"DISTANCE AUTHOR: Kathy EMAIL ADDRESS: SADanaMldr@aol.com ARCHIVE: Anywhere, please keep my name and address attached and let me know where. SPOILER WARNING: Minor reference to TRIANGLE RATING: PG-13 language CLASSIFICATION: MSR/ some Angst here too SUMMARY: Mulder's been transferred to the Dallas field office. Our favorite agents cope with being apart. DISCLAIMER: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully and Samantha Mulder belong to CHRIS CARTER, TEN THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS, and FOX TELEVISION... AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a response to a fan fic challenge... DISTANCE by Kathy Dana Scully was ready to kill! This moron had been testing her nerves all morning. "This guy seems like he's missin' one too many spokes on his 10 speed if you get my drift." Ronald Fogerly laughed heartily at his attempted humor and turned to see his new partner's reaction. "Oh come on Danes lighten up." Scully plastered a small smile on, "Can we get back to work please? And it's Agent Scully." "Fine." Scully turned to her computer screen. She noticed a new email and let out a happy sigh. Agent Fogerly eyed her suspiciously, then asked, "What are you smiling about?" "What? Oh nothing..." Being partnered for the last three weeks, Agent Fogerly was starting to get a little too comfortable with the relationship for Scully's tastes. She may have grumbled at Mulder's attentiveness, but that was welcomed, cherished at times. But this was just getting out of hand. He gave her another stupid look, then went back to his file. Quickly clicking onto the new message, Scully held her breath. Subj: Hey Date: 6/10/99 11:02:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time To: DScully@ldc.net_fbi.gov.us From: FMulder@ldc.net_fbi.gov.us S- Hey you! How's life in the wonderful world of the VCS? Givin' your new partner a hard time? Bet you're not. You were a good partner, Scully. A damn good one. Shit, sorry to get so sentimental. I just miss you that's all. It's hell being out here... I don't think Dallas, Texas and Fox Mulder make a very good combination. Except when it's free beer night at the Astrodome. Kidding... I know that's in Houston. So anyway, I just wanted to tell ya hey. So hey. M P.S. I think next time I'll email you at home. Agent Dibbs is getting a little too interested in what's on my computer screen. Scully quickly sent off her reply. She knew that it would be a much better idea to continue this correspondence from home, but she couldn't just leave the message there hanging. Besides it was the closest thing she had to talking to him right then. And that's all she wanted. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fox Mulder glanced over at the 5'9 annoyance of a partner he had been assigned to. The man was eating his sunflower seeds for Godssakes. He'd been bugging him for some all morning. Didn't this guy have a life? Oh right, no government agent has a life... So, he relented and gave him a handful. Then he turned to see her message. He sighed in relief. The smallest chance of contact with her he grasped whole heartedly. He clicked on the message. To: FMulder@ldc.net_fbi.gov.us From: DScully@ldc.net_fbi.gov.us Subj: Re: Hey Date: 6/10/99 10:21:46 AM Central Daylight Time M- Hey yourself. >Givin' your new partner a hard time? Bet you're not. I am trying so hard not to, but I am ready to rip this guy's hair out! >Agent Dibbs is getting a little to interested in what's on my computer screen. Your new partner watches your every move too, huh? And you know what's frightening? I think this guy actually likes me. If you know what I mean. Sorry, I have to cut this short. You know how it is. S P.S. I miss you, too. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Normally after a day like today Scully would head straight to the confines of her bathroom and draw herself a nice warm bath. But not today... it was straight to her computer. Subj: I'm home before you :)- Date: 6/10/99 7:28:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time From: Trst1DKS To: FoxxyRed I like your new screen name, Scully. Did I tell you that already? Anyway, I just got home. There is really nothing going on here. I'm itching to do some more research on anything we found last year, but I've come up zero. So, now I'm bored out of my mind. How am I supposed to work like this? I hope you get home soon. I'll send you one of those Instant Message doohikies... Ya know that's not a bad nickname for Frohike... Be sure to let him know I said so next time you see him. M Subj: Re: I'm home before you :)- Date: 6/10/99 6:59:11 PM Central Daylight Time To: Trst1DKS From: FoxxyRed Don't you ever work, Mulder? You know I had to change one of them to this, after you came up with that one about me. And yes you told me that already, Mulder. I know just how you feel. Some days I just feel like crying. Actually, today was one of them. I came so close, it's not even funny. Not only am I bored, but I'm lonely too. Well, as I can see you're not signed on right now. I'm glad we're both on AOL now. It makes it much easier. Anyway, I'm gonna take a quick bath and eat a little dinner. I'll sign back on around 9:30 my time. I hope you're on by then. S P.S. You can tell Frohike that one yourself. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9:36PM Eastern Daylight Hair washed, semi-dried, dressed in a soft fluffy robe, Dana Scully sighed. She really wasn't that hungry, she just wanted to talk to Mulder. So sat herself down once again in front of her saving grace, her IBM Aptiva. As soon as she signed on she heard a little chime and saw a message pop up onto her screen. Instant Message -Trst1DKS: What's up babe? -FoxxyRed: Babe? -Trst1DKS: What's the matter don't u wanna be my babe? -FoxxyRed: Actually no. -Trst1DKS: Aw, come on Scully... please. -FoxxyRed: Mulder are you pouting? -Trust1DKS: Just a little. -FoxxyRed: Mmhmm just what I thought. So what have you been up to this evening? -Trust1DKS: Waiting to talk to you. -FoxxyRed: Where were you when I signed on a couple of hours ago? -Trust1DKS: At the door paying the pizza guy. I tried to stay on but I couldn't find my wallet and the dumb thing booted me off for taking too long. -FoxxyRed: It's okay. I need the bath anyway. -Trust1DKS: Bath?? Too bad I missed it. :)~ -FoxxyRed: Aren't you tired of that same old joke, Mulder? -Trust1DKS: Never. -Trust1DKS: What did you eat for dinner? -FoxxyRed: Just a little pasta and a small salad. -Trust1DKS: Living dangerously, Scully. -FoxxyRed: Hold on a sec. -Trust1DKS: K Scully just saw that he'd replied to her earlier message. She clicked on to it to see what it said. Subj: Re: I'm home before you :)- Date: 6/10/99 8:04:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time From: Trst1DKS To: FoxxyRed Scully, I can't believed I missed you. I think it was like by two minutes! This stupid thing booted me off, while I was getting my dinner. Which consequently I was gnawing on while I started to read ur next email. I dropped it when I read this... Scully, I hope to God you're not sad. I couldn't bear it. A little irritation and exasperation I can handle. But if you're sad.... Oh God, Scully, please don't be... God knows I am without you near me everyday. I knew it would be hard, but I never dreamed it would hurt so much. And to hear that you're unhappy just tears me apart. Shit Scully... I'll stop my ramblings. I hope you don't think I'm crazy. Oops you already do. Smile, sweetheart be happy. Promise me. M Scully wiped at her face. Tears bathed her cheeks, and her heart was thumping wildly in her chest. She began to read the message a second time, when she heard the IM chime. Trst1DKS: Scully? FoxxyRed: I'm here, Mulder. Um... Trst1DKS: You read the email didn't you? FoxxyRed: Yeah and you're not crazy... Trst1DKS: Thank you. I was gonna unsend it. FoxxyRed: Why? Trst1DKS: I got somewhat emotional, there. But I meant every word of it. I want you to be happy. FoxxyRed: It's not that easy. I feel so alone. I truthfully don't remember ever being this lonely, Mulder. Trst1DKS: Oh, Scully. All Mulder wanted to do was hold her. Make all of her pain go away, but that was impossible. And oh so frustrating. "DAMN IT!!" he cried out, slamming his fist onto the desk. Trst1DKS: Scully, I'm taking a few days off. I'll be there in a few hours. No later than morning. FoxxyRed: No, Mulder. You can't, they'll know you're coming here. And besides tomorrow I have a meeting with Skinner and my joy of a partner. Trst1DKS: I don't care Scully. I need to see you. FoxxyRed: I know, Mulder, but we need to be professional about this. Trst1DKS: Fuck professional!! FoxxyRed: Mulder, as much as I want to see you, we cannot just hop on a plane anytime it suits our fancy. Trst1DKS: I haven't seen you in over 6 weeks. If I'd done that I'd been on a plane at least 4 times a day. FoxxyRed: That's sweet Mulder, but I think you're exaggerating. Scully sighed, Trst1DKS: If anything that's an understatement. She felt her heart clench upon reading those few simple words. Then she wanted to know something. Something that she's wondered a million times a day when they were together and, two million when the were apart. FoxxyRed: Why? Trst1DKS: What? FoxxyRed: Why do you want to be with me so much? "Because...Scully! Because I need you. I need to see your smile, to hear your voice, to smell your perfume... or whatever that is that makes you smell so damn good! I miss your face, your eyes, your hair..." FoxxyRed: Mulder? FoxxyRed: You there? He was frozen staring at her messages pop up one by one. FoxxyRed: I'm sorry. You don't have to answer, I was just just curious. He sat there for a few more moments head throbbing. Then he heard another chime. FoxxyRed: Uh, I'm sorry if I scared you, Mulder. Don't think I hold your silence against you. FoxxyRed: I think I'll go to bed now. "No!" He frantically typed in what his heart was screaming in his ears. Trst1DKS: I love you. Now it was Scully's turn to stare. There it was plain as day... he admitted that he loved her... in writing! She'd heard him say it to her before, so softly, so close. But he'd been drugged, she was sure he'd been hallucinating. Trst1DKS: Scully? You still there? FoxxyRed: As a friend? Trst1DKS: No. FoxxyRed: As what then? Trst1DKS: What do you think? FoxxyRed: No cop outs, tell me. Trst1DKS: Okay. I love you, like, yes like a friend. Dana's heart sank, and her face fell. After a moment she dared a glace to the screen. Trst1DKS: And like my hero. Trst1DKS: And like my angel. Trst1DKS: And like I would a lover, a wife, a soulmate. I love you so much I kiss your picture every night before I go to bed and I pray to a God that I don't believe in, but I believe in for you, that you're safe and that you're happy. Scully, I can't stand that you're unhappy. FoxxyRed: How can I be anything but happy after reading what you just wrote? That was beautiful. Trst1DKS: Really? FoxxyRed: Truly. Trst1DKS: Scully, I'm comin' back there tonight. I can't stand to be away from you for another minute. FoxxyRed: I'd like to see you try and get from Dallas to D.C. in less than a minute. Trst1DKS: Stranger things have happened. FoxxyRed: Yeah, well I wanna keep this as NORMAL as possible. Trst1DKS: With me? Surely you jest. FoxxyRed: I'll tell you what. Why don't we meet here tomorrow night? That way I can go to work, leave at a reasonable time, and we can spend the rest of the weekend together. Trst1DKS: Always the level headed one. FoxxyRed: Well, somebody's got to be around here. Trst1DKS: I'll see you tomorrow then. Get some sleep. FoxxyRed: I will. And, Mulder. Trst1DKS: Yeah? FoxxyRed: I love you too. We'll find a way. Trst1DKS: I know. I trust you, Scully. FoxxyRed: Good night, sweetheart. Trst1DKS: Night, love. THE END