Authors: RPcrazy and Muskrat

Category: DRR casefile and romance

Rating: R - sexual content - scariness quotient

Keywords: Doggett/Reyes romance, casefile, MOTW. Mulder/Scully, William, TLG, Skinner.

Title: Candyman
Authors: RPCrazy & Muskrat

Summary: It's the night of October 31, a night when children are trick o' treating but the trick is turned the other way when the parents start disappearing. The case literally landing in their laps through an unexpected turn of fate Special Agents Doggett and Reyes must investigate the disappearances, including finding some of their own.

Note: Written for a Halloween challenge on The X-Files Fan Fiction Forum site.

Chapter One

Falls Church 8pm

"John, didn't you ever go trick or treating when you were a boy?" Monica rolled over in bed and settled just next to her partner, looking onto his eyes, intently waiting for his reply.

"I went trick or treating," his flat lipped smile intrigued her. Just moments before, those lips had kissed over her body, tantalizing ever patch of soft flesh they had covered. Who said guys with full lips were better lovers, better kissers! Her body still tingled from how that mouth and his hands had brought her to ultimate heights yet again.

Under the covers her palm found its fleshy hold and slid closer to his solid, warm body, her head resting on his secure shoulder. His fingers instinctively went for her hair as they had for the past few nights they had spent together. Her eyes closed and her throat purred as his fingertips did their own 'trick or treat' over her forehead then over her cheek to her jaw.

"I thought you wouldn't have believed in Halloween John." Her mouth opened, accepting a thick salty finger to lick and then suck on. It was intriguing how with just a simple action he could get her hot for him again. It was as though they were linked more than with just their work in The X-Files.

::Maybe they were, :: Monica mused.

"I don't. I know it's just a story made up to scare people." His chest lifted, undulating a little more than the moment previously.

"You know what John?" She laughed a little nasally. "If it's so scary then why do so many children dress up and go from door to unknown door every October 31?" She took another long drag on his finger as though it was another part of his anatomy. It was not hard to begin to think about repaying him for the recent pleasure he had bestowed on her body.

"They are all tricked." She felt the tremor in his chest that was his laugh but let him carry on. "It's all a government conspiracy to get people to have more fun, spend more and lighten the economy."

Monica let go of his puckered finger and moved up to be level with his sea blue eyes. Her lips meshed together as she saw how delectable his were.

"So if it's a government conspiracy then maybe the FBI X-Files agents should look into it," she joked as a hand maneuvered down his skin to the part of him that was patiently waiting for her attention.

As her hand encircled the embodiment of male sexuality she felt his chest heave in wanton anticipation.

"That would certainly take the 'trick' out of the 'treat'." He choked displaying rare verbal composure in such heady bedroom aura.

From the floor below there was a reminder that this October 31 night would not be all for them. The doorbell sounded.

"Did you buy any candy?" Monica posed the question seeing she was in John's bed, John's home.

Georgetown 8pm

"It was a cold and windy Halloween night, a perfect night for trick or treating."

Those would be the first of many words Scully would utter while reading her son William a bed time story as they cuddled up together on the couch.

"It would be a night no child could ever forget," she read on. She could feel William snuggle up closer and closer to her, a closeness that only a mother could feel and respond to.

The crackle of the fireplace added to the eerie feeling already in the room.

The tale was of a monster that only came out one night a year, Halloween night. The night of children and candy, threat or treat night.

A night the monster just couldn't resist and had to come out of his dark dwelling to get the one thing it craved, CANDY!!

"Mommy," William reached out with his tiny hand.

She continued telling the story of children from all over the world who would dress up and try to trick the monster into thinking they were monsters too so he wouldn't steal the treats they had received on Halloween night.

The lucky ones got to keep their yummy treats but the ones who didn't dress up well enough to trick the monster were watched until the time was right and out of the darkness the monster would 'grab' their bags of yummy treats and run back into the darkness.

Scully smiled when she felt him jump from the way she said certain words not knowing she was doing it on purpose. The story itself wasn't all that scary but with the right atmosphere and the right emphasis on the right words it made for a great bedtime story.

As she read the last few pages she noticed William had fallen asleep. She carefully picked him up and carried him to his bed.

Falls Church 8.15pm

"John, I'll get it." Monica pulled back the covers and reached for her lover's bathrobe and laughed, "You're in no condition to answer the door to children. Them dressed as monsters or not, you'd frighten them off." Her eyes were level with his ample crotch.

"You made it that way," he teased as she started making her way down from John's loft bedroom. "Hurry up or I'll really turn into a monster."

"Yes please," were Monica's last words as she padded down the stairs.

There were a few more frenzied rings of the doorbell.

"Okay, I'm coming," she smiled as she reached for some of the chocolate bars in a bowl beside the front door.

What happened next was totally unexpected.

In through the door rushed two small children and they each took a side clinging nervously onto Monica's hips.

"Help us please!" The girl dressed as a witch pleaded, her fingers clutching the bathrobe almost pulling it off. Adjusting her clothing at the same time as coming to her senses she looked to the open door and saw nothing unusual outside.

"It's okay," she used her calm voice and crouched down to be at eye level with her innocent intruders. "What happened?"

Still clinging to her the boy clothed in a Superman suit belied the sentiment of his costume, looking weak and scared.

"It was after us." He pointed out the door to the clear moonlit night.

"What was after you?" Monica looked from one pair of frightened eyes to the other.

"The monster," they mentioned in unison.

"There are no such thing as monsters." She tried to calm them with the obvious but knew herself that her words were not true. She'd had her share of monsters in her time on the X-files and previously. "Where are your mommy and daddy?"

As the smaller boy started to sob the older girl explained,

"The monster took them."

Georgetown, 8.15pm

Scully made sure William was all tucked in before giving him a good night kiss and wishing him sweet dreams.

She made her way back to the living room where she found Mulder sitting on the couch enjoying the warmth of the fireplace and reading the very book she had just read to their son.

She sat down beside him and nestled up against his body while he read. The warm feel of his body was relaxing to her.

"You better not read to much of that book Mulder, it might give you nightmares". She smiled at the thought of any kind of monster giving Mulder nightmares.

"Very funny Scully" but I'm not the one you should be worried about getting nightmares from this stuff. I can't believe people actually write this kind of stuff for kids."

"Oh come on, the story isn't that scary Mulder, I'm sure you heard worse when you were a kid?"

"Well that may be true Scully but look at how I turned out, do you really want our son to turn out like me and chase after the unknown when he gets older?"

Scully laughed, "Yeah you're right Mulder that is a scary thought."

Just as Mulder was about to reply to Scully's smart-ass comment they heard William cry out.

"Mommy, Daddy! Mommy, Daddy!"

They both ran into his room to find him sitting straight up in bed with tears running down his face.

Scully could see the fear in his eyes as she wiped the tears from his face, "What's wrong honey?"

"It was trying to get me Mommy."

"What was trying to get you?" Scully asked.

"The candy man from the story."

As Scully held him close she looked up at Mulder who had an 'I told you so' look on his face.

"Okay, okay, Billy boy," Mulder gave his son a hair ruffle and began to look around the room as if searching for something. "Is it here?" He lifted one of his son's big toy trucks.

"No Daddy!" William shook his head in his mother's protective arms.

"What about here?" Even before opening the closet door he looked across to his son.

"Daddy, not there!" Due to the amusing look on Mulder's face his son's stiffness was beginning to ease in his mother's arms.

"Mulder, what are you doing?" Even Scully was starting to smile at her partner's antics.

"Just trying to find monsters. You know, the usual thing." He walked casually across to the open window. "That's what us X-Files FBI agents are trained to do."

"Daddy, it went out there!" William pointed to where his father was looking.

"Out here?" His response was clouded over in his own mind as his gaze went to the dark blue haze of the nighttime illumination. His brow furrowed as he tried to focus. In the distance was some sort of anomaly.

To Mulder it looked like a shimmering blue circle of light.

Falls Church

As Monica looked out the front door into the dark blue haze of the nighttime illumination her brow furrowed trying to make out an irregularity in the distance.

"Monica, what is it?" Her partner and lover called from the living room. "I need help here."

She took another last look, squinting slightly at the shimmering blue circle of light and then closed the door.

Monica laughed as she saw the two children running circles around John trying to chase each other. His arms were up in the air keeping clear of the tempest.

"Monica, use your hocus pocus, anything." He laughed across to her but was visibly agitated.

'Children!" she called. Magically they stopped and looked at the caller. Then they swept over to be with Monica once again clinging to her side.

Doggett had a chance to compose himself and stand. He had dressed in track pants and T-shirt since the liaison in the bedroom. Monica smiled at the thought of him composing himself enough to descend the stairs and to occupy the children.

'Monica, where's my gu...?" He was about to finish the sentence but realized he'd been too long without children. He knew he had left it downstairs in its holster.

The younger child was in a trance looking at a big metal object.

Slinking across to the young child he tried to remember his conversations with Luke,

"Just hand it over," his hand was palm up. "Gently," His voice was consoling enough for the boy to slip the weapon in John's palm with him giving a big sigh of relief. "Monica, what do we do with them now?" John rolled his frustrated eyes as this time the children were tugging on his arm wanting to be lifted up.

"John, I'm just going to throw on some clothes." She began walking back up the stairs. "Turn on the TV, maybe there'll be a news flash or something. When they're settled go take a look around outside." Her smile was even bigger as she heard the sound of the television and then complete silence in the room.

Georgetown

Soon Scully had William tucked back into his bed and he was resting peacefully. Mulder couldn't stop thinking about what he thought he saw out William's bedroom window.

Being the FBI agent he was, he couldn't wait to get a better look as to what it was he saw. Once both Scully and Mulder knew that their son was fine, together they left his room and headed back to the living room.

Upon passing the front door Mulder heard something outside?

"Maybe it's some children wanting to play a trick rather than get a treat Mulder?" Scully walked over and grabbed the bowl of yummy treats just in case it was needed then walked over to the front door just as Mulder grabbed a few pieces of candy and opened up to the visitors.

To their surprise they saw no children standing outside.

Mulder walked out and stood on the small porch looking all around. He could feel something out there and wanted to know just what it was?

Scully soon followed with bowl in hand, "What is it Mulder?"

"Scully do you feel that?"

"Feel what Mulder?"

"Do you feel as though someone or something is watching us?"

Before she could answer a different kind of feeling came over them. It was an eerie kind of feeling, one that made the hairs on the back of one's neck stand up and chills run up and down one's spin.

Suddenly the air got very cold then out of nowhere there it was, the very thing Mulder saw out Will's window.

"Mulder what is that?"

"I don't know Scully but..." Mulder reached out his hand to try and touch whatever it was in front of them.

"Mulder noooooo!" Those were the last word heard before the door slammed shut and they were both gone.

William was awoken by the slamming door and once again called out to his parents.

"Mommy, Daddy"

He was starting to feel very scared when they did not answer. He found the courage to get out of bed and look for them hoping they were just sleeping and didn't hear him.

The house was so quiet and still, as he walked down the hallway all he could hear was himself breathing.

He walked the whole house softly calling out to his parents but there was no sign of them anywhere. He started to cry in fear as to what had happened to his mommy and daddy.

After a few moments had passed he knew he had to do something but what? He thought hard about what he could do and then it hit him, he quickly ran over to the phone.

Falls Church

Monica had returned from the upstairs to find John and the two children still sitting quietly on the couch watching the TV as though they were under some magical spell.

She brushed her hand across his shoulders as she passed to indicate she wanted him to follow her into the kitchen. He got the message loud and clear. He got up from the couch and told the children he would be back in a flash.

"So what do you think we should do John?"

"I think we should go take a look at their house and try to make sense of all this Monica."

"But what about the children John?"

"They'll have to come with us until we can find somewhere else for them to go, besides maybe they can tell us more about what happened to their parents.

From the look on John's face and the way he answered her; she knew exactly what had happened.

"I want my Mommy," the little girl ran to Monica's side and began tugging on her track pants, the only one of two articles she could find in her rush to get dressed. She reminded herself if she wanted to keep her attire 'on' with these two children around she would need to bring more clothing from her own apartment. There was no time to wonder what John would make of her plan.

"Meet Joanna, or Joey for short," John offered.

"Oh, so we have been getting to know them," Monica smiled as she bent down to console the older of the two and pull up her pants that had exposed some of her midriff. "Joey we'll find her, I promise, and your Daddy."

"And this is Charlie," John's eyes rolled and he shook his head snorting as the boy of about three years climbed like a chimpanzee up the agent's leg.

"Hello Charlie, I'm Monica and I see you know John," Lifting the five year old girl awkwardly onto her hip she moved over to give the boy a soft feel over his cheek with her fingers. Turning slightly to her lover and partner she added, "See anything?"

John just shook his head trying not to convey to the little ones the real concern he had.

"Are you policemen?" the astute girl asked as Monica put her back down and took her hand, leading her to the front door.

"What makes you say that?" Monica quickly put on her jacket that was by the front door and left John to look after himself and the boy knowing he would retrieve his truck keys.

"John says you catch bad people." Joey held onto Monica's hand as though frightened that if she let go then maybe she would also disappear.

"We're FBI agents. John and myself are partners." She reached the door of her partner's truck and turned to see him right behind. As she rotated she noticed something on the horizon. There was the same strange blue haze covering where the sky met the land but in one spot it was brighter and then in another moment was gone.

With silence, seeing Monica's expression, John looked in the same direction but was just too late.

"Tell you later," she quietly promised as she settled the children into their seatbelts.

Monica gathered up the children and headed out the door with Doggett close behind. Just as he was about to close the door he heard the ringing of the phone.

By just hitting two numbers like his mom and dad taught him, William knew who would be answering at the other end of the phone. He waited and waited listening to the ringing hoping and praying that they would be answering soon.

"Oh please someone answer, Oh please be home."

"Monica, wait the phone is ringing." John hesitated waiting for her reply.

"We really should go John."

"I know Monica but I'm getting a real strong feeling I should answer it."

"John Doggett." his eyes grew wide at hearing the voice on the other end.

"Slow down Will everything is going to be alright." John could barely understand what he was trying to tell him.

"Just try and stay calm. Monica and I will be there as soon as we can." He threw the phone down and raced out the door.

As John was nearing her Monica could clearly see that something was wrong.

"So who was on the phone John?"

"It was Will, we need to get over there right now."

Chapter Two

John drove the four of them to Scully's and Mulder's Georgetown apartment where their godson William was waiting all alone. The agents found themselves wondering if there was any connection between Mulder and Scully's disappearance and the parents of the children in their company. It all seemed too much of a coincidence.

"Joey, please tell me your phone number and I'll call home," Monica asked softly trying not to ring any alarm bells.

She smiled as she noticed the older sister putting a comforting arm around her little brother.

"They were taken by the monster," her other arm clung to the boy beside her in each other's protection.

The two agents exchanged concerned looks then Monica went back to questioning.

"Can you tell me what it looked like?" She didn't want to emphasize the 'm' word by repeating it.

"Big, with sharp teeth. It growled," offered the small boy snuggling his head into his sister's neck.

"Charlie, we don't know that. It's just in your head." Joey mentioned just as Monica and John were wondering about the imagination of children. No wonder their minds were filled with fairytale pictures with those stories read to them at Halloween time. If it weren't for her uneasy feeling and the variance in the sky that evening then she would be inclined to put it all down to childhood fantasy and go looking for something more logical. "Monica, we really don't know. We were at your front door. We heard a sound behind us. All we saw was something blue and Mummy and Daddy were gone."

Monica smiled again not wanting their small charges to be needlessly worried. She and John had had marked success on their cases since becoming partners. She had every confidence they would solve the mystery and tried to portray that to the children with her demeanor.

"Yes sir," Monica answered the call on her cell phone while looking across to an inquisitive Agent Doggett. "All right, we'll be there." She listened further then added," Sir, first we have an important matter to attend to on the way. Talk when we get there." She hung off before he would have had time to protest. The last thing she wanted to do was to explain all again over the phone and emphasize the grave situation with the children listening in the back seat.

"Skinner?" John darted a look across to his partner as the vehicle came to rest outside the Mulder family's apartment building.

"He wants us to meet Langly, Byers and Frohike." Even more quietly she added, "There've been more disappearances."

John with a frustrated look on his face began to exit the vehicle.

"Monica, you stay here with the kids while I go get Will."

Monica nodded, "Okay John but be careful."

John wasn't a man easily spooked but the feel of the night air was bone chilling. As he made his way up to the door he could feel the hairs stand up on the back of his neck.

He shook off the feeling trying to regain his FBI composure. He pounded on the door, "Will it's me John - John Doggett."

He tried to turn the knob but the door was locked. John began to pound on the door again.

"William!!!!"

Suddenly he heard the door being unlocked. He stepped back a little not knowing if it was really Will on the other side? The door began to open slowly. As soon as the two set eyes on each other John knelt down just in time to catch Will in his arms.

With William holding on tight John stood, "It's going to be alright now."

While rubbing his hand on Will's back he headed back to Monica and the other children. Monica helped William into his seat and strapped him in. While she was doing so John was thinking about what they were going to do with the three children? They had to take them somewhere safe but where?

As John drove not really knowing where he was driving to, Monica turned and asked William the same questions she asked the other children.

"Did you see anything Will?" Monica asked in a soft voice.

"It was the monster from the book that took them".

"What monster and what book Will?"

"The book my mommy was reading to me, it was called 'Candy Man'. It was a monster that took candy from kids on Halloween. The monster tried to get me too!"

"A story?" Monica gave John a concerned glance that he reciprocated with a 'you have to be kidding' expression. Expecting as much but still loving him for his no nonsense approach she turned back to her small charge for more information. "What did this creature look like?"

"Big and blue." He gestured with his arms but could offer no more clues.

"Anything else?" Monica just wanted to gather the young man up in her arms and assure him all would be okay. She remembered a time she had been temporarily separated from her parents when she was young and it was frightening, enough to remember the experience years later. "What about you two? Is that what you saw too?" Joey and Charlie were holding hands, which was sweet for a brother and sister but was probably a reflex action in a time of uncertainty. They just shook their heads leaving the two agents with little to go on.

"Aunt Monica, where are Mommy and Daddy?" William innocently asked but the female agent was used to putting people at their ease. Also their past record had afforded them with an almost perfect record for solving cases even though there were often questions still lingering.

'We'll take you to Grandma's." She looked sideways to her driving partner and he nodded understanding before changing direction into the sparse nighttime traffic. "You'll all be safe there while we go look fro them," She smiled over to the siblings.

"We want to come with you," cried little Charlie, almost jumping out of his seatbelt and into the front seat.

"Maggie will look after you while we find Mommy and Daddy," she reassured, brushing a hand down his arm and urging him backwards. She knew she would also have to leave word with the local PD of the children's whereabouts on the off chance that there was a more logical explanation for the disappearances. Scully's mom would worry about her daughter and son-in-law but would also be reassured that the new generation X-File agents were more than qualified to find them.

For the remainder of the journey Monica sat back in her seat and silently sighed. Parents missing, children's book, a monster that was big and blue, what did it all mean? It must have something to do with the strange blue horizon she had witnessed earlier, but what? Hopefully the Lone Gunmen would be able to add their words of wisdom no matter how fanciful.

She smiled thinking about how she was going to avoid Frohike's advances this time.

J.Edgar Hoover Building
AD Skinner's Office 9pm

The two agents dressed in casual gear walked into Skinner's office to a small crowd of four faces. Over the desk were spread large sheets of paper and Byers was placing pins into a large map arranged on the notice board.

On the way from Maggie Scully's, Monica had rung through the news to the local PD and then to the Assistant Director about Mulder and Scully and also the story of the two children who had landed on their doorstep that evening. She had also found out information that had been held back from the media. Apparently there had been a number of cases that evening replicating the same scenario.

Before entering the office, making certain that no one was watching, they had given each other a consoling embrace and mutual assurances that they would locate Mulder and Scully and the other parents. They would be found safe and well. Then the two as lovers would be free once more to leave where they left off in bed earlier. The rest of the night together in shared company was a mighty fine reward for solving the case and reuniting children and parents.

"Ah Agents Doggett and Reyes, take a look at this." Skinner was not one for formalities. It was an urgent time, parentless children were filling up the local police stations.

Doggett just nodded to the three people he was still coming to terms with and followed his boss to the wall map. He didn't know half their methods for finding information but respected that anything they had to offer would be valuable. He had long stopped conjecturing where Mulder had found three such dissimilar people.

"What's all this?" A finger traced over the tiny red pins that were scattered in a semicircular pattern around the suburbs of DC. "Are there more missing parents?" Doggett answered his own question.

"Probably more as we speak," Byers broke in before hearing another exclamation from behind them.

"Chapel Street, Arlington." Langly declared, looking up from his computer screen.

Doggett and Reyes looked with concern back to Byers who was adding another small red pin to the twenty or so already there. Skinner just looked across to them with exigency and frustration written over his face.

"You mean that each red pin represents a missing person?" Monica looked to Byers and then to Skinner with a small worry line between her brows.

"Each pin," Frohike bounced in. "Is the site of a disappearance, sometimes one adult and others two."

"They've been disappearing at the rate of about one every five minutes since you called us." Byers added.

"So they are all parents of children?" John had to get his facts straight. It was still all so far fetched.

"According to these reports," Langly once again looked up from his computer monitor. "Either parents or guardians."

"Have you seen any pattern to the abductions? Anything?" Doggett's brow was crinkled with concern. The situation was nothing he had come across before. "I mean, I've been through abductions in my time in the force but not on this scale and in such a short space of time. Maybe it's some type of gang?"

"I don't know what those children told you," Skinner decided to add more information. "But the children left behind haven't seen people only..," He paused long enough for Monica to interject.

"A blue monster." All eyes were on Monica. In other circumstances the eyes could have thought she was once again in one of her fantasy moods but this time there was genuine substance in her utterances. Seeing the looks of understanding she continued as she walked to the map. "I saw something tonight." Her finger traced a perpendicular line on the chart from the red pin points, to an area a few miles south. "Here, a blue haze as I looked out the front door." She decided not to announce to all and sundry whose front door it was and what she had been doing at this time of night in her partner's house. "Could this have anything to do with what's happening here?"

Byers and Doggett both took a closer look.

"Apart from you and the children overdosing on sugar and seeing things." John just laughed it off. It was what he would have thought before he had come to really believe in his partner's talent for looking beyond the obvious. "Then this blue haze of yours looks as though it might be coming from this industrial area near the Naval Station."

"That's not so unusual John." Monica's eyes were lighting up with perception. "What sort of businesses run from this area, anyone?" She looked for help from the three Lone Gunmen.

Doggett stared at the point of the Naval Station on the map as Monica tried to get more information from the Lone Gunmen.

"Why don't we go and find out what goes on there ourselves?"

Silence filled the room as all eyes went to John.

"John, you can't just go down there half cocked and expect to find anything," pleaded Skinner.

"Besides John, who says they'll even let us pass the gate?" Monica added.

"Who said anything about asking permission?"

"Look, all I'm saying is that all this standing around looking at maps and computer screens isn't exactly giving us the answers we need. We need to go and find this thing and stop it before it's too late."

Skinner looked at the two agents, "You know I can't be any part of what you're planning to do."

"Yes Sir we know," answered the two agents.

Skinner gave them a concerned look before turning his back to them.

"You have one minute to get everything out of here before I change my mind about the whole thing."

The Lone Gunmen moved fast and had everything gathered up and was out the door with agents Doggett and Reyes right behind them.

Agent Doggett hesitated a moment before exiting the office, "Thank you Sir".

Skinner turned slightly toward Doggett, "Don't thank me agent Doggett just do what you have to do to find Mulder and Scully".

"Oh and one other thing Agent Doggett, don't keep me completely in the dark with this okay?" Doggett nodded in understanding and proceeded to catch up with the others.

Reyes held open the elevator door as Doggett quickly stepped inside.

"Everything alright John?"

"Yeah Monica everything's fine."

John looked at the three men standing beside him, "Okay guys we need something mobile we can work out of from now on."

Frohike was the first to answer Doggett's request. "We got just what you're looking for Agent Doggett."

"But we'll need some time to set a few things up first before it's fully ready to go," added Byers.

"Time is something we have little of gentlemen, so how much time are we talking about here?"

"We'll need at least an hour," answered Langley.

Chapter Three

DC Naval Base

It was a slightly chilly night. There had been a little recent rain that had coated the roads in silvery blue as the headlights of John's truck hit the bitumen. The night certainly had a Halloween effect to it. Quiet and still as though something at any time would jump around the corner and scare them out of their wits.

As the two agents made their way to the naval base set in the industrial area of town, the small number of nighttime revelers became smaller until there was no one about, just the occasional security lights coming from abandoned businesses for the night.

Even though John believed that time was of the essence they had decided that the best way to enter the facility was as FBI agents so had gone home to change and collect their badges and weapons.

"Do you think they will be here on time?" Monica was not one to worry and also one to put every faith in her partner but to try to get access to a government facility without the proper authorization was not what she would place on her easy list. Let alone find their missing friends before all was lost.

"They'll be here." John pulled up in the large abandoned parking lot outside the base after coming through what seemed to be a security checkpoint. "That's strange."

"Maybe he was on a coffee break?" Monica snorted looking back to the deserted booth, but then went immediately into FBI mode as she quickly followed her suited up partner to find the front desk.

"I don't like the feel of this place," John looked around him as though every wall had ears, every shadow had eyes. Monica silently agreed. The chill in the night air held more than just mystery, it held the real scent of danger.

John took charge, as he was the one with the plan, Monica stood to his right but a little to the back.

"Excuse me," John spoke to the security man through what looked like a toughened sliding glass window. When he didn't respond, the rapping on the glass made him instantly turn looking at the two FBI badges displayed before him.

Leaning forward he slid across one panel creating an opening where they could talk freely.

"I wasn't expecting anyone tonight." The security officer looked puzzled as he looked down the list in front of him and then up to the serious looking government agents.

"I'm Agent Doggett and this is Agent Reyes, we have reason to believe that your facility might have been breached this evening." John tried to stay serious and confident even though he knew the officer had every right to refuse them access.

"Breached?" The man suddenly frowned. "How?"

Monica decided to continue, knowing that if they gave too much away then they would possibly appear foolish. "There have been some disappearances tonight. We believe that they may be here in this facility."

"No one's gone past me!" The man assured, swiveling his chair around to the multitude of innocent looking security monitors. "How many disappearances are we talking about?"

John and Monica exchanged glances both deciding what to say and what to keep to themselves.

"There have been several." Monica immediately continued with more urgency in her stance, "Look, these people may be in danger, we would like to search this facility."

There were a few awkward moments when the security officer was weighing up what would be the greater evil, to let them in without authorization or to look imprudent later if he denied access and then something was found amiss.

"All right, but I insist you take two of my men with you."

John looked across to his partner with a little frustration. Four people searching the facility could possibly prematurely alert the perp but at least it was a way of getting inside.

As the officer rang through to the others, John checked his radio for any signs of the Lone Gunmen. It had been arranged that they would set up shop enough distance away from the base to not be detected but still to keep a radar monitor of the facility. Also they would keep in radio communication. Having the extra two along might actually place them in more danger.

Armed with rifles the two silent uniformed men followed the agents as they roamed a facility they had no idea where they were heading or what they would find. John kept feeling the pocket that held his radio wondering if their helpers were there yet. Without the aid of the Lone Gunmen and their equipment they might as well have been searching for a needle in a haystack.

Door after door proved fruitless. The buildings looked deserted for the night, making the agents look more and more foolish.

"Do you sense anything?" John spoke quietly out of earshot of the officers. No matter how she did it he had come to admire Monica's ability to sense things around her. At that moment it was all they had to go on.

"There's something here John." No sooner had she said the words when there was a rush of cool air so forceful that it spun them around like spinning tops. Losing their footing they fell to the ground with a thud, losing all sense of time and space.

"What was that?" John blinked his eyes and then slowly made it to his feet then looked across to Monica who was doing the same.

"John, look!" Monica's head pointed in the direction of an officer who was not recovering like the other three. She was there first, moving him over onto his back.

What came into view put a look of horror on all their faces. The man was truly dead but there was something more.

"Monica do you have any idea as to what that is on that man's face?"

"No John, it seems to be some sort of glaze" Monica reached down and touched the blue substance.

"What do you mean a glaze?" John was a little puzzled as to what Monica was getting at.

"You know like a sugary glaze that has hardened." Before standing she checked to make sure the man was truly dead. And to her surprise she felt a faint pulse.

"John , this man is still alive!"

Monica quickly freed the man's airways of the hardened substance that was covering his nose and mouth. The man suddenly took in some air but he was still weak and in need of medical attention.

Monica pulled a small plastic bag out of her pocket and placed some of the blue substance inside.

"So what's our next move John?"

Just as John was about to answer a crackling sound came from his pocket. John pulled out the radio and heard Byers calling for him and Agent Reyes.

"Agent Doggett, Agent Reyes do you read me?"

"Yes Byers, we hear you." John was starting to feel better now that the Lone Gunmen could help track this thing.

"Agent Doggett we're all set up and there's no sign of your monster anywhere on radar." That's not what John wanted to hear right then.

"It's here you have to find it."

Suddenly the base security alarm sounded and the place lit up like the Fourth of July. Lights were coming on everywhere.

"What the hell!" The male agent looked over to his partner trying to read her thoughts.

Byers could hear the commotion through the radio, "Agent Doggett , Agent Doggett you still there?"

"Yeah I'm still here. Something has happened here and my guess is it's our friend that caused it."

"Well something has happened here as well. We have something on radar now and it's moving very fast."

"Where's it headed Byers?" John was more than sure it was the monster that was on the move.

"It's moving away from you towards the back of the base."

The two agents quickly took off after the thing not knowing where exactly it was heading or if it was even what they were looking for. Doggett tried to keep the radio to his ear so he could still hear Byers on the other end.

Byers came back on the radio, "Agent Doggett, it left the base and then we lost it."

The two agents reached the back fence of the base and slipped through a hole to reach the other side.

"What now John?" Monica was feeling a bit uneasy about all that had happened recently.

"We have to keep looking for this thing Monica, we need to find Mulder and Scully and all the others that are missing."

"Byers where was the thing headed when you last seen it on radar?"

"It was headed toward the industrial park about a block away from where you are."

Both agents exchanged exasperated looks and then headed back to the base to the sea of lights and the growing commotion surrounding the buildings.

A tall uniformed man quickly approached, rifle hanging by his side. Two others stayed to his rear.

"Got the call from front desk, you must be the agents from the Bureau." He held out his hand for shaking. It was only brief and as a formality because the air was all too hurried.

"Agent Doggett and this is Agent Reyes," John mentioned while quickly walking back to the building. If they were going to catch this thing they needed to hurry.

"Ensign Walters," The naval officer introduced himself while catching up with the swift investigators. "I heard a little about why you're here. A blue monster?"

"Ensign, your man down, is he okay?" Monica needed to know there would be no more tragedies since by default they had been assigned to the case.

"He's being checked by our paramedics and looks like he'll make it but we need to know more about this thing and what it's done." He followed close behind the agents as they walked into the building heading back the way they had come.

"We don't know much except it's not here anymore," John briefly turned to speak looking as though he did not want to deal with the naval officer right then. All could be explained 'after' they had solved the case and found the missing people ideally safe and well.

The previously 'sleeping' base was then awash with light and upheaval. Naval base security being breached was a serious situation.

"We have men searching the facility, should I call them off?" The ensign spoke as they reached the front security desk.

John turned with a serious expression to face the officer and his attendants, "Tell them to search for any captives that may be here." The male agent's blue eyes pierced the ensign as though he was still a sergeant in the Marines and giving orders. "This thing whatever it is has taken people and we need to find them asap."

Ensign Walters turned to the soldiers behind him, "Tell the others," he ordered confidently.

"Looks like this creature is headed south," John mentioned. "We're on it and will get back to you when it's been captured."

"I have men who could go with you." Ensign Walters straightened his stature.

"It's better we do this alone. Too much interference and this thing could be gone for good and the location of those captives with it." John was edging towards the front entrance.

"Let's go Agent Doggett," Monica called from outside adding credence to the urgency.

Leaving the main building and the search team to find any other clues they scoured the now flood lit parking lot. Suddenly there was the sound of wheels and from their right appeared the familiar van.

Screeching to a halt beside them the side door slid open to reveal Frohike's stern face.

"Hop in, we have a trace."

Langly was up front driving and Byers next to him while Frohike and the two agents occupied the back with all the equipment.

"What's going on guys?" Monica asked the question on both their lips. John was trying to get comfortable in the cramped surroundings.

"Our sonar got a lock on something strange in the base." As he spoke Frohike tapped the glass panel of the box shaped device. "It could have been any other entity in that building except for the speed."

"The speed?" Monica got the mental image of the wind through her hair and spinning so hard that she had fallen down. There was something else too but all the turmoil of the subsequent events had clouded her thoughts.

"We clocked it at one hundred mph." Byers turned from the front seat.

"How can anyone, thing, go that fast?" Doggett winced hurting himself as the van must have driven over a pothole. "This thing have suspension?" He tried not to look in too much pain.

"Maybe with next month's salary check," Frohike said under his breath, his eyes rolling in frustration.

"So if this creature is fast," Monica diffused the situation by getting on with the reason for them all being there. "Maybe we can't catch it."

"It has to stop some time," mentioned Langly from the front as he pulled the vehicle to a halt.

"Where are we?" John looked out the van window into the dark of the night forgetting about his sore butt.

"This is where we lost track of the signal," Byers responded.

"That's great!" John huffed annoyance under his breath.

"Which means," Byers strung out the words to make the point that the Lone Gunmen were rarely lost for clues. "It has either stopped or is moving too slowly for our detection."

"So you think it's here inside that building?' Monica confirmed.

John slid open the van door and stepped outside into the nippy night air.

"You've gotta be kidding me." He looked up at the sign that displayed the name of the business.

"What is it John?" Monica stepped out of the van and couldn't believe that she was reading.

"The Blue Monster Candy Company." Monica read it again out loud still not believing that was what the sign really said.

Frohike peaked from around the door of the van, "So you think there might be a connection?"

"FROHIKE!!!" The two agents rang out simultaneously.

Deep down Monica saw the humor in the all but obvious name of the candy company. With a smile on her face she elbowed John in the side knowing he saw it also.

Just then John felt a woozy feeling in his stomach, something he couldn't explain. It was a little vertigo. Had it been residual effects of their encounter with the 'monster'?

"John?" Monica felt concern when she saw him almost lose balance.

"I'm okay now, just a little dizzy," he assured.

"Here, have these." Frohike held out his hand holding a small blue packet.

"Chewing gum!" Doggett was perplexed.

"Just chew on one to get rid of the dizziness," he explained.

"We need you level-headed man." Langly added. He nodded, taking the packet, but just as quickly pocketed it.

Before proceeding on, the two agents made sure they had everything they needed. As Monica reached into her pocket she was reminded of the small piece of blue substance she had taken from the injured man's face back at the Naval base.

"John, hold up a second!" Monica headed back to the van with baggy in hand.

"Hey you guys I almost forgot about this." She held up the baggy for the Lone Gunman to see. 'What is it?" Byers was the first to ask.

"Well, I was hoping you could tell me?" Monica handed the substance to Byers.

"It's a small part of what the monster left behind from the injured man's face"

"We'll try our best to find out what exactly this thing is Agent Reyes." Monica nodded and turned to head back to where Doggett was waiting for her.

Together they walked towards the building's front door. They open the door quietly not yet wanting to be known that they are there.

They stood there taking in their surrounds. The only thing in the large lobby like room was a desk.

They approached the desk with caution only to find a sleeping guard.

John and Monica exchanged knowing glances and lowered their guns but still had them on alert.

A sleeping guard was not on the John Doggett list of sensible things to do so deciding to teach him a lesson rather than follow the first notion and to tiptoe past him; he looked for suitable censure.

Also, the guard could have some valuable information about their assailant.

Picking up a can of almost finished soda he emptied the remaining drops into the waste paper basket nearby and bypassing Monica with a furtive glance he placed it face up on the floor.

With a loud bang he stomped on the can almost making the guard fall to the floor with the shock.

"What the fu****!" Shaking his head and getting his bearings his eyes eventually focused on the two stern FBI agents.

"You usually sleep on the job Mr. Stearns?" Monica read his name badge. The hand resting on his gun holster slipped away when the agents provided their FBI identification.

"What do you want?" The guard stood to show he still had some authority there under that sorry excuse for a uniform.

"Did you see anyone go past here in the last fifteen minutes?" The male agent was hopeful if this guard had seen anything except in a dream filled state.

"Do you think I'd still be here if I had?" The guard was shifting uneasily knowing he could even have missed a bull in a china shop. "What you looking for?"

"We're not sure yet, but it's possibly blue and moves very fast." John was glad Monica was the one to say that. It was almost their turn to look crazy.

"You're kidding right?" The guard began laughing.

"We want to take a look around." John was past all the nonsense and moving further into the building foyer, his eyes peeled every which way. Monica followed because no matter what the guard said, they would need to search the premises.

"Hey, you have a warrant for this?" The guard was getting back to his officious self.

"Look man," John moved up close to get in his face while Monica searched for any clue as to whether their assailant had passed that way. "We could get a warrant but this thing might have killed by then. We have people missing and one person injured. Do you want to draw attention to yourself and for your boss to find out your were asleep on the job?" John had made his point. The guard just nodded the agents through.

"I'll keep an eye on you from here." He faced the six security screens before him on the desk.

"Agent Doggett?" Monica called from a position near a large plant stand. "We have something."

"What is it?" John approached his partner, all the time acutely aware of his surroundings.

Through her fingers Monica held up something glittering. On closer inspection a small gold cross on a chain came into focus.

"Doesn't Dana wear one of those?" John queried. He seemed to remember her wearing the same chain day after day but never stopped to think about the significance.

"I think it 'is' Dana's. It was draped over the branch here." Monica looked over the large rubbery green ficus for any more clues.

"So you think she planted this deliberately as a clue to help us find them?" John started looking around for a possible direction they should then be heading. His eyes settled on a staircase going down to what was probably the basement parking garage.

"I think they're here John." She did a sweeping turn with her head and also noticed the staircase.

"This way!" John aimed his gun and took the lead. Stealthily both agents descended the stairs and came to a single door with the label. 'Parking Garage'. Cautiously opening the door John whipped out into the almost vacant garage, his gun arm doing a quick sweep of the area.

Most of the time both agents were back to back covering two halves of the vast expanse. John searched the lone vehicle while his partner kept watch.

"Nothing! Must be our sleepy friend's up there." John quipped.

"John, I know they're here. I can sense it." Monica's voice was quiet.

"Frohike, Byers, Langly, you there?" John spoke on his radio. There was a crackling sound then Frohike's voice came over the device.

"Yo! Found anything?"

"I was hoping you could tell us that." John waited.

"Well, we've had no more motion detected, if that's what you mean." John and Monica shot each other confused glances. If the disappeared adults were close by then why couldn't they be detected?

"Frohike, we think they're here. Mulder, Dana and the other missing people." John kept talking. "Monica found what looks like Dana's gold chain."

"Well I see no movement in the building other than you two and that guard at front desk." Frohike confirmed. "We did find something about that blue substance of yours though. I'll hand this over to Byers."

"Agent Doggett?" Byers' softer voice could be heard over the airwaves. "I did a chromatography analysis of the blue polymer that Agent Reyes gave me."

"Yes?" John shot a glance to his equally curious partner.

"The analysis came up with a disaccharide containing fructose and glucose. In other words sugar."

"Sugar!" John's skepticism began to show.

"Yes, all it contains is sucrose and a blue coloring by the name of Alcian Blue. It's a dye that's commonly used in the test for diabetes." Byers explained.

"This is making no sense to me." John looked his bewildered self as he looked across to his worried but confident partner.

"I'm still doing analysis of the substance and how it came to be. Maybe I'll find out what's happening here."

"Okay, we'll look around more but keep in touch." John used his military voice. "We want to know the instant you do. People's lives could be in danger here."

"Will do." Byers signed off.

Just as John was reattaching the radio to his belt there was a small vibration in the concrete floor and before either of them knew it there was a strong rush of air sending them both falling to their knees.

When John reoriented himself he saw the worrying sight before him.

"Monica!" he yelled and rushed over to her lifeless form on the hard ground, a firm blue film covering her face.

John wasted no time in removing the blue film covering Monica's face. Monica was still lifeless lying there on the cold hard concrete. John lightly tapped both sides of Monica's face trying to get her to snap out of it.

"Come on Monica" John pleaded

Soon John could breathe easy as Monica coughed as she took in fresh new air into her lungs.

"John help me up, please." Monica reached out for John's hand.

Doggett quickly stood and pulled Agent Reyes up to meet him. He held her until she was sure she could stand on her own.

"You okay, Monica?" John just needed to know for sure before going any further.

"Yes," Monica nodded to her partner to let him know that she was able to go on.

During the time it took Monica to recover the lights had gone off and the emergency lights had come on.

With flashlights in hand the two Agents did a sweep of the area hoping to find a clue as to what direction to go in next?

Just then a voice could be heard echoing through the dead silent parking garage. Doggett grabbed his radio and quickly turned it down. It was Byers voice that could be heard ringing through the small device.

"Agent Doggett here. What is it Byers?"

"Agent Doggett the creature has stopped not far from you and Agent Reyes BUT there's ...." the radio started to fade in and out.

"Byers!" Doggett waited to see if he could hear anything.

As the two agents moved on, Doggett heard only bits and pieces of what Byers was trying to tell them.

"Rear --- parking --- door"

Doggett and Reyes walked toward the rear of the parking garage where they soon found a dark corridor.

They proceeded with caution; the long hall didn't seem to lead anywhere but about half way down there was one single door.

Suddenly the radio became clear, "Agent Doggett there seems to be more than one of them."

"What do you mean more than one?" Doggett looked over to Reyes who had heard what was said.

Byers voice could once again be heard,

"It looks as if the creature as entered that room and by our radar it's not alone agent Doggett."

Doggett placed the radio back in his pocket and with his gun in hand and ready moved toward the door.

Cautiously the two agents looked at each other giving those silent signals that partners do and then Doggett went for the door handle. Turning it slowly with one hand, his gun propped in the other, he stealthily opened the door.

With each centimeter there seemed to be swirls of ethereal blue hues emanating from the room. Reyes had her gun poised as the crack in the door widened.

Doggett looked across to Reyes and with a flick of the head indicated he was taking immediate action. All of a sudden he flung open the door and was in the room doing a sweep with his gun. Reyes was close behind.

As their trained gaze combed the semi dark, silent room their mouths opened as their eyes adjusted to the sight. The room, about the size of Doggett's loft bedroom, was bare except for dozens of upright shapes lining the walls. From each there emanated a faint blue glow, clearly coming from a substance covering their entire bodies, the same substance that had covered Reyes' face moments earlier.

"Mulder!" Doggett was in instant action mode. "Monica, you start over there!" Immediately they began trying to peel away the polymer from the faces of what must have been the disappeared parents.

"John, this one's still alive." She felt the pulse on the victim's neck.

"So's this one but barely breathing." Doggett started on the next when he heard some shots behind him and his partner's shout.

"John, watch out!" It was too late. All went black as he hit his head on the hard concrete floor. "John!" Reyes peeled the goo from her partner's face but it was too late. In such a very short time the substance had covered his entire body. Feeling for a pulse she breathed a temporary sigh of relief and grabbed the radio. "Byers, are you there?"

A crackle came from the other end and then was clearer.

"Did you see it?" Came the welcome voice.

"Yes, and it's got John." Reyes didn't even stop to think why she had been spared. Perhaps there was something about her the monster didn't want? "We need help here!"

Just as she said it there was a shuffling sound outside the door.

"Help's on its way." Byers uttered.

"What do I do?" With the other hand Reyes had her gun poised at the ajar door.

"Water! Go get some water!" Byers' voice trailed off as Reyes left the radio near her partner's unmoving body and moved towards the door. Trailing her gun from left to right revealed the dark corridor seemingly empty. Her mind was racing at a million miles per hour. Doggett was already down, he was barely breathing but still alive. Hopefully she could leave him without fear of his situation deteriorating. Where could she get some water?

Furtively retracing her steps along the long dark hallway she came back to the large expanse of the parking garage. There was no sign of the creature. She had only seen it for a moment. It was too quick for the eyes to make out any features. All she had seen was a rush of luminous blue and there was the same odor she had smelt in the Naval base. What was it? Almost like a mixture of musk and vanilla.

Doing a sweep of the area revealed she was seemingly alone. Finding the stairs she climbed to the ground floor. Maybe there was a rest room there where she could get the water. As soon as Byers had said it she knew why.

Quickly climbing to the top her eyes swept the reception to find the front desk vacant. Where had the guard gone? Looking across and to the right revealed a corridor. Making her cautious way along she found a door to the men's rest room. Without any extra thought she entered and felt around for a light switch.

"Water," she repeated to herself as she looked for some sort of container. Coming to the understanding that her weapon was useless on the creature she placed it back in its holster. The shots she had fired a floor below seemed to just pass right through. Spotting a waste paper receptacle she emptied the few soiled sheets onto the floor and half filled the metal container with water from the faucet. Any more and the angle of the container would have meant the rest spilling out.

Quickly she made her way back the way she came.

"Guard!" She called as she once again passed through reception. There was no sign of him and unless there was a closer rest room he had not been there. Not thinking any further on the topic she made her way down the steps and back into the parking garage. She would have to go this alone. The light was dim making visibility almost impossible. In her haste she had left her flashlight on the floor near her partner. She prayed he would be all right.

All was deathly quiet as she moved slowly, being extra aware of her surroundings. Any sound could be the creature in close proximity. Sweeping in slow circles she was cautiously making her way back to the room where she had left her partner.

Suddenly there was a whirring sound behind her. Swiveling on her heels she turned, her blood pulsing through every vein.

It was coming towards her at an alarming rate. Something blue, almost looking like Casper the friendly Ghost but in this instance it was far from amicable.

Just as it was about to pounce she threw the water, the gush falling squarely in the creature's face. It stopped suddenly in its tracks barely two meters away from the ultra aware female agent. Her mouth dropped as she caught a glimpse of the being, probably the only glimpse anyone would get.

Reyes marveled as, what could only be described as a cross between the animated Casper and one big blue jelly baby, began melting before her eyes. It had no facial features except indentations where eyes, nose and mouth would be. The head was the first to dissolve and slowly the destruction moved down the smooth blue jelly like body.

She was frozen in space as a blue puddle began forming on the floor.

All of a sudden the lighting came on almost blinding her and voices could be heard coming closer. The sound of the cavalry was nearing but just a little too late.

"Agent Reyes?" The voice came from behind but she kept looking at the blue goo on the floor before her. Men in FBI vests circled her, their guns pointed down at the floor. "Agent Reyes, are you all right?" This time she heard Assistant Director Skinner's voice and responded with a nod of the head.

Chapter Four Washington DC Memorial Hospital 7am

Monica sat quietly on the edge of John's bed softly running her fingers up and down his arm hoping it would help wake him from his long sleep.

"John?" Monica whispered as she placed her hand on top of his.

John's eyes opened to the beauty before him.

"Monica, are you okay?" John repositioned himself to get a better look.

"Yes John I'm fine." It was just like him to put her before himself.

"Mulder and Scully, are they going to be alright?" John looked at his partner in need of answers.

"Yes John, they're resting and William has been reunited with them as all the children have been reunited with their parents including Joanna and Charlie."

John was still a bit confused as to why Monica hadn't been attacked by the monster and he and the others had.

"So Monica can you explain to me what happen after we entered the room and why you were not attacked by that thing?"

"After the monster attacked me in the parking garage it got me thinking why? What was the thing's motive for doing so? I didn't figure it out until it attacked you and not me while in the room with the others."

Monica went on to explain to John that the monster was kind of doing a search when it attacked the guard and then her and when it didn't find what it was looking for it quickly moved on. She explained how the monster was after candy and that's why John was attacked and not her. She reminded him of the gum he had gotten from Frohike before entering the building and that's what it was after when it attacked him.

"How was the thing stopped Monica?" John was very interested to know how this was done.

"Well after it got you I took your radio and asked the Lone Gunmen for ideas on how to do that very thing. All they said was get water."

"The more I thought about it the more it made sense. Water dissolves sugar and that's what it was, made of 'sugar'!"

"And it went after the parents 'cause they were the ones who were holding the candy at the time."

Feeling better knowing everyone was safe and the monster had been stopped, John pulled Monica in close to him and whispered to her,

"Well seeing how you did a job well done Agent Reyes you need to be rewarded."

"And just how will you reward me, Agent Doggett?"

"How about when I get out of here we finish what we started before all this happened?" Monica smiled that famous smile, "What if I can't wait that long Agent Doggett?"

"Well I guess I'll have to give you something to hold you until I get out of here."

John slid his hand behind Monica's head and pulled her to his lips kissing her passionately. The more they kissed the more Monica wanted to start where they left off right there in that bed.

Suddenly they both stopped when they heard a familiar voice in the room with them.

Looking into each other's eyes told them that their cover was blown no matter who was at the door. Even before turning they could tell there was more than one person.

"I'm hurt." Frohike's voice sounded with mock despair.

Slowly Monica moved to a sitting position while John became more comfortable in the bed. One moment longer and he would have been pulling Monica under the sheets and going a lot further than just a kiss, no matter who came in on them.

"We know, Melvin," Langly moved to a chair and flopped himself down. "You wanted Agent Doggett for yourself!"

"I can't help it that I'm a sucker for blue eyes." Frohike went along with the wise crack to diffuse what could have been an awkward situation.

"Come on guys, it's obvious they've had feelings for each other for a while now." Byers placated. "We should have knocked first."

Just at that moment Assistant Director Skinner walked into the room. If he had heard the previous comments then he didn't let on.

"Agent Doggett, the doctor tells me you have made a complete recovery and are free to go." He looked across to the seemingly mismatched trio and then back to the agents. "You all did good work last night. Agent Reyes, especially you, expect a direct acknowledgement from the director for your efforts in saving the day, as with all of you."

"Thank you, sir," Monica humbly smiled. To her it was still part of the job. "Do you know anything more about who or what is responsible for this?"

"The suspect has been apprehended and is awaiting questioning at the bureau." Skinner answered. "Agent Doggett, if you're up to it I'd like you to do the interrogation."

"Of course, sir." John began sitting in the bed. When the visitors left he would get dressed but until then he'd keep his hospital gown clad body hidden. "So what really happened here? To Mulder and Scully and the others?"

"It seems that this blue polymer that covered you and the others," Byers decided to explain. "It slowed the metabolism down to almost imperceptible levels. It seems that by keeping the victims alive this monster could slowly draw on the bodies' sugars, thus providing it with its life energy. The candy in the victims' possessions was the initial lure."

"Mulder and Scully and the other parents took longer to recover because they were laid out for longer have needed an IV drip to get their body sugars at normal levels again." With one hand Frohike leant on Langly's chair. "Agent Doggett here was only incapacitated momentarily."

"So who can explain all this because for the life of me it's all seems a load of horse crap!" John was his usual skeptic self.

"John, you saw all this, what it did to people, to you." Monica jogged his memory.

"Agent Reyes it was you, Mulder and Scully who have actually seen the monster, no others." Byers offered an excuse for John's disbelief.

"Well I know what I saw and as unbelievable as it may seem as I've told you I saw what looked like a blue ghost." She gave John's hand a squeeze reminding him that it was 'her' telling him and that he trusted her beyond life itself.

"No matter what," Once again Byers edged into the conversation. "We're getting the residue analyzed that this blue ghost left and hope to have some definitive answers in a few hours."

"That's that then." Skinner finalized. "Agent Doggett, I'll meet you at the bureau as soon as you can get there." He turned to Monica. "Agent Reyes, you are free to go home and get some rest. It's been a long night for you."

Monica was about to open her mouth and protest but it came out in a small yawn. It 'had' been a long, tiring night. After some sleep she might be able to get her thoughts around what she actually saw in the basement the previous night.

Also by then John might have come up with an explanation for all the happenings, based on questioning the suspect and the analysis of the blue goo left on the parking garage floor.

Slightly frowning she pictured the face of the person she knew would be awaiting questioning by her partner Agent John Doggett at FBI headquarters.

Falls Church, 8pm

"Hmmm, déjà vu," Monica purred as she ran tantalizing fingers over her partner's jaw line and then down his body, feeling every inch of his bare, inviting skin as she progressed under the bed covers. Her mouth hovered near his as she spoke, feeling the corners curl in a smile.

"Must be so, if you believe that déjà vu mumbo jumbo," John responded with a smirk, giving his lover a light, seductive kiss on the lips. "But I know for a fact we 'have' been here and done this before."

"Oh, you do, do you." She pulled her naked flesh closer to him, allowing their bodies to merge in an exquisite union two lovers were lucky enough to share. "So you mean we have done 'this' before?" Monica's body shifted to an angle a little above his and began running her fingers over his belly and down his thigh in a deliberate motion to get him even more worked up than he already was. Slipping her fingers around the shaft of his exponentially growing desire she squeezed and began a hand action that had his chest undulating with rising arousal.

"You have definitely done that before!" His words were choppy as her hand sustained its exploration of his ready need.

"And this?" Continuing her action below, she lifted her face to be in line with his. Before planting his mouth with an even better kiss than previously that morning as John had lain in the hospital bed, she smiled and gazed at his expression-filled face. Without words she could tell he loved her just by looking into his clear blue eyes. Her smile made its way to his lips where it fused with his.

The kiss was different from what they had past experienced. Not the intensity or the length so much as all the emotion that accompanied it. They had been through an ordeal together and come out all for the better. The kiss was a blessing that they were both still alive and could once again give thanks that they could be together.

"So what will it be?" John momentarily paused the kiss. With what he was feeling below coupled with the most amazing kiss he had ever experienced he needed to catch his breath. "Trick or treat?" This time his free hand ran over the soft velvet of her arm and then down the softness of her back.

"Halloween's over, Mr. Doggett." With a swift movement she pulled herself up and then moved astride his hips. "But if you insist, a treat would be nice."

With the sudden exposure of her naked upper half John smiled and it didn't take a clairvoyant to know what he was thinking.

"Just looking at you is a treat." His words were low, rumbly and so sexy making Monica almost blush with desire for the man below her. Flicking her hair back off her face she let out a puff of air as his hands manipulated her breasts. The way his fingers would graze the nipples, causing a little pain, made her even more desire-filled.

Using her thighs muscles she lifted her hips into the position for coupling. She had never been more ready to make love to the man.

"John," she groaned as he helped slip his manhood inside her. With another flick of the hair back off her face she began rocking with him. It had been two days since they had made love this way. He had pleasured her body the previous night to the point of orgasm but they had been interrupted before she could repay him. Wanting him so much had gradually built up a residual desire that was surfacing like a bubbling active volcano.

His hands trailed down over her abdomen. Without looking she could tell that he was admiring her body as they both made amazing love together. She was proud to display her body to him because she knew how appreciative of it he was no matter the small flaws she saw.

Thinking about the heaving, hot muscles underneath her made her flush with heightened yearning. It had been years of her imagining what he would look like naked before finding out for sure not that long previously.

Her body dropped to his, still keeping up the heated action. To remember the first time again she needed his lips on her. With forearms either side of his on John's pillow she manoeuvred her mouth on his. His hands on her butt and feeling sometimes gently, other times hard was driving her energy and desire skyward.

"Monica," he breathed between heated kisses. "Let's do this.....all night." At that moment she knew he probably could. The man had an endless energy that Monica had admired for years. For him to use this vigor with her was the height of a compliment and very sexy.

Both bodies seemed to know that all the subsequent sexual action was swelling beyond control. Sweat beading on both their brows and small groans coming from deep within their throats they increased their rocking motion.

Swiftly rolling his lover onto her back he continued his assault on her more than willing body. She loved to rest her hands on his butt as his actions became swifter. The muscles were hard and shifted sensuously under her touch.

It was when he looked into her eyes and parted his lips she knew she was losing control. There was no holding it back. The surge was love itself, love for a man she had worshipped from afar for so long. He had been the one to eventually initiate a sexual relationship. It had been the happiest day of her life when John Doggett had first expressed his love for his partner.

"Monica, I love you so much." It was probably the orgasm and the exquisite lead up that was talking. John was normally not so vocal about his feelings but she knew it to be true and she reciprocated these notions without judgment.

"What if I'd said, 'trick'?" Monica let him stay on top of her and in her for as long as possible. The feel of him above or underneath was warming and secure. For him to show so physically his affection for her was originally only in her dreams.

"Then I would have 'tricked' you into making love to me." He chuckled at his own humor and gave her a final kiss on the lips before slowly lying beside her on the bed.

Monica smiled and snuggled up to her lover feeling very contented with life. "Talking about 'tricks', you still haven't had a chance to tell me about what you and Dana found out about this creature."

..... "No matter what Dana explained, it still seems like a trick to me." John went all thoughtful. Monica didn't usually like discussing work while in bed but with this she made an exception. The topic of discussion did just seem like one big bedtime story! "Phillip Stearns, the security guard from the candy company, confessed all."

"What did he say?" After Monica had left John at the hospital she had indeed gone home for a sleep. She had been up all night following the case and subsequently worrying about her partner's condition.

"He was the one who created that blue monster. He affectionately called it his Candy Man after the name of a bedtime story his dad had read to him when he was a youngster. Can you believe it?" His voice went higher than usual.

"How?" Monica mused.

"The real Phillip Stearns died in a plane crash in Minnesota in 1998. Roger Biggs, his birth name, was a pharmacist from Utah, deregistered and jailed for making and selling amphetamines. On a technicality he was acquitted after serving two years. This time he'll get life, the bastard!"

"Why change his identity and move to DC? He was acquitted of the charges." Monica questioned.

"He wanted to get back into pharmacy but no one would take him on, not with his background. Under the assumed name while waiting on the right job to spring up he took on security work. The pay was good and the night time shift gave him think time to plan out his lifelong dream."

"Don't tell me, to make a blue candy monster." Monica propped herself on an elbow to run her fingers down her lover's chest. She never tired of touching him and just proving he was really with her.

"According to Dana, he really didn't think it would all turn out that way. There again he could have stopped it but didn't." John paused, not really understanding but relating what was conveyed. "Would you believe it? She analysed that blue goo and it is just sugar a little blue dye for coloring and a few trace esters!"

"That's also what Byers discovered." Fingers found their way slowly down his arm, playing with his hard biceps. "Did she say how a sugar compound could come to life?"

"That's where it's all too much for me." John shook his head. "Dana said that the sugar was unlike any other saccharide compound she had seen before. She said that maybe what Biggs had been experimenting on was a way to give this sugar life."

"So you mean like a plant? Sugar cane for instance. It's mainly made of sugar but has life, it grows." Monica enlightened.

"Don't ask me to believe it Monica, that this thing was just chemicals mixed together by a man." His eyes closed as his lover's hand made its way down his thigh then up again to run a thumb over his cheek. He was so desirable even when in work mode.

"Why not? There is still so much to discover about chemistry, about compound combinations. After all, the human body is also made of chemicals elements." Monica began kissing his chest in long, slow moist movements. "We're yet to discover everything about how our bodies work."

"Well I know exactly how you get mine to work!" His chest rose and fell with rekindling desire as he felt over her face and then rubbed her lips with a thumb.

"Again?" Monica smiled widely.

"I told you I'd make love to you all night, my treat." John lightly rolled on top of a very willing lover and began deeply kissing her.

Monica inwardly smiled as the tune 'Blue Moon' popped into her head.

:::: Blue moon, you saw me standing alone Without a dream in my heart Without a love of my own. Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for You heard me saying a pray'r for. Someone I really could care for.

And then there suddenly appeared before me The only one my arms will ever hold. I'm no longer alone.::::

The kiss remained deep and sensual for what seemed like hours.

Georgetown, 8pm

"Mommy, read that book again?" William was sitting up in his bed for the night, dressed in his flannelette pajamas.

"What book is that?" Scully knew but she had been mistaken before so let him speak.

"The one with the blue monster, Candy Man." After all he'd been through, thinking the worst about his parents' disappearance, he still wanted to be scared out of his wits with the same book. Scully just smirked and figuratively shook her head. That was children for you! Maybe they could tell the difference between reality and fantasy far more than adults believed.

"It's Daddy's turn to read to you tonight." In the closet Scully was putting away some of her son's freshly laundered clothes.

"No Mommy, I want you!" he whined. "Daddy adds things."

"Did I hear my name used in vain?" Mulder popped his head inside his son's bedroom door.

"What do you mean William? What does Daddy add?" As Scully passed her husband of a year she gave him a surreptitious look. She knew him pretty well by then. With all that Mulder had witnessed in his time with the X-Files she knew he wouldn't be satisfied reading just the written word, but also between the lines.

"But Billy boy," Mulder made his way over to sit on his son's bedside. "I'm just embellishing the story to make it better."

"Does he know that big word Mulder?" Scully packed away the small underwear in the top draw of the bureau.

"Dana dearest," Mulder looked over to his wife with a smirk and a head shake, then changed his mind about his approach and turned back to his son. "You know what embellished means?"

"Daddy, just read the words!" William reached over for the book that conveniently sat on the bedside table and gave it to his father. Sitting next to him on the bed William laid his head on Mulder's shoulder and looked at the pages as they turned.

"Okay, here goes." Mulder found the first page and relaxed back and began reading aloud. "It was a cold and windy Halloween night, a perfect night for trick or treating. It would be a night no child could ever forget. As the small groups of trick or treaters made their way to their neighbors' homes their minds were solely on filling their sacks full of candy. There were more than usual out that night even though the weather had been inclement that day leaving the roads glistening with dampness. The excitement and aroma of candy could almost be smelt in the air.

"Little did the children know but that night would be one in a million. From the recesses of shadow a blue glow appeared and then some watchful eyes. The Candy Man was back after a long hibernation and it liked candy even more than children."

As Mulder related the tale to an attentive son Scully smiled as she finished putting away his clothes. The last item was placed in the drawer of a cabinet just next to William's bedroom window.

Looking out through the glass pane feeling pleased that all had turned out for the best her expression began to change. A bluish reflection fell on her watchful face as in the distance she saw a faint blue glow.

"Mulder!" Without turning she needed his attention. "There was only 'one' Candy Man, right?"

The End