked towards him. As Reyes entered the room she 
must have known he was there because her face told him she was 
not surprised.

"Brad?" "Monica, I'm sorry. I must have fallen asleep on your 
bed." "How long have you been here?" It was then that Follmer 
noticed what Reyes was wearing and it certainly wasn't work 
clothes or anything he'd seen her wear before. "You didn't wear 
anything like that for me." She involuntarily smoothed down her 
red studded mini trying to cover up further. He didn't need to make 
her any more uncomfortable than she already looked but he found 
himself saying,

"Where have you been all night Monica? Was it work? Was it 
him?" "Brad." Her voice was cheerless. She went to say something 
but before any words came out Follmer got off the bed and took 
her by the hand and led her into the living room. What he was 
about to say to her wasn't what should be said in her bedroom.

..............................

He led her to the couch and he sat adjacent. "I have something to 
say Monica and I hope I don't hurt you. It's not my intention to 
ever give you any pain so that's why I have to say this now before 
it goes too far."

"What Brad?" Reyes kept her legs tightly closed with her palms 
resting on her knees leaning forward, a slight furrow in her brow. 
Un-Follmer-like he shuffled uneasily before he spoke, trying to 
choose the words carefully.

"I can't marry you Monica." He waited until he saw her expression 
change to bafflement before he continued. "I must break off the 
relationship. I hope you're not too disappointed." "What Brad? 
Why?" He witnessed the relief in her voice and he tried hard to 
hold back the pain he felt inside just conveying the words he truly 
didn't want to say.

"I want to marry you, I really do but now is not the right time." 
"Just tell me why Brad." Her position changed, sitting back into 
the couch more. "There are issues in my life I need to deal with 
and then if you still want me I will be there for you." Reyes' mouth 
fell open and he knew that this break up on his part was totally 
unexpected. He could see in her body language and her seemingly 
concealed expression that she'd been let off the hook.

"What sort of issues?" "Never mind about me, I'll deal with my 
demons, I don't want you involved. The less you know the better." 
"Brad, if there's something wrong then maybe I can help, John and 
myself could look into it for you." At the mention of that name his 
body stiffened and Reyes noticed. He wanted her to be the one to 
say it, to say that she'd been sleeping with her partner and that's 
why she was dressed the way she was and had come home in the 
morning.

It was written all over her face, the confusion over how to come 
out with it, but Follmer let her battle with her discomfort. He 
couldn't let her off that lightly.

"I have something to say to you too Brad and I don't want you hurt 
either." She decided to stand and walk over to sit beside him. Her 
hand went out to his and rested gently on top. "What is it Monica?" 
Follmer pretended naivety. "I have to say firstly that we have had 
some good times and I do love you just not in that way." He let her 
continue at her own pace even though the knife inside him cut 
deeper. "I am in love with John and that's where I was last night. I 
have been in love with him for a long time, I was just waiting for 
him to catch up."

"So while you were waiting for him I was just handy?" "No it's not 
like that, you make me sound like I was using you, it's not the case. 
You are truly one sexy man and dynamite between the sheets but I 
need more." "What do you need Monica?" The knife was then 
twisting inside. "I need to feel alive, that my life is going 
somewhere, I need adventure and even a little uncertainty. With 
you I was a little too comfortable." She saw his wounded pride. 
"Please don't take it the wrong way Brad. That doesn't mean it'll be 
that way with any woman in your life. You will find someone who 
complements your passions and when you have found her you will 
know. If not at first then it will grow." Her hand squeezed his until 
he felt the need to hide his teary eyes from her. Before getting up 
to stand he also saw a single tear run over her cheek.

He collected his jacket that he'd draped over a chair the night 
before, the single sign that had tipped off Reyes to his presence in 
her apartment. "Don't go like this Brad." He turned letting her see 
his grief. She stood and took his hand and then moved in and 
wrapped her arms around his initially stiff body. When he felt her 
genuine empathy his body softened enough for him to return the 
hug. They stayed that way for ages absorbing each other's 
heartache. When it was natural for them to part Reyes gave him a 
soft kiss on the lips, which he briefly returned.

"What do we do now Monica?" After a few moments Reyes 
brushed the tears from her eyes and then tried to brighten up. "Let's 
still go for breakfast. I don't want you out of my life Brad. I need 
you." "You need me?" She softly laughed, "I want you there as a 
friend. You have been in my life and in my bed; we can't deny the 
past we share. It will always be there in our hearts."

Follmer had to agree and it was almost a relief to see Reyes 
reacting that way. He'd half expected her to give him the cold 
shoulder. This way made the situation surprisingly comfortable 
under the circumstances. "I could deal with that Ms. Reyes. Sure 
you want to go dressed like that?" She looked down and smiled. 
"Why not, let's pretend this is our final date, for old times sake?" 
"Okay." His lips went up in a half smile. "You'll have all the men 
looking at your legs you know." "Let them look, I'll just have eyes 
for you." She winked and linked her arms with his. As they headed 
for the front door Reyes scooped up her handbag and keys without 
breaking her hold on Follmer's arm.

As they made their way down the hallway they didn't hear the 
phone ringing in her apartment. ....................

Chapter Seventeen Follmer's Office 12 noon

"Come in." "Hi Brad, you expecting me?" Carmen popped her 
head around Follmer's office door. "Front desk rang through and 
said you'd checked in." "Oh?" She moved over to him as he sat at 
his desk with a pile of files in front of him, some open others 
closed. "I told them to let me know if you were ever in the 
building." "You keeping an eye on me?" She moved in behind him 
and rested her hands on his shoulders. "You're so tense Brad. 
What's up?" Her fingers began to manipulate his shoulders through 
his dress shirt. His eyes slid closed and his head moved back a 
little, clearly enjoying the attention. "You always were good at that 
Carmen."

"Tell me Brad, there's something troubling you." Her fingers 
worked down his arms then up to his neck. "I can sense there's 
more than just this pile of work to get through." "Why did you tell 
me there was nothing going on between Agents Reyes and Doggett 
on that farm case?" The massage stopped briefly as she pondered 
then began again more slowly. She'd expected at any time to be 
quizzed. "What did you hear?" "I asked her to marry me." The 
movement ceased for a second time and he swivelled in his chair to 
face her. "She refused me. She told me she's in love with that 
man." "And that makes you feel frustrated?" "It makes me feel 
stupid. I allowed myself to begin loving again and it was thrown in 
my face." She took his hands in hers to provide comfort and to tell 
him he still had a friend in her.

"That's a common feeling. At least she's become conscious of it 
before it's too late." Carmen moved around and leant against his 
desk. "How do you feel towards her now?" "We parted friends. 
Why didn't you tell me Carmen? You must have seen something." 
"Yes, and heard it too but it wasn't me you should have heard it 
from." He hung his head knowing she was making sense. "I went 
in there to help the Pendletons with their ghost not to spy for you." 
He nodded understanding.

Her hand went to his face and the tips of her fingers lifted his chin 
to hers. "There's something else." "I can't hang that on you 
Carmen." "Tell me Brad. I can see that Monica's and John's 
relationship is only a minor part of your concerns. You can't hide it 
from me." "I know, I never could" He began to smile for the first 
time since he saw her happy face walk through his door. "Spill it." 
She stood and walked over to a chair dragging it to sit by her 
friend. "If I told you then it could be dangerous for you too." "Oh 
danger, how exciting." "Really." He leant forward lowering his 
voice. "These men are powerful." "Brad, you know how I feel 
about you. You know I would go to the ends of the earth for you. 
Trust me, talk to me, I might even be able to help."

Follmer thought for a moment and then turned to pick up a file he 
had open on his desk. He handed it to Carmen who scanned the 
contents. "You're in tight with the mob. How did it get this bad 
Brad?" "They threatened Monica's life." "So they're blackmailing 
you to do some dirty work." She stated. "Who's your contact?"

The Assistant Director hesitated before saying the name. "Brad, 
don't worry about me. There are ways to overcome these things. 
Now give me a name." "Victor Spinelli." "Spinelli as in household 
furniture guru?" "Yes." "He has mob connections?" "Not just 
connections, he's the boss." Carmen felt the need to stretch her legs 
as she thought. "So what Spinelli says goes?" "That's right." 
"When are you meeting with him next?" She kept thinking as she 
wandered the room.

"He usually gives me a couple hours advance warning."

"Okay then, next time he calls for a meeting I want to be there 
too." "No Carmen." Follmer rose from his chair and approached 
his friend. "It's too dangerous." "There are ways." Follmer 
recognized that expression of hers and knew it was confidence. 
"What did you have in mind?" "You say that what Spinelli says is 
gospel, right?" "Right." "Then all we have to do is change his mind 
and you're off the hook." "I suppose but I'm not sure how we could 
do that." "Brad," She took his hands in hers once more to let him 
feel the trust that washed from her being to his. "It's my job 
remember?" "Job?" "I'm a trained hypnotist and a darned good one, 
he'll never know." She smirked.

His mouth began to move into a smile. "Really? Do you think it 
would work?" "Of course it will. I never as a rule use it on the 
unknowing but in this case it's all for good." "So you can 'suggest' 
to him that I'm not useful to him?" "I can 'suggest' anything you 
want. I don't do the 'quack like a duck when I snap my fingers' 
thing though." She laughed at her own joke.

He glided over to her, wrapped his arms around her waist and 
swept her off her feet. A heavy load had just been lifted from his 
shoulders. "Okay, you can thank me by taking me to lunch." He 
immediately got his suit coat from the hook and ushered her to the 
door.

On the way out he spoke to his secretary. "I won't be back for the 
afternoon, reschedule my meetings for me?" They then walked 
calmly to the elevator not letting on the relief they both felt inside 
and for two very different reasons.

............................

Chapter Eighteen Joe's Diner 12 noon

"So how is she?" Reyes looked at the menu board. "Carmen's fine. 
She got back from Texas last night." Doggett had already made up 
his mind what to have for lunch.

"I'll have a chicken and avocado roll with mayo and a black 
coffee." Reyes ordered from the waiter. "The Malibu Chicken 
Supreme sounds good. I'll also have a Coke." The waiter nodded 
and filled their water glasses before heading off to the kitchen.

Reyes sipped the water then looked across to her partner. "So what 
did she say? Was she really connected to all of this in the first 
place?" "Yes, but I'm finding it very hard to believe it all. It just 
doesn't make any sense to me, all that soul business is beyond me 
Monica." "I'm not expecting you to believe it but you have to 
admit all the clues are there." "Yes, there are clues all right but I'm 
not comfortable about putting it into our report." "Then I will John. 
It's an X-File; they get reports like this all the time. This one is no 
exception."

He nodded acceptance. "I tell ya, I had no idea it was her plan for 
us to go on this case." "Tell me again John. How was she 
involved?"

"Carmen was actually the one who brought Follmer's attention to 
this case by having it jump up on his computer when he went back 
to it after a lunchbreak with her. She'd gone back to his office with 
him to make sure he saw it and got the right ideas." Doggett related 
what Carmen had told him that morning.

"So she plants the 'paranormal' seed in his mind and suggests to 
him about it being a possible X-File? Why would she do that 
John?"

"I'm getting to that part." He continued as their respective drinks 
were delivered. They both took a few sips before the male agent 
spoke again. 'Well it turns out better than expected because she 
hadn't known about our feelings towards each other and that 
Follmer was highly jealous. He hadn't told her but she'd worked it 
all out when arriving at the farm and she'd heard us in the 
bedroom. She'd known from the very first time at the window 
exactly what we'd been doing. From that time on she knew there 
was more involved than just Follmer sending us to a remote 
location to solve a case, he was testing us."

"She also knew that Brad would send her on the case too when we 
discovered the supernatural occurrences." Reyes took another sip 
of her coffee just as their meals arrived. "She probably planted that 
seed in his mind too?" She picked out a bit of chicken from her roll 
and popped it in her mouth before taking a bite through the fresh 
bread. "Tell me what she told you, the reasons for not letting us in 
on this. Why not just come clean from the start?"

"This is the part I can't understand but it's what she believes God 
lover her." "John, there are many people who have beliefs that 
souls never die and at the moment of death that same soul is 
reincarnated in a newborn baby." She took another bite and waited 
until Doggett had eaten some of his lunch. "Why a newborn? Does 
that mean that the unborn child doesn't have a soul?" "Maybe the 
soul enters the cells at the moment of conception, I don't know but 
it opens up a big debate."

"A debate that I would sleep through." "John." Reyes' eyes looked 
at him with compassion. "Okay so I'm not big on things I don't 
witness with my own eyes." "I'll make a believer of you yet." She 
laughed and picked out a piece of avocado. "Yes sure." He nodded, 
smiled and sliced off a piece of his Malibu chicken.

"So tell me about the soul of Charlotte Pendleton." Reyes sipped 
the last of her coffee and downed the water. "Carmen said that she 
went through some sort of regression therapy to see if she'd lived 
any past lives. God knows why." Reyes knew it was no use 
explaining to him that some people were curious about these 
things. "She found out that her soul had lived a past life. Carmen 
believed she was reincarnated from the soul of Charlotte 
Pendleton, David's grandmother's sister, all those years ago."

"So she did some research to find out about the family and 
contacted the relatives?" Reyes was finishing up her roll. "That's 
when she found out about the strange happenings at the farm 
house. Why didn't she just tell us the truth from the start?"

"That's where you come in Monica." He ate a few fries before 
continuing. "When Follmer had originally introduced Carmen to 
you she knew there had been some connection at a metaphysical 
level." He ate more of his meal as Reyes spoke.

"She'd had a feeling of déjà vu with me from the very first moment 
we'd met. I'd felt it too and I suppose that's why we kept in touch." 
She signalled the waiter to refill her water glass.

"So do you really believe your soul used to be Carla Pendleton's, 
David's grandmother, and that you and Carmen were sisters in a 
past life?" "It's not impossible. Look at the resemblance." "What if 
the resemblance can be explained away in that you are a relative? 
You don't know much about your real family. Perhaps the 
Pendletons are relatives of yours?" "That could be so." Reyes 
pondered that thought as Doggett had more of his meal and his 
Coke.

"So Carmen didn't tell the Pendleton's about my resemblance to his 
grandmother and that's why they didn't recognise us." "Also the 
fact that David hadn't recently seen a young picture of Carla." 
Doggett was finishing his meal.

"Anyway, Carmen wanted to keep it all from us to see our reaction 
to the whole story. She thought we'd have better success if we had 
no prior knowledge." "I certainly was surprised and more than a 
little curious." She took the last bite of chicken roll into her mouth.

"What about Sharon, the daughter, what was happening to her? 
What did Carmen say?" "Sharon was being taunted by the ghost 
just like you. She just didn't give any details because she was 
embarrassed to say especially in front of her parents. Carmen 
assured her that it was the entity's way of communicating. That's 
when she divulged the goings on to David and Sally"

Doggett moved to sit beside his partner as the waiter took the 
empty lunch dishes. "So the rest of the story is that the Pendletons 
are now living happily in their ghost free home."

"Carmen had her ghost mustering session. She wanted the case 
solved and knew that Charlotte Pendleton's soul regretted that she 
put her fiancé through the torture of her death and that it had been 
Carla who had seduced him when he was drunk. His ghost 
deserved peace now and she knew that by telling him everything it 
could calm his troubled spirit. It worked."

"It's all so far fetched to me but as long as we have another 
successful case and that the Pendleton's are happy, I'm happy."

Reyes placed a comforting hand on Doggett's arm. "So now that 
we're all happy do you think we could skip work this afternoon and 
go and have some fun?" "Monica," his voice was soft. "I think we 
had enough fun last night to last several days." She chuckled at the 
memory of their active night and the little sleep they ended up 
getting.

She drained the last drops of coffee from her cup, took Doggett's 
hand and stood. "Let's pay the check. I know a nice quiet place a 
few blocks down where we can talk about last night in more 
detail." She raised a mischievous eyebrow. "And re-enact them 
too." Doggett's face was equally playful. "You read my mind." 
"Monica." Doggett took her hand then pulled her close for a kiss. 
"I do love you too." "I know." Her grin was wide.

They exited the diner hand in hand and walked away down the 
street the happiest and most carefree they had felt in a very long 
time.

The End