"Reunion"
by Andra Marie Mueller
Part SevenSee part one for summary, author's notes & disclaimer
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GEORGETOWN
Elizabeth’s fundraiser was a private party being held in the townhouse of one of Washington’s most prominent attorneys and staunchest Democrats, Michael Kelly. He and his wife Nicole were close friends of Elizabeth’s, and Michael was her personal attorney. Nicole was hovering near the door talking with another guest when Jessica and John arrived, and she quickly excused herself to make her way over to greet them.
“Good evening, Jessica,” she greeted. “I heard about what happened to you last week and I’m so glad to see you’re up and about.”
“More or less,” Jessica responded wryly, gesturing with her crutches. “Unfortunately, I’m stuck with these for another three weeks.”
“Let me know if you need a physical therapist,” Nicole said. “I broke my ankle skiing last year and my rehab therapist was wonderful.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. You remember my ex-husband, John Doggett.”
“Of course,” Nicole responded. “You were at Scott’s funeral.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Doggett confirmed.
Just then Michael joined them and greeted Jessica with a warm hug. “Hello, Jessica,” he said. “Its good to see you.”
“Thanks, Michael.”
He glanced at John. “Agent Doggett,” he acknowledged. “Nice to see the Bureau let’s you boys off your leashes once in a while.”
“A pleasure to see you too, Mister Kelly,” Doggett responded dryly.
“You two know each other?” Jessica prompted.
“We’ve crossed paths on occasion,” Doggett allowed.
“Usually on opposite sides,” Michael added. “But I admire a man who has enough intestinal fortitude to stand up for what he believes in.”
“Thank you.”
Michael returned his attention to Jessica. “I understand you had a close call last week after you interrupted a burglar,” he remarked. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine, thank you. John’s been taking very good care of me.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“We should probably track down your mother and say hello,” Doggett interjected.
“Of course. Will you excuse us, Michael?”
As Nicole and Michael returned to their guests, Jessica glanced at Doggett as they made their own way through the crowd. “Why the sudden desire to see my mother?” she asked.
“The sooner we see her, the sooner you can relax and enjoy the evening,” Doggett answered. “You’re so tense about seein’ her you’ll shatter into pieces if you sneeze too hard.”
Jessica did not bother to deny it and instead gave him a look of mock annoyance. “Have I mentioned lately how irritating it is that you know me so well?”
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
After being stopped in the crowd by family friends, they discovered Elizabeth in the living room talking with her Chief of Staff Robert Connor and his wife Patricia. Taking a deep breath to maintain her composure, Jessica made her way over to them with John a step behind her.
“Good evening, all,” she greeted.
“Jessica, darling, how nice of you to put in an appearance,” Elizabeth responded, and embraced her in a brief hug.
“Don’t start, Mother,” the lieutenant whispered stiffly.
Elizabeth ignored the admonition as she shifted her attention to Doggett. “Good to see you again, John,” she said.
“Thank you for inviting me, Senator,” Doggett responded formally.
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” Connor interjected, and extended his hand. “I’m Robert Connor, and this is my wife Patricia.”
Doggett exchanged a handshake with both of them as he supplied his name. “John Doggett. Nice to meet you.”
“Doggett?” Connor echoed. “As in Jessica’s ex-husband?”
“Ex and future husband,” Jessica answered.
“You’re getting remarried?” Elizabeth queried. “That’s wonderful!”
“Congratulations to both of you,” Connor added.
“Thank you,” Doggett said.
“Have you set a date?” Patricia inquired.
“Not yet,” Jessica responded. “We’ve had a lot of professional issues to deal with lately and haven’t had the chance to make specific plans.”
“Well when you do I hope that this time I’ll hear about them from you and not the Post,” Elizabeth replied.
Not knowing or caring if the remark had been meant as a jest, the lieutenant shot her mother an icy glare. “Another comment like that one and you won’t hear about it all,” she said tightly. “I’m an adult, Mother, and not required to check in with you about every move I make.”
“Jess…” Doggett began, but she cut him off.
“Save it, John!” she snapped, and again addressed Elizabeth. “Out of respect for your friends and colleagues I’m not going to make a public scene, but I’m not going to play the part of the dutiful daughter anymore. I’ve discovered your little secret, Elizabeth; does the name Carl Spender ring a bell?”
The senator’s face instantly went white. “How much do you know?” she asked in a near whisper.
“I know enough to want you to stay the hell away from me until I’m ready to discuss it,” Jessica declared heatedly, and glanced over her shoulder at Doggett. “Let’s go.”
Without waiting for a response or excusing herself from the others, she pushed her way into the crowd and started toward the door.
“How did she find out about Spender?” Elizabeth asked of Doggett.
“I’m not at liberty to divulge that information, Senator,” Doggett evaded. “Excuse me.”
Keeping an eye on his fiancée’s hastily retreating form, Doggett pushed his way into the crowd after her, leaving a shocked and anxious Elizabeth alone with her friends.
“What was that all about?” Connor wondered aloud.
“Old ghosts,“ Elizabeth responded, and excusing herself, disappeared into the crowd. A moment later she encountered Alan Grant near the study and quickly pulled him inside.
“We have a problem,” she said, “Jessica and John were just here, and apparently they know about the adoption.”
Grant frowned. “How do you know?” he asked.
“Jessica said she had discovered my ‘little secret’ and mentioned the name Carl Spender to me,” Elizabeth revealed.
“I don’t suppose she mentioned how she uncovered the information?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Neither she nor John were willing to tell me.”
He sighed. “Somehow I’m not surprised,” he said. “But even if they have discovered Jessica is adopted, there isn’t a whole lot they can do with the information.”
“If it gets leaked to the public they won’t have to do anything; the media will crucify us.”
“Paranoia doesn’t become you, Elizabeth,” Grant chided. “I suggest you talk to your daughter and convince her not to air the family’s dirty laundry in public. There are other people besides us who would not be pleased should the truth of Jessica’s parentage be revealed.”
The senator gave him an even look. “Surely that isn’t a threat I hear in your voice,” she replied carefully.
“Just make sure your daughter and Doggett keep their mouths shut,” Grant retorted, and left the study.
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A light rain had begun to fall when Doggett caught up with Jessica a block away from the townhouse.
For a woman on crutches she moves pretty damn quickly, he thought wryly. Aloud he shouted, “Damnit, Jess, slow down!”
Jessica stopped at the sound of his voice and pivoting on her crutches, turned to face him. “I suppose you’re going to chastise me for letting my temper take over,” she said.
“I warned you when you got out of the hospital about allowin’ your anger to show when you’re dealin’ with your mother,” Doggett replied. “We still don’t know who orchestrated your abduction all those years ago, or why they’re apparently willin’ to murder anyone who uncovers the truth. I almost lost you last week; I’m not gonna go through that again.”
She sighed. “I’m sorry. You’re right; I shouldn’t have let myself react to her needling. But I’m just so furious with her for lying to me and when she went into mother superior mode, I just snapped.”
“At the risk of soundin’ like a broken record, sooner or later you’re gonna have to find a way to deal with her,” Doggett reminded her.
“I know, but obviously it’s not going to be tonight.”
He flashed her a sympathetic smile. “Well it is still early, and we never did get around to havin’ dinner.”
She smiled back. “You still buying?”
“I could be persuaded.”
Her smile widened and she slid her arms around his neck to pull him down for a lengthy kiss. “Was that sufficient motivation?”
“Kiss me again and I’ll throw in dessert.”
Jessica laughed before she did just that.
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FALLS CHURCH
Just over two hours later, the couple had finished dinner and returned home, and were now sequestered in the living room, cuddled under a blanket and propped against the couch as they drank hot chocolate in front of a roaring fire. John was in sweats and an NYPD t-shirt, while Jessica wore a satin robe the same shade of blue as her eyes. Her knee brace lay in the nearby loveseat, having been removed for comfort so she could sleep, and her crutches were propped against the chair. Outside the misty rain had evolved into a full-fledged thunderstorm, and the occasional clap of thunder broke the sound of the rain crashing against the house. It also caused Jessica to start involuntarily, as she had harbored a fear of thunderstorms since childhood.
At Jessica’s request, no mention had been made of recent events and instead she and John had engaged in general small talk, ranging from politics to sports to rookie horror stories from their early days on the force. The casual conversation and intimacy of their earlier dinner and current setting was serving to fuel the flame of desire between them, and they both knew that they would be lovers again before the night was over.
After getting up to add another log on the fire, John resumed his seat on the couch beside Jessica, noticing that a small smile creased her lovely face as she sipped at her cocoa.
“Penny for your thoughts,” he said.
“I was just remembering nights like this that we spent in our house in New York,” Jessica revealed.
“Although it was usually snow storms that kept us inside.”“Must be a grown-up thing,” John allowed, “cuz being outside when it was barely above freezin’ never seemed to bother Luke. As soon as you finished puttin’ on his clothes, he’d collect Trouble and bolt out the door.”
“I remember the afternoon he tried to make Trouble into a living ‘Snow Dog’. It was the first time I’d ever seen a blue Mastiff.”
“I still remember the look on the vet’s face when we explained how Trouble’d gotten hypothermia in the first place,” John responded. “Poor woman didn’t know whether to laugh at Luke’s ingenuity or scold him for puttin’ Trouble at risk.”
“I hope they’re together now,” Jessica replied softly.
“Are you kiddin’?” John asked rhetorically. “They’re probably wreakin’ as much havoc in Heaven with the angels as they did here when they were still livin. I guarantee Scott and my folks have their hands full keepin’ them in line.”
The lieutenant tilted her head back and flashed him a warm smile. “All this talk of angels and heaven makes you sound like your father,” she remarked.
He shrugged. “Once a preacher’s son, always a preacher’s son.”
“Jeremiah Doggett was a good man,” Jessica said. “And Rose was one of the kindest women I’ve ever known. You and Emily have every reason to be proud to be their children. I, on the other hand, seem to have been granted parents who lie as easily as they draw breath and aren’t above hurting their children to get what they want.”
“Would you be talkin’ about the Mulders or the Caldwells?”
“Take your pick.” She paused long enough to stand up and limp into the kitchen, and John rose as well to follow her. “Fox has painted a rather grim portrait of his parents, and you know first hand what Elizabeth and Edward were apparently capable of. If I had known twelve years ago what I do now, I may not have risked repeating history by having Luke.”
John gently but firmly cupped her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. “You were a wonderful mother, Jess; there isn’t a boy on the planet who received more love than what you gave Luke.”
“He was easy to love,” Jessica responded, and downed the last sip of her cocoa. “Well I don’t know about you, but I think we can find a more productive way to pass the rest of the evening than just talking. I believe there’s the small matter of an open invitation you have yet to accept?”
John smiled. “Is that you’re way of sayin’ its time I should collect?”
She smiled back. “Absolutely, Sunshine.”
Confiscating her cup, John leaned over to place it on the counter before he bent over to slide an arm behind her knees and picked her up to carry her back into the living room. Setting her on her feet in front of the couch, he quickly divested her of her robe and shed his own clothing before taking a moment to admire the woman before him.
“You are exquisite, Jess...”
Except for the surgical scars adorning her left shoulder and knee, her fair skin bore no blemishes, and was as soft as the silk of her robe. Her arms and legs were taut with sculpted muscle, a testament to her fondness for physical activity, and her firm stomach was slightly concave. Bending down, he briefly placed his cheek against her abdomen and placed a light kiss over her navel. The reverence of the gesture was not lost on Jessica, as it was clearly meant to pay homage to their lost children, and her eyes welled with tears as she choked back a sob.
“I love you,” she said shakily.
Rising to his feet, John gave her a brief kiss before murmuring “I love you” and shifting his attention to her breasts, closing his mouth over her nearest nipple as he lowered her to the floor. She groaned aloud as he began to suckle, lavishing the rosy peak with his tongue as he teased the other with his hand. A moment later his mouth released her breast and he trailed a series of kisses down her stomach before shifting position to rain another series of feather light kisses down the length of each leg. Reaching her feet, he massaged each one in turn, then gave every toe a gentle tug with his teeth before kissing his way up her leg. As Jessica squirmed with need beneath him, he at last arrived at the curls above her core and shifted to cover her with his mouth. At the first flick of his tongue, she released a throaty moan and arched against him, burying her hands in his hair.
“Sweet Jesus…John…”
John continued his assault on her most sensitive spot, lavishing her with his tongue as he slid a pair of fingers deep into her sheath, finding her warm and wet. Jessica whimpered with desire as he continued to drive her toward her climax, and a final flick of his tongue sent her over the edge. Her contractions had yet to subside when she felt his erection prodding at her core, and she lifted her hips as he slid inside of her.
“Welcome home,” Jessica whispered.
Her benediction and the feel of her contracting against him nearly produced his climax right there, and John remained still for a moment to regain control. Eventually he began to move, feeling Jessica match him thrust for thrust, and he claimed her mouth in a searing kiss as their bodies moved in perfect harmony. They climaxed simultaneously, both crying out in sweet release, and they collapsed together on top of the sheets. He reluctantly withdrew from her and reached for the blanket on the end of the couch, pulling it down with him to cover them. Jessica curled against his side, her head resting on his chest as John lightly ran his hand up and down her spine. Exhausted and emotionally overwhelmed by their combined responses, they drifted off to sleep entwined in each other’s arms.
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Always an early riser due to his years in the military, John was the first to awaken the following morning, overwhelmed with a sense of peace that he had not experienced in over five years. After a second lovemaking session in front of the fire, the couple had managed to make it to the bedroom, only to start their loving all over again. Outside the rain was still pouring down, beating on the roof and sides of their house in rhythm with the blowing wind. Jessica had turned toward him in her sleep, and lay with her head nestled into his neck, her legs entwined with his. A particularly loud clap of thunder sounded then, causing her to flinch in her sleep, and John pressed a gentle kiss against her temple.
I love you, he declared silently.
As if sensing his thoughts, Jessica began to stir, and after a moment he felt her sigh against his chest before she opened her eyes and found him watching her.
“Good morning Sunshine,” she greeted, her voice husky with the last vestiges of sleep.
“Good mornin’ yourself,” John echoed softly.
“Thank you for last night,” Jessica said.
“You’re very welcome,” John responded. “How are you feelin’?”
“Like I’ve found a part of myself that was missing for five years.”
“I assure you it’s entirely mutual.”
They exchanged a light kiss before she settled back against his chest. “What time is it?”
He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “Almost six a.m.”
She groaned at that. “I’d forgotten what inhumane hours you keep,” she grumbled.
John smiled. “I was going to suggest that we get dressed and grab some breakfast before we go to work, but its still rainin’ cats and dogs out there,” he said.
Jessica smiled back. “In that case why don’t we stay inside and make love, and then I’ll make us break fast before we go to work?” she suggested innocently.
“I think that’s a much better idea.”
Her chuckle was smothered in his kiss.
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FBI HEADQUARTERS
Reyes was alone in the office when Doggett arrived, and she flashed him a reserved smile when she saw him walk in.
“Good morning, John,” she greeted coolly.
“Mornin’, Monica.”
“I understand congratulations are in order,” Reyes replied.
Doggett frowned. “Congratulations?” he echoed in confusion.
Glancing down at the paper on her desk, she read aloud from the page in front of her. “Although still recovering from the loss of her son Scott in a car crash two weeks ago, Senator Elizabeth Caldwell has announced that the family will soon have reason to celebrate. At the senator’s fundraiser last night for her upcoming campaign, her Chief of Staff Michael Kelly confirmed that Caldwell’s daughter, Alexandria police lieutenant Jessica Doggett, informed her mother of her impending remarriage to former husband John Doggett, an agent for the FBI. While no date or location have been set, sources close to the senator say that the ceremony will likely take place some time early next year.”
Doggett sighed. “I hope to God Jess hasn’t seen that,” he muttered.
“Is it true?” Reyes asked.
He met her gaze. “The part about me and Jess gettin’ remarried is, yes,” he confirmed.
She nodded. “Well, as I said, congratulations.”
“I never meant for you to find out this way, Monica. I didn’t say anything at first because I wasn’t sure there was anythin’ to say. And once there was, with everythin’ else that’s going on I haven’t had a chance to tell you myself.”
Reyes waved off his concern. “You don’t owe me an explanation, John,” she demurred. “You’ve made it clear from the day we met where - or rather with whom - your heart liess. If I held onto the hope that someday that would change, I have no one to blame but myself.”
“I’m sorry,” Doggett said simply.
“Don’t be,” Reyes responded, and quickly changed the subject. “I got a copy of Lupen’s cell phone bill faxed over from his service provider, and it lists all the calls he’s made since mid-November. I put it on your desk.”
Doggett walked over and picked the bill up off his desk, then quickly scanned it, and a moment later said, “Bingo.”
“You found something?” Reyes prompted.
Doggett gave her a sideways glance. “The night Jess was shot, Lupen made a call to my home number at the same time I got the anonymous call about somethin’ happenin’ to her,” he revealed. “And I damn sure didn’t talk to him that night.”
“So you think he’s connected to whoever tried to kill Jessica,” Reyes surmised.
“Given that he made a comment at the police station the other day that was almost the exact same one that was in the first anonymous note Jess received, I’m pretty sure he not only knows who tried to kill her, but also who did kill Scott.”
Doggett reached over to pick up the phone and quickly dialed Jessica’s private line, but her voice mail picked up and he was forced to leave a message. “Jess, its me. Monica and I are on our way over there with somethin’ you need to see. When you get this message, stay put until we get to the station.”
Hanging up the phone, he turned to face Reyes. “To avoid any claims of prejudicial treatment or a conflict of interest, I’m gonna need you to actually be the one to interrogate Lupen.”
“Of course.”
Reyes rose to her feet and exited the office a step behind Doggett.
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On to Part Eight
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