Sec30Row6

Rating: R, to be on the safe side

Category: M/S UST, MSR, slight M/O and S/O

Spoilers: FtF, the beginning of Season 6

Distribution: Just let me know.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Summary: Baseball, a long hot summer with no X-files, and
nothing to do but hang out at the park and talk. Perfect, right?

This was written in response to the Haven's "Take Me Out to
the Ballgame" July challenge.

Haven's July "Take Me Out To the Ball Game" Challenge:

Could be someone's favorite sport, could be someone teaching someone to play, could be going to a
game, could be a story of a sport, could be.... anything sports like.

Any POV, any characters, any sport (shan wants baseball ), any season, any rating and or any
pairing.

Elements to be included:

Any character's favorite quote

A toe ring

A cat

Big green foam Hulk Hands

An alien baby

A crack (of any kind)

Author's Notes: As always, my deepest thanks to my sisters at Musea for the awesome beta, and for
just being there. You gals are the cat's meow!

To Sybil, another big 'thank you!' I don't know what I'd do without all your poking and prodding (and
your listening when I need to bitch.) Love to you, hon.

Let's see... to Polly, NormaD and Michelle Kiefer at the Haven, for the invaluable information on the
Baltimore Orioles and Camden Yards. Most special thanks to Noelle Leithe and TCS1121, aka
Slammin!Shannon and Corkin!Clarissa, for pointing out the subtleties of Camden Yards and giving
this story the flavor of the stadium and the fans. I had a fabulous time in my virtual visit to the park,
and you all made it come alive for me. Thanks and go O's!

To bcfan, for giving me the perfect quote to fit in the final element. I had them all in except for that -
talk about bottom of the ninth! Then again, that's the magic of baseball.

A bit of license with the baseball games: Though the dates and teams played by the Orioles in the
1998 season are accurate as depicted in this story, I have no idea if they were afternoon or evening
games, nor if the game of September 20, 1998 was delayed by rain. But that game *was* the first time
Cal Ripken, Jr. took himself out of the lineup in 2,632 games, ending his consecutive game streak. The
rain delay suited the kiss, I think. <g>

Hope you enjoyed my version of the summer of 1998.

Mish :)