“Déjà Vu”
by Andra Marie Mueller

Part 8

RABAT, MOROCCO

Stuckhold was in his study finishing a meeting with another member of the Syndicate when his majordomo entered the room.

“I apologize for the interruption, my lord, but you have a long distance telephone call,” he announced.

“Thank you, Rolf. I’ll take it in here.”

As Rolf left the room, Stuckhold excused himself from his associate and walked over to his desk to pick up the phone. “Stuckhold.”

“It’s me,” an American voice declared. “Senator Caldwell received a visit this morning from her daughter and Agent Doggett.”

“Surely they haven’t uncovered her part in Agent Doggett’s survival,” Stuckhold replied.

“I don’t know whether Elizabeth confessed to it or they figured it on their own, but they know. What they intend to do about it remains to be seen.”

“There isn’t much they can do about it. Technically speaking Elizabeth did nothing illegal; she wasn’t responsible for the explosion. Most likely Agent Doggett is grasping at straws in an attempt to find someone he can hold accountable for the death of his partner and the attempt on his life.”

“His position at the FBI will be reinstated by the end of the week. No doubt he and Agent Mulder intend to continue their quest for justice.”

“Let them spin their wheels,” Stuckhold responded. “Our tracks are well covered and they will not find any evidence to lead them to us.”

“What about the clinic in Paris?”

“It has been disposed of,” Stuckhold answered. “Unfortunately Doctor Laurent and some members of his staff have disappeared. Obviously they were forewarned about my intentions for the clinic.”

“If that’s true than we have a mole in the Syndicate.”

“An issue which I intend to rectify as soon as possible. In the meantime I think that Elizabeth Caldwell’s liability now outweighs her usefulness. I cannot risk her having another attack of conscience and revealing more information to Captain and Agent Doggett.”

“I agree but given her position you can’t take care of her as easily.”

“Don’t be so sure.”

******************************
FALLS CHURCH

Following the meeting with Elizabeth, the Doggetts had made the car ride home in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Although the revelation that Elizabeth had known his real fate thirteen months ago had not surprised him, Doggett was fairly certain that Jessica was not as accepting of it as she had led her mother to believe. After allowing her to brood in silence during the trip home, once they entered their house Doggett addressed his wife.

“So do you wanna tell me what’s goin’ through that beautiful head of yours, or would you like me to guess?” he asked drolly.

Jessica afforded him a sideways glance as she tossed her coat and purse onto the couch. “I’m just wondering why anything Elizabeth does surprises me anymore,” she answered. “Her excuse for all of her duplicity and half-truths is always that she was ‘trying to protect me’. Maybe I bought that while I was a child, but as a forty-four year old wife and mother it just doesn’t wash.”

“As much as I hate to side with her, she did have a point about not tellin’ you I was alive,” Doggett responded. “You and I both know that nothin’ on Earth would have prevented you from trackin’ me down and that would have left the kids without both parents.”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Had I known you were alive I would have found a way to get to you without leaving our children unprotected.”

“It’s water under the bridge now, Jess. Let it go.”

“I could say the same thing to you about your investigation into the explosion,” she countered. “Do you really think that you and Fox are going to find any evidence to prove who blew up the warehouse? Whatever else these people are, Sunshine, they aren’t stupid and they aren’t careless. Their tracks are well-covered.”
“I can’t let Monica’s death go unanswered,” Doggett protested. “She was a good friend and a good agent, and there was no reason she had to die that day. I won’t walk away from this.”

“I’m not asking you to,” Jessica returned. “But these people have proven themselves capable of murder several times over. If you and Fox can’t let this go – or at the very least find a way to pursue it without continuing to step on their toes - than one or both of you will die. I’ve lived through your death once, John; I couldn’t survive it a second time. And I don’t want to bury another brother.”

Doggett released a small sigh. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Jess. I can’t lie to you and say that nothin’s gonna happen to me or to Mulder. But I will promise that we’ll do what we can to avoid pissin’ these people off any more than we have to. And we’ll do our damnedest not to make ourselves targets.”

The lopsided declaration earned him a smile from Jessica. “I’ll take what I can get,” she said. “We’ve got a few hours before Kim and the Gunmen respectively return our children, so I am going to catch up on some of the sleep I missed last night.”

“Need me to tuck you in?”

“A tempting offer, but as I actually intend to sleep I’ll have to pass.”

“Can’t blame a guy for tryin’,” Doggett responded. “You enjoy your nap. I’m gonna fix myself a sandwich and see how much catchin’ up I can do on the files Mulder left me.”

“Good luck.”

Jessica headed up the stairs as Doggett wandered into the kitchen, quickly making his sandwich and retrieving a beer from the refrigerator before returning to the living room. Georgia cast a longing glance at his sandwich from her position in the doggie bed next to the couch, but a look from Doggett caused her to resume her nap. Settling on the couch, he began skimming through the files on the coffee table as he consumed his lunch. Nearly twenty minutes later, he set aside the paper he was reading and grabbed his plate and empty beer bottle before walking back into the kitchen. Tossing the bottle into the trash, he rinsed the plate and set it in the dishwasher just as Jessica wandered into the kitchen, dressed in a pair of dark purple silk mock men’s pajamas.

“Hey, sweetheart. Trouble sleepin’?”

“Actually I was just about to drift off when I realized there was something I forgot to do,” Jessica replied.

Before Doggett could ask her what she was referring to, Jessica closed the distance between them and slid her arms around his neck to pull him into a passionate kiss. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Doggett responded fully to the unexpected embrace, and a few minutes later Jessica pulled back to flash him a warm smile.

“I love you,” she said. “I realized as I was falling asleep that I haven’t actually told you that since you’ve been home.”

“I figured you’d get around to it eventually,” Doggett quipped.

She ignored the jibe. “I know I’ve been a little distant since your return, but I need you to know that I am happy and grateful to have you back. When I lost you last year, it was like a part of me died with you. But now that you’re home my heart and my soul are whole again.”

“The feelin’ is entirely mutual,” Doggett responded, and gave her a gentle kiss.

“And just to make it official…”

Reaching into the pocket of her pajama top, Jessica withdrew a platinum wedding band and slid it onto the fourth finger of Doggett’s left hand before returning her gaze to his.

“If your paperwork can wait, I’d like to reverse my earlier refusal and accept your offer to tuck me in.”

Doggett smiled. “The paperwork can definitely wait.”

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

SENATE BUILDING

In her office, Elizabeth was finalizing her notes for a Senate meeting the following morning when her private line rang. Frowning at the interruption, she reached over to pick up the receiver.

“Elizabeth Caldwell.”

“Good afternoon, Senator,” an unfamiliar voice greeted. “I trust your little reunion with your daughter and son-in-law this morning went well.”

“Who is this?” Elizabeth demanded.

“Who I am is not important. I have a message for you from Baron Stuckhold. He’s asked me to tell you that by saving Agent Doggett’s life you may have won the battle, but the Syndicate will win the war. And every war has its casualties.”

On that ominous note, the mystery caller severed the connection, and Elizabeth felt her stomach begin to knot over the warning.

“They’re going to kill Jessica after all,” she said aloud to herself.

She immediately picked up the phone and dialed the Doggett house, but the answering service came on after only a couple of rings so she hung up and tried calling both Jessica and John on their cell phones, to no avail. Muttering in frustration under her breath, Elizabeth got to her feet and retrieved her purse from one of her desk drawers before heading out of her office.

“Sydney, I have some urgent personal business I have to attend to,” she told her assistant. “I need you to contact Fox Mulder at FBI Headquarters and put him through to my car phone when you get him on the line. Tell him it’s an emergency regarding Jessica.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Sydney responded.

The Senator quickly strode out of the office and made her way to the parking garage. After unlocking her car, Elizabeth tossed her purse onto the passenger seat and started the car. Not even the few seconds needed to shift into reverse had transpired before the car exploded and instantly became engulfed in flames.

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

HOOVER BUILDING

Inside his office, Mulder was completing some notes for one of his current cases when the phone rang. After making a final notation, he reached over to pick up the receiver.

“Fox Mulder.”

“Agent Mulder, this is James Francis, Director of Security for the Senate Building.”

“What can I do for you, Mr. Francis?”

“I’m hoping you can get in touch with your sister, Captain Jessica Doggett,” Francis answered. “There’s been an incident involving Senator Caldwell and it’s imperative that we reach Captain Doggett as soon as possible.”

“What kind of ‘incident’ are we talking about?” Mulder queried.

“Senator Caldwell is dead,” Francis responded. “According to her personal assistant she left the office suddenly to deal with what she referred to as ‘personal business’ and had asked Ms. LeShay to contact you regarding some type of threat to your sister’s safety. However when the Senator started her car, it seems to have triggered an explosion and she was killed instantly.”

Mulder permitted himself a faint sigh. Whatever my issues were with Elizabeth, I wouldn’t have wished this even on her, he thought wearily. To Francis he said, “I’ll contact Jessica and tell her what’s happened. Afterwards I’m going to join your people at the Senate Building and do what I can to assist the investigation into Senator Caldwell’s death.”

“I’ll make sure you’re expected, Agent Mulder. Thank you.”

Mulder ended the call and quickly dialed Scully’s cell phone as he grabbed his jacket and headed out of his office.

“Dana Scully,” she answered on the second ring.

“Scully, it’s me. I need you to meet me at John and Jessica’s as soon as possible.”

“What’s going on?”

“Elizabeth Caldwell’s been murdered and I think my sister may be the next target.”

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

FALLS CHURCH

Doggett lay as still as possible, not wanting to awaken his wife sleeping soundly beside him. Between their turbulent lovemaking and the emotional roller coaster of the last twenty-four hours, Jessica was exhausted and Doggett wanted her to rest. He could feel the faint brush of her breath tickling his chest while she breathed, and the innocuous sensation brought a smile to his face.

I love you, he declared silently, not realizing until that moment just how much he had missed her. For a brief moment he felt a wave of complete peace wash over him, and he pressed a kiss to the top of Jessica’s head. She stirred at the contact, obviously not as deeply asleep as he had assumed, and a moment later her dark blue eyes fluttered open as she flashed him a sleepy smile.

“Hi.”

“Hi, yourself. Did I wake you?”

“Not really. You know me; I’ve never been much of a napper.”

“Maybe you’d sleep better if I went back downstairs for a little while,” Doggett offered.

Jessica shook her head. “I think a small part of me is still worried that if I do sleep, you’ll be gone again when I wake up,” she said. “Intellectually I know that’s not going to happen, but emotionally I’m still a little raw.”

“Well then I guess you’ll have to spend every wakin’ minute with me until you get used to havin’ me back,” Doggett responded lightly.

“That sounds like a grand plan,” Jessica replied, and they exchanged a brief kiss before she shifted her gaze to his surgical scars. She lifted one hand to gently trace the one under his jaw as she asked evenly, “Were you in a lot of pain?”

“Off and on. The doctors kept me pretty well medicated most of the time, but there were some days that I wanted ‘em to let me die rather than deal with the agony another minute. It wasn’t the burns themselves that hurt so bad, but once they started doin’ the skin grafts they had to wrap me in bandages soaked with this nasty lookin’ gel to keep the tissue hydrated and prevent infection. Every time they put those on it was like somebody was pourin’ acid on my back.”

“I can’t imagine how horrible that must have been for you.”

“I hadn’t been in that much pain since I got my side split open in Libya all those years ago and had to leave the Corps,” Doggett allowed. “But whatever they did worked, cuz here I am with no scars on my back and the ones on my face will fade in a couple weeks or so.”

“It’s a shame that the doctors chose to use their abilities for people like Stuckhold and the Syndicate instead of trying to incorporate it into mainstream medicine. I can’t begin to guess how many lives could be saved or improved with that kind of medical technology.”

“If Mulder and I can uncover these guys once and for all, than maybe we can do somethin’ to get the technology to the general public.”

The couple’s conversation was interrupted by the ring of the doorbell, which elicited a cacophony of barking from the dogs, and John and Jessica reluctantly slid out of bed.

“Whatever happened to trainin’ them not to sound off whenever we get company?” Doggett asked as he pulled on a pair of jeans and a Syracuse T-shirt

Donning her pajamas, Jessica gave him a sheepish smile. “I planned to, but after I thought you’d died last year, I kind of liked having them be overprotective. I convinced myself that it was you somehow channeling your spirit through them to watch over me and the kids. It sounds a little crazy, but it made me feel better.”

The captain’s casual remark made Doggett’s heart ache, and he wordlessly pulled her into his arms for a quick hug. “Then they can bark 24/7 all year long,” he declared.

The twosome left their bedroom and made their way downstairs to the living room, where Doggett restrained Spooky and Semper Fi, while Jessica ordered Georgia to stay put as she opened the door.

“Fox…Dana…come on in.”

Mulder and Scully walked into the house, and Jessica shut the door behind them as Mulder took in his sister and brother-in-law’s attire and flashed Jessica a faint smile.

“I’m sorry if we’re interrupting,” he began apologetically. “I’m assuming you haven’t had the TV or radio on within the last twenty minutes or so?”

Jessica shook her head and Doggett asked, “What’s goin’ on?”

Scully and Mulder exchanged a look before the former said, “I wish there were an easier way to tell you this, but unfortunately it won’t hurt any less no matter how I say it. Elizabeth has apparently been assassinated.”

Jessica blanched. “What?”

“I got a call from the Security Director over at the Senate Building who said that her car exploded with Elizabeth inside of it,” Mulder clarified. “According to the information he got from Elizabeth’s assistant Sydney, she was on her way to see you. Apparently she’d asked Sydney to call me and warn me about some threat to you, but I never got the call.”

“Any idea who or what the alleged threat was?” Doggett queried.

Mulder shook his head. “The Security Director didn’t know and I haven’t talked with Sydney yet.”

“I’ll bet my last dollar that the Syndicate is responsible,” Jessica surmised aloud. “Obviously Elizabeth was either not supposed to know about the threat or not supposed to tell me about it and they killed her.”

“Why now?” Scully asked of no one in particular. “Assuming that this is Stuckhold’s doing, why did he suddenly decide that Elizabeth needed to be eliminated? She’s been in league with the Syndicate from the beginning, and had all ready thwarted their plans by sending the mercenaries to get you out of Mexico and having John rescued from the warehouse explosion last year.”

“Don’t try to apply logic to anything the Syndicate does, Scully, or you’ll give yourself a migraine,” Mulder replied drolly.

Doggett placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” he asked gently.

“No, not really,” Jessica responded. “I need to get dressed and go over to the Senate Building.”

“Absolutely not,” Doggett countered emphatically. “Until we find out who or what Elizabeth was tryin’ to warn you about, you’re not goin’ into D.C. Between the warehouse explosion last year and now Elizabeth’s murder, it’s obviously ground zero for the Syndicate’s league of assassins.”

“These bastards killed my mother, John, and almost killed you. I’m not going to hide at home while they use the people I love for target practice.”

Jessica,” Scully interjected, and walked over to stand in front of her friend. “John’s right. Right now you need to keep a low profile while he and Mulder figure out who did this. If Elizabeth was killed trying to protect you, than you owe it to her to be as safe as possible until her killers are brought to justice.”

Jessica stole a glance at John before responding. “In an effort to pacify all of you and honor my mother’s sacrifice, I’ll stay here and out of the way,” she relented. “But you are all delusional if you think we’ll ever find out for certain who did this.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and retreated back upstairs. Doggett watched her go before addressing the others.

“I don’t know if she’s hurt so much as she’s pissed,” he remarked. “I’ll talk to her while I’m gettin’ dressed, but if I know Jess she’s not goin’ to sit on the sidelines very long. Sooner or later she’s gonna want to be part of the investigation.”

“If you want to keep her alive you’d better find a way to prevent that,” Mulder returned. “If Stuckhold is responsible for taking Elizabeth out, than the target on my sister’s back just got a whole lot bigger.”

Doggett met his brother-in-law’s gaze, and something Mulder saw in the other man’s eyes sent a shiver down his spine.

“If Stuckhold and the slime bags who work for him ever get within a hundred yards of my family again, I’ll make certain what’s left of them gets matchin’ body bags at the morgue,” he declared coolly.

On that ominous note, Doggett left Mulder and Scully in his living room and headed upstairs to join Jessica.

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



TBC