Disclaimer: This is just a silly snippet. It was better if you were there. Something that happened when Maureen said 'type something' in the FX chatroom on Saturday (Novenber 18, 2000). As our General commanded, I obeyed. Imagine snippy and crazy comments between the 'paragraphs'. Also hurry up, she's enjoying torturing us, etc. See what you missed by not being there? So here is The (as far as I know) First Ever FX Chat Fic!

Rollie ran around the room, hunting a place to hide Angie's surprise birthday present.

Bluey barked because Angie was at the door.

Rollie: "What do I do? She's here!" He pulled his hair.

He looked at the present and tossed it behind the work table, then threw himself in his chair. Rollie pretended he had been working for hours.

Angie: "Hey Rol. How's it going?"

"Huh? Oh, hi Ange." Rollie looked up, a slightly stunned look in his brown eyes.

"What's that?" Angie asked, pointing at the brightly wrapped box on the floor behind the workstation.

"What?" Rollie squeaked. "It's, um, it's ... a prop!"

"I have to set it up to blow up for tomorrow's shoot."

Angie smirked slightly. "We're not working tomorrow."

Rollie deflated, knowing he had really blown it this time.

He mumbled, "it'syourbirthdaypresent..."

Angie tipped her head to one side, trying to decipher what the Aussie had just said. "What?"

Rollie took a deep breath.

"It's your...."

Angie interrupted him. "It doesn't matter, right now. I have some BIG news, Rol!"

Rollie looked at her. "What? What's up?"

"I am going to the West Coast tomorrow!"

"Huh?" Rollie looked bewildered.

"Jaimie called and invited me out. We're going climbing in the Cascades. Isn't that great!"

"Yeah. Great."

Rollie sighed inside. Jaimie was Angie's latest net friend. Now he was playing second fiddle to a guy Ange hadn't even met yet!

"That's great, Angie. But tomorrow? Isn't that a bit... sudden?"

"Yeah, I know, but Jaimie just got the time off and he remembered it was my birthday and asked me if I wanted to go climbing with him."

"But the plane ticket will be really expensive this last minute," Rollie complained, trying to hide his complaint.

"Jaimie said his corporate jet is in New York. I'm taking that." Angie's voice sounded smug at the thought of a friend with that type of money.

"Oh, well," Rollie stammered slightly. "Um... Um... Do you need anything?"

"Nah, Jaimie has it covered. Just wanted to let you know I would be out of town."

Rollie sighed silently as he got on his knees to pull out the present.

"Here," he held the package out to her. "You take this with you."

"For me?" Angie looked a bit surprised.

Rollie looked at his feet. "It's your birthday present."

"I thought you already gave me my present," she looked bewildered at the one in Rollie's hands.

"Yeah, well, I did give you one. This is another one. It... It was suppose to be a surprise." He smiled shyly.

"You shouldn't have!" Angie exclaimed. "Should I open it now?"

"Um, wait until tomorrow. Okay?"

"Tomorrow? Well, if you say so," Angie took the gift. She was surprised by the weight. What was in there?

"Yeah, I say so. I bet you have a lot to get done. Have a good trip, sweetie." Rollie turned back to his workstation, picking up a tool and the mechanism he'd been working on the day before.

Angie stared at the Aussie's back. "Yeah, well, um, bye, Rol. See you when I get back."

"Yeah, see you," Rollie said softly as he listened to the door close. He sighed, gave himself a shake and got to work for real.

Angie returned to her apartment. She pulled out her backpack and started packing for the trip.

Her eyes kept straying to the present sitting on the coffee table.

She knew Rollie wanted her to open it tomorrow. She just couldn't figure out why.

Why not open it now? While she could thank him... Still, he had seemed insistent about it.

She turned back to her pack and folded a shirt.

Frowning, she scrounged around looking for her sock liners.

She grabbed the liners from under a pair of jeans and folded them in on themselves, thrusting them into the pack. Her eyes returned to the bright spot on the coffee table.

She shouldn't... She really shouldn't. Angie found herself standing in front of the gift.

Ah, what the heck!

She sat down and pulled the package on to her lap, happily ripping away the gift wrap.

She frowned as she fumbled with opening the box. Dratted tape!

She looked around for something to cut the tape.

Spotting a nail clipper, she grabbed it and flipped the nail file open.

With a slightly manic grin, Angie sawed away at the tape, eager to find out what the surprise was.

Finally! She pulled the top off and stared at the popcorn packing (corn starch naturally).

Angie plunged her hands into the packing.

Popcorn scattered everywhere unnoticed.

She felt something cool and smooth with her fingers. She curled them around the object and pulled out....

It was a bowl. A glass bowl full of the brightest colors she had ever seen in a bowl.

She had never seen anything like it. All of her favorite colors were there.

She sat looking at it in amazement.

The weight was incredible. And Rollie had found this for her. A special surprise just for her.

Where had he gotten it? When? She had to thank him!

She reached for the phone then pulled herself up short.

If she called him to say thank you, Rollie would know she had opened his present early.

She squirmed slightly, like a guilty child.

Her eyes returned to the bowl, that beautiful, colorful bowl. The way the color entwined with each other was enchanting.

She bit her lip, chewing on it.

She really did want to say thank you to Rollie.

And not by phone. She gently placed the bowl in the middle of the coffee table.

She kicked her jeans out of the way and grabbed her coat. Angie headed for the door. Her hand was on the knob when she heard the tones that meant she had an email.

She paused frowning.

Angie walked over to see who it was from. Oh, just a junk mail. She turned to leave when she noticed something else was loading. Taking its own sweet time too!

She tapped her foot, wondering what it was.

Finally!

It was from Jaimie.

She sat down to open it and see what he had to say.

Oh, it was a flyer for where they were going in the Cascades.

Angie skimmed her eyes over the beautiful scenery, the rugged cabin.

She turned her attention to what he had written.

Hm... Thoughtfully, Angie clicked on the reply button. She typed a response and hit send.

Angie stood up and headed out the door. She wanted to thank Rollie and didn't want to wait until tomorrow or later. She wanted to do it now!

Angie arrived at the loft and stepped inside. She looked around, seeking Rollie.

Her brow pulled together as she didn't spot him. "Hey Blue, where's Rollie?"

"Arf arf," replied the robot dog.

Well, that was a big help! She checked the VR chamber, but it wasn't active.

She checked his bedroom, but he wasn't there.

Where was Rollie?

Had he gone out with a friend?

She walked down the steps and sat down near the bottom, her chin resting in one hand.

Where was Rollie? Where would he go, Angie wondered.

A soft sound caught her attention. She looked up, surprised to see a dusty looking Rollie walking from the back of the building that he called home.

"Rollie?"

"Angie?" Rollie looked surprised to see her. "Did you forget something?"

Angie stood up. The step she was on put her at the same height as the tall, lanky Aussie.

"Yeah," she smiled softly.

"What?" Rollie asked, his brow puckering with his puzzlement.

"To thank you," Angie said, her lips touching his cheek.

She took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of his shampoo.

Ah to heck with it! Her head turned slightly and she captured his lips with hers.

Rollie's eyes widened in surprise. His adam's apple bobbed up and down as he gulped.

Angie twined her hands through Rollie's silky brown hair, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss.

Rollie's eyes slitted with pleasure as he slowly returned the kiss, his large hands wrapping around her waist.

Finally, the pair parted, panting for air.

"Wow!" Rollie whispered.

"Wow, is right," Angie murmered, her hands curling around his neck.

"Mind, I'm not going to complain, but what was that for?" Rollie asked, his eyes still a bit glazed from the surprise kiss.

"Thank you for my present. It's beautiful," Angie told him.

"The present? You--you--you opened it?!?" Rollie's eyes widened in surprise.

"Of course, silly." Angie smiled at him. "It's beautiful! Where did you find it?"

"Um," Rollie looked down, dragging a toe across the floor. "You like it?"

"Like it? I love it, Rollie!"

The Aussie blushed slightly. "I'm glad."

"Where did you find it? It has all my favorite colors. I've never seen anything like it."

"I, um, I made it. It, um, took me several tries to get it right."

"You made it?!?" Angie looked stunned. What other hidden talents did her partner have?

"Uh huh," Rollie nodded shyly, still a bit stunned by Angie's kiss.

"Thank you," Angie pulled his neck, bringing his lips back to hers.

She kissed him agian, their passions rapidly escalating. No longer so surprised, Rollie participated fully and enthusiastically.

He never expected to be kissing Angie and certainly never like this!

His Angie, his little girl, wasn't a little girl anymore. She was a woman grown and kissing him, him, with increasing depth and passion.

Oh and he more than liked it. He loved it! He felt his toes curl. He had never felt them do that before.

Somehow, they made their way to the couch. Trading kisses the whole way.

With a soft, regretful sigh, Rollie finally pulled away. "You'd better get going, Angie. You need your sleep if you're flying to the West Coast."

Angie reached for Rollie again, a small smile on her lips. "I'm not going to the West Coast, Rol."

"You're not?" Rollie asked in surprise. "But what about Jaimie?"

"I emailed him before I left my apartment."

"Now stop stalling, Tyler, and kiss me again."

Rollie was more than happy to oblige the beautiful blonde.

What did you expect? Maureen was there! Naturally, I had to do this in a chatroom with no way to save the thing. So be grateful it's here. I had to work to rescue it from oblivion!