Title: Spender's Bad Day Author: Erin M. Blair E-Mail: eblair@sonic.net Classification: SRA-Story, Romance, Angst. Content: Spender/Other Romance. Time Span/Spoilers: The Red and The Black, X-Files Movie. Set before Season 6. Rating: PG. Distribution/Archive Statement: OK to Gossamer, Ferret Cage, FanficX, and Xemplary. Others: please ask me first. Disclaimer: The character of Jeffrey Spender belongs to Chris Carter. However, Melanie Alomar belongs to me. Summary: His mother's missing. His father sends him strange letters. Fox Mulder annoys him. Could Jeffrey's life get any worse? You bet! ------------------------------------ SPENDER'S BAD DAY Written by: Erin M. Blair ------------------------------------ His mother's missing. His father sends him strange letters about twin Indian Gods and wants him to write back. His annoyance of Fox Mulder has getting him down. Jeffrey always wondered how Fox Mulder even made it so far in the FBI. *Could my day get any worse?* Jeffrey wondered to himself as he watched Melanie Alomar - his partner/lover in 1994 - hurried towards him. *Not with Melanie around.* She was attractive, small, with long, auburn hair and azure colored eyes. "Jeff, we need to talk." "What about?" asked Jeffrey. He gave her a smile. "Does it have to do with our engagement?" She looked away. "We need to talk about that..." "I'm sure my mom would be back someday for our wedding," said Jeffrey with hope. "You know she likes you." Melanie nodded. "I know that but this *isn't* about that. I came from AD Cassidy's office and she tells me we're going to be separated." "They found about us being lovers, right?" "No! That's not the reason, Jeff!" exclaimed Melanie. She paused as she attempts to explain the situation at hand. "Dana Scully was supposed to be transferred to Salt Lake City to head up the forensic team there. Instead, it was decided she stays with Fox Mulder. Now they would like for me to transfer there. I couldn't believe that, Jeff. We're great partners, I told them, but they have plans for you." Jeffrey pulled Melanie closer to him and he tightened the grip around her waist. He could smell the flowery perfume she wore. "I can't let this happen, Mel. We're going to get married very soon! The wedding's next month! I can't let you go!" "You have to let me go, Jeff." "Tell them 'no', Melanie. I can't live without you; you know that." "We've never really been apart for no longer than three months..." She thought about her own abduction in their early days of their relationship with shivers down her spine. "I know," murmured Jeffrey. "Who's going to be my new partner?" "Diana Fowley, I think." "Damn. I hate her." "She couldn't be *that* bad, Jeff." "You haven't been on a case with her," said Jeffrey as he wrinkled his nose. "It was the Gibson Praise case, Mel. I've told you how she had eyes on Mulder." Melanie softly smiled. "If I remember our teacher, Dana Scully wouldn't let Diana even near him. They're very close." "I hope so for her sake. It's just that I don't like Mulder. I never did, Mel. He bugs me soo much with his wild theories about alien abduction. Doesn't he realize that people don't care." She shrugged. "Well, maybe some people do care. You never know what the government's been hiding lately." She paused. "I know I never believed in the conspiracy theories before, but Mulder does bring up logical views from other sources we never thought about." "I can't believe you placed Mulder and logical in a sentence. He's far from being logical. If anything, he's crazy." "Well, he's crazy but logical." "Melanie, this isn't my day. My mother's been abducted... My father keeps sending me strange letters on red sheets of paper about 'twin gods' or something. And now, you're leaving me with the stupid X-Files. What a day!" "Jeff, I don't know how long I'll be there. It maybe just a week or something. I'll promise you this: I'll be back in your life again. We'll get married then; we'll get through this. I know we will." She pulled him into an embrace. "Jeff, I love you. Don't forget me." "I won't, Mel." He wanted to give her a goodbye kiss. "Is it OK if I can kiss you?" His voice was filled with a mixture of hoarseness and sorrow. "It's more than OK, Jeff." He watched her lean in as he felt her warm lips parted, waiting for the kiss. Their lips met in sorrow, knowing that this could be the last kiss to savor for months. Who knows when they'll be together again? After the kiss, Jeffrey watched Melanie walk out of his life, knowing she might come back to him at last, for that is true] love. In his mind, something told him this: "if you love someone, set 'em free. If it's meant to last, the person will come back." He knew Melanie would come back to him one day. End of Story. Feedback: Much appreciated. Send to: eblair@sonic.net Author's Notes: This story of Jeffrey Spender and Melanie Alomar is somewhat of a prequel to "Spender's Surprise." There is, however, a spoiler to my upcoming story called "Worried" about Scully's (as well as Melanie's) abduction.