Disclaimer: All names, places, and characters contained herein are the property of Chris Carter and Ten Thirteen Productions. No profit is being made from the writing of this story; it was written for purely entertainment purposes.

Notes: An AU for the last scene in "Audrey Pauley".

x.X.x

He watches her enter her apartment building, the door swinging shut behind her, and he curses his indecision, his cowardice. He told Audrey that he just wanted Monica to know, and yet here he is, three days later with not a word said on the subject.

It was almost easier when he thought that the doctors were going to pull the plug on her. There's no chance of rejection if the object of your desires is essentially already dead.

He's scared, plain and simple, and he hates himself for it. He's scared of the repercussions if he acts and she doesn't feel the same way. Not only is she his partner at work, she's his best friend and he doesn't know what he'd do if he lost that, lost her, because of his feelings.

He does know he can't stand out here forever and that he has two courses of action he could take. He could choose to get into his truck and drive away and try to bury his feelings and pretend that she's only a friend. Or, he could walk through that door and up to Monica's apartment and let her know just exactly how he feels about her.

He doesn't even think about it. It's almost like his body knows what to do without communicating with his brain. He doesn't have a plan and that makes him nervous, but he knocks at her door anyway.

"John." She's surprised, but her smile is as beautiful as always. "I thought you were headed home."

He steps past her, his arm brushing hers as he enters the apartment. "I was, but then I realized that there was something I needed to take care of first." He turns to her and takes two steps forward until the distance between them almost disappears. He reaches out, cupping her face in his hands, moving slowly, giving her time to pull away. She only smiles wider and meets him halfway as he leans forward.

Her arms are around his neck and his hands slips from her face around to her back, pulling her even closer. Only when the need for oxygen becomes overwhelming does he pull back, leaning his forehead against hers, their arms still loosely around each other.

They're both a little breathless, but he can't help but laugh a little when she says, "It's about damn time, John. I was beginning to think that I was going to have to make the first move."

"I guess I was just scared," he admits grudgingly. He doesn't like to admit to any sort of weakness, let alone fear. "I didn't even admit it to myself until Audrey asked me about it. She saw right through me."

"What changed your mind?" she asks, her breath warm against his face.

"I almost lost you and you never would have known."

"But I did know," she says, tilting her head so she can meet his eye. "Audrey told me. She told me that my friend was with me and that he loved me very much. I knew it was you, John." She pulls him into a tight embrace, her arms around his neck, her head resting against his. "I knew it was you."

And, somehow, he is content. He will never know how Audrey communicated with the hospital patients, nor how she saw through him so quickly, but somehow, neither of those things bother him. They can't bother him, not now, not with Monica alive and in his arms.

x.X.x