Author's Notes: This is a Gunsmoke story that takes place in the present with many of the same characters. I don't intend to change their personalities, but of course they have to get with the times. I have seen this done for another show I read fiction for and I thought it would be fun to bring the citizens of Dodge into the 21st century. I hope I don't ruin anyone's image of the original Gunsmoke. I had a lot of fun writing it and I just thought I would share it and of course, it mainly revolves around Matt and Kitty. Based on The Way It Is.

Character Profiles:

Thirty-two year old Matthew Dillon is a United States Marshal and somewhat of a loner by nature. He lives in a small and very modest apartment and he frequents the Long Branch Bar and Lounge. He has been a marshal for six years and due to the dangers of his job, he doesn't feel that he has a right to be involved in any permanent kind of relationship.

Twenty-eight year old Kathleen Russell goes by the nickname Kitty. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, she is the full owner of the Long Branch and lives alone in a beautiful one-story home with her two dogs and cat in the country. She dates occasionally, but the man that she wants the most doesn't seem to want her.

A Georgia native, thirty-one year old Chester Goode is a regular visitor of the Long Branch. He is divorced with a little girl and lives in a small two-bedroom house in the suburbs. He used to work for the police department, but after only two years on the force, he was shot in the knee and forced to quit.

Doctor Galen Adams is a graying old man pushing sixty. He has been frequenting the Long Branch since before Matt, Kitty, or Chester was even born. He is the Chief of Staff at the Dodge City Hospital.

Gunsmoke 2000: What I Was Missing

The wind picked up as Matt Dillon walked along the rainy streets of Dodge. He had been on duty for twelve hours straight, but even still he didn't feel like going home yet. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost eleven-thirty. The Long Branch would still be open. The lights of the bar could be seen in the distance and he picked up his pace to hurry and get in out of the rain. Once inside, he shrugged off his wet jacket, hung it on the provided hook and ran a hand through his brown hair made darker from the rain. It was quiet inside, just how he wanted it, and he walked over to the bar ordering himself a beer. He flipped open his wallet, his U.S. Marshal's badge glinting in the lights, counted out three dollars and walked over to a booth in the back. The Long Branch was one of the classiest bars in town. The bar itself was made of fine mahogany wood as well as all of the tables and chairs. There was a jukebox in the corner and two pool tables in a connecting room. It was decorated mostly in a dark green color and the lights were always low, giving it a cozy feel. Matt took a good, long pull of his beer, not noticing right away when someone slid into the booth opposite of him.

"You want another?" asked the deep voice of a woman. Matt looked across the table into the big blue eyes of Kitty Russell. Her long red hair was tied back into a tight ponytail with some bangs covering her forehead. The stylish woman wore a beautifully designed, yellow sweater, a nicely fitted pair of dark blue jeans, and yellow pumps to complete the outfit.

"Kitty…how is it that you can still look so good after working all night?" Matt flirted as he took another swallow of his beer.

"Oh, I don't know," she said resting her forearms on the table top. "It probably helps when you own the place and can go home for a three hour lunch and take a nap," she told him with a smirk. Matt chuckled and downed the last of his drink. "You want another?" she asked him again.

"Sure, why not," he answered. Kitty gestured over to Sam who was standing at the bar. It was near closing time and people were starting to trickle out and onto the damp streets. She looked back over at Matt who had his head resting against the back of the booth with his eyes closed. He was obviously exhausted.

"Matt, you're tired. You should have gone straight home," she lightly scolded.

"I thought you liked it when I stopped by to visit you," he said.

"You know I do," she started when Sam came over with two beers. She smiled her thanks and he walked over to bus a nearby table. "But your well-being is more important." Kitty cared for Matt deeply and no matter how much she looked forward to seeing him each night, she'd rather him go home and rest than come and sit all night with her.

"I know, Kitty," he said softly. "I just didn't feel like going home yet." He truly appreciated her concern. He wasn't sure if she realized it or not, but sometimes after a hard day, it was more of a comfort to come and sit with her than going home to an empty apartment. She helped to take his mind off of things.

Kitty ran a manicured fingernail through the condensation on her bottle as she spoke. "Doc stopped by earlier. He asked about you."

"How is old Doc?" Matt asked smiling at the thought of the cranky old man. "It's been a few weeks since I last saw him."

"He's good…same grumpy Doc," Kitty said smiling. "He came in complaining about something at the hospital and threatening to retire."

"Doc's never gonna retire. That stubborn old man will probably live forever." Doc was somewhat of a father figure to both Matt and Kitty, both having lost their parents at a young age.

"I'll drink to that," Kitty said, clinking her bottle with Matt's and taking a drink. "Listen, I need to go and help Sam and the others close up. You stay here and I'll drive you home when we're done," Kitty said as she stood from the booth and walked away, not giving him the chance to protest. Matt actually had no intentions of arguing with her tonight. What little energy he did have left was fading fast. Besides, he had taken a cab to get here and he didn't want to take another one home. Kitty came back a few moments later dressed in a brown leather jacket with a purse to match. "Ready?" she asked him.

"Yep," he said as he stood and walked over toward the front door to get his coat. Kitty was a pretty tall woman, but Matt still towered over her. She linked her arm through his and they left out the back to where her car was parked.

By the time they arrived at his apartment, Matt was fast asleep. Kitty parked her car and turned to face him. "Matt…wake up…you're home." She watched as his eyes opened and he looked over at her drowsy-like.

"Thanks for the ride, Kitty. I'll see you." Kitty watched him until he was safely inside the building and then took off for home. She worried about him and all of the hours he worked. She couldn't recall him taking one vacation in all the time she had known him.

Five minutes later, Kitty was driving down the long country road that led to her house. She purposely chose a location that was away from town, preferring the quiet nights as opposed to the hustle and bustle of the city. She got enough of that during working hours anyway. The nearest neighbor was two miles away and she was surrounded by farmland. She had a good three acres of her own and she spent a lot of her free time working in her garden. She wasn't filthy rich, but she had to admit that she made damn good money as owner of the Long Branch. It was five years ago that she had started working there.

She had just driven all the way from New Orleans and her car was stuffed with everything she owned. She pulled into the parking lot of the Long Branch Bar and Lounge and went inside after eight long hours of driving. She intended to have a drink and maybe something to eat before finding a place to sleep and hitting the road again first thing the next morning. There was really no particular place she was going, but something inside of her needed to get out of Louisiana. A change was in order. She sat at the bar having her drink when someone sat down next to her. Looking over, she saw the biggest man she had ever seen ordering a beer and a plate of Buffalo wings. The man flipped his wallet open to pay and Kitty saw the silver U.S. Marshal's badge. He then grabbed his beer and made his way to a booth in back. Kitty sat sipping her drink and thinking about how much she was sick of driving. She then looked over to where the handsome marshal had gone. Maybe she could stay in Dodge for a while and see how things went. She looked up as the bartender, who she later learned was named Bill Pence, passed. "Hey," she had called to him, "You hiring?"

She and Bill had become good friends and eventually she moved into the apartment above the bar. He often told her that she was like a daughter to him and when he died four years later, she was surprised to learn that he had left the Long Branch to her in his will. She made only a few changes, mainly concerning décor, and the place was as popular as ever. It was also in that time that she came to know and love Marshal Matthew Dillon.

Finally, Kitty could see her house in the distance thanks to the lighting system that was set to come on after dusk. She pulled her car into the garage and then went outside to the backyard where she could hear whining and groaning as she approached the large kennel. "Hi, girls! How are my babies?" Kitty said excitedly as she greeted her two girl boxers. As soon as she lifted the latch off the gate, the dogs pushed through and danced all around her, their hind quarters shaking furiously back and forth. "Come on. Let's go inside," she said to them and Thelma and Louise immediately took off toward the back door. Kitty reached it a few moments later and pulled her keys from her purse to unlock it. She stepped inside and tossed her keys and purse onto the island in the middle of the kitchen. The one thing she spent her money on besides clothes was her home. The kitchen was immaculately decorated in stainless steal appliances, white, see through cabinets, and the countertops were done in gray marble. And even though she didn't do much cooking, she had plenty of culinary tools at her disposal.

Walking into the living room, which was decorated in browns and beiges, she stopped by the sofa and kicked off her shoes while she shrugged out of her jacket, laying it across the arm of the couch. Next, she walked over to the windows and began shutting the curtains. That finished, she pulled her shirt over her head and walked into the bathroom, turning on the bright vanity lights that glinted off the massive mirror above the sink. Then she walked over to the huge bathtub and adjusted the water to the correct temperature. For some reason she always did enjoy a nice relaxing bath as opposed to a shower, but still, there was one standing on the other side of the room just in case there was no time for a bath. Kitty twisted her hair up into a bun and finished undressing. After a few minutes, she finally stepped into the warm bath and slid down, resting her head against the edge. She closed her eyes, practically falling asleep until she heard the soft meow of her portly, orange and white cat. "Hi, kitty, kitty," she said, even though the cats name was Ursula. She was kind of a mean cat at times, but Kitty didn't blame her considering she had two playful dogs to fend off. She watched as Ursula stood on her back legs and peered into the tub. She did it every time Kitty took a bath, like she was deciding whether to jump in or not. The cat then trotted out of the room and she grabbed her bath sponge deciding to finish before she really did fall asleep. It was pushing one-thirty and she knew that she needed to get to bed. Sam needed the morning off so she would have to go in and open.

A short while later, Kitty laid in her queen sized bed with Thelma, Louise, and even Ursula. Her thoughts drifted to Matt and she wondered if he was really okay these days. Work seemed to be getting to him more than usual and he hadn't been discussing his cases with her either. Maybe she would ask him to come over for dinner one day soon and help him to relax. He did always tell her that he loved her house and she knew that she would gladly share it with him if he would only say the word.

To be continued…