Title: Until Death Do Us Part
Author: RPcrazy
holosweet@yahoo.com.au 
Rating:  NC-17 - language, sexual situations, cult themes.
Category: Doggett/Reyes casefile, some disturbing images. Doggett POV, Reyes POV.
Spoilers: Inspired by S9 4-D
Summary: Doggett and Reyes investigate a cult that puts them in grave danger for their lives. One of them may not survive the case.
Notes: Third in the series of DRR. Follows on from "Negative Image", then "M for Murder" but could be read alone.


Chapter One

Washington Memorial Hospital
Intensive Care

Doggett:

It was like a dream as my life flashed before my eyes. Why I saw these images I do not know. 
I was a child playing with my brothers and sister up at the cabin in the woods we used stay there at least once a year on vacations. My older brother Jim had pushed me into the river as a joke but I couldn't swim. I'd almost drowned when Dad came and pulled me out. My mother booked me into swimming lessons the next day and I quickly became a strong swimmer easily beating Jim whenever he challenged me to sprints.

The next image was at school and my first kiss. Her name was Jenny Marks and she had the most beautiful auburn hair and the rosiest cheeks. She made me a bag out of blue check gingham to keep my marble collection. It was a popular game then. I still have that bag at home somewhere.

First year in college I went wild. It was a transition year for me - a year between the strict rules of senior high school to the relative freedom and independence of college. In high school Dad had put pressure on me to get my grades up to go onto college I was responsible for myself and I took it to the extreme. It was uncanny that I didn't get into more trouble than I did. I especially remember that time a group of us *removed* the McDonald's *Ronald* and put in on top of the Law Building. Someone pushed it off and it almost hit a female student. We were suspended for a week for that one.
I lost my virginity that year with a girl called Suanne. We were on a weekend camp and got temporarily lost on a bush walk. We were found about four hours later after we'd had a torrid make-out session and a fairly sloppy attempt at first time sex. We subsequently saw each other for a few months until her boyfriend came back from his extended family trip through Europe.

I was married to Sarah on a sunny May day. In my book it was going to last a lifetime, we were madly in love, but one can never predict the future. Luke's death took a huge toll on the marriage. Even though she'd said she held no grudges I knew she held me partly responsible for not keeping Luke safe enough. My negative self-talk and her growing aloofness brought us to the point where we thought our lives would be more fruitful if we separated.
I still see her at least once a year but she's remarried now with two children of her own.

I'd given up meeting anyone I'd love just as much. I'd been through a number or short term and longer term relationships but there was always that seed in my mind, I wasn't good enough or it wouldn't last. 

Monica had come along and changed all that. We'd first met in New York after Luke's disappearance but rediscovered our affection for each other since she'd joined me here in Washington DC as my X-File partner. We were lovers and partners trying to keep the lovers part secret.

Now it was all too late. I was on my deathbed with a life threatening fever, not seeing any way I could survive.

My images came to an abrupt halt, then I heard the bleep of the machine beside the hospital bed that had been my home for the past two weeks. It slowed down then began the expected long bleep to show my heart had stopped. Monica, the love of my life was there, sobbing over my empty shell of a body. I looked down, suspended from above, and began my journey to the next realm.
I knew I was dead.


Three weeks earlier

Doggett:

It all started one day a few weeks back. I'd taken Monica to the local park for lunch. We'd prearranged this outing that morning and had worked out a way to have lunch together without it being obvious to the rest of our FBI colleagues. It had been some months since we'd first *discovered* each other and we were still trying to keep our relationship clandestine. We wanted to work together but knew the FBI regulations frowned upon partners being more than just that.

In a way it was exciting keeping secrets, organising clever ways to meet, but in another I would have liked to be able to talk about it with others. There had been times when I thought about letting Scully in on our secret but Monica had disagreed, she believed that as our feelings for each other were growing it was best that as few people knew as possible. You know how word can just slip out and that would be our careers down the drain. We wanted our careers and our romance to flourish.

After eating we lay together on the grass like teenage lovers again, just kissing and fondling, enjoying each other's warmth and love. When our desire became more than for show we went back to Monica's apartment and made love, two naked bodies eking out all the mutual pleasure we could in the limited time that was our lunch break.

When it was time to go back to the office it was planned that Monica would go in first then I would get there about ten minutes later. It was just as well because when I entered our basement office Deputy Director Kersh was waiting for us, one of his rare visits to our humble quarters.

Monica looked across to me with one of her deadpan expressions telling me that something was up. I stopped in my tracks.
"Deputy Director? This is a surprise. What can we do for you sir?"

"I suggest you sit down you two." I looked across from Kersh to Monica as I sat down at my desk.
"A little bird tells me that you two were seen at the park today." I knew I had to be honest here but my heart still leapt.
"Yes sir, Monica and myself were discussing our current case." Kersh looked across to Reyes who nodded.
"They tell me they saw you in a compromising situation."
"Compromising sir?" Monica questioned and swallowed.

"You two were kissing, passionately, they tell me. Do you want to explain yourselves?"

"No sir," I knew I couldn't make it sound  like anything but what it was.
"You tell me agents, do I condone the blatant disregard for FBI regulations?"
"No sir," we both replied.

"You know how it looks for the FBI. If I hear any more about any fraternization between you two at or outside work you can kiss your sorry asses good-bye from this job and the FBI." He looked across to Monica and me and witnessed our concerned faces.
"Now I believe Assistant Director Skinner wants to see you in his office pronto."

AD Skinner's Office

Doggett:

"Buzz me when he gets here?" Skinner mentioned to his secretary.
"Yes sir and by the way Agents Doggett and Reyes are on their way up."
"Good. Let them in as soon as they get here."

"Should I book their plane trips, sir?" Skinner paused, thinking.
"No, not yet. They'll have to accept this assignment first. We'll wait on that one."

"Sir? You wanted to see us?"
"Oh yes, Agent Doggett, come in. Agent Reyes, have a seat." We both entered his office a little tentatively wondering if Assistant Director Skinner was going to give out any sanctions for our earlier indiscretionary behaviour. I really hoped he hadn't found out. We'd kept our relationship secret for a while now, even AD Follmer believed that our romantic liaisons had ceased after having caught us in bed together on a case a few months back.

He sat down at his desk.

"There's an assignment for you." We both visibly relaxed but we were still curious. We weren't usually given an assignment in the middle of another full-blown investigation.
"Sir? We're on a case already." I decided to remind him.
"I know Agent Doggett and you can give that over to Agents Honeywell and Tierney if you accept this new case."

"If, sir?" Reyes broke in.
"Yes, Agent Reyes, due to the sensitive nature of the case and the danger involved I feel you would need to agree to take it on."
Just then we heard the familiar buzzer of the intercom.
"Sir, he's here."
"Let him in."

We all stood as an imposing looking man entered the office, a man we hadn't met before. 
"Agents Doggett, Reyes, this is Officer Colin Bullmer from the Portland, Oregon Police. He's here to brief you on the details of the assignment." 

We all sat after welcomes and handshakes. All our eyes were on Bullmer as he began to speak.

"We have a situation in Portland, or just outside Portland that has not as yet come to the public's attention but if it goes on could be real concern." He shifted in his seat then continued. "Have you two heard of the term Tantra?"

I just shook my head but Reyes knew.
"Tantra is commonly thought to be the 'Yoga of Sex'." I was surprised at her statement and she laughed. "There is a kernel of truth in that description but it is not totally correct. While some believe that Tantra is about giving people better orgasms or about becoming better lovers, it's more to do with expanding a person's consciousness, expanding one's capacity to give and to receive pleasure."

"..and?" I slightly shook my head in confusion. "What's this to do with the case?" 
"That's just what I'm about to mention," Bullmer went on. "There's a cult outside my home town that is taking this simple notion and distorting it into some sort of religion."
"Religion?"
Reyes responded, "Some people have the misconception that Tantra is a religion, it's a spiritual path. If religion enters then unwanted barriers are drawn."

Bullmer continued, "We don't know much yet. We're still piecing together the information we have."
"Where's the case here?" Doggett still needed clarification.

"The case is that anyone who has tried to leave the cult has died of a mysterious illness. There is no-one alive to tell us exactly what is going on and we can't get into the facility without the concern of further casualties."

Skinner went on, "So Agents, as you can see, I cannot expect you to go into this possible fatal situation without your consent. If you do decide to take this case you'll be on tomorrow morning's flight to Oregon."

Chapter Four

Flight to Portland, Oregon
9.30 am

Doggett:

"Monica, you'll need to explain further. I'm at a bit of a loss here. So we're meant to go undercover into this free-love cult to suss out why people are dying?" I needed more details and felt more comfortable with Monica explaining.
"Tantra is not exactly free-love or New Age spiritual sex therapy, the idea is to help us stimulate our inherent sensual spirituality, we discover parts of ourselves that have remained asleep or have been repressed."
"Sounds to me as though it's one big fucking excuse to sleep around. So what do you think we'll have to do Monica?" At that stage Officer Bullmer had come back from the bathroom and heard the question.

"Agent Doggett, we're going to ask you two to go in undercover and fit into their lifestyles as much as possible. Without drawing attention to yourselves poke around, ask questions, find out as much as you can as to how these people could be contracting this fever. When the time comes we'll work out a way to get you outta there as safely as we can."

"So do we go in as a couple, Monica and myself?"
"No Agent Doggett, from what we gather they don't take couples. As with many cults they go for the single lost soul wanting some direction in life. You will join at different stages and not purport to know each other beforehand. We'll work on some backgrounds for you both."
"So, if there's all this free-love and sexuality will we have to involved with this?" I was more concerned about this aspect.than Reyes.

"That's where we draw a blank, and that's where you two come in. We're expecting answers from you. Agents, we didn't say this would be easy. Just do what you have to do to fit in. If anything feels uncomfortable to you then just use your instincts, be yourselves. That way you will not draw attention to your real intentions."

This assignment was certainly going to be a challenge. Even though there was danger involved I was content in the fact that I would be there too to watch Reyes' back. We had each other and the support of the Portland police Department.

Chapter Five

Best Western Motor Inn
Portland 7.30am

Doggett:

"I wonder what accounting would do if they found out they were wasting money on an extra room for us." I rolled over to my half-dozing partner and lover in bed beside me.
"Well John, you could have slept in your own bed if you'd wanted to." Monica lifted her arms over her head in a big morning stretch and a yawn knowing that I was looking over her sleek form.

"You know I can't resist you Monica. How could I possibly sleep comfortably in my own bed knowing your gorgeous naked body was here without me?" I ran tantalizing fingers over her stomach and into her dark curls below.
"John, do we have time for this?" She teased. My fingers searched further down lightly touching her inner thighs from her knees up and willing her legs apart. I knew now just how to get her heated up. Continuing my temptation on her thighs I looked into her wide chocolate eyes and with the most irresistible voice I could muster said,

"I'll always have time for you Monica." I kissed her then and as I did her legs moved apart as if that kiss was a key to open the lock of her sexual craving. I slipped my tongue inside her mouth as I slipped my fingers over her already moistening inner labia. She breathed into my mouth.

"Oh John, that's so good." She rotated her hips and drew up her knees responding to my digital affection. Her lips and tongue were soft and wet on mine just as I felt her hot juices covering my fingers. I slipped a finger inside her, then another as my thumb found and caressed her hardened clit.

"John, I'm close," Monica must have thought I might want to mount her now but I remained where I was giving out my pleasure to her.
"Monica, relax and enjoy," I said in a low growl. "This is for you. This is my love to you." It just took these words from me for her juices to flow fully. My fingers remained in her thrusting slowly as the current that was her orgasm flowed over her body reaching every pore.
"Oh John," she smiled a most contented smile. "I love you so much."

Again with a low rumble, gently near her ear,
"I know and that makes me the happiest man alive."

We lay together in each other's arms hanging onto our love for each other as long as we could. We both knew that after today this intimacy might not happen for some time. 

Chapter Six

Portland Woods
12.30pm

Doggett:

"Now Monica, when I see you let through the gate I'll go back to the motel and wait."
"Yes John, we've talked about all this. You'll come back at about 7 pm and do the same."

We both sat in the rental car hidden behind the trees. The front gate to the estate where we would find the Tantra cult was an imposing , large, wrought iron contraption and the grounds behind it looked vast.

"Monica, and remember Bullmer said he'd come back to get us out after a week no matter what."
"Yes John, we'll see each other shortly. You never know how much contact we'll be able to have here. As far as we know it's a sex cult. We may even learn something while we're at it." 
"Do you think there's anything left to learn?" I chuckled and then thought further, "If we have to *practise* anything I want it to be with you." 
"Oh, me too." She smiled sweetly at the concern I had in my voice and then she leant over and gave me one last gorgeous kiss before she was out of the car with her one small overnight bag.

Reyes:

I looked behind me but of course could not see the car hidden behind the trees. I wondered whether I'd see John again today. We'd rehearsed some simple background stories, not making them too difficult. We wanted to be able to remember them easily. If the need arose we could concoct other details on the spot. We both had fake IDs, keeping our first names for ease. The consequences would just be too grave if they were able to track us back to our FBI links.
I stammered something simple into the intercom and I heard the creak of the large gates. They must have seen that I was alone. I looked around for a seeing eye but saw none that was obvious.

The grounds were huge and well kept. I walked up a long gravel driveway, the residence not in sight yet. Either side of me were vast lawns and tree copses, small garden beds and areas set aside for obvious recreational activities. I rounded the corner and there it was, a three storey grand old grey stone residence. The owner of this property certainly had wealth. A little nervously I rang the door chime.

The last thing I remember was a hand around my mouth and then there was blackness.

Chapter Seven
Tantra Cult Mansion
2pm

I woke up groggily in a small, sparsely furnished room. I was in bed and looked down under the covers to see that I was naked. Fear overcame me when I heard a knock at the door. In came a woman carrying some things in her hands.

"Where am I?" I instinctively drew the covers up to my shoulders.
"Monica, this is our home, and your home too now."
"Wha-at?" I didn't know what else to say. I didn't have to talk because she saw my fear and responded,

"My name's Patty and you're going to be in my group."
"Group?"
"Yes, welcome to our humble community. We call ourselves the Tantra Disciples."
"Tantra Disciples?" She knew I wanted more information so handed me my clothes and began explaining. She turned a little while talking so I'd have some privacy while dressing.

"I hope you understand. We had to make sure that you were for real, that you weren't hiding anything from us. We went through your possessions and believe me if we'd found anything untoward you would not be here now." She paused and looked around to look at me once more. "So tell me Monica, what brought you to us?"

"Um, I.. heard about your group a little while ago and the idea of Tantra fascinates me, in fact any type of spiritual path grabs my attention. I broke up with my partner two weeks ago and I've been living on my own in a motel, my life going nowhere. I heard about this group and thought it sounded the way of the future for me."

"We had to take precautions you know Monica, we are a private people, choosing not to blend in with the outside world. Do you realise that now you are here you will not be permitted to leave?"

This did concern me but of course I nodded affirmation. I would just have to have faith that the Portland Police would be able to retrieve us if the need arose.
"Patty, if you're so private then why do I know a little about the group?"
She chuckled a little then said,
"We put just enough information out there for people like you who may want to join us. We are a small community but every so often we welcome new members. Come! I'll introduce you to the rest of our small group."

Apart from the fact that Patty said I wouldn't be able to leave, this community looked quite right-minded so far.

She led me out into a long hallway. Gazing up I saw a vaulted ceiling, looking down the floor was covered with a red and green Persian floor runner. The walls were wood paneling. Again the place looked well kept and sparsely furnished. Patty took me to a room overlooking an inner garden. The windows were vast and the vegetation outside seemed to come inside. This was a magnificent setting. Patty called out and four other people came into the room from a side door.

"Monica, I'd like you to meet the rest of our group. This is Paul, " She smiled sweetly at this man and I knew she had certain ties with him. "Here are Kate and David." I smiled and shook their hands. "..and this is Mark."
Before me stood a magnificent specimen of a man, he had on a tight green T-shirt probably one size smaller than needed also setting off the green of his eyes, and hip hugging blue jeans and the whitest of shoes. His hair was blond, short and neatly groomed and when he smiled it was a very sexy toothy grin. I knew he was immediately attracted to me too. If this man's presence wasn't enough to throw me off wicket Patty's next statement sent me for a six.

"... and he'll be your partner."

Chapter Eight

Tantra Disciples Mansion
The Garden Room
3 pm

"Partner?" I was staring at Mark when I said this half not believing what I'd heard. Mark decided to continue,
"Monica, you have heard something of our community but only what we've deliberately fed to the outside world. As you know we study and practise Tantra. You must know that to do this we need partners. My previous partner decided to move on which left an opening for you."

"Moved on? I thought we couldn't leave here?"
"That's right, she's just moved to another group. There was a little conflict, which we won't go into, so we mutually agreed that she should go elsewhere." Patty went on,

"Come, let's go into the garden to talk more." Outside the sun was shining, there were blue skies and the garden was striking. The smells were wonderful and the setting was perfect. We all sat around a white wrought iron outdoor table, there were drinks waiting for us. This had been planned. One thing did strike me though. I had seen no one else here. The grounds were vast but vacant. I decided to ask.

"So where are the others, the rest of your community?"
This time Kate decided to talk, "Monica, we need to give you a little idea of our routine here. In the mornings we all have chores, each group has their own task and this is rotated round with the other groups so we get to do something different each morning."
"What kind of chores?"
David spoke, "Cooking , meals, gardening, cleaning, washing, tending to the animals." He looked around him. "As you can see, by all of us pulling together we have a pretty good lifestyle here. We are mainly self-sufficient, growing our own food. We have some cattle and poultry. If we do need anything from the outside world there is a small group of trusted people who do that for us." This still did not explain why there was no one else around.

"So we do chores in the morning, what do we do in the afternoons?"
Patty answered looking sweetly at her Paul, "That's when we focus on our studies. That's what all the others are doing now."

"Studies?"
Mark spoke at this point, "You must be aware of the practice of Tantra." I nodded agreement. "Tantra is a spiritual science, by embracing it we become more 'real' more 'complete' by recognizing our inherent sensual spirituality, we discover parts of ourselves that have been repressed. It's also a way to enjoy life to its fullest."

"I've heard that it's about better sex, better pleasure from the sexual experiences."
"Yes it can be, but remember Tantra itself is not sex but practising Tantra sexuality can be total and filled with bliss."

I was becoming aware of the implications of what I was getting into. Was I going to have to have sex with this man Mark in order to do my investigation here? My thoughts went to John and when I'd see him again. I didn't want to do anything that would weaken the relationship with my lover. I was going to have to tread this path very carefully.

Chapter Nine

The Garden Room 
Kitchenette
7pm

I was confused. It was now evening and dark outside and yet I still hadn't seen anyone else around. The six of us had been chatting most of the afternoon after which they'd suggested I go back to my room for some quiet reading they had provided for me. It looked like we were going to have dinner, just the six of us. 

"When do I get to meet the others?" I asked.
"Others?"
"I thought we might have seen the other members of the community by now?" They lightly laughed and I felt a knot in my stomach. What had I let myself in for? It hit me that maybe I wouldn't see John again. We had been with each other every day and night since that case where we ended up in the dark cellar and had made love for the first time. I couldn't imagine hours or days apart from him. They didn't see the concern in my face. I had to know.

"So tell me, when do we get to see the others?" Mark looked up and said,
"You must know about Tantric practices that we need to keep our minds clear, too many distractions are contraindicatory." I was really becoming worried. I could see myself stealing out at night in search of John and the others but that would be downright dangerous. Then my fears were quelled somewhat when Patty said,

"We see the others once a week. We meet in the big hall for a midday meal usually mid week." Mid week! It was now Monday, so would that mean I'd see John on Wednesday? What could happen between now and then could only be imagined. I was hoping we could watch each other's backs on this case but that was going to be tricky. I really wanted John with me here now. I wanted him to hold me, to kiss me, I wanted him in my bed.

Dinner was completed and it was now time for the very first study period. I was nervous not knowing what to expect.
I remembered back to Bullmer's comments to trust my instincts. If I wasn't happy with something that happened here to just be honest about it. On the other hand my undercover persona wanted to be here, she'd have to go along to a certain extent.
We all sat cross-legged in the lotus position facing our 'partners'.
David was the one to take us through my very first Tantric session.

"Over the next week we are going to go through a number of progressive steps towards sexual enlightenment and heightened pleasure." I was still nervous. "Let's start with our chant to clear our minds." They went on to chant "Om Mani Padme Aum". Later I was to find out this meant 'the jewel is in the lotus'. I too joined them. Mark took my hands in his and moved closer to me so our knees touched. I began to feel a guilty pleasure out of this.
This man before me was certainly a wonderful looking specimen and he obviously was enchanted with me.

That's when the situation began to get a little heated. David spoke,

"Now Mark, Paul, I want you to find a spot on your women's bodies that is sensitive to your touch." There was that stomach knot again but I had to fight it. I had to go along with this if we were to find out what was happening here. There was something not right about this place, I could feel it.

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

Mark looked into my eyes and gently said, "I'm going to take your top off okay?" I had to nod.
He began to run his fingers over my naked back. I relaxed and began to enjoy the tactile sensation. He was experienced at this. His fingers ran over my shoulders and down over my breasts. I knew my nipples went hard as soon as he touched them through my bra. He smiled as I gasped. 

He moved on and found other spots, his hands caressed my stomach, my sides and then down to my inner thighs.
He'd struck the jackpot there. I couldn't take it any longer. I was putty and he knew it. He undid my pants, not needing to ask this time and slipped them off over my hips and legs. I was left there in my underwear and in a very aroused state. He continued feeling my inner thighs working down then up not quite touching my most sensitive spot of all. I truly, honestly didn't know where this was all going to lead but I knew I shouldn't be feeling this way.

I heard heavy breathing in the room but there was something else. Another sound that was different from what my senses expected.

My thoughts then went to John and I snapped out of my sexual delirium.

"Oh sorry, Mark. I'm not ready for this." I got up, collected my clothes and headed for my room, feeling very red in the face.

I lay on the bed in the darkness of my room. I missed him so much. I wanted it to be John to do that to me, to find all my sensitive spots, to lie here with me and make love to me so passionately. I wanted sex now but not with Mark. Tears came to my eyes as I felt rather sorry for myself and wondered why I'd ever agreed to take this case when I knew the implications.

I fell asleep clutching my pillow and dreaming of John's strong, protective arms around me.


Chapter Ten
Tantra Cult Mansion
Gallery Room
9pm

Doggett: 

I knew all along that to take this case I'd need to fit in as much as possible. I could always see Monica doing that better than I. However when I was partnered with someone I'd never seen before reality hit home.
Sleeping with this woman as part of doing my investigative duties was going to be highly likely. Never in my imagination did I think I wouldn't be seeing Monica here.

Where was she? I really thought I'd be able to meet up with her but I was told that the group members only mixed once a week. Could I hold off not having sex with this woman until then? How could I possibly do that without bringing attention to myself? That's the reason all these people were here, to become sexually enlightened.

There were about ten people in this group, the majority women. For some reason this woman before me had partnered me. I had no recollection of why or how. All I'd seen was that she seemed to have some sort of authority over the others.

The men sat with their women, some had two, and we went through some chanting to calm the spirit. Tracey sat opposite me and we looked into each other's eyes. I looked at her, I really looked at her now. She had thick, luxurious waist length brown hair and I saw hints of a shapely body through her T-shirt and track pants. As her eyes gazed into mine I could see that she was sizing me up too and looked as though she liked what she saw. Those olive green eyes of hers were an amazing colour, I'd never seen anything quite like them, they were almost hypnotic.

I'd obviously come into the group part way through a course of sessions because this was not a beginner's class. Tracey had assured me that she would help me 'catch up' whatever that meant.

"Now everyone, I think we're ready to begin." Tracey spoke. I was not surprised now that she was the leader of the group. "I want you to sit in each other's laps as close as possible." I heard some shuffling but I just couldn't take my eyes off this woman in front of me as she guided herself into my lap. She sat facing me with her thighs over my legs and her face close to mine. I could feel her crotch close to me.
"I'm going to time everyone for this. I want you to give your partners a kiss. Not just any kiss. This one will be at least five minutes long and I want you to really feel it. Reach into each other's souls, feel every pore of your bodies respond to the bliss of lips and tongues touching."

I couldn't put into words how I felt next except that I hoped I wouldn't have to explain every detail of this to Monica when I did eventually see her. Tracey lightly brushed her soft lips on mine. They were plump and warm, like spongy velvet. She stopped and looked me in the eyes.

"John, I know you're new at this but just go along with all I suggest and I can assure you, you will enjoy pleasure beyond anything you've dreamed of." I felt compelled to nod compliance. "Now relax and enjoy."
She went back to my lips again, increasing her force on my mouth ever so slowly at first. I could feel my body going to jelly as she put her hands under my T-shirt and placed them on my back. She didn't move them, just brought me closer to her. She wanted me to concentrate on our mouths, not the work of her hands. I felt myself sinking further into fantasyland as she now used her tongue to delve inside me. My mouth responded and opened further as she ran her tongue along my teeth then over the roof of my mouth, sending electric sparks down my body. I did the same as she, exploring every nook and cranny inside her mouth then our tongues collided and danced.
My hands now went under her T-shirt and I unclasped her bra. I also wanted to draw her closer. I felt her muscles ripple under my touch and I knew she was enjoying this just as much as I.

Five minutes came and went but no one stopped us in our oral ecstasy. When we finally emerged from this realm of bliss we found all eyes on us marveling at the intensity of our feelings. I was certainly a fast learner. As we caught our breaths our gaze was still locked and I could now tell I was pressing hard on her crotch. She liked this, and choked out the next words to her class.

"Um, people, well done." I thought this a strange comment because she hadn't been the slightest bit aware of anyone else in the room as we were kissing. "The next step..." The whole room hushed to hear her next instructions.
"Next ladies, I want you to take your man to your bed and I want you to pleasure him to beyond breaking point. Slowly build up his desire and hold out this lovemaking as long as you can. I want him to ache with his eventual release."

I heard ever so quiet gasps in the room and then she delivered one last statement.
"Tomorrow, at our very first session I want the men to report back to us exactly what you did and how you felt." All this time Tracey hadn't taken her eyes off me. What had she in mind for me? At the stage I was I would do anything she wanted.


Chapter Eleven
Tantra Mansion
10pm


Tracey led me to her room by the hand. At this time I found out that the women here were the ones that had their own bedrooms, the men all slept in the same room in bunks. It was up to the women to invite the men to their bedroom.
What was she going to do? I was certainly at a high level of sexual arousal at this point. This woman before me had me wholly lured.

"John, come sit." I sat next to her on her bed and she again gave me a glorious kiss. "You are wonderful John. I've never met anyone who could kiss like that. This could be addictive." She smiled contentment. I couldn't understand why she'd thought that. Didn't it take two to create a great kiss? I waited for her next cue.

"John, this is your first night here so I'm going to let you decide what we do." My mind went radioactive. Just saying let's fuck didn't have much depth. She noticed my hesitation and made some suggestions. "We could use aroma therapy while we make love, or perhaps you'd like a body massage?" She spoke more softly, "Maybe you'd like a blow-job or even bondage?" She made a few more suggestions and knew there were many more where they came from, she was still up to the letter B.  She smiled at my reaction to one suggestion and spoke,

"Wait here, give me five minutes to set up and I'll be back for you."

Her room was simple but tasteful. There was wood paneling on the walls and a few gold framed paintings adorning various places around the room.  A bedside table held an alarm clock, a hairbrush and a water jug and glass. In the corner there was a comfortable looking couch and low table in front. There were a few books on the table. I picked up one and flicked through the pages. I'd heard about the Karma Sutra but had never seen it. What was I letting myself in for here. This made me look across to the bed I'd been sitting on. It was king size with a check throw rug and red pillows. I was expected to sleep in that bed tonight. What would I be doing?

"John, it's ready, come with me." She took my hand and led me down the hallway to a door. The room was filled with candlelight and steam creating a very romantic, exciting ambience.
Without another word she began taking off my clothes very slowly. I remembered back to her instructions to the ladies.

<< Slowly build up his desire and hold out this lovemaking as long as you can. I want him to ache with his eventual release.>>

If I stopped her now it would look very suspicious, I let her do what she wanted, it was certainly very pleasurable indeed. I just had to put Monica right out of my mind. 

As she lifted my T-shirt over my head I felt her fingers move over my sides, up over my shoulders and then through my hair. She stood back and looked at her handiwork.

"You are one gorgeous specimen John." She placed her hands on my chest and felt over my pecs and over my stomach. Her hands felt so good it was hard to resist this attention. Fingers went to my jeans and undid the fly. I was bursting out of my pants at that stage. The room's incandescent glow, the steam and the feelings my body were exuding were all too much. She rubbed my very stiff erection through my pants.

"I hope this is for me," she said in the most alluring voice. I couldn't talk. She pulled my jeans down over my hips and brought my underwear with them. She had carefully eased my engorged penis out of my pants and held it in her hand squeezing gently. I thought I was going to come at that time when she let go and spoke, all the while taking off my footwear and my pants.

"C'mon John, concentrate on holding on. Deliberately calm yourself down. Think of something else that will take your mind off your release." I knew what she said made sense and began thinking about work, sitting at my desk doing case reports. That definitely helped delay my orgasm.  She led me to the bathtub and urged me into the water. I sank down onto the hot bubbles then watched her undress before me.

She watched my mesmerized face as she lifted her T-shirt over her head, letting her long hair cascade through it. She let one bra strap drop then the other and her bra fell to the floor. Going over to the sink she found a hair tie and as she lifted her arms to tie up her hair I saw the shape of her ample breasts. Just the right size to make them so sexy. She saw my jaw drop and then proceeded to take down her pants inch by inch. Her body was beautiful and she was taking advantage of it. Once she was totally bare she moved into the tub letting me see exactly how excited she was too.
"John," she breathed as she moved closer and straddled me in the tub. She hovered over me just letting my ready member sit at her hot entrance as she kissed me slowly and deliberately. "You want to come don't you? You want to be inside me. Hold on, stretch it out, think of what you were thinking before." I wanted to push up into her but she wouldn't let me. Again I thought about paper shuffling and felt my pulse ease a little.

"That's right, now relax and let me handle this." It was like I was in a dream. I felt her hold my penis and rub it against her dripping wet clit but she still wouldn't let me inside. She began feeling up and down the shaft pulling the skin up and down. I instinctively rested my hands on her butt feeling over the smooth surface. I was intoxicated with the feel of this.

"Now John, I want you to come in my hand." She kept rubbing herself at the same time as giving me a hand job. I couldn't hold on any more. Her words were enough for me to loose all control. I pulsed out so rapidly and forcefully I thought I was going to pass out. She kept the tip of my penis on her clit and I felt her also spasm with rapture and her heart beat next to my chest.

"Why?" I found my voice.
"Why? Why didn't I let you come inside me?" We kissed once more before she answered. "Because John, that is the way of Tantra. We want you to develop skills to prolong your orgasm. You may have heard that ecstasy is attained through the male delaying his ejaculation thereby building and moving spiritual forces through the body's seven chakras. We'll talk about it in bed soon. There'll be plenty of opportunities for you to make love to me during your stay here. I believe you are a real find John. I can teach you so much."


Chapter Twelve
Reyes' Bedroom

Reyes:

Was it a dream or was it real? My eyes flung open and it was still dark in my room. There was no clock in my sparsely furnished bedroom so I had no idea of the time. There it was again, a faint sound. I'd heard it before during our Tantra session. Was it whimpering?

I threw on a T-shirt and track pants and decided to investigate. I felt along the wall of the dark hallway edging my way towards the sounds of misery. They were coming from behind one of the far doors at the end of the hall. They were louder now and I also heard groans and some sobbing. The light was dim but as I opened the door I saw a figure lying on a bed.

"Who are you?" I moved closer. The sounds stopped and I repeated my question.
"Help me." The words were whispered but showed pain.
"Are you alright?"

There in the bed was a woman I hadn't met before. She looked quite ill and her forehead was burning up.

"Oh my goodness, you have a fever. Wait here, I'll be back soon." I went to a nearby bathroom and searched the cupboards for a towel and glass and found both. I wet the towel and filled the glass and headed back to the patient.

"How did this happen?" Getting no response I placed the cool towel on her forehead and urged her to sip the water. She did so thirstily.

"Wait here, I'll get someone."
"No!" She let out a hoarse sound. I was puzzled then she continued, "They'll kill you too." She said no more than this, she fell asleep. I lay my head beside her on the bed and fell asleep myself.

The bright light of dawn danced on my face waking me. I was back in my own room wondering how I'd got there. The previous night was still a hazy memory. I decided I'd need to keep quiet about this discovery and wondered who was caring for her.

I stood up stretching and immediately fell back on the bed. Where did that come from? I'd found myself suddenly feeling nauseous and dizzy. That was unusual. Thinking back to the previous night I'd eaten and drank nothing that could make me feel this way. Before my morning shower I went to the kitchenette for some water.

"Morning Monica." It was Mark and I suddenly felt a little insecure.
"Look Mark, please forgive me for running out on you like I did."
"No need to apologise." He rested a hand gently on my shoulder. "I understand it was your first day here. You just need time to get used to us, to this." Relief was too soft a word, it was more like a burden had been lifted. Here was an excuse to go a little slower with this relationship.

"Where are your thoughts Monica?" Mark stirred me from my pondering. I'd been thinking again of John and the situation he would be in. Would we be able to talk freely about our actions here or would there be some we'd need to hide?
"Oh, I was just thinking back to what I've left behind to come here," which was partly true.
"This is a far better life you'll have here than out there, you'll see." He went on as I considered that statement. As much as this man before me was striking in appearance and good-natured I would only stay in this place if John were my partner. My body tingled at the thought of him here with me now. Doing the sessions with him as my lover was a blissful image.
"C'mon, when you're dressed we'll do our morning chores." Believe it or not I was looking forward to this part of the day. 
"Mark, what are the plans for this morning by the way?"
"How would you like to collect some eggs?" My spirits lifted. That sounded fun. I could tell Mark was pleased with my change of mood.

Chapter Thirteen
Tracey's bed
7 am

Doggett:

I sat bolt upright in bed feeling very off colour. My head hurt and my body ached and my mouth was dry. Was I coming down with something? My thoughts strayed to the previous night's escapade and I felt a wave of remorse.
What was I thinking! I would have screwed Tracey. I can't believe I would have just betrayed Monica like that and be prepared to fuck another woman, without a second thought. That was not like me. What had this woman done to me?

I went for the water beside the bed and emptied a whole glass and then another. That was better. My head cleared a little as I felt the empty space beside me.

"John, you're awake." Tracey's happy face appeared at the bedroom door.
"Oh Tracey, what happened last night?"
She came over to me and sat on the bed resting her hand on my arm.
"You know very well what happened. You just gave me the best night of sex I've ever had." Her hand rubbed my bare arm. I couldn't understand. 
"Tracey, you were the one who did all the work. I was just putty in your hands." She grinned and said,
"And that's the way I like it. I'm the teacher remember. I'm the one helping you find ways to make our sexual experiences reach for the stars." Her hand went up to my shoulder and then to my face. The backs of her fingertip brushed over my morning stubble sending a wave of sparks over my chest. She noticed my eyes close and my heartbeat increase. She went to my ear and traced the ridges, then put her hand behind my neck and ran fingers up through my hair. I could just tell she was gauging my favourable reactions. I felt my body sway to her touch. She moved closer and lifted the bedcovers from my naked body eyeing my morning erection.

It was happening again, jelly in her hands and I couldn't help myself. Her other hand traced down my arm and along my thigh, then back up to my stiff cock. At that point she quickly took her clothes off and lay next to me. Her skin was soft next to mine.

"John," she said oh so softly as she delicately squeezed my balls making my erection even larger. "I'm not going to do this now."
"What?" I could hardly talk.
"I'm not going to let you ejaculate now." Was I hearing correctly? She moved her hand over my erection and felt the very sensitive skin near the head. I was on the verge of taking her forcefully if she didn't make the next move soon. "I want you to internalize this energy. Store it for later. C'mon, concentrate on even breaths and go to that place you go - the place you went last night."
"Oh Tracey, I can't. Please don't do this."
"Yes, you can. Store that energy inside you. Believe me, you will thank me later. Trust me." She let me go and I felt her body move away from mine. Every pore was screaming for release but she just repeated.
"Store it for later." I had to comply, I was not going to jerk off in front of her and I wasn't going to shoot out my load without her right next to me so I deliberately calmed my system.

It took ages for my heart rate to subside. When it was almost normal she lay next to me on the bed and kissed my face.
"John, You've passed successfully."
"Passed?"
"Not many men are as strong-willed as you, believe me. You have just passed an important step towards sexual nirvana." She leant into me and whispered in my ear. "When we do become one, you will see what I mean. It is an overwhelming feeling beyond human description."
"So you teach this to the others in the group too?"
"Oh yes, but you are special John. As soon as I saw you I knew you had potential to be a perfect lover and I'm not disappointed so far." She lightly touched my elbow in a gesture to get up.
"John, let's shower and dress. We have jobs to do this morning then this afternoon we'll go onto the next step."

All morning I wondered what that next step would be. My mind also went to Monica and wondering what situation she was in. How was she coping with all the temptations of this place? I wanted her so much to be with me. I wanted her to be my partner. I wanted to experience sexual nirvana with her as my lover.
Tomorrow would be the day all cult members would get together. Her gentle happy face was in my thoughts as I did my morning chores.

Chapter Fourteen
Garden Room
1.30 pm

Reyes:

We had some time to talk before the other two couples arrived for the afternoon session. I also had to do a little more delving if we were going to crack this case within a week.

"Mark, how did you come to be here?"
"We don't usually talk about our past lives before here but I will tell you I was married."
"What happened?"
"It was about two years ago now that she left me for another man." He looked sad.
"So you loved her then."
"Yes, it broke my heart, but I'm happy I'm here in this place." This was my chance to find out more about the mansion.
"So Mark, when do I get to go on a guided tour?" He laughed and responded,
"I suppose tomorrow when you get to meet the others, but Monica there are some parts of this place no one goes."
"Oh?" He didn't realise how curious that made me. "Where?"
"The East Wing is out of bounds to everyone except the owner of this property."
"The owner? Have you met him?" What he said next made me even more curious.
"No one's met him. Not that I know of anyway."

Just then the other four came into the Garden Room chatting.

"Good afternoon you two," Patty greeted us. She was clutching Paul's hand. "Ready for the session Monica?"
I took a breath and nodded. I still felt a little embarrassed about yesterday's exit. This was session two and I knew I must stick this one out no matter what.

We did our usual calming breathing exercises and chanting before David ran us through the next activity.
"Now ladies, I'd like you to sit between your man's legs but facing away."  As I did this I felt Mark's hands on my arms. When I was in position he put his arms right around me. If it wasn't for loving John I could go for this man. He was handsome, strong, a great body and romantic. Why would his wife want to leave him and what was the conflict with his previous partner? I may never find out.

The next part of the session would fill me with very guilty pleasure but I knew I had to stay this time.
"Now ladies," David continued. "You're going to let your man touch you again anywhere he wants but it will be entirely up to him how far he goes. You have to give him free reign here." I heard some quiet ambient music in the background when I felt Mark taking off my top just leaving me in my bra. His fingers were on my ribs touching ever so lightly, any softer it would have tickled. As his hands came up my arms he hooked his thumbs in my bra straps and pulled them down. At this stage I felt the pulse rate rise and flushing around my neck. He reach behind my back and undid the clasp and took my bra right off exposing my breasts to the warm air of the room.

"Do you like this?" He whispered in my hair. I just sighed affirmation. He took my breasts in his hands and kneaded them using his thumbs to flick the hardening nipples. This shot flames down to between my legs. He moved his cheek near mine and I knew he wanted to kiss me. My body had a mind of its own as I shifted to face him a little more. When we kissed I was sent off into another world. Here he was touching me in two places, my lips and my breasts. I heard birds singing and gentle breezes as the music played in the background covering up the satisfied groans in the room.

One hand began to move further down now and I knew its destination. It traveled to the band of my track pants and underneath. My legs involuntarily parted as fingers went through the hair and lightly touched my labia. I let out air into his mouth and just knew he'd find me saturated for him. 

"Monica," I felt him say my name on my lips. "I want to make you come." No way was he going to leave me hanging like this. He moved fingers further inside and searched for my clit. I couldn't kiss him anymore, the touching below took all the concentration away from my mouth. My legs moved wider and I lifted my knees up and placed my legs outside his and lay my head back on his shoulder. He pushed a finger inside, then two, then three and moved them around. He'd done this before. I'd never felt fingers do to me what he was doing then. When his thumb began massaging my clit at the same time I felt it quiver and knew I was losing all control. I orgasmed with a torrent of come and emotions. My body felt like one big ballpark of cheering spectators. He left his fingers there until my body ebbed. I wondered what I'd have to do for him in return.


Chapter Fifteen

The Gallery Room
1.30 pm

Doggett:

For some reason Tracey was running late so I decided to take a wander around the room. It wasn't called the Gallery Room for nothing. It was vast with a high ceiling and original looking paintings lined the walls. Apart from a group of sofas near one wall and some tables around the outside of the room the rest was quite bare. I could imagine at one stage it did hold furniture but had been cleared for this group.

I heard some shuffling and turned to see Tracey talking to one of the other ladies. She then drew her attention to me. As she approached she held out her hand beckoning me to approach. 

"John, come with me, I want to show you something." I placed my hand in hers and she led me out the door.
"Where are we going? What about the class?" I was curious.
"Don't worry, you'll get your lesson, just not with the group today. You're going to have a private lesson just with me." She looked back, smiled and raised her eyebrows.

We were headed towards the East Wing of the mansion.

"Tracey, I thought this was out of bounds?" She just smiled at me and kept going leading me up two flights of stairs to the top floor. All the while she kept a look out for anyone approaching. This hallway had windows on one side showing extensive views of the inner courtyard and the wonderful gardens.

"We're here. Come, look John." She led me into room that was bright and airy and very much looked like a computer lab. No, this was no lab, it was a security room. There were displays and monitors and a whole wall filled with videotape.
"Tracey, tell me this is not what I'm thinking it is."
"John, take a look here."
"How did you find this place?" I headed to where she was in front of a large monitor.
"Oh I like to go snooping once in a while. I've never been one to stay inside too many boundaries and being cooped up here all the time, I need an outlet. Here!" She drew my attention to the screen that showed the room we'd just left.
"You never get caught?" I flicked a few switches and the camera angle changed.
"Not yet. I usually know the times when there's the least risk. Here you can also do this." She turned some dials and the camera zoomed in on one of the couples.

"So we're all being watched. By who?"
"That's what I haven't figured out yet, but I'm going to. No one knows the owner of this mansion so what does that tell you?" It slowly dawned.
"That the owner is one of the members here."
"That's right John and I intend to find out who."

It was certainly luck that I happened to be partnered with someone who might actually be able to help solve this case for us. For us! Yes, Monica too. Guilt overtook me, I hadn't thought about her all morning.

"How many of these cameras are there?" 
"I thought that's what you'd ask. Seems like they're everywhere. Look I'll show you." She sat down at the monitor as I leant over her. This time she typed into the keyboard and the monitor flicked from one room to another. There must have been at least ten groups here just like ours.

"Give me a go will you?" I knew I had to try. It was about the third room that I saw her and I had to be careful I didn't give it all away to the woman next to me. I know I gasped audibly when I saw Monica there in the arms of a blond headed man and he was touching her. Touching her places that I thought were only meant for me.

"John, what is it?" The look on my face must have shown sorrow, disappointment and then annoyance. I was watching, my lover Monica, thoroughly enjoying being finger fucked by another man. "Do you know these people?"

I had to snap out of this.
"No," I shook my head. "I thought I did but it's not her." Tracey was silent still studying my face. I continued speaking my eyes not leaving the woman on the screen.

My bristles were up. "Tracey, I'm ready for that lesson now."


Chapter Sixteen
Computer Surveillance Room
2pm

"John I believe you are eager to start today's lesson. That's a good sign." Tracey was obviously happy about this.

"You know what Tracey?" I decided to be blunt. "I think all of this is one big ploy for one big fuck fest. You want me to fuck you or not? Just show me where and I'm yours."

The look of surprise on her face could have been framed, then her expression changed to impish glee. She liked me talking this way.

"Okay John, you want hot sex? That can be arranged." She typed a few commands on the keyboard and up popped a plan of the mansion on the screen.
"There!" her finger rested on one spot on the monitor. I leant in closer to look. My blood pressure rose, I'd never had sex in a sauna before. The thought was delectable.
"Let's get our towels."

Towel around my waist I followed the also towel clad Tracey into the sauna room. It was already steamy and hot just like I imagined our sex would be very soon. I couldn't believe I was going to do this, make love to another woman when I was in love with Monica. Seeing her do that with that blond guy had got my heckles up. I was going to give this woman before me the fuck she deserved. She had been teasing me for the last couple of days with her 'internalize this energy' and  "store it for later'. This was later and my energy was about to be externalized.

"John, lie down, on that bench there." She helped me off with my towel and she had hers off within nanoseconds. I wanted to have her then and there but I knew I would be satisfied but she'd still be wanting. I was determined our first fuck would be the best.

I placed the towel on the bench and lay face down.
"Relax John, I have some oil here, I'm going to rub it over you, okay?" She began to work my shoulders. Her hands were small but firm as she proceeded to work down my arms and then over my back. She continued to massage and knead the muscles down my body lingering on my ass. I smiled. What was it with girls and guys asses? She didn't have to ask me to turn over but I was a little reluctant because I knew what she'd find.

She must have predicted because she smiled and worked oil over my pecs then downward not needing to search for my very stiff erection. Adding oil liberally to her hands she worked up and down my shaft and spoke softly,

"I'm going to let you make love to me John but I want you to hold off for as long as you can. I want you to feel my release before you have your own." The temperature was boiling in and out of my body now in response to her hand working wonders on my cock. I looked up and saw her sweat covered body glistening in the hazy light. A single sweat bead was poised on her nose and then dropped to my chest immediately evaporating in this Hades' like climate.

I felt her vibes and reached my hand out to her fiery equator. Her body was heaving as I slipped a finger inside her, then two. Everywhere and I mean everywhere on our bodies was glistening, slippery, sweaty, burning and hot, inside and out.
My mind had to revert to paper shuffling again for a moment as she moved up to straddle me. I now knew that this was going to be our promised joining at last. 
"John," She had trouble talking and knew I wouldn't be able to let out a single word. "Help me."
I lifted her under her arms and her body was light as air. All the resolve she'd had before was gone, she was now putty in *my* hands.
With a wobbly hand she found my pulsating shaft and guided it to her ready wet cunt. I was still holding most of her weight and could just tell she was on the precipice. After all these lessons about self-control and prolonging the time before orgasm and here she was about to lose all control. As I let her go slowly, the force of gravity moved her down, my cock slowly pushing in. 

This was all surreal, the steam, the heat, sweat and our final physical union transformed this into a dream.
Truly the energy built up inside me wanted release but I felt her fire more. How long had it been for this woman?
I was moving in and out of her freely now and she was calling out my name in sobbing whimpers. I only hoped this room was soundproof because our combined decibels were excessive. She didn't have to tell me when she was ready, I felt it in her whole body, her entire being. When her breathing and body told me she was having one hell of an orgasm I let fly too.
My arms enveloped her trying not to let her slip and we navigated the stormy currents together. If this was what Tantra sex did for a couple then I was now a believer. I'd had some wild sex in my day but this was superlative. All our energies released at once could have lit up Portland for a week. I felt her body slow on mine and the soft flutter of her breath on my shoulder and knew I should just hold her until she was ready.

Our limbs stayed locked while the steam from our sex added to the haze in the room. As the steam settled it seemed the right time to ask her about her time here and what had happened to her previous partner but we were interrupted by a knock at the door. A voice I didn't recognise called,

"John, Tracey, it's time to leave." I was usually astute when it came to voice recognition, so I just knew we must have been watched. As I held Tracey's still stirring body in my arms my eyes scoured the room for that sign of technology.

Chapter Seventeen
North Wing Bedroom
12.30 am

Reyes:

Her name was Susan. Since discovering her in this room and subsequently looking after her, being careful not to be caught out, I'd been bringing her drinks and food. They'd be exchanged for snippets of information. She was still weak but she was much better than when I'd first found her a couple of nights ago. At first I'd thought she may have been Mark's former partner but I was probably just being too paranoid.

Tonight she was feeling much better, so I decided to ask her more questions about this place.

"So do you know what's wrong with you?" I sat on her bed resting a hand on her arm hopefully for some comfort and reassurance.
"All I know is that before you came to me I thought I was dying."
"Have you had any medical attention?"
"No, they don't like to bring in any outside help here." She paused after this. "Monica, they want me to die."
"How do you know that?" Monica lightly shook her head.

"I've wanted to leave here for a while now but each time I may get as far as the woods outside the gate but then I feel weakness and black out. Next thing I know I'm back here suffering this life-threatening fever."
I squeezed her arm slightly.
"We're going to get you out of here, okay?" I smiled what I hoped was reassurance even though I knew my brow was slightly furrowed. "I am going to try my hardest to find out what's happening here."  Susan nodded. "I'm going to let you sleep now and I'll try to back during the day when I can. Will you be okay?" She again nodded sleepily. I checked that she had water near her bed.
.............

I woke the next morning with a jolt. Today was the day I should be seeing John and I was surprised at being a little nervous. How would he feel about what Mark and myself had done? Should I tell him all the details? I knew we'd have to talk. So far there had been a way out of having sex with Mark without creating any suspicion and I was pleased that I might get away with this for a few days yet. Hopefully by then we would have solved this case.  If I slept with Mark I'm not sure if John could forgive me that easily.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in." It was Patty.
"Good morning Monica, just wondered what was keeping you, it's ten already."
"What?" I sat up quickly, I couldn't believed I'd slept in that late.
"Mark's been looking for you, we're all on gardening duty this morning."
"Yes, of course, I'm sorry Patty, forgive me."
"Okay honey, how about you get dressed and meet us at the shed. Remember we have the community lunch today at 1 pm?"  I nodded and realised I was feeling that grogginess again. Each morning since coming here I'd felt the same. Was I coming down with some sickness? Maybe my nerves about meeting John today were getting the better of me. My thoughts turned to Susan and her fever. I shook by head, no. I decided to quickly check on her before going outside.

Chapter Eighteen
The Great Hall
Community Lunch
1pm

Reyes:

Mark was being so nice to me. I hoped he wasn't falling in love. We'd worked together that morning, he'd done the mowing and I'd raked the leaves. Our section of the garden looked immaculate. I was beginning to feel guilt at having to deceive him like this. How could I trick this sweet, romantic, sexy man? 

As we were on our way to the mansion's Great Hall for lunch he ran an arm around my back. He led me through the double doors. This hall was amazing. It was two storeys high and easily three times the size of any other room I'd been in so far. There was a huge stone fireplace against one wall and lots of red and wood. One half of the room was set with tables and tableware for lunch the rest of the room was bare just showing the crimson plush carpet. The windows were massive and like our own room provided a magnificent view of the garden. 

Patty, Paul, David and Kate, my other group members were close behind and followed us to a table in the middle of the room. My eyes glanced around to the few tables that were occupied so far but no John could be seen. More and more members were coming through the doors and my eyes were continually wandering there.

"Monica, is anything wrong?" Mark rested a hand on my back. I must have been a little fidgety.
"No, I'm fine," I lied. "Just not used to all these people." Well that was true.
"Can I get you anything?" He lifted up the water jug from the middle of the table and started filling all our glasses.
"No thankyou Mark, I'm fine. So tell me, what happens now?"

"Well this sort of runs like a meeting but much more informally. One group each week is asked to run the agenda and provide the entertainment."
"Entertainment?" Mark laughed at my puzzled face.
"No, it's not like that. It's usually some way we can chat about how our group is going but in a fun way."
"Oh, like?" He tried to think of an example.
"One week we were given sheets of paper and asked to write the ten funniest things that had happened that week. The sheets were all swapped around so that every group had the list of another group. It was hilarious. Some of the spokespeople could hardly get the words out without laughing."

That's when I saw him and my heart jumped five feet in the air. There was John coming through the door with a beautiful, longhaired, sleek woman. She had her arm linked through his and the look on her face appeared remarkably like love. My heart then sank. I paralleled my experience with Mark to what John and this woman may have done and I felt uncomfortable anxiety. My neck and ears flushed red and I was finding it difficult to hide my lack of composure.

"Monica, now I know there's something." Mark had been drawn back to me after chatting with Patty beside him. He was too quick, he'd seen my gaze aimed towards the door at the handsome couple and his eyes went there also. "Do you him?" 
I didn't know what to say, I'd been caught out. Here I was an FBI agent, trained for being in difficult situations, and I was acting irrationally. Calm down Monica. Okay, I thought quickly, there could be some honesty here.

"Mark, remember I said my boyfriend and myself had split up?" I let him register that thought. Just then John turned and saw me. The look on his face surprised me. It was not the look of relief I'd expected but one of disappointment. The next look really scared me. When he saw Mark his face changed to daggers.
"Well Mark, that's him."

Chapter Nineteen
The Great Hall
Community Lunch
2.00pm

"Go and talk to him!"
Mark's words snapped me out of my reverie.
"Monica, you have some issues with that man that you need to clear up." I just turned to him with a sorrowful expression.  He lowered his voice and provided the needed comfort. "You have to work this out with him. You'll only see him once a week but we're in the same community." The understanding of this man was endless. Why had he chosen me?" Patty's urging was the catalyst.

"Monica honey, go! His partner's talking at a different table, this is your chance."

From John's body language so far there seemed little chance that he would approach me so this was going to have to be my move.
"Patty, I'll need some privacy." My friend knew what I inferred.
"Take him with you to your room."

Mark held my hand and I slowly slipped out of it as I moved out of the seat towards John's table.

John was looking away from me, I was about to touch him but pulled my hand back reconsidering.

"John?" My voice was quiet and he turned immediately.  
"Monica!" he whispered intensely. "You need to go away."

"John, we need to talk." I ignored his plea. He was thinking.
"Okay!" He looked around the room then roughly took my hand and led me to the door and out into the hallway. What was all this anger for? He was almost hurting me.

Checking that no one was within earshot he roughly pushed me up against the wall holding my wrist.
"What do you think you're doin'!" His body pushed into me and I momentarily felt sexual excitement but knew this was not reciprocated.
"John? Doing?"
"Yes!" His breath was hot on my cheek and it made my blood bubble. "You're fucking that asshole!"
"No John," I shook my head truthfully.
"Don't stand there lying to me Monica." He gave me an intense sideways glance.
"John, I'm not!" That was all the truth I could convey through my voice. "I haven't slept with him John."

Did I see momentary relief? Still pinned against the wall I just waited for his angry spasms to die. The sexual feelings I had for him then were overwhelming. The angry, irrational side of him was fucking intoxicating and his body pushing forcefully on me was irresistible. 

"John, let's go to my room and talk." He looked up at me with his intense blue eyes and then hung his head in acquiescence.

There was another presence here, my sixth sense knew it.

Chapter Twenty
Reyes' Bedroom
3.00 pm

The urge to drag him onto my bed and ravage his body was overwhelming. I hadn't made love to him for a number of days and I hankered for his strong arms around me, his naked body touching mine, and him joining me in sexual union.
Instead, I sat on the bed and patted the blankets. There were issues here we needed to sort.

"Monica, I shouldn't be here. We might blow our cover." 
"It's alright John, that's all taken care of." He looked puzzled.
"I'll explain later but we first need to talk about us." His face was turned away from me and I knew he couldn't look me in the eye. Something was eating at him. "John, look at me." Taking his chin in my hand I turned his face towards me.
"John, tell me what's wrong."

"Okay Monica. You want me to tell you? Let me ask you a question first."
"Okay, shoot."
"What was it like to sleep with him? Was your blond lover a good fuck?" He sounded angry.
"John," I spoke softly and with all the truth in my voice I could conjure. "I told you before, I haven't slept with him."
He looked into my eyes and I could tell his mind was working.
"We have done other things but I've had to go along. John, I was thinking of you touching me. All along I was imagining you. I want you John. I don't want anyone else but you."

His face changed but I couldn't make out what he was thinking. It was almost a cross between relief and guilt. Did I see a hint of guilt there? What had he done with his woman? Surely he hadn't gone further than I had? It was still early days into our lessons.
"Oh Monica." He was calmer now and shaking his head. He was holding something back, something I don't think I wanted to know.
"John, just kiss me." When his face turned to me I went in and touched his mouth with mine. When he responded my arms went slowly around him and pulled him closer. What a wonderful feeling touching my man again. I loved the taste of his mouth, his tongue caressing mine. Our mouths got hungrier and he pushed me down on the bed resting on top. I wanted so much to tear off my clothes and his at that point. I reluctantly broke off the kiss before we went any further.
"We can't do this now." I saw the moisture on his lips and I felt total desire for this man. "As much as I want to and I really want to, we have a job to do here. We can't let our carnal desires get in the way of that." He nodded understanding. 

Doggett:

I couldn't believe how wrong I'd been. All along I thought she'd slept with him but she'd been keeping herself for me. I felt so foolish for jumping to conclusions like that. What would she think of me now? My immediate thoughts were to keep this from her. There was no need for her to know. When she leaned in for the kiss that's when I decided I'd distract myself from those thoughts and immerse myself in this pleasure.

I agreed that our emotions were getting the better of us here, mine more so than hers.

"John, come back here tonight. I want us to make love. I want it so badly."
"Me too Monica. Then afterwards I have something I need to show you."
"And I have something to show you too."
"Good, because I think we may have enough to bust this place right open. We may be able to get out of this place sooner than we think." 

Just then I felt a wave of nausea over my body.
"John, you okay?"
"I'll be fine." I was blinking my eyes and breathing deeply. "Just a little woozy. I just hope I'm not coming down with the flu or somethin'." There was concern in Monica's eyes. She waited with me until I could stand.

"Come on John, let's get back to lunch before anyone misses us."

Before we entered the room I gave her one last quick kiss and reminded her about that night. What I didn't say was that I'd have to work out a plan to leave Tracey for the night. She had invited me to her bed last night and there I'd stayed until morning.  There was that overwhelming guilt again. Tracey was such a wonderful person. How was I ever going to explain this to her? <<Oh by the way Tracey, our sex has been fucking amazing but I'm in love with Monica.>>

There she was looking wonderful chatting away and eating her lunch.
"John, where have you been? Your soup's getting cold." I shifted nervously on my feet and lied with a smattering of truth.
"I just went out to stretch my legs in the garden. I'm feeling a bit off colour." She smiled and handed me glass of water.
"Here have some of this and sit next to me." After a few sips of the water I sat down and she sidled up next to me.
"John," she placed a hand suggestively on my thigh, fingers just touching inside. "I have great plans for this afternoon's lesson."

Chapter Twenty-One
Monica's Bedroom
11.30 pm

Doggett:

I decided not to knock and maybe bring attention to myself so unlatched the door and went inside.
"Monica?" I said quietly. The room was in opaque light making me only see shadows. 
"John?" I heard her groggy voice from the bed and moved over quickly.
She lifted herself up from the bed and I could almost see her happiness light up the room.
"Come here," she said almost tearfully. She held out her arms to me and I took that invitation and hugged her with so much emotion it almost hurt.

"Oh John, I have missed you so much, you wouldn't believe."
I looked into her teary face and said,
"We have so much we need to talk about but can we hold that thought for now? I just want to hold you, touch you. I want to make love to you Monica."
"Yes, please." I could hear a happy sob as I undressed, leaving my clothes over a nearby chair. I could tell that she took off her panties at the same time.

Our skin was once again touching as we lay side by side in her bed. Our mouths moved hungrily on each other as I felt my hand trace her warm satin curves almost committing her valleys and hills to memory once more. She did the same for me, running the contours of my shoulders, arms then down over my back. I loved the way she used her legs, the way they intertwined with mine, one leg feeling up and over my hip. Sex with Tracey was awesome but all I wanted in life was Monica.

There was no time for Tantra sex here. We wanted each other so badly. Before I made the move towards intercourse I had a fleeting thought about what she'd been doing with her assigned partner Mark. That thought ate at me but I buried it for now. We would certainly need a debriefing when this was all over.

"Monica, I want you now." She smiled and I knew she'd felt the obvious evidence of my craving against her pubic bone.
"You can have me whenever you want me John." Those words were music to my ears. These few days here I'd wondered if she still felt the same way about me, had she fallen for Mark. She hooked my leg in hers and moved it over her indicating she wanted me on top. She felt so wonderfully warm and inviting underneath me and her legs spread wide beckoning me inside. I hovered over her beautiful body both arms beside her on the bed and felt her hand move out to feel my very sensitive erection. She ran her hand up and down the shaft until I thought I was going to explode, but my newly found skills helped here. I knew how to hold off for longer now. I went to my inner self as she guided me inside her. She moved her hips up wanting me to push in further.

"Just fuck me John, I want you now!" I needed this too but also wanted her to enjoy the experience as well. Those words were welcoming. "Just fuck me hard."  I was bursting to cry out her name as I thrust heavily inside her and I could tell she was also stifling her sexual emotions. Her hands were pushing down on my butt and her hips were meeting mine with force. This place so far had taught me to be sensitive to the female's orgasm. I held off, waiting for the signs that she was ready to release. I knew I could come at a moment's notice. There I felt it, that customary tightening of her vaginal walls on me and I heard her quickening gasps. Still holding back I waited until she was further into her orgasm. When I felt her muscles clamp on me that was it, I had to let out my load. Again I went deeper inside our own small world to feel her release on top of my own. This was double pleasure. I knew she must have learnt this here too because these would have been the longest and most intense orgasms we'd ever had together.

"Oh darling, that was so good," I finally spoke after our bodies calmed down enough. I lay beside her on the bed and felt her warm breath on my face. 
"I missed you so much. I really needed that." She gave me small kisses on my cheek and lightly ran her hand over my back.
"And I never want to leave you again. Really Monica, I don't know how I could handle another assignment like this not being able to see you." I knew she'd understood. I relished her kisses as she moved them over my eyebrows and down my nose to my mouth. We had one long, slow, drawn out kiss that almost stirred up my sexual emotions once more. I wanted to lie here with her all night, making love then dozing but we had work to do here tonight.

 There had been some rustling at the bedroom door but it buried itself in my subconscious for now.

Chapter Twenty-Two
Monica's Bedroom 
2.30am

Doggett:

"Monica, we need to get up!" I tried to lift her tired head off my chest. Her hand snaked its way down over my abdomen and began fingering my balls.
"What are you doing, we don't have time for this."
"Hmmm?" She kept playing and groaning. I liked this too much to make it stop right away. Her hand moved up and fingered my dick as her head shuffled on my chest.
"Monica, I really want this," Some inner strength was needed here. I lifted her with me as I sat up. "We can do this as much as you want when we get out of here."  The covers were lifted and I began getting dressed.

"Oh John, "she purred and stretched like a lazy kitten. "Come back here with me. I want to make love to you all night. Let's make up for all the sex we've missed since we've been here." I was so tempted just to undress again and jump right back in but when she put <<sex we've missed>> as a collective term I felt that wave of guilt again. Indeed I had been unfaithful to her and wondered how I could ever tell her.

"We have to do this tonight Monica. If you wanna get outta here then we have to do this now, tonight."
She groaned and began to move as I handed her some pants and top.

Once dressed and fully awake she led me down the dark hallway to a room near the end. I knew we'd be working in the dark so had been able to secure a couple of flashlights from a kitchen drawer before meeting Monica in her room.

Susan's bedroom was dark and quiet.
"Susan?" Monica whispered and walked to the bed. She had to shake her a little to wake up. "Susan, are you okay?" It took a while for her wake and she sounded very ill.
"Monica." Her voice was long and drawn out. 
"We're going to try and get you out of here tonight okay? We're going to get you to some medical help."
She groaned and looked over to me.

"Susan, that's John, he's my partner. He's going to help us."
"But Mark...?"
"Yes, I know, it's a long story that I promise to share when we're out of here." She nodded. "We're going to be back for you in about an hour. Will you be ready?"
"An hour.." I wondered how she was possibly going to make it. She seemed in a very weakened condition but we also knew we couldn't just leave her here.

We headed towards the surveillance room in the East Wing being careful to be light on our feet. Our flashlights shone down the darkened hall. 
"In here Monica." I led her into the room Tracey and myself had been in the day before. There was some light in the room from active monitors but not enough to see very clearly. We didn't want to draw attention to ourselves by switching on lights so made our way around as best we could.

"So what should we be looking for John?"
"Over here." I showed her the wall of stored and labeled videotapes. "How about you look through these Mon and I'll check out the monitors. How extensive can this closed circuit system be?"

I moved over to what looked like the main monitor and began flicking some switches to bring up multiple camera views. Using the keyboard I found a menu which helped me locate the position of the seeing eyes. Oh my god, they were everywhere. 

"Found anything?" I looked over to where Monica's flashlight lit the video labels.
"They're all labeled by date, time and room. Some of them have names. John, I'll let you know when I find something useful."

East Wing, North Wing, I searched through as many rooms as I could starting with the familiar ones. 
"John, here's one dated two days ago and it's Susan's room." She looked around for a VCR and found one near a television monitor a few metres away. "This is me, I'm on this tape.  Oh my god John, someone knows I've been looking after Susan. What else do they know?"
"All the more reason we need to get out of here tonight. Let's take that tape with us. It'll be some initial proof that something dirty is going on here." She went back for more evidence.

Fear began to well up inside me from what I was finding on the system. There seemed to be a camera in every corner of the grounds and many rooms inside the mansion, meeting rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and.....

"John!" Monica's voice was a little too loud.
"Shh, we'll be heard."
"John, this one's dated yesterday's date and it has John and Tracey written on it."
My stomach turned, my face flushed fire as she continued.
".. and it has the room listed as the sauna."  Just then I felt a sharp pain in my head and everything was dark.


Chapter Twenty-Three
Locked Room
During the night.

Doggett:

"John, John, wake up!" I felt someone shaking me but could only make out a shadow. When I became fully conscious Monica and myself were in a dark room. Moonlight from a small window was the only source of illumination. My head hurt like hell.
"John we were both knocked out by someone and dragged here."

There was that pain again and the woozy feeling. Monica held me as I doubled over and groaned in agony.
"John, talk to me. What's wrong with you?" The pain was too intense to speak. This was the worst I'd felt since the first time I'd experienced any discomfort. She held me tightly in her arms and rocked not knowing what else to do.
The waves of pain slowly subsided and I relaxed a little in her arms. She was stroking my hair and kissing my forehead. 
"Monica, I don't know what's wrong with me but I know I need to see a doctor and soon." The ache calmed enough for me to get to my feet. 

I tried the door but it was locked.
"I tried the window John, we're trapped here."
"Yeah, and it's no use breaking the glass, that window's just too fucking small." Monica caught me again as I was just about to fall.
"I don't like this John, you're scaring me here."
"Well we're just going to have to find a way outta here. See what you can find around the room, anything." 

In the opaque light they could only make out shapes.
"I suppose it'd be a bit too much to expect that they left us with our flashlights." Monica gave a nervous laugh.
"Wait, I have something." Monica came over to me and put in my hand what very much felt like a videocassette. She then continued, "Why do you think they would have taken our flashlights but left us with this?"

At that point I didn't know which was worse, the severe pain I had just felt or the thought of what I was obviously going to have to reveal to Monica.
"John, you can't hide much from me. I know there's something here. Which would you prefer, telling me now or me watching the tape later?" Here was one tape. Where was the other one? The tape Monica was holding could well have been of Susan's bedroom.

"John, what did you and Tracey do in the sauna?" She could tell I was churning all this over in my mind. I went to hold her but she backed away. "Tell me John, I'm going to find out not matter what."

"Okay Mon, I fucked her." She was quiet and I saw her shadow move away from me. "Monica, I'm so sorry. It was all a misunderstanding."
"So John, you're telling me ..." Her voice stammered. "Wha-at sort of misunderstanding?"
"You don't know how hard it was to resist. My male hormones just took over and when I saw you...." Monica then interrupted.
"Saw me?" Now I was getting into some really deep shit.
"I saw you on a monitor in the surveillance room." Monica probably wouldn't have seen me hanging my head.
"You were spying on me?"
"I saw you with him and you were ... he was touching you and I just thought..."
"You thought I was sleeping with him?" She finished my sentence for me. "No John I didn't sleep with him because I love you. You should know how special sex is with the one you love."

I saw her shadow slump to the floor and decided to wait before going over to her.
"Do you love her John?" She said more quietly. "Because if you do you can stay here with her and I'll leave by myself. I had enough of this shit with Brad. I don't want it with you too."

"Monica please," I went to touch her but she moved away again. "It was only sex, it was just sex. With you it's love, I am in love with you Monica Reyes."

"How can you expect me to trust you again."

Just then there was a click at the door and the room was bathed in torchlight.


Chapter Twenty-Four
Tantra Mansion
During the night.

Reyes:

"John, Monica?" It was Susan.

"Susan!" Monica rushed over to her. "Are you okay?" She was shaky on her feet but she was upright.
"Come on, if we're going to go we have to go now."
"How did you find us?"
"I heard some noises and followed them to this room. I waited just long enough to not get caught."
"Did you see who brought us here?" It was important that we know. 
"No, but I have my suspicions. Quickly, let's go and I'll tell you everything once we're past the front gates. I can get us out."
 Vivid images of John's and Tracey's sexual encounter flashed through my mind as I grabbed the videotape and brushed past John. I'd never seen a man look so hurt and alone as he did then.

There was no time to grab the small number of possessions we'd brought with us.
"This way." Susan began to slump and I went to hold her up. She placed an arm around my shoulders accepting my assistance.
""I'll do that Monica." John came to take Susan from me.
"No John," I said probably a little too forcibly because I saw that hurt look again. "I can do this John, just find a way out." My outburst showed my understandable anger at what John had done. By sleeping with someone else he'd unintentionally put a wedge between us.

He led us through a side door and out into the dark garden.
"Head towards the front gate." Susan was becoming heavier in my arms but I wasn't going to give in and let John take her. "I know how to get it open." We followed John as he led us down a side path toward the front gravel driveway. We were part way down the drive when we heard something.

"Monica, hear that?" The sounds were becoming louder. "They're after us, come on!"
Lights suddenly went on all around us and the sounds of people and dogs could be heard getting closer.

"Oh my god John! We have to get out of here." Susan was a dead weight in my arms now and slumped to the ground.
"Susan, you have to get up, you have to try," I pleaded. She was a crumpled heap on the ground and I couldn't lift her. Our pursuers were getting closer every second.

"Susan please." I repeated. John came to lift her but she put a hand up to stop him.

 "Leave me! Just leave me here. I'm holding you up. Go! Just get help!" She collapsed.
"C'mon Monica. She's right. If we bring her we may get caught and our case may not be solved. This is probably our only chance. Come on!"  I was thinking quickly and felt John tugging on my arm. 

"We'll come back for you Susan I promise." I saw the slight nod of understanding and followed John to the front gate.
"I can't see how to open this thing." We were both trying frantically to find some sort of lever or switch. We had no time to ask Susan. We could see them now rushing down the driveway. There would have to be at least ten people and the same number of dogs.

"John, we're going to have to climb it, come on." He gave me a leg up and I scaled the gate. On looking back through the wrought iron I saw him doubling over.
"No John! Not now! I can't leave you here. You can make it." He couldn't talk, his face said it all. This pain was unbearable, worse than before. The pursuers were so close now. I had to make a decision quickly.

"John, I'm going. I'll bring back help but I have to go NOW!" He was on the ground doubled over and groaning. There was no way to tell if he'd heard me. 

I heard the creaking of the gates opening as I headed towards the waiting car in the woods.
....................

I reached the car and threw the videotape down on the passenger's seat. What was I feeling? It was certainly a mixture of emotions, anger, fear, desperation, hurt. In amongst that there was something else.
I turned the car key and reached for the cell phone. I put my finger on that other emotion. It was curiosity. Why wasn't I sick too? All the others who had left this place had died. Admittedly I'd felt waves of illness but not nearly to the same extent as Susan and John. I couldn't see myself dying in the near future.

The idea of John dying was enough for me to make that hurried call to Bullmer. They'd be on their way. I was about to throw the car into reverse when I heard a loud thud close to me and my heart jumped five feet.

It was John, somehow he'd made it over the gate or maybe even through it.

"Thank God John." Relief swept my body. Even though I could have left him there to be with Tracey that's not what I wanted. I wanted him in my life.

John slumped down taking up the whole back seat and I reached over and slammed the door shut.. 
"John? Are you okay?" There was no sound from him but the lynch mob were so close and getting louder. Just as I saw them through the trees I reversed the car just enough to get a good swing around to go in the opposite direction.

"Bullmer's on his way." I knew what I said probably didn't register but I said it anyway. The car sped up the road that was our escape route. We'd escaped but what about Susan? What would happen now to that place, to the people? They were good people really. That was not my problem now. I had to get John to the hospital and fast.

"John, talk to me." I kept looking in the rearview mirror and prodded him with one hand. He didn't move. "John!" This was not good. My partner was not responding and I couldn't stop to check him out. "John! Talk to me damn it!"

There were lights coming from in front now. It was Bullmer with his squad, very timely. Squad cars with lights and sirens blaring bypassed us. The vehicle with the red flashing light stopped so did the car that I assumed was Bullmer's.

"Quickly! My partner needs help," I yelled to the paramedics.
"What's wrong with him ma'am." One paramedic checked on his vitals while I explained to the other about his fits of wooziness, his pain and now his unconsciousness. That's all I knew.

The other paramedic came back.
"Jim, get the stretcher, this man's in bad shape."
"How is he?" I was almost panicked.
"He's alive but just barely, looks like he's in a coma. Just like the others."
"Just like the others?" I was following his rushed movements. They were busy trying to help my partner and lover but I just had to know. They had John on a stretcher now and were rushing him to the ambulance.

"You coming too ma'am?" All this time Bullmer had been waiting as patiently as he could.
"Go Agent Reyes, we'll take care of this and your car. Go on!" That was the reassurance I needed.
"Bullmer? There are more there just like John, and .... Surveillance room, third floor, East Wing, last door at the end of the hall." I knew that would be a start for him. I had to say one more thing before I hopped in the back doors. 

"... and Bullmer, most of them are good people, please remember that." The last thing I saw before the doors closed was his nod of understanding.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Washington Memorial Hospital
Intensive Care
Over two weeks later
8.30 am

Reyes:

My nipple was hard under his tongue. He did wonders with my breasts. It was delectable the way he would cup one and gently squeeze as he lined.the other with wet, hot kisses. No other man could measure up to him. This man wanted to give me pleasure not just pleasure himself. We were both naked on the bed writhing and groaning almost in unison. He drew a wet track up between my breasts all the way over my neck and chin to my mouth.
As he hovered over me kissing deeply our breathing and movements became more urgent.

I could feel his erection lodged between our closer than close bodies and felt a sense of contentment knowing this was all for me. This man was the love of my life, I wanted no other.
He moved down again with his tongue this time lingering over my breasts then down further. The way he kissed and licked the skin just above my curls sent burning embers through my loins. He teased my legs apart by planting tiny kisses on my inner thighs.

I knew what he was going to do and my anticipation of the luxury was spine tingling. He'd done this before and it would have been the best experience of oral sex I'd had in my life. I spread myself wide for him and whimpered lightly as he used his thumbs to pull apart my lips. He circled my clit with his tongue making it rock hard. I knew he could sense I was about to come so pulled his tongue away and gave a small laugh.

"John," I hummed and moved my hips willing him to continue. His head moved back and my hips came part way to meet him. This time he moved to my cunt, fucking me with his tongue. I felt both of his thumbs rubbing my clit. The combination of the sucking sounds and his dedication to my pleasure made me ejaculate. I'd read about female ejaculation in Tantra articles and now knew how this felt. My juices flowed like I'd never felt them before and he kept licking and swallowing until I could take no more.

It was now his turn. I would work on pleasuring him and just knew I would end up having my second orgasm with his first.

I was jolted awake by a hand on my shoulder and a voice.
"Monica? Have you been here all night again?" I looked up from by bedside position to see Dana with John's medical clipboard in her hand. "You really need to go home and get some sleep."

"No. I'm all right Dana. I want to stay with him." My eyes were still adjusting to the new day and the morning light streaming through the curtains of John's hospital room. I knew I was flushed from the wet dream I'd just had and hoped she hadn't noticed.
"It's just that you have been here every night for over two weeks now. Monica, ever since we flew you back from Portland?" She hesitated and I knew what she was going to say. "His condition is getting worse and he will die unless we find out what caused this." I looked over to my partner and saw his pale, expressionless face, then across to the machine that was keeping him alive. This was not what life was all about, lying in a coma in a hospital bed. The machine beside the bed measured his dwindling lifesigns.

"Dana, I don't want him to die but I don't want him to live like this either. Why Dana? I feel so guilty that I got away with only feeling slightly ill and yet he is dying, the others are dead." She placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I don't want him to die either, he was my partner too. He looked out for me and saved me on many an occasion. I owe it to him to do the same."
"Have you found anything Dana? Anything at all?"
"We've had a team working on this but we're at a standstill here." Taking my hand from his I stood up to stretch my aching muscles.

"Is there anything Agent Reyes, anything no matter how insignificant it seems to you that you haven't told us yet?" Scully was hanging on for the reply.
"I've gone through everything I can think of." My mind was a blur by now.
"Tell me again, when you or John had these attacks was there anything that helped you feel better?" It was dawning on me.
"Yes Dana, there was but it's probably nothing."
"Tell me," Scully was all ears by now. 

"Water."
"Water?"
"Yes, each time I was feeling that way I had a glass of water and then felt okay."
"That must be it then. Stay here and I'll get a team on it straight away. I just hope it's all in good time to save him." She went for the door but then stopped and turned back. "Monica, I wonder if you'd mind giving us another blood and urine sample. If this pans out we'll need to do some tests to find out why you're not in the same position as John."


Chapter Twenty-Six

****Thankyou MLS15 for your medical help here****

Washington Memorial Hospital
Intensive Care
5pm

Reyes:

"John, I'm here for you John." I cupped his hand in mine. "I wish you could tell me what to do. I know you wouldn't want to live your life this way. Please pull through this. Do it for me, for us." His strong arms around me were what I craved then. Instead I rested his lifeless hand against my cheek. 

"Monica," Dana's voice startled me and I wondered if she had heard what I'd said to John. No one knew yet of our romantic liaison and I was still not ready to reveal this secret. If John pulled through -  my hopes were dwindling every day - I wouldn't want any extra pressure put on him to hamper his recovery.

"I have some news for you."
"You know what's wrong with him?" My mood brightened with sudden hope.
"Dana? What is it?" 
"Can I see you out here?" I wondered why she wouldn't tell me in front of John? I walked to the door and she led me slowly down the hallway.
"I didn't want to say this in front of John because it's not for his ears." Dana understood too that it was quite possible that even though John was in a coma he may be able to hear the conversations going on around him.

"Dana, don't keep me in suspense here. Did you find something in the water?"
"Yes we did." She led me into an empty hospital room and ushered me to a chair, she sat on the bed. ".. and we'll get to that soon, but first... I never knew you had a boyfriend Monica."
"Boyfriend?" I was suitably surprised by her question.
"I don't want to pry into your personal life but that's the reason you're still alive."
"For having a boyfriend?" Now I was very confused. "Tell me Dana."

"We tested the water and found a chemical in it called cyanogen chloride. It's one that had been bypassed in our initially testing but it is highly likely that this was the substance that killed all those people and has John on his death bed."

"Why? How?" I asked her.

"Why? We don't know yet but Skinner is looking onto it. How? This chemical had been added to the water. It is one that accumulated in the tissues of the dead cult members and there are traces also in John's system. It has the effect of a drug. If the body doesn't get its fix then there can be severe stomach cramps and extreme bilious attacks."

"Well why not me? I drank the water too. Why did I only feel general wooziness?"
"That's where the boyfriend part comes in." It still hadn't clicked. "In your system Monica, cyanogen chloride
is still there but the effect has been masked."
"Masked? How?"
"By the hCG or MSH hormone."
"hCG? What are you talking about Dana?"

"hCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin. This masked the effect of the chemical in your body. Now that we know all this we can work on a way to flush it from John's system."
"Dana, I still don't get it. Why me? Why do I have this hormone and not the others?"
"It's the hormone all women start producing when they're pregnant."

Oh my god! Did I hear her correctly? I was going to have John's child?
"Monica, I don't want to pry, but if you need to talk to someone I'm here." I was still in shock. 
"I don't know what to say."
"We'll need to flush this cyanogen chloride from you too because when the baby's born it would reactivate"

"Yes, yes Dana. Can we talk later? There's something I have to do now."
"Okay later." I knew she was curious as to who the father was but I was not going to let that out of the bag just yet.

"John," I took his hand again and thought of the way I was going to tell him the news. Hopefully knowing that he was going to be a father would give him the incentive to pull through this.


Doggett:

I heard Monica mention something about some exciting news but now it was all too late. 

My life flashed before my eyes, the almost drowning when I was young, my first kiss with Jenny, the wild misdemeanors in college, losing my virginity with Suanne, my marriage to Sarah, Luke's death and my subsequent happy times with Monica. 

These images came to an abrupt halt and I heard the bleep of the machine beside the hospital bed that had been my home for the past two weeks. It slowed down then began the expected long bleep to show my heart had stopped.

The team of nurses and doctor stormed into the room and did the usual heart restart routine. Monica was sobbing in the corner of the room not looking as though she had much hope of my recovery. I knew I felt for her and her life without me but I was going to a place of peace, where there was no pain or sickness or evil. It was calling me.
The doctor gave me some sort of injection but pronounced me dead at 5.30 pm.

Monica was allowed to stay behind to say her teary, distraught good-byes. She held my lifeless, but still warm fingers in her hand and kissed my still slightly pink but cooling cheek.

"John, what will I ever do without you?" She sniffled but I didn't feel the tears fall on my hand. "Please don't leave me. I love you and want to be with you forever. I don't know if I can make it on my own." She put an arm around me, buried her face in my chest and sobbed.


Chapter Twenty-Seven
Washington Memorial Hospital
Intensive Care
5.30pm

Doggett:

I found my self suspended above the hospital bed, light as air. Looking across to the heart monitor machine I saw the blips become slower then stop to form one continuous line and heard that constant humming.
Monica, the love of my life was there, sobbing over my empty shell of a body.
I knew I was dead.

My body became lighter as I floated up towards the ceiling. I knew it was time to go, no use clinging to life. I wanted to stay in this life for Monica's sake and for our still burgeoning relationship but what life would it be? The fever had taken its toll on my weak body and as the doctors had said it would take a miracle for me to pull through.

There was that familiar dark tunnel I'd heard so much about in near death experiences but always put down to a hoax. I floated along towards the light at the end. This light was irresistible. The pull was inexorable. I reached out wanting it to envelop my spirit.

What was that? Was it a voice I heard? And then I saw it, a beautiful creature, resplendent in light and all it said to me was,

"John, you must go back. It is not your time." I knew later that this must have been my guardian angel.

All of a sudden I felt a pull in the other direction. Like a whirlpool I was dragged backwards. In hindsight it reminded me of the movie 'Contact' when Jodie Foster's character was rushing through a wormhole in space.
And there I was back in my own body, in my hospital room, lying heavily on the bed.

At first I felt Monica's hand on mine, then her sweet lips on my cheek. I know I breathed lightly on her face before the monitor began again because she stopped her sobbing and looked up. She felt my neck and then the warm flush as it began to liven up my once cool, still body.

"John?" she said tentatively but with hope. "John? Open your eyes." My lids were heavy but I knew I should try with all my strength for her. They fluttered a little at first and I could feel Monica's optimism rising.
"Common John. You can do it. I love you John, come back to me." I know they looked groggy but when I did open my eyes and saw her wonderful face I knew this was the miracle that she'd been hoping for all along.

My fever had broken and I was now working my way away from the precipice that was death.

Chapter Twenty-Eight
Washington Memorial Hospital
Intensive Care
5.35pm


"Doctor? Nurse?" Monica called to anyone who would hear.

"Monica, I..."
"Don't talk for now." Her red-rimmed eyes belied her jubilance at seeing me alive. "Reserve your strength. Oh John, I love you so much."

"Monica,..." She knew I wanted to say this so she let me speak. "Marry me?"
She sobbed, this time from happiness.
"John, do you know what you're saying? You mean it?"

I was very groggy but I was still totally in charge of my faculties.

"Yes Monica, I want to say the marriage vows to you!"

"Yes John! Oh yes!" As she hugged me I felt my mouth move into a smile, the first time in over two weeks. I knew that if I ever pulled through this those words would be the first things I would say to her.

She kissed my cheek harder now as a team of medical assistants came into the room. Before they reached him I whispered in his ear,
"I forgive you." As they ushered me away from him I mouthed the words again my eyes becoming more teary with overwhelming relief and total love for this man.

"Okay Ms Reyes, you can talk to him now." The doctor looked over at Doggett's still but alive body. "He needs quietness and to take things slowly for a while but he's alive and is going to stay that way. All I can say is that it's a miracle."
The burden that fell from my body was massive and I began crying all over again. I didn't even notice her leaving the room as I moved over slowly to be next to him. I lifted his hand in mine and he smiled.
My heart melted and I knew I would love this man forever.

"John, you don't know how much you scared me." I was laughing nervously now.
"Thankyou Monica," He said simply.
"Thankyou?"
"Thankyou for forgiving me." I began sobbing like a baby now and leant down onto his chest and felt it slowly rise and fall. His hand came up and his fingers ran through my hair.
"John, that indiscretion was a grain of sand compared to all the sand in the oceans in the world. I'm the one who loves you, wants you and I'm the one who will have you."


Chapter Twenty-Nine

Washington Memorial Hospital
Intensive Care
Next morning 7.30am

Reyes:

I felt fingers gently twirling my hair and woke with John next to me.
"Good morning lover." His voice was low and magic.
"How long have you been awake?" I was still a little dazed after once again spending the night in John's hospital room. This time I slept curled up next to him, holding him, sharing our body warmth. No one seemed to mind. The medical staff let us be. They probably realised it would hasten his recovery.

"I've been thinking." There was that magical voice again, one I had missed for over two weeks.
"Well that's a good thing!" I smiled on his chest.
"I seem to recall there was something about exciting news you had to tell me?"
"Really John?" I sat up on one elbow and looked into his eyes. They were still not back to their previous sapphire luster but I saw that spark there. The fire I saw that day that I just knew I loved him.
"You heard me? I thought you were..." he interrupted me.
"Dead. There are some vague memories I have from the past two weeks but they are still fairly cloudy in my mind. So is it true? Is there exciting news?"

Yes, I should tell him. The previous evening I'd told him about the water and the chemical additive but when it had come time to explain why I hadn't been affected the doctor on her rounds had interrupted us. 

He looked me in the eyes.
"What is it Monica? Don't make me guess." 

All I did was take his hand, those wonderful fingers, and moved them down to my abdomen. His hand rested there as the light dawned in his eyes.
"Really Monica? We're going to have a baby?" My smile could have lit up a dim room and I nodded.

He looked into my eyes and he got all the confirmation he needed.
"Oh Monica." He gave me a hug with all the strength he could muster in his still weakened state. "I want you and this baby so much. You haven't known how much I've pined for another child."

"Well *Dad*, do you think you can sit up?" With difficulty he lifted himself and I arranged his pillows so he could sit back against them.

"John, I have to talk about this because I feel it's a sign for us."
"What?" I saw the puzzlement in his eyes and laughed.
"No, it's a good thing, a very good thing. It's just that *our* baby saved both our lives." I knew I'd need to explain further. "Our baby was the reason I didn't get sick. If I wasn't pregnant with your child right now we could both have been dead." I explained to him about what Dana has mentioned to me about my pregnancy hormone masking the effect of the chemical on my body.
"John, we can always cherish that memory."

As we smiled at each other my mind glossed over the last couple of weeks of waiting wondering if my lover and the father of our baby would survive. Now he was looking at me tenderly with his adorable face, very much alive. 

"Come here." There was that magic voice again I couldn't resist. He was still weak physically but our kiss was slow, soft, long and filled with weeks of stored up emotion. Slowly we wrapped gentle arms around each other and I drew closer to him. I so wanted to feel his bare skin against mine but knew we'd have to take this slowly.

Lost in the moment I didn't hear someone enter the room.

"Monica?" We suddenly stopped and I pulled back.
"Dana!" My face flushed and John was open-mouthed.
..............................

"Did I just see what I thought I saw?" I looked at John and squeezed his arm. We had to tell her the truth. After all we were having a baby and we were going to be married.
"How long's this been going on?" Dana moved closer to the couple and held onto the back of a chair as if for some support.

"Dana," John's voice was comforting. "We wanted to keep this secret. No one was meant to know. Monica and myself have been seeing each other for a few months now."

As John spoke I watched Dana's face and couldn't believe what I saw. Was that disappointment? Did I see a face of opportunity lost? At one stage I'd believed that John had affection for Dana which extended beyond friendship. I never believed that this would be reciprocated.

"I had no idea John." She turned to me. "So Monica, have you told him?"
"If you mean about the pregnancy then yes I have. John's the baby's father Dana." She was suitably shocked. Monica continued,
"...and there's something else."
"There's more?" Dana automatically sat on the chair. "Yes, tell me."
"John has asked me to marry him." Dana looked down at the floor, took a breath as if to compose herself and said,
"Congratulations. So when will this happen?" My response was curtailed by Skinner's entrance to the room they all turned to watch as he moved closer to the bed.

"Morning Dana, John, Monica." 

"John, how are you feeling today?" Skinner said in his usual matter of fact way. 

"Like death warmed up," he chuckled. "No seriously sir, I'm much better, still quite weak but lucky to be alive." He squeezed Monica's arm lightly.
"So sir, you have something to tell us about the case?"
"Yes, in fact I do." It was about time that we got some answers here. "A team has gone over the cult mansion with a fine-toothed comb. We've watched multiple hours of videotape."

".. and Susan," I had to know now that she was all right.
"Susan's fine. The reason she was dying was because of the deprivation of water. Monica, when you found her and began giving her water again she began to make an improvement. The other cult members found her on the front gravel driveway where she asked you to leave her. They had no idea about her state of health at that stage. They had no idea about the chemical additive in their water."

"There's one thing I don't understand sir." Doggett's brow furrowed. "Why was it the deprivation of water that affected me, affected Susan? I thought it'd be the other way round. The water was what was killing us."

Dana responded here,
"John, the chemical cyanogen chloride acts like a drug in the system. The body craves it. When it has it's fix it's happy, if that fix is denied it begins to go through withdrawal and eventually shuts down. We were able to flush the chemical from Susan's body and all the other affected cult members also."

"So the others? What's their situation now?" I asked and Skinner answered.
"They are fine. They're staying in the mansion and life will go on as normal for them, with a few changes which we can talk about later. As Monica had said, they were and are indeed good people. No one knew what had happened to those who'd left. There was no reason to suspect."

Before anyone could asked the next obvious question of who'd been the one to spike the water two more familiar faces entered the room.
...................

'Hello everyone." There by the door were the two happy faces of Tracey and Mark and they were hand in hand.

"I forgot to mention you'd be getting some visitors, " Skinner spoke. "John, we'll check in again on you later. Dana?" He indicated for her to go with him so the four could have their privacy.

Tracey went straight for John, leant over and gave him a long kiss on the lips.
"I was so worried about you when I heard. They wouldn't let me come and see you until now." Tracey's open affection for John still had me a little paranoid but he was the one marrying me so I pushed that thought aside for the moment.

As if to sense my lack of composure Mark placed an arm around me and said, "It's okay Monica. Tracey told me all about her relationship with John. She was beginning to fall in love with him you know." I said an <<I bet>> under my breath. Who could not fall in love with a lovable man like that especially after experiencing Tantra sex in the sauna? No, I had to push that thought away again. 

John responded to Tracey,

"Well, I'm much better now. The doctor says maybe another week in here recuperating then I'll be able to go home." He looked over to me with gentle eyes. "As long as my future wife is happy to look after me for a while longer after that."
Tracey looked over to me opened-mouthed and both she and Mark came and gave me a hug.
"Congratulations," They both looked genuinely pleased for us. "So when will this take place?"

"Maybe in a few weeks time as long as John has made a full recovery. I'm going to do everything in my power to help him along," I smiled over at him sitting there. Tears almost filled my eyes thinking how lucky I was to have him as a life partner. "So tell the news. How's everyone back at the mansion?" Tracey smiled at Mark then sat down on the bed and took John's hand in hers. What was she doing?

"We thought we'd come here to say thank you. We had no idea what was happening to us. John, I knew from the start that something was up with you. You're such an unlikely person to join a group like ours so I knew you must have been sent there with some sort of investigation. I could tell you were a good person and you must admit I enjoyed playing around with you." 
John's face flushed the pinkest I'd seen it in weeks and Tracey just laughed. She really was a sweet, happy person. She then continued,
"I took you to the surveillance room on purpose John. I was hoping it would lead you to whatever it was you were there for. We all have to thank you for our lives back." She turned to me. "Monica, we have big thanks for you too. I know why you were not affected."
"You do?" I thought about doctor-patient confidentiality but knew Dana would not breach that.

"You're pregnant."
"Yes, with John's baby. How did you know?"
"Because I'm pregnant too."

"What?" My heart sank six feet, John had made her pregnant? Mark must have seen the shock on my face and moved in.
"No Monica, it's our baby. Remember I told you I had a partner before you?
"Yes, and that there'd been conflict in the group so she'd left to join a different group?"
"Tracey was that partner. The source of that conflict has now gone and when I found out that Tracey was pregnant with my child we paired up again." Tracey then continued,

"I found out I was two months pregnant when we all came here for treatment." Two months pregnant, I was so relieved, there was no way this would then be John's child.

When I told them I was also two months pregnant we formed that bond that was to continue to be a lifetime friendship. We said our good-byes and promised to keep in touch. Being our first child we could probably all use each other's support.

Epilogue
Falls Church, Virginia
Two months later.

Doggett:

"Well Mrs. Doggett." We were naked in bed after a wonderful meal and a hug and kiss by the fire.  I was spooned up behind my pregnant wife running my hand over her swollen belly and smelling her sweetly scented hair. "How does it feel to know we're having a baby girl?"
She linked my arms and moved them further around her, sighing with contentment.
"Knowing that she is yours too makes me the happiest woman alive." She wriggled her butt into me and that's when once again my pulse began its gradual rise. This woman could always get me stirred up.  "John, I'd always wanted a baby some day but knowing this baby is going to be adored by both of us makes it so much more special."

"I had a boy and now we're having a girl. I can't believe it Monica. I love you so much." I wanted to show her how in love I was with her but knew I had to hold on for the moment.

"By the way thanks for being able to come with me to the ultrasound today." I smiled as she said this and breathed onto her cheek.

"I wanna be there with you every step of the way. So what about names?"
"We've ages to think about baby names John."
"No. I was thinking of Dana, or maybe even Tracey." I waited for her response. She turned and elbowed me in the ribs.
"Ouch! That hurt." I winced.
"I'd like to think of names that are different from people we know."

"So have you thought about a wedding present for Tracey and Mark?"
"Monica, we've got until Saturday to think about that." My hands felt their way down over her legs and up again touching her velvety skin. My lips brushed her cheek and she leant into me sighing. "I'm looking forward to them starting up their own business over this side of the country next month. Then we can see them more often. Our babies may even be friends too."
"Yes, I heard Tantra sex is big bucks at the moment." Monica gave a small laugh. "It was a real godsend to them when Patty gave the mansion to the cult members as an apology for her actions."

"Yes, and Tracey and Mark were able to sell their share for a down payment on a new place here near us."

Monica was thoughtful and moved her shoulders around slightly towards me with a big smile on her face. "You know John, talking about sex."
"Hmmmm?" I smiled back knowing exactly what she was thinking.

"I was reading today that many couples have sex all through pregnancy and some women even have increased libido at that time." Still with her butt against mine she hooked a leg over my thigh and wriggled against in my crotch.
"Monica, you know what that does to me." I rumbled.
"Maybe you could show me what it does to you, Mr Doggett." I was already demonstrating my obvious arousal and she reached down and felt it with her fingers. Her hands were warm and soft as they caressed my growing member. 

She moved just enough for her to rub my cock over her already wet interior.
"So you think you might want us to do this all through the pregnancy?" I licked and kissed her ear.
"Oh, I certainly hope so John." She leant back into me enjoying the feel of my dick caressing her swollen clit.

I heard contended moans and I began moving on her, slowly at first.
"John, I want to feel like this forever." I planted tiny kisses down her neck and along her shoulder.
"What, pregnant?" I joked and she laughed.
"I do want more babies John." The kisses continued to her jawline and she turned her head a little to meet mine.
"Monica, you can have as many children as you want." I gave her one kiss. "I will love you and everyone of them with all my heart." We kissed until we couldn't take the pressure below any more. I pushed into her with my eager dick and felt her sweet juices coat my very stiff erection.

From behind I made love to her, my hands caressed her body, her ample breasts, her growing abdomen. I felt total love for this woman as I pressed in and out. Her love for me was evident with her movements to meet mine, and her contented gentle gurgles. Our activity increased to satisfy our building desire.

These were not fiery orgasms like we'd had in the past but gradual, and long. It felt like minutes of gentle ocean waves with sunlight dappling the rippling surface. We lay there as if forever immersed in each other's mutual peace.

"John?"
"Hu-hmmm?" I purred contentedly.
"I don't think I ever asked you what it was like - your near death experience. I suppose I just didn't want to bring it all back to you."
I told her about all my feelings and experiences at the time as I nestled into her perfectly fitted body.
"John, I never thought I'd see the day when you would believe in something like that. Your guardian angel told you it wasn't your time?"
"Yes, and I saw him again at our wedding you know - there as I was saying my vows to you. Especially the part that said <<Until death do us part>>.
"Really!" I just knew she believed me, that was her way. "Have you seen him recently?"
"No, I think he now realizes I don't need him any more." I leant in and murmured in her ear. "He now knows I have a real life angel of my own."
"Oh John," She turned again and gave me a glorious kiss. "I do love you."
"And I love you and I know I'll love you for all time." We snuggled together cozy in each other's arms and comfortable in our loving relationship.

 "So John, if we ever get a case like the Tantra cult one again should we take it?"
"I've thought about that believe me Monica and initially I would have said no, but it's our job, it's also what you're good at."
"If we do ever take on a case like that I only have one rule."
"What's that?" I knew what was coming.
"No sleeping around!" She was lightheartedly seriously.
"Only with you." I kissed her tenderly until we were ready to lie back and sleep soundly in each other's caress.

The End