I've divided the story into two parts now. Click HERE to go directly to the new updated chapter if you've read this part.

TITLE: Waltz for Four in Three Quarter Time - Part I

NAME: frogdoggie

E-MAIL: frogdoggie@hotmail.com

CATEGORY: SRA

RATING: NC-17, and I mean it. This story contains SEXUAL SITUATIONS AND LANGUAGE. Romantic and erotic but nevertheless graphic. So, if you don’t like graphic stuff - STOP NOW! Forewarned is forearmed.

SUMMARY: The last in the music series, this story picks up a year after the events in "Nocturne in Black and Gold". Walter and Kim are happily married and decide to start a family. Problems occur. But never fear, there is a another happy ending. FEEDBACK - YES PLEASE, AND THANK YOU SIR, CAN I HAVE ANOTHER? Comments, suggestions and healthy debate are always welcome. Flames? I use them to roast weenies with a marshmallow chaser.

TIMESPAN/SPOILER WARNING: This is the fifth and last story in the Skinner "music" series. Obviously it's a self contained alternate universe at this point. Frogdoggie's Skinner world I guess. At any rate, all of the stories in the series can be found on my web site at: https://www.squidge.org/3wstop under the index listing for Walter S. Skinner.

KEYWORDS: story romance Skinner Kimberly Kim Mulder Scully NC-17

DISCLAIMER: Walter Skinner, Kimberly Cook, Fox Mulder, Dana Scully as well as all other incidental X-Files characters mentioned belong to Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions and 20th Century FOX Broadcasting. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made from their use. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story has developed a life of its own. So, rather than keep readers waiting in suspense any longer - I'm posting this large section of it out here as Part 1. I'm still writing. Please try not to e-mail me and ask when the rest will be up if you can possibly avoid it. I'm typing as fast as I can - but I have some real life issues that have made it harder for me to write at this point. I don't want to burden you all with those problems however, so if you can be patient, I'll get this done as soon as I can. Thanks, frogdoggie

Waltz for Four in Three Quarter Time - Part 1

by frogdoggie

November 5. A Saturday morning in Arlington...

Walter Skinner woke from sleep to the delicate touch of someone's hand on his naked ass.

"Hmmmph," he rumbled as the hand moved, stroking over his butt cheek.

"Don't you like my wake-up call Mr. Skinner?" Kimberly, his wife of a year laughed gently as she trailed her hand down between his legs and caressed his balls.

"Hell of a lot better than the friggin' alarm, Mrs. Skinner. But have mercy - this is Saturday."

"Well, I did let you sleep until 8, Walter. But you said you wanted to get an early start," she purred.

"With what?" he chuckled.

"Don't play coy, big boy. You know you said you'd go shopping with me. Now come on, get a move on." Kim pulled the covers back.

Walter laughed and shifted to roll over onto his back. His morning piss hard on jutted out between them.

Kimberly laughed, "Ooh, someone had better take care of *that*, Walter."

"Nature calls woman. But that's a come on if I ever heard one," he growled playfully at her.

She smiled wide, "Very perceptive of you Mr. AD. Nature first, nookie after."

"Jesus," Walter barked a laugh shaking his head in amusement. Kim had become such a slut. God, he loved it. And she was so beautiful. Waking up next to her was a privilege that Walter was grateful for every day since their wedding night. In the last year they had fallen deeper in love and yeah, in lust, if that was at all possible. She was one hell of a lover and also a hell of a funny woman. Just an incredible tease. He loved that about her so much. Her sense of humor coupled with her keen mind. She was all woman, all wonderful, and all his. He reached over and smacked her gently on the butt.

"Oh baby, do that again," she crooned.

"Hold that thought," he chuckled as he climbed out of the King sized bed and headed for the adjoining master bathroom.

"Oh my. Yes, now that is a view," she giggled as she took in his naked ass.

He looked back over his shoulder and stuck his tongue out at her.

"I want some of that too, Mr. AD," she guffawed.

He barked another loud laugh as he walked into the bathroom.

Walter stood over the can waiting for his erection to subside so he could take a piss. As he waited, he mused over his good luck. He could hardly believe it. Here they were, ensconced in their new townhouse in Arlington, married a year and a week, and sublimely happy. Sure, the house was still only partly furnished, even with the combined furnishings they had decided to keep from his and her apartments. Hence the shopping expedition. But what the hell. Picking out new junk with Kimberly was great fun and he enjoyed every minute of it.

They'd been lucky to get the house. Mulder had seen the *For Sale* sign on his way to work, and when he informed Walter, the AD made the offer on the townhouse the same morning. They had gotten this one. It made up for the other two that they had lost to quicker and higher bidders.

Everything between them was indeed perfect Walter thought. He looked in the medicine cabinet mirror over the toilet and studied his reflection. Yup, everything, even this morning. Even if deep down he was just a little nervous. A little? God damn...his nuts were knocking.

He and Kimberly had decided to start a family. Kim had gone off the pill on Monday. With the absolute hell at the Bureau for the last week and Kim studying frantically for an exam, they hadn't had sex since the night of their anniversary, the Saturday before. So this morning, with the prospect of morning lovemaking inevitable, Walter realized this was it. They were going to be trying to make a baby. He was caught between feelings of utter joy and abject terror. His guts started to do the mambo. Oh Christ.

But what was the big worry for God's sake? It had been a joint decision after all. Kim had wanted a family, pursuit of her law degree notwithstanding, and Walter knew that now, at 47, he wasn't getting any younger. They had waited a year and both of them figured they'd better go ahead and give it a shot.

But he was still...afraid? Petrified was more like it. The prospect of fatherhood had him quaking in his boots. Hell, he liked kids. Wanting them wasn't a problem or question. And wanting them with Kim was a foregone conclusion. It was just that he wasn't sure with the demands of his job whether he would ever be a good parent. He didn't want Kimberly to have to shoulder the bulk of the burden or have the bulk of the fun and rewards either. Neither was fair to either of them. He wanted to be an equal and full participant in raising their kids. He hated the feeling of inadequacy and fought to smash it down. He'd just have to try to do his best he thought. Those thoughts were pretty much what half the parents in the world think every day anyway. Why should we be any different, he mused. Yeah. All he could do was go with it and do his best. The rest would take care of itself. I gotta stop sweating the details, he told himself. He didn't do it on the job. Why should he do it here. He set his shoulders and smiled. Besides. The making babies part was a hell of a pleasure. No fucking problem there. No sir.

He finally took his piss and then shook off. Reaching for a wash cloth, he ran some warm water in the sink and cleaned off between his legs. He washed his hands next, dried everything with one of their large fluffy blue towels, and exited the bathroom. He walked back to the King sized bed. Kimberly had shifted over to the other side and was propped up on an elbow waiting for him. He climbed in and lay down facing her. Walter touched her arm and stroked along it. His hand came to rest on her shoulder.

Kimberly picked up on the remnants of his worried expression the minute he came out of the bathroom. "Oh oh," she thought, "Bless his heart." She smiled to reassure him. She knew just what was going on. She more than knew her man now. God, she loved him so much, she thought. When they had discussed starting a family he had told her that one of his fondest wishes was to have children with her. But he had doubts he'd be a good father. She could understand his reasoning. But she knew Walter was capable of rising to the occasion in so many things. He was so considerate, kind and loving despite the gruff bluster that she knew he'd make a marvelous father. She knew she'd do fine as a mother. At least she trusted herself to know she would do all right, the best she could do. But she had such confidence in Walter. Even if he lacked it in himself. But he was nervous, it was obvious. So she moved to make him more comfortable.

"Honey, are you all right with this, I mean really?" she whispered stroking his hand with her cheek.

Walter sighed, "Yeah. I'm ok. Just chalk my constipated look up to first time father fright or something. Hell, I feel like an idiot," he answered patting her shoulder. He removed his hand and toyed with her nipples.

"Don't feel that way, honey. This is a big step. We...if you'd be more comfortable, we can wait," she sighed, bending to kiss his forehead.

When she straightened back up he pinned her eyes

"Shit, no. Look, Kim I can deal with all this. Don't give it another minutes thought. I...I just had some last minute nerves here. I'm a big boy. I'll get over it."

"Big man," she purred running her hand down between them.

"Oh yeah." he smiled back at her as she trailed a finger along his penis.

"It's not like I'm going to get pregnant right away in any case, Walter. Doctor Crawford said it might take several months for my body to know it's fertile again."

"Right. I guess that does give us some breathing room."

"Exactly," she replied as she continued to stroke his cock. He was swelling under her attentions. She looked into his eyes and he reached forward. He took her chin in one hand and kissed her deeply. She smiled around his mouth. He released her and began to touch and tease her breasts, swirling his finger around each nipple until they were both straining at attention. He pushed his head forward and began to suck on each nipple in turn. Kimberly moaned slightly. She brought both hands up and cradled his head against her tits, running her hands over his scalp as he laved her.

Finally his sucking and nipping became too much and she sagged back into the pillows, giggling. He laughed around her, and followed her over, lying over her, his mouth never leaving his target.

"Oh Lord," she laughed as he sucked hard on her left breast. He pulled back and smiled at her.

"You have the most gorgeous tits. Did you know that Mrs. Skinner?"

"Never would have guessed it," she laughed as he went back to work.

Soon his mouth began to travel down and she smiled even wider. Trust Assistant Director Skinner not to forget a request. She raised her knees up and spread her legs to give him better access. He was licking as he went and when he reached between her legs she came off the bed. His tongue went right into her hot , wet cunt.

"Oh God," she cried out. Kimberly had learned in the last year that Walter Skinner had several hidden talents. He was a gourmet cook. He played a mean game of scrabble. He could repair cars like an ace mechanic, and he gave head like there was no tomorrow. In very short order she was writhing under his mouth. He was going to make her come just by sucking her off. She arched her hips up into his face again, and again as he worked her.

"Just...little harder," she gasped. She was almost there. She pumped her hips, rocking towards ecstasy and Walter, hearing her entreaty sucked her clit hard.

"That's...uhhhhh," she groaned incoherently, crashing over the edge. Walter levered up and worked two fingers into her, taking her response higher. She screamed as she clenched down on his hand like a vice.

"Baby...baby," he growled as she squirmed uncontrollably, spitted on his large fingers.

When she came back to herself , breathless, he was hovering over her licking the inside of her thighs. He worked back up to her neck and then to her mouth. Their tongues warred together. She could taste her own salty muskiness on his lips. She pushed him back and he growled low in his throat. He had settled between her legs and she gripped him tight. With one heave she flipped him over so that he was prone beneath her. It was no mean feat for her to do it. But she had very strong legs made stronger now by the fact that she worked out with Walter three days a week at the gym.

Walter was laughing as she straddled his hips just in back of his erection.

God damn," he chortled.

"Surprise," she purred. She knew Walter liked little surprises.

"No shit," he gasped as she went down on his cock, "Oh fuck!" he added with a moan.

Kimberly knew Walter also liked it when people got right to the point.

If Kimberly had been writhing under Walter's mouth, Walter Skinner was on fire under hers. He didn't even stop to think about how good Kimberly was now at blowing him. There wasn't time. All he had time to do was grab the sheet, grit his teeth and try to stay breathing. His hips thrust up on their own accord, hard. She took every buck he could deliver.

"Christ, Christ," he hissed as she sucked him in again, and again. He didn't have to tell her when he was close any more either. When he started to leak she'd let him go and then sit up in order to give him a chance to regain some control. Once or twice she'd even squeezed him hard behind the glans to stop him from ejaculating. He'd had a suspicion some of her lunches with Dr. Dana Scully had something to do with that little technique. But he gave a shit. None of it mattered in the heat of their passion. All that mattered was that they were incredible together in bed now. It was incendiary.

"You doing ok, Big Daddy?" she asked, breathing hard.

"Mutherfuck," he grunted.

"Working on it," she laughed.

His hard on strained up in front of her. He was throbbing. Oh God, it felt so good. His nuts were cum heavy. Jesus he wanted her now.

"Get on up here," he rumbled, grabbing his cock.

She grinned at him and levering up, lowered herself down as he guided himself into her.

"Oh babe. God," he moaned as she took all of him in right down to his nuts.

"You...its..so good," she gritted her teeth. It felt so fantastic taking him like this despite his size. She loved the feeling of his huge cock going in deep and the control she had over it, and both their pleasure this way. His hands roamed over her, gentle but strong, protective and even that aroused her. He reverenced her body. She felt like she was the center of his whole world when he touched her like he did now. His eyes smoldered, burned, as he looked into her face. Until he couldn't look any longer, overcome, and is eyelids fluttered shut.

She settled against his thighs, breathing hard. She looked down at him. His mouth was open slightly and he was gasping for control as well. He looked so handsome. So hot. Powerful. She ran her hands up the scars on his groin and into his mat of chest hair.

"I love your cock," she whispered.

"Kim..." he sighed, "Kim..." he was almost beyond words. His mind was besotted with her. The feel of her body enfolding him. Her smell. The softness of her thighs over him. The full, heavy lushness of her breasts as he ran his hands over them, kneading them. The fresh, clean feeling of her hair in his hands as well. But most of all, his heart was in this throat as he beheld the loving soul that shown through her caramel colored eyes. He couldn't look anymore. She was too exquisite, an angel. A bright angel. He shut his eyes against the blinding light of her beauty. He took her hips in both his large hands. He managed one last word and it was a command that she was more than happy to obey.

"Ride," he gasped out. And she did.

She moved up and then came down on his cock, a moan low in her chest as she did. Walter thrust up to meet her. Soon they were both moving together finding the rhythm that came so naturally, so easily to them now.

Walter took both her breasts up high, kneading them again and again, focusing at last on her nipples. Kim bit her lip and concentrated on her position and speed again to get the contact she craved the most. Walter was so hard and she could hardly believe that he could stay that way under this onslaught. She was really riding his cock. Bucking to get every inch of him she could. He was thrusting up, arching up in long, slow thrusts at first. As she began to whine and moan, picking up the pace even more, he did his best to keep up. Soon they were slapping up hard against each other as he pumped fast and deep. She plunged her hand down between her legs and began to tug at herself. She was gone, totally gone and she never wanted the ride to stop.

Walter concentrated hard to keep it up. One thing he knew how to do was hold back. At his age one hard on a night was a distinct possibility and he'd more than learned how to make it last. Oh God yes. He'd do anything to let her have it all for as long as she needed it. So she could come, and come again, and again, and scream for more. Count marine drill cadence, do square roots, recite the Declaration of Independence, think about his portrait of Janet Reno. Anything to keep going. To stay hard. To let her ride, and ride and....

"OH GOD!" Kim groaned loud, "bbbastard!" she added with a gasp. Her orgasm hit her hard. The climax sent her entire body arching back. She spasmed taut around him. Walter thought he could practically feel her womb contracting. It was an unbelievable sight as every muscle in her body followed, clenching tight. Walter just held on and watched the show. He held her hips as she strained back.

"Oh that's so good, babe," he moaned, "Oh Jesus you, bbbitch," he stuttered.

"Ohhhh. Do it," she cried out, her body just beginning to untense as she shook through the last of the powerful orgasm. Walter was confused for a minute but then it occurred to him that she wanted to feel him come too. He grunted his assent and carefully shifted her over, performing the reverse of her earlier flip maneuver. She was under him, her legs spread. She helped him to shift her legs up onto his shoulders so he could thrust in deep.

"Hard," she gasped out, and shut her eyes. She grabbed his shoulders, then his back, raking his flesh with her nails.

Walter back thrust almost all the way out and than drove into her. He took his weight on his hands for a minute. Kim grabbed his ass urging him to do it harder and faster...and... he was beyond thought. Lifting both hands up he grabbed the headboard and pulled himself forward.

"Oh God yes," Kim cried out as he used the extra leverage to really ram it home.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he started to grunt in time to his thrusts. He was almost there. His nuts felt like they were the size of cannonballs. Huge, hot, hard and ready to do their duty. They slapped against Kim every time he thrust. The sensation was almost too much to stand. Sweat ran down between them, slicking them up as his ass pumped against her again and again. He suddenly felt one of Kim's hands shift over his butt cheek and insinuate itself between. Fingers searching. Finding the opening. Going somewhere he hadn't had anyone's fingers go in years. Mother Mary.

She was right on target too. Bingo.

"OHCHRIST," he howled as she stroked his prostate with two delicate fingers.

Walter roared as he felt his ass pumping forward, his balls contract, and then the phenomenal ecstasy of release. He shot into Kim like a volcano erupting. He came so hard that the semen backflowed out of her. White light exploded in back of his eyes. His head snapped back, neck muscles cording as he gasped and howled some more. He wasn't even aware any more of where he was or the sounds he made. His hands convulsed, gripping the headboard so that he propelled his hips so violently against Kim he dimly thought they'd snap. And all the while he emptied into her he still wailed an animal sound of pleasure. He was vaguely aware that Kim was twisting under him, coming again herself. Emptying him. Taking him into her. Taking his seed. He collapsed on top of her and she took him into her loving and warm embrace.

xXx

A short time later...

"You all right, babe?"

"Hmm hmm."

"Sure?"

"Walter, I'm more than all right."

"Lord, woman."

"What about you? Are you ok?"

"Hell, yes."

"Like it?"

"Couldn't you tell?"

"God, I guess..."

"Are you sure you're ok, Kim? I mean I didn't..."

"Walter, everything's fine."

"Well, slide over babe, you gotta be in the damn wet spot," Walter rumbled against Kim's hair.

"Walter! Don't talk about your half of the baby that way," she giggled.

He laughed like hell and drew her close, kissing her on the top of her head. She clung to his chest with lithe strength and laughed along with him, kissing his neck over and over.

"You wore me out, woman." he teased.

"Wore you out? What about our expedition?"

"You still want to go shopping?" he asked in feigned amazement, chuckling as his breathing came back to normal.

"Now, more than ever. I'm energized, sir. Ready to shop till I drop."

"Energized?"

"Yes, you know...like the Energizer Bunny..."

"Right. He keeps coming, and..."

"...coming, and coming," she finished for him. He grinned down into her face and stroked her hair. His face grew soft and solemn all at once.

"I love you," he whispered quietly.

"I love you more than life itself," she whispered in return, tears making her eyes glisten. Walter swallowed hard, tears in the back of his throat, as Kim moved down and put her head under his chin. Her hand stroked his chest.

"I hope we made a baby," she added almost so quietly he didn't hear her."

"It wouldn't be for lack of trying," he grunted with humor, "but I think it's a little too early to expect success," he added touching her shoulder gently.

"You're probably right. But, Walter?"

"Yeah babe?"

"It was wonderful to feel you filling me and know that...well, that we might conceive a new life. I just wanted you to know that."

"Oh lover..." he whispered. He didn't know what to say so he just hugged her close. A tear trickled down from the edge of his eye. They lay quietly together for several more minutes until Kimberly finally spoke.

"I guess we'd better shower," she sighed. Kim felt like lying there all day with him. Loving him. Making love to him. Making him scream again and again. She couldn't quite believe the sounds of orgasmic pleasure he had made when she'd flicked his prostate. She'd really have to thank Dana for that bit of information. Fox was a lucky man, she thought after seeing Walter practically shoot to the moon under her hand.

"We could stay here all day," he smiled looking up at the ceiling. Oh yeah. He could stay with her all day. Holding her, sleeping with her, waking up and loving her some more. No sweat.

"I considered it, believe me," she mumbled into his chest hair, "But honey, I really do want to get to Marlo's to look at a coffee table and a couch. "

"And Levitz's and.."

"The Hub, right."

"Jesus I better call the bank to check the account before...hey!"

he laughed as she slapped him on the shoulder.

"Oh come on you were the one who said the couch looked like a loaf of old, moldy bread!"

"I know. I know."

"Well, it doesn't go with the room," she insisted rubbing where she had slapped him.

"Right," he smirked nodding his head.

So, shower, shave and a bite before we hit the stores?" Kim grinned as he kissed the palm of the hand that had delivered the playful slap.

He nipped her earlobe and she giggled.

"Mr. Skinner!"

"All right, all right. Shower," he chuckled wryly, into her ear. "And as for the bite - I'll take you out for brunch, how would that be?"

"I think you have a deal, dear."

"Good. So, shift it woman, we don't have all day here," he mock scowled at her. She laughed, and getting up, headed into the bathroom.

xXx

"What do you think about this one?" Kimberly asked indicating a low, modern looking coffee table in the living room group near them.

"Well..."

"Too retro?"

"Yeah I think I saw that on a *Leave it to Beaver* rerun the other night," Walter replied pushing his glasses up.

Kimberly nodded, smiling, "I think you're right. Not good. Listen. Why don't we kill two birds with one stone here. I'll keep looking at the coffee tables and you go recheck the couches. You can start again at the beginning of these displays." she suggested indicating the huge expanse of living room displays that stretched in front of them. Luckily the store had been incredibly busy so they hadn't been inundated with too many sales representatives. So, they had been able to make a cursory couch search without much trouble. But the place was large enough to make the dual hunt rather practical.

"And we'll rendezvous by the entrance in say 30?" Walter smiled back. That was Kim. Still efficient in every way. She hadn't changed in that respect since she'd quit working for him at the Bureau.

"I'm synchronizing my watch, sir," she grinned.

Walter nodded, smiling, and then he turned and sauntered off in the direction of the entrance to start at the top of the sofa offerings.

He had been looking at dismal sofa after dismal sofa when somehow he got sidetracked into the futon department. As he rounded a low wall, dividing two of the displays he almost fell over a man kneeling down behind it. The man was trying to look under one of the futon couches on display and Walter hadn't seen him at all.

"God, buddy. I'm..." he started to bluster his excuse.

"Oh, hello, sir," the other man replied cheerfully, standing up to his full height. Fox Mulder rubbed his thigh a bit where Walter had run into him and grinned at his boss.

"Mulder!" Walter exclaimed slightly surprised. Mulder stood by a bit self consciously, awkward for a moment at running into Walter or rather in having Walter run into him. He extended his hand a bit and Walter grabbed it and shook it warmly. Mulder relaxed at once.

"What were you doing down there? Hey, sorry I almost bowled you over," Walter replied as he released Mulder's hand.

"No harm done. I was trying to see if this was wood or metal underneath. I think the metal ones don't hold up very well. So I'm looking for wooden slats."

"Are you buying a new couch?" Walter asked with a smirk. Mulder's old leather couch was notorious. He practically lived on it. He most certainly slept on it. Walter had slept on it several times and it was horrid. Lumpy, uncomfortable and sagging in all the Mulder spots - all the wrong spots for anyone else who tried to lie on it's cushions. Walter Skinner couldn't help but think that if Mulder was bedding Scully on that thing she had real guts. And he had some nerve.

"As a matter of fact, Walter I am," he grinned sheepishly, "I thought a futon might make a nice change of pace."

"Well this is a monumental occasion, Mulder. A moment of import. Historical..."

"Please, you sound like Frohike," Mulder sighed. Walter barked a quick laugh.

"So why the change in sleeping accommodations?" he asked.

Walter wasn't sure but he thought he saw Mulder blush slightly. Hmmm this could be interesting. He could have a little fun at the wisecracking agent's expense.

"Well the old sofa met with a little...accident," Mulder admitted, looking down and scuffing his foot on the displays rug. He looked about 16 years old suddenly and Skinner grinned a bit wider.

"Do tell."

"Uh, I don't think I should go there," Mulder replied wincing just as a voice came from behind Walter Skinner. Walter watched as Mulder lifted his head and beamed in on the voice like a plane beaming in on a homing signal. His whole face lit up and he smiled wide

Walter Skinner winced slightly and looked down, a bit embarrassed. The naked love that shown in Mulder's face was a familiar sight for Skinner. He knew he had that look on his face when he looked at Kim. He shook his head in chagrin. Man the agent had it bad, he thought. It was nice to see but a problem in this particular situation. The voice came from Dana Scully, Mulder's partner. Mulder and Scully were deeply in love. That much was obvious. And, partners were not supposed to be lovers. Against Bureau policy. What a crock of shit, Walter thought. He knew he was supposed to enforce that rule. But this situation went way beyond all that crap. There was way too much water under the bridge between all three of them. Enough water to drown the fucking rules in a deluge. Maybe Mulder should get off his duff and ask Scully to marry him for Christ sake, Skinner mused for a moment. It was something he almost considered talking to Mulder about at some point in the future. He filed the thought away for a convenient time. Walter looked back up at Mulder again. The younger man was looking right past him.

"Sir, what are you doing here?" Scully was saying as she approached them.

Walter turned to see Dana Scully striding confidently through the living room grouping in back of them. She drew close and touched him briefly on the arm. A lot had transpired between Skinner and Scully. They had been lovers, albeit briefly, and now they were friends, albeit cautious in that friendship. But Walter knew that Scully respected, liked and trusted him now and he valued that very much. She was also very appreciative of his support and guarded friendship with Mulder. Walter looked out for Mulder a bit more now. Went to bat for him and tended to stay out of his way more. Mulder's work life had become much more easy because of the situation. Scully was also a very close friend with Kimberly now and Walter appreciated that even more. He sensed that Scully was looking out for his wife a bit. Almost in a sisterly fashion. Walter felt good about that too.

"Buying a new couch, I think," Skinner smiled easily at her as she crossed and took Mulder's hand in hers. Walter thought they looked incredibly young in that moment. Like college sweethearts or something. He felt a tight feeling in his chest.

She laughed and then Mulder did turn obviously red.

"Did Mulder tell you he's buying a new couch too?" she asked

"Yeah, he did."

"Did he tell you why?" she smiled wide and squeezed Mulder's hand.

"Oh Christ, Scully," Mulder's voice cracked, "Come on, don't go there, Ok?"

"No he didn't," Skinner joined in Scully's fun at needling Mulder. The agent was really squirming and Scully's blue eyes were dancing.

"Well let's just say the phrase *come and go* was descriptive of the event," Scully laughed.

"That's it, I'm out of here," Mulder was grinning wide despite his embarrassment. Skinner felt his ears go a little hot too. Well well. So there was maybe more than one wild morning in Arlington he thought.

"So the couch was a victim in a crime of passion?" Skinner asked looking Mulder in the eye with his best deadpan AD expression.

"My poor couch," Mulder sighed. "Faithful. Kind. Steadfast. Loyal. Obedient."

"You make it sound like a dog," Skinner rumbled.

"Well, it was a bit of a dog," Scully continued to laugh.

"I'd agree there," Skinner nodded.

"Oh come on. It was a classic," Mulder disagreed, trying to frown and not succeeding.

"Classic my ass," Scully chortled. "My ass, no kidding. God, those damn springs. It just couldn't hold up, Walter. But it went out in a blaze of glory," Scully added casting a wry grin in Mulder's direction.

"What a way to go," Skinner barked a laugh and then all three of them were laughing together. It felt good. Skinner thought. Damn good.

As soon as they all caught their breath Walter glanced at his watch.

"Oh hell. I have to meet Kim by the entrance. She's gonna kick my ass. I was supposed to scope out a sofa."

"Well, maybe you should show her something in a futon," Mulder chuckled.

"Yeah, I'd better have something to show her. Well..." he ended awkwardly.

"Tell Kim, I'll call her later," Scully smiled up at him.

"Sure. I'll do that. I'll see you later," he nodded, and turning left their side.

Scully turned to Mulder and started laughing all over again at the expression on his face.

"He's never going to let me live it down," he shook his head at her.

She sagged against him in her laughter, and he kissed her hand.

"Come on, let's go replace old faithful," he hugged her against him and then they walked off hand and hand.

xXx

At the entrance, Walter spied Kimberly immediately. She waved excitedly to him.

He hurried over to where she was standing.

"Sorry I'm late. I ran into Mulder."

"Mulder?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Yeah he was back in the futon department buying a new couch. Scully was with him."

"New couch? Whoa, call *The Guinness Book of World Records*," Kim laughed.

"No kidding."

"What happened to the leather monster?"

"I got the impression it couldn't handle the heat," Walter grinned.

"No?" Kim started to giggle.

"Yeah. I think it broke down under the pressure. They came and it went. Went out in a blaze of glory though like a good soldier."

"Oh God. Well it sounds like Arlington was really bopping this morning," she grinned. Walter turned red and she laughed even harder.

"All right, Mrs. Skinner, " he growled, "Enough of that shit. What was all that frantic waving about a second ago."

"Oh. Come on. I have to show you what I found.

xXx

The couch and coffee table were perfect. The couch was upholstered in a warm caramel colored material with a delicate pattern in it. The color matched Kim's eyes. The coffee table was a light color as well. Simple but stylishly elegant.

"So?" Kim was asking him as Walter sat on the couch. He glanced around the entire living room group. There were several nice pieces. A nice overstuffed recliner which he rather liked the look of as well. And a beautiful rocking chair which he had noticed Kimberly making eyes at as she watched him test the couch.

"This is great," he nodded feeling the material and underlying support of the soft cushions, "Yeah this one is a keeper I think. The coffee table too."

"Wonderful," Kim touched his shoulder briefly she turned and wandered about the group stopping at the recliner.

"Do you like this piece?" she gave him a sly smile.

"Just as much as you like the rocker, babe," he stood up and walked over to her, taking her in his arms.

"What?" she whispered into his eyes.

"We'll take the rocker, too," Walter smiled back at her. He kissed her gently on the cheek, and then pulled back letting her go.

"Oh thank you, honey," she breathed with excitement, "It's so beautiful."

She sat down in the rocker and began to move it back and forth.

"I always dreamed about having one of these some day when...well when I had a baby to rock in one," she said quietly lost in the movement of the rocker and her own thoughts of motherhood for a moment.

Walter watched her and his heart swelled. God he loved her. More and more every day.

He sighed and she looked up.

"It suits you," he nodded and then he looked around the area to cover the wetness that had appeared in his eyes, "I'll roust a sales rep."

xXx

January 15, the J. Edgar Hoover Building...

Jana Cassidy was just ending her final remarks in Agent Sanchez's part of the OPR hearing. Walter Skinner sighed. It didn't look good. He had done the best he could but it looked like Sanchez and Burton were going down. It was a God damned shame. They were fine field agents. Good records. He shook his head and Cassidy droned on and on about the regulations on fraternization.

"Christ, she sounds like a broken record," he thought dismally as he looked at Sanchez sitting bolt upright in the hot seat in front of them all. The young Hispanic agent stared straight ahead, ramrod stiff, no fear showing on his face. Skinner had to admire his guts. He was going to lose his job today. Face career ruin. But he wasn't going to let anyone see how much it hurt.

Walter hated these proceedings. For obvious reasons it made him think of Mulder and Scully. His guts roiled. It all made him sick. Of course these fraternization hearings were a bit different. They would *process* Sanchez's partner, James Burton next. The two partners were both male. Gay. A death knell job wise. Oh sure, the Bureau wasn't discriminating here because they were gay necessarily. But they were going to hang them out to dry on the fraternization rule. Well that and the fact they'd been caught blowing each other in a bu-car on a stake-out.

But the fact they were gay was an unspoken rule for dismissal. Stupid rule. For obvious reasons Walter thought giving them the boot on the gay angle was idiotic as well. Vietnam and his dead lover John Rand jumped into his mind. God. Poor Georgia boy, John "Cracker" Rand. What would he have said about all this PC garbage?

"Sinnuh, this is mule shit, boy. Come on up here and take a ride instead," would have been pretty typical. Another hot night in Saigon and John's loving arms. Walter shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts. He needed to focus on Cassidy's voice to find out if there was any hope at all for Sanchez and Burton. He didn't think so. It sounded like the *Iron Maiden* was going to give them their walking papers. Fuck.

Walter had spoken in Sanchez's behalf all ready. He and Burton both were valuable investigators. Sanchez, in fact, was almost as gifted a profiler as Mulder. The young man was one of the reasons Mulder hadn't been assigned to as many VCS consults as of late. Walter mused over that fact. Mulder would not be happy to find out that was going to change. Nothing Walter had said had done much good. Jana Cassidy was plowing ahead like a steamroller and both agents were going to be crushed under her treads.

He glanced at his watch. Jesus it was 6 PM all ready. Well he had told Kim when he had called her at noon, that he would more than likely be late getting home. It couldn't he helped. She had understood of course. She always did. She remembered James Burton, the older agent, from her days at the Bureau. She had suspected he was gay but never said anything about it, bless her. She was upset to hear that he would more than likely be asked to hand in his badge and gun. She was doubly upset that it would be Walter who would have to take them from him.

"I'm so sorry, honey," she had told him over the phone.

"So am I Kim. He's a good man who made one mistake. This isn't right."

"I love you Walter. I'd better go. I have to leave for classes."

"OK, Babe. Are you feeling any better?"

"Not really. I think it's the flu maybe. I'm going to go to bed early when I get back. So if I'm asleep when you get home, don't worry."

"All right. I'll feed the cats."

Kim laughed. "Remember Darrow gets the Science Diet Lite"

"Right. Fat Cat," Walter grinned gently into the receiver.

"Bye, Mr. Skinner."

"Bye Mrs. Skinner," he'd ended the call and gone to lunch.

He hoped he didn't wake her when he got home. He'd try to be extra quiet so that she could get her rest. She'd been studying so hard it wouldn't surprise him if she had run herself down. He hoped it wasn't the flu. He knew what she hoped the feelings meant. Her period was over due. He smiled a little to himself. Maybe she was pregnant. The thought made him feel really good, warm, joyful...

"Assistant Director Skinner?" Jana Cassidy was saying breaking into his reverie.

Walter looked up at the AD of OPR.

"I'm sorry?" he asked tersely, clearing his throat.

xXx

"James, I regret this whole...mess. I can't tell you how..."

"Sir, it's...it's all right. You did everything you could do in there. I want to thank you." James Burton said quietly extending his hand. Walter Skinner walked forward and took it without hesitation, shaking it firmly.

"You might as well drop the sir, shit, Jim. Just call me Walter," he nodded releasing the now ex-agents hand."

Burton's gun, badge and resignation were on his desk blotter. Sanchez's were next to them.

"Walter, thanks again. I've enjoyed serving under you, really. You're a son of a bitch, but fair."

Walter barked a laugh, "I'll take that as a compliment."

The other man laughed as well, "Well, we always felt like we got a square deal with you. So yeah, it's a compliment."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment and then Burton straightened up.

Walter knew it was time to let him join the other man waiting outside in his reception area..

"Look, Jim. If there's anything I can do - references, recommendations - don't hesitate to call me."

Burton stood tall and pinned his eyes, "Thank you, Walter. I...I won't hesitate to call." He turned to go. Walter followed him to the door.

"Do you have any immediate plans? I mean, uh..." Walter wasn't sure what he wanted to say. He wanted to offer the guy a hand if he needed it. Money even or a place to stay if getting fired this way was going to be a problem. He knew they would more than likely never work in law enforcement again once the reason for their dismissal went into their files.

"As a matter of fact I do," his face brightened a bit and Walter felt a little more optimistic.

"Marco's family is located in New Mexico. They...well they've been marvelous really. I never expected, never hoped..." he became a little flustered and cleared his throat.

"Anyway, I guess I'm going to New Mexico. They have a huge cattle ranch down there. I dabble in painting a bit. I understand it's beautiful out there on their ranch. Should make for some great landscapes."

"That's great, James. Fantastic. Call me when you have your first gallery exhibit. I'm serious. Kim and I want invitations to your first opening."

"That I can do," he grinned shaking Skinner's hand one last time.

Skinner opened his office door. Marco Sanchez rose to his feet and smiled when he saw Skinner smiling and laughing with his lover. Relief was etched in every muscle of his body.

Walter Skinner watched as the older agent walked over to the younger man.

"Take care, both of you," he rumbled.

"Thank you, sir," they both replied in unison. Sanchez laughed and Burton took his hand as they walked out the reception room door.

Walter went back into his office to finish organizing his notes so Angela could type up the last of the paperwork for his files on Monday morning.

xXx

Walter quietly put the can of *Science Diet Lite* cat food in the recycling bin. He picked up the tumbler of bourbon he had poured for himself and sipped it as he watched Clarence and Darrow chow down at their respective bowls by the refrigerator.

"I guess you guys are both on a diet tonight," he whispered. He'd wearily forgotten to give Clarence regular food, tipping up the diet into both bowls before he even realized he'd done it. Walter sighed. Clarence wasn't complaining it seemed. He turned and headed out into the dining room and then through into the living room.

The living room group they had purchased three months before looked great. Walter chuckled a little when he remembered how he and Kimberly had inaugurated the couch when it had been delivered to the townhouse. God that had been some night he thought. He could believe Kim was well and goodly pregnant after the couch christening. He vaguely wondered if Mulder and Scully had given his new combination futon/bed a similar workout when it had been delivered to his dump of an apartment. Man, that thing must stick out like a sore thumb in there he smiled as he crossed over and sat down on the couch.

He had all ready been upstairs to check on Kim. She had been fast asleep curled up in a fetal position in their King sized bed. Walter had come back down to feed the felines. The suit coat had come off for comfort's sake. He just wanted to catch the late news on CNN before turning in.

He sat down on the couch, put the bourbon on the coffee table and took the TV remote into his hand. He pressed the on button. He quickly turned the volume down so as not to disturb his wife. The news was just starting and he settled back with a grunt, placing the remote nearby on the couch cushion. He loosened and then removed his tie, throwing it over the back of the couch. Clarence jumped up onto the couch back and brushed his hand as he was letting go of the tie.

"Sorry about the low fat food," he rumbled at the cat, lifting him down and placing him on his lap. The cat kneaded his pants.

"Hey, watch the wool. These are fucking Versace, fuzz ball," he chuckled, patting the cats humped back.

Clarence had become Walter's cat in the year that he and Kim had been married. Darrow was Kim's beast for sure, but Clarence had gravitated slowly towards Walter. Skinner found himself really liking the tabby. He was secretly flattered the sleek, proud Clarence instead of the fat, fawning Darrow had taken to him. But Kim doted on Darrow so it was ok. Each cat had his person and all was right with the world.

So now, Walter settled back, Clarence curling up on his lap, to watch the nightly nuthouse that was CNN News.

xXx

A strange hissing sound jolted Walter Skinner awake suddenly. What the fuck? he thought. He looked around confused. God it was hot and dark. Tropically hot and...it smelled like...lush...like lush foliage ...like jungle foliage. There was just enough moonlight to see the huge gum tree he was pissing against rising up into the canopy above.

"Sinnuh, hold still, luvuh..." a voice with a southern drawl whispered.

Skinner looked down below his waist, past the hand that held his pissing dick, and into the eyes of green death. He didn't move. Didn't breath. He held the eyes of the snake, willing it to go away. Willing it not to strike.

"Easy, Waltuh. Easy," John Rand whispered. He raised his rifle butt just a little bit and brought it down fast, catching the snake behind the neck, pinning it. The snake thrashed, helpless to strike out or even move as Cracker drew out his machete. He brought it down with a firm swing of his arm and the snake was neatly decapitated, it's head rolling to the side, eyes blinking. Skinner jumped back as the jaws snapped on air near his foot.

"Jesus," he breathed out raggedly.

"No shit, Big Dawg." Cracker gasped, "He must have been guiding my hand."

"Cambodian two step," Walter observed as the snake's body ceased to thrash about. He kicked it and then the head into the underbrush with the toe of his combat boot.

"Fuck, yes. It bites you, you take two steps..."

"..and die," Walter finished for the hazel eyed soldier from Georgia, "God, John. You saved my life."

"Or your dick at least, Sinnuh," he laughed quietly," Ah wouldn't want anything to happen to that big gun of yours," he added as Walter shook off. Cracker Rand placed his rifle and machete against the tree they had been standing next too and walked over to stand in front of Walter. He reached down and stroked Skinner's cock. Walter sighed and ran his hand down Cracker's face.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," he whispered as Cracker moved his hand up and down Walter's hardening length. They were still within walking distance of the barracks after all. The snake might not be the only set of eyes out tonight.

"It's been days Walter. I...I just needed to touch you. Be with you, son."

Walter nodded looking into John's, sad gaze. Cracker's sensuous lower lip was trembling slightly with his passion.

"I know John. I know," Walter replied leaning forward and kissing that soft lip.

Cracker moaned.

When Walter pulled away, Cracker slowly knelt before him and Walter leaned back against the tree. Touching him tenderly, Cracker took Walter's cock in his hand, lifted it to his mouth, and began to swallow it.

Walter Skinner thought distantly that despite the searing pleasure in this act, something was wrong. Not the act as such. He loved John. He knew he did. This was so right. So good. But there was something...something...odd.

He began to buck his hips, pumping his cock into John's mouth, deep down his throat. He grunted in time with his thrusts as Cracker sucked and licked him hard.

He shut his eyes and rode the sensations. It was so fucking fantastic. So tight, so wet. So...oh Jesus Christ. He opened his mouth to groan encouragement to his lover.

"Oh God, Kim, that's so gggood." Kim, who the fuck is Kim? he thought and then he crashed over into a mind blowing orgasm and all that he knew was his thrusting hips, his erupting cock, and John's hot, wet, talented mouth.

Later he sat below the gum tree, in the semi-darkness, with John's head in his lap. He was stroking John's hair. What little of it he had with his Marine issue hair cut.

He had blown John too and loved every minute of it but despite the satisfaction and the beautiful feelings of the moment, something still nagged at him.

"Cracker?"

"Yeah, Sinnuh?'

"Do we have a guy in the unit named Kim? I don't...I mean, I can't..."

"Not in the unit, Waltuh," John Rand sighed.

"Then who the fuck is Kim and why did I yell out that name?" Walter asked very bewildered.

Cracker sat up and pulled back to sit cross legged in front of Walter. There was a wry, somewhat sad smile on his face.

"Kim is the reason we probably won't be doin' the wild thang much longer, Big Dawg," he chuckled slightly.

"What the hell?" Walter asked.

"Kim, or rather Kimberly, is your wife, Waltuh. Ah mean don't you remember your own woman, boy," Cracker barked a quick mischievous laugh.

"Wife? I've never been married you stupid hillbilly. I don't have a wife..." his voice trailed off. The more he protested the less he believed what he was saying. A vision of an angelic woman jumped into his mind. A woman with soft caramel eyes and a musical, easy laugh.

"Ah see you haven't forgotten, her Waltuh. Good. That's as it should be, luvuh. You're with her now, body and soul. Our time is almost through. And that's the way it should be too, Sinnuh."

"John, I don't understand."

"Waltuh, just remember this one thing. Love her. No matter what happens - love her and everything else will take care of itself eventually. It won't be easy for a while but in the end all the trouble will be worth it. Believe me. It will be worth it for all of us."

Skinner stared into the hazel eyes of the boy from Georgia. The hazel eyes flecked with gold were very intense.

"All right John I do love her. I love her more than life itself," he whispered, "but I don't want to lose you."

"Oh you won't be losing me exactly Big Dawg. And anyway. Ah'll still be around for a bit here. Ah don't intend to go AWOL just yet," he smiled wide.

Skinner nodded his head.

"So do we agree here, Waltuh? Do we have a deal?" Cracker asked as he stretched his hands up above his head. He stretched as Walter Skinner slowly nodded his head in the affirmative. Skinner watched him stretch and flex, stretch and flex his back and hands. He arched up and Skinner thought he looked all the world like a great big hazel eyed....

Cat...

"Christ Clarence, get off my face, I can't breath," Skinner choked pitching the sleeping feline onto the floor. Clarence flicked his tail, once, very disdainfully, and flounced off in the direction of the kitchen.

Walter sat up blinking hard. Fuck. He'd fallen asleep on the couch. He was disorientated for a moment. The TV was showing noisy hissing static so he grabbed the remote and powered it down. He must have switched channels at some point and not even known it. Dead air didn't appear on CNN as a rule.

He knew he'd been dreaming about Nam. It hadn't been a nightmare exactly but it had been weird. John had been in it. John sucking him off. Kim, was Kim in the dream? Jesus. The memory was just out of reach. He shook his head to try to dislodge it but it didn't do any good. He ran his hand over the back of his neck and snapped it quickly, moving his vertebrae with a satisfying crack.

Well at least it was Saturday he thought glancing at his watch. Five AM. Shit. He'd better go up and at least try to look like he'd slept next to his wife. Poor Kim. She'd be scared to death if she woke up and thought he hadn't made it home.

Skinner hastened to rise and go upstairs as quickly as his groggy legs could carry him.

He opened the door to their bedroom and saw Kimberly, lying on her back now, still fast asleep. He smiled gently at the sight and just as he did so, Darrow, his tail waving, streaked past him.

"Darrow, no!" he hissed as the cat, desperate to see his mistress, launched himself through the air and landed squarely on Kimberly's stomach.

"God damn you," Skinner growled coming in after him. Kimberly yelped and picking Darrow up, tossed him onto the floor.

"Darrow, you fat piece of shit," Walter grated, coming over to the edge of the bed as Kim held her stomach and winced.

"No, it's all right, Walter. He...it's just that..."

"What's wrong honey?" Walter asked with concern hastening to sit down next to her and pull her close, rubbing her shoulder, "flu?"

"No, I have cramps. I got my period," she mumbled against his chest.

"Oh," he answered quietly. Oh shit, he thought. He knew she had gotten her hopes up. This was the first real instance, the first real possibility that she might have been pregnant.

"Well uh..." he was somewhat at a loss for words.

"It's ok. I shouldn't get my hopes up like this. But I thought...well you know."

"Yeah, I know, babe. But maybe it's just too soon yet," he replied kissing the top of her head. God with as much as they'd been making love lately if she wasn't pregnant...A niggling fear gripped Walter Skinner for a moment. Oh brother, he hoped there wasn't anything...wrong. He shook his head. Hell, he didn't even want to think about it. No, it was just taking a while for the effects of the birth control to wear off. Kimberly was only 31. She was healthy. Strong, and in shape. There was nothing wrong.

"Would you like me to rub your stomach, babe?" he asked her quietly.

"My back," she nodded against him.

"Ok. lie down on your stomach then. Walter Skinner, masseur at your service," he grinned patting the mattress.

Kimberly scooted back down and turned over slowly to lie under his hands. He sat next to her and began to gently rub her back just above her hips.

"How's this?" he asked.

"Feels wonderful honey."

He continued to rub. Finally Kim did turn back over and he started to gently massage her stomach as well. She shut her eyes.

"So I take it you slept on the couch?" she asked after a minute or two.

"Yeah, I...I sat down to watch CNN...I guess I was pretty beat."

"Walter...I'm really sorry about Burton and Sanchez."

Walter sighed, "Yeah, me too Kim."

"Did you sleep all right on the couch?"

"All right. But it would have been better up here," he smiled

Kim smiled, stretching a little under his warm hands, as they continued to make a circular motion on her abdomen.

"Did you take some Tylenol or something?" he whispered.

"Midol."

"Is it helping?"

"Yeah, actually it is helping finally," she nodded, opening her eyes back up and staring into his.

She looked so exquisite. Walter's heart flipped in his chest. He brought a hand up and stroked her cheek.

"Kim. We'll...we can keep trying. We'll get pregnant. I mean..."

"I know, Walter. It's all right. Like I said I just got my hopes up, that's all. And I know we'll keep trying." she grinned a little back at him.

Walter's smile widened, "No question," he agreed.

"Honey, I could use some coffee," Kim said rolling slightly to look at the clock. It was nearly 6 AM now, "And we need to think about going for groceries later."

"Yeah, I used up the last can of fat cat food last night. We'd better get to the store or there'll be a mutiny around here."

As if on cue both Clarence and Darrow jumped up on the bed and sauntered around as if they owned the entire house.

"Maybe it's started all ready," Kimberly laughed as Walter crossed his arms and pretended to scowl at the posturing feline's display.

xXx

Several miles away, but still in Arlington...

"Oh God, Mulder, just...oh God." Dana Scully's voice was cut off abruptly as Mulder thrust forward into her while rubbing her taunt clit with a swift, hard circular motion.

"That's it, that's it," he groaned as she threw her head back. He supported her with one arm as she writhed in his lap.

"Uhhhhh," she moaned, coming in one great rushing wave.

They were seated on his new futon couch in the living room of Mulder's apartment and they'd been screwing each other senseless half the night and into the morning. This was proving to be one of their rare marathon sessions and they were determined to pleasure each other for hours on end while they were between cases and had the idle weekend at home.

Scully was screaming an open mouthed silent shriek, as she crashed over, clenching tight around Mulder's cock as he drove into her hard.

"Oh Ffffuck!" he groaned low in his throat. Then he exploded violently into her. Both of them slammed against each other, wringing out as much of the joint orgasm as they could.

Mulder's sweat drenched hair splattered water on the wall in back of him as he arched back, yelling in the final moments of ecstasy. It was too damn good. More then he ever had a right to hope it would be, he thought dimly as he watched Dana trembling through the final spasms of her climax.

"Oh My God," she finally breathed out, coming back to herself. She fell forward against him and he collapsed against the futon's back.

"Damn," he smiled wide at her.

"How the hell did you do that?" she laughed breathlessly against his chest.

"What?"

"Keep going like that for - how long was it?" she asked looking at the clock over on his desk.

"Don't say it. My head's big enough all ready, Scully," he chuckled wryly.

"Well far be it for me to contribute to the Mulder ego," she grinned sitting up to look into his eyes. He was still inside her and the feeling of her body pulsing even over his flaccid cock was so erotic he had to swallow hard.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Oh, God, Scully..." he replied softly, "I love you too."

She shifted to pull up so he could pull out and then they lay down together side by side on the couch. The new one was wider than the old couch had been. It was black though like old faithful had been, but it was vastly more comfortable. And if necessary it could be folded out to serve as a bed. But they never seemed to get that far Scully thought. Not that she cared. Fucking Mulder on a couch had practically become a time honored tradition by this point in their relationship.

Mulder stroked her hair.

"We'd better eat something. Shower. Something..." Mulder's voice trailed off. He was close to falling asleep.

"Something..." Scully smiled, turning into his chest.

They were silent for a few minutes.

"Mulder?"

"Hmmm?"

"Kim thinks she might be pregnant." Scully replied quietly.

Mulder shifted up slightly and looked down at the top of her head. Oh hell, he thought. He hoped she wasn't...that she didn't start thinking about not being able to have kids again. This still saddened Mulder deeply. Everything about Scully's sterility made him guilty, ashamed and ill. He blamed himself for it all. It made him wish that Scully had never met him. If she hadn't she'd probably be happily married with a bunch of kids and practicing medicine in some friendly little town. Or she would have been a crack field agent on the road to becoming a SAC, or teaching forensics at Quantico or...

But instead she was with him, infertile, and in danger for her very life 24/7. Quite frankly he didn't know why she even stayed with him.

"Does Walter know?" he asked struggling to keep his voice upbeat.

"Not yet. She was going to do a home pregnancy test last night before he got home and then if she is she'll surprise him with the news this morning."

"Well I guess if we hear a bellow coming from the direction of George Mason Drive we'll know why," Mulder answered, kissing Scully's hair.

Scully snuggled close. She knew that with Kim pregnant the circumstances of her condition in contrast with her inability to produce a child might make Mulder fall into a terrible guilt trip. It was the last thing Dana Scully wanted to have happen. The main reason she brought up the subject at all was because she knew this and she wanted to make Mulder realize that her sterility was not his fault and that he had no control over what had happened to her.

"Mulder you know I'd never blame you for what happened, don't you? You're not to blame for my...infertility. She felt him move against her, tensing. He clenched and unclenched one of his hands.

"Scully, I...I guess I know that logically of course. But there's a part of me in here that rejects every bit of that logic," he replied quietly pointing towards his heart.

Scully sighed and levered up to lean on his chest. She looked in his eyes.

"Mulder, it doesn't matter. I mean it. I love you. I don't blame you. Do you hear me? Let that sink in here," she said with gravity placing her hand over his heart, "let it sink in deep," she added kissing the spot gently. She looked up at him from under her eyelashes as she kissed him. "Mulder?" she asked still not sure what was going on his mind.

"It's ok, Scully. Really. I...I understand.

She nodded and ran her hand through his chest hair. His brow was still creasing. She waited patiently for him to open up and say what else was on his mind.

"Scully?" he asked licking his lip slightly.

"Yes, Mulder."

"Did you ever...I mean give serious thought to well, you know...having kids with me," he looked at her carefully.

"What?" she couldn't help chuckling a little.

Mulder raised an eyebrow. His expression was caught somewhere between being hurt and amused at the same time.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. But - you have such a way of changing gears on me."

He smiled wryly, "Yeah, I know - it's...Spooky."

"Well. Spooky. For your information - yes. I thought about having little Spookys with you more than once," she replied kissing his left nipple.

"Really?" he smiled wider.

"Really."

He looked at her eyes very closely, studying her for a moment. Something passed over his face that made Scully's heart almost stop in her chest with emotion.

"Well, then. Did you ever give serious thought to marrying me, Scully?" he asked quietly.

"Oh Mulder..." she whispered.

He looked away thinking her answer had been in the negative. She grabbed his chin hard and turned his head to face her again.

"Are you asking me to marry you?" she asked him in a low voice.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he replied giving her his lopsided smile.

Scully's whole face lit up and she smiled a tremendous grin of her own at him. Then she began to laugh again. And this time she couldn't stop it, and it was from pure joy.

"What?" Mulder asked momentarily stunned and confused.

"Mulder? Where the hell is the candlelit dinner? The violins?"

"Would you settle for mouth music?" he smirked back at her.

"God! You have some nerve. Why aren't you down on your knees?"

"Hey, I'm on my back..."

"What balls, Mulder! Where's my damn ring?"

"Yeah, let's talk about my balls some more," he was laughing too now, getting breathless.

"Mulder you never do anything conventionally do you?"

He shrugged and brought both of his hands up in a gesture of surrender. Scully grabbed them and then taking them in both her hands, lifted them up, pinning his arms over his head. She sank down over him and captured his mouth. His lips opened instantly and they devoured each other, tongues warring, mouths moving over each other hungrily. She released his hands and he gripped her head deepening the kiss even further.

When she broke the kiss, Mulder was gasping.

"God, is that a yes?" he asked, his eyes open wide, and his voice hoarse with passion.

"It's a yes."

"Seriously?" he asked, still unsure. He asked half in disbelief that he had finally asked her, and half in disbelief that she had said yes so simply. So easily. But when he looked deeply into her dancing blue eyes all disbelief was erased at last.

She nodded her head, her red air bouncing free. Mulder smiled wide. He didn't know what else to say. His stomach growled loudly and they both laughed even more hard.

"Jesus, I'm hungry? Are you hungry?" he replied, running his hands through her hair.

"Starving. Now, come on Marathon Man, I'll fix you some breakfast," she laughed, patting his chest.

xXx

March 1. Friday - The Office of the Assistant Director...

Walter Skinner sat staring at Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they sat in the chairs in front of his desk. Ostensibly they were in the hot seat. Or rather the hot seats. Both had been trying to make themselves as invisible as possible. That worked as long as one of them wasn't talking. But the invisible agent routine didn't last for long. Walter was working up to roasting them both against his better judgment. It was inevitable given his overall state of mind. He was now listening to Mulder drone on and on about what had gone to hell on their last case. But only part of his mind was listening. The other part was miles away.

He was thinking of the events of last night and what was going to happen after lunch.

The night before, Kimberly had cried in his arms. She had finally hit the wall emotionally with everything that had transpired over the last several months. They had made love and afterwards Kim had burst into tears. For months they had tried, and tried again with no results. No baby. The week before, at the end of February, Kim had gone for extensive tests at Arlington Hospital to see why she was unable to conceive.

The tests and the elaborate informational probing by both Kim's regular gynecologist, Dr. Liz Crawford, and the fertility specialist she was consulting with had been intrusive, embarrassing and in some cases painful. Kim had kept a stiff upper lip during the entire ordeal. But it hadn't been easy. Then, finally last night she had lost it. Walter's heart had seared in his chest to see her crying. Her anguish was horrible. It just became suddenly too much and she fell apart under the strain. The test results would be back the next day, Friday, today. They were scheduled to see Dr. Crawford at 4 PM in her office.

So, last night, Walter held her in bed and rocked her until she had finally stopped crying and fallen asleep, in utter exhaustion. Then Walter couldn't sleep for most of the night. He spent the time staring at the ceiling brooding about the events. He was due to see his own doctor, Jackson Fuller, on Monday. They were going to cover all the bases. He would have seen him sooner but the job and Jackson's schedule had necessitated delaying the appointment. So he worried about Kim's results and he worried also about his own prognosis. All in all it kept him awake.

When he finally did fall asleep he had yet another nightmare. They had been coming at regular intervals since the first strange dream he had had months before with John and the snake. Now they were more violent often ending with his platoon being massacred or a very disturbing image of one of the men in his unit stabbing a Vietnamese elder over and over in the stomach. He dreamt about Cracker several times and those were always a welcome respite because they were a little more quiet and peaceful or as funny as hell and he wouldn't wake up screaming. The others drove him into yowling fits. Poor Kim. Christ on a crutch. She was trying to get used to his yells and thrashing. He explained that he was having war nightmares again. He told her if they didn't go away soon he'd go back into counseling rather than keep waking her with his screams. Last night he had accidentally hit her in the chest when he woke up. Once he got her relaxed and sleeping again, he had spent a half hour or so crying silently himself until he finally drifted off.

He had gotten up in the morning with the start of a brain bursting headache teasing his frontal lobe. Now the headache crushed his skull like a vice. He felt slightly sick to his stomach. He really didn't want to be sitting here he thought. No way in hell. Mulder was getting to a critical point in his report and Walter knew he had only half caught what he'd been saying. He looked into the younger man's face. Jesus what did he say a second ago, he thought with chagrin.

He ran one large hand over his face.

Scully looked over at Skinner as he ran his hand over his face. Her mind jumped instantly to Kimberly and what she knew Kim and Walter were going through.

Since the morning Mulder had asked Scully to marry him, Dana had been rather preoccupied. She knew Walter and Kimberly were trying to start a family. She was aware peripherally that there was a problem with their efforts in that area. But with thoughts of just how she and Mulder were going to go about accomplishing the next step in their relationship paramount in her mind, she hadn't given Kim and Walter's situation much attention. Evidently, She and Mulder were going to have a long engagement. They had just got around to shopping for rings as a matter-of-fact. They were on special order at the jeweler. It just seemed that once they had made the commitment there didn't seem to be a head long rush to the altar. In the long run, Scully didn't mind this at all. The job and their other obligations, her family, his mother, were taking up a lot of their time. Planning a wedding was on the back burner. They could afford to take their time and plan for success. They had even been waiting to tell people the news until they got the rings. Waiting gave them time. And waiting finally also gave Scully the time to concentrate on Kimberly and Walter. When she did focus on Kim again she was called on to be a very good friend indeed.

As she studied Skinner she sighed. She had gone to their townhouse for lunch on Wednesday afternoon. Scully had taken the afternoon off because Kim had sounded so depressed when she had called to talk on Tuesday after she and Mulder had gotten back from Milwaukee. Scully had made the date on Wednesday and then told Mulder she needed the time off. When she arrived at the townhouse, Kim hadn't been her usual upbeat and fun self at all. She looked tired and upset. They had eaten lunch, making idle small talk. Afterwards, when they were seated on the couch in the townhouse living room and drinking coffee, the reason for Kim's distress came out.

"Dana, I...I don't know what's wrong. Walter and I have made love so much over the last several months I mean - God. I can't imagine how I can't be pregnant. I'm so worried over the test results. I'm just...it's horrible. And the waiting is the worst. We have to wait until Friday to find out what the hell is going on with my body."

"I'm so sorry, Honey" Scully replied. "I know this is tremendously upsetting. Walter's been supportive though, hasn't he? I can't imagine..."

"Oh God, he's been wonderful, Dana. I couldn't ask for more support. But he's very worried about me and I think to some degree about himself as well. He has an appointment with his doctor on Monday. He said he wants to cover all the bases. God, who knows at this point. He's going with me on Friday of course."

Scully nodded and touched her friends hand. She could relate very well to being upset about not being able to conceive. It was something she would more than likely have to deal with for the rest of her life. She supposed that if she and Mulder really wanted children they could adopt. Adoption was an altruistic option as well and rather appealing. But she would of course have considered giving Mulder a son or daughter if given the choice. She knew Kim wanted to give Walter a child. It was sad to see her suffering now when something seemed to be amiss in the process.

"I'm glad Walter is going with me on Friday. I'll need his strength. I hope to God I'm not sterile Dana I...oh Lord, I'm sorry honey, I didn't mean to say that..." Kimberly started to tear up a little as she looked into the face of her friend.

Scully slid over across the couch and embraced Kim tight as she began to sniffle. She held back her own tears as best she could so as not to further upset her friend.

"It's all right, Kim. Don't worry about being guarded around me about this issue. I...I guess I'm in a unique position to help you deal with whatever you may have to face. I'll be here for you. Lean on me, Hon. I may be short, but I have a strong backbone. And my shoulders are wider then they look too," she smiled into Kim's watering eyes.

"Thank you Dana. I...I can't thank you enough."

"If there's anything I can do, or Mulder can do too for that matter, don't hesitate to ask."

"Well, there is something Fox could do if you'd mention it to him."

"What?"

Kimberly sighed and moved away from Dana to get some Kleenex from a box on one of the end tables that sat on either end of the couch. She blew her nose and shoved the tissue into her pocket. Scully waited patiently for her to get to the point.

"Dana, I think it would help Walter if Fox just...if he spent a little time with him to see if Walter needs to talk. You know - man to man."

"About the possibility he may be the problem here?"

"Yes, that, and...Dana he's been having nightmares again."

"Vietnam nightmares?"

"Yes."

Dana studied Kim carefully. This was something neither of them had talked about. She was on shaky ground here. Scully had no idea how much Walter had told Kim about his Vietnam experiences. Oh, she knew Kim understood about Walter's platoon being wiped out and about his wounds. What she didn't know was whether Walter had told Kim about John *Cracker* Rand.

"Did he tell you what the nightmares were about?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Not in detail. I think he wants to spare me some of it Dana. His unit being wiped out. John Rand dying. All those things are incredibly painful for him. I know the general content of a lot of the dreams. But he doesn't describe the blow by blow action."

"Then he talks about Cracker Rand?"

"How did you know his nickname was Cracker?" Kimberly asked with a furrowed brow.

Dana wondered how much she should say now. She knew Kimberly wouldn't appreciate a lie. She decided to try to be as honest as possible without dragging in the supernatural aspects, the X-File slant of Cracker Rand's aid in rescuing Walter from Marita and Krycek. She didn't know how Kim would react if she told her Cracker's ghost had been a walk in - that he'd walked into Fox Mulder and kept Walter alive after he'd been raped, and almost beaten to death by Alex Krycek.

"Walter told me about John Rand that night in the Boys Home, Kim. He said that he and John were...that...well..." she felt herself blushing and cursed silently for doing it.

"Walter told you they were lovers, didn't he?" Kim replied slowly.

"Yeah, he did," Scully replied looking down at her hands.

"Well. Men...men do things during war time that they wouldn't normally do otherwise I think, Dana. At least that's what I've tried to tell myself..." Kim began.

"But it bothers you?"

"A little. I think Walter was in love with him. That bothers me a bit. I can deal with it though. But it bothers me more to think he loved him and the poor man was killed in such a horrendous way. It must have been terrible for Walter. I can barely think about it. I don't know what I would have done if something like that had happened to me. No wonder he has nightmares. I would be afraid to even go to sleep if someone I loved that much was killed in front of me," Kim concluded in a whisper.

Dana moved forward and hugged her tight again. Kim chuckled a little.

"What?" she asked with a little smile.

"Oh Kim. Did anyone ever tell you, you're an angel."

"Walter - and so many times I've lost count." she laughed a little. Her face grew very soft for a moment.

"He's an angel too, Dana. Even if most of his agents think he's the Devil incarnate sometimes. He's been a saint to me, Dana. I...Oh I'd better stop going on this way. I'll end up using the whole bloody box of Kleenex," she sniffled again, reaching for more.

The rest of the afternoon had been spent in quiet and less upsetting conversation. Dana had left assuring Kim that she would speak to Mulder about getting together with Walter, and that as soon as she found out the test results she should call and let Scully know. If she wanted Dana to come comfort her that would be fine too. Kim gave her a hug and kiss when she left. Once she saw Mulder that evening she had spoken to him about talking to Walter. Unfortunately they were still trying to schedule a time to get together. As Scully watched Walter rub his chin she thought, God, with the way things are going here they may be trading blows rather than talking about Walter's nightmares. She watched as the AD came back into focus and began to speak.

"Now let me get this straight," he hissed from between clenched teeth. He had the copy of their report clenched in his hands and his eyes were black, his face a tense mask, "he took your gun in the men's room of the gay bar?"

"Yes sir, that is correct. But Scully did get it back sir."

"I see that here. Agent Mulder."

"And you trailed this...what was his name?" Walter glanced down into the report.

"Jonathan Walker, aka Count Milwaukee."

"The vampire?" Walter glared at Mulder.

"Sir, Mr. Walker was clearly operating under the delusion that he was a vampire. He avoided sunlight. Was afraid of religious symbols as evidenced by his dropping Agent Mulder's gun when I brandished my cross. He slept during the day in a coffin, dressed in black..." Scully began to hurriedly explain.

"Drank the blood of his four victims - the reason the Milwaukee Bureau called us out there if I could remind you sir..."

"I don't need to be reminded of that, Agent Mulder. I'm more than aware of it."

"Then if I could ask you what your point is, sir?" Mulder asked with a touch of annoyance in his voice. Scully winced. She knew that was a mistake. She was soon proven to be correct. Walter's face flushed beet red and when he spoke his voice rolled to a roar with every word.

"THE POINT IS YOU LOST YOUR GOD DAMNED GUN!" he bellowed rising in his chair.

"Walter!" Scully blurted out in alarm. He frightened her for a moment with both his violence and the idea that if he kept it up he'd have an apoplectic stroke. His face was as red as the stripes in his tie.

Walter Skinner looked at his two agents and suddenly realized he had completely lost it. Oh fuck, he thought. He was on a full anger bender over something that with Fox Mulder was practically routine after 5 years. He was blowing it all up way out of proportion. This is wrong. Way wrong. The headache that had been crushing his skull all morning throbbed anew behind his eyes. He felt dizzy suddenly. He sat down hard in his chair. Scully was up like a shot and around to stand next to him. She made to take his wrist and he swatted her hand away.

"I'm fine, Scully, back off," he growled. Scully stood her ground and took his wrist in a firm grasp.

"Calm down," she hissed, "Did you get dizzy? You looked faint, Walter." She felt for his pulse. Glancing at Mulder she hissed, "Go get him a glass of water." Mulder turned without comment and headed for Skinner's executive bathroom.

Skinner looked up at her. "If you're implying I'm having a heart attack give it a rest, Scully. I'm all right."

"I was thinking more in line of a stroke. Walter you didn't look all right. You looked stricken. Now cut the crap. I know what kind of strain you've been under. I talked to Kim on Wednesday you know. Now let us help you for God's sake and shut up."

Walter looked up into her face. He saw the worry there for both him and for Kim. He let his breath out in a long sigh. Resignation made his shoulders slump a bit. He really did want someone to talk to. Someone to just help shoulder the burden for a minute. And these two people were more than just his agents now. They were his friends as well. He nodded and let the tense frown leave his face and his arm relax in Scully's hand.

"That's more like it, Walter," Scully smiled a little.

"I'm just...I'm sorry. Really. The strain - hell yeah I've been under a lot of strain. Christ all mighty, Scully. I haven't been sleeping well at all. I suppose Kim told you the nightmares are back with a fucking vengeance. The job's making my guts broil and shit, this morning...this morning I have a massive headache. And this afternoon..." he let his voice trail off.

"I know, Walter, I know," Scully answered releasing his wrist and patting him on the shoulder briefly before she stepped back.

Skinner glanced at her again, "I just...it just got to me I guess," he ended mumbling in embarrassment.

Mulder returned with the glass of water.

Scully looked at Mulder and then spoke to Walter again, "Do you have some aspirin or something in your bathroom?"

"No actually, it's in the desk drawer, there," he replied. Mulder stepped forward and handed his boss the glass of water. He opened the right hand drawer for Walter and took out the bottle of Exedrin.

"Here you go, sir," Mulder said proffering the bottle.

"Thanks. And look. I'm sorry, Mulder. That was uncalled for. Losing your piece is bad, but not...Shit. How many times have you lost your weapon Agent Mulder? It's not like I haven't heard it before," he shook his head wryly. He was coming back to himself more now. Scully heaved a sigh of relief and stepped back around to the front of his desk again. Mulder did the same.

"Skinner shook out two Exedrin from the bottle and downed them. The water followed and he swallowed hard, closing his eyes.

"Listen. Let me read through the report again. I'll...we'll meet back here Monday at 10 AM. Let's just go over it all again then. You're dismissed," he said quietly placing the empty water glass on his desk blotter. He bent his head down slightly, slid his glasses up, and rubbed between his eyes.

Mulder looked at Scully and motioned for her to go ahead without him. Scully nodded. She crossed to the door and let herself quietly out. Mulder stood in front of Skinner's desk for a moment. When Walter didn't look at him he cleared his throat.

"I said you were dismissed, Mulder," Walter replied quietly.

"Permission to speak, sir," Mulder stated formerly.

Walter looked up at him and blinked back the headache bleeriness of his vision. The pain was receding a bit. Now that he wasn't shouting like a bull moose and had done a few moments of relaxation technique he felt marginally better. He nodded wanly at Mulder and then waved him to sit back down.

"Oh, fuck, Mulder. Sit down. Let's...let's just cut the chain of command shit for a minute here. What's on your mind?"

"More to the point, Walter. What's on yours?" Mulder asked as he sat back down in one of the chairs.

"Right now? How the hell I could have jumped down your throat like that Mulder. It was a total breach of..."

"Look, Walter, let's not talk about me for a few minutes ok. I'd like to...I guess what I'm trying to say is..."

"Your degree is talking, agent," he grated tersely looking away from Mulder and down at his hands for a second."

"Walter, my psychology credentials notwithstanding, I'd like to talk to you as a friend right now. I'd like to help you as a friend if you'll let me," Mulder replied very seriously. His voice was soothing. Calm. Walter looked back up and stared at him. For a moment he was disorientated again. He could have sworn the agent spoke in a Southern accent. The feeling passed quickly however and he threw all his concentration into the younger man's words, letting them wash over him like a cool, refreshing draft of water. He nodded his head.

"Yeah. I could use a friend right now. Thanks, Mulder," he answered simply and sincerely.

"I understand the nightmares are back," Mulder replied shifting the chair closer to the edge of Walter's desk.

"No shit. I haven't slept well in weeks, Mulder. They're horrible. Last night I saw John killed again. God," he shook his head.

"Have you contacted the VA group and your psychologist?" Mulder asked concerned etched in his face.

"Not yet. But shit...I'll have to soon. I can't take many more sleepless nights. And the screaming is scaring the hell out of Kim."

"I think contacting them might be a good idea."

"I know you're right, Mulder. I'll give them a call."

"Uh, have any of the dreams been, prophetic or seemed like a warning Walter? I mean has John said anything to you that..."

"No," Skinner shook his head grimly. He didn't like to think about John Rand walking into Mulder's body. He still had trouble believing any of that had taken place. When Scully and Mulder had tried to explain what had occurred in Hank Luttrells' car storage warehouse, he had almost rebelled at even hearing them out. But eventually he had and tried to understand. But he still had trouble wrapping his mind around the concept.

"No warnings or advice at all?" Mulder pushed him further.

"Well he did give me some advice. He told me to love Kim. To love her no matter what happened and in the end it would go well for all of us," Walter answered with a dismissing gesture of his hand, "That was an obvious thing for my own mind to have said. I don't think Cracker Rand had anything to do with my hearing that in a dream. So, I discounted it as my own head telling me to remember that I love my wife and I should support her."

"He said it would go well? Is that what he said - it would go well for all of us."

"No Mulder his exact words were - "Walter, just remember this one thing. Love her. No matter what happens - love her and everything else will take care of itself eventually. It won't be easy for a while but in the end all the trouble will be worth it. Believe me. It will be worth it for all of us."

Mulder pondered the words. Something about the way John's comment was worded bothered him. He just couldn't put his finger on it. If only he could make the connection. If only...Mulder shivered a bit. On the rare occasion since John had walked into his body he could almost sense him there again. It was a prickling sensation. As if someone were staring at him or standing behind his back.

Mulder wondered also if the feeling had something to do with the fact that he was also a Doppelganger for Rand. An eerie double, an identical twin of the dead soldier. Besides Rand's possession of him that had most certainly saved Walter's life, Mulder had even spoken with Rand in a dream in which the boy from Georgia had warned him Walter was in danger. He had to accept all of those events. Since Scully had witnessed the walk in and had reported it to him and the warning had proved to be all to real, Mulder could do nothing else but believe it all. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of some guy's ghost riding shotgun in his body. It was more than a little disconcerting. But it had happened and he'd have to face up to the idea. He just wished Walter was a little more willing to consider the possibility. He was maybe on the edge. But not quite there yet.

Now Mulder struggled to grasp the significance of the dead man's advice. Was it a warning. Was it prophetic? The answer was just out of reach. As if reading his mind, Walter spoke again.

"Are the words significant?"

"I'm not sure," Mulder replied with pursed lips, "I...I just don't know," he shrugged. He filed the information away for later consideration. He knew it would gnaw on him until he thought of why the words made his neck hairs stand up.

"Well, I can't worry about it right now in any event. I have more to occupy my fucking mind today," Skinner shook his head in dismay.

"So you're seeing Kim's doctor this afternoon?"

"Yeah."

"And your Doctor on Monday?"

"Ditto," Skinner sighed.

"Don't you think you should consider taking Monday off Walter? Our report can wait." Mulder pinned Skinner's eyes.

Skinner blinked at him, "Maybe..." he let his voice trail off.

Mulder realized his monosyllabic answers were an attempt to put Mulder off again. Skinner was obviously reluctant to discuss his personal affairs. Walter Skinner was an intensely private man. Even though Mulder was reaching out to him as a friend he was still balking at telling him any of his fears regarding his and Kim's failed attempts to conceive a baby. This was all too familiar territory for Mulder. He'd walked down this road numerous times with Scully. The road was a bumpy one where Scully was concerned as well. She was ever reluctant until more recently to confide her innermost thoughts on the subject. Mulder figured if Scully, as his lover, was a tough one to unbend then Walter Skinner would be even worse. He didn't think he was going to get any more out of Walter today. All he could do was make one last attempt and then offer his support.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly.

Skinner studied him for a minute. What could he say, he thought. Could he tell Mulder that his guts were rolling over and over with the thought that Kimberly would never be able to have a child and what that might do to her, and their relationship? Could he tell Mulder that he'd rather die than see his wife go through the agony of finding out she was sterile? Jesus what was he saying? Of course Mulder would be able to understand the sterility issue. God, he was probably having to deal with that matter on an every day basis with Scully. But Walter still couldn't bring himself to broach the subject with Mulder. It was too private, too intimate. And at any rate, if he was having his own bad time with Scully over the issue it wasn't fair to burden him with the same sad story from two directions.

Walter's own fears about himself would be kept to himself as well. No way in hell would he confide in Mulder that he was afraid he might be sterile. He'd always been worried about his war wounds. Deep down he'd wondered if there had been more damage then just the right kidney as the doctors had told him. Sure, none of the wounds intersected with his genitals but shit - those Mash Unit surgeons were never very subtle. For all he knew the rest of his plumbing was all fucked up and no one had bothered to tell him. But that was stupid. Jackson Fuller would certainly have told him something over the years wouldn't he? Walter shut his eyes as he pondered that thought. Mother Mary he hoped he would.

No, he just didn't want to talk to Mulder about any of it. Not right now. Maybe not ever.

"Look, Mulder..." he began with a shake of his head.

Mulder sighed a little and straightened up.

"I'm sorry. I just can't get into it all right now. It's...it's just too much before this appointment and..."

"Walter it's ok. I understand. But listen if I can be of any help, call me. I'd be more than happy to lend an ear or a shoulder if you need to lean on me for a while. Really. God knows you've...well you've been a hell of a lot more supportive to me and Scully too, I..."

"Mulder, uh, look...no problem. Don't worry about it. I'll call you if I need someone to lean on. Thanks. I really do appreciate it." Skinner nodded standing up to signify that the meeting was over.

Mulder stood as well and turned to walk to the door.

"And Mulder?"

"Yes, sir."

"Tell Scully I truly appreciate her being such a good friend to Kim. I don't think I exactly conveyed my feelings there. Would you make sure she knows it, Mulder?"

"No sweat, Walter. Good luck this afternoon. We'll...we'll be pulling for you both," Mulder replied as he opened Skinner's office door and made his quiet exit.

xXx

Lisa Bettis, Dr. Elizabeth Crawford's receptionist surveyed the waiting room with a grateful sigh. The crowd was thinning out at last. Only the 3 and 4 PM appointments were left. As she watched, the first couple, Greg and Colleen Franks were being ushered into the inner examining areas by one of the nurses.. Colleen was pregnant again. Lisa smiled as the woman took her kids and husband in tow and followed the nurse. This was her third. They were hoping for a little girl. She'd find out today with the ultrasound. Such a nice couple, Lisa thought.

She placed Colleen's chart off to the side and glanced over at Dr. Crawford's 4 PM. She knew the woman of course, Kimberly Skinner. A really nice person. Pleasant. Vivacious and intelligent. Could the man with her be her...husband? Lisa's brow furrowed a bit. He was quite a bit older then his wife if it was her husband. Lisa paged through Kim's chart. As her head was bent down over the file folder she sensed a presence in front of her. Someone cleared their throat.

"Excuse me. Do you have a men's room?"

Lisa jerked her eyes up and was greeted with the man in question looming right in front of her. Whoa, she thought. Her eyes were drawn to his waist for some reason. Maybe it was the fact that he had his hands on his hips. She noticed...Christ he has a gun.

Walter Skinner saw the receptionist's glance fall on his holstered Glock and her eyes grow suddenly wide. She became flustered and paged through the file in her hands. He had already observed that it was Kim's file. He pursed his lips and hastened to reassure her, taking her name from the tag on her sweater.

"Liz, it's all right. Let me show you my ID," he deliberately made his voice soft and even, calming. He reached into his suit coat's inner pocket and drew out the billfold with his badge and ID inside. He flipped it open and placed it carefully in front of the woman.

Lisa devoured the ID and relief spread through her body. God with all the crap that went on nowadays with extremist and abortion clinics she thought....the gun had just freaked her out for a moment. She smiled up at FBI Assistant Director, Walter S. Skinner.

"I'm sorry, the gun just had me worried for a minute."

"With justification," Walter rumbled, "It's never a bad idea to be cautious, Ms. Bettis. In any event..."

"Oh, I'm sorry. The men's room is over there, through that door and down that short hall to the left."

"Thank you," Walter replied. He took his ID back, re-pocketed it and sauntered off towards the indicated door.

Lisa watched him walk away. "Hmmm," she mused. "Older than his wife or not that wasn't a bad looking derriere. Not a bad booty at all," she grinned to herself as Skinner headed towards the hallway door. He glanced at his wife and indicated the door, smiling gently at her. He opened the door and disappeared from view.

Lisa glanced over at his wife. She was watching his exit. Lisa smiled more broadly. The expression on his wife's face was one part adoration and one part perspiration for sure. Obviously they were very much in love and in lust for that matter. Just goes to show you can't judge a book by it's cover. Walter Skinner looked more like a bureaucratic pencil pusher than a great lover. But there had been that hard, muscular ass walking away...Lisa shook her head to banish the warm feeling growing at the pit of her stomach. God, she needed to see Mark when they got home tonight she thought. Oh yeah. She thought suddenly to check on what Kim and Walter Skinner were there to see her boss about. One glance at the chart had her frowning in dismay. "Oh no," she thought. "What a shame..."

xXx

Walter sat in front of Dr. Elizabeth Crawford's desk holding Kim's hand. Kim sat bolt upright on the chair next to him. She looked like a gazelle ready to run. Walter rubbed her hand gently.

"It's ok, honey. Just...it'll be all right." he didn't know what else to say as they waited for the doctor to finish with the other couple in one of the examining rooms.

Kim nodded her head and squeezed his hand. She looked into his eyes. He saw resignation there. She was prepared for whatever was going to come next. He steeled himself too. Where the fuck was the doctor he thought with growing anger. Just as the thought entered his mind the office door opened and Dr. Liz Crawford swept in. She was a tall, graying, British woman. Accent that cut like a knife. Competent but compassionate. Walter stood up as she strode towards her desk. She stopped next to him and grasped his hand firmly.

"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting. So this is Walter Skinner. It's a pleasure to meet you. Kim has told me so much about you. But sit down, sit down," she chuckled releasing his hand. She gestured towards the seat he had been in and Walter sat back down.

"I hope some of what she said was good, doctor" he chuckled in return. Even the pat response got a smile out of Kim. Thank God. The doctors upbeat mood was beginning to buoy his spirits a little.

"Well she did tell me you were a gentleman. And call me Liz," she nodded alluding to the fact that he had stood up when she entered, "I appreciated the gesture. It was very....British, my dear. But we'd better get down to business here..." she let her voice trail off.

Kim spoke and her voice was a little shaky.

"Liz, just what the hell is going on with me?"

The older woman looked up and sighed. "I know you don't like beating around the bush any more than I do, Kimberly. And from what you've told me about Walter I take it he's of a similar mind," she began.

Walter nodded. He wanted to yell at her to cut to the chase. Get to the fucking point. But he knew that was rude. She was getting there. It was just such torture. Every ticking second a small death.

Kim voiced his thoughts quite simply then and he reached for her hand again to hold it gently in his.

"Please, Liz..."

"All right then," she nodded glancing from on to the other and then centering on Kim.

"Look, Kim. There is essentially nothing wrong with you. All the tests were negative. Your ova are obscenely healthy. You are as strong as an ox, my good woman. I was surprised to see that even your folic acid is at a nice high level. So many women forget about that while they are trying to conceive. It's important even before you're pregnant to maintain that folic acid. Prevents birth defects. So, I have to say - there is nothing here that says you shouldn't be pregnant right this minute. There is nothing wrong with you at all."

"Nothing wrong with me?" Kimberly asked, dumbfounded. It was obvious she was confused - didn't believe her ears. Liz Crawford smiled gently at her and then she spoke. But her gaze didn't stay on Kimberly for long. Her head swiveled over to Walter Skinner before the end of the sentence.

"There is nothing wrong with *you* Kimberly," she said quietly. Walter's bowels twisted into one huge knot. He struggled to keep his jaw muscles from tightening so much that they felt like his teeth would grind away to stumps.

He heard himself speaking and he hardly recognized his own voice.

"I take it you're implying then that the problem here may be me?"

He felt Kim squeeze his hand again.

"Walter, there are a number of possibilities here. One of them may just be bad timing which I'll get to in a moment. But yes, the problem could also be you. I won't mislead you there. Have you had a physical and sperm count?"

"I'm scheduled to see my doctor on Monday."

"All right. Well then until you have the results from that consultation I'm not going to paint this as the end of the world here. We'll assume bad timing or perhaps just...inhospitable conditions."

"Meaning?" Walter asked hopefully.

"Well for instance. Do you wear boxers or briefs?"

"Briefs."

"Well you may want to consider wearing boxers while you're trying to get pregnant. Sperm are temperamental little beasties. They like a certain temperature and if they're kept too warm..."

"You mean if my testicles are too close to my body..."

"Exactly. Briefs tend to hold your scrotum up too tightly sometimes. Boxers are better. Around the house loose sweats are good. Or if you can live with it - just tie a towel around your waist.

Walter smiled tersely at that comment.

Kimberly smiled at Walter in reassurance.

"Oh I think we could live with that idea," she gave him a game grin.

Walter stared into her eyes. He saw hope there and he tried to be reassured by her faith that the solution to everything was as simple as a new style of underwear. But something in his guts told him that wasn't going to be the case. As he heard Kimberly asking the doctor what she had meant by bad timing he barely heard the beginning of her explanation about ovulation and planning to have intercourse to take advantage of Kim's most fertile time of the month.

All Walter could think of was the growing certainty that his doctor was going to find out he was sterile. It was the fucking war. His wounds or who the hell knows...maybe he was exposed to something over there - Agent Orange or some God damn chemical weapon no one knew anything about. Fuck! After all the shit Mulder and Scully had uncovered over the years. After what had been done to Scully. Mother of God, who knew what they might have done to soldiers in Vietnam. Something from the damn war was rearing it's head to make his life a living hell again. When would it ever end. He just knew his insides were all screwed up and he'd never be able to give Kim a child. Never...they'd have to settle on some alternative like adoption or...he had no idea. His mind flew in a million different directions. There were too much to consider. What the hell should he do...what should they do...

"Walter, honey?"

"Yes, I understand what you're saying. No problem. I'll be willing to try all of it. Could you....could you recap that bit about the, uh, critical temperature?"

xXx

Later that evening. A townhouse in Arlington...

Walter and Kimberly lay in bed, spooned together. Kim rested her back up against Walter's nice warm chest and thighs. Walter had one arm draped over her, protectively, lovingly. She snuggled in close and he stroked her belly.

"I love you Walter. No matter what happens Monday. It doesn't matter. We'll work it out."

"Kim, I know you love me. I don't have any doubts that you love me. I...I'm just...this whole thing is ripping my guts up." Walter replied in a very quiet voice. It was a difficult thing for him to say. He couldn't even articulate the words *it's killing me to think I can't give you a child*. What the hell? Christ this was his wife here, he thought. He should be able to tell her anything. To confide his innermost thoughts. But how could he tell her his heart was breaking? How could he admit that, as stupid as it might sound, he felt like less of man because he wouldn't be able to give her a baby. "I mean how idiotic an idea!" he berated himself. What a total moronic unself-confident bit of shit....but he couldn't help it. The pain was there and it ate at him. It hurt despite all his denials and admonishments that his potency had nothing whatsoever to do with his manhood or Kimberly's love for him.

Walter Skinner felt a black hole growing in his soul at the prospect of being denied something they had both, by this time, wanted so much. His perceived loss of manhood was one thing. It surprised him how hard the idea stuck with him. But, the loss of the possibility of conceiving a child was hitting him even harder. Maybe harder than he expected it would he thought with dismay. It was crushing. He struggled against the feeling of impending doom with everything he had in him. But it was hard. Very hard. And he felt the darkness threatening to engulf him. To engulf them both.

"Honey, I'm sorry I can't...I'm so sorry..." he shrugged against Kim's back.

Kim knew exactly what he meant even though he couldn't communicate it. Non-communication was still Walter's way on occasion. But she knew him well enough by now that it didn't matter. And in truth she found his sporadic inability to express himself somewhat endearing. It was part of his charm now. It reminded her of when she was still at the Bureau and he was her boss.

She hugged his arm where it was draped over her.

"Well we can't assume that's the case yet can we? We have to wait to see what Doctor Fuller has to say. And...if...if you should prove to be...if you're..."

"Kim, say it - if I'm sterile."

"Yes. *If* you're sterile. We can always adopt or we could consider a donor."

"Sperm donor?"

"Yes."

"I guess we can weigh both options," Walter replied, his brow furrowing in thought.

I'd rather give some unwanted or orphaned kid a second chance I guess...he mused. He didn't know. Sperm donor? Well fuck, at least half the kid would be Kim's. Maybe that wasn't a bad idea either. If push came to shove they'd have to leave all the alternatives open he guessed. If they were going to be parent's at all they'd have to look into all the possibilities.

"But we should wait and see what happens Monday anyway, honey. Let's...let's try to relax this weekend and then face what we have to face when it's time. I know this is hard. It's going to be hard for us both but I know we can work it out. Walter, I have faith in us."

Walter sighed. He had already pretty much decided he knew what Jackson Fuller was going to say. He felt it in his bones. Yes sir. He was shooting blanks, and there was nothing he was going to be able to do about it. He wanted to try to cope though. For Kim. Yes, for their relationship. God, he loved her.

"We'll try to work it out though, right? You have to tell me we'll try," Kim patted his arm.

Walter heard the love and tenderness in her voice. Felt the compassion of her touch. He knew he'd try for her. He'd do anything for her. He'd die for her if it was necessary. Working it out? Yeah he'd try to work it out. No question.

"Babe, I'll do whatever it takes. We'll see what Jackson has to say on Monday. Then we'll just take it from there. I have faith in our relationship too, honey. Kim...I...I love you so much." he replied passionately. He bent forward slightly and kissed her fervently on the back of the neck. She sighed contentedly and wiggled back against him most enticingly. He grunted a little from the feeling of her firm ass rubbing over his cock.

"I love all of you," she purred.

When he heard that tone in her voice if he had any doubts about his manhood they were gone with every sultry syllable. He felt invincible, renewed and powerful. He felt like he could move mountains. It did more for his ego - more to banish his doubts now then anything else she could have said or done. To just know that she desired him, even now...even with the possibility of...he kissed her neck again, tasting tears in the back of his throat.

"You feel so good, babe," he whispered huskily into her hair. He nuzzled below her ear and she giggled.

"You know I do like that towel around the waist look, Walter. I was telling Dana about that tonight and she said she was going to see if she could talk Fox into trying it."

Walter knew Kim had called Scully. He had been mostly glad if a little embarrassed that she was confiding in Scully about what had gone on at the doctor's office. But, the talk with Scully had really seemed to buoy Kim's spirits. Walter understood that she needed to talk to another woman. A woman friend. Someone she almost considered as a sister by this time. He was glad of that and it outweighed any other trepidation about the call.

Walter barked a laugh, "Oh I can just see Mulder walking around her place in a fucking sarong."

"Sarong?" Kim giggled again.

"Yeah. I felt like I was wearing one of those damn Polynesian wrap around things all night."

"Like the big Kahuna?"

Walter laughed harder.

"Maybe you should mention that nick to Scully."

"Oh Lord no. I think it's bad enough people call Mulder, Spooky. And besides there could be only one Big K," she replied in a low seductive voice.

"Oh yeah?" he grinned, kissing her shoulder.

"Most definitely, lover," she purred.

Walter began to slowly caress Kim's back and ass with a featherlight touch of one large hand. He moved her hair up and gently kissed and sucked at the back of her neck. She moved against his chest and thighs tenderly, rubbing lightly, teasingly against his cock. She drew the arm that was wrapped around her waist up and kissed his hand.

"Does that feel good?" she asked quietly as Walter continued to kiss the back of her neck.

"Oh yeah, babe. Really good. Do you like this?" he asked her in return as he nuzzled her ear.

"Hmm hmm," she answered with a sigh and a little nod. Walter continued to caress Kim and she moved against him for several more moments. Finally Kim shifted to face Walter.

He began to stroke her hair and neck. She took his hand and stilled it against her face.

"What?" he looked at her quizzically.

"Let me make love to you," she whispered, "Relax and let me do this for you tonight, Walter."

"Oh honey..." he let his voice trail off and moved his hand to cup her chin. God, she was angel. He knew what she was trying to do for him. If he had felt like man before he felt like a King now. It touched him so deeply he wasn't able to answer her right away at all. He just gazed into her eyes and let his hand move back to rest against the side of her face. Kim drew his hand away and began to nuzzle and kiss his palm looking up into his eyes from beneath her eyelashes. He smiled at her in bemused silence as she began to suck on his fingers, one at a time.

This individualized attention was something a little new for him and he wasn't sure how to react or deal with it. They had almost always shared their lovemaking as equals. On those occasions when things were more one-sided it was usually Walter who was more concerned with Kim's pleasure then he was with his own. He didn't mind it because her response and enjoyment was an integral part of his arousal and pleasure as well. But this emphasis on his needs, his wishes was...it was kind of nice. Well it was more than nice actually. He just wasn't sure...oh hell, he thought. It was damn fine. A real turn on too. Oh yeah.

It made him very excited to contemplate that Kim was willing to just give him this experience. Something for him and him alone. He was worried for a moment that it seemed selfish but at the look in her eyes he knew that was a foolish objection. She wanted to do this out of her love and compassionate caring for him. His smile changed from a bemused grin to one of contentment.

"I'd really enjoy making love to you," Kim whispered, as she released his hand. Walter's heart melted in his chest.

"I'd enjoy it too," he replied in a low voice.

"Tell me what you want, baby. Anything tonight. Whatever makes you feel good." Kim smiled at him. She caressed his chest and ran her hands up over his shoulders and down over his strong biceps.

"You mean I have to articulate this?" he chuckled.

She giggled, "You know you can be a very articulate man when you want to be, Mr. Skinner. Yes, tell me exactly what you'd like." she grinned mischievously into his eyes. He grinned back.

"You're very naughty, Mrs. Skinner," he rumbled at her.

"And I can get more naughty," she giggled, reaching down and tweaking his left nipple.

"Oh yeah," he sighed slightly.

"So, you like that do you?" she asked running her finger over the hard nub of his tit.

"Actually, uh...I'd like it if..."

"Yes?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"If you'd, you know - if you bit me."

"Tell me if it's too hard," she smiled. Walter lay back slightly. She bent her head to his nipple, nipping it gently with her teeth.

"Oh Jesus, yeah - that's good," Walter shut his eyes as she began to nip and suck on each nipple in turn.

God he knew his nipples were sensitive but this was incredible. Kim worked over him, varying the pressure on each side until he was gasping under her mouth. He stroked her hair and moved his hips on the bed experimentally. It felt good to move like that too he thought. He was a little self conscious just doing this in front of her but it felt fabulous and she seemed to be really enjoying the show too.

She pulled back and stroked his chest and stomach again.

"Do you like to be touched all over Walter?"

"I never thought much about it. I know you like it. I...I guess I never seriously considered it. I mean I like to be touched but..."

"Why don't you shut your eyes and let me stroke you all over and then let me know what you think?" she asked with a gentle smile.

"All right," he replied.

Walter lay back completely and Kim levered to sit up next to him.

"This won't be like a rub down Walter. It's different," she whispered, "Just shut your eyes and concentrate on the sensations."

Walter did as instructed and he felt Kim moving her hands over him.

He felt her touching him, caressing him, running her hands gently and seductively over every inch of his skin. The sensation was so erotic he was rendered completely speechless. His arousal climbed slowly with each brush of her fingers. She ended by fondling his penis. At this point he was still flaccid. He hadn't been worried about it. Under some conditions, like their stressful week, he didn't get hard when they first started making love. It usually took a little manual stimulation to get him there then. He never worried about it. He just let himself go with the flow. He usually got hard eventually. And if he didn't for a while they found other fun things to do until he did. Kim's gentle touch continued on his soft penis and he found the whole feeling just marvelous. It was different from having his hard cock fondled. It felt somehow even more intimate and loving.

"Honey, that...God, that feels great," he opened his eyes and smiled up at her.

"Do you want me to go down on you?" she asked quietly.

"You know...I...can you just maybe...touch my balls?"

"Massage them?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Ok, tell me if I'm squeezing too much," she smiled again as she rolled first one testicle and then the other in her hands.

"S'good," he whispered. He was starting to feel warm all over. His groin was tightening and he felt his cock begin to harden slightly.

He rolled up and onto his side.

"Lie down with me, Kim," he asked quietly.

"All right," she moved to stretch out face to face again.

"Do you want me to get you hard, honey?" she asked him as she stroked his face. He kissed her, running his tongue in between her lips. They kissed deeply and then Walter pulled back.

"Can you, just...spread your legs a little?" he asked quietly.

She smiled at him and did as he requested.

"Could you...would you put my penis between your legs. I...I'd like to feel you that way," he asked looking down slightly. He hadn't asked to be held this way since they'd done something similar on their honeymoon. But it was an experience he'd enjoyed then and wanted to try again. To just have her hold him against her warm, wet sex so that he could masturbate between her legs.

She reached down and took his hardening length in her hands. He moved close and she pulled his penis in between her legs and up against her labia.

"Like this?" she asked fondling his balls again as he settled against her.

"Yeah, just like that, babe," he moaned slightly, "Keep...just massage my nuts too. Oh Jesus that feels...so good," he hissed as he began to rub his cock between her thighs. He gave himself over to just humping and the heat and pressure in his groin. He focused on his arousal. He got hard then, oh no problem at all. It was so pleasurable, too fantastic. He was having such a phenomenal time and he wanted to make sure Kim was enjoying herself too.

"Is this good?" he asked gutturally as he rubbed his cock between her legs. He drew himself back and forth over her hot, wet flesh in unhurried pumps. He shut his eyes with the sensation.

"God, yes. That...it feels wonderful," she whispered. Kim continued to stroke Walter's balls in time with his sensuous movements between her legs. Her own arousal was rising. It was so typical of Walter that even though she had said this was about him tonight he was still concerned with her experience and wanted her to enjoy herself as well. But she did understand that beyond a certain point he would desire her experience. Her pleasure was part of his joy in bed and she wouldn't withhold that from him under any circumstances.

And Lord, he was a good lover. Everything they did together was so fulfilling she couldn't ask for anything better. Kim knew she liked sex. Her earlier fears regarding it had been conquered and banished long ago with Walter's wonderful patience and understanding. She had become more adventuresome in bed in the year since their wedding night. It had both tickled and pleased her that Walter had kept pace with her willingness and interest in experimenting. Even now his acceptance in letting her pleasure him was turning her on even more. And his movements where perfect, the feeling of him running the length of his cock over her sensitive and swollen labia was indescribable.

"You feel wonderful. Why don't you touch yourself?" he asked gruffly trailing a hand down. His voice was rough with passion. "I like to feel you touching yourself.

She moved her hand from his balls and down between her legs. She began to massage her own flesh, tugging at her clit. Walter placed a strong hand over hers as she did herself.

"Is that good?" she purred, her breath coming faster.

"Oh yeah." he growled nipping at her neck. He pulled her hair up for better access.

"Oh baby..." she moaned.

They continued to savor the masturbation, moaning and whimpering with enjoyment. They rocked their hips slightly - teasing, stoking their heat in foreplay until it was to an almost unbearable level. Walter sucked, nipped and ran his tongue over Kim's neck and breasts. He rubbed her stomach and held onto her hand with a light touch as she continued the friction on her own body. He toyed with her breasts, tweaking both nipples until they were hard little nubs. He ran his lips down her neck and then back up to her ear. He was breathing heavily against her.

"You're making me so hot," he growled pumping his cock between her legs in slow, languid thrusts. He was getting harder and harder but he was taking his time and holding back a bit. He wanted them to both savor this as long as they could.

"God, you're so fucking good at this baby. So good," she moaned, arching her head as he worked his mouth over her neck again. His tongue traveled downwards leaving a hot trail as he laved her skin.

"Christ, you're unbelievable..." Walter moaned around her nipple.

"Oh lover," Kim groaned, she shuddered slightly, coming in a soft, sweet orgasm.

Walter took her in his arms and pulled her tight against him. They touched head to toe, full body contact. His skin was buzzing with the strength of his arousal.

"I love holding you," he whispered as she trembled against him.

"I want to hold all of you," she kissed his neck. She shifted her hand off her clit and taking his cock, guided him inside. He sunk inch by inch into her flesh, slowly and erotically until he was indeed held within and without in her loving embrace.

They lay together, connected, touching and stroking, murmuring their love. Kim went back to rubbing his balls gently and Walter shut his eyes.

He gave himself over to the experience of having his cock in her, tightly enfolded, warm and wet, and how comforting it felt. He let himself enjoy fully the soft cupping of her fingers over his scrotum. She ran one finger over the sensitive flesh between his balls and anus. He trembled under her hand. He lay against her not wanting to move at all, satisfied to just be there and be with her.

His heart swelled with his love for her. He kissed her again, deeply. Their tongues danced over and around each other until she brought both her hands up, took his head in them and broke the kiss.

They locked eyes and Kim saw the desire in Walter's face. The desire to complete the act now. She knew he was hesitating, waiting to see if she wanted more, needed more for her own pleasure and satisfaction. Walter just wasn't the type of man to consider his own needs very often at all. He was always thinking of others, always thinking of her, very seldom himself. She was moved almost to tears at the unselfishness of this man. It was overwhelming to be loved this much.

"Walter, come for me," she whispered softly, " I want to feel you come inside me."

He swallowed hard, nodded and moved his hips back and then forward again in a slow thrust.

"That's it baby, that's it," she crooned as he moved. He drew out and then pressed in again and again. His rhythm was somewhat ragged, disjointed at first. He was so very aroused. Hot. Going at his own pace for his own needs. It thrilled her to think he was abandoning himself to sensuality, to his own ecstasy for once. She moved her hips up slightly and wrapped her legs around his waist. One leg was under him but it didn't matter. She was too lost in his heat. He began to moan incoherently, picking up the pace of his thrusts one moment, slowing them slightly the next. Varying the action to give himself the greatest pleasure but prolong the moment as well.

She ran her hands down his back and murmured encouragement to him telling him she loved him, loved having him inside her, hard and hot, loved the way he was moving. Soon he was completely gone, lost in her, thrusting, groaning, his breath coming in short sharp gasps. He became unaware of his surroundings and his hips pumped hard against her as he finally reached that plateau of no return.

Kim felt his entire body tense up. She gripped his waist just above where her legs held him as he arched back, his neck and facial muscles tightening in an orgasmic rictus. He opened his mouth but no sound came out because his breath had stopped in his chest.

"Oh God, Baby," Kim shifted to hold his arms for a moment and watched the flush spread up from his chest and over his head. He was bathed in sweat, his eyes shut tight and still his body arched back, rigid with the force of his climax. Finally air filled his lungs again and with oxygen came sound. He roared.

"UhhhGOD!" he cried loudly. His hips thrust forward several more times seemingly of their own volition as he emptied into her. Finally his thrusting slowed and he collapsed against her half senseless. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

"I love you," he whispered against her breasts.

"You're my whole world..." she replied drawing his head up to her. Tears were seeping from his eyes and beginning their slow meandering trickle down his cheeks. Kim tenderly kissed each trail of tears and then she kissed his mouth.

xXx

Walter Skinner was drifting in darkness. It was a warm darkness. Warm and sweet. It smelled of magnolia and something else rich and fruity - peaches ...yeah peach trees. He rolled over, stretching out his arm to pull Kim close to his chest again but she wasn't there. He woke with a start and looked around him. He wasn't in their bedroom in the townhouse. What the fuck? He looked around in a panic. What the hell was going on? Where's Kim? What the hell am I doing sitting buck naked in....in....He was in a bedroom all right but he didn't recognize it at all. There were two large windows to his right that opened out onto the roof of an overhanging porch. The full moonlight streamed in through shear curtains. There was a man standing at the window in the moonlight.

"Mulder?" Walter asked in a bewildered voice. What in God's name was Fox Mulder doing...what was happening here? What' s happening to me? Fear gripped his guts.

"It's all right, Waltuh. It's not Foxhunt...well not exactly, big dawg. It's me mostly. It's ok, son," the man replied in a soft Southern drawl. He stepped closer to the bed and Walter brought his hand up and ran it down his face.

"John?"

"Yeah, it's me Sinnuh."

He stared at the man from Georgia. John was standing in his boxers and t-shirt in the bright moonlight. It wasn't the John he remembered from the war this time at all. It frightened him more than he wanted to admit to see an older John Rand standing before him. Christ all mighty it looked like Mulder standing there for sure. No more Marine issue haircut. His hair was longer and unruly. Tousled just like the agent's mop of brown hair. This John was more muscular, filled out with the hard, toned body of an older man. Skinner moved back away from the advancing figure and pressed his back against the headboard of the full sized bed. He didn't want this version of John to touch him. It was too...it was something he didn't think he could deal with right now. The whole scenario was almost too much for him to process. To weird...to much like...a...like a fucking, like one of Mulder's fucking X-Files...Lord Jesus.

John sat down on the edge of the bed very gently and looked at him with tenderness in his eyes.

"Ah won't touch you Waltuh. Not now. Not ever again if you don't want me too..."

"Cracker," he almost choked on the name this time and it hurt when he did, "I...I can't...not like this...we're not 19 here...I'm, I'm really sorry."

"Ah know, but ah had to bring you here tonight. Bring us all together tonight. This is...this is a very secure place. We need to talk big dawg."

"Where are we and why...what do you mean by all of us?"

John Rand shifted his eyes from Walter's face, and smiling, looked out the window of the room.

"Come with me Waltuh and Ah'll show you," he whispered. He rose and walked back to the windows, pushing the curtains back. He raised one of the windows wide. He bent to climb through, glancing back at Walter with a wry smile on his face.

"Come on Waltuh. You climbed out of your bedroom window more than once when you were a young 'un, Ah bet."

Skinner smiled a little at the memory. There had been a convenient trellis next to his window when he was a boy. Yeah, he'd used it more than once, especially in high summer.

"I guess you're right. But I nearly broke my neck..." he gave a gruff chuckle as he moved off the bed and made to follow the other man.

"No chance of that happening here, Waltuh. Like Ah said - this is a secure place. We're safe...here."

John was through the window and sitting on the roof of the porch staring off into the distance across a wide expanse of lawn that stretched out below them. When Walter climbed out and walked forward to him, John patted the spot next to him indicating where Walter should sit. Skinner leaned back to keep from pitching off as he walked to John's side. He sat carefully down next to the other man. He didn't sit too close, however. He looked out over the grounds with interest trying to place where he had seen the view before. Where he had seen an orchard - a peach orchard like this before.

"Recognize it now, Waltuh?"

And he did, "This is your home in Georgia, Cracker. I...I remember seeing the photos on the wall in back of your bunk in the barracks."

"Right. We're sitting on the roof of the front porch, Sinnuh. The one my Mamma, Dad and Sam posed in front of for that one pictchuh."

"I remember...your sister...Samantha. John...why...why do you look like Mulder now?"

"Ah'd look like Foxhunt, son, if Ah'd lived. Ah thought you would have realized that by now."

"Yeah, I guess I did but...why look like him now and why bring me here? John, please tell me. You're...this is making me a little nervous."

"We need to talk, Waltuh. This was the safest place Ah could think of to come."

Both of them jumped slightly as thunder rolled in the distance. Walter could see lightning arcing on the horizon. It seemed far away but he sensed that it could be drifting closer. It smelled like a storm was coming.

"Summer storm coming," he observed with a grunt.

"Oh there's a storm of sorts coming, Waltuh. That much is certain, son."

Walter felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up with John Rand's words.

It occurred to Walter that he could be losing his mind. The strain, the lack of sleep from his nightmares. He might be going crazy. He might have even had that stroke Scully had mentioned back in his office. Maybe he'd had the stroke and died and this was some cockeyed version of heaven. Stuck on a peach farm in Georgia with a Fox Mulder look-a-like? Whoa. Not likely. Heaven? Probably more like...

"You're not losing your mind, Sinnuh. And you're not dead either...luvuh," John replied. The last word came with a note of sadness that made Walter's heart clench in his chest. He knew whatever he and John had together was well and truly over. But he also knew he would always love him and he knew the other man still loved him as well. He reached forward and touched John's arm. John nodded and placed a hand over his. Then he swallowed hard, shuddered and shut his eyes.

"Hang on a second Waltuh, Ah need to...Ah need to settle Foxhunt down a bit."

"What?" Walter grated in a low voice. What in the living God did he mean by that...."

He watched in stunned amazement as John's lips moved silently for a few moments. Walter could almost follow what he was saying. He saw him silently mouth Mulder's name several times followed by some things he couldn't make out. Then John blurted out the word..."Wait" very vehemently. He moved his lips silently again for a few moments. Then his eyes came open, he stopped his silent mumbling, and smiled wanly at Walter.

"It's all right. He...Foxhunt thought he'd lost it too Waltuh. This is scaring him shitless."

"Mulder is here?" Walter asked incredulously.

"Yes. He's...he's here. Ah'm ridin' shotgun with him right now. Ah needed to talk to you both tonight and this was the easiest way to get us all on the same...wavelength so to speak."

"Christ, John. I don't believe this..."

"Do you want to talk to him?"

"Can I?"

"Yes, but Ah'm not sure Foxhunt wants to talk to you....he...he's having a peck 'o trouble coping. He's really fightin' me. Waltuh. Buckin' and hollerin'. Jesus he is strong. The red head - she's having a fit because..."

"Scully's there with him?"

"Yeah, Dana Scully. She...hold on...God. It...it hurts...she's trying to wake him up."

"John, let him go. He has nightmares about his sister all the time. You're...this isn't right. Let her wake him up!" Walter grabbed John's arm and shook it hard.

"All right Waltuh. Ah can't hold him any more anyway." John let his breath out in a rush. Suddenly his body flowed underneath Walter Skinner's hand. Walter snatched his hand away in horrified fascination as John Rand's body melted and morphed back into the 19 year old soldier he knew so well in Vietnam. In a matter of seconds he was Cracker Rand, Walter's Georgia boy lover, right down to the Marine issue haircut.

"Christ on the cross," Walter whispered as John Rand shook himself all over like a big hound dog who might have gotten wet in the stock pond.

"Waltuh, Foxhunt will be fine now. His woman's goin' to take more than good care of him tonight, son. Hoo boy, will she evuh," he grinned into Walter's eyes.

Skinner pinned John's eyes, "John, I think you'd better tell me what the hell is going on here..."

John sighed, "Ah expect Ah'd better Waltuh. And listen up real good, big dawg. Listen and remembuh. You're goin' to need to tell Foxhunt all of it now. And it's goin' be very, very important he know all the details."

xXx

Fox Mulder's apartment...

"GET THE FUCK OUT!!!"

"Mulder, my God, Mulder..."

"SHIT. YOU STUPID HILLBILLY ASSHOLE...LEMME GO!"

"Mulder...Fox...wake-up. It's me, Scully. WAKE-UP!"

Dana Scully was lying next to Mulder in the fold out futon bed holding onto his thrashing body for dear life while trying simultaneously to rouse him from the throes of a terrible nightmare. This was worse than any Samantha nightmare she had ever seen. He was shrieking at the top of his lungs and fighting desperately against something...someone he thought was in the apartment? As he hit himself in the head again she stared in horror. No not the apartment - he was fighting against something he thought was in his...

"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY MIND!!!!"

He screamed, confirming Scully's fevered theory. She grabbed both his arms with all her strength to keep him from raining another blow on his skull and perhaps injuring himself severely

"MULDER!" she yelled loudly trying again to wake him.

At last his eyes flew open but he was staring right through her. Scully watched as he tried to focus on some point in back of her.

"Mulder?" She asked quietly.

His next words froze her blood because they weren't spoken to her at all and they were spoken softly, beseechingly.

"Walter. Please sir, help me. Make him let me go..."

His whole body shuddered then and he fell back, silent and shut his eyes. Scully felt his pulse and listened to his chest. Everything was normal. He was asleep. She touched his forehead gently and moved his damp hair away from his eyes.

"Scully?" he asked dreamily. He opened his sleep dimmed eyes and reached clumsily for her hand. He drew it up to her lips and kissed her palm.

"Mulder, are you all right?" she asked with concern.

"All right? I...was I dreaming?" he asked blinking at her. The small night light they kept on in the room cast his face in shadow but she could see his confusion and his dread. He knew something was wrong. God he had to know. He could see her face as well and she hadn't been able to master her emotions before he opened his eyes.

"You were dreaming all right. Do you remember any of it?"

Mulder sat up and ran his hand through his hair.

"Ow, what the hell?" he frowned as he hit a tender spot.

"Here let me look," Scully asked scooting close and bending to look at a spot on his scalp as he lowered his head into her hands.

"Any cooties?" Mulder asked smiling gamely as he straightened back up.

"You scratched yourself," Scully pulled back and looked in his eyes, "You were pummeling yourself in the head, Mulder. I had to restrain you."

"What the fuck? It must have been some damn dream."

"But you don't remember what it was about? I didn't seem like, well...you didn't yell for your sister."

"Yeah. I know it wasn't about Sam," Mulder nodded, "But well, this is far fetched, I mean hard to believe even with my track record..." Mulder rubbed at the sore spot and glanced at his hand. "No blood," he thought. Well that's a break.

"Try me," Scully touched his shoulder. Scully had a very good idea what had been going on in the dream. Quite frankly she could hardly believe it either. She wanted to see if Mulder could corroborate her idea without any coaching or hints at what she suspected had gone on.

Mulder sighed, lying back down flat. Scully sat outside the covers and pulled her legs up to sit Indian style.

"I was sitting on some kind of porch roof looking out on a peach orchard and Walter Skinner was sitting stark naked next to me. How's that for starters?" Mulder began glancing at Scully's bland expression. "No raised eyebrow?"

"Not yet. Go on."

"Well I more or less inferred it was a Georgia peach orchard. I mean peanuts would have been a better clue maybe but..."

"Mulder..."

"All right. Sorry. Scully it scared me shitless ok? I can't remember much more other then the feeling that..."

"Someone else was in your mind?"

"John Rand," Mulder confirmed with a nod.

Scully nodded in confirmation.

"You believe me?" Mulder asked looking into her face.

"You screamed * You stupid hillbilly asshole, let me go!* at the top of your lungs, Mulder. I got the idea *you* believed Cracker Rand was inside your head big time, yeah. But whether he..."

"Scully like I said - I find all this pretty hard to stomach as well. But hell, the scene was so real...the aroma of peaches, the night air, crickets, there was even a storm on the horizon. Everything was so..."

Mulder let his voice trail off for a moment. Then he sat up again.

"I should call Skinner."

"You will NOT!" Scully grabbed his arm, "Mulder, it's 3 AM for God's sake. Let the poor man and his wife sleep. They've been through hell in the last 24 hours. You're seeing him tomorrow, uh, today - right? Basketball, remember?"

Mulder stared at her for a moment and then smiled wanly, "Thanks. Yes. Right. Christ, 3 AM? I didn't even look at the clock."

"Well, it's 3 AM so, come on, let's...let's try to get some sleep now," Scully prompted gently. She shifted over and lifted the covers on her side up so she could snuggle back down next to Mulder.

He pulled closer so they were face to face.

"I will really need to talk to Walter tomorrow," Mulder said running his hand through Scully's hair. She looked at him quizzically.

"Look, Scully, whether you believe me or not I have to find out if...if Skinner even had an inkling that I saw him in that dream. He was there looking right at me. I got the impression he knew I was there too."

Scully sighed, "All right, Mulder. I guess based on previous...occurrences you should talk to Walter. I just hope he doesn't laugh in your face. You know he's still having trouble believing what happened in that garage."

Mulder thrust his lower lip out, pouting a bit."

"Oh come on, Fox..." Scully started to laugh, "You know that's not going to work."

He laughed too despite his annoyance at her skepticism. In the long run he didn't want her any other way, though. He always realized it. Nothing kept him more sharp. As usual he loved that aspect of her personality.

"Well if that doesn't work, how about this instead?" he asked with a wicked grin. He bent forward and licked the tip of her nose.

"Oh for God's sake," she laughed, "You are so mercurial. I don't know...sometimes..." she swatted him playfully.

"Hey, you know it's my way of keeping you off guard."

"On guard you mean," she laughed.

"Whatever," he bussed her lips quickly grinning further as she pushed forward but missed his mouth. Scully reached down and tickled him in the ribs in retaliation until he squirmed. Soon their hands were roaming over each other's bodies and finally they were locked in a deep and tender kiss.

Mulder pulled away first and looked breathlessly into Scully's eyes.

"What time is your basketball date with Walter?" she grinned at him.

"1 PM," Mulder smirked back.

"Good," she purred as she dove down under the covers.

"Whoa, yeah," Mulder chuckled as he felt her lips trailing down his stomach.

xXx

Saturday, March 2 - A YMCA in Arlington - about 1 PM

The parking space in the YMCA garage was a lucky find, Skinner thought as he steered his Olds Intrigue into the stall. Usually on a Saturday the garage was packed with members. This Saturday was holding true to form. He hadn't seen Mulder's car of course - but then he hadn't expected to see it in the crowded garage. He knew he'd be there however. The agent had called that morning to confirm their date for basketball.

Walter was still restless from the previous nights disturbing dream. In point of fact he was caught between denying the dream completely to save his own sanity and blurting it out as soon as he saw Mulder, and damn the consequences. John had been so insistent that he talk to Mulder about the dream anyway. "You're goin' to need to tell Foxhunt all of it now. And it's goin' be very, very important he know all the details." Cracker had said.

But the details were nuts. Crazy. Describing the conversation would make him sound certifiable. But of course Mulder claimed to have intimate first hand knowledge of John Rand. Boy that was putting it mildly. The whole thing had been so outrageous, though, so...extreme, so...Oh Hell...maybe Mulder would...but...Christ. Skinner wasn't accustomed to being so indecisive. It bothered him almost more than the dream...and the dream was making his stomach churn.

He hadn't said a word to Kim. Their lovemaking last night had been sublime and life affirming even if no life was going to result from their union. Crap, he had to stop dwelling on that possibility. He should focus on Kim's generosity of spirit and compassion. He was still so grateful to her for what she had done to bolster his ego and relax him. God, he felt like such a fool doubting his manhood, her love for him, any of the dozen other weak willed ideas that had jumped into his mind last night.

After Kim had lavished her attentions on him he'd come with one of the most intense orgasms he'd ever had in his life. He'd cried from both the intensity of the erotic pleasure and also from his utter joy in being with the woman in his arms. Afterwards, he and Kim cuddled together, murmuring quietly, reaffirming their devotion for each other, steeling themselves for whatever was to come. They had talked until both of them had fallen blissfully asleep. And then he'd had the damned dream.

So, in the morning he couldn't bring himself to tell her. Kim had been so intent on helping him forget himself, on making him happy, on loving him, that he was afraid any sign of his dismal mood would have hurt her. So, even though he knew that was probably a foolish assumption he had remained silent. He hadn't wanted to take the chance he'd upset her because Kim had been so much more calm and upbeat the next day. She had kissed him on the cheek as he left the townhouse, duffel in hand, and headed off for his pick-up game with Mulder. Scully was coming over later and he knew Kim was looking forward to seeing the red haired agent. Scully visiting with her would improve Kim's mood even further. He nodded glumly at his decision not to divulge the dream. It would only ruin her day. Better to let her have a moments peace.

Now he didn't know what to do about telling Mulder, however. He kept mulling it over and mentally kicking himself as he entered the building.

Mulder and several other men were already on the YMCA court when Walter walked into the gym. He hadn't expected to see so many other players. Mulder must have joined a game in progress he thought as he walked over to the bleachers nearest one of the baskets. Walter sat his duffel on the wooden bench next to the one he recognized as Mulder's. He was already wearing his sweats. The duffel contained his shaving kit and a change of clothing. He watched for a moment and then bent to unzip the legs of his sweats. He pulled the pants off, laying them on the bench next to his duffel. Now, in shorts, he was ready for battle. Mulder spotted him disrobing and gave the time out signal to the other men on the court. He jogged over and stood in front of Skinner, basketball under his arm.

"Glad you made it," he smiled cheerfully. He had already broken a good sweat and Skinner couldn't help but grin to himself. The agent never did anything half-assed - least of all play basketball.

"Glad I could make it," he grinned a little back, "looks like there was a game already in progress."

"Oh, yeah. But we do need another man," Mulder shifted slightly and then asked in a more quiet voice, "Is that a problem, sir?"

Skinner looked around the floor. It looked like a congenial enough group. Competitive. Maybe that's what he needed this afternoon. A hard physical workout to get his mind off his problems. No, it wasn't a problem. In fact it was a welcome diversion. Walter shook his head and smiled a little more broadly at Mulder.

"No, it's not a problem, Mulder. And look, Walter's fine for today, all right? Now, who's side am I on?"

"Mine." Mulder smirked, tossing him the ball.

Skinner caught it and nodded, replying with a grin, "All right, let's go for it," as he followed the agent out onto the floor.

Walter was inwardly pleased as Mulder introduced him as *Walter Skinner, a friend from work*. The game commenced again. Walter took the ball up the court for a lay up and basket. Some huge red headed guy elbowed him underneath the rim, got the rebound and ran back up the court. Skinner raised an eyebrow at Mulder and the agent shrugged and laughed and they both headed off at a dead run after the man with the ball.

Later...

Mulder pounded up the court on one side, Skinner on the other as their teammate dribbled the ball straight up the middle. As he neared the basket the black man was too well guarded by an opposing player. He passed the ball to Mulder. The agent dribbled it, as he attempted to fend off the man guarding him. Skinner was open, being about 3 inches taller than the hapless opposing 17 or 18 year old kid attempting to guard him. Mulder passed the ball back to their black teammate and he passed the ball on to Skinner.

Walter drove for a lay-up again but the same guy with the errant elbows was there ahead of him. As the AD tried for the jump shot, the man bumped him hard. Skinner released the ball as he fell backwards. There was an audible thump as he hit the gym floor. He was just able to see Mulder jump up and make the basket on an assist, winning the game for them before he started to gasp. The wind had been quite successfully knocked out of him. He could hear Mulder yelling.

"Time! Time out!"

The agent ran to his side and squatted down next to him.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

As the other players gathered round Mulder and Skinner, the agent looked up. When his eyes caught the face of the red headed man who had body slammed Walter, he sneered at him.

"I thought this was a friendly game?"

"Hey..." the guy started to protest.

Skinner was trying to sit up at that point and grabbed Mulder's arm for support.

"I'm fine. Just had the wind knocked out of me, that's all," He hastened to interrupt. He didn't want the mercurial agent to start anything with the opposing player. He was bigger than Skinner.

"Let me help you up, sir," Mulder said.

"Sir?" their black co-player asked with furrowed brow.

"Yeah, this is my boss," Mulder grated as he helped Skinner to stand. Walter bent over slightly, still catching his breath. Then he straightened up.

"Oh man..." the young black man grinned sheepishly and slapped Mulder on the shoulder.

Skinner chuckled ruefully, "It's ok. Believe me, this won't affect your next review, Mulder."

"I'll hold you to that, sir," Mulder nodded with a tight smile. The bigger man who had knocked Skinner down extended his hand.

"Sorry, buddy."

"S'ok," Skinner replied, shaking his hand, "hell of a game," he added a bit breathlessly.

"I guess so. You play pretty good for an old dude," the youngest player, the short kid guarding Skinner for the afternoon, laughed and slapped him lightly on the back.

Mulder laughed as Skinner raised an eyebrow at the kid and then shook his head with an amused smile. The group began to break up. Skinner shook hands all around, spoke with each man briefly and began to walk away. Mulder, basketball tucked under his arm, followed him. As they drew up side by side they could just hear the black guy talking to the huge red-headed man.

"Lucky you shook his hand, Frank."

"Yeah, why?"

"Mulder's FBI . So, if that's his boss..."

"NO shit?"

"Yeah...."

Skinner started to chuckle again as their voices faded off across the gym toward the showers. Walter and Mulder continued to walk to the bleachers. Reaching them, they both sat down on either side of their duffels. Skinner picked up his sweat pants and wiped the sweat off his face with them. Mulder took out an old towel from his bag and wiped his head and arms.

Now that the game was over Skinner's mind wandered almost instantly back to the dream from the night before and he frowned. Mulder noticed the change in Walter's demeanor and looked at him as his boss stared off into thin air.

"You going to take a shower?" the younger man asked suddenly, almost startling Skinner out of his reverie.

"I'd better," Walter grunted. He didn't want to go home to Kim and the visiting Scully smelling like a goat.

Mulder continued to stare at him as he wiped sweat off .

"How about coffee afterwards?"

"Well, it's late. I should be getting home to Kimberly."

"It's not that late, Walter. Besides, I'm supposed to meet Scully at your place."

"Oh. Well then I guess if we call ahead and tell them we're going to get coffee that would be fine."

"Great." Mulder replied, "Starbucks or Steamers?"

"What?"

"For coffee?" Mulder looked at him quizzically.

"Oh, uh...Starbucks is fine."

Mulder continued to stare at him with the same odd quizzical expression. Finally Walter let out an exasperated sigh.

"Is there a problem, Agent Mulder?" Walter asked, lips tight. He had just about decided to leave the whole dream discussion for another time. He was tired and sore, and despite John Rand's exhortation to tell Mulder everything he just wasn't up to it right....Mulder interrupted and Skinner's thoughts were stilled at once.

"Oh, so now it's *Agent* Mulder," Mulder stated quietly, putting the towel down on top of his duffel bag.

"What do you mean?" Skinner asked tensely, setting down his sweat pants.

"I think you know what I mean."

It was Skinner's turn to stare back at him.

Mulder continued, "I had the dream too, Walter."

Skinner ran a hand over his face. Christ on a crutch. His mind raced in circles for a moment and came to a stop on the idea that maybe he'd better be prepared to tell Mulder everything. What did he really have to lose anyway. God, this *was* Mulder for crying out loud. Just as he was about to speak his cell phone chirped from it's spot inside his duffel. He frowned deeply and pulled it out.

"Skinner."

Mulder watched as Skinner went quickly into AD mode.

"Hell. Go on. Yes. No. I can be there in 20 minutes. I'm at the Y. Yes. All right."

He hung up and quickly stood to pull on his sweat pants.

"Mulder, I'm going to have to go into the office. There's a break in the Garibaldi case but it's a mess I'm afraid. I've got to deal with the fallout. Crap, I'll have to shower there I guess. Can you...can you tell Kim I'll call her later and let her know when I'll be home," he asked in a rush.

"Sure. No problem," Mulder sighed as Skinner hastened to gather his belongings.

As the AD rose to leave Mulder stood up and touched his forearm.

"Walter, we really do need to talk later," he advised carefully.

"All right, agreed. Look, I'll...I'll try to call you tomorrow."

"Ok," Mulder nodded as Skinner turned and hurried out of the gym.

xXx

Sunday, March 3. A Townhouse in Arlington. 11 PM.

Kimberly Skinner sat on the couch, her feet curled up. Clarence and Darrow snoozed at the opposite end of the furniture in one furry bundle. The TV was on low. An inane made for TV movie was showing on the USA Network. Kim had tried to study, and then read the new Stephen King novel but she hadn't been able to concentrate. She'd finally opted for the tube. She glanced at her watch again. It was 11:05. Walter's call had said he'd be home by 11:30 come hell or high water. Kim sighed. Walter hadn't been home since Saturday afternoon when he'd left to play basketball with Fox. The Garibaldi case had broken wide open but an agent, Jeffrey Spender, had been wounded. Another agent had been killed. Unfortunately Tony Garibaldi's youngest daughter had also been killed in the shoot out. They had Garibaldi in custody however on the drug rap. But apprehending him had been a total fiasco. Not the FBI's most shining moment. Walter had been trying to pick up the pieces for half the weekend.

Kim had visited with Dana during the afternoon and she had really enjoyed Dana's company. Fox stopped by after the basketball game to pick up Scully. He relayed Walter's message about being late. Kim invited them both for dinner and they had been happy to stay. The company lifted her spirits further and kept her mind off things.

Shortly after Dana and Fox left, Walter called and told her he was in the office for the duration. He'd be sleeping there most likely, on his office couch. Kim was glad he had a clean suit in his executive bathroom at least. They laughed a little about his having to wear his jeans or even his sweats for the press conference Sunday afternoon.

Kim watched the press conference. Walter came off well despite the barrage of difficult questions. Garibaldi was going to trial. Kim hoped they locked him up and threw away the key. Walter looked tired on the TV. Kim was angry that his relaxing weekend had been ruined. She knew it came with the territory. She just wished this weekend, the one before his doctor visit on Monday, could have been less stressful. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. God it was getting late, she thought again. She just wanted him to come home. Kim finally settled back against the couch and tried to focus on the TV.

A short time later...

Walter Skinner wearily turned his key in the townhouse doors dead bolt. The door unlocked, he slipped quietly inside and quickly deactivated the silent alarm. Walter sat his briefcase down on the floor and pulled his trench coat off. He went to the coat closet, opened, and hung up the coat. He glanced at the briefcase, shrugged and placed it in the closet as well. He'd it in the home office tomorrow.

Something brushed his ankle. He glanced down and saw Clarence winding around his trouser leg, tail in the air.

"Hey, guy. Where's Kim?" he asked the graceful feline. Clarence padded back in towards the living room. Walter heard the TV and saw the muted light from it as he followed the cat.

Kim was on the couch, curled up in a ball, fast asleep. The TV was on an inane USA Network movie. Darrow was asleep on the other end of the couch imitating his mistress. Clarence jumped back up to join the fatter cat. Walter smiled gently at the homey tableau and walked over to stand over Kim. He let the sight of her still his mind and relax him. Watching her sleep helped to drive the tension from his body. He squatted down next to her head and stroked her hair, kissing where his hand first touched her tresses.

Kim stirred, opened her eyes, and smiled up at him.

"Hello sleepy head," he said quietly.

"Hello handsome," she replied fondly, lifting up to take his head in both her hands. She pulled him close and kissed him sweetly.

When she released him, she sat up and leaned into the corner of the couch so that Walter could sit down next to her. Darrow walked over from the opposite end of the couch, peered at Skinner, flicked his tail and jumped down, headed for the kitchen.

"Same to you fatty," Walter growled. Clarence looked at Walter.

"Go ahead, you can afford to put on the feedbag," he quipped as the other cat jumped down and dashed after Darrow.

Kim laughed, and Walter hugged her close with one arm.

"You must be exhausted, honey," she whispered, rubbing his back.

"Yeah, it's been a day. Hell, a weekend," he agreed yawning a little, "sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about. Come on, I'm taking you up to bed."

He turned and smiled into her eyes.

"You gonna carry me, mom."

"Don't you think I could, sonny?" she smirked at him.

He bent and kissed her forehead.

"I think you could do just about anything you set your mind too, Mrs. Skinner."

"And don't you forget that, Mr. Skinner," she laughed her musical laugh and touched his lower lip with her finger.

"Now be quiet and let's go to bed. You need your beauty sleep."

"Well, you need your rest too. After all, you have that exam tomorrow. I'm surprised you're still up," Walter answered her with a chuckle as he rose off the couch, pulling her up carefully. He wrapped one large arm around her waist as they started to walk to the stairs.

"I called Doctor Belkins and told him I had a family emergency. He's going to allow me to make it up," Kim replied quietly when they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"You what?" Walter asked stopping and pulling his arm from her waist.

"I called Doctor Belkins and told him...."

"All right, I got it...but Kim..." Walter began to protest. He disliked the idea that she had postponed her degree class exam even though he knew why and also knew what was coming next.

"I caught him at home this afternoon, right after I saw you on TV."

"After the press conference?"

"Yes. Walter, you looked so tired. I...I was concerned for you. I don't want you to have to go to see your doctor alone tomorrow. It's just not right. Come on, sweetheart. You were there for me. You can't expect me to not want to be there for you too?" Kim asked looking at him very seriously.

Skinner realized that she was absolutely correct of course. He just felt uncomfortable about her taking a chance on the exam. Also, he knew he was reacting in his typical stoic, I'm the AD, I can handle anything personality mode. He should have learned by now that the stoic surly face AD persona was a waste on his wife. After all she had worked for him for years before they were married. She knew the act. Besides it was a stupid attitude. This was his wife standing here with him. Your second wife, Walter, his conscious reminded him suddenly. Yeah. He'd already been stoic and uncommunicative with one wife and where had it gotten them. Crap. Well those days had better be long gone he nodded to himself. He took Kim around the shoulders and hugged her tight to his chest.

"I love you, babe," he whispered, "I know you're right. Look, I was going to take a vacation day tomorrow anyway. I...I arranged for Peterson over in VCS to handle the rest of the mop up on Garibaldi. He can call me here if there's a problem. I don't think he will though. He's a good man. He can handle it. I rearranged my regular schedule too. No meetings. No agents to chew out," he finished, chuckling slightly in self depreciation.

"Oh, I'm glad, Walter," Kim rubbed his arms and pushed back from him, "now, up to bed, Mr. AD. We need to banish those bags from beneath your baby browns."

"Bags?" he rubbed her ass as she turned and started to walk up the stairs.

"Gucci. You should see them."

"No thanks. I'll take your expert opinion," he mock growled as he followed behind her.

Later...

Kim snuggled close to Walter after he'd turned out the light. She could sense his breathing becoming more regular. Sleep breathing. She wondered if she should tell him that Fox had called twice today and asked to talk to him. No. It hadn't been business Mulder said. He just wanted to talk. It could wait, Kimberly thought. Walter really did need his sleep.

xXx

"Waltuh, don't go there big dawg...not inside...aw shit..."

Walter Skinner sat on an overturned watering trough, smoking a joint and staring off into nothing.

They'd just taken this village, Christ he couldn't even remember it's fucking name. But it was property of the US Marines now. The village, it's hapless inhabitants, human and livestock, including the nearby underground bunker complex and the 20 VC dead they had pulled from it.

Crap, he was glad he was too big to go down into those bunkers. Fucking sewer hole crawling with rats - gook rats and rat type rats, he mused idly, taking another toke from his smoke.

Yup, if I'm gonna blow the head off some poor VC kid I want to do it in broad daylight. Yessiree I wanna see his face in my sites. And if I have to stick him, get up close and knife personal, I wanna see the whites of his scared shitless baby brown...ey...

His dazed, bitter thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a terrified high pitched whining sound. A loud, almost inhuman keening coming from the largest hut nearby. The unnerving sound drowned out the noise coming from outside the thatched structure.

Outside the hut, most of the rest of his unit had the frightened villagers herded into a circle. They sat or kneeled, the women and children crying and the men and boys quiet with bowed heads. In a few cases a man stared defiant until some belligerent and exhausted Marine smacked him in the chops with a rifle butt. Then the man fell stunned, and his woman let out an abrupt scream.

Walter Skinner tossed his joint down, stood and ground the reefer under his combat boot. A squealing potbellied big scooted in front of him as he strode angrily towards the source of the noise inside the hut. Screw that Murdoch. He was probably sticking the villagers friggin' pork again. Damn New York bastard.

He wondered absently where the hell Cracker had gotten off too. He usually had a knack for keeping Murdoch in line. He hated it when Murdoch started bayoneting pigs. Skinner hefted his rifle and bent down to peer under the thatched hut overhang.

Murdoch was in there all right. But he wasn't sticking pigs.

"Come on you old fuck, how many more VC are you gooks hiding?" he was hissing into the face of a white-haired man. Murdoch brandished his Marine issue knife at the old man and the old woman who was also in the hut. Another GI stood behind the couple, the old man was propped back against his thighs. Great, Skinner thought. This has to be the village elder and his wife. Wonderful. Christ on a crutch he cursed as he bent further and pushed his way into the dim interior of the building.

Just as Skinner came in Murdoch struck the man again with the fist that gripped the knife's handle. The old guy's head reeled back and the head man's horrified wife screamed that gut wrenching sound Walter had heard while he was lost in The Land of Oz earlier.

The elderly man was on his knees, a large bruise on the right side of his face. His lips were split, his mouth and chin bloody. His shaking wife was on her knees next to him. The other GI - Digger Claxton shifted uneasily in back of the couple. He brandished his rifle butt up high and repeated Murdoch's questions in pidgin hill dialect. Skinner cursed to himself. Cracker was nowhere to be seen. Fuck. He'd have to handle this himself. Even if these people were VC sympathizers there were rules. Procedure for questioning them. The procedure didn't include beating up the village elders. Skinner sighed and stepped forward, rifle held in a neutral position in front of him.

"Murder, Digger, what's going down here?"

Murdoch didn't even turn around. Claxton looked up at Skinner, nervous tension in his eyes. Murdoch didn't like Skinner. He suspected Skinner and Cracker Rand were more than just good buddies. He couldn't prove it, but he let everyone know he thought it was an abomination and that Skinner was a mutant freak. Claxton respected Skinner but was afraid of his size and the aura of command he carried, despite his youth.

"Whaddya think's going on, Sinner," Murdoch growled. The nickname had just enough emphasis on it to be a epithet.

"I think you're abusing these people," Walter answered quietly, anger barely concealed in his voice.

His Vietnamese hill dialect was good enough that he could tell the wife was pleading for them to stop. She kept saying *No VC* in English as well. OK, so maybe they weren't VC. Whatever. The VC were here. The villagers were in deep shit. These two were in crap up to their eyeballs. Damn it. He needed Cracker in here. John spoke this dialect almost like a native. The Georgia boy had a knack for languages as well as calming down assholes like Murdoch. He'd be able to get to the bottom of...Walter's deliberations were interrupted by Murdoch's snarling reply.

"Oh yeah. Well, I suppose you should recognize abuse when you see it, cocksucker," he answered snidely, still not turning to face Skinner.

"Murd..." Claxton began.

"Shut the fuck up, Digger," the taller soldier shot back at the cringing shorter Marine.

Skinner caught Claxton's haunted eyes and cocked his head back towards the hut's entrance. Claxton caught the gestures meaning.

"Murd...I...I gotta take a..."

"Get out,!" Murdoch sneered viciously and Digger Claxton beat a hasty retreat. As he passed close to Skinner in the sweltering, half dark and tight confines of the hut he whispered, "Sorry man."

Skinner kept his eyes on Murdoch but whispered back, "Get Cracker."

The other man slapped his shoulder lightly to signify he'd heard him and exited the hut.

Jesus it's hot in here, Skinner thought suddenly. Sweat was running into his eyes. He didn't want to take a hand off his rifle to wipe it away, however. The air in front of him shifted and wavered a bit. He coughed and spoke as calmly and carefully as he could.

"Come on Murdoch, let's get out of here, it's hot man."

Murdoch's answer was to pick the old man up by his ragged black shirt and hit him even harder across the face. By this time the old man's mouth was a bloody pulp. His wife fell flat on the floor, her arms over her head. She was crying loudly. Murdoch shifted his grip to the old man's neck.

"Shut up bitch!" Murdoch yelled at the prostrate woman.

Skinner bulled forward, anger welling up from the pit of his stomach and threatening to explode out the top of his head. No more waiting for Cracker. He was going to have to beat the living shit out of this asshole or someone was going to die in here. Maybe someone was going to die, he thought distantly the killing fever rising in his blood as Murdoch held the elderly Vietnamese man close.

Murdoch sensed Walter coming on fast. Without turning he called out to him, "You should have left with Digger you butt fucking bastard!"

As the tall, New Yorker screamed the insult he jerked his knife back quickly and plunged it into the belly of the village elder. Up to this point the man had been almost stoically silent except for low grunts when he'd been pummeled in the face. Now, with the knife slamming into his stomach, once and then twice, he began to make a bleating noise.

Murdoch laughed then. He laughed and laughed.

"That's right you stupid slant. Squeal. Squeal like a mutherfuckin' pig!"

"You're dead, you sick fuck," Skinner cried out, pointing his rifle at Murdoch's head.

"Oh, think so, Walter? Guess again, Comrade," the other man said, turning around at last.

Skinner's breath caught in his throat and his trigger finger became paralyzed with fear. He stared into the evil smile and green eyes of the man in front of him.

"Murder?" Skinner asked in bewildered fascination as the man with close cropped brown hair grinned like a skull. His luminous green eyes were suddenly looming directly in front of Walter's sweating face. He felt the man's knife pressed intimately against his tight stomach muscles.

"Murder? Well I could say Mulder, but you'd know that wasn't right wouldn't you, Walter? No, murder it'll have to be, boss," the green eyed man replied with a feral laugh. Walter felt his bladder release as the man's hot breath bathed his neck.

As his killer's knife plunged into his stomach, Walter Skinner threw back his head and screamed.

xXx

Monday morning, March 4, A townhouse in Arlington.

Walter rolled over and opened one sleep sticky eye. He had a twinge of momentary panic when he spied the alarm clock. 9 AM would have made him most definitely late for work - if he hadn't arranged for the vacation day. He rolled onto his back again and stared up at the ceiling. He knew he'd been dreaming but he was damned if he could remember the dream. He hadn't woken up, so it couldn't have been a Nam nightmare. Still, he felt edgy, tense. His stomach muscles twitching below the edge of the blankets.

His stomach growled suddenly as he picked up the smell of...frying bacon.

Kim must be making him breakfast. Oh yeah. He could smell the coffee and eggs as well. He shook himself and grinned a little. Ok. He was just famished that was all. Well, he hadn't had any dinner to speak of last night. He was just hungry. And he had to take a huge piss too he realized. He made a move to crawl out of the bed. When he shifted his feet he encountered something furry. He almost jumped but then chuckled as he raised the covers.

"So fatty. I'm ok when you want to stay warm?" he laughed.

Darrow was staring at him from under the covers at the foot of the bed. He came out and rubbed against Skinners chest. Skinner rubbed the big tabby's head. He purred.

"Truce?" he asked the feline.

Darrow continued to purr. Clarence came flouncing in and jumped up next to them. Darrow took a half hearted swat at the other cat.

"Hey now, let's not have any jealousy here. As flattering as that may be."

Both cats rubbed against him and Skinner ran his hands over them affectionately. Finally his bladder was becoming too insistent. He had to get up.

"Sorry to break up the party, guys. But the big cat has to use the litter box," he advised the furry duo. Both cats felt his movement and jumped down, heading out the bedroom door at a saunter.

"Tell Kim I'll be right down," he joked, calling after them. He got out of bed, snagging his glasses from the night stand.

In the bathroom he took his piss. As he handled himself his appointment with Jackson Fuller came crashing back into his mind. Oh hell. If he had been dreaming about anything it was probably a nightmare about seeing his doctor today. Nightmare? Oh no. What if it had been the other nightmare the one...the one he needed to talk to Mulder about...crap he was supposed to call Mulder yesterday. Christ where was his head? Up my ass he thought with bitter self recrimination. He'd have to try to call Mulder today for sure. The oversight was inexcusable. Damn. In the meantime he needed some coffee he thought, shaking his head. He finished up with his piss and crossed to the sink. He absentmindedly scratched his balls as he stared in the mirror. Man, he looked like shit. Jackson was probably going to tell him to take a long vacation he mused glumly. Realizing he was thinking about his doctor again, and what he was doing with his nuts, he snatched his hand away from his nether region with a grim expression. "Screw this shit," he snarled out loud, "Get a grip soldier, and I don't mean on your balls," he added tersely at his reflection in the mirror.

Skinner turned on the tap and washed his hands. As he was washing he ran his tongue over his teeth. God, even his mouth tasted like someone had been walking around in there during the night. He reached for the mouthwash, uncapping it. Taking a disposable cup from the holder over the sink, he dumped a healthy swig into it. Upending the cup he used the mouthwash to rinse the sour taste from his mouth. As he rinsed he stilled his mind. Breathed to calm himself. Gradually his fears and doubts abated enough for him to feel marginally more in control. Better ready to face the day and Kimberly. He spat the used rinse into the sink, washed it down and exited the bathroom. Walter grabbed his robe and left the bedroom to join his wife for breakfast.

xXx

"You want some more coffee, babe?" Walter asked as he got up to refill his cup from the pot.

"Yes, thanks," Kim answered with am absent minded smile. She was pouring over the business section of the paper. She had just swapped the sports page with Walter.

Walter took her cup along with him and refilling both walked back over to the table. He sat down and took up the sports section again. He could sense Kim looking at him over the financial pages. He lifted his head and caught her eye.

"Ok, I'll call him," he chuckled ruefully, closing the sports section.

When Walter had come downstairs and entered the kitchen earlier, one of the first things Kim had said after kissing him was "I'm sorry, I didn't tell you Fox called twice yesterday."

Walter sighed and said he was way ahead of her anyway. He knew he'd forgotten to call Mulder, it wasn't her fault. He had to do it this morning without fail. He knew he'd been procrastinating. Fiddling over his food, reading the paper. Enjoying his wife's company.

Kim touched his hand, "Walter, I'm glad you're talking to Fox. I...I think it will help."

Walter turned his hand over and held hers. He squeezed her fingers gently. Obviously she thought he was relying on Mulder for support on today's doctors appointment. God, maybe he should. For Christ sake, he had hardly any close male friends that he could really share what was going on in his life. Mulder would be the ideal choice. Well shit, maybe he should be talking to him about the sterility issue. Yeah, sure right after he told him all about sitting naked on a roof top with the dream ghost of Cracker Rand.

But in truth, Walter didn't know why he didn't confide in the agent more. It was just his natural reticence. The idea that Mulder was still a subordinate. The idea that Walter Skinner found it hard to talk to anyone about his inner feelings. Crap, even his wife. Here he was staring into her beautiful eyes and letting her believe he was calling Mulder to discuss his doctor appointment today. He was letting her assume something that wasn't true and it made his stomach flip over on his breakfast.

He had to tell her something about the dream. He would. As soon as he talked to Mulder and they got back from the doctor. A voice in the back of his mind was howling *coward, asshole, you idiot* over and over. He ignored it and squeezed Kim's hand once more.

"I'd better try to make that call then," he smiled at her. She released his hand as he rose up from the table and exited the kitchen, heading for his study. When he reached the study he entered and shut the door behind him.

Walter sat down at his desk in front of his PC and picked up the nearby cordless phone. His lips tightened grimly as he contemplated the phone. Special technology Mulder had said. Bug proof according to Mulder's *source*. It better be he thought as he punched the numbers on its face. He dialed Mulder's direct basement extension and sat back. As the phone rang he ran a hand over his scalp. Mulder's voice came on the line suddenly and there was a split second before Skinner realized with annoyance that it was his voice mail. He hung up and dialed Scully's extension next. Her voice mail came on as well. Fuck, he swore inwardly. All right. The next number he dialed was to Angela, his executive assistant's extension.

"Office of Assistant Director Walter Skinner. May I help you?" came Angela's crisp greeting.

"Angela..." he began.

"Sir, I thought you were taking a day off," she chided him with good nature. He let a smile creep into his voice for a moment.

"Yes, I know. I'm duly chastised. But listen, have you...uh did Agents Mulder and Scully try to see me this morning?"

Angela was silent for a second.

"They're on the road, right?" Walter replied in exasperation.

"Yes sir. Agent Mulder left a 302 on my desk for your signature very early this morning. It seems he and Agent Scully are off to Baltimore."

Walter sighed with resignation. It figures, he thought. A damn X-File on top of his own personal X-File here. Just his fucking luck. Angela was saying something else into the phone but he had missed her words.

"I'm sorry, Angela, what did you say?"

"Agent Mulder did mention when he left the 302 that he thought the case was - as he put it "a wild goose chase." He felt he'd be back tonight if you needed to, uh...talk to him."

"Oh yeah, I'll want to talk to him," Walter nodded with ire in his voice.

"Yes, sir," Angela replied with complete understanding.

"All right. Thank you, Angela."

"Yes, sir. Enjoy the rest of your day off."

"Thank you," he replied hanging up the phone.

Angela was another person not in the know about any of his intimate business. Sure, he'd enjoy the day off. Oh yeah, right. The day was turning into a butt hole for sure. Damn Mulder. Just like him to be all hot to talk one minute and then book out after an X-File the next. Of course Walter hadn't exactly made himself available to discuss anything had he? Well it couldn't be helped. No, thanks to the Garibaldi's he and Mulder hadn't been able to connect. Now they probably wouldn't be able to connect at all until this evening. Fine. He picked up the phone again and dialed Mulder's home phone number. The machine came on. Walter waited for the beep and then he spoke.

"Mulder. This is uh, Walter. We do really need to talk. Please call me when you get in. If you can't reach me at home, try my cell phone. Thanks."

He dialed Scully's number and left a similar message. He hoped eventually Mulder would get back to him. He sat there for several more moments, letting his mind focus on nothing at all. Finally he placed the phone carefully back in its cradle, got up and left the study, shutting the door behind him.

xXx

Monday afternoon 3 PM

Walter and Kimberly were silent as they wheeled into the clinic parking structure where Walter's doctor had his practice. Normally Walter looked forward to seeing Jackson Fuller. He had known him since Nam after all. Christ, the guy had been in the Mash unit and was responsible for his recovery for crying out loud. He'd only been a corpsman at the time but he'd helped treat Walter before he went stateside. He was an old friend and they had kept in touch. But today he was probably the last person on earth Skinner wanted to see.

He wheeled the car into a stall, cut the ignition and sat with his hand on the keys for a second. Crap. How the hell could he be so nervous about this? For crying out loud.

"It's going to be, ok, Walter," Kimberly told him quietly. She touched his arm and he took the keys out of the ignition.

"I know. I'm sorry. I can't believe I'm being such a...so nervous about this exam."

Kimberly laughed a little and Walter looked at her with a quick but tense grin."

"If you call this nervous then I must have been a complete wreck," she kissed him on the cheek, "Come on, Mr. AD. Stop trying to be Sgt. Rock here. You don't have to be Mr. Macho all the time. Let me be the anchor for a while," she added stroking the fringe of hair on the side of his head. He placed the keys on the dash board and turned to her, pulling her into his embrace. The steering wheel was in the way but neither of them really cared a bit. They kissed and Skinner let all the love he felt for Kim pass between them as they explored each other's mouths. Finally they broke apart, breathless.

"Whoa," Kim giggled, "We'd better cool off here hon, or Sgt. Rock is going to have another meaning all together."

Walter laughed a little then himself. He took the keys off the dash and pocketed them.

"Yeah, I guess Jackson isn't expecting me to wave a boner in his face - at least not until the prostate exam."

Kim laughed with him.

"You want your coat Kim?" Walter asked. Both his trench and Kim's coat were in the back seat.

"No, I think I'll be fine," Kim replied, grabbing her purse.Walter left his coat as well. They exited the car. Once Walter activated the alarm and locks, he took Kim's hand and they headed for the parking garage stairwell.

Presently, in Doctor Fuller's office...

"Walter, how are you?" Marion Fuller asked with a huge smile. Marion was Jackson's wife as well as his nurse. She was a large, fun loving woman but she ran her husband's office with a steel hand encased in a velvet glove. Jackson often said she was the real brains in the practice. He was just an old country doctor. In truth Jackson Fuller was one of the finest internists in DC. He was a good doctor and a good friend. So was his wife and Walter smiled as she came out from her small office cubicle and hugged him tight. Skinner grunted and then laughed despite his feeling of nervousness.

"Marion, I always said you should have joined the bureau. With a grip like that you could handle a perp with no sweat."

She laughed throatily and released Skinner, turning to beam at Kim.

"This must be Kimberly! My God, you're beautiful. Walter, you told me she was sweet but you didn't tell me she was an angel."

Kim blushed to her roots and extended her hand. She was treated to the same bone crushing hug as Walter.

"It's wonderful to meet you at last," Kim replied somewhat breathlessly.

"Well now that we've met, Hon, let's get together sometime. These men do once in while. We can at least give them some hell raising competition. Now give me your purse honey. You can leave that with me."

"I'd love to get together, Marion," Kim smiled, handing her purse to Marion. She glanced over and grinned at Walter. He swallowed a little, tried to smile, but was sure he looked even more ill at ease.

Walter used to play poker with Fuller once a month or so. He usually beat the doctor quite badly and it was a running joke between them. He was suddenly embarrassed to realize just how long it had been since he'd been to one of those poker games. He hadn't had time lately for their monthly matches with some of the old Marine crowd at all. He'd missed the camaraderie. He'd have to mention getting together with Jackson. To cover his guilt on neglecting his friendship with Jackson and looked around the office and then spoke again to Marion.

"You alone here today, Marion?"

"Yes, Sheila, the receptionist called in sick. It's been a hell of a day. But your Jackson's last patient so I can relax a little," she smiled. Just as she said it Fuller came out the door which led to his offices, examining room and small lab. When he saw Walter and Kim he beamed wide.

"Woman, are you monopolizing these two good people?" he teased his wife, advancing to Skinner. The two men grabbed each other's extended right hands and Fuller pulled Skinner into a firm hug. Skinner slapped his back.

"How are you, you old war horse," Jackson laughed, pumping Skinner's arm up and down. Jackson Fuller was a handsome, gray-haired African American, as tall as Skinner, but thin as a rail. He also wore specs - and his eyes were keen behind them.

"I guess that's what we're here to find out," Skinner replied shaking Fuller's hand vigorously. Fuller looked at him closely, saw the tension and nodded his head curtly. He turned to Kim and introduced himself.

"Kimberly, it's a pleasure to meet you. Walter told me all about you on his last visit here - too long ago," he said with significance. He grinned to temper his small rebuke. Skinner pulled a brief sour face but took it with good grace.

Kimberly grinned at Walter and shook Fuller's hand, "Thank you doctor, he needs to hear that from more than one source sometimes."

"Hey, I was in for my last physical - just before the wedding. And there was that stomach flu virus about 6 months ago. You saw me then, and it wasn't a very pretty sight. No fair ganging up on the patient," he added, taking Kimberly around the waist.

"It's just lucky you're as healthy as an ox," she smiled at him and patted his ass. She raised an eyebrow suggestively. Walter loved her with all his heart again in that moment. He knew she was trying to bolster him up before this ordeal. It was obvious everyone was trying to put him at ease with jokes and gentle teasing. He appreciated it a lot. He was grateful because up until that point he felt like he needed an IV of Pepcid AC.

"True on both counts," Fuller was chuckling again. "But look, we'd better get this show on the road. And don't worry, we'll discover why no little Skinners have made an appearance yet," he assured them gently.

"Jackson do you need me?" Marion asked.

"No ma'am. I think we can manage without your good self."

"Thank heavens. I'm way behind on these records updates. I'll just get back to work."

"All right. But if I need you I'll let you know."

Marion gave a last smile and nod and reentered her office area. Skinner and Kimberly followed Jackson Fuller into the examining room area.

"Do you want to sit in on this Kimberly?" Jackson asked as they entered the examination room.

"Oh, I'd like to...yes," she answered gravely, "Is that all right with you, Walter?" she added.

"Sure. I haven't got anything you haven't seen up close and personal," he replied. His game half smile didn't even reach his eyes.

Fuller chuckled a little as he got out a paper gown.

"Well, you're going to put this on anyway Skinner. After all, I'd like to spare my tender sensibilities."

Skinner gave a gruff chuckle as he took the gown from Fuller's outstretched hand.

"I'll just draw the screen so you can undress and Kimberly and I will give you a few minutes. Just holler when you're ready.

"Fine," Walter replied and he started to take his clothes off.

While Skinner was disrobing Jackson Fuller drew Kimberly aside and spoke to her very quietly.

"Kimberly, I just want to ask you quickly...is there anything you think Walter may be reluctant to talk about here? I know he can be tight lipped and bull headed...." he whispered with a gentle hand on her arm.

She smiled, but hastened to interrupt, "Well he's guilty as charged...sometimes. But not when it's important he isn't. And not with me. Jackson...he's not going to hide anything or avoid the issue here if that's what you mean. It's...it's too important to us both."

"I thought that might be the case. But you never know. Some men don't even tell their wives they've found a testicular mass or that they've been urinating blood. They don't tell so they can avoid seeing the doctor. Stupid I know. But that's the male of the species...sometimes," he shook his head.

"No. Walter has never had anything like that wrong. God, a lump in his testicles I would definitely know about," she grinned a little, blushing slightly.

"No blood in his urine or semen?"

"No," she replied shaking her head.

"All right, good." Just as Fuller replied Walter called out from behind the screen.

"Hey, you two - my ears are burning."

Fuller walked over and pulled the screen back. Walter was sitting on the examination table.

"Sorry. Kimberly and I were just talking about what a surly son of a bitch you are," Fuller grinned.

Walter barked a laugh.

"All right, old man. If you can cough that good when I ask you too, we'll be doing just fine. Kimberly, why don't you take a seat on that chair and we'll get down to business here."

Kim noticed that despite her seat near the examining table, Jackson Fuller did position himself between her seat and Walter. Fuller was pretty much blocking her line of sight most of the time thus offering Walter a modicum of privacy. Kim nodded slightly in satisfaction. The guy was good, his bedside manner impeccable she had to admit. She settled back and steeled herself for the results of the exam.

Fuller went through the standard physical first. Weight. Heart. Lungs. Blood pressure. Pulse. Reflexes. He felt his lymph nodes and asked Walter a list of questions about anything odd he noticed with his body. Swallowing. Shortness of Breath. Unusual Thirst. Sweating. Change in Bladder habits, bowl habits, change in...change in etc. etc. It was a litany and after a while Walter was almost, but not quite, put at ease with the routine of it all. Jackson drew blood and also asked Walter to give a urine sample as well. Finally he got down to examining the area everyone was the most concerned about.

"You still with us, Kimberly?" Fuller asked over his shoulder.

"Yes," she answered. He turned and talked to them both for a moment.

"I have to tell you - so far so good. You weren't far off with describing this guy as an ox, my dear woman. He's in great shape for a 47 year old sorry son of a bitch."

The words were meant to be humorous but for Skinner they stung. Blood rushed to his face. He'd had it.

"So, what the hell is wrong here Jackson? Come on. We've been trying to get pregnant for months. Kim's doctor gave her a clean bill of health so what the..." Walter began, his anger, upset and nervousness at last breaking free of the bonds he had held them tightly under.

"Now, Walter, have some patience. We're going to find out. Let's examine the rest of you here and see if we can get some answers."

"All right," Walter sighed, "where do you want me, on the table?

"Not at first. Just take off the gown and we'll look at your testicles and penis."

Walter glanced over at Kim, shrugged a little, and removed the backless gown.

"Don't make any judgments, it's cold in here," he attempted the joke as Fuller pulled a stool over and sat down in front of Walter's crotch.

The doctor examined him gently, palpitating his scrotum, feeling for lumps. His penis got a similar treatment. At the end he dimmed the lights, and asking Walter to spread his legs slightly, shined a bright pen light behind his balls. He was looking for any masses that he might not have felt, any abnormal opaque areas. All during the examination Fuller asked him questions, some of them the same questions he had asked Kim before Walter's exam.

When he was done with examining Walter's genitals, Jackson turned the lights up again and told Walter to put the paper gown back on. He put the pen light in his pocket and stood aside while Walter reached for the gown. Skinner looked into Fuller's eyes immediately upon getting the gown over his shoulders.

"So?"

"Hold your water, big man. I need to do the prostate exam and then we'll all go in my office and talk."

For the first time Kimberly noticed some discomfort from Walter regarding her presence. She sensed he wouldn't admit it but he was embarrassed now. She could tell from the slight tensing of his mouth and his body language that this was a part of the exam that maybe he would prefer she didn't see? For a moment she couldn't understand why. After all it wasn't like they had never done this while making love. But then it hit her. It would be a man putting his fingers in Walter and under the circumstances of Walter's past, maybe he would rather she not see that happen. Even if it was his doctor doing it in conjunction with a medical exam he might feel uncomfortable with the whole same gender issue. Ok. She could respect that idea. She knew when to make a strategic withdrawal.

"Jackson, I hate to leave you two here but I really need to use the ladies room..." she began.

"God, where are my manners?" Jackson replied with chagrin.

"Oh, that's ok. We've all been rather engrossed after all," she smiled.

"Go out to Marion. She can show you the bathroom. I am sorry. Why don't you just meet us in my office when you get back. We should be done by then."

"All right I'll be back in a few minutes," she replied, getting up to make her exit.

Later when she returned from the restroom and entered the examination area she could hear Walter and Jackson Fuller talking in his office. She just caught the end of what Fuller was saying.

"...there's no point. I really don't have the equipment to look at the sample. So..."

Kimberly walked in and both men stood.

"What sample?" she asked with nervousness, sitting down next to Walter in the second chair that sat in front of Fuller's desk.

"A sperm sample, Kim. Let me explain what we were talking about before you came in."

Kim reached for Walter's hand and held it tightly. She squeezed it and he squeezed back.

"Kim, I told Walter I couldn't find anything in the overall physical exam that would tell me why he can't father a child. I was hoping I'd find something obvious - a simple non threatening reason - but nothing presents itself. Walter asked me if I could do a sperm check on him. I don't really have the correct equipment here to look at the sample properly so there's really no point in my doing that for him."

"Oh," Kim answered quietly.

"What I'd like to do is send you to a fertility clinic I work with and have him give a sample there so you can get the results almost immediately. In the meantime I'll send the blood and urine samples over to the lab and have them tested as well. I can call you with those results myself. But I don't expect to find anything negative. You're in good health, my man."

"So that means another round of doctors?" Walter asked, his jaw tense.

"I'm afraid so Walter. I really am sorry but I just don't have the equipment to take a look at your seminal fluid sample. I wish I did. But the fertility clinic is good and they can give you same day results. I think it's the only way to go," he nodded at them both.

Walter sighed and straightened his shoulders.

"All right. Can you refer us then?"

"No problem. In fact, I can get you in tomorrow. They owe me more than one favor," he grunted making a note on a yellow pad on his desk, "give me your number at the bureau again. I'll call you and give you the appointment time."

"Great," Walter replied. He gave Fuller both his FBI office extension as well as his cell phone number. Kim made sure that Fuller had their home phone number and her cell phone number too. As soon at they had exchanged the information, all three of them stood to say their good-byes.

"Now, look Walter, Kimberly. Don't worry, all right."

Skinner frowned and Kimberly wrapped her arm quietly around his waist and hugged him to her side. She looked at Jackson Fuller and gave him a half hearted smile.

"Ok, easier said then done, I know. But, like I said - we'll find out what's going on. This isn't the end of the world. And I'll work with you. If we do find something wrong Marion and I will be there to lend a hand. I can recommend any number of alternatives. Of course so can the clinic. So, hang in there."

Skinner straightened up. He knew Fuller would be as much help as he could be. He was a good man. He stilled his mind and squashed his worry. What the hell. He had Kim. He had Jackson and Marion to help. He could face this thing. They'd face it together. A little of the weight lifted from his shoulders. He hugged Kim back and then let go of her so he could shake Fuller's hand.

"All right, Jackson, thanks. I'll take your advice and hang loose. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"All right my man. Good deal. And Kim, you're going to do just fine. You're a strong woman. I'm a doctor - I know these things," he smiled taking her hand.

"Thanks for all your help, Jackson," Kim smiled shaking Fuller's hand in return.

When she dropped his hand, Walter found hers again and they stood together in the door to Fuller's office.

"We should get together...for poker," Walter nodded

"Oh sure. So you can clean out my pockets again, you rotten card shark?"

"Of course. I enjoy robbing you blind."

"Oh yeah? Well just wait till you get *my* fee," Jackson snorted in jest. Walter conceded defeat with a rueful smile.

"And I do want to get together with Marion too," Kim added.

"Well I guess I can let you have another crack at me, Walter. We'll talk about it when I call tomorrow. And as for Marion. I'm sure she'd love to raise some holy hell with you Kim. If I know my wife she'll jump at the chance."

"Now you're talking," Kim and Walter replied almost together. All three laughed briefly. Finally, Skinner and Kim turned to leave, hand in hand. Fuller cleared his throat and they turned back around.

"One last thing. Uh, they're going to ask you to give a sample of your ejaculate tomorrow..." Fuller began.

Skinner squinted slightly, "I figured as much, so?"

"Well you want to give them a good sample so you two should refrain from having marital relations until then," Fuller looked apologetic, "Sorry, folks."

Kimberly laughed and Walter barked a quick laugh as well.

"Despite your earlier remark about oxen, I think I can use some restraint, Jackson," Skinner mock growled at his doctor.

"But it's lucky we're going tomorrow nevertheless," Kim added and Walter stared at her with a raised eyebrow for second. Then he chuckled.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, Jackson," was all he could think to say.

Kimberly laughed again and Jackson smiled and waved them out the door.

Later...

"Did the courier come for Walter's blood and urine samples?" Jackson Fuller asked his wife as she was noting something in Skinner's file.

"He just left."

"Good. You almost done here ma'am?"

"Yes sir. I just want to make one last note online here in Walter's file and then I can lock up."

"I'll go get the car and bring it round front if you'd like," Jackson Fuller told his wife.

"Ok, honey. I should be done soon here. Then I'll turn everything off and meet you downstairs."

"Sounds fine. I'll see you shortly," Fuller replied, getting his coat from the small office closet. He opened the office door and went towards the parking structure entrance.

Fuller's hollow footsteps resounded off the concrete and echoed in the near empty garage as he walked towards his Lincoln Continental. When he reached the car he deactivated the locks and alarms and started to open the driver side door. As his hand touched the handle someone spoke very close by.

"Did you tell him?"

Fuller whirled around to see a taller shadow separate itself from the larger shadows near one of the garage support pillars. The person had been standing right there as he approached his car. Right next to his driver side door and he hadn't seen her. The blood in his veins turned to ice and the hair on his neck stood up.

"No, I didn't tell him," Fuller answered. He tried once more to open his car door. There was a small click and then the barrel of a gun was pressed to his head. His breath nearly stopped in his chest.

"Please..." he begged for a moment.

The attractive blonde-haired woman pressed the gun even tighter to his temple.

"I told you what would happen if you didn't tell Mr. Skinner about...his condition, didn't I Dr. Fuller?"

"I know but...but I've sent him to another doctor who will be able to diagnose him. Let him give him Walter the news. I've been out of the project for so long Ms...Ms. Ccccovarrubias, it's not..." he stuttered, "I didn't want to have anything else to do with the whole sordid..."

Marita Covarrubias sighed. Idiot, she thought. Didn't he know? She voiced her thoughts with a sneer.

"No one is ever "out of the project" Dr. Fuller. You know that as well as I do. It's imperative that you tell Walter Skinner everything. You'll tell him or else I'll blow your head off. Now you don't want to make your wife a widow so young do you?"

"No. Marion doesn't know anything about any of this."

"All right then. So, you know what you have to do?"

"Yes, I'll tell Walter tomorrow when I..."

"You'll call Walter tonight and tell him."

"It's not something I can just tell him over the phone."

The gun pressed hard against his sweating skin.

"All right. I'll find a way. I'll figure out a way to tell him tonight," Fuller gasped once, his mouth open in near shock. Then he clamped his lips shut and held his breath.

"That's a good boy. See that you do."

Fuller pushed his eyes over to look at the woman standing with the gun to his head. Her eyes were clear as crystal and just as cold. He knew she'd kill him on the spot without even thinking twice and with certainly no regrets.

"I will."

The gun was removed from his head, and Jackson Fuller let out his breath in a rush.

"See that you do," Marita flipped the safety and reholstered her Sig Sauer.

"I will," Jackson insisted, his voice loud with fear.

"I know you will," Marita Covarrubias replied and then she melted into the shadows as quickly as she had appeared from them.

xXx
CONTINUED IN PART II