Author's Notes:  Who's to blame?  Nic is!  Nic is!  She's out of a computer this week and begged me to write her a story, so here it is.  I am warning you all now and LOUDLY:  This has NO REDEEMING VALUE WHATSOEVER.  Ahem. This conversation was inspired by, of course, Nicole and by the 2nd season X-Files episode "Sleepless" where Mulder and Scully talk after being separated…cute!

Thanks and Dedication:  To Don Bellisario, for reading Nic and Celia fic…you heard in our stories first, folks, that Harriet was pregnant and AJ was getting a girlfriend, whose name on the show starts with an S like his girlfriend in our stories.  Shameless plug:  look for our new story, "Full Circle" to hit you soon, heehee.

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The rain hit the windowpane in a steady beat, its hum gentle and calming, soothing instead of frightening.  The drops danced merrily against the clear glass, cooling its surface to the touch.  The rain had brought night with it, and it was difficult to see outside.  Not that you would want to see outside—there isn't much happening during a nighttime rainstorm.

Sarah Mackenzie looked out her window for a few minutes longer, her palm and forehead resting against the glass, eyes closed, breath fogging the window as she breathed.  She idly traced the outline of a heart in the little white spot and watched it evaporate and disappear back into the blackness of the night.

She turned and looked at the eerily quiet apartment, resting her hand against her chin, not quite sure what to do with herself.  For the past few months, she hadn't been alone on Friday or Saturday nights.  Remembering this with a smile, Mac walked over and sank down into the couch, propping her feet up on the table.  She fumbled in the couch cushions for the remote, having to get up and physically remove the cushions to find what she was looking for.  She triumphantly held up the remote once she found it buried between fifty-two cents and a couple of old Fritos before she remembered there was no one to celebrate her victory.  She quirked her mouth in annoyance and then sank back onto the couch, turning on the television and flipping through her eighty-five channels before jabbing the power button off in annoyance.

She got up and padded around her apartment, running her hand along the Formica countertop and her barstools before finding herself in front of the fridge, opening and closing both fridge and freezer before closing those in frustration.  She turned in her kitchen, hands on hips, when she finally gave up.

"For crying out loud, Sarah, he's only been gone three days!"  She admonished herself out loud, startling poor Jingo out of his nightly nap.  She leaned down and scratched him behind the ears before returning to the couch and flipping the TV on once more.

She actually got interested in watching the Food Network of all things—that Emeril guy sure is cute, she thought idly, when the phone rang, sending her sky high.  She looked at the phone in its cradle and then chuckling, she picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey."  A warm voice greeted her.

She smiled, muting the show and leaning back into her couch cushions, tucking her feet under her.  "Well, hi."

"How are you?"

Mac shrugged, even though she knew he couldn't see her.  "I’m okay.  How are you?"

"Hanging in there.  I can't really talk long, there's a lead I have to follow up on, but I just wanted to call and say hi and…" his warm tone trailed off and he lowered his voice to a whisper, sending a tiny shiver up and down her spine when he spoke again.  "I miss you."

Mac's face split into a wide grin and she propped her head up on her elbow.  "Well, I miss you, too."

He chuckled shortly and Mac simply sat, listening to him breathe over the hundreds of miles that separated them.  "How's the case going?"  She finally asked, and he sighed.

"As well as can be expected.  I do wish you were out here, though, I could really use your expertise…among other things."

Mac smiled and laughed a bit, returning her head to its previous position.  "How much longer are you going to be gone?"

"Two days, tops.  I'll make up an excuse to come home and see you if I have to."

"I'd love to hear what the Admiral has to say about that."  She paused, studying the molding on her ceiling.  "Actually, I'd love to hear what you'd say to explain why you're back before the investigation's finished."

"'Excuse me, Admiral, I couldn't focus my attentions at the case at hand because I was totally horny for the Colonel'."  He mimicked, sending both of them into peals of laughter.

She shook her head at him, a habit from knowing him as long as she had.  "You're terrible."

"You encourage me."

This sent her sitting straight up, mouth hanging open.  "I do not!"

If she shut her eyes, she believed she could feel his warm and throaty chuckle on her face.  "You do too, Mac.  You always have." He said quietly.

"Never."  She said vehemently, stretching across her couch and cradling the phone between her neck and ear, studying her nails.

"Never?"  He asked, and she could just imagine that little puppy dog face crossing his handsome features.

"Well, maybe once or twice, but those were just recently."

"Yes, as I recall, you do seem to enjoy my explorations when we're together."

Mac giggled again.  "Now, you stop that.  This isn't a secure line."

"I don't care."  He said flippantly, sending them back into a companionable silence.

"So I have to wait another two whole days until you come back?"  Mac finally asked, half of her cringing at the sixth-graderesque quality that had overtaken her voice, and the other half not really caring all that much.

"Sorry, little darlin', I'm a-doin' my best."  He said à la John Wayne and Mac smiled again.

"Thank God for cell phones, though, I suppose, right?"  She said, running her fingers along the edge of the sweatshirt she had confiscated from him.

"Definitely."  He said, and the line was silent except for their breathing.  She could hear him fiddling with the radio and asked, "Where are you?"

"Back at the hotel."

"So why are you calling me on your cell?"  She asked, confused.

"Well, because the cord on the hotel phone reaches about three inches and you know how I pace when I talk on the phone, and I figure a late night phone call on my cell looks less suspicious then one on my hotel phone."

Mac shrugged again.  "Good logic, I suppose."

"Thank you."  A pause.  "I wish you were here with me."

"I know.  But I suppose we had to learn about separation at some point, right?"

She heard a creak in the background and two simultaneous thuds and deducted he had settled himself on his bed and toed off his shoes.  She rolled on her side and snuggled around one of her pillows, imagining he was there with her, even if she couldn't form the words.

"The bed's so big and lonely without you."  He said in a very childlike voice.

Mac snorted.  "Spoiled, aren't we?"

"Yes.  And loving it."

Mac chuckled again and played with some stray thread along the edges of her throw pillows, not quite sure what to say next.

"Isn't it amazing how well we've slipped into these roles?"  He said, his voice turning from childlike to dreamy and far away.

"What roles are those?"  She asked just as quietly.

"These 'man on business trip', 'woman at home' roles.  It almost makes us seem normal."

"Hardly."  She scoffed.  "If there's one thing I've learned about you and about us is that we are far from normal."

She could feel his smile and she yawned, the lateness of the hour finally catching up with her.  "I should let you get some sleep."  He said quietly and she found herself nodding in spite of her deep desire to continue this conversation, to continue these deep ties she was reaffirming with him.

"Two days, right?"  She asked again quietly, and he answered just as quietly.

"Two days."  She heard rustling on his end and figured he was getting ready to turn in, just as she was.  "I love you."

"And I love you."  She replied, her voice stronger and emboldened by the declaration.  "Don’t get into too much trouble, now.  I don't want the Admiral to send me out to bail your ass out of the brig."

"Aw, come on, Mac, you know you can't resist those prison oranges on me."

She laughed again, warmth spreading through her entire body as she walked over to the window again, soothed by the rain and by his voice.  "I'll talk to you tomorrow."  He continued, his voice returning to the quieter tone.

"You bet you will."

"Bye."

"Goodbye."  She all but whispered, not wanting to end the call.

"Go to bed, Mac."  He admonished lightly, not hanging up his end either.

"Yes, sir."  She mock saluted and hung up the phone, caressing it lovingly as she would have done to him before they turned out the lights had he been home with her.

She replaced the phone in the cradle and locked up the apartment.  Moving into the bedroom, she saw evidence of his existence everywhere, especially on the floor—why were men such pigs?  She ignored the pile of dirty socks he had left yet again, figuring if they needed to be removed, Jingo would take care of that for her.  She quickly brushed her teeth and climbed into bed, catching a glimpse of herself in the US NAVY sweatshirt and grinning.

Harm probably hadn't even realized it was missing out of his carry-on yet.

As if on cue, the phone rang.

"Hi."  She answered, with a grin.

"Enjoying my sweatshirt?"

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The End
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