Title:  Staying Connected
Author:  QofMush
Spoilers:  Everything up to the present, I suppose
Rating:  G
Disclaimer:  Yeah, yeah..they're not mine.

STAYING CONNECTED

The conversations never occurred at the same time or on the same phone line.  
Usually less than 10 minutes in length, they revolved around one thing: her 
universe.  Simple questions like "How are they?"  were always answered with 
"They're fine.  Safe.  Fine."  That would have to be enough.  They both knew 
that if there was a problem, he was expected to tell the disembodied voice to 
come in from the cold.

Today, however, the conversation lingered.  "Aside from the obvious, what is 
she doing to keep herself busy?"

He smiled to himself.  A small nugget of information would be such a gift, 
and he would be the one to present it.  He had been responsible for her new 
assignment - a place where she would be protected, and yet still have the 
resources of the Bureau at her disposal.

"Teaching at Quantico.  Word has it she spends half her time fending off 
questions about vampires and little green men."

"Grey," said the voice with a chuckle.

"If you say so."  

"Sir, could I ask you a favor?"

He took off his glasses to clean an imaginary smudge while waiting for the 
question.  "Of course."  It made him feel uncharacteristically sentimental 
that the man still called him "sir" even after all lines of authority had 
long been severed.

"Next time you're out there, could you bring Quantico's newest instructor an 
apple?"

He laughed to himself at the ridiculousness and sheer sentimentality of the 
gesture, all the while knowing  he'd soon be scouring the greater DC area for 
the perfect teacher's apple.  How could he refuse?

"Consider it done."

END