Title: Can't He Help Me Unpack?
Author: Pattie
Category: Kidfic, DRR, Pregnancy, AU.
Feedback: patfiler@hotmail.com

Summary: A pregnant Monica Reyes is quite upset that her
husmand, JOhn Doggett isn't helping her unpack in their new 
apartment.  Prequel to "And For All Of You To Share It With"

Written for the Moving Day Challenge at The Nursery files.

Archive: Anywhere if you ask. Ephemeral and Gossamer
definitely.

Disclaimer: Doggett, Reyes and the Mulder/Scully
family, except for Meg and the expected baby, belong to
Chris Carter, 1013 Ptoductions, and Fox Studios. I intend
no copyright infringement and derive no remuneration for
this little hobby of mine.

~*~*~

It was several years before John Doggett felt secure enough
to try another marriage. His Luke had been murdered, and Monica
Reyes was his FBI partner for quite a while. So, one day he
realized they were both meant for each other -- just as
Mulder and Scully were. Finally, he followed their example
and married Monica Reyes.

Now, they were expecting a baby! So, they took up residence
in a two bedroom apartment in Washington. He was on
assignment when Monica was six months pregnant with their
first child! While she was unpacking and putting things where
she wanted them, she contemplated inviting Mulder, Scully,
William and baby Meg for Thanksgiving dinner. The only
hitch was, she was due around November. She called Scully 
anyway. The invitation was accepted.

At times, she resented the fact that while she was finishing 
setting up their new home, he was out of town. She wasn't an 
FBI Agent anymore, and couldn't join him on his cases. Yet
he was out on cases frequently.

It's hard enough finding a new place to live while you're tired
quite a bit more than usual, and she was doing her best. Sure,
there were the daily phone calls from John while he was on the
road. Yes, they had made a vow to surprise Dana Scully about
their impending bundle of joy. 'Why won't he at least help
me unpack?' she asked herself.

This was a happy time in her life. Since she had seen William 
come into the world, she began to long for a baby and now it was
kicking away merrily in her uterus. Sure, she had her moody
days, and this was one of them. Just putting the new dishes
away was a daunting task. Next, it was going to be the tea towels.
Then it would be the new bed linens and a couple of loads of
laundry.

'How did Dana do it?', she would wonder. Well, you have to do
what you have to do.

Then there was going to be shopping for those essentials the
baby would need. At least she knew it was going to be a girl.

"Aw, rats!" She had accidentally dropped a plate. Just the
thought of cleaning that up was getting her flustered.

It was then that she heard a key unlocking the door and John
came in with his luggage. "Hey, Mom, how's it coming along?"

Right. More laundry. "Fine." She faked a smile and they
exchanged a kiss. "Did you get the kidnappers?"

"Finally. Boy, am I exhausted."

"Well, I'd like a little help here, because so am I." She
was not smiling. "The least you could do is help me finish
unpacking here, and maybe you could sweep up that broken 
plate."

"Well..."

"If you want dinner, John, I'm sure any nap you think you're
going to take can wait!" Now she was gruff.

"Now, calm down, Monica. It's not good for you and the baby,"
John calmly replied. "Do you realize we're fighting?"

Monica thought it over. "I'm sorry, John. It's been rough."

"No, I'm sorry. Why don't you sit down and I'll make you some
tea. I can take care of that plate."

Monica agreed to that. "I invited Fox and Dana to Thanksgiving
dinner. I know it's months away, but it's our turn anyway."

"Well, good." John Doggett put the kettle on. "I can do my 
laundry,"he offered. "It's unfair to put more of a burden on 
you. I know how hard you've worked on the apartment."

"Yes, I have. Are you staying in town for a few days?"

"No upcoming cases that I know of. Kiss and make up? The move 
was hard on me, too. Then they sent me out of town at a time 
like this."

"I know." She kissed her husband on his forehead. "Let me show
you where the teabags are."

"No. You stay put and I'll look for them. By the way, Mulder
is teaching Criminology, Scully just had a little girl they
call 'Meg', and she's coming along just fine. I'm afraid little
William may have inherited his father's sarcasm, but we'll
have a lot to be grateful for come this Thanksgiving.
I invited Mulder to come for a coffee or tea sometime today before 
he goes home from that college he's working at. He's off early 
today." 

Monica smiled. "Looks like you two are finally getting along."

Yes, moving is hard. Sometimes a bit too hard when a woman is
pregnant and her husband has to travel in his line of work,
but it looks like this couple is going to be just fine with
each other and their new little girl.

As for Thanksgiving, well, Monica gave birth to a little one 
they named 'Anna' just a week before then, and had John
cooking the turkey dinner and wearing an apron. He also
ended up doing a lot of laundry -- even at Thanksgiving.


 END