Life with My Girl, Reyes
Rescue Me: Chapter 2
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Rescue Me: Chapter 2


Louis B. Armstrong/New Orleans National Airport, New Orleans, LA
10:53 AM (CT):


Reyes sat back again the grey leather seat of the black sedan, shaking her head and trying to shake all of the rainwater out of her hair then glanced over to her boss. "So... What's the weather report?"

"Bad," "Another front coming in," "Ain't gonna be nice," all three agents responded, including her boss.

"Ugh," she groaned. No, it was not going to be nice out in the field tonight.

She then unlocked her briefcase and pulled out her holstered weapon, rose up for a moment, reattached the holster to the back of her belt, sliding the SIG-Sauer P226 down inside her pants along her butt, then eased back in against the seat, closing and relocking her briefcase.

ASAC Cunningham then handed her the latest report.

She opened the file folder then scanned through the impertinent information provided for the little girl.

________________________________________________________

Amata Elisa Garcia:
Female, age six
Wearing light blue denim jeans
Red and white striped short-sleeved pullover
Bright red nylon zip-up jacket
Navy socks
Navy and white Nike tennis shoes
14K gold chain with ¾" crucifix around her neck
Abducted: Thursday morning, October 26, from the Saint Bernard State Park
while playing with her grandmother


________________________________________________________


She then turned the page and studied the 8"x10" black-and-white photo. …Oh Christ… She was such a beautiful child; dark, smooth-toned skin, dark, mahogany eyes and dark, raven black hair, very petite, with the face of an angel. Her small nose and high cheekbones indicated some possible American Indian decent along with her Canary Islander background. "God, she's so pretty, so small, so… innocent," Reyes swallowed hard as a lump caught in her throat.

"Umhum. One of the Isleños."

"Figured. Lives off 46?"

"Umhum, off Florrisant, up towards Shell Beach."

The brunette nodded then pulled the latest report on the missing little boy out from the file folder, too. She then began to read the impertinent details on him, too.

______________________________________________________

Brandon Cody Chamberlain:
Male, age four
Wearing cargo-styled deep khaki cotton pants
Black pullover with Spiderman emblem on front left breast pocket
Olive green raincoat
Black and grey Spiderman ball-cap
White tube socks
White Adidas Tennis shoes
Abducted: Friday morning, October 27, from the Bayou Bienvenue Marina
while on a fishing excursion with cousin, father and older brother


______________________________________________________


"God, you know what's so weird?" Reyes said. "I just met this kid's uncle on the plane. He introduced himself, just as I was exiting. Is that not… weird?"

Cunningham nodded, "Another cute kid, too, but this one's a little boy, blonde, blue-eyed, prettiest blue eyes. Be five next month. And I don't see a pattern, seems random."

Reyes nodded then quickly glanced up to the top of the page to see his home address. "Hum. Metairie area. Yeah. They don't appear to be targeting the Isleños per se, but both abductions are in Saint Bernard. And near the water. They're wanting access to the swamps," she deducted glancing over to her boss for a moment.

"Umhum. Seems that way."

"Well? Should we be surprised?"

"No. I was just hoping to curb it before it reached this level."

"Well, tell that to that damn judge that keeps letting them out! Damn! And now these kids? Shit!" she groaned wiping her eyes with a palm.

"Well. We know who they are, we just don't know where."

"Right. But then we do. They're in the water, somewhere in the swamps along the tracks."

"Hope you're right."

"My gut. Water. Swamps. Possibly near the Isles."

"We can't send a team out on your gut!" he retorted.

"Gosh, I hope not. That would hurt," she teased rubbing her belly.

Cunningham smirked, then grinned, then chuckled as he glanced down towards the petite abdomen she was rubbing for a moment then up toward the swell of her breasts before finally making his way back up to her shining bright eyes smiling at him. Sometimes she could be such a flirt and didn't even seem to realize it.

"Well?" She became serious again. "Do you have a black-and-white on this kid? I need a visual to wrap my head around."

"Yeah, next page."

She glanced back down to the report then flipped the page. She studied the back-and-white photo for a couple of seconds. "Oh God, no. No way. God!" she gasped staggered.

"What?"

"I… I know this kid! I mean, I met him! I… But… Wait. That's impossible," she said shaking her head.

"What are you talking about?"

"I…" she hesitated as she quickly reread the information about the young boy, his family and where they resided. According to the document, he and his family did live in New Orleans, LA, not Washington, DC. But …God!... This little boy looked exactly like the little boy she had met in the Georgetown Mall last night just a few blocks down from Scully's apartment building. And the little boy from last night's chance meeting's name was Cody. What were the odds of that? She then studied his picture a little more closely. "Cunny? I know I met this child last night. At a mall. Unless he's got a twin brother, given up for adoption or something, I mean… God!" She studied the black-and-white photo yet again running her index finger down along the child's brow and cheek. "I… I know it's him," she whispered flabbergasted at the improbability.

Cunningham studied her obvious befuddlement for a few seconds. "Well, get this. His family did just fly in from DC last night. They'd been on vacation for a couple of days visiting family."

"What? Oh my God! Then it is him! Christ!" She could hardly believe it.

"Reyes? Are you sure?"

"Damn right I'm sure. I know it's him. His father is tall, 6'0", thin, well-built but thin. Dark, shaggy brown hair, cut just above the collar, neatly trimmed beard, mustache, hazel brown eyes, very nice, polite, somewhat shy. Mother's average, maybe 5'4", 5'5", petite, soft-build, curly blonde hair, medium length, cut just above her shoulders, blue-eyed, round pouty cheekbones and mouth. Cute, very pretty. Actually, Cody looks just like her, favors his mum."

Cunningham leaned back against the seat flabbergasted.

"Well? Am I right?" she asked.

He nodded in affirmation.

"God. What…? I can't believe..."

"What?"

"This case! God, Cunny? Between Elisa, and her Spanish roots, and me meeting Cody and his family last night, and then meeting his uncle on the plane just now? Geez! Is this case not vibed or what?" she said staggered with all the implications.

…Vibed? Ugh… Cunningham shook his head, annoyed with her consistent talk of certain cases being vibed or cosmic, or full of karmic, metaphysical energies. …Ohhh… She already had a rebel reputation due to her quirky and unconventional ideas, and this type of talk just added to the rumor mill.

"Ugh," He sighed. "Well. Take a look at this. See what you think," he said as he handed her the latest DD-5 from the local NOPD.

She took the document from his hand and began to scan the transcript of one of her partner's latest interrogations of a known teen gang leader that she had interrogated just last month, and had ultimately arrested, just for the judge and juvenile courts to let him back out on the street. "Bull shit," she said as she read through the transcript. "Bull… shit!" she emphasized again as she continued to read all the baloney. "Does he think we're frickin' morons? What a crock! I can't believe Pierce let him get by with that. Damn, Cunny!"

"I know. I'm just glad you’re here. It's been one hell of a mess, Reyes. And I'm not sure where the breakdown is, but I think with your help we'll get to the root."

She nodded, "Okay, well, we're headed for the marina now, right?"

"Nope. I want you to see the fuckup first."

Reyes cocked an eyebrow at her ASAC, surprised that he did not want her to go straight to the latest abduction site first. "Okay. But who's on site?"

"Brown's on it with the local PD."

"And you trust him to canvass?"

"No other choice."

Reyes sighed heavily. "There's always another choice, Cunningham."

The Assistant Special Agent in Charge just shook his head. Not in this town. He just did not have enough good, experienced agents to put out in the field since all of the downsizing of the late 1990's. And it had really hurt his New Orleans Field Office. Young Special Agent Jim Brown would potentially be a good agent, but he was just out of the Academy, still soaking wet behind the ears. Oh well. It was the best Cunningham could do for the moment.

The jet black sedan pulled up to the helicopter landing pad coming to a quick halt. Reyes glanced out the window at the chopper. "Um, Cunny? What about…?..." she nodded at her briefcase and overnight bag.

"You got 'em locked up?"

"Yeah."

"My office. Back closet."

She smiled. "Okay. Thanks."

"You bet," he winked.

She then took a long, deep breath before opening the door. The lightening, thunder, heavy winds and rain was relentless. She then opened the door and quickly jogged over to the waiting chopper.

Cunningham smiled. He really liked the tall, dark, raven-haired agent. She had some quirky ideas - thinking one's case could be more "vibed" than another on any given day - but, other than that, she was a damn good agent and damn good in the field. Things should begin to change in their favor, and especially for the two missing children's rescue, now that she was back in town.


Four hours later - Reagan National Airport – Alexandria, VA:
4:17 PM (ET):


"Dana?" Margaret Scully called out to her daughter.

"Mom? Hurry! We've still got several more gates to go, before…"

"Oh my goodness gracious, I know, dear, but…" Margaret puffed as she jogged down the corridor. She was getting much too old to be jogging down an airport corridor, especially pulling a small piece of luggage behind her on its much-too-tiny wheels. The crazy thing kept spinning and bobbling around causing her to almost lose her grip on the handle.

Scully suddenly slowed, giving her mother a chance to catch up to her. "Oh, Mom, I'm sorry, I… Here. Let me get it," she said as she quickly added her mother's small piece of luggage to her own and then resumed her hurried steps jogging down the corridor towards their designated gate.

Her mother quickly followed in behind. But now she was much better able to keep up with her daughter's long hurried steps.

John Doggett was already in the passenger's waiting area looking over his boarding pass when he suddenly glanced up. He nodded as Skinner came over to sit down beside him. "Afternoon, Sir."

"Good afternoon, John," Skinner smiled.

Doggett then glanced over his shoulder. "Oh! Excuse me for a minute, Sir, but there's Agent Scully, and her mom," he said as he quickly shoved his boarding pass into his breast pocket then hustled over to the panting little redhead and her mother.

"Agent Scully? For cryin' out loud! You don't need to be runnin' like that! Good grief!" he fussed as he quickly took the two pieces of luggage from her hands.

"Oh! Wow! I'm fine," she panted. "It's Mom I'm worried about," she said as she glanced back to her mother. But Margaret was holding her own jogging up the long corridor.

Doggett smiled. "You all right? Feelin' okay?"

"Hah. John? Please. If you start treating me like an invalid just because I'm prego I'm gonna scream. And believe me, you do not want to hear me scream, okay?" she grinned.

He chuckled.

"For Crissakes. Between you and Mon… Agent Reyes, I swear."

He chuckled again - the stumble over his best friend's first name had not gone unnoticed - then spoke to her just arriving, panting mother. "Mrs. Scully? John Doggett. Dana's co-worker."

"Oh… Whew… Oh my… Not used to that… Whew… Um… Nice to meet you," she said reaching out her hand.

He then shook her hand. "You all right, ma'am?"

"Oh… Yes… Fine... Whew…"

Scully smiled then reached over and placed her arm around her mother's waist giving her a tight squeeze. She had forgotten that Doggett and her mother had never actually met. But, they seemed to have gotten all of the proper formalities out of the way.

Skinner then walked up. "Scully. I was about to get concerned. You barely made it."

"Um, I know, my fault. I fell asleep, and Mom didn't realize the time, so… Whew…" the little redhead panted again.

He then nodded to the older woman, "Mrs. Scully."

"Agent Skinner."

Doggett then led the way to their seats. "You been seein' what's goin' on down there in the swamps?" he asked as he glanced back over his shoulder to the little redhead.

"No, I haven't, I… God! I fell asleep and, what's the latest?" she said beginning to feel somewhat guilty for getting a few hours of sleep in while her baby was so busy trying to find and rescue two missing children.

"Ain't good."

"What do you mean?"

"Well? Weather's a problem - big problem - Had a chopper go down, nobody hurt; found the van; found an old warehouse gang's been usin' for a holdin' area, all kinds of cult paraphernalia stored up in there; found a couple a cats, and a goat, eyes and tongues all gouged out; insides all tore up, throats cut, bodies all mutilated, poisoned, left for dead."

"Oh my."

"Yeah. Then our boys located another possible rescue site, squad went in, went down bad, all over the news, makin' us look like a bunch a damn knuckleheads; local PD's been roundin' up some of the local perps, interrogating 'em as we speak; Reyes is still out on the water, scanning the camps…"

"Scanning the camps? Out on the water?" Scully interrupted.

"Yeah. Via an airboat."

"An airboat? Did you talk to her?"

"Nope, saw her on the tube, local media tryin' to interview her, but…" he chuckled.

Scully cocked an eyebrow.

"Well… Let's just say, she wudden in the mood."

"Oh," Scully grinned.

Skinner grinned, too.

"Naw, them bad boys better watch out! If she ain't in the mood, then…" he suddenly hesitated then snorted - quite loudly.

All three agents then snorted together and began to laugh. The news media could be such a pain in the ass sometimes when a taskforce was trying so hard to actually do their jobs and save somebody else's ass.

"So… Anyway…" Scully said. "Scanning camps. What the hell does that mean?" she asked.

"Means she's out there on a boat… looking for… Crap! I dunno," Doggett shrugged.

Just then, the first announcements for boarding their plane bound for Raleigh began.

"Ohhh," Scully groaned as she looked to her mother. She and her mother had not even had a chance to sit down and catch their breath. But, at least they had made their flight. Her thoughts then trailed back to her lover, and the idea of her lover "not being in the mood". She quirked her lips then reached down inside her front pants pocket and stroked a smooth, light blue little touchstone. ...Hum, not in the mood, huh? Naah. You're always in the mood... Her heart tingled.

Two hours later – Green's Ditch Subdivison – Eastern Outskirts of New Orleans, LA:

Reyes jumped into the foot deep water at a full-out run from the slowing airboat, as her backup, two local NOPD uniforms, jumped in behind her. The captain of the airboat quickly idled the engine. She rounded the edge of the small grove of bushes then pulled her weapon on the fleeing young teen.

"Halt! Federal Agent!" she yelled to him. But he continued to run up the marsh trying to outrun the inevitable. "Halt! Stop there! ¡Alto ahí!" she yelled at him again to no avail as one of the uniforms suddenly fired off a warning shot over his head.

The fleeing young teen quickly glanced over his shoulder stumbling slightly from the rough, slippery terrain.

…Oh God, no… Her heart tightened inside her chest. She knew this kid, and he was not the one she had actually been looking for, his older brother, but this kid's knowledge would be just as beneficial in helping to find the missing children.

Suddenly, another warning shot rang out.

…No! God, no!... "¡Cese el fuego!" she ordered the overzealous uniform, ordering him to cease fire, as she increased her speed, re-holstering her own weapon, and then ran even faster through the rough, swampy, slippery terrain, yelling, "Kemen! Stop! ¡Alto ahí! Stop there! Don’t make me hurt you!" to the fleeing young teen then lunged into the air grabbing him by the shoulders and dropping them both down into the cold murky water.

The young teen, somewhat big for his age, sputtered, spattered, and coughed as she instantly grabbed him up out of the wetland then grabbed his wrist. "Drop it! Drop it, now!" she yelled at him again as he continued to struggle in her arms waving the still fully-closed switchblade around in the air. "Kemen! What the hell are you doing?! Drop it! ¡Suelto el arma! ¡Suéltela!" she yelled at him again as she quickly knocked him to his knees, knocking his feet out from under him, causing him to drop the knife and fall back down into the cold murky water.

The two local uniforms quickly came up beside them as they still struggled somewhat in the cold, murky marsh.

The one closest to them then grabbed the young teen up out of the water and out of Reyes' clutches. "Come here you sorry little piece of horseshit! Stand up! I coulda killed your sorry little ass! But looks like you got yourself a friend in this one!" he spat towards Reyes, angry that she had pulled rank on him and ordered him to stand down.

"Careful Lieutenant," she warned, piercing the local police lieutenant, Jerry Manning, right through to his very soul with a deep, cold stare for a few seconds, before turning back towards the panting young teen. "Kemen? ¡Mi Dios! What were you doing? You know I have to arrest you now, for attempted assault on a federal agent and trying to flee. I have no other choice. And all I wanted to do was talk to you. But now, look at the mess you're in."

The panting young teen just shrugged, trying his best to act nonchalant, as he glanced out towards the lagoon. But his eyes had begun to water. Actually, he liked Agent Reyes. And how many times had she detained him in the past to question him about his older brother's sadistic activities and whereabouts? He was a good kid, with terrible family influences surrounding him.

"Oh, Kemen. Lo síento," she groaned as she reached down into the cold, murky water and quickly found the closed switchblade. She then discreetly dropped it inside her jacket pocket. "You're under arrest for attempted flight of legal interrogation and assault on a federal agent. You have the right to remain silent and not answer any questions. Anything you do say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to…" she continued on.


FBI New Orleans Field Office - Observation Room 3
One hour later - 6:20 PM (CT):


Lt. Jerry Manning paced back and forth in front of the big, dark window peering into the Interrogation Room seething with anger as he watched the dark, raven-haired female federal bitch interrogate the young teen of thirteen, Kemen Tavares. He should be the one in there interrogating the little upstart – not her. "Damn bitch," he mumbled under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Special Agent Brian Pierce said amazed that this little upstart of a cop had the balls to mumble something so derogatory about his partner and fellow federal officer of the law in front of him - much less another female fellow federal officer of the law - and especially in their house. Was the man stupid or what?

Manning spun around to face him. "What? She's never gonna get anything out of him pussy-footin' him like that!"

"Give her time. She likes this kid."

"We don't have time! Or does anyone remember that?" he spat.

Pierce sighed. He had a point.

Inside Interrogation Room 3:

…Oh geez… Reyes sighed again as she leaned back in her chair, not getting any pertinent answers from the young teen, no matter how many ways she tactfully, gently tried to pry them out of him. "Mmm," she sighed wearily yet again. She was exhausted – hungry, thirsty, soaking wet and exhausted. She then made eye-contact with the young teen again. "By the way, your mom's on the way with some fresh, clean clothes for you, okay?"

The black-haired, dark-mahogany-eyed, chubby-cheeked, stocky young teen nodded then shivered a little bit. He was beginning to feel quite chilled indeed from his drenched clothes.

"Uh-oh," Reyes noticed the shiver, stood up, came around to the other side of the table where he was sitting, knelt down beside him, then pulled the ends of the emergency thermal blanket up and around him a little more snuggly. "There you go. Don't want you to get chilled now do we?"

He nodded again actually smiling a little bit then pasted that cool, tough and aloof expression back on his face.

Reyes chuckled at his behavior. It was quite typical for a young adolescent of his age, barely considered a teenager; for even though he was quite big for his age, he was still only thirteen. Moreover, she was not about to watch this young adolescent get chilled, not if she could help it. Her body was becoming very cold and chilled as well, from her own drenched clothes that had begun to dry out even as she continued to wear them. But that was beside the point. She could handle the cold, wet clothes. But this young teen, barely older than a child, could not. And she would not allow him to get cold, chilled and possibly even sick on her watch, not if she could help it.

She then glanced up at the wall clock for a few seconds calculating how much longer it would take before his mother arrived. She really could not interrogate him either, not legally, until his mother, or another adult available to sit in and represent him, arrived. After all, he was still a minor in a court of law. But, all she planned to do for now was question him about his older brother, Iván, his brother's possible whereabouts, and anything new that he might know about his brother's violent, sadistic gang that he was involved with.

"Ohhh," she sighed heavily yet again. They were running out of time for Alisa and Cody. But this kid was the best lead they had yet in finding the latest localities, private meeting places and secret hideaways of the sadistic, teenage cult gang terrorizing small animals, rabbits, squirrels, cats, dogs, goats and now two small children in the Southern New Orleans area.

She then reached down and moved the two photos of the two missing children back in front of him. "Kemen? Help me. Please."

He quickly looked away.

"Kemen? Look at me," she said reaching across the table and grabbing both sides of his face with her hands forcing him to look at her. "Sweetheart, look at me. You are not bad, okay? You are not! And neither is your brother! He's just… misguided right now. And no matter what your pappy thinks, or what your pappy says, you are not like him! You are not! Okay? Do you understand me? You are your own man, Kemen," she said peering into his dark-mahogany-brown eyes with her own.

He bit on his lower lip, wanting to believe her, needing to believe her, wanting to believe in her encouraging words, needing to believe in her encouraging words, and wanting to believe that she truly did believe in him, in spite of the constant verbal maltreatment and abuse he received from his grandfather.

"Kemen? Please… Help me... Help me help these kids, okay? We're running out of time and I need your help, so… Please… Help me, tell me what you know. Anything, okay?"

"I… can't," he whimpered, tearing up, then pulling away from her grip and getting up from the table.

"Oh Kemen," she sighed then leaned back in her chair for a moment as she glanced up towards the Observation Room window. "Hum. Want a coke? Sprite?" she asked changing the direction of the interrogation for a few minutes.

He just shrugged.

"Well. I think I do. I'll be back," she said then got up to leave the room.

**************

She then stepped out into the Observation Room to give the kid some time to reconsider his options, plus give herself some time to regroup herself. She was so hungry, thirsty and exhausted - not to mention cold and wet from her cold, wet clothes. And yet she was the lead agent on this manhunt. Somehow, she had to regroup and find the physical reserves stored up somewhere deep inside of her to continue this marathon, because, if truth be known, they had only started this long ordeal of finding the two missing children.

"Whatcha pussy-footin' him for?" Manning grumbled. "Never gonna get it out of him like that."

Reyes said nothing furrowing her brow then made eye-contact with the hardnosed cop starring a hole right through him.

He then began to shuffle around on his feet for a few seconds, those dark-chocolate-brown eyes of hers penetrating him all the way through to his very soul, just like they had out in the swampland about an hour and a half ago, tearing right through him like two razor sharp daggers.

She continued to watch him closely for a few seconds making him as nervous as a white-tailed pussycat caught in a swamp full of green-tailed alligators – hungry for a little pussy. "Manning is it?" she said finally breaking into the deafening silence.

He nodded.

"Do you mind getting me a caffeine free diet sprite and a caffeinated diet coke?" she said reaching into her pants pocket to get a little change.

He shrugged, "Where's a machine?"

"Down the hall, on the right," she said handing him the correct change.

He then nodded and left the room.

Pierce, her partner, then eased in next to her. "What's up?"

"Him."

"What do you mean?"

"Where's Cunny?"

"Still in his office, I think."

"Get him."

Pierce cocked an eyebrow then stepped towards the door.

"Oh. And get Kemen's brother's old file, too. Should be under Tavares, Iván Tavares, I'll need it before I go back in there."

Pierce nodded then left the room leaving her alone to observe the older boy still waiting inside the Interrogation Room.

She then stepped up closer to the window watching as the kid began to pace back and forth along the far wall of the small room. …He's afraid. But why? What are you so afraid of, Kemen, besides your older brother?... She wondered as she continued to watch him unsuccessfully hide his fear and trepidation while alone in the room.

Within moments, Manning was back with a diet sprite and coke.

"Thanks."

"Um," he grunted. "Let me in there on him. I'll get him to talk."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm but actually I need you to do something else for me. I need you to put together another squad within the hour, with say, four, maybe five boats on the ready. I'll have Cunningham call in the Team if needed."

"We don't need them! Shit!"

Reyes cocked an eyebrow. "You have a problem, working with the feds?"

"Hell yeah!"

She could almost laugh at his thoughtless outburst, especially since he was standing in their house at the moment. "Hum. Feeling is mutual. Now. Get me another fleet of boats gassed up and ready to go."

"Yes ma'am," he mocked her, glaring at her, then turned and stormed out of the room.

"Oh boy," she chuckled then popped the top on her diet coke. …What an asshole… Something was just not right about that guy.

Pierce and Cunningham then reentered the room.

"What'd you do to Manning?" Pierce teased.

"Manhandled him," Reyes chuckled.

"Oh. Ouch!"

"No. Not really, I just sent him on another errand. He was not happy."

Cunningham smiled then handed her the old Tavares file.

"Oh yeah, thanks," she said then instantly turned to go back into the Interrogation Room.

**************

"Here you go," she said handing the pacing young teen a diet sprite.

He quirked his lips for a moment then smiled.

She smiled in return noticing the sudden change in his attitude. "Come on. Come over here and sit down. I want you to look at something."

He hesitated then followed her back over to the table and chairs.

"Recognize this?" she said pulling out an old Xerox copy of his older brother's tattoo symbolizing his gang's graffiti.

He nodded.

"Umhum. Well, that same symbol was found where Cody and Elisa were taken," she paused allowing that little tidbit of information to sink in. "So what do you think about that?"

He shrugged saying nothing.

"Recognize this?" she asked as she pulled out another picture of an old shed used last month by his brother's gang for secret meetings.

He shrugged again saying nothing.

"Oh, Kemen, I think you do... Recognize these two people?" she said as she slid another picture out of the file – a picture of his younger sister standing next to his older brother - and placed it in front of him, too.

"Oh! Yeah," he grinned.

"Umhum. That's your little sister, with Iván."

"Yep," he quipped.

"Umhum. Recognize this person?" she said, taking a chance, as she slid the picture of the missing little girl, Amata Elisa Garcia, back over in front of him.

He frowned then dropped his gaze closing his eyes.

"Oh, I think you do. She goes to your church. And you know what? She's only six years old. Just like your sister."

Kemen's deep, dark-mahogany-brown eyes looked up.

"Umhum. Six years old. Just like Melosa."

His eyes began to water.

She was now about to take a very big chance indeed in her line of questioning, for after all, his mother had not yet arrived to sit in and represent him while he answered her questions. But they were running out of time to find the two missing children. "Kemen? Let me ask you something. What do you think Iván and his friends are planning to do to this little girl? Hum?"

He looked up at her again, fear and trepidation flooding his dark mahogany eyes. He then began to cry.

"Oh sweetheart," she responded to his tears reaching across the table and stroking his wet cheek. She really did not like stooping to such adverse tactics as this - using a form of guilt on such a young person as Kemen - but she also knew that it would work, getting him to identify his little sister with the missing little girl. "Kemen, I don't like having to do this, but I need your help. I need you to help me, trust me on this," she said again.

He sniffled a little bit then mumbled something incoherently to her.

"What?" she said as she quickly got up from the table and walked over to the other side kneeling down next to him.

He glanced up towards the big dark window for a moment. He knew there were others out there on the other side of that big dark window watching their every move.

Reyes glanced up towards the big dark window, too, following his gaze, then was taken completely by surprise when he suddenly wrapped his dark-skinned arms around her neck and began to spill everything he knew, whispering into her ear so that no one else could hear him.

**************

Ten minutes later Pierce knocked on the door then entered the small room. "Reyes, his mother is here."

"Oh good, send her in," she said rising up from her knees as the older woman then entered the small room carrying a change of clothes for her son.

"Kemen…"

"¡Mamá!" he replied wrapping his arms around his mother. "I tell her! I tell her everything!"

Reyes reached over and placed her hand on the older woman's shoulder. She had known and worked with this woman for almost two years now helping to deal with the troubles of her two sons.

The older woman nodded. She trusted this federal agent to be fair and do the right thing towards her two sons.

Reyes smiled. "Take him down the hall, get him out of these wet clothes."

"You best do the same," the older woman smiled then nodded as she led her son out of the interrogation room down the hallway and towards the men's restroom.

"Pierce, you might aught to…"

"Yeah, I'll go with him, make sure he's okay."

Cunningham then stepped into the room. "Well?"

"Well. We've got another promising lead on the kingpin and his right-hand."

"Really?"

"Yeah. How soon can we get another squad ready?"

"About an hour, hour and a half."

Reyes nodded.

"You need to get out of those wet clothes."

Reyes grinned then shrugged.

"I'm serious. Your overnight's still locked up inside my back closet."

She just smiled again then shrugged.

"Reyes. We don’t need you going down from hypothermia."

"I won't."

"Hell."

She just chuckled as she winked at him then left the room.

"Hum," he sighed shaking his head. She had such a stubborn streak at times, trying to prove that she was just as physically strong as the men were. But then, generally, she was. He liked strong, beautiful women.

Montlawn Memorial Funeral Home - Raleigh, North Carolina - Ten minutes later:

"Oh," Scully jumped, quickly glancing at her watch, 8:17, as she felt her cell-phone begin to vibrate against her hip. Visitation would soon be over - in thirteen minutes to be exact. …Thank God… She sighed wearily as she pulled her cell-phone from its home and answered, "Scully."

"Hey," that soft, soothing, and oh-so-wonderfully-familiar female voice of Reyes' purred into her ear.

"Hey!" Scully chirped. She could hardly hide her surprise as she glanced over to her mom, then to Byers, Frohike and Langley, then to Doggett who had looked up catching her eye. She smirked then quickly left the Visitation Room and headed for the lobby. "What are you doing?"

"Calling you, making good on a promise."

Scully chuckled. …And so you are, my sweet…

"So, how are you? How's visitation?"

"Mmm. Hard. And yet, not so bad, I guess. I'm just tired. Probably won't remember a thing tomorrow."

"Mmm, that's true. You're just going through the motions right now, moment by moment."

"Yeah. But I've been pleasantly surprised by the amount of people, friends that Mulder had here in the surrounding area, that took the time to stop by and pay their respects."

"Yeah? Well, that's good. I would think somewhat comforting."

"It is. Yes. Almost surreal, you know? People that I had never met, knew nothing about, and yet some of them took the time to tell me some really cute stories about him, when he was in grade school, junior high. It was so - oh, I don't know - comforting, I guess."

"Umhum, to know that so many cared about him, loved and respected him."

"Yeah. Even a couple of his old high school teachers came by. Is that not amazing? They saw the obituary in the paper and… Wow."

"Well, I think that's great, honey. So, how are you? Tell me how you're doing, really."

"I… I'm okay, I… I think I'm numb, hasn't hit me quite yet."

Reyes inhaled a deep breath so frustrated that she could not be there with Scully during this most difficult time. "Oh Dana, God, I wish I could be there, but…"

"I know. Just wasn't meant to be."

"Yeah. So, what time is the service tomorrow?"

"1:00. But we have to be here by 12:00 for the last viewing."

"Mmm." Reyes had not a clue as to what to say to that. The hurt and pain Scully must be going through.

"I… He looks good, considering."

"You've seen the body?"

"Umhum."

"But… Did you…?"

"Oh, I chose to have a closed casket for visitation tonight, but I plan to view it one last time before the service tomorrow."

"So, you're going to have them reopen it, for a last viewing?"

"Umhum, I think so."

"But, Dana? Isn't that…? Honey, it's going to be so hard on you. Are you sure?"

"I… Well… I think I want to see him one last time, just to help me come to terms with it, you know?"

"Okay. But, do me a favor? Have John, or your mom, or Skinner or someone there to…"

"Catch me when I fall?" the redhead finished her sentence for her.

"Oh, God… Yes."

"I will," Scully's eyes watered up. …But I'd give anything if it were you…

Reyes' own eyes had watered up on the other end of the line, too. She'd give anything if it were her as well. "Dana? I love you. And I don't know what else to say right now to help you get through this. I…"

"Just be there. Be there for me. When I need to call, talk to someone. Okay?"

"Okay. I can do that."

"I… Oh, Monica, I love you, too. Did you hear me earlier, before the darn phone cut out on us?"

The brunette chuckled. "Umhum, yes, I did. Music to my soul."

Scully grinned then glanced up at the entourage walking down the hallway towards her. …Oh crap… She could not say everything she needed to say to Reyes in front of all of them. "M… Moni? I…" …Oh crap!… She was beginning to hesitate and clam up, as was so typical for her, instead of being able to freely express what she so desperately needed to say. …Ohhh… It was so frustrating at times. "I um…"

"What, baby?" Reyes whispered hearing the frustration in her voice.

…Oh God… "I um… Hang on for a minute," she said as her mother and Skinner walked up next to her. She then lowered the phone to her chest. "I um, I'll be finished in a minute, okay? So, why don't you two go get the car and…"

"Okay," Skinner nodded then reached out his arm for her mother.

Margaret cocked an eyebrow. "You sure, dear? I can wait."

"Yeah. I'm sure. I just need to take this call. Business."

Margaret wrinkled her brow then took Skinner's arm. …Business my behind… she mused. Her daughter was not fooling her in the least with that comment. She knew that look.

The funeral director, Byers, Frohike and Langley then walked by nodding towards her.

She nodded back then quickly placed the phone back up to her ear. "You still there?"

"Yeah, still here."

"I'm sorry, I… Too many people around."

"It's okay, but, I've just got a few minutes before…"

"Oh, God, I forgot to even ask! How about you? How's it going? The case?"

"Mmm, it's going."

"That bad, huh?"

"Well, it could be better, but then it could be worse, so… Oh! By the way. You're never gonna believe this, but do you remember Cody? The little boy at the mall last night?"

"The little boy at the mall," Scully furrowed her brow.

"Yes! The curly little blonde! Cute as a button! The newest little man in my life?"

"Oh! Wait. You were talking to him just before I came up."

"Right! Yes! He was so friendly and out-going, wanted to play with Jacob's new Rescue Command Center."

"Yeah, I remember, why?"

"Well, it's him! It's him, Dana!"

"Who's him?"

"Cody! The little boy kidnapped this morning is Cody! Brandon C. Chamberlain is Cody!"

"What?! Monica? How?" Scully gasped in disbelief.

"Long story, tell you later, but, it's the same boy. And, it's killing me, Dana, it's just killing me, knowing that he and Elisa are somewhere out there, and I have yet to find them. It's ripping my guts out," Reyes groaned.

"Oh now, Moni, you've got to separate yourself from this. You know that."

"I know, but, God, Dana! I… There is such a powerful energy between these two kids and me."

"Energy? What do you mean?"

"It… The case! It's so frickin' vibed! The whole frickin' case is vibed!"

"Okay," Scully spoke calmly. She had no idea what her lover meant by that – the case being "so frickin' vibed" - or what to even say about it. "Well? Doggett said you'd been out in the field all day, detaining some of the gang members for questioning."

"Yeah. We've interrogated at least half of them today, if not more. And I just got a good lead on one of the ring leaders, too, a little while ago, so…"

"Well, good. Great. You'll find them, get them."

"Who? The perps or the kids?"

"Both," Scully encouraged.

"Oh gosh, I don't know, Dana. I'm just not sure."

"Why? What's making you question?"

"I just, I've got a bad feeling about Elisa. And I can't seem to shake it."

Scully nodded twisting her lower lip. …Must have something to do with those powerful energies and bad vibes… she mused. Reyes had had bad vibes – and had had a bad feeling - about the little girl since early this morning before she had even left and caught her flight back to New Orleans. "Well, what about the little boy, Cody? How do you feel about him? Anything… weird?" she said for lack of a better word.

Reyes grinned in spite of the churning inside her gut. Well at least Scully was acknowledging her "weirdness", her "weird feelings" and "weird, bad, mystical vibes" – as weird, bad, mystical and unexplainable as they may be - which was much better than most anyone else she had ever worked with or came in contact with, except for her Grams. "Um, well, he, I've got a good feeling about him, that we'll find him in time. But, Elisa. I just don't know, I…"

"Monica, no matter what happens, you can't blame yourself with this, okay? You're doing your best, doing your job, and that's all any of us can do."

"I know, I just…"

"Are you eating? When's the last time you ate, or had something to drink?"

…Uh-oh… Now how did Scully always know when to call her on that? "Well, I'm drinking a coke right now."

"A coke. Well, that's very nourishing. I'm proud of you," Scully smirked.

Reyes snorted then giggled.

"Oh, I love that."

"What?"

"That giggle."

Reyes giggled again. And not really for Scully's benefit as much as she just tended to do that - giggle - quite often actually. "I um, Dana. I'm not sure when I'll be able to call you tomorrow, but…"

"I know. You don't have to explain."

"I know, but..."

"No. It's okay. I understand."

"I know, but…"

"Monica? No. Whatever you do, don't you dare say goodbye to me tonight, okay?" Scully's eyes had watered up with tears.

…Oh Christ… Reyes swallowed hard then cleared her throat, for her own eyes had watered up, too. "Okay. I won't. Ever."

"Promise?" Scully said, swallowing hard, closing her eyes and sucking in a deep breath.

"Promise. Besides, it's not in my vocabulary."

Scully chuckled in spite of her tears.

"Really. It's not. What was that word again? Or was it two? I don't remember. English is so frickin' crazy. One word, two words, compound words, words with a hyphen in between. What the hell? How does anyone ever accurately communicate in English anyway?"

Scully began to laugh.

"Well? Don't you think it's bizarre? Spanish was never so crazy."

"I wouldn't know. I don't speak Spanish," Scully teased.

"You don't. Well, I'll just have to teach you then," Reyes teased back.

"Okay. Teach me."

"Now?"

"Sure," Scully teased again.

"Um, don't think so. I need to show you as I teach you."

"Oh," Scully's heart skipped a beat.

Reyes chuckled.

After a few moments…

"Dana?"

"Hum?"

"Tonight, when you lay down to go to sleep? I want you to remember how tightly I held you in my arms last night, okay? And I want you to remember how I kissed you, touched you, made love to you, okay? Feel me - feel my love - surrounding you tonight, okay? And remember, that you are always with me, always inside of me, always inside my heart, my soul, where ever I go, okay?"

"Oh," the little redhead lightly mumbled in response, her eyes overflowing with warm tears, as she leaned up against the nearest wall, face first, and leaned her forehead in against her forearm.

"Baby, you're not alone. I'm with you, even now. I just can't physically be with you right now, okay? But soon - very soon - I will be, okay? And then I'll wrap you up so tight in my arms you'll be begging me to let you go."

Scully chuckled through her sniffles. "Oh, I doubt that. I think I'll just get lost somewhere, inside of you."

Suddenly the funeral director coughed then cleared his throat.

Scully jumped having no idea that he was even standing close by, much less how long he had been standing there. She quickly glanced over to him mouthing, "You need me?"

He nodded affirmatively.

She nodded then raised a finger to him indicating that she would be with him in a few moments.

He smiled then walked away giving the sniffling little redhead her privacy as she finished her telephone conversation.

"Mon?"

"Hum?"

"I, um…"

"I know, time to go."

"Yeah."

"Okay. Talk to you soon?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"Okay."

A couple of seconds passed then the brunette barely moaned, almost inaudible.

"What?" the little redhead responded.

"Mm, I just gave you a kiss, inside my head."

The little redhead grinned. "Really? A goodnight kiss?"

"Umhum. A goodnight kiss, right on the lips."

Scully chuckled. "Mmm, think I felt it."

"Oh yeah?"

"Umhum. Mmm, love you."

"I love you."

"Goodnight."

"Night."

Scully then collapsed her cell-phone. "Mmm," she sighed regaining control of her emotions. Oh wow, how she wished that Reyes could be right there with her. But, phone calls were not so bad. She smiled, as she felt that warm familiar tingle radiating throughout her body.

*************

A minute later, Doggett stepped out from the men's room, glanced over at the little redhead talking to the funeral director, and then headed for the exit door. His cell-phone began to vibrate.

"Doggett," he answered.

"Hey big guy." It was Reyes.

"Hey. How you been doin'?"

"Been wet all day."

Doggett snorted then remembered that he was inside a funeral home. "Sounds like a personal problem to me," he teased.

"Yeah. And not the good kind of wet, either."

…Ohhh!... He was not even about to comment on that one. "You know, one a these days I'm gonna get you on sexual harassment."

"Oh now… John…" she teased so seductively. She knew he loved it. They had played this seductive little game for years with no real intent on ever making anything of real significance happen between them. "Actually, where's Dana?" she asked.

He glanced up. Scully was still talking with the funeral director about the final arrangements for tomorrow. "Busy. What's up?" he asked as he walked towards the exit doors and into the foyer.

"How do you think she's doing? Really?"

"I think she's holdin' up real good. Been keepin' my eye on her, but, she's all right."

"Good. Tomorrow will be tough. Tonight's just the beginning."

"I know."

"When they lower it down into…"

"I know."

"John? Make sure someone is there with her when they close the casket for the last time. That is going to be so…"

"They've already closed it."

"Well. She just told me that she wants a last viewing tomorrow of the body."

"What? Crap."

"I know. But she's got to do what she feels comfortable with."

"Yeah."

"John?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Sure."

"And John?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, big guy. You're the best."

Doggett smiled. "You ain't so bad either, sport. You keepin' warm, keepin' dry?"

"Actually, no, I'm on my way right now to get changed into some dry clothes."

"So you weren't kiddin'."

"About being wet? Nope."

He chuckled again. "Been seein' ya on the news all day."

"Oh. Splendid."

"Don't worry. You look good. Just wet."

Reyes giggled.

"But then you look good wet."

"When have you seen me wet?"

…Ohhh! Gawd!... How did their innocent conversations always seem to turn into such nice little chitchats of playful banter filled with sexual overtones? "Hum. In my dreams," he teased.

"Oh, just in your dreams? I'm hurt."

"Reyes?"

Yes?" she teased seductively yet again.

"Cut it out. I'm in a funeral home."

"Hah. No kidding. Duh?" she teased him again. "I've got to go anyway. Just wanted to call you, check in, and see what you thought, see how Dana's holding up."

"She's all right. And I'd tell ya if I didn't think so."

"I know."

"Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Don't know when, but, sometime tomorrow."

"All right. We're all goin' to get somethin' to eat, then on back to the motel."

"Good. My heart's with you guys, but, I've gotta find these kids."

"Any good leads?"

"Yes, actually. Gonna make good on it as soon as we get another team mobilized."

"Great. Be watchin' for ya on the tube then."

"Oh, geez, don't remind me… Well… Gotta go."

"Hang in there."

"You bet."

And with that, they hung up.

Doggett then collapsed his cell-phone just as Scully walked up.

"You ready?" she asked.

"Yeah. You?"

"Umhum."

"After you," he said as he opened the door for her then followed her out to the waiting car.


ASAC Cunningham's Office – FBI New Orleans Field Office - New Orleans, Louisiana
Twenty Minutes Later:


"Mmm," the tired and hungry brunette sighed, rolling her neck and shoulders around a bit, then popped a kink out of her back as she rummaged around through her overnight bag looking for her other pair of slacks. She had already gone to the ladies' room, semi-sponge bathed, changed into fresh, clean, dry underclothes, put lotion on most of those chaffing spots, where her bra and blue jeans had rubbed her skin raw, and had put on a fresh, clean t-shirt and pair of blue jeans. But now - as she thought about how the rest of the night might proceed - she had decided to change clothes again and don a pair of casual thin polyester slacks, not thick denim jeans that would rub and chaff her skin silly if they got wet.

She quickly pulled her jeans back off, folded them and then packed them back inside her overnight bag. …Well frig... She knew she had packed a pair of thin, black polyester pants somewhere inside of her overnight bag last week for her trip to Montana. Because she remembered thinking how silly that had been after the fact, given the terrain and weather conditions of the northern state in late October. She would have frozen her ass off if she had worn them. So, now …Shit!... Where were they? she wondered as she rummaged around in her overnight bag, leaned up against her boss' desk, with her cotton-t-shirt-covered back and cotton-panty-covered ass facing the door.

"Oh God," she sighed, stopping her search for a moment just to catch her breath. She was so tired. Several nights without any real, restful sleep was truly beginning to catch up to her.

"Reyes? You in… here?" Cunningham stammered as he entered his office to find one of his subordinates, female at that, half-dressed and half leaned up against his desk with her cute little cotton-covered butt giving him a nice, cheeky view.

"Sir!" Reyes jumped spinning around to reveal yet another, and much more enticing, view of her half-clothed state.

Cunningham cocked an eyebrow as he glanced down to just about every area of any real interest on her for a moment. …Gee, maneez… Everything on her was of real interest. "Oh! I um…" he sputtered and spattered glancing back up to meet her eyes. "I um… God! I'm sorry, I…" he quickly looked away and then turned all the way around to give her some privacy.

"No! I'm sorry! I… I didn't hear you, I…" She then snorted with a giggle beginning to cackle with uncontrolled laughter.

He then began to laugh, too. "Well, hell! Hurry up! And get dressed before somebody else comes in here and finds us and… Well, you know…"

Oh yes, did she ever know, given her history with a certain federal agent and one of her other superiors – her prior boss - by the name of Brad Follmer back in New York.

She continued to chuckle under her breath as she searched for her frickin' pants. "God! I swear! I know they're in here somewhere! I'm sorry. I should have moved to my own office and, well... I just…" she continued to rattle on as she searched for her pants. "Oh, thank God!" she finally gasped.

"Find them?"

"Yes!"

"Good, put 'em on."

"Yes sir. I'm sorry, sir. Guess you just caught me with my pants down," she teased.

He snorted. "Well don't go spreading it around."

"Nope. No way," she teased again as she quickly finished pulling her low-riding pants up over her hips then buttoned and zipped them up. "Okay, you can turn around now."

He turned around cocking an eyebrow yet again. …Gee maneez… He curled a lip in appreciation then shook his head. "Well um… Anyway… Here's some dinner, and some iced tea. Special order," he said holding a takeout sack and tall plastic cup of iced tea out in front of her.

"Special order?" she said wrinkling her brow.

"Yep. Agent Scully just called me, told me all about your little stay in the ER the other night, and how that you have not had any real sleep for several days - the case was so difficult up there - and how that you had not been eating like you should either, for the last several days, due to some type of stomach upset or something, so, she told me what to get and, well, here it is," he said holding the carryout bag even more enticingly out in front of her.

Reyes' eyes widened. "Well. Wow! What is it?"

"Grilled chicken salad, with a baked potato, butter and sour cream."

"A salad? And potato? With butter and sour cream?" Her eyes widened yet again.

"Yep."

"But I don't…"

"Hey. I just do as I'm told," he teased.

She then tentatively took the carryout bag and cup from him. "Okay, well. How much do I owe you?"

"You don't. Take it up with Scully."

"What?"

"Yeah. She took care of it. Now, just eat, drink and then get some sleep."

"What?... But… How?"

"How what?"

"How did she take care of it? Pay for it?"

"Plastic, I would guess. Called it in down at Dickie Brennan's. All I had to do was go pick it up. Said she knew what you'd want."

"Oh!... Well... Wow!" the tall brunette was astounded. And Scully had hit it right on, what she would have ordered for herself – except for the butter and sour cream.

"Now eat your dinner and then I want you to get some sleep."

"But…?"

"No arguments. I'm ordering you to sit this one out. Pierce and I can handle it. We'll bring them back to Headquarters, question them, then let you reassess the latest. I figure that'll give you a couple three hours to get some sleep. And…"

"No. No. No way. I'm not…"

"Agent Reyes? That's an order. I'm not willing to take a chance on you going down on me. Now, if just half of what Agent Scully told me is true, it's amazing you're still functioning."

"Hah," she huffed then glanced away.

"Look, you're not going to be any good to me, the Bureau, the kids, or anyone else on this case if you don't start pacing yourself. You've had one hell of a week! from what I understand. So the best thing you can do for the kids right now is get some sleep, while Pierce and I do the rest. You don't need to be out in the field anymore tonight. And, damn! Had I known, I'd have sent you home a couple of hours ago, instead of sending you out on that last raid."

"But, Sir?"

"No."

"Cunny?"

"Nope. Not gonna work with me. Now you want to sleep in here or in your office?"

"My office."

"Okay. Eat your dinner and then I better see you sound asleep inside your office. I give you thirty minutes. And then I'm checking on you."

"What?!" she huffed again. "I can't just drop off to sleep in thirty minutes!"

He playfully narrowed his eyes at her then pointed at her food then left her to her own devices.

"Hah," she huffed again, then sighed, then sat down behind his desk, pulled out the contents of the sack, and then began to eat her long overdue dinner.

Twenty Minutes Later:

She walked down the long hallway towards her own office. She had to admit she was tired, and had been very hungry, too. She had not eaten, but only a banana and bag of chips, since she had gotten off the plane. And that was not good, not good at all! She was so bad about that, not eating while on a case that involved searching for a missing person, until she would just about drop from lack of food, sleep and liquids. But Scully had taken care of that, and taken care of her, all the way from Raleigh, North Carolina. She smiled then glanced at her watch again. She really should not call her favorite little redhead again, this soon, or those around her really would begin to wonder about things. Oh, but she wanted to call her so bad, and tell her "thank you" for the scrumptiously delicious meal, the thirst-quenching iced tea, and especially for caring so much she had seen fit to call her boss and tell him about how her week had gone.

She soon entered her office, flipped on the overhead light, closed the office door behind her, walked over to her desk, flipped on the desk lamp, quickly skimmed over any pertinent new items that might have been placed on her desk while she had been out-of-town, saw nothing that required her immediate attention, then set her cup down on the desk, walked over to her filing cabinet, knelt down and then opened the bottom drawer. She pulled it all the way out on its hinges then pulled the tightly rolled sleeping-bag out from its hiding place, unzipped the carrying bag, pulled the bag out then spread it out on the floor just in front of her desk. She then found the camping pillow, stuffed way back inside the drawer, pulled it out, fluffed it up a little bit, then placed it at the head of the sleeping bag. She then closed the drawer, sighed exhausted, then lay down, not happy at all about this little arrangement. She did not want to go to sleep, not while two children were still missing and in grave danger from their perpetrators. But, Cunny - and Scully - had a point. She was beginning to have a hard time even focusing her thoughts from nothing but extreme exhaustion. A couple of hours off the case should not make that much of a difference. Cunny and Pierce could do everything that needed to be done while she caught up on a little sleep. He had said three, but she would make it just two hours as she set the alarm clock on her desk then glanced at her watch again. 8:23 PM, which meant it was 9:23 PM Scully's time. …God… It had only been a little over an hour since she had called her, but, still, she might not get another chance any time soon.

She quickly made the decision, then pulled out her cell-phone, hit the redial button, then waited for her lover to answer.

It rang six times, then…

"Yes?" a low, sultry female voice suddenly answered dragging out the greeting.

…Oh… Reyes cocked an eyebrow taken completely by surprise by the sultry sounding salutation. "Um, hi, I… Is this a bad time?"

Scully chuckled as she glanced around the dinner table to all of her onlookers then to Doggett. "No. Of course not." Doggett quickly took the cue then started another deep conversation with Scully's mother distracting her from Scully's telephone conversation.

"Well, I know I just called you a little while ago, but… thanks," the brunette said.

"For what?"

"Dinner."

"What are you talking about?"

Reyes' heart about stopped. "I… Well… Wow!"

Scully took another quick bite of her food as she held it together while her lover on the other end of the line began to twist, sputter and squirm.

"Well, uh…" Reyes sputtered again.

"I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?" the mischievous little redhead teased her again.

"I, um… well…" …God!... Had Cunny made a mistake? she wondered. He had said Agent Scully, hadn't he? Who else could it be?

"I'm sorry. I'm having trouble hearing you. Could you repeat that?" Scully teased her yet again as she held that calm, cool and aloof exterior for all of her onlookers then took another quick bite of her food. Luckily, everyone else at the table seemed to be quite interested in Doggett's latest choice of subject matter.

"Um, well. Cunny just brought me dinner and said that you had called him and told him about Montana and about Tuesday night and about me getting sick and not getting much sleep all week and that you thought that I needed to rest and eat and that I had not been eating properly because I had been so sick earlier in the week and that you thought I needed to eat and get some rest and… um…" she rambled pausing to take a quick breath.

"Yes? And?"

"…and, um, so… he ordered me to sit this one out, the next surveillance, and try to get some sleep and then he would come back in a couple of hours and check on me and… um… and..."

"Yes? And?" Scully teased her yet again thoroughly enjoying her lover's sweet ramblings.

"And so, I, um… Well… I just wanted to say thank you, for dinner, and for calling, and for caring, and… um…"

"And so what are you doing now?"

Reyes grinned finally realizing just how much Scully had been playing with her. "I, um, I'm in my office right now, lying on a sleeping bag, following my doctor's orders."

"Oh? And who's your doctor?"

"A gorgeous little redhead."

"Really? Do I know her?"

Reyes giggled.

"Oh gosh, there's that giggle again," the gorgeous little redhead said, nibbling on her lower lip for a moment to keep from smiling and blowing her cover.

"So what are you doing?" Reyes asked.

"Eating."

"Really? What?"

"A grilled chicken salad, with a baked potato, butter and sour cream."

"Get out."

"No. Really."

"Really?"

"Umhum."

"Ohhh… And Iced tea?"

"Umhum."

"Ohhh… Sweetened?"

"Umhum."

"Ohhh," Reyes' heart fluttered inside her chest.

Scully finally grinned. She just could not help herself. "So, are you going to take a nap, get some sleep?"

"Yeah, I'm going to try."

"Okay. You need to, you need it bad."

"I know."

"So did you like the salad? And potato?" Scully whispered to keep her mother, or any of the other prying ears surrounding her, from hearing her.

"What salad? I had a Quarter-pounder, with cheese, and fries."

"What?! You're serious." Scully's heart about stopped.

"Nope."

It took a few seconds for Reyes' answer to finally register. "Hah! You!" Scully huffed again getting everyone else at the table's attention with her second little playful huff. …Oops… She cocked an eyebrow then shrugged.

Reyes snorted then burst into laughter. She had gotten her back with a little bit of her own mischievousness. "No. I had a scrumptiously delicious grilled chicken salad, with an Idaho baked potato, loaded with butter, chives and sour cream, with a wonderfully delicious large cup of iced tea, sweetened. Okay, my dear? Sound better?"

"Umhum. Much better."

"Good. Wouldn't want to disappoint."

Scully quirked her lips again to keep from blowing her calm, cool, nonchalant exterior. …Oh God. You'll never disappoint…

"Well, guess I better go, try to get some sleep."

"Yes. Do. You need to, badly."

"I know. Well. Thank you, again."

"You're welcome."

"Okay. Well. Good night, for the second time tonight."

Scully grinned. "Talk to you later?"

"Umhum. Good night."

"Right," Scully said then flipped her cell-phone.

Reyes smiled as warm tingly sensations flooded her entire body even as tired as she was. She sighed then rolled over on her makeshift bed. …Ohhh… Scully was so amazing. So strong, beautiful, and amazing. So intelligent, beautiful, and amazing. So independent, beautiful, and amazing. So gorgeous, beautiful, and amazing. So sexy, beautiful, and amazing. And, oh, how had she been so lucky as to have had such a beautiful and amazing woman as that snatch her up and steel her heart away so completely? And what had happened to her desire and attraction for the male half of the population anyway? Forget men, now that Scully had entered her life. She chuckled at her newest, most amazing revelation about herself. She would have never dreamed that she was actually bisexual. And at this point, exclusively gay. ...Happily gay for Dr. Dana K. Scully… God!… She really did need to do a little research and find out what Scully's middle name was at some point. Here she was madly, passionately in-love with the woman and didn't even know her middle name. But then Scully didn't know hers either, she didn't think anyway. They had never discussed it.

Suddenly, fleeting visions of little Elisa invaded her thoughts. "Oh! God," she rolled back over and instantly sat up concentrating on clearing her mind from any distracting thoughts. Nothing. She concentrated more deeply clearing her mind yet again. She waited a few moments. Nothing. "Ugh!" she grunted in frustration. Clearing her mind was not the problem. Her extreme exhaustion was the problem. "Shit!" she fussed again. She did not have time to be tired. And neither did Cody or Elisa. "Ohhh," she groaned again then said a quick little prayer for Cody and Elisa, asking God to please take care of them, keep them safe, and free of any pain or torment from the ones that had kidnapped them, and especially to keep them alive long enough for her to find them, and for her Creator to please give her the strength, the determination and information she needed to save them, so they could live another day, another year, and hopefully an entire lifetime, with joy and happiness in their lives, and somehow help them overcome the trauma they had both already suffered through from just the abduction.

After a few moments of silent prayer, she finally settled back down, rolled back over, hugged her pillow, then, within seconds, was sound asleep. After all, she had not had any real sleep for over thirty-six hours. And then the night before, she had only had about four. And then the night before that, she had only had about four and a half; and then the night before that, she had not had any sleep at all as she had followed a UFO into a vacant field in rural Montana, chasing after those that had possibly abducted Mulder, then discovered two men in a pickup truck, trying to do something to a dead man left out in a field, then ran the license plates on the old pickup truck, then found a UFO Cult Compound, and then ultimately helped find Mulder. No wonder she was so exhausted.

Suddenly the door to her office quietly opened. Cunningham tiptoed in, quietly placed her cosmetics bag on her desk, then knelt down beside her for a moment, just to watch her sleep. He was so very thankful that she had finally settled down long enough for her body to do what came naturally – sleep – when it was so pushed to its limits. He reached over and barely brushed a loose lock of raven hair from her eyes. She never moved. He smiled. She was so beautiful. No wonder she was the talk of the boy's club. And he had heard the rumors about a possible affair with her former boss, AD Brad Follmer. But, he was just not that kind of man. For one thing, he was happily married. But he was by no means blind. And after talking to Scully on the phone a little while ago, he was quite intrigued with her, too. Again, he had heard the rumors about Scully and Mulder and a possible affair between them, too, if not a full-blown relationship. ...Oh… Mulder… How sad - and how bad for the Bureau to lose another good agent.

Reyes shifted slightly then groaned a little in her sleep. He smiled again, then stood up, dimmed the main lamp in the room, tiptoed over to the door, then gently closed it behind him.


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Hi! Glad you're still here. Moni's going to catch up on a little sleep. Why don't you go check out Chapter 3 and see what Dana's doing back in Raleigh? Plus, if you'd like you may send me some feedback here at MyGirlReyes to let me know what you think. THANKS!