I came across an old file full of my old fanfic stories. I thought I would brush off the dust and let one of the short ones see the light of day after all these years. Hope you enjoy...

Strings

A missing moment after "Bad Lady From Brookline"

Season 10

"Unh, hunh" Matt Dillon looked at the redhead closely. "Then what did you say?"

"Really Matt, why is this so important to you?" Kitty asked, as she rose from her vanity, effectively removing the mirrored view the lawman had of her.

"It's important because you are the one that started telling me about this conversation with Molly." He rose, following her to the window, where he again met her eyes in the reflection. "And because apparently I was the main topic of discussion!"

Trying to affect indignation, Kitty reeled around and put her hands on the broad chest of the lawman. "Of course you were! It was you she was hell bent on killing, you know!"`

"Kitty…" his deep voiced rumbled with exasperation.

"Fine Matt, if it'll make you happy and we can move on from this discussion, I'll tell you." Again the redhead moved away from the marshal, ducking as she escaped from between the two long arms that had been propped along either side of her on the window pane.

"It's really quite simple" she began, as she fiddled with a loose thread on the comforter. "Molly was trying to find out all about you, what had happened that night. Then all of a sudden she looked at me and said; 'Oh, Kitty, he belongs to you?' Now Matt, I know how you feel about being discreet and all, but I had to…well I just said 'Matt is a man with no strings on him, but let's just say he's more mine than anybody else's." A flush spread up the redhead's long neck and graced her cheeks with a glow that no store bought rouge could.

Matt succeeded in stifling a grin at the reaction this admission elicited from the lovely lady. He placed his thumbs in his gun belt and rocked forward on his toes as he cocked his head slightly and uttered "Is that so?"

Kitty's head snapped up, suddenly much less interested in the loose thread that had so completely occupied her attention moments before. "Well, what should I have said? I mean I thought we…it's just that I thought…oh, never mind!" Now agitated and confused, Kitty stomped over to the side table and poured herself a glass of brandy from the crystal decanter nestled there.

Matt stood still, watching Kitty from a safe distance. She never failed to amaze him; she was so self-confident and strong on the outside, but full of doubt and fear on the inside. As he slowly began to approach her, she turned toward him and he was stunned to see tears in her eyes. "Aww, Kitty, I was just teasin' you."

"Well don't Matt. I would have said anything at that moment, if it would have convinced Molly to stop her vendetta against you. Listen, I need to get downstairs, we're bound to be busy." Turning her head away from him she continued. "I'm sure you have something more important to be tending to as well."

He could see her trying to regain her resolve, and he wished he hadn't handled things the way he had. No, he didn't like he and Kitty's personal lives being fodder for discussion; but he didn't want her thinking she wasn't important to him. "Yeah, I actually should get on over to the office. How about I stop by later tonight?" Matt hoped she understood the implication of his words. He was pretty sure she hadn't when her only response was a less than enthusiastic "Sure".

It had been a long night, filled with drunken, noisy men. The interminable evening was made even longer by the constant berating Kitty Russell mentally gave herself throughout the night. She knew how Matt felt, and she knew he wasn't a man to commit to a woman. Yet she had practically told a total stranger that she and Matt were a couple, exclusive, bound. That was bad enough, but then she had actually said it in front of Matt! What must he think? She cringed thinking he was probably high-tailing it out of town at this very minute, putting as much distance between the two of them and her assumptions as he could.

Retreating to the solitude of her bedroom, she solemnly went about her nightly routine, brushing her hair, removing her makeup, turning down the quilts. As she rose from the vanity, she looked at the light burning by the window remorsefully. It was usually a signal to Matt that all was well and she would be waiting for him. Tonight it seemed to mock her. Matt hadn't stopped by the saloon earlier in the night; in fact, had sent Festus on the late rounds. A sigh escaped her full lips, she was sure that light wouldn't be burning for anyone but the moths tonight. Heading over to douse the flame, something held her back. She reasoned that she might need to get up to use the water closet or get hungry and need to go to the pantry, and it would do well to have some light, wouldn't it? Convincing herself her motives were pure, she left the lantern burning softly, just in case.

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She awoke to movement on the bed; a familiar dipping sensation as her small body was propelled to the center of the mattress. Opening one eye against the intruding sunrise, she was pleased to find Matt Dillon sitting on the opposite side of the bed, his hair tousled and one hand trying to wipe sleep out of his eyes.

"Well hello there." She said in thick sleepy voice. "Sorry I didn't hear you come in last night."

"Well, it wasn't exactly last night; it was about two hours ago." An equally sleepy voice responded to hers.

Sitting up she ran her hand softly up and down his broad back. "Rough night hunh? I wondered about you when Festus made rounds."

A soft moan escaped his throat in response to her tender touch. "Yeah, I got called out to the Masterson's place. Whole darn family was going at each other this time."

Kitty let out a stifled giggle, "They got a hold of a new batch of sour mash, I'd guess."

"I guess." He replied barely intelligible as a yawn forced its way out at the same time.

"Why don't you just lie down for a couple more hours, nothing urgent is bound to happen at this hour?" Kitty tempted.

"Naw, I gotta go, expecting the circuit judge in this morning, need his ruling on a couple of land matters." Matt pulled his pants on and slipped his shirt over his bare chest. Suddenly a look of dismay crossed his features as he patted his pants pockets. He picked his vest up off the floor and began to rifle through the pockets.

"Missing something?" Kitty asked, peeking out from underneath her arm which she had strategically placed over her tired eyes.

"Yeah, I picked something up for you while I was out." Matt's fingers finally found the object he sought and a slow, lopsided smile graced his face.

Kitty immediately sat up, a look of anticipation making her tired eyes shine bright. Just as quickly the look turned to doubt, as she frowned at him. "I thought you said you were out at the Masterson place all night?"

"I was" he coyly replied. "Still managed to get you something. Now close your eyes and hold out your hand - unless you don't want it."

Kitty closed her eyes obediently, and thrust her hand toward Matt, unsure of what to expect. She felt the mattress dip again and then felt the warmth of his long fingers on hers. She wasn't able to tell exactly what he was doing, but the feeling of his hands brushing against hers and his fingers lightly touching her hands caused her mind to race in directions that she regretted he didn't have time to fulfill.

Matt stood and said proudly "Ok, open your eyes!"

Kitty did as she was told, and looked down at her still raised hand. It took a moment to register what she was seeing; an old brown piece of twine had been tied around her ring finger. A long length of the twine fell away from the loose knot and onto the bed covers. Confused she looked at Matt, eyebrows raised and her head cocked to one side. "Matt?"

Grinning from ear to ear he lowered himself back to the bed, sitting closely beside her. "You see Kitty, you told Molly I had no strings attached." Grabbing the loose end of the twine he began to tie a similar knot around his left ring finger. "You were wrong. I do have one string attached, and it leads back to you." Proudly he held his hand up in front of her and tugged lightly on the string until her hand was raised parallel to his. He took her delicate hand into his large calloused palm and leaned in, kissing her lips gently and warmly. "It's a string I have no intention of breaking." He whispered huskily as he pulled away.

"Oh Matt, that's the sweetest…Oh Matt!" Kitty choked out as she hurled herself into his arms for a longer, deeper kiss.

He chuckled as ran his hand down her auburn locks, coming to rest at her chin and holding her face inches from his own. "I don't have a string long enough to reach all over the Kansas territory, but know that it's always here" he placed their joined hands on his heart, "and it's always going to bring me back to you."

Overwhelmed by this rare show of emotion and sentiment by her usually reserved lover; Kitty could only stare deep into his bright blue eyes. She desperately wanted to say something eloquent, something memorable, however, she found herself flustered and could only utter "It better, cowboy, it better!"

No further words were needed; no other trinkets or tokens mattered. In the same quiet, simple way he did most things, Matt Dillon had reassured Kitty Russell that he was not just hers more than anyone else's, he was hers alone.

The end