From: FirePhile@aol.com
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 22:06:15 EST
Subject: New: Road Buddy (1/1) by FirePhile


Title: Road Buddy
Author: FirePhile (FirePhile@aol.com)
Classification: V
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Rain King
Keywords: M/S UST
Summary: Mulder and Scully talk while driving.
Archive: Freely
Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, they belong to
someone else, I'm just borrowing them for a few minutes.

Author's notes at end.

Kansas Highway
8:39 PM

The Kansas landscape stretched out for miles in front of the
rental car.  Wheels spinning against concrete acted as a
lullaby and the yellow road lines were becoming hypnotic. 
Scully stifled a yawn and forced herself to concentrate on
the map in her lap.  

"Do you have any idea where we are?"  Mulder asked after
a moment, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel.

"Only you could get us lost in Kansas."  She traced a road
line with her finger and looked up. "I can't tell."

"You can't tell?"

"There are no landmarks, no highway markers...I have no
idea where we are."

"Perhaps a rainbow will appear to show us the way." He
flipped on the radio, scanned for a few moments and then
flipped it off. 

"I'd hardly call Speed, Kansas a pot of gold."

"Wrong story,"

"Oh, look, I think we're on a yellow brick road," she replied
sarcastically and stared out the window.  She couldn't help
it. A turbulent plane ride always put her in a bad mood. 
Well, it was more than just that.  It was also all the pointless
cases they kept investigating...when they weren't
interviewing Jerry Garcia look alikes for jobs.  

Speed, Kansas was suspected of being the headquarters of a
right-wing militia group.  Mulder and Scully were being sent
to look at the town and see if any of the claims the FBI
received were true.

Yet another fun assignment.

They sat in silence for several minutes and then a drop of
water appeared on the windshield -- followed by another. 
Pretty soon, the sound of rain could be heard over the
squeal of the windshield wipers.

"Remember the last time we were in Kansas?"

It earned him a look, "Don't remind me.  You're lucky your
nickname didn't change from Spooky to Cupid."  She
winced slightly as she remembered some agents muttering
the song "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" for weeks afterwards
when she walked down the hall.

"A regular Dr. Ruth," he smirked.

"More like 'Dear Abby' gone horribly wrong."

"Are you implying that I can't give romantic advice Agent
Scully?"

She hid a smile. "No, I'm saying you can't give romantic
advice."

"Then I guess it was a good thing I turned down the offer to
write a 'Miss Lovelorn' column."

This time she had to quirk a smile at the mental image of
Mulder answering letters about love or giving advice to
heartsick adolescents.  He smiled in return, a rare
occurrence and one that filled her with warmth.

"I don't think you would have lasted very long anyway. 
Somehow I doubt telling people that movies and magazines
are the way to go would have earned you many readers." 
She'd missed it, the easy bantering, the pseudosexual
remarks.  It was almost like old times.

Almost...but suddenly each remark was tinged with
something else -- something intangible and their easy banter
had started to feel more like a slow seduction.  Especially
the way he looked at her as she spoke and when she caught
him off guard she could sometimes see the desire which hid
under his deadpan gaze.  She hoped her eyes didn't show
how she felt -- because if they did she was in trouble.  As it
was it seemed most conversations ended prematurely,
neither willing to take that next step.

"I bet there's something on the radio now,"  she said
abruptly, changing the subject and flipping back on the
radio.  She started to move the tuner.

"The rain makes the reception even worse.  All we get are
country stations -- bad country stations," he tapped his
fingers against the steering wheel again.

"Isn't that an oxymoron?"

"Maybe, you know, I bet Holman is still controlling the
weather."

She gave him another look, "If he ever controlled the
weather then out of gratitude he would stop the rain so we
could see where we're going."

A minute or so after she spoke the rain stopped, and the
clouds parted to reveal a blue sky and a small rainbow.

"I don't believe it," she whispered incredulously.  "It's a
coincidence."

"And there's the rainbow...Speed must be nearby."

"Mulder, did you know that there was a sequel to the
'Wizard of Oz' where Dorothy underwent shock treatments
for delusional behavior?"

"The rain stopped, Scully.  You can't deny that's a major
coincidence."

"You'd be surprised at what I can deny," she muttered under
her breath.

"Did you say something?"

"There's the highway sign...Speed is about five miles from
here."  She went back to studying the map.  

He tapped his fingers along to the music and kept driving
towards their destination.

END

Author's Notes: Yes, this was total fluff :)  I apologize to anyone 
who lives in Speed, I just needed a small town to use.  
This vignette places Rain King anywhere in season six.
Thanks to my trusted beta readers.  The Wizard of Oz
is owned by Frank Baum.  Please send all feedback to 
FirePhile@aol.com.  Thanks for reading!