by Demi-X
I didn't lose my mind,
No regrets — they don't work.
And not one day went by that Victor, at some point, did not think about or miss
his former lover. He had felt compelled to let Jim go because it was the right
thing to do... The right for Jim and the right thing to do for the sake of
harmony within the Ellison family. But it was not the right move for
Victor... But then, he was used to not getting what he wanted any ways.
Looking at Dobrinski, Victor remembered who and what had brought him back to
the penthouse.
Earlier that evening, Victor had been out to buy a late edition
newspaper, intent on scouring the want adds in hopes of getting a 'legitimate'
job. On the front inside page, his gaze rested on a photo of a funeral. It
was a photo of all the Ellison brothers coming out of the large cathedral
carrying a casket, Victor's eyes had immediately picked Jim out in the photo.
His heart sank as he read the story of how Jim's father, Monty Ellison,
had died due complications resulting from an aneurism. He was just two months
shy of his 58th birthday. The funeral for Monty had taken place the day
before and Victor wondered why he hadn't heard anything about it on the street
sooner. Then again, his connections to the street were severely limited these
days.
In the photo, Jim's expression, like his brothers, was grim. The tightness
showed around all of their eyes. Victor wished he had been there to console
Jim; whom he still considered the love of his life.
Suddenly, as if his thoughts were being read, his phone rang out, loud and
shrilly. Startled by noise, Victor plucked the receiver up. "Hello?" He said
hoarsely.
"Victor? It's me Mac. How are you doing?"
"Hey Mac. I'm okay. How's Jim?" Victor asked right away. He was
surprised to be hearing from Mac at all. He hadn't seen or heard from Jim, or
anyone else even associated with the family since parting almost four months
ago. At the time, he had supposed that the friendships came and went with the
family.
"To be honest, he's not good Vic. He really needs you." Mac said plainly.
"I want to go to him Mac. But I think I pretty well blew up that bridge
back in September."
Mac cleared his throat, "Listen Vic, Jim would kill me if he knew I was
even phoning you right now, but last night in a drunken haze, he admitted to me
that he still misses you. Jim won't be able to get over Monty's death if he
stays alone like this. He sure as hell won't let anyone penetrate the walls
he's built around himself, walls he's been building for the last four months.
Please Victor," Mac implored, "I'm asking you as for a favor, from one friend
to another, will you at least try to help him?"
Victor knew things must be pretty serious if Mac was going against Jim's wishes
and asking him a favor anyway. He and Mac had become fast friends in the short
time that they had known each other. However, all that changed last fall; Mac
was Jim's man, and Victor understood that. When he had walked out on Jim,
Victor gave up a good deal of things, love and friendship being the most
important of those 'things'.
"Okay. For you I'll try." He said quietly.
"Good. I'm out front, come down and I'll give you a ride to the penthouse."
The phone clicked off.
Victor stared at the receiver for a second before hanging it up. Smiling,
despite the sad occasion, at Mac's assumption that he would go along with his
request. He grabbed his jacket and left his tiny apartment.
Dobrinski, the only person outside of Jim's door, smiled back at Victor. He
was pleased that Mac had gone behind Jim's back after all and phoned Victor.
"How is he?" Victor asked.
"Not so great. It's good you came." Dobrinski replied.
"Do you think he'll see me?"
Dobrinski shrugged his shoulders, "Why don't you go in and find out." He
unlocked the door, rapped on it twice and then opened it up to let Victor pass
through.
Victor walked in and stood in the foyer. From where he was, he could see that
Jim standing outside on the veranda, it was very cold out and a steady rain was
falling. He crossed through the living room and pushing aside the gauzy cream
drapes, he stepped outside.
Jim was standing at the edge of the railing with his back to the apartment.
He was just staring out across the city and holding a glass of vodka in one
hand. Victor could see that Jim was dressed only in a T-shirt and jeans and
his feet were bare. The solemn man stood seemingly hypnotized by the view,
heedless of the icy cold rain drops washing over him.
Victor's heart ached for his former lover. He wanted nothing more than to
be able put his arms around him and take all of his pain away. "Jim." Victor
said softly.
Jim slowly turned around at the sound of the voice, "Victor?" He said
almost dream like.
"I came as soon as I heard." Victor said faintly. Stepping out from
under the awning, he walked over to his former lover and stood in front of him
and waited for him to say something, anything to him. But Jim only kept
staring at Victor like he was some sort of an apparition that had suddenly
appeared out of thin air. Finally, Victor asked Jim, "Was it okay I came over?
Do you want me to go?"
Jim blindly dropped his tumbler onto a small table near his hand. He
grabbed Victor and pulled him tightly to his chest. "God no Victor. No. It's
just that I was standing out here and thinking about you... Thinking about how
I missed you and how much I wanted to see you right now." Tears stood out in
his eyes, he pulled back and looked directly at Victor, "And here you are, just
when I need you the most."
Victor pulled Jim back to him and pushed the slightly taller man's face
into the crook of his neck. "Jim, I'm so sorry about your dad. So sorry."
He said softly as he squeezed his arms even tighter around the trembling body.
Victor held Jim firmly as he fell completely and totally to pieces in his
restrictive embrace.
Victor inhaled Jim's scent as he held onto his former lover. They had always
felt so right entwined in each others arms; Victor just wished that the
occasion of their seeing each other again could have been under other
circumstances. Sighing heavily and whispered calming, sweet nothings into
Jim's ear, he petted the back of Jim's neck.
Jim's trembling and shaking finally ceased and sniffing, he pulled
slightly away from Victor, but he did not try to break out of the strong arms
that had felt so good, so comforting around him. No one had ever fit him as
perfectly as Victor did.
Poor Jim, he looked so lost and alone. Victor just wanted to keep him
safe from everyone and everything. The rain had continued to pour down on
them, now not only Jim was soaked but Victor too. His jacket had provided
some protection, but the large drops had managed to work their way down the
back of his collar. The front of his coat was unzipped, providing very little
in way of protection against the cold water drizzling over the two of them.
With his emotions a little more under control, Jim said to Victor, "I
can't believe he's gone. An aneurism took him just like that." He snapped his
fingers. "Hold me Victor." He said, full of sorrow for his lost father.
Victor pulled Jim back into his chest and again held him tightly. "Shhhh.
It's okay Jim. I'm here now." He said, trying to soothe the only person he
had ever dared to truly love.
"Please don't leave again me Victor." Pleaded Jim.
"I'm not going any where, I promise." Victor cupped Jim's chilled cheek
gently as he spoke to him. "Come on, let's go in, your freezing." He reached
out, took a hold of Jim's hand and led him inside.
Jim, numb from grief and the cold, was shaking as Victor stripped off his
soaking wet clothes. He quickly did the same for himself and then, leading Jim
by the hand he pulled him into the large walk in shower in order to try and to
warm him up. He gently urged Jim under the hot spray, and grabbed the bar of
soap that was sitting in the tile dish. Creating foam in a washcloth, Victor
scrubbed down Jim's slightly red skin. He hoped that the brisk motion would
bring some of the circulation back to his flesh, that was now starting to warm
slightly. Judging by how cold he had felt before showering, Victor assumed
that Jim had been standing in the rain for quite sometime and most likely had
been drinking through all of it too.
He asked Jim casually while he poured shampoo into the palm of his hand.
"How much have you had to drink tonight?"
"I don't know. Too much." Jim replied. The hot water that was sluicing
over him felt good, and Victor's hands rubbing over his body felt even better.
He couldn't believe that Victor had come to him, if there was ever a time that
he had needed him, it was now. Leaning back and relaxing against the strong
body behind him, Jim's cock slowly began to harden under Victor's gentle touch,
even though it was clear that the washing he was getting, was intended to be
benign.
Victor smiled when he saw Jim's state of arousal. "There will be plenty
of time for that later." He said softly into Jim's ear. "Now, rinse and
let's get you into bed."
"Ahh, it's just as well." Jim sighed, letting Victor completely take over
for him. He had never given up the reigns of control before, not to anyone.
Jim had always prided himself on not really needing anybody. Then Victor had
walked into his life, and for the first time, in a long time, his perspective
had changed.
Then, just as suddenly as he had entered it, Victor had walked out of his
life; in the name of love and for the sake of family unity. The act had
devastated Jim, especially since he knew for certain that Victor was the one
for him. Had he been given a choice, he would have chosen Victor over his
brothers, and then eventually found a way back into the Ellison fold. But
Victor, who never really had a family, would not put him through the pain of
being cast out; pain that he himself had had to live with his entire life.
Now, here Victor was, back again.
Victor had come back to take care of him, riding in like a shining knight on
his majestic steed just when Jim had reached his breaking point. The only
person Jim could give himself over to had come back to look after him. He
smiled at Victor, the heat of the shower increasing the effects of all of the
alcohol he had drank. "I love you." He said softly as he was being tucked him
naked into his big, down covered bed.
"I love you too." Victor said, smiling down and Jim. He pushed the hair
off of Jim's forehead, his touch gentle. "Stay here. I'll be right back." He
waited for Jim to nod, then before grabbing the white robe that he had taken to
wearing while he staying at Jim's apartment before. Victor tied the belt and
sniffed, he could smell Jim's cologne, obviously Jim had started wearing his
robe.
Trying to be close to me?
Suddenly, Victor felt guilty for ever walking out on his lover; whether or
not it was for the best. He opened the front door and peeked his head out,
surprised to see both Dobrinski and Mac standing at the desk, the men looked up
at him at the same time. Victor smiled and shook his head. "I should have
known the two of you were in on this." He said.
"How is he?" Mac asked.
"He'll be okay. Don't worry. You guys may as well go home. I'll look
after him. I promise."
Mac looked at Dobrinski, then said to Victor, "Okay, but make sure you
call the elevator back and lock it down. There's no one to watch the door
tonight."
"I'll take care of things. Don't worry Mac,... " Victor said smiling,
"...I know it's been over four months but I still remember the routine."
"Come on Ramsey, let's go." Dobrinski started for the private elevator and
Mac followed him. He called over his shoulder, "I'll see you tomorrow."
Victor nodded. After taking care of the elevator, Victor walked around the
apartment and shut off the lights, making sure to lock up the patio. He went
back to the bedroom and was surprised to see that Jim was still awake.
Stripping off his robe, Victor climbed into bed next to Jim and pulled him
close, seeking to reassure him. Jim sighed contentedly, and was instantly
asleep.
Victor waited a few minutes to be sure that Jim really was sleeping, then,
more relaxed then he had been in a long time, he drifted off too.
The bright winter sunlight, slowly lured Jim out of the most restful sleep
that he had experienced in months; since the last time he and Victor had shared
a bed. He rolled over and propped himself up on one elbow and rested his head
against the palm of his hand. Images of the previous night replayed in his
head as he looked down on the still sleeping Victor and studied his peaceful,
untroubled face. He looked so beautiful, so 'angelic' which, when describing
Victor, was a complete oxymoron considering Jim knew him to be a double
murderer, albeit a murder for good reasons. Jim pushed the hair back from his
relaxed brow before leaning down and kissing Victor's forehead gently. Then
he ventured a little further and kissed the tip of his nose. From Victor's
nose Jim moved onto the small colourless mole just above the corner of the
right side his luscious mouth. Victor finally started to stir and his eye lids
fluttered, then opened completely.
Jim had been waiting for months for a chance to look into those beautiful
green eyes again. His heart skipped a beat. "Good morning" He said to
Victor.
Victor smiled brightly up at Jim, captivated by the pair of big blue eyes
looking down at him. "Good morning" he replied, "How do you feel?" He added.
"Other than a thick head, I'll be okay. Thanks for last night. I don't
think I could have gotten through it without you." Jim kissed Victor again,
this time on his mouth then he leaned back and propped himself up on one elbow
again.
"I'm sorry I hurt you so bad Jim... " Victor said, chewing nervously on
his lower lip.
"Shhhh." Jim said as he ran the tips of his fingers over Victor's lips.
"It's okay, I understand. But I meant it last night when I said I didn't want
you to go."
"And I meant it too—I'll stay as long as you want me to."
Jim smiled down at Victor and then kissed him deeply, gently prodding his
mouth open with the tip of his tongue, neither men noticing nor even caring
about the morning breath of the other. As he kissed Victor, Jim ran his hand
over Victor's smooth chest, then he moved his head down and kissed his way
across the pecs, from one nipple to the next. "God, Victor, I missed you,
missed this,... " Jim whispered as he stroked his hand across Victor's
abdomen, "... more than you could ever know."
Jim sat up and positioned himself so that he was straddling Victor's waist.
He ran his hands over his chest then up well-muscled arms and then, playfully,
Jim pinned Victor's wrists together above his head. Jim rubbed his early
morning hard-on over Victor's own erection. He looked deeply into Victor's
eyes and said, "Please don't leave me again Victor. Move in, stay with me
forever."
"Bu... But what about your brothers?"
He let go of Victor's wrists. "I love my mother that goes without saying and
my brothers too, but I've got a right to be happy too, Victor. Dad's death
showed me that I could go at any time. I need to live for today... For
myself." A single tear spilled over the rim of Jim's eye, "You make me happy
Victor. You alone. I was miserable when you weren't here with me." Another
tear slipped out and ran down Jim's cheek as he said softly, "We were meant to
be together. I believe that."
Victor reached up and using his thumb, he wiped the runaway tear and
brought his thumb to his mouth. "Okay." He said softly. "I'll stay...
Always" He stretched his arms, captured Jim's head, and drew him down for
another kiss.
Jim maneuvered himself so that he was in-between Victor's muscular thighs
and then he stretched out on top of him. Using his feet, he pushed Victor's
ankles, spreading his legs farther apart. Jim kissed Victor again, and made
his ultimate intentions clear when his erection prodded Victor's cleft.
Victor smiled and brought his legs up so that they were bent at the
knees, with his feet laying flat on the bed. He encouraged Jim, by pushing
down and wriggling his ass. When he was done, the head of Jim's cock was
barely touching his opening. "Make love to me Jim." He said huskily.
"Oh, God yeah Victor." Jim sucked in one of Victor's nipples, before
grabbing himself with his hand and guiding his penis into Victor's tight, tight
opening. "You're so small." He said. "I'm going to hurt you." Jim's voice
was hoarse, he was trying to control himself from doing what he really wanted
to do—which was just saying fuck-it and ramming his cock up Victor's ass and
pounding into him as hard as he could. Until they both went over the cliffs'
edge into oblivion.
"I want to feel you Jim and I want you to feel me. Just fuck me. It's what I
want." Victor said, his voice low and throaty.
Jim's cock jumped when he heard, Victor say 'Just fuck me'. Nevertheless, he
still took his time to gently push into Victor, in one continuous, slow stroke.
He could feel the tight, concentric muscles trying to discourage his entry, but
he thrust a little bit harder, and the small muscle gave way. As soon as he
was completely buried in his lover, Jim gave Victor a few seconds to collect
himself.
Waiting until Victor mumbled, "Ohhh, yeahhh." Before starting to leisurely
pump in and out of Victor.
Victor trailed his fingers over Jim's back and reached around as best as he
could and held onto the cheeks of Jim's ass.
Jim, in return, slowly increased his rhythm, working himself and Victor into a
sexual frenzy. He made sure that his cock was sliding over Victor's prostate
gland every time he pushed in and pulled out. He knew when he had found the
right spot the first time, when Victor moaned out an 'ahhhh' and pushed
himself onto Jim.
Shortly after, Jim wrapped his fist around Victor's erection and began
to masturbate the writhing man in time with his thrusts. "Look at me Victor."
He requested softly, on the cusp of orgasm. "I want to watch you when you
cum."
Victor opened his eyes and smiled up at his lover. He licked his lips, and
kept his green gaze riveted to Jim's blue one.
Seeing Victor look up at him like that was all Jim needed. "I love you
Victor." He whispered to his lover. "I'll love you forever." And with a
final thrust and stroke he brought the two of them off together. Victor
spilled his warm seed over his own torso, as his ass muscles squeezed Jim in a
tight-fisted grip, milking every drop from Jim's incredibly large orgasm.
Jim withdrew from Victor, but remained laying between his legs. He flopped
down on top of him and whispered into his ear, "Thank-god you've come home."
Then he put his head down and rested it on Victor's strong shoulder, where he
listened to the strong heart his lover's strong heart beating.
Victor pulled up the quilt and covered them both up with it. He wrapped an arm
around Jim, who had shifted and was now, only using his shoulder as a pillow
and shut his eyes. Both of them easily falling back into a post-coital sleep.
Victor immediately started back working at the restaurant, 'Ellisons'. Only
this time, he was the general manager. He had studied several business and
administration courses when he went to night college; he was perfect for the
job. Jim had been managing during the day time hours and some nights, but he
gladly gave over that duty to his lover. Jim, in Victor's absence had hired a
new head chef, this one he had Mac and even Mulder check out thoroughly before
even talking to him. As well, he hired two new managers for some of the
evening and weekend shifts when he—or now Victor, couldn't be there. As for
an accountant, Jim went back to the 'family's accountants'. He had tried
trusting an outsider, and he had ended up getting ripped off by the man for his
troubles. The family's number crunchers were a whole lot more trustworthy,
because they had been working with his father and his business for decades.
Jim made a point to introduce Victor to all of the new employees and to
reacquaint him with the staff he already knew. And this time, he made it clear
that whenever Victor was on the premises, he was the man in charge. That
included controlling the pair of managers he had hired, Murphy and Camier`.
At first, Victor was nervous at to what the employees would think of him,
but his fears were unfounded when the staff he knew welcomed him back readily,
and the new people, including the team of Murphy and Camier` had accepted his
role as boss easier than he initially did.
Now that his restaurant woes had been taken care of, Jim went back to his
business with the night club. Which had progressed from the planning, permit
and designing stage to taking the plans that had been put down on paper and
turning them into a building. Jim, for the first time in a long while, was
content. He had his lover back, a man he loved and trusted implicitly to look
after his interests in his absence, and now, he could get back to constructing
his club, on the land he had bought out from under Antonio Martino's nose.
Even his brother Marc, who still didn't trust Victor, had given up on
trying to split his brother and his 'low rent' lover apart. He had seen how
badly Jim had been hurt after he had succeeded in driving Victor away the first
time. Now that the man was back in Jim's life; his little brothers
transformation back into the happy, smiling man he used to be was nothing short
of miraculous. Marc and Jim had long since settled their differences over the
harsh words that they had said to each other on that fateful autumn night.
So Marc, kept his opinions to himself, and treated Victor with the respect
he deserved for bringing Jim out of his blue funk and for taking over and
handling 'Ellisons' as smoothly as it had ever been run. The two men were not
friendly with each other, but they were polite, and that's all that mattered to
all concerned.
Several things had gone on in Victor's life during his absence from Jim's.
First, he had been hauled in and questioned for a second time over the murder
of Antonio Martino as well as in the disappearance of Blair Sandburg, who had
been linked to Martino via an anonymous tip. The cop interviewing Victor said
that his name had been put forward by the tipster as a possible suspect in both
of the 'incidences'.
Victor, to his credit, kept his cool, even when the cop brought up his
record. He told the truth, or as close to it as he could get and, because,
there was no evidence tying him into the either case, the cops let Victor go
and struck his name off of the 'possible' list of suspects. Not once did he
mention Jim's name and when asked about their relationship, Victor spoke the
truth and said, "It was very short and it was very sweet, and now it's over."
Victor had no idea that Mulder was on the other side of the glass the whole
time, watching the interview.
Mulder was relieved to find out that Victor was not involved in either of
the cases. Even though he himself was not investigating the murder, that was
homicides' turf, or the disappearance—that was missing persons. Mulder still
felt it was his duty to go and make sure that the man he had liked so much, but
only known for a short time, wasn't busy peddling lies about his wifes'
in-laws.
January 7 1998
"I knew it!" Skinner said triumphantly to his partners. "I knew that
bastard Mansfield would find a way to come crawling back to his sugar daddy."
He looked at Thea and Nathan, both of whom were staring back at him,
expectantly. Taking a drink of his beer, he said to them, "My man on the
inside says that he came back the night after Ellison's dad's funeral."
Skinner clenched his fists and shook them, "I've been waiting four months to
pay that little cock sucker back for wrecking our little 'side' business at the
restaurant."
All three had managed to get other jobs after the firings, but Skinner was
still holding a grudge against Victor for taking away the tidy little profit he
had been making on the side at the restaurant; at the restaurants expense.
Nathan was only involved in the 'payback' of Victor because he was afraid
of Skinner and Thea. It was easier to just do as he was told, than to fight
back and walk away from them. Thea wanted in on Walter's plans because she
wanted to pay Victor back too, though she had another job it certainly wasn't
as prestigious or profitable as working in a five star establishment.
Besides, she just liked causing shit, she couldn't help herself. Sipping at
her olive-heavy martini, she waited for Skinner to reveal what his plans for
Victor were.
"If we want everything to work out right, then were going to have to have
some patience and take our time so that no one will even suspect it's us... "
Skinner leaned forward in his seat and began laying the ground work for his
long, drawn out and intricate plot against Victor. "Okay Thea here's what you
get to do... "
One year later
The anniversary of Jim and Victor's getting back together, landed on the
third day of their island vacation. They were staying on a privately owned
island off of the coast off of Maui. The island was owned by the whole Ellison
family. Monty had bought it so that there would be a safe place for the family
to vacation at, after an attempt had been made on his life. The island itself
wasn't overly large, but it was big enough to have a private beach and an a
trail leading to the other side of the island, which ended at a beautiful
grassy bluff that over looked the clear blue-green water.
The house had six bedrooms and four bathrooms and a state of the art, a
stainless steel kitchen, which for their arrival, had been fully stocked for
Jim and Victor as per their dietary instructions. Along with the beautiful
open air house there was a swimming pool and a hot tub. The grounds were
looked after by a man and his sons, and whenever an Ellison family member was
going to stay, the caretaker's wife and daughters came out to make the place
ready by cleaning it up and stocking the cupboard's as well refrigerator. The
boat ride to Maui was only 30 minutes, depending on the strength of the
current.
And there were enough of the Ellisons to ensure that someone was staying
there most of the time.
"Viictooor..." Jim called softly, "Are you awake?"
Victor made a small noise, pretending to still be asleep, however Jim knew
he was only playing. He smiled at his lover—whom he was sure was peeking at
him through his long lashes—and then kissed him softly on the mouth. Jim
kept on kissing Victor, all the way down his body until he came to his sizable
erection. He poked his tongue in the moist slit and grinned again when Victor
shuddered slightly. Enjoying the game, Jim nibbled Victor's cock, before
sucking all of it into his hungry mouth.
The men had spent most of the morning in a warm, soft bed. There was a
gently cool breeze blowing through the bedroom and the gauzy white curtains
that covered the glass doors flapped delicately in the wind like a pair of
flags. Jim had run to the kitchen earlier and grabbed a fruit plate one of the
daughters had prepared for them, and a bottle of champagne. Between sessions
of lovemaking, the two men managed to eat a light breakfast of fresh fruit
washed down with sweet, champagne. Today was their one year anniversary and
they were celebrating it by doing virtually nothing. It was now the afternoon,
and after Victor's blow-job, they reluctantly got up and showered. Jim had
planned on spending the rest of the day, suntanning and swimming in the ocean.
Jim packed the picnic basket full of fresh buns, cheese, crackers,
pate and fruit, tossed in some bottled water and wine glasses. Victor grabbed
a bag whose purpose was to keep things cold and selected two bottles of chilled
white wine to go with their late lunch on the beach. Bag in one hand, blanket
in the other, he met Jim at the back door of the house and together they walked
the short distance to the private beach.
They set up the blanket under a large coconut palm tree out of the reach of
the waters lapping waves. Behind them there was a meadow of wild flowers, and
the pretty flowers sweet fragrance was in the air all around them. Some
distance out in the water, a pod of grey whales swam protectively around their
newborn calves. After swimming and playing in the warm waters themselves,
Victor and Jim settled onto the blanket and watched the whales swim around.
The serenity of the surroundings, lulling both naked men into yet another nap.
The balmy breeze enough of a blanket for them.
Now awake, Victor and Jim were laying close to each other, side by side.
"Victor." Jim said softly.
"Jim." Replied Victor playfully.
Jim smiled and looked up into the almost cloudless sky. Studying a lone
fluffy cotton ball cloud above him, he said. "I want to give you your
anniversary present now."
Victor grinned, "Ok, but mine first." He said, excited.
They sat up at the same time and Victor reached out to retrieve the boxer
style swim shorts he had worn down to the beach, he pulled them on. Suitably
dressed, he removed a kangaroo style jacket out of the gym bag, Jim grinned at
him with raised eyebrows. He pulled a small box, about three times the size of
a ring box out of the front pocket of the garment.
"Ta Da." He said as he presented it to Jim on his open palm. Victor was
very anxious, he really wanted his lover to like his choice of gifts.
Jim opened the box, and stared, stunned at its contents. "God Victor." He
breathed, "They're beautiful." Inside there was two perfectly matched, small
emerald and gold cuff links. The emeralds were a typical square cut, about ½
carat each, and bordered in a setting of white gold, which in turn was
surrounded by 18 carat yellow gold for the rest of the link. Jim reached into
the box and plucked up a link off of the velvet, to examine it.
"Do you like them?" Victor asked.
"Victor, I love them." Jim breathed. "I'll wear them with my new suit
when we get back to work.
"I bought the emeralds because you said green was your favorite colour."
"Green is my favorite because it's the colour of your eyes." Jim smiled and
leaned over and kissed Victor softly on the lips. "And every time I wear
them," He said, "I'll be thinking of you and your beautiful eyes."
"There's more." Victor said. "Pull up the velvet."
Jim did as instructed and stared blankly at the item that had been secreted
under the cufflinks. He stammered, "How did you find?...I mean where... ?"
Hidden within the box was Jim's father's gold antique pocket watch that had
been stolen. It had been taken by a grounds keeper who had snuck into Molly's
dressing room on the day of Monty's funeral and stole her jewelry box. The
watch hadn't worked in years, which was why the watch was in her chest on her
dresser mixed in with her imposter jewels. Her real gems were securely
locked away in a wall safe. The grounds keeper not realizing the difference,
had stolen copies of what he perceived to be the real items. The watch was not
even worth that much, except in its value as a family heirloom. The watch had
come from the old country in Monty's grandfathers pocket. Jim, along with the
rest of the sons, regretted its loss deeply.
Immediately after the watch went missing, Victor put the word out, using his
own street connections, that he was to be called if a broken, gold pocket watch
was to surface.
Then, two months after the robbery, he received a call from a pawn broker,
asking him to come to his shop to see if the watch that had just been brought
in was the one that he was searching for. Much to Victor's delight, the watch
was the right one.
"Good work Lew." Victor said. "How much?"
"Oh, no charge Mr. Mansfield. It's on the house." Victor was getting a
reputation in his own right. Though there were not that many people didn't
know that Victor was Jim's lover. Treat Victor right, and your treating Jim
and the Ellison family right was the word on the street. Someday, when you
need a favor, the Ellison family just might remember the good turn you did to
one of their own. Lew knew how to play the game.
"Are you sure?" Victor replied.
"Yah, Yah." Lew tried to make like it was no big deal, as if paying for
merchandise and then giving it away was an everyday occurrence for him.
"Well then. Mr. Ellison and I appreciate your gesture." Victor reached
into his coat pocket and pulled out a money clip holding a wad of bills. He
peeled off two, one hundred dollar bills and put them on the counter, knowing
full well the shop keeper probably only gave the skell who pawned the watch
fifty bucks for it. "I'll be sure to tell him the good turn you did for the
family." Victor pushed the money toward the broker and then turned around and
followed by a hovering Mac, left the small hole in the wall shop.
"Thanks, Mr. Mansfield. It was my pleasure." Lew said to himself as he
pocketed the cash.
Victor and Mac left the pawn shop and went straight to a Russian watch
maker. The elderly man, who despite being in the country 30 years, spoke very
little english. But once Victor showed him the watch, the old man knew what to
do with it. Four weeks later, Victor returned to pick up the watch. The
Russian man, had completely restored the exquisite piece to its original beauty
along with putting it back in perfect working order. It had only cost Victor
two thousand dollars to mend and restore the beautiful time piece.
And judging by the look on his lover's face at that moment, it was the
best two grand he had ever spent; worth every penny.
"Wow. Victor. I love this... This is the best gift ever..." For once, Jim
was speechless, making Victor smile. Jim held the watch tightly in his hand,
it felt so good, to be there.
It was then that Victor knew that he had made the right choices for
presents. He caressed Jim's tanned face with his right hand then ran the pad
of his thumb over the soft brown freckles that dotted the bridge of Jim's nose.
Victor kissed him and then pulled back and said, "Happy Anniversary."
"Your turn!" Jim said excitedly as he reached into the picnic basket and
pulled out a scroll of heavy cream coloured paper wrapped in a blue curly
ribbon. Along with the scroll, Jim was holding a small ring box too.
Victor blushed as Jim handed him the box. He opened it up and inside it
there was indeed a ring. It was a men's gold wedding band with a sapphire cut
diamond in the centre of the band set in platinum. "Jim... " Victor started,
"... This... This is a wedding... "
"Ring." Jim finished for Victor. "I know. I have one too." He pulled an
identical ring out of the small pocket inside his swim shorts and held it in
his other hand. Jim looked directly into Victor's eyes and said seriously,
"Will you marry me Victor?"
Victor smiled, then teasing Jim, he shrugged his shoulders in a noncommittal
fashion and said casually, "Sure, why not?"
Jim tackled Victor playfully. He kissed him roughly while at the same time
managed to wrest the ring from Victor's grip. He sat up triumphantly and
holding the ring tightly in his fist said, "Brat."
"Hey!" Victor protested as he reached to try get the ring back.
Jim, however, pulled his hand back, preventing Victor from grabbing it or
him. "You'll get it back at tonight's ceremony, by the light of Tiki torches.
That is, if you want to get married."
"Of course I do." Victor said, surprised that Jim would think otherwise.
"Can I at least see if it fits?" He asked.
"It does. I know everything about you, including your ring size." However,
Jim handed the ring over to Victor who tried it on and saw that it did fit,
perfectly.
Victor pulled the band off and read the poetic inscription, 'V & J—two
eternal hearts beating as one.'
"Mine says the same except with the initials reversed." Jim said.
"Tiki torch ceremony huh?"
"Yup."
"When?"
"Tonight. An island minister who says he has the perfect ceremony for "The
gay boys," will come tonight and bring along his four daughters with him.
They will serve as witnesses as well as setting up the beach."
"You mean,.." Victor asked, "The marriage will be legal."
"Of course. That's why I decided on this particular family vacation spot to
go to. After tonight, we will be legally wed. No more shackin' up together."
Victor smiled, "That's a big step Jim. Are you sure about this?"
"About us?" Jim asked, and when Victor nodded he said, "I've never been
more sure about anything in my whole life. Which brings me to my other gift."
"Ohhh, does it have something to do with that roll of paper?"
Jim pulled the ribbon off of the scroll and said, "Yes." He handed it to
Victor who unrolled it and read it.
It was a document stating that Victor was his sole heir to his part of the
family fortune and was also the recipient of a two million-dollar cash gift.
Signed by Jim, and made legal by his raft of lawyers, who signatures were also
on it. Victor finished reading it and looked up at Jim, "What's this for? I
don't get it."
Jim licked his lips. "Well dad's death really hit me hard. I don't' know
what I would have done without you this last year. His last lesson in life to
us boys was the old adage that 'you can't take it with you.' If something
should ever happen to me, I want to make sure you're taken of."
"Is that whole stalker thing still bothering you?" Victor shook his head.
"I told you, nothing is going to happen to me... or to you. You don't need to
give me your money, or your family's inheritance. Do you know how pissed
Marc's going to be when he finds out you tried to cut me in on the family's
fortune?" Victor laughed softly, "Jim I love you for who you are. Not for
what you can provide me. God forbid, if anything should happen to you, then I
promise, I will be okay, financially. I don't want your money. I won't sign
the papers."
Jim sighed heavily in frustration as he tried to organize his thoughts.
"It's not just that stalker thing I'm thinking about. Look, I could die in
a car accident when we get home." This was not the conversation Jim wanted to
be having with Victor. The joy of the proposal was becoming clouded.
"Victor. That Ken doll with its throat cut really scared me." Jim rubbed a
stray grain of sand from the corner of his eye. "Vic,... if anything ever
happened,.. I just wanted to make sure that you're looked after. That's all.
After the doll incident, I started to think about us. I want to do this
Victor." Jim whispered softly, "So please, for me, sign the papers."
"Mac or Mulder will find the person behind the threats Jim." Victor said
gently, "I have to believe that." Victor saw the look on Jim's face, he was so
worried, and Victor, knew right then and there he was defeated. He couldn't
help but go along with his lover, just to cheer him up. So he rolled the
scroll back up and said, "Okay. I'll sign them... after the ceremony." He
put the papers in the basket and pulled Jim to him.
Later that evening, in front of four young, beautiful Hawaiian women, Jim
and Victor exchanged rings and vows by the light of the full moon, accompanied
by eight tall Tiki torches.
Jim looked at Victor just before the minister's daughter snapped their
picture, and he thought to himself how perfect his life was now. He didn't
think that he would ever be happier than he was right now.
How could anything possibly go wrong for us?
The previous year
One month after Jim and Victor had gotten back together, a persistent female
stalker who was focused solely with Jim, had started sending unwanted packages
and letters; all in the name of love. The two men had assumed the obsessed
person was a female because in the beginning, Jim would receive letters and
poems and accompanying the sheets of paper, was several different pieces of
female lingerie. From pairs of lacy red panties to white garters stockings,
Jim was given it all. It just wasn't clothing either, the admirer also saw fit
to send various sexual 'devices', that only made Jim burn red with
embarrassment and Victor laugh.
But there really was no proof that the letter writer was a woman or a
man. Jim and Victor simply got into the habit of referring to the stalker as a
'her'. The 'presents' and letters came at irregular and intermittent
intervals, arriving at Jim's office, the restaurant and in his mail sent to his
penthouse. Sometimes it was just letters, other times it was both notes and a
gift. But all of it was unwanted.
Jim had at first thrown away the letters and under things, chalking
them up to a woman he had crossed paths with, who thought that there was
something more to their meeting then there actually was. But then more notes
had started to arrive and when the fan mail turned from adoring to threatening,
in particular Victor's life, that was when Jim got Mulder involved. It was
Mulder who took the case and then passed it onto the new 'anti-stalking squad'
that had been formed, stemming from the rash of obsessive fans in Hollywood.
The squad closely examined the correspondence and various items that had
been sent to Jim, and they warned him that this was "just the beginning." True
to their prediction, the woman's campaign did in fact, increase.
She claimed to be the only person, man or woman, who could love Jim and
vowed to "get rid of that green-eyed monster you seem so fond of."
One time she sent Jim some expensive cologne and even went so far as to
buy him some designer mens underwear. Along with that particular batch of
men's bikini underwear—something Jim would never wear—came a letter in
which she revealed her fantasy involving Jim, the bikini's and red wax.
The erotic fantasy letters eventually turned from plain male/female sexual
acts to something more dark and twisted. She took the time to write to Jim in
great detail how she: "aches to teach you the fine art of bondage."
She talked about her act of "confining Jim would bind him to her
forever. She also wrote about murdering "HIM... "—she never referred
to Victor by name usually. "...before your very blue eyes, then while HIS
red blood runs cold from the altar of discipline, I will go to you and make
love to you the way you like it. Only I will use my dildos and other various
toys to satisfy you. Your lover," she said, "will become irrelevant
and unnecessary as I can do for you everything HE can. And more if you'll let
me."
The threats against Victor's life petrified Jim. He took the unknown
woman's menacing utterances as seriously as the Cascade P.D. did.
Victor however, stubbornly refused to cave to Jim's demands that he have
a bodyguard with him at all times. Declaring angrily that if he could look
after himself in prison and on the streets, and not be afraid, then he sure as
hell wasn't going to let one anonymous woman scare the shit out of him. After
that, he was sure to point out that he thought that Jim was his body guard.
Langly smiled at the loud argument going on behind the penthouses closed doors.
He could wait to report to Skinner that Thea was doing a good job in her rein
of terror.
Jim, tired of arguing, finally relented in his nagging of Victor, though he
had no real choice as his lover was as stubborn as an ox. Though, after the
first threat, Victor did notice that Mac seemed to hang around the restaurant
office a lot more than he used too. But he put up with it only because it kept
Jim off of his back.
Late December 1998.
For an entire year Jim and Victor had put up with one woman's campaign of
bizarre obsessive, behavior. The men left it up to the police to try and catch
her as they tried to put their focus on their blossoming relationship and
business promising dealings.
However, Jim finally lost it when he and Victor entered what was now Victor's
office at 'Ellisons' restaurant. Together, they found on top of Victor's desk,
a brunette Ken doll that looked a whole lot like Victor. The doll was laid out
in a small, replica of a coffin and the eyes had been cut out. Along with the
missing eyes, the doll's arms and legs had been cut off at the knees and
elbows. Red paint—Jim hoped it was paint—surrounded the damaged areas on
the doll, in mimicry of blood. There was also mark at the small throat of the
doll as well. Sitting above the male doll's head was a piece of paper cut into
the shape of a head stone. On it was printed,
"Victor Mansfield.
There was a letter with Victor's name on it sitting beside the gruesome
figure. He picked it up and read and then when he was done, he reluctantly
passed it over to Jim, who read:
'Victor, I saw the way you were looking at MY JAMES last night when you
were having sex. Do you honestly think that the love you made to him in the
deck chair was good? I've had it with you and your bedroom games. I've
decided that your going to have to die today. And after I'm done killing you,
I'm going to look down at your corpse and smile, for you will be no more. Jim
will finally welcome me into his loving arms, and it will be me who helps him
to grieve for your lost carcass. He won't miss you for very long, I'll see to
that.'
"Fucking Bitch!" Jim roared as he drove his fist right through the office
wall.
Victor immediately went to Jim's side, who was positively seething with
anger. "Calm down Jim." He said.
Jim whirled around, his eyes were wide with fury. "Calm down? Calm
down!" He shouted at Victor. "How can you say that? She's just threatened to
kill you outright today." His anxiety level was great enough for both them.
"Jim." Victor said calmly, "How's she going to get close to me when I'm
usually surrounded by an army of men?" He smiled, and in trying to calm Jim he
said rationally, "Now. I'm going to get a hold of Mulder and he can phone the
cops who are supposed to investigating this case. I guess this.., " Victor
waved his arm toward the mutilated doll and casket, "... should be reported."
He picked up the cell phone and turned his back to Jim dialing the phone.
As soon as he had turned around, he had blanched at the sight of the bloody
display left by whomever the deranged person was. The truth was, he was
unnerved by the threat. But he couldn't, wouldn't, admit it to Jim. His lover
was already panicked enough over his safety. Usually Victor had Mac around him
at all times now, but this morning Mac and one of his men were delayed by a car
accident on the 401. A car had crashed ironically, at the freeway exit Mac
needed to take in order to get to the restaurant. So Jim and Victor went ahead
to the office alone, with Jim having already decided he would wait with Victor
until Mac or one of his other minions showed.
Mulder walked into the office first, followed by the detectives assigned to
the case and a three-person forensics team. By the time the cops had arrived,
Mac had already shown up, and was busy fuming at the "crazy woman's" audacity
for the B and E job she had pulled to get into Vic's office. In performing
this act, she had been as bold as she had ever been.
The cops took pictures and then let the team scour the room; searching for
prints, hair, fibers or any little thing, no matter how minute, that would tell
them the identity of whom the pursuer was. And if they were really lucky,
maybe even where the person could be found.
Mulder pulled Jim, Victor and Mac aside, and speaking quietly to them he
said, "Listen Vic, it's time you got the hell out of 'Dodge' for a few weeks."
Victor started to protest, but he was cut off by Mac, who backed Mulder up
by saying, "'Good idea." He turned to Jim and said, "Victor needs to be
protected and there are just too many people for us to watch here. You should
take him to one of the islands for a vacation or something."
Mulder interrupted Mac, "One of the private islands would be a great place
to stash Vic..."
Jim piped in, "Well... we could take some time off..."
Throughout the conversation, Victor's head had snapped to each speaker,
then in frustration, he interrupted them all by saying heatedly, "Victor is
here in this room and can speak for himself thank-you! He glared at all three,
who stood there looking at him like he had suddenly grown a third eye. "And
I'm not going to let some woman... "
"Were only assuming it's a woman.." Mulder said matter of fact.
"Nevertheless," Victor continued, "I'm not going to let some person
I've never even seen run me out of town. So you can quit making plans from me.
I'm not going anywhere." He said defiantly to Jim, then he spun on his heel
and stalked away from the plotting trio.
"Oh Shit." Mac said to no one in particular.
"I think we pissed him off." Mulder said and he started toward Victor,
intending on explaining the situation to him so that he could get a clear
picture of how dangerous it was for him to be in Cascade right now.
Jim stopped him though, "I'll handle this." He said. He came up behind
Victor and reached out and turned him around so that they were face to face.
Jim grabbed the cell phone from Victor's hand—just as he was about to dial it—
and turned it off then he shoved it in his suit pocket.
"HEY!" Victor protested. "I was just about to use that."
Jim leveled a look at him and said, "Anyone you'd phone is in the room
with us." He looked back over his shoulder to where Mac and Mulder stood head
to head talking conspiratorially between them.
Still plotting my disappearance, no doubt! Victor thought as he
scowled at the two men.
"Give it up Victor." Jim said, pulling Victor's gaze away from the other
men. "I know you to well. You're trying to avoid this conversation."
"Well that should be easy to do considering the three of you are talking
like I'm not even here." Victor raised his eyebrows and then he sighed
heavily. He tried to stave off his impending headache by pinching at the
bridge of his nose. "You promised me once Jim that you wouldn't do that to me
you know." He said finally. Looking directly into Jim's eyes he said, "Don't
treat me like I'm an ornament."
Jim conceded, "I know. I'm sorry for trying to bully you. But whoever
this person is, man or woman Victor, they scare the shit out of me. I'm afraid
for your life. I wish you would be too. I feel like your not taking these
threats serious enough."
Victor carded his fingers through his ultra short hair. "No. I'm taking it
seriously. But I hate being controlled by someone we haven't even seen. Look
Jim," he said sensibly, "I agree we should take some time off. But I won't go
scuttling away like a cock roach when the lights come on. Our one year
anniversary is in a week and a half. Why don't we plan to be away then?" He
looked up at his lover through his lashes and smiled at him, showing him all of
his even white teeth. Victor knew that if he batted his lashes long enough,
Jim's mind could eventually be changed.
Encouraged by the difference in his lover's expression, Victor spoke, making
sure to keep his voice low, and gravelly. "There's some things I want to take
care of first, and I need to make a schedule for when I'm gone.. Come on
Jim..." He said huskily, taking a few steps toward his lover, "Let's take a
real vacation that's planned because we want too. Not because some psycho
has us running scared."
Victor kissed Jim softly then blinked his eyes a few times. "This person,"
Victor said reasonably, "... has said these things to me before." He flicked
his hand in the direction of his desk and the contents on top of it, "... the
only difference is she or he has decided to leave me the gift this time instead
of you." Victor kissed Jim again. "Come on, it'll be more fun if we take a
week and plan it properly. I promise to keep Mac and one of his boys with me
at all times."
Finally Jim relented. He smiled and said softly, "Okay. You're right."
Victor grinned back at him in triumph. "Let's plan a real vacation then."
Jim pulled Victor into a tight hug and said to him, "I know what you're up
to by the way."
Victor answered back, "Ohh? I don't' know what your talking about."
Jim replied, "Showing me that big smile of yours and then gazing at me
with equally big eyes." He let go of Victor and kidding in a voice that
mimicked Jackie's said, "Like, what is up with all that eyelash action any
ways?"
"Well it works don't it?" Victor said as he laughed out loud.
Jim laughed along with him and then said in a normal tone, "True. Come
on we better go let M&M over there know what's going on." He pointed to where
Mac and Mulder were still talking with their heads together. About what, was
any ones' guess.
The cops had taken the statements and the forensics crew was finished with
making Victor's office into a bigger crime scene than it had been in the first
place. Jim waited until had he had a chance to speak Mac alone, before he
hauled him to one side and said, "When were gone, I want surveillance cameras
put in Vic's office." Mac nodded in understanding. "No need to tell him... "
Jim made the order clear. No matter how close Mac and Victor had become, Jim
was still his boss and it was his orders that Mac followed.
"Okay." Mac said.
"Only you and I are to know about this. Got it? Not Lyle, not even my
brothers are to know. Install them yourself."
"Okay." Mac parroted again. "The minute you're gone, I'm on it."
Jim clapped Mac's back and went to where Victor and Mulder were debating
some mundane topic. He was glad that Victor had insisted on waiting to go
away, because now that he thought about it, there was some business concerning
Victor, and their upcoming anniversary that he wanted to take care of too.
Walter Skinner's house:
Walter, Thea and Nathan all met at Walter's small house, two nights after
Jim and Victor had returned from their tropical getaway. It had been a full
year since all three of them had been unceremoniously fired by Victor. They
had been getting together regularly, closely monitoring the progress their
revenge against the pair was taking.
In a half ass earlier attempt at payback, Skinner had anonymously given
Victor's name to the cops who were investigating the disappearance of Antonio
Martino's disappearance. Telling them cryptically only that Victor,
"Should be checked out."
Skinner had later heard from his source inside the Ellison 'compound' that
Mansfield had stood up well to the intensive questioning and had eventually
been released.
His name was stricken from the officer's list, as he had never really been a
suspect. Jim had also been taken in for questioning and for a moment he was
the cops main suspect in Martino's murder. But Jim too, was removed from the
list, as there was no real proof that he was the culprit either.
It wasn't that Walter was afraid of Victor—though Nathan was—and the
'Director' as Walter and Nathan called her, just wanted to fuck Victor to
death. No. Not that at all. But he was afraid of Mac Ramsey, Jim's meanest
'handyman'. And it had been Ramsey who had backed up Victor's initial threat
in the first place.
So instead, Skinner went to the Cascade police station and reported his half
brother missing. He was sure to mention that Blair last worked for Jim
Ellison, and was in fact, his last lover. Once again, Jim had been asked to
come down to the station house for questioning, to which he complied and when
asked, Jim lied flawlessly and fed the cops a bull shit story about how he
caught Blair shooting up in his bathroom so he kicked him out, right then and
there. And when Blair threatened to 'go public' with new of their
relationship, Jim had told him to go ahead. He was open, and anyone who knew
him knew he was gay. Then Jim told the cops that the last time he had heard,
Blair Sandburg was on his way to see his dealer, because Jim had flushed his
drugs down the toilet.
Because there was no evidence to foul play—Mac was a pro after all, no one
would ever find Sandburg's remains—and owing to the fact that as an adult,
Sandburg was allowed to disappear. The police were satisfied with Jim's
answers, so they filed away Blair's file and called Skinner to let him know
that Jim proved to be of no help. That he was most likely not responsible for
his brothers disappearance and they would contact him if they "dig anything new
up."
Skinner, angrier than ever, gave up on having the cops doing his dirty work
for him. So he called together 'The Director' and Nathan, where they put their
heads together and hatched a very long and complicated plot against the two men
whom he saw as the enemy. Walter did his part in the plan by using what
knowledge he had of Jim's life outside of the restaurant. He had singled out a
personal employee of Jim's and slowly began to turn Jim's man, into his own
using very subtle techniques he had learned while serving in Vietnam.
He knew for a fact that his informant had a secret crush on Jim, and that he
definitely had a 'hate on' for Victor. His envy for Jim's lover seethed just
under the surface of his quiet demeanor. Skinner used that jealously to his
advantage, and soon, he had the man totally wrapped around his finger. By the
time Walter was finished, he would have his very own Manchurian candidate.
The Director and Nathan's part in the grand scheme was to carry out with
stalking Jim. Skinner didn't care how they did it, only that it got done.
Thea took her part in the plan seriously, not to mention the great joy she got
in harassing the two good-looking men who had both at one time or another
rejected her.
She was the one who wrote all of the letters and select the gifts and tokens
to be mailed away. She also was the one who decided where and when to send a
mailing.
Nathan took care of posting the psychotic mail, either by courier or by
going to a neighboring town and mailing the letters. He did not take pleasure
in carrying out his part in the plan; at least not like Thea did. But she
scared him almost as much as Victor did.
Walter's patience and determination amazed both of his accomplices. And
finally, one year later, the trio's sick stratagem was ready to be finished
off. Neither Nathan nor The Director had ever met Walter's informant before,
but tonight they would meet finally get the chance to meet him.
Though the informant did know about Nathan and Thea, that they were the ones
behind terrorizing both Jim and Victor.
The inside man also knew that the two men had been vacationing together
for the last two weeks and that they had gone to a private island the Ellison
family owned. However there was something the inside man didn't know, that
Walter did. It was something that the lovelorn man would consider to be the
last straw, and Skinner planned on using it to push his 'man' right over the
edge.
Walter set down another olive laden vodka martini in front of The Director
and a beer in front of Nathan Muckle. He twisted the top off of his own bottle
and sat across from the pair. He said to them, "Okay. Tonight is the night.
By this time tomorrow, Ellison and Mansfield's world will have come crashing
down on them."
"So what's the plan?" Nathan asked, sipping from his beer bottle.
"Well, " Skinner said, "The fake stalking operation has succeeded. Two
weeks ago Ellison and his thug boyfriend took a hasty vacation to the family's
private island retreat just off of the coast of Hawaii. They went there because
the 'stalker', " Walter smiled at Thea, "drove them there—just so Victor
could be safe from the 'kook'." He said directly to Thea, "A job well-done
gorgeous. By the way, you make an excellent psycho."
"Thank-you." She murmured before popping an olive into her mouth.
"So... Jim and Victor while living in the lap of luxury, get this, got
married while on the island." Skinner shook his head in disgust. "They flew
home on Thursday and after spending the weekend unpacking, will finally be back
to work tomorrow morning; bright and early. Which is when my snake in the
grass will strike at Victor."
"Just what exactly is the big revelation that will send your guy off the
deep end?" Thea asked.
"Well he's yearned for Jim from afar for a long time now. He
admitted to me that he would do anything to get Jim to notice him. Just wait
Thea, you and Nathan will get to see how I get him to do what we want."
"Just who is this inside guy of yours?" Nathan asked. He had been kept
in the dark about the identity of the man for a year now.
"Patience Nathan. Patience." Was all Skinner would say.
A knock sounded at the door and Walter looked at his watch. "Right on
time." He said to Nathan. "Now you two finally get to meet the rat." He
stood up and went to the door and let in his guest.
"Nathan, Thea, " He said, "This is Ringo Langly."
"Just Langly." The geeky bespeckled blond man said to the two people in
the room.
"Langly." Nathan and the Director said in unison.
"Get you a beer?" Offered Skinner.
"Sure" came the mild response.
Walter handed Langly a beer and then sat across from him and said
conversationally. "So Jim and Victor are back, rested and ready to go to work
tomorrow."
Langly made a face at the mention of Victor's name. "Yes." He said. "They're
back."
"Well did you notice something different about them?" Skinner asked.
"Apart from the fact that they're tanned and happy?" Langly replied
grimly.
"Apart from that, yes."
"No, I didn't notice anything new. What are you getting at Skinner?"
Langly asked, growing paranoid.
Skinner smiled deviously, this next statement was the proverbial other
shoe dropping. "Jim married Victor when they were away on the island."
A look of shock and disbelief crossed over the blonde man's face.
"Wh... What?" He finally managed.
"You heard me." Skinner said calmly, "Mansfield talked Jim into marrying
him. He had the minister come to the island to surprise Jim." He held up
two fingers on each hand and made the quotation mark gesture when he said the
word surprise.
Thea and Nathan just sat back and watched as Skinner drew Langly into his
intricate web of lies. "Jim was put on the spot. He had no choice. Victor
set it all up, he even had the rings ready." Skinner gave Langly a predatory
smile, he was of course, turning the 'real' wedding story all around; laying it
on really thick for Langly.
Skinner, encouraged by the look of horror on Langly's face, continued
with the telling his 'tale'. "Then after he manipulated Jim into marrying him,
Victor coerced his new husband..." Walter could barely keep the disgust
from his voice when he said the word 'husband'. "...into signing an agreement
that gave over half of his fortune to Victor. He had the balls to have the
paper work already drawn up, just waiting for Jim's signature. Victor
Mansfield is a lying, cheating, opportunist who lied and manipulated his way
into Jim's bed and then his bank account. Mansfield is no good for him. You
know that yourself. Jim's in so deep with this guy, he doesn't even know how
to find a way out. If something were to happen to Victor, then the contract
Jim signed would be void."
Skinner sipped his beer at that point, taking a well-timed pause, to let
his words register with the already half brainwashed man.
He set the bottle down. "In fact, if Mansfield were to die, then Jim would
be able to get out of this whole big mess unscathed. He would be the one to
receive a small insurance settlement from that gold-digger's small life
insurance policy. I'm sure,... "
Skinner sweetened the honey pot, "... Jim would need a strong shoulder to
lean on, to help ease him through the grief of losing Victor. You could be
that shoulder Ringo. No one understands him like you do. Only you." Skinner
took another sip of his beer and flashed a quick smile for his silent
associates. "Can you do it Langly?" He asked the man, in low even, hypnotic
type voice. "Can you do what it takes to save Jim from Mansfield's clutches?"
"Yes." Langly whispered so softly Skinner almost never heard him. "I'm all
Jim needs."
Skinner smiled evilly, "That's right,.." He said, "You're all Jim needs."
He looked over his shoulder at Nathan and Thea and grinned at them, then he
turned back to Langly. "I know where he'll be tomorrow and when he'll be
alone."
Langly looked directly into Skinners eyes. "So do I." He said monotone.
Then he stood up and mumbled a goodbye to the silent other two in the room.
Walter walked him to the door and reaffirmed, "In his office, tomorrow at
the restaurant. He'll will be alone tomorrow morning." To the almost dejected
like man.
Whether or not Victor would be alone tomorrow, was anyones' guess. But
Skinner figured that Langly, being on the inside would be able to catch him
alone in his office at some point during the day.
"He's a goner." Was all the geeky man said when he walked out of the door,
and into the night.
"BINGO!" Skinner said triumphantly to his partners. "By this time
tomorrow, Mansfield will be dead and Jim Ellison will be weeping over his
corpse. Ringo Langly will have done the job for us and that fake stalking
angle we've been doing should cover our tracks long enough for us to collect
the rest of our payment from Martino's 'family' for the hit. We'll split up
the money, get out of town and then its fat city for the next couple of years."
He popped the cork of an expensive bottle of champagne and poured three
glasses. He handed one to each of his partners in the crime. "Here's to the
death of Victor Mansfield, may the son-of-a-bitch rot in hell and here's to
Ringo Langly for taking the fall." The trio tinked glasses and then drank.
Thea piped up and made a toast of her own, "Here's to the million-dollar
payout to make it happen." She held up her glass and both Nathan and Walter
said "Here, here." Together.
Jim and Victor's penthouse, Monday, January 1999:
The alarm shrieked its nasty call, Jim reached out sleepily and slapped it
into silence. He rolled over and instinctively reached out for Victor, who was
not on his usual side of the bed. Jim groaned in protest. As he lay there for
a second trying to wake up, he heard the shower starting in the back ground.
Jim laid in bed for only a minute before his early morning hard-on mixed
with visions of Victor, naked in the shower finally drove him out of the cozy
bed. After urinating, Jim stepped around the thick glass blocks of his walk-in
shower. He stood for a second and admired the beauty of Victor's well muscled
back and his firm ass. He couldn't help but smile at Victor's stark white
butt, standing out in marked contrast to the rest of his body that was tanned
to a golden sugar hue.
As Jim stood and stared, the subject of his lustful thought turned around
and smiling said, "Well are you going to stand there all morning staring at my
ass or are you going to get in here and wash it for me?" He winked at Jim then
turned back around.
Not needing a second invitation, Jim stepped into the hot spray behind
Victor. He hugged his 'husband' tightly and bit into his shoulder softly.
"Can you believe we have to go to work today?" He said as he nuzzled the back
of Victor's neck.
"Mmmm. I know. I can't believe how quickly the two weeks flew by."
Reaching around Victor's waist, Jim captured his left hand and held it up in
the air putting their ring fingers next to each others. "Marriage looks good
on us. Doesn't it?"
"Yes, it does." Victor replied. He turned around and pulling Jim into his
strong arms, kissed him. "Come on, turn around and I'll wash your back for
you." He said rubbing his erection across Jim's. Then he slid around so that
he was standing behind Jim, letting his lover receive the warmth of the hot
spray.
Jim leaned forward and soaked his entire body.
In the mean time, Victor grabbed a bar of fruit scented glycerine soap and
turned it over and over in his hands until he had created a thick lather.
Reaching around in front of Jim, Victor ran his hands up his torso. Smiling at
the feel of Jim's waxed chest—something Jim had been doing since he had taken
up working with weights regularly six months ago. Running his finger tips
lightly across Jim's delicate nipples, he made the small, light brown discs
instantly stand up at attention.
Victor shifted his touch and ran his hands gently downward and over the flat
stomach that like Victor's, was now sporting a six pack of muscles.
Jim moaned softly, he closed his eyes and raised his arms and clasped his
fingers behind his head, giving Victor greater access to his body.
In turn, Victor's clever hands strayed due south, where he wrapped all ten
of his fingers around Jim's now rigid cock. He nudged Jim forward by pushing
his chest against the man's back.
Jim put his arms out once he was close enough to the tiled shower wall, he
assumed the position; the same one he would if a cop was going to frisk him
roadside. He leaned his head forward and watched as Victor stroked him until
he was on the verge of orgasm. Then his pulsating organ was released and
Victor sank down to his knees, behind Jim.
Jim had protested mildly when Victor stopped his hand-job. But Victor
whispered up to him softly, "Shhh. You'll like this better." Then he leaned
in and bit one of Jim's firm round cheeks, causing the still standing man to
moan in pleasure again. Victor kneaded, nibbled and fondled Jim's ass until
finally he parted the tight mounds and ran the very tip of his tongue over the
small, pink opening.
The touch was electric and Jim's body jumped in ecstacy, undulating slowly,
in silent pleasure.
Victor smiled to himself, knowing that his actions were driving Jim wild.
After a minute or two of indulging his own private fantasies, Victor wetted the
index finger of his left hand and slowly penetrated Jim's tight anus. With his
right hand he reached between Jim's well-muscled legs and wrapped his fist
around the base of the trembling man's cock.
Jim stared down at Victor's hand as he watched and felt as the love of his
life proceeded to slowly carry him right to the brink of euphoria.
Victor pushed his finger in and out of Jim as he stroked his hand in time
with his thrusts, until the point Jim reached the verge of orgasm. At that
point, he suddenly stopped stroking and grabbed the very base of Jim's cock
with his thumb and forefinger and squeezed tightly. By doing so, Victor's
actions elicited a groan and then a plea of continuation from Jim; the
benefactor of his careful ministrations.
Victor pulled out his finger and slapped Jim's left cheek hard, hard enough
to leave a complete hand print coloured bright red. Jim mumbled incoherently
as he thrust his hips forward, seeking Victor's fist, which had by now, been
removed altogether. Standing up, Victor put his hands on Jim's hips and then
pulled him back, so that his hands were still against the tiles, but his body
was at a sharper angle. He used one bare foot and gently kicked Jim's legs
farther apart. Then he leaned forward and placed his left hand at the small of
Jim's back while with the other he guided his very hard, unlubricated cock into
Jim's constricted entrance.
Jim moaned at the pleasure/pain sensations of the burning heat that pulsed
right through his whole body. "Ohhh, yessss, Victor... Yesssss." He whispered
hoarsely as Victor entered him in one long, slow stroke. His cheeks clenched
together in involuntary response to the invasion.
Undaunted, Victor was patient as he held onto either side of Jim's hips and
slowly pumped in and out of him. Making sure to scrape the head of his cock
over Jim's highly erogenous button every time he plunged in and then again, on
the way out. It had not taken too long before Victor had Jim begging and
panting for Victor to cum and to let him cum too.
But Victor in reply to the pleas, clenched his fingers around the base of
Jim's cock and whispered into his ear, "Not quite yet love. Not until I say."
He sucked in the flesh of the top of Jim's shoulder and made a purple mark.
Jim groaned again.
This time, finally done teasing, Victor used his entire hand and stroked Jim
in an opposite rhythm to his deep thrusts from behind. A few strokes later,
Victor knew it was time, for them both. He kept up with fucking and stroking
Jim, and whispered lustfully into his ear, "You make me so hard Jim. I could
fuck you all day." Victor blew in his ear and smiled when the organ in his
hand jumped at his dirty talk.
"My dick,..." He continued,"... is up your ass and my hand is wrapped
around your cock,... " Jim mumbled out some unintelligible words of
endearment, all Vic could make out was 'please' in the garbled mumbling. He
ground into Jim even harder and gripping his penis tighter he said raspily.
"I'm ready Jim. Come to me,... now."
With that, Jim let out a holler and let go; his semen painting the Italian
tiles of the wall in front of him.
Victor ejaculated deep inside of his lover, at the same time. His knees had
straightened with the orgasm, then buckled in the after math. Jim turned his
head, and they kissed for a few seconds until the awkward angle forced them
apart. Victor pulled out of Jim, and watched, as the lukewarm spray washed
away the evidence of their love for each other.
Dressed and ready for work, Jim kissed Victor thoroughly and said playfully,
"My ass is going to burn all day now, thanks to you and your un-lubed entry."
Victor gave his 'husband' a lascivious look and retorted, "I know. Every
time you move, you'll think of me." He licked his lips provocatively and then
turned to the mirror to straighten out the knot in his tie. "Sometimes it's
better to do it without the slippery stuff."
Jim approached Victor from behind and spoke to his reflection, "I'll think
of you all day any ways, next time you're on the receiving end!" Jim pretended
to sound angry, the truth was that he really wasn't, of course. The love
making between them just got better and better. Jim supposed that was so
because every day they fell more in love then the day before. He kissed at
Victor's neck.
Suddenly Victor's pager went off, interrupting the nuzzling. Victor smiled
as Jim continued kissing him, he held the pager out at eye level to read it.
"Gotta' go." Victor said breezily. Pocketing the pager, he turned around and
said to Jim, "I love you champ." Then he cheekily slapped Jim's trouser covered
ass.
"I love you too, Vic..." Jim replied, smiling at the smack, but
disappointed that his kissing had been halted.
Next thing, Victor was out the door and down the hall. He passed the guard
at the desk and said "good morning" to John Byers. Glad that he had missed
the shift change between Langly and Byers. He didn't want to have to look at
Langly's face on this perfect morning. Langly only ever spoke to him in a cold
voice and that was only when he had too. And Langly always, always wore a
scowl on his face for him.
Victor got into the elevator having no idea that Langly had not shown up for
his shift the previous night: that he had called in sick and Frohicke had
covered his shift until morning, then Byers came in to relieve Frohicke early.
Mac pulled the door shut behind himself and listened for it to click shut—
it did—as it locked automatically.
Victor took a step away from the now secure door, but Mac put out his arm
and stopped him. "I'll go first." He said.
"It's not as if Jackie's not going to kick my ass if something should
happen to you." Victor said sarcastically, one eyebrow raised.
"She might kick your ass, but at least she won't kill you." Mac said over
his shoulder to Victor.
Victor had to laugh at that, Jim was way too protective when it came to him.
They went down the hall and when they reached the office door, Mac poked his
head in first and looked around quickly, but before he was satisfied, Victor
pushed Mac aside gently and entered his office. He looked around, as good as
it had been to get away, it was good to get home again. He fingered the
wedding band on his ring finger and turned to Mac. "Shit!" He said.
"What?" Mac asked.
"I forgot that file of new recipes the chef wanted me to read in the car."
He started toward the door.
"Hold it." Mac instructed as he pulled his keys out. "I'll go and get it.
You stay here where it's safe."
Victor shook his head. "All right." He relented. "I guess I better phone
Jim anyway, and let him know that I arrived alive.
Mac laughed as he was leaving. Neither man even noticing that the desk
chair was pushed to the side, so that it was no longer resting under the desk,
as was usual. Victor walked around his desk and reached for his phone but
before he could grab it, a hand snaked out from under the desk and grabbed his
ankle. The hand yanked hard and Victor fell over, smacking the side of his
face, then the back of his head as he went down.
Caught completely by surprise, Victor had no time to react, let alone defend
himself. He lay there stunned, trying to clear the stars that danced in his
vision. His assailant scrambled out from underneath the large wooden desk, in
one hand he was holding a large serrated knife and in the other he had a small
can of pepper spray in the other.
Victor was bleeding from a cut at the corner of his eye and from another at
the base of his skull but he still managed to get his hands behind himself and
he crabbed backwards for a few paces. Then he froze, as his clouded brain
cleared just enough for him to realize who exactly, his attacker was. Had
Victor had a gun on him, he would have gone for it and shot the bastard
standing over him. Lacking a weapon, he tried instead, to get up, wanting
desperately to knock the shit out of his assailant. The blow to the head
however had really hurt him. Victor's head throbbed, and he didn't think his
legs would hold him, even if he did manage to stand up. He couldn't help but
feel like a frightened rabbit.
Langly stepped up and stood over Victor, looming large over the still half
senseless man. He sneered at the rapidly blinking Victor, then he crouched down
and using all of his might, jammed the knife into the centre of Victor's belly.
Victor shrieked in pain, it burned where the knife had entered and all of
his nerves were on fire. The pain pulsed through his body in time with his
speedy heart beat.
Langly, left the knife where it was; imbedded in Victor's abdomen. He
straddled Victor and grabbed him on either side of his jaw and pulled him so
that his eyes were facing upwards and looking directly at him. "Did that hurt
Vic?" Langly asked casually. "Well, I guarantee you it didn't hurt half as
much as it did when I found out you married Jim and conned him out of his
money."
Victor's eyelids fluttered as he asked, "Langly... Why?" His voice was
barely above a whisper, the pain of the knife in his belly was not subsiding in
the least and he wished that he would either pass out or just die.
"Because, you stole Jim from me. That's why." Langly's eyes, magnified by
the glasses he wore, were full of pure hatred for Victor.
"Just kill me then." Victor groaned bravely. He couldn't wrap his thoughts
around the fact that for the last year, it had been Langly terrorizing them and
not some unknown woman. Something still didn't seem right about that fact, but
Victor was in too much agony to think straight. He looked at the knife still
in his stomach, he could see the blood seeping out of the wound and he knew
then, that he probably wouldn't survive the encounter even if Langly did leave
right now.
"Oh no Victor. I won't kill you outright. I told you, I'm going to hurt
you first." Without warning Langly yanked the serrated knife out of Victor.
Victor screamed and Langly still holding the pepper canister, sprayed the
stinging pepper into the bubbling wound. In doing so, it was the equivalent of
throwing salt into the wound. Which was what Langly wanted; he wanted to
torture Victor not just merely kill him.
When the spray had hit the freely bleeding injury, the agony of the stinging
mercifully pushed Victor past his limits and allowed him to pass out, and
thankfully, he could no longer feel anything.
Langly screamed in anger when Victor's body could no longer hold on to
consciousness. He jumped up and began kicking the oblivious man in the ribs on
the right side of his prone body. Yelling for him to "Wake up," Langly only
stopped kicking when he heard the satisfying crunch of some of the bones giving
way. Then as a last final indignation, he spat on the motionless man's torso.
Throughout the encounter, time seemed to move in slow motion for both of the
parties involved; victim and perpetrator. However the actual span of time was
only three or four minutes. After spitting, Langly dropped the knife near
Victor and then he took off out of the office. He ran through the kitchen and
was out of the back door even before Mac could return.
"Gee, I don't know Vic..." Mac was saying as he rounded the corner and
walked into the office. "Some of these recipes seem..." He froze for a few
seconds when he saw Victor laying on the floor unconscious and bleeding out.
Then a beat later, he screamed out Victor's name. The file slipped from his
hand, forgotten as he ran to his friend and dropped to his knees. Mac cradled
Victor's head in his lap and he pressed his bare hands to the knife wound, but
found out quickly, that his mere hands would not be enough to help stop the
flow of blood. Reacting to the situation, he immediately yanked off his suit
jacket and flung it aside, then he ripped his shirt open by grabbing in the
small gap between the buttons and yanked it wide open. He popped off all of
the buttons in the process and sent them up into the air, showering Mac and
Victor in a hail of buttons. He pulled off his white cotton dress shirt and
balled it up. He replaced his hands with it by pressing it to the bleeding
abdomen, trying his hardest to stanch the wound; the expensive shirt
immediately turned red.
Reaching out with one bloodied hand, Mac grabbed the telephone cord and
yanked the phone right off of the top of the desk. The phone protested hitting
the floor by sending out a solitary ringing noise. He pulled the phone closer
to him, and double checking for a dial tone, Mac immediately pushed in 911. He
had remained calm and cold like, keeping his real emotions locked firmly away
as he confirmed the address for the woman on the other end of the line.
He even remembered to tell the 911 operator that the door was locked and the
paramedics were going to have to smash the glass to get in. He listened to the
first aid instructions, and pressed the now completely soaked shirt down even
harder onto the stab wound. Against the 911 operators advice, Mac hung up the
phone and flung it away in frustration. He groped behind himself and grabbed
the sleeve to his jacket. While still pressing down on Victor's stomach, he
managed with one hand, to pull his cell phone from his pocket. Pushing down a
single digit, the phone speed dialed to Jim's cell phone, Mac swore when the he
heard the computer start to say, 'The user is away from the...'. Hanging up,
he then pushed another number and reached one of his men, who was already en
route. Mac shouted at him to step on it as he was going to have to watch the
place for the Ellisons.
Mac's hands and now his arms by now, were covered in Victor's blood, but he
didn't even notice, all he could think about was saving Victor. Pushing a
third number on the speed dial, Mac managed to get a hold of Mulder. He
frantically filled the cop in on what was happening. And when he finally heard
the sirens wailing in the distance; Mac was flooded with relief. He told
Mulder that the medics were here and that he would go with Victor to the
hospital, then he instructed Mulder to try and get a hold of Jim, that he had
already tried him but Jim's wasn't answering his cell phone.
Mac said to Mulder just before hanging up, "There's a camera hidden in the
office. It''s in the light fixture and the recording equipment is sitting
behind a false front of books, all of them titles by 'Dickens'. Mac spoke
firmly, "No one knows about the surveillance. I want you to get to the tape
first. Then I want to know who the son-of-a-bitch is that did this. Find this
bastard Mulder!"
Mac hung up and dropped his cell phone to the carpet. "SHIT!" he screamed
in distress just as he heard glass smashing. Victor moaned but did not wake
up. "It's okay buddy." Mac soothed, his eyes glued to the red dress shirt.
"Help is here now." The paramedics came charging down the hall yelling for
Mac, who answered by shouting "IN HERE! HURRY!"
JULY 1999.
The Unforeseeable Future
Tell me a story,
where we all change,
and we'd live our lives' together
and not estranged.
it was mine to give away,
couldn't stay to watch me cry,
so I softly slip away.
No regrets now — they only hurt.
Sing me a love song,
drop me a line,
suppose it's just a point of view,
But they tell me I'm doing fine.
'No regrets' Robbie Williams.
January 4 1998
ictor stepped off the elevator and the memories of a short, but sweet former
time, came flooding back to him. He gave Dobrinski—who was stationed at the
desk and waiting for him—a small half smile.
He hadn't seen the older man since the day before he had broken up with Jim;
which was just one more day in his miserable life that he would never be able
to forget. Ever. Victor had, to his regret, broken things off with Jim
because of Jim's family and their disapproval of him.
Walter Skinner's apartment
January 1999
BORN: to the devil.
DIED: AUGUST 20 1999.
MAY HE ROT IN HELL!!!"
And, as Jim's lawyer pointed out that it was Jim who had scooped the
lucrative land deal that Martino was gunning for—a prime piece of downtown
real estate. "After all, they have been business rivals for years, why would
Mr. Ellison have him killed now?" reasoned Jim's high priced mouthpiece to
the detectives. Then the legal eagle promptly brought up several reasons as to
why someone else is the killer. Once the cops dug deep enough, they came up
with a whole raft of other possible suspects. Finally, Jim was released and
taken off of the list.
Skinner, pissed off that both Jim and Victor had managed to come out of the
Martino murder looking more innocent than his Rabbi, had decided to turn his
energy's into finding his missing brother. He knew that he couldn't very well
march into Ellison's office and ask where Blair was, considering Victor had
threatened to kill him if they ever crossed paths again.
NOTE: This story bounces back and forth, from the present to the past. I
think you will figure out what's what.
