ARCHIVE STUFF... Summary: Scully is stuck in a plane on New Years Eve with her partner, and the circumstances aren't ideal... Category: S Rating: PG Disclaimers: Yes, they're mine. All of them. You can't use them, or I'll send my posse after you. And don't even TRY to sue, Chris, because I'll plead insanity and you'd better believe they'll believe me! Author's Notes---This story is set during New Years of Season 5...until which time Chris will throw in something dumb to the series and totally screw this up... This is dedicated to the Reader of all Readers, Kristine. Thanx for all your help! You amaze me! Flames cheerfully used to badly burn all those dissin' POST-MODERN---GO FOR IT!!! MiSsY~ X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X X-o-o-o-o-o-| UP IN THE AIR |-o-o-o-o-o-X by Renata Schaafsma scharea@lgboe.edu.on.ca "I have so much to do, I'm going to bed." ---Savoyard Proverb X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X Scully was angry. It was bad enough having to fly in the middle of the night and not being able to get to sleep. But that wasn't unusual, and could have been forgiven. The rest is what pissed her off. She was spending her New Years Eve sandwiched between a dozing Mulder and an overweight, creepy-looking man who had evidently decided to celebrate even though he was far above civilization and probably far out of his time zone. She was also annoyed at the stewardess who had been flirting incessantly with her partner and kept supplying her other seat mate with alcohol even though he was already obviously inebriated. The case had turned out not to be an X-File, and Mulder had handed it over to the local authorities after only three days. But that didn't stop one of the gang members involved from coming after him and pulling a Tonya Harding. The agents had missed their flight by only a few minutes, and they would have made it had the emergency room not been so jammed up. The earliest flight they could get was the next night, despite Scully trying the "I'm an FBI agent" approach. The damn woman didn't even seem as though she could *spell* FBI. And so here they were, Mulder's injury having gained him HER isle seat while she got to enjoy the company of the dipsomaniac to her left, whose drunken leers had driven her as close to her partner as possible without sitting on his lap. Mulder, for his part, had apologized for having to switch seats, although his reaction to her predicament hadn't been as sympathetic. And HER reaction to his laughter had left a bruise on his arm. Mulder stirred, and Scully moved to put a few inches between them before he woke up fully---she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her discomfort. The other man grinned widely when he saw this and patted the space between them. "That's it, sweetie. You just move your pretty self right here beside Murray." Scully closed the distance between her and her partner again, eyeing the drunk warily. This time it was Mulder's turn to grin. "This guy bugging you, Scully?" he asked, amused. But to his credit he did follow the jest with a menacingly look at Murray that shut the man up for several minutes. "How's your knee, Mulder?" she asked without thanking him, her side still pressed against his. "Pretty sore, " he admitted. "Is it time for my pain meds yet?" She checked her watch. She checked his watch. She even considered checking Murray's watch, but shot that idea down pretty quickly. "What is it?" She narrowed her eyes. "What time zone are you set for?" "Ours, " he told her. "I never bothered to change it." "Neither did I." He waited. "So?" "So you were supposed to have your next dose at 9:30, but that was in the other time zone." "Okay, so if there was a two hour difference..." Mulder thought out loud. "Wait, maybe it was only one. How far away is..." He carried on the dialogue silently, his pain and exhaustion making the problem all that much more complicated. Scully didn't bother trying to figure it out. Instead, she reached for her purse and took out a pill bottle, tossing it on his lap. "Just take it, Mulder, " she ordered. "I'm afraid you're going to hurt yourself...again." He signaled for a stewardess, and of course it was the same one that had been dangling herself hopefully under his nose for the duration of the flight. "Could I get a glass of water, please?" "Why, certainly, sir, " the woman practically purred, flashing her teeth in a seductive smile and then slinking off down the aisle. Mulder noticed his partner's disgusted look, but said nothing. When the stewardess returned, he thanked her politely but exaggerated his disinterest in the hopes of discouraging her. It worked, and he caught Scully smiling slightly. He extracted two capsules from the bottle and handed it back to her. He downed all the water in one breath. A different stewardess came to take the glass away. Scully smiled again. Sitting back in his seat, Mulder waiting for the effects of the meds to kick in. He'd almost fallen asleep again when he felt Scully shift uncomfortably against him. He opened one eye and saw that Murray had become bold again and was openly leering at her. "Hey, buddy, " Mulder growled at him. "Do you have a death wish? She's taken!" That did it. Murray backed down immediately, turning toward the window and feigning sleep. This time Scully *did* thank her partner, adding "I'm 'taken'?" Mulder just shrugged. "Hey, what time is it?" He checked his watch. "12:01. Happy New Year, Scully." "Happy New Year, Mulder." "Here's to five more years, " he said as he offered her his shoulder to sleep on. "God, Mulder. Don't depress me..." She said it seriously, but didn't hide the smile that appeared on her lips. Scully wasn't angry anymore. X-o-o-o-o-o-| T H E E N D |-o-o-o-o-o-X M: "You've lost some weight recently, haven't you, Scully?" S: "Yeah, I have, actually, thanks for not..." ---QUAGMIRE, "Talk On A Rock I" M: "Someone once told me that the best way to regenerate body heat is to crawl naked into a sleeping bag with someone who's already naked." S: "Maybe if it rains sleeping bags you'll get lucky." ---DETOUR, "Talk On A Rock II" Izzy: "He's no monster!" ---POST MODERN PROMETHEUS I HAVE A SIG AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT!!!