Title: Cleansing the Soul (sequel to Whispers in Black & White) Author: Foxhunt2blue Summary: Sometimes the soul only needs the simplest of things to salvage it from the storm. Rating: R for adult situations Disclaimer: I have never owned them nor will I ever own them. Chris Carter and Fox are the owners of all things X. Keywords: DRR, Angst, Smut Authors Note: This was written for the very sweet Sallie who requested some gentle loving between Doggett and Reyes after reading my story "Whispers in Black & White". I hope this meets your requirements Sallie. Enjoy :-) From the moment their eyes met across the vastness of the balcony Monica knew without a doubt that she had finally come home. She could see it in the bottomless depths of his desperate eyes. Could his eyes have always been that beautiful shade of blue, she wondered? It had been such a hard road, getting back to the one thing that had kept her going all those lonely nights. Then again it had always been a long road for the two of them. She remembered in those few seconds the first time that she'd seen him. A distraught man sitting across a scarred wooden table in a dimly lit New York precinct. All those years ago she had looked into those same desperate blue eyes and known that their destinies would be forever woven together. As his legs collapsed beneath him, she found herself wondering if perhaps he felt the same way as she did. It was as if she had stepped from her body, only a spectator in this long awaited reunion. Her heart fluttered behind her rib cage as she fell to her knees in front of him. There was no need for words, even if they could have found the words to explain. The next moment as her breath caught in her throat, John moved in capturing her lips in a kiss as desperate as the look in his eyes. His fingers tangled in the soaked strands of her hair, pulling her as close as he could. The fluttering in her chest suddenly became a thundering drumbeat. Their bodies melting into each other, their clothes clinging between them like the unseen threads of Fate's loom. That precious taste was not enough, she thought. Drawing back John stood on unsteady legs, one hand extended in an offer that she had patiently waited for. So many years waiting for this one simple moment. As her fingers curled around his--she smiled. With a wild laugh, so rare for him, he swung her into his arms. Around them the storm continued, but nothing like the floodgates they were about to open. It seemed that time stood still. The raging storm was a protective bubble that kept them safe from the outside world, the world that soon would cease to be. Stepping through the door he lowered her gently to the floor, his eyes searching hers for the only answer they both needed. With a slight nod of her head she answered without ever saying a word. Her fingers curled beneath the hem of his soaked T-shirt, tugging it up, urging him to lift his arms. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as her eyes devoured the smooth hardness of his chest. She stepped closer to him as she dropped his shirt to the floor. A shiver running up her spine as she lifted her hands--palms resting against his chilled flesh. Blue eyes, deeper than any ocean could ever hope to be, studied her face. There was nothing, but joy in those eyes now--a joy that urged her to continue. Smiling even wider she lifted her own soaked shirt over her head, dropping it next to his. "John...," she whispered his name as she leaned into him. His only reply was to rest his head on her shoulder, his lips pressing hot kisses into her skin. A soft moan escaped her lips as he continued down to the curve of her collar bone. Each kiss was electric fire. Trembling she lifted her hands to weave her fingers in unfamiliar dark hair. It was strange seeing him with such wild, long hair, but even that didn't hide who he was from her eyes. His kisses continued to rain down her skin in a line from her throat to the shadow of cleavage. There was no pause in his pursuit of skin as he knelt at her feet--his lips continuing to the waist of her jeans. With a glance upward into her flushed face his fingers worked at the button, then the zipper of her jeans. She had no reservations about what was about to happen because they had both been alone for far to long. Circumstances had kept them from taking that final step all those long months ago, but now they both needed to feel again--to hope again. Sliding her jeans off she kicked them to the side along with her sandals, remembering what she had to live for again. She smiled into those beautiful eyes again, one hand reaching down to guide John to his feet. Tightening her grip she pulled him toward the bed. His expression flickered for a moment in doubt and she began to laugh. "Never doubt what the Fates weave John," she whispered softly. Moments later she had stripped him down, admiring the lean hardness of a man she had wanted for to many years. Reaching behind her back she released the clasp on her bra, peeling off the soaked material. "Monica," his voice pierced her soul. "I never knew." "What?" His eyes lowered for a moment. "How much I needed you." Reaching out she pulled him down onto the bed, another soft giggle rising from her throat. "I needed you too." John's eyes widened at her confession, then he did what any normal red-blooded man would--he kissed her. His beard scraped her face, but she didn't care. Their mouths mirrored the hunger in their hearts and all else was inconsequential. She would suffer anything to feel this man's hands on her body--she had suffered for this. Somehow they found themselves laid bare, their hands exploring each other in the most intimate way. Their connection was deeper than even she had suspected during their time together. She had been a child who had lost her birth parents. He was a parent who had lost his only child. They had both survived. Somehow she had been given parents that instilled a spiritual depth that had led her to him. His grief had sent him on a voyage of self-discovery that led him to her doorstep. Parting her thighs she drew him down, feeling the hardness that sought her body. She lifted her legs, wrapping them around his waist, guiding him to her aching body. With a gasp their mouths parted as their bodies joined in one swift movement. As he began to move inside her body, her back bowed, his mouth lowering to her breast. Moaning with need she began moving her hips in rhythm to his strokes--slow and sweet. There was no need to hurry. Her arms wrapped around his body, her nails digging into his back. Beneath her fingers she could feel the ripple of hard muscles, the silk of his skin, and she revelled in the beauty of it all. Each breath. Each movement. The way his lips moved against her aroused flesh, the heat of his breath, and the beating of her heart. It was perfect in every way. They lost themselves in the moment, forgetting the world and what it demanded of them. All there was, all there would be was this moment. His hand moved between them as he sought out her center--his thumb caressing her heat. "John...oh god...," she gasp. "So close...so close," his own gasp was lost in the damp skin of her throat. She could feel his body tensing--along with her own--as they began to ride the wave. There was something more here than their bodies finding pleasure. It was a cleansing. A way to renew their hope. Suddenly they both began to tremble, their hearts beating fast, their desperate breaths in unison. With a roar they both crashed back to earth. In each other's arms they had found what they thought lost. A strength to continue and a reason to fight. Pulling apart they spooned together in the darkness. John's breath warm and rough against the stickiness of her neck brought her back to reality. Softly sighing she rolled over her eyes meeting his. There was nothing that could stop them now, she thought. Two warriors who had found each other again. His fingers stroked her tangled hair back from her face, a smile spreading across his face. "What?" She whispered. His eyes filled with glistening tears as he leaned in placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I love you Monica." Her own eyes began to burn as she burrowed into his chest--lips caressing the spot just above his heart. "I know...me too." Sometimes, she thought, the soul only needs the simplest of things to salvage it from the storm. Tonight they had saved each other from that storm. "...me too...," she mumbled again. Sleep descended on them as outside the storm began to die, the clouds slowly parting. The End