Actuality

Mulder pushed the video into the slot, returned to his seat on the bed, and started the video playing. On the large-screen television, the grainy black and white images from the surveillance cameras covering his apartment showed his confrontation with Krycek; showed Skinner interrupting them, and finally the AD shooting the his nemesis three times in the chest.

The screen went blank for a moment, then the lit up once again with secretly filmed snatches of the OPR review which had taken place within a few days of the shooting, copies of the documents submitted; the ballistics report; the autopsy findings; and the medical examiner's death certificate. Mulder paused on each of the documents in turn to read it through, his lips curving up in a smile as he reached the end of the last document.

"...Caucasian male, identified by those at the scene as Alex Krycek, declared dead at..."

He pressed play again, and after the document disappeared there was another few seconds of blank tape, before the camera panned round a country churchyard until it came to rest on Mulder, who was standing beside an open grave.

A priest conducted a short ceremony, then the casket was lowered into the ground, and Mulder turned away, leaving the camera to zoom on to the gravestone.

Mulder started to read the inscription. "Here lies Alex Krychek...." He stopped the tape, then went on, "No, here lies Alex Krycek," he leaned down and kissed Alex's lips. "For a dead man you're looking incredibly healthy."

Alex laughed, then gestured at the now dark TV screen. "Why did you spell my name wrong?"

"I don't like tempting fate. You may be 'dead to the world' - well to all but a select few - but...."

Alex kissed the troubled expression off his lover's face. "I'm so glad we've got past the hitting stage...," he murmured, then winced as he caught his split lip. "Well, almost.... That was a nasty elbow jab there, Fox."

Mulder tried to look contrite, then laughed. "It wouldn't be right if we didn't spill some of your blood first."

Alex laughed with him, then said, "Talking of blood; I had to get rid of most of the clothes that were covered in the blood your three friends, and their special effects guy, obtained for us."

Mulder nodded glumly. "Yeah, I got some on my pants. The cleaners complained bitterly about it... and charged me extra."

"Still, the Gunmen did make a very good job of editing the tape for the 'surveillance video'. If it wasn't you laughing at the script they gave us, it was Walter. How many takes was it before we got "I have to do this" on tape without any giggles?"

"The trouble is, my love, you have an infectious giggle." He poked at what he knew was a ticklish spot; Alex obliged him with a breathy giggle, and he smiled indulgently. Alex pulled him close, and Mulder stopped tickling him as their mouths met in a deep kiss.

When he came up for air again, Alex said, "I spoke to Walter just before you arrived, he and the others will be here for the meeting at ten tomorrow morning-"

"And between now and then I'm going to fuck you through the mattress," Mulder interrupted.

"You think?"

"You want another split lip?"

With a huge grin on his face, Alex spread his legs.

Mulder pounced....