Admission by Aries Chapter Eleven Perfect "Hello?" "Scully, it's me." The woman sat up, coming fully awake in an instant. "Alex. What's wrong?" "Nothing," Alex whispered, grinning like a fool. "Sorry, I know it's late." Scully peered through the darkness at the glowing red numbers on her alarm clock. "Yeah, Alex, I'd call three twenty-three late. What the hell couldn't wait until a more reasonable hour?" "I'm gonna do it." "You're gonna do it." "Yeah," Alex breathed and said nothing more. "Okay." Scully closed her eyes and rubbed at the lids. "Good. Wonderful. Alex, you'd better look like giving me a little more information than that if you want to avoid serious injury the next time I see you." Alex laughed softly. "Sorry, I...God, I'm so excited...I'm going to ask Fox to marry me." "You...seriously?" "Yeah." "Alex, have...you've really given this a lot of thought? You're not just doing it because..." Alex interrupted Scully's question. "I've done nothing but think about it since Chuck and Vicki's wedding and no, I'm not just doing it because I think it's what he wants. I want to marry him. God, I really do." "That's wonderful, Alex," Scully said, genuine joy in her voice. "I'm so happy for you guys. What made you decide to ask him?" "Everything," Alex laughed. "Nothing." "Don't confuse me, Krycek. It's too damned early." "Sorry, it's just that...it wasn't any big bombshell, you know? It's just a combination of all the stuff that's been in front of my face for all these years. How could I have not seen?" "I don't know. But Mulder's going to be pretty happy." "Yeah, I think he will be." "You know, Alex," Scully began, "A few years ago when you gave Mulder that ring, I was really relieved that marriage wasn't on your minds. But now I gotta say that I can't think of anything more natural." "I'm glad you're happy about it," Alex murmured. "There'll be few enough guests at the ceremony." "Small and intimate is nice." "It'll definitely be that." "So, when are you gonna pop the question?" "As soon as I can find the right place and words." "I got an idea." "Yeah?" "How about you hang up right now, go wake him, and ask him?" "Where's the romance in that?" "I think it's very romantic. Plus I can't wait!" "You're going to have to." Scully groaned in protest, and Alex laughed. "Things sure have changed from a few years ago. I remember the look on your face when you saw Fox's ring like it was yesterday." "I have to admit that as sure as I was that you really loved Mulder, I was still a little worried that it might not be a forever thing." "And now?" Now I'm a thousand percent positive that nothing short of death will separate you." "That's the truth, Scully," Alex answered earnestly. "I know. Now, since you won't wake him up, why don't you go get some sleep?" "I'm too excited to sleep." "I'm not." "Oh," Alex laughed. "Sorry. Okay, go back to bed. I'll talk to you sometime tomorrow." "After you've proposed to Mulder?" "You're going to be on my back all the time about this now, aren't you?" "Serves you right for calling me at this hour to tell me." Scully smiled into the phone. "Good night, Alex. Congratulations." "Thanks, Scully. G'night." Alex hung up and sat grinning in the dark of the living room for a long while before picking himself up and returning to the bedroom. Cautiously, he pushed the door open, listening to the soft swish as it glided over the carpeting. Pausing, he turned an attentive ear to his lover, listening for any signs that Fox's sleep had been disturbed. Soft and steady respiration filled the otherwise still air. Alex crept quietly into the room and carefully lifted the blanket. He slipped into bed beside the unconscious man and propped his head up in one hand, looking at the dark outline of his lover's form. His lover. Whoa. Guess that'd change...sort of... //Do you Alex Krycek take Fox Mulder to be your lawfully wedded...// He stopped and closed his eyes and said the word to himself. Husband. He opened his eyes and frowned. Was that even how men referred to each other? Husband and wife, husband and...husband? Was that right? And what about names? Would it be expected for one of them to change their last name like het couples did? //Alex Mulder.// He wrinkled his nose. //Fox Krycek.// He snickered silently. //That sounds better.// Though he suspected that Fox wouldn't think so. //Well...guess nobody has to change his name. Anyway, never mind all that. First thing's first. How the hell are you going to do this? Intimate dinner? Candles...music...// Another frown appeared, and Alex emitted a soft breath. //No. Too ordinary. He deserves more.// //Sky writer? Ad in the newspaper? Oh, God. Why don't you just hire a carload of clowns and...heyyy!// //Oh, jeez. You're losing it, Alex. Get some sleep.// Alex lowered his head to the pillows and snuggled up to Fox. Placing a tender kiss on the sleeping man's bare shoulder, he closed his eyes and eventually fell into a heavy slumber. Fox opened his eyes halfway and listened for the sound that had roused him out of sleep. Silence. Just as he was about to close his eyes, a soft snuffling drew his attention to the side of the bed. "Can I help you?" he croaked, scratching the broad head of his four-legged alarm clock. At that Clyde began to whine and stretched forward to wash Fox's face with sloppy kisses. "All right, I'm up, I'm up." Fox turned his head to face the empty side of the bed and ran his hand over the rumpled sheets. Cold. Frowning slightly, he then looked at the clock. "Where the heck is he at six-fifteen?" He looked back to the dog, who was now resting his chin on the mattress and displaying his best pathetic look. "And why aren't you wherever he is, aggravating him?" Groaning, Fox threw the blanket off and rose to his feet, stretching lazily. "Gimme a couple of minutes, okay?" he asked the dog as he trudged toward the bathroom. Clyde followed, plunking himself down outside the door as Fox entered the bathroom and closed it behind him. Not moving an inch, the dog waited patiently, staring at the door until some twenty minutes later, Fox emerged. The moment the door swung open, he leapt to his feet, tail swinging wildly, and he started to howl and moan. "I can't believe you haven't been out," Fox mumbled as he and Clyde moved out of the bedroom and through the house. All was quiet, there were no smells of breakfast, and Fox had begun to wonder if Alex was even in the house when he passed the den and heard the clacking of keys. Smiling, he figured that Alex's writer's block had lifted early this morning, and he'd wanted to get down whatever he'd thought of before it disappeared from his mind. Opening the door, he entered the room, smiling. Alex heard the swish of the door and quickly closed the window he had open on the monitor. Spinning around in the chair, he grinned at his lover. "Hey." Fox looked from Alex to the monitor and back again. "Morning. I thought maybe you were up early writing." "Uh...no. No, I just woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep, so I came in here and started fooling around online." Fox nodded and approached slowly. "You could've stayed in bed and fooled around with me if you wanted." Alex reached out for Fox's hand, capturing it and pulling the older man to him. "You were sound asleep." "I wouldn't have minded you waking me up." Alex gave the older man a soft smile. "But you were so cute with the pillow half over your face, and your mouth hanging open. " One corner of Fox's mouth stretched into a grimace. "Cute, huh?" Alex nodded and pulled Fox down for a gentle kiss. Before he could even think about turning it into anything more, an impatient Clyde began to bark. Fox pulled away and straightened his back. "Yeah, yeah." He looked from the dog to his lover. "Has he been out since you've been up?" "No. Sorry. He wasn't interested when I got up, and then I got on the computer and...did he go wake you up?" "Yeah." "I'm sorry, lisa. If I hadn't closed the door, he wouldn't have gone and bothered you." Alex rose from his chair and turned to sign off. "I'll go let him out." "I can do it if you're not done here," Fox argued already heading for the door. "I'm done," Alex insisted, shutting the computer down and following Fox. "It wasn't anything important." "Okay, well..." Fox took the younger man's hand and headed for the kitchen with Clyde leading the way. "...how about some breakfast? I'm cooking." "You sure you wouldn't rather go back to bed?" Alex asked, unlocking the back door and letting the dog bound out into the yard. "You might have still been asleep if it weren't for Clyde." "Nah, I'm wide awake now." Fox walked over to the refrigerator and rummaged around. "How about eggs Florentine?" "Man, you're feeling adventurous," Alex laughed. "Do we have spinach?" "...Yeah." "And you're actually going to do this." Fox turned to face the other man, hands on hips, head cocked at a slight angle. "Okay, okay," Alex chuckled, hands raised in surrender. "You want some help?" "No, I got it." "You sure?" "Alex," Fox said sternly. "Go do something." "Like what?" "I don't know. Write. Vacuum. Watch Rug Rats. Just get out of the kitchen. I'll call you when it's done." "'Kay." Alex moved slowly toward the door then turned around. "Uh...be sure to use enough spray or the eggs'll stick to the muffin pan, and it'll be a bitch to get off." "I know." "And don't forget to stir the sauce frequently." "Alex..." "All right, I'm going." Alex left the kitchen trying not to worry too much about the potential mess. On the bright side, though, he had a little time to go back and check out those web sites. He'd just leave the door open this time so he could hear better... "Oh, you're good," Fox bragged to himself, removing the baking dish from the oven. The eggs were broiled to perfection, surprising even him. Quickly, he set the dish down on the counter and rushed to find Alex. Calling his lover's name as he walked through the house, he heard a faint 'uh huh' coming from the direction of the den. "They're done," he crowed, entering the room just in time to find Alex shutting the computer down. "And they're a damn masterpiece. Let's go." Grinning broadly, Alex shook his head and followed the older man to the kitchen. "Smells good," he offered as he came through the door. Looking down at the eggs, he nodded. "They look good." "That's right. Sit." Alex took his seat and let Fox serve him. Waiting until the other man had joined him at the table, he dug into the eggs. "Holy mackerel, Fox, this is good." "You don't have to sound so surprised." "Sorry lisa, but," Alex said between mouthfuls, "you gotta admit that aside from scrambled, you and eggs don't really get along." "So, are you telling me you think this is just dumb luck?" "Nooo. Of course not," Alex soothed. "You did an excellent job. I'm very proud of you." There were a few more minutes of silence as a smiling Fox watched Alex eat with real enjoyment, and then he spoke. "You want to do anything today?" "Yeah, uh...actually I was thinking that since it looks like such a nice day, it might be a good idea to get started on the yard. You know, clean the leaves out from under the bushes, get the fence ready to be re-stained..." Fox bounced up and down in his chair. "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy." "Wise ass." Fox rolled his eyes and went back to his eggs. "Hey, better we do it now than wait until it gets warmer. Then you'll be complaining about it being too hot." "All right, so we'll clean the yard," Fox moaned. "You'll feel a lot better when it's done," Alex promised. "It'll give you a great sense of accomplishment." "If you say so," the other man mumbled, resting his head in one hand. "Fox, are you pouting?" "Is it going to get me out of raking leaves?" "No. Might get you bent over that chair..." "Then we'd need a nap," Fox threw back. "A nice long one." "Forget it, Mulder." The pout grew more exaggerated. "Don't even try it." Alex warned, chewing on his bottom lip as Fox used his most effective weapon. "Fox..." Fox lowered his eyes, playing with the remainder of his breakfast and said nothing. "God, you are such a pain in my ass," Alex growled, pushing himself out of his chair. Stalking over to where Fox sat, he reached down, grasping the other man's wrist and pulled him to his feet. "Where are we going?" Fox asked as he was dragged out of the kitchen. Alex gave no answer except to haul his lover up to the bedroom and shove him down to the still unmade mattress. Tearing off the other man's clothes, he then removed his own and jumped the warm body sprawled in front of him. "And just so you know," he murmured, grinding his hips against Fox's, "not only are you going to help me clean the yard, but that messy kitchen'll be waiting for you too, and it's all yours." Fox laughed and engaged Alex in a ravenous kiss, quickly obliterating thoughts of dishwashing and yard raking. //We'll see about that...// "Hello?" "It's me." "Are these late night phone calls going to become a habit?" "It's not that late," "It's almost midnight." "But it's Saturday." "In four minutes it'll be Sunday," Scully yawned. "And what's your point?" "My point is," Alex murmured, "it's the weekend. Why would you be in bed early?" "It's called lack of a life, Alex. Now, what's up? You ask Mulder to marry you yet?" "No." "Why not?" "We spent most of the day cleaning the yard, and I didn't think getting on my knees, all sweaty and grimy, in a pile of leaves was such a great idea." "Like you haven't done that before?" "You're a real comedian, Scully." "Okay, so why are you calling me at this time of night if you haven't asked him?" "I couldn't talk to you during the day with him around. He's asleep now." "Glad one of us is." "Quit yer bitchin'." "You going to answer my question?" Alex sighed softly. "I can't think of a good way to ask him." "I got one." "Yeah?" "How about...Fox, will you marry me?" "Good. Thanks, Scully. Why didn't I think of that?" "I don't know; it couldn't get much simpler." "The words are simple, but I need the right time. The right place." "So take him out to a nice dinner. Maybe some dancing." "It's been done to death." "Picnic in the country?" "Ehh." "I got it. You hire a skywriter, okay? Then..." "Okay, now I know it's a crappy idea." "What d'you mean? "It's crossed through my mind too." "So because we both thought of it, that makes it crappy?" "Too common." "Oh, for God's sake." "It's gotta be special, Scully. Something he'll always remember." "He's got an eidetic memory, Alex," Scully reminded the caller. "He'll remember every last detail...forever." "I don't mean something he'll keep in his head." An understanding silence followed then Scully spoke up. "So, how long are you going to drive yourself crazy with this?" "Don't know. I realize I can't mull it over forever. But I just want it to be perfect, you know?" "I know. But Alex, you've got to know that you could propose to Mulder in the middle of a locust infestation, and it'd be perfect to him." Alex smiled at the assurance and said nothing. "How's he been, by the way?" "Ironically enough," Alex answered, "I haven't seen any mood swings since around the same time I realized that I wanted to marry him. Maybe he senses it somehow." "The way you seem to be able to read each other, I wouldn't doubt it." "Well, if he's reading me, I wish he'd give me some sort of clue as to how I should do this." Scully laughed. "I don't think he knows exactly what's going on, Alex. I think if he did, he'd say something about it to you." Soft sigh. "Yeah, I guess." "You're starting to sound pretty tired," Scully yawned loudly. "I know I am. Why don't you go get some sleep?" "Yeah, okay..." "Don't worry, Alex," Scully reassured the troubled man. "It'll come to you soon." "I hope so," Alex murmured. "It's getting harder to keep it to myself." Saying goodnight, Scully hung up and flung an arm across her face, groaning loudly. //Please let him come up with something soon//, she thought silently, //or I'm never going to get a full night's sleep again.// Fox's eyelashes fluttered briefly then dropped down over his eyes as he awakened. Morning already? And good God, what was that? Birds? But he'd only closed his eyes a few minutes ago. Thank God it was still the weekend, and he didn't have to get up early or he'd have to kill Alex for working him so hard yesterday. Turning his head, he squinted at his still unconscious lover. An uncontrollable smile formed on his lips as he studied the sleep-softened features of the face he never tired of looking at. So peaceful. So beautiful. Alex moaned deeply, and he snuggled down into his pillow, and Fox's cock began to rise. So damned sexy, even out cold. Okay, so maybe he'd just fuck him senseless instead...after he got a little more sleep. Too bad Clyde had other ideas. The dog entered the bedroom just as Fox closed his eyes, and he promptly dropped his chin onto the mattress and sighed heavily. Fox kept his eyes closed, hoping that Clyde would just go away at least for a little while, but the persistent Shepherd would not be ignored. He began to whine softly. When Fox still didn't respond, he decided to use another weapon in his considerable arsenal. Fox's jaw clenched as hot puffs of air fanned his face. He hated it when Clyde began that infernal panting, and the damn dog knew it. He endured it for as long as he could, then he turned his head and looked into a pair of big, soulful brown eyes. "Why can't you let me sleep just one weekend?" The barely audible words were enough to spur the dog into action. Placing two paws on the bed, he began to lap excitedly at Fox's face. "No...Clyde, c'mon...all right. All right." Fox sat up and looked down at Alex, shocked that the younger man could sleep through the minor commotion. As quietly as Clyde would allow, he slipped out of bed and threw a pair of jeans on, then led the dog out of the room and down to the kitchen. He let Clyde out into the yard then turned to get his breakfast, waiting a few minutes before letting him back in. "Jeez, run me over why don't you?" he mumbled at Clyde, who romped past him and went straight for the food. While the dog ate, he snuck out of the kitchen and returned to the bedroom, where he found Alex still asleep. As quietly as he could, he approached the bed, removed his jeans and slipped back under the covers. Seconds later, Alex moaned and wound an arm around him, pulling him close. "Where you been?" "Thought you were asleep." "Was. Woke up a couple of minutes ago. Where were you?" "Your animal was bugging me to go out." "Oh," Alex sighed softly. "Gave him breakfast too, so he should leave us alone for a little while." Alex draped one leg over Fox's hip and gave him a sleepy smile. "Leave us alone for what?" "That's up to you," Fox murmured, kissing his lover's closed eyelids. "Soooo. You mean if I wanted to get up right now and go outside and clean the gutters, that'd be okay with you?" "No." "You said it was up to me," Alex reminded the other man. "It is," Fox assured, brushing a couple of stray hairs away from Alex's forehead. "As long as I agree to it." "Uh huh. And you don't think that cleaning the gutters is a good idea?" "Not right now." "Okay, so what is a good idea right now?" Smiling, Fox wrapped his arms around Alex and rolled the younger man on top of him. Pushing upward, he ground his hips against his lover's. "Guess," he hissed in Alex's ear as he writhed against him. Following his cock to full wakefulness, Alex inclined his head and closed his teeth over the exposed flesh of his lover's throat. Fox's eyes rolled upward, and his lashes fluttered closed as he gave himself up to the pleasure of the possessive act. "We're cleaning those gutters," Alex growled, releasing his grip. "And we're doing it this morning. When we're done, we can spend the whole rest of the day in bed if you want." Grumbling, Fox let Alex up and followed the younger man into the bathroom for a quick shower and some merciless teasing. By the time they made it down to the kitchen for a light breakfast, he'd stopped pouting. In fact, a tiny smirk curved his mouth, and Alex squinted warily in his direction. "Okay, what's that all about?" "What?" Fox asked innocently. "That look." "Look?" "Yeah. The one that tells me you're up to something." "What could I be up to?" Fox asked around a mouthful of blueberry muffin. "I'm sitting here having breakfast just like you are." "Mmm hmm, but your mind is working. I can hear it clicking from here." "So suspicious. I'm just thinking about my reward when we finish cleaning the gutters." "Uh huh. And that's it." Fox shrugged. "That's it." "Okay, Fox," Alex sighed, returning to his own breakfast. Watching his lover's smirk grow broader beneath the curtain of his lashes, Alex began to smile as well, knowing full well that there was more to it than what Fox had just admitted, and he was quite sure he'd find out what it was very soon. When breakfast was finished, the two removed the ladders from the garage and got to work on opposite sides of the house. Three quarters of the way through his job, Alex heard a soft scratching coming from somewhere above his head. The scratching became louder, and just as he recognized the sound, Fox appeared. He watched the older man slide slowly down to his side of the roof, and he cocked his head, frowning at the smiling man. "Fox, what are you...are you nuts? Get down from there." "Why?" "Because it's dangerous, that's why! I can believe you climbed over here from the other side of the house." "This is nothing. Remember Skyland Mountain?" "I'd rather not, thanks. Now, get down!" "Nope." "Fox, I'm not kidding." Fox laughed softly and moved into a sitting position. "Come and get me." "I am not getting on the roof." "No?" Fox asked, leaning back on one elbow and turning his face up to the sun. "Gee, that's too bad. Guess I'll have to do it all by myself." "Do..." Alex's eyes widened as the other man's free hand slipped down to the waistband of his jeans. "Hey...Fox, cut it out. You're not going to...shit, you are." Fox undid the button then slid the zipper down and reached in past the denim to caress the bulge hidden in his underwear. "C'mon, Alex," he cooed, eyes closing. "It's nice up here. Sun's so warm..." "Your ass is going to be warm when I get my hands on you," Alex warned. Fox moaned and arched his hips as his hand continued to work over his covered cock. "Come on up and warm it for me right now." "I knew that little smirk on your face at breakfast meant trouble." "You know me well." "Yeah. Now zip up your pants and get down from there." Grinning, Fox shook his head and continued to stroke himself. "You come up." Groaning softly, Alex knew that it was the only way he'd get the pain in the ass down. "You're dead meat," he muttered to himself as he carefully made his way up onto the roof and crawled over to where Fox lay. The older man opened his eyes and smiled up at him. "Hi." "Is that all you have to say for yourself?" "Lie down with me." "I'm not lying down, Fox, and you're getting off this roof right now." "You're not afraid to be up here, are you Alex?" "No." "Then lie down with me. Look at the sky." "Then will you get down?" Fox's only answer was another lazy smile. Sighing loudly, Alex flipped onto his back. "It's so blue." "What is?" "The sky," Fox answered, still idly caressing himself. "How can I concentrate on the sky when you're lying here on our roof with your hand down your pants?" "Okay, okay." Fox pulled his hand out and moved it to Alex's jeans. The younger man snapped up into a semi-sitting position and stared down at the other. "What're you doing?" "You said you couldn't concentrate with my hand down my pants," Fox reasoned, pushing Alex back down. "You didn't say anything about it being down your pants." "Fox...ah...Fox..." Making quick work of the fastenings on Alex's jeans, Fox plunged his hand inside the denim and gripped his lover's swelling cock. Moaning softly, Alex quickly and completely fell under Fox's spell. "It's nice up here," Fox murmured, teasing the now rigid length of his lover's cock. "Sunny and warm...quiet...nobody can see us." "'Cept maybe for bird watchers and the occasional nosy neighbor with a pair of binoculars," Alex rasped. "No more risky than an alley," Fox answered, reminding Alex of a recent encounter. "Or the back seat of the car, or the men's room of a club..." A tiny smirk slanted Alex's mouth, and he closed his eyes briefly before opening them and looking at the sky. "It's a nice clear blue, isn't it?" Pushing Alex's jeans farther down, Fox shifted and brought his mouth down on the younger man's cock. Flicking his tongue over the velvety surface, he reveled in the sounds of his lover's enjoyment then slowly he opened his mouth and sank down on the hard shaft. Alex's vision clouded as he was engulfed in wet warmth. "Lisa," he whispered, threading his fingers through his lover's hair, "Mmmmm..." Slowly, Fox worked the thick muscle, doing all the things he knew Alex liked, and the younger man let himself relax, caught between the warmth of the roof and his lover's mouth. The hazy blue of the sky was replaced by a dull reddish-black as his eyes closed, and the faint singing of birds faded into a dull hum as all of his concentration fell on that insistent sucking heat at his groin. Sounds formed in his throat, rolling and gurgling there, but never made it past his lips. His body, limp and boneless just moments ago, began to tighten as Fox showered him in relentless pleasure. Fox smiled around his mouthful, listening to Alex's increasingly uncontrolled groans and whimpers. The thought crossed his mind to reach up and clamp a hand over the younger man's mouth as he finished him, but just as quickly, it left. So what if the neighbors heard? Who'd ever think to look up? Using one hand to grip Alex's hip and the other to toy with his balls, Fox quickened his movements, his head now steadily rising and falling on the rigid shaft. Alex bucked upward to meet him, making no efforts to soften his cries as his climax rumbled through him. The explosion that soon followed sent a gushing stream of semen down Fox's throat, and the older man swallowed it all, sucking and lapping at the head to insure that no traces of fluid were left behind. Completely sapped of his strength, Alex lay motionless, moaning softly. A light flutter of lips along his jaw then across his mouth opened his eyes halfway. "Think the neighbors've called the police yet?" Grinning, Fox kissed his lover again. "Why would they?" "Wouldn't you if you heard a man screaming? They probably think someone was being killed or something." Fox looked around below. "Nobody's even outside yet. Know why?" He answered his own question. "'Cause it's Sunday. They're all still in bed, where we should be." Alex raised an arm, groaning at the effort it took, and looked at his watch. "Nobody's in bed at this time of day." "Just because you're up and out at the crack of dawn on Sundays doesn't mean other people don't sleep in." "I'd hardly call ten-thirty the crack of dawn," Alex droned. "And listen to you. I seem to remember a time not all that long ago when a good night's sleep to you meant no more than five hours." Fox shrugged and smiled. Alex continued. "You used to go running at four o'friggin' clock in the morning. Remember that?" "Obviously you were up too, if you knew what time in the morning I was going running," Fox countered. "'Course I was. It was my job to know where you were at every minute of the day." "That's not why you followed me," Fox grinned, helping Alex re-fasten his jeans. "No?" The golden-brown head shook back and forth, catching the mid-morning sun. "Okay, so why'd I follow you?" "You liked watching my ass." "Well, yeah, but..." The grin grew wider. "And you were wildly in love with me even then." Alex was silent for a moment then reached up to stroke his lover's hair. "Yeah, I think I was. And I was looking out for you." Fox's smile faded. "I know." Then it was back. "Now...we gonna hurry up and finish cleaning these gutters? I got a hard-on here the size of all outdoors, and I'd really like to have it taken care of sometime today." "I can take care of it for you right now," Alex offered, letting a hand drift down over the bulge in Fox's jeans, but the older man shook his head and lifted himself away. "Later. After we finish this." Alex sat up, fixing a puzzled gaze on Fox. "You're going to finish cleaning the gutters with that?" he asked, pointing at his lover's crotch. "No, I'm going to use my hands," Fox said blandly, leaning in to nuzzle Alex's cheek. "I'll use that when we get back into the house." "Yeah?" Alex chuckled softly. "What are you going to do with it?" "I'm going to shove it so far up your ass, you're going to feel it in your throat." "That's romantic." "Damn right. Now let's get these stupid gutters finished." Rising to their feet, the two men carefully picked their way to their respective ladders and completed their job. Less than an hour and a half later, they were writhing naked and damp together in bed, Fox, as promised, driving deep into his lover's ass. Having pulled the sheets away from the mattress, Alex clawed at the bare cushion as Fox took him violently from behind. Loud growls vibrated past his clenched teeth as he was continuously pummeled, and when Fox began milking his cock, he blew, sobbing and gasping into the pillow he'd buried his face in. Fox came quickly afterward, his hoarse groans filling the air. They collapsed seconds later, Fox's weight pinning him to the mattress. His chest heaved in a strained effort to drag air into his lungs, and he attempted to lift his head, but his strength had left him for the moment at least, and he let it drop again to the pillow. "Jesus." Eyes closed, Fox smiled at the breathless whisper. "You okay?" "...Almost killed me." Fox licked the edge of his lover's ear. "That a complaint?" "Mmm mm. Love it when you're bad." The grin grew wider. "Enough to let me do it again?" "Even though I won't be able to sit down tomorrow, yes. I'll let you do it again." Alex squirmed under the older man's weight. "And again." "I will," Fox whispered, sending a tiny shiver through the younger man's weakened body. "After lunch. I seem to have worked up a hell of an appetite." Rising up, he ignored Alex's whines of protest and hauled the other man up after him. "C'mon. Let's get cleaned up then go get something to eat." A little more than half an hour later the two were back in bed, Fox having a little Alex with his lunch. And so it went for the rest of the day. Fox only allowed breaks to eat and take care of Clyde, and it wasn't until sometime after nine p.m. when he finally dropped from exhaustion, at last giving Alex a chance to breathe. From his position beside his unconscious lover, Alex watched the slow rise and fall of the perspiration dotted chest, and he laughed softly, wincing at the discomfort the small action brought. Christ, they were both going to be sore tomorrow. His attention fell back to Fox. Damn, but it was worth every kink and every pulled muscle. Alex leaned in and brushed a soft kiss into the older man's hair. //Animal.// Grimacing, he eased the sheet aside and got out of bed. Checking to make sure that Fox was still asleep, he quickly slipped on a pair of underwear and left the room. He made his way to the den, joined there by Clyde. Not bothering to turn any lights on, he booted up the computer and started to do a little research. three days later Ring. "Mmmmm....." Ring. "Ah, shhhhhh...what, Alex?" "What if it wasn't me?" "It's always you," Scully grumbled into her phone. "Scully, if you don't want to be updated, I won't..." "Updated," Scully interrupted. "You gonna tell me you finally asked him?" "Uhhh. No." Long sigh. "So. What is there to update?" "I've been reading." "And you felt the burning need to call me at...eleven-ten to tell me this?" "Yeah. Listen, did you know that Fox and I getting married in Vermont isn't really what we'd be doing?" "Whaa?" "No. It's termed as a civil union. And unless I'm reading this wrong, it's only really legal there in Vermont. We wouldn't have any rights as a married couple here in Virginia. What kind of shit is that?" "You don't remember me saying that at Chuck and Vicki's reception?" "No..." "Because as so often happens with you and Mulder, you weren't listening to me. It wouldn't be a traditional marriage." "Why wouldn't it be?" Alex asked, clearly irritated. "Don't know. Guess the world just isn't ready to take it that far yet. Legally, a civil union is the closest thing you're going to get right now. And I believe you're right about it probably only being recognized in Vermont." "Well, this sucks." "Calm down, Alex. It's just a document. To you and Fox and anyone else there with you, it'll be a marriage." Alex heaved a heavy sigh. "Yeah. Just not to the state where we live and most of the rest of the United States. Jesus, what's the damn point?" "The point is you and Mulder, Alex." Alex expected her to say more, but Scully ended her argument right there. She didn't really need to go any further. "I gotcha," he said quietly. "Sorry 'bout that. Finding that stuff out just kind of made me mad. I lost focus for a little while." "It's okay. As long as you're back on track." "Yeah." Alex smiled into the phone. "We're getting married, Scully." "Not if you don't hurry the hell up and ask him, you're not." "I know, I know. I had a thought about that this morning, actually." "Great. Go with it." "Don't you even want to hear it?" "I'm sure it's wonderful and sweet and romantic," Scully assured Alex. "Do it." "C'mon, Scully," Alex whined softly. "I need an opinion." "Okay," Scully sighed. "What is it?" "I want to fly him to Andros for one night. Back to the same house we stayed in before. Have an elaborate dinner set up on the beach. Champagne, an orchestra, candles..." "Ohhhhhh." "What? That bad?" "No, Alex. It's not bad. It's...oh, God, it's beautiful. You'd go through all that just to ask Mulder to marry you?" "Told you I wanted it to be something he'd remember." "I think you'll have achieved that. Geez, Alex, that's so perfect. But what if the house is booked? I mean it's so gorgeous. They've probably got a waiting list a mile long for it." "They're actually very picky about who they rent to..." "And they rented it to the likes of you?" "You're funny, Scully. So anyway, it's only occupied a few months out of the year. Right now, it's empty." "How d'you know?" "I called this morning after I got the idea." "Did you book it?" "No. I said I'd call back if I decided I wanted to do it. The guy remembered me and said it'd be his pleasure to help me out." "That's great! You gonna call him back?" "Yeah. I think I will. I just wanted to get your opinion first." Scully laughed softly. "What if I had told you that I thought it was a crappy idea?" "I would have ignored you." "That's what I thought. Okay, Alex. Go get some sleep. It should be easy now that you've got at least this part settled in your mind." "Not really, but I'll try." "And you'll book your house tomorrow?" "Yeah." "Great. Okay, goodnight." "'Night, Scully." Alex hung up and, grinning broadly, he went in to bed. Fox pulled into the garage and stepped out of the Lincoln, a half eaten bag of sunflower seeds dangling from his teeth as he tried to balance an armload of files. He made his way to the door that opened up into the house and tried to turn to knob, but the files began to slip from his arms. Regaining control over his armful, he began to kick lightly at the door with his foot. Waiting several seconds, he kicked again. Nothing. //Dammit.// Dropping the bag from his mouth, he was unable to stop it as it hit the top file and slid right over the edge, scattering seeds all over the floor. "Shit. Alex.....Aleeex." No answer. Not even a peep from Clyde. //Maybe they're out for a walk.// Fox squatted, attempting to place the stack neatly on the floor, but several of the polished cardboard folders slipped from his grasp and slid from the top of the pile in a soft whoosh, distributing some of their contents to the cement floor. "Shit." Stamping down the urge to kick the remaining folders over, Fox opened the door. He gathered up his scattered files, ignoring the sunflower seeds for the time being and walked into the house. All wasn't as quiet as he would have expected. The muffled sounds of Alex's voice came from the direction of the den, and as he made his way toward that room, his eyes turned toward the glass doors in the living room. Clyde stood on the other side, tail swinging back and forth in silent welcome. "Hey buddy," he mumbled as he passed through the room. "Thought you were out for a walk." Fox approached the den, listening to the soft sounds of his lover's voice. The closer he got, the more audible the sounds became. "...That'd be perfect. Yeah...what's that? It hasn't been easy keeping it from him, no. When you live in the same house as the person whose back you're sneaking around behind...fortunately, though, he's at work all day, so I've got at least eight hours alone to do my thing..." Fox slumped against the wall as he listened to Alex's end of the conversation. He had to be hearing it wrong, he had to be. Alex's laughter brought his attention back. "...You're right. One night isn't nearly enough, but I promise you, there'll be more...no, I don't think he has any idea. I've been really careful..." Fox's arms lost their strength, and the files tumbled to the floor, startling Alex. "Listen, I gotta go. I'll call you back when I can." Alex hung up and hurried to the entrance where he found Fox, pale and shaken, leaning back against the wall. "Fox, what...how long have you been here?" Blinking dumbly, Fox stared at the younger man. "Lisa, are you all right?" Alex reached out to touch Fox, but the stricken man stumbled away, still staring wide-eyed at him. "I don't...don't under...stand," Fox stammered. "I don't...why? Why are you..." "Fox, breathe. You're not making any sense. Why am I..." //Shit. He heard. He heard, and he thinks...ah, Christ.// "Fox, I don't know what you think you heard, but listen to me. I think you've got it wrong." At that, anger began to seep in. "What've I got wrong?" he asked incredulously. "You're not s-sneaking around behind my back? Y-you're not promising someone more nights together? What're you doing while I'm away?" "Nothing." "I want to know what's going on," Fox demanded. "What've you been doing at night in here when you think I'm asleep?" Alex just stared. "I knew you thought I was sleeping. But I heard you get up every time. And I know it was hours sometimes before you came back to bed. I told myself you must have been writing all that time, but now..." "I wasn't doing anything that would hurt you. Baby, listen..." "I can't believe this," Fox moaned. "How could you...I don't...I..." The pain returned. "I thought...God...oh, God." "Fox. Stop. I guess that conversation must have sounded bad from this end, but if you'll just listen to me..." "I don't want to listen." Fox pushed himself away from the wall and staggered away. "I can't. I..." Alex grabbed Fox by his arm and swung him around. "Dammit, listen to me. You got it all wrong. I...sonofabitfch! I can't even believe you'd think this of me!" "What am I supposed to think?" Fox asked, voice cracking. "You're supposed to think that there's a logical explanation for what you heard!" "Fine," Fox whispered, not meeting Alex's eyes. "What is it?" "Give me a few days," Alex pleaded. "Then you'll..." Shaking his head, Fox turned again to leave. "Fuck!" Alex roared, not seeing any way out of this rapidly deteriorating situation but one. "I was trying to surprise you!" "You did that," Fox croaked, still walking. "I wanted to take you back to Andros! I was going to ask you to marry me, you fucking lunatic!" The words stopped Fox cold, and he slowly turned around, casting a disbelieving stare at the other man. "You what?" Growling loudly, Alex kicked the wall a few times before punching it once. Fox stood his ground, still staring. Alex released a hard, exasperated sigh then turned back to the older man. "I wanted it to be special. A night you'd always remember," he croaked, a note of defeat in his tone. "Now it's all shot to hell." "You..." Fox began and stopped, swallowing the lump that was quickly forming in his throat. "...want to...marry me?" Alex lowered his head, gently massaging his temple. "I..." Fox stopped, not knowing what to say. In a matter of minutes his universe had been violently shaken, turned upside down and spun around three hundred and sixty degrees. What to say? What the hell to say? "How could you think that I'd be sneaking around with somebody behind your back?" Alex asked, bringing Fox's attention back to his face. "How...I don't...all the shit we've been through together. How could you doubt even for a second, that I love only you?" Fox remained silent for a few moments, shaking his head. "I...I didn't, I..." He looked up at the other man, eyes brimming with sorrow. "I'm sorry." "So am I," Alex whispered. "I'm sorry to find out that after all these years you really don't trust me." "I trust you with my life. You know that." "I thought I did. But what just happened here? You heard an odd conversation and immediately jumped to the worst kind of conclusion." Fox's mouth opened and closed several times but formed no immediate words. Finally, he found his voice. "I didn't know what else to think. All those times you got up in the middle of the night...that time I walked in while you were on the computer, and you scrambled to close the window. I was curious, but I didn't suspect...I never would have suspected anything like...Alex...you didn't...if the situations were reversed, and it was you out here listening to the same things I heard..." "I can see how it must have sounded. But I think I would have trusted you enough not to jump to such extreme conclusions." "I'm sorry, Alex." Fox took a few tentative steps forward and reached out for the younger man. His hand dropped limply to his side as Alex moved away. "Alex?" "I can't...I can't talk to you any more right now," Alex murmured. "I got some thinking to do." Fox's breath caught in his throat. "About what?" "A lot of stuff." Gold -flecked eyes lowered to the floor. "Have you changed your mind?" "About what?" "W...wanting to get married." "I don't know," Alex answered softly. Alex closed his eyes against the expression of absolute pain that washed his lover's face, and he turned away. Jesus, how did something that was supposed to be so beautiful and joyous degenerate to what it just had? "I'm," he rasped, cleared his throat then continued, "I'm going to go out for a little while. Get some air." Fox kept his head lowered as the younger man passed him and didn't lift it until he heard the garage door open. The next sound was that of Alex's car roaring to life and backing out into the driveway. It wasn't until the sound faded and disappeared that he picked up his scattered files and moved out of the hall and into the living room, where he sat heavily on the couch and stared blankly at nothing. Scully groaned as the ringing doorbell interrupted her favorite talk show. She boosted herself to her feet and trudged over to the door to look through the peephole. Rolling her eyes, she unlocked and opened the door and stared blandly at her visitor. "What's up, Alex? Got something to tell me that just can't wait until midnight?" The smirk fell from Scully's face when Alex gave no answer, and his gaze dropped to the threshold between them. "What's wrong?" "It's all screwed up," Alex answered in a voice almost too quiet to be heard. "What is?" Scully stepped aside and let him in. "He overheard me making the arrangements for the house." "Awww, you mean the surprise is ruined?" "Yeah, you could say that." "He knows everything?" "Yep." "Well geez, Alex, I know you really wanted to wait to get him down to Andros, but is it as bad as all that? I'm sure he was just as surprised." "You don't get it, Scully. He misunderstood the whole conversation. He thought I was sneaking around with somebody behind his back." "What? Oh, God. Well, you straightened it out, right?" "Yeah. That's how he found out what I was really doing." "So?" Alex frowned at the woman. "Scully, he thought I was cheating on him." "Yeah, I got that. That's terrible. He must have been really upset." "He was. Really upset." "I can imagine." Alex shook his head. "He shouldn't have been. Don't you get it? He doesn't trust me." "He...Alex, what the hell are you talking about?" Alex paced over to the sofa and dropped down onto it. "He should know, Scully. He should know that I would never cheat on him. How can he not know?" Scully sat down next to the disturbed man. "I don't know but...Alex, do me a favor and start from the beginning, okay?" "Okay. Sorry. Uh..." Several minutes later, Alex finished his story, and Scully stared for a number of seconds before she gave his forehead a hard slap. "Oww!" Alex rubbed his forehead, frowning at the redhead. "What the hell did you do that for?" "Because you're an idiot." "Me?" "Yes. You sit there, Alex, and tell me that if the situations were reversed you wouldn't have reacted the same way. Say it, and I'll smack you again." Alex opened his mouth to respond then shut it again. His brow creased, and he stared at Scully in silence. "Mulder loves you, stupid. And he trusts you. He trusted you in spite of everything that had happened between you. He trusted you enough to make you his whole world. But from what you just told me, the things he heard you saying were fairly incriminating. Pair that with sneaking around on the computer and you leaving your bed in the middle of the night on several occasions...now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't be upset that he'd think what he thought, but he believed you when you told him what was really going on, right?" "Yeah." "So what more do you want?" "I don't know, I..." "He can't take it back as sure as I am that he's sitting home miserable and wishing that he could." Scully paused then resumed speaking. "Are you using this as an out?" Alex cocked his head, giving the woman an incredulous stare. "What?" "You heard me. Is this like, the perfect excuse not to marry him?" "No!" "Then what is it?" Alex's gaze dropped to the sofa. "I don't know. I guess I might have overreacted. It was just like...a slap in the face, you know? I mean at first all I wanted to do was explain and make him stop thinking what he was thinking. But then...after everything we've been through together. All he's been to me. Done for me. How could he think I'd turn on him like that? It hurt, Scully." "Okay," Scully said softly, covering Alex's hand with her own. "I understand that. I really do. And I know that Mulder's hurt too. So, go home. Apologize to him, he'll apologize to you...have the mandatory makeup sex, then you two dopes start making plans for you wedding." Mournful green eyes looked up at her. "I shouldn't have walked out on him, huh?" "It wouldn't have been my first choice, no." "He looked so sad when I left. God, I feel awful." "Then go home." Alex nodded and got to his feet. "Thanks, Scully, for telling me what a jerk I am." Scully gave Alex a wide, warm smile as she rose from the sofa. "That's what I'm here for." For the first time since he'd entered the apartment, Alex gave Scully a hint of a smile. "It's a damn good thing Fox and I have you to keep us in line." "I've been telling you both that for how long now?" Scully gave him a motherly swat on the ass. "Get out of here and let me finish what's left of Oprah." Obediently, Alex moved toward the door. He stopped once he stepped into the hall and turned. Bending the considerable distance to reach Scully's face, he planted an affectionate kiss on her cheek. "Thanks again." Scully shooed him away and shut the door. "God, they're certifiable." Shaking her head and smiling, she returned to the sofa to catch the last three minutes of her show. Clyde's head lifted, and he listened for all of five seconds before scrambling to his feet and trotting out of the room. Without hearing a sound himself, Fox knew that Alex must have been just arriving home. A short while later, he heard the faint rumbling of the Porsche as it pulled into the garage. He sat where he was...where he had been since a short while after Alex had left and continued to slowly and methodically clean his guns. Soon after he heard the motor stop, Alex wandered into the kitchen, followed closely by the dog. Stopping in the middle of the floor, Alex watched through lowered lashes as Fox stole an uncertain glance at him then returned his attention to what he was doing. "Lisa." His name was called so softly, Fox could almost have thought he'd imagined it. He stopped polishing the barrel but did not look up. "I s...I screwed this all up," Alex explained from where he stood. "You're not the one who leapt to the wrong conclusions," Fox answered in his quiet monotone. "But my reaction...I handled it all wrong. I was too busy being hurt by what you'd thought to really understand that you were hurt too. And then I went and hurt you some more by taking off on you." Fox shook his head and spoke. "You were right to be upset. I don't...I don't know why I reacted that way..." Alex took a few steps toward the other man. "Because from your end it sounded pretty bad. But you believed me when I finally explained it to you, and that should have been that." "If I had trusted you enough to give you the few days you'd asked for," Fox countered, "I wouldn't have made you ruin your plans. I wouldn't have made you so mad." "I wasn't mad," Alex murmured, moving closer still. "I mean, I was...I was upset. Frustrated, you know? I'd finally come up with the perfect plan and..." He snapped his fingers. "Gone. I just..." He came close enough to squat in front of the seated man. "I wanted you to always remember the night I proposed to you. I wanted it to be perfect. And it...it hurt me to know that you thought that I could hurt you like that." "I'm sorry," Fox whispered, looking down into the shimmering depths of his lover's eyes. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." "I know, lisa." Alex reached out, taking both of Fox's hands in his own. "And I'm sorrier than I can say for walking out." Fox nodded without a sound. Alex gave him a tiny smile. "So...since it's not a surprise anymore..." Alex lowered himself on one knee to the floor and held on to Fox's hands as his eyes held the other man's in a loving stare. "Fox...will you..." "Wait." "Huh?" "Wait a minute," Fox repeated softly. "I wanted to say something. To ask..." Alex cocked his head, waiting. "W-where did this come from?" "What?" "This. It seems so out of the blue. We've been together for a few years now, and the subject of marriage had never come up. I just want to know. Why?" "I love you, lisa. And," he sort of lied, "all these recent weddings got me thinking...are you considering turning me down?" Fox displayed a distant smile. "Two minds." Alex frowned at the cryptic response. "Hmm?" "Nothing. I believe you wanted to ask me something." The frown turned to a smile. "Yeah. Fox..." He brought the older man's hands to his mouth for a gentle kiss. "Will you marry me?" Mesmerized by the adoration he saw in the deep green of his lover's eyes, Fox nodded and mouthed a silent yes. Alex closed his eyes for a brief moment then pulled Fox down into a tender kiss. When he released the other man's mouth, Fox remained, winding his arms around Alex's neck and laying his head on his shoulder. Alex hugged the older man to him, holding him in a passionate embrace. "Thank you, lisa." Fox pulled back to meet Alex's gaze. "Why are you thanking me?" "For more things than I can count, but...at the top of the list? For not letting my stupidity stand in the way of you saying yes." "You're not stupid." Fox lowered his lashes. "I was afraid that when you came back it would be to tell me that you'd changed your mind." Alex pulled Fox back into his arms. "M'sorry," he whispered, stroking his lover's back. "It...I just had it really built up, you know? I'd worked myself into such a frenzy plotting and planning, trying to get it perfect. You deserved for it to be perfect." Fox tightened his hold on the younger man. "I would have loved it," Fox murmured. "And I love you for going to so much trouble to try and make it memorable. But Alex...all that would have just been pretty packaging. The gift is right here." Fox shifted and pressed his forehead to Alex's. "Nothing could be more perfect." Alex gave his lover a tiny smile. "So..." "So." "Are we engaged?" Fox laughed softly. "You gonna pull a diamond ring out of your pocket?" "Do you need one to be engaged?" "Don't know," Fox grinned. "Never been betrothed before." The smile faded but the sparkle in Alex's eyes remained. "Are you happy, lisa?" "Am I happy?" Alex nodded. "Do you really want to marry me?" he asked, recalling how he could detect no sadness or mood swings in the last several weeks. "I do," Fox whispered, focusing an adoring gaze on the other. "So much." Alex's smile returned, and he pulled Fox into another embrace. "Holy shit, we're getting married." "Guess so." "I'll tell you something else too," Alex said, kissing the side of Fox's head. "My knees are killing me." Fox began to laugh, and he rose from his chair, pulling Alex up with him. "We were supposed to be on the beach when I did this," Alex sighed, wrapping Fox in his arms. "The beach?" "Yeah. I was planning a dinner out there." "Sounds nice," Fox murmured. "I think it would have been," Alex replied wistfully. "Can't we still go?" Fox asked. "On our honeymoon?" Alex chuckled at hearing the word. "Sure we can, if you'd like." Fox laid his head on the younger man's shoulder. "What else did you have planned?" "Mmm," Alex breathed before speaking. "Lots of candles. Orchestra...maybe some dancing." He smiled at the sound of his lover's sigh. "Then when that was all done, I was going to send them all away and make love to you there in the sand." Fox moaned softly. "Would you like that, lisa?" "Very much." "Then that's what we'll do. I should call back though, and let the owner of the house know." Fox nodded and took Alex's hand as the other man started to move off in the direction of the doorway. Halfway to the den, he stopped, jerking Alex to a halt. "Wait a minute. Don't we need a date if you're going to book the house?" "Yeah, I...guess I forgot about that." The two continued on to the den, and Alex seated himself on the sofa, pulling Fox down beside him. "Okay, when d'you think is a good date?" Fox shrugged, grinning happily. "I don't know. Next week?" "Yeah. Sure thing, Chuck." Fox laughed at the comment. "Okay, okay, when do you think is a good date?" "What about early August?" "You think three months is enough time?" Fox teased. "Well...I've got a list all typed up. Map of Vermont, ceremony options, hotel and reception sites, guest list, menu, music..." Fox watched Alex with raised eyebrows as the other man continued on and on. Finally, he interrupted. "That's a hell of a list you have there." "Told you I've been planning." "Yeah, I guess." "Wanna see it? Maybe we can make some decisions and then start calling around." "Yeah, I'd love to." Fox rose from the sofa and followed Alex over to the desk, sitting in the chair that his lover had pulled up for him. Alex dropped a quick kiss on his head and took his own seat, booting up the desktop. "So, why'd you mention Vermont?" Fox asked as they waited. "It's the only state right now where civil unions are legit." "Civil unions?" "Yeah. Closest thing we're going to get to an actual legal marriage." Alex explained to Fox what he had found out, and when Fox was through grumbling over the revelation, they took a look at the information Alex had gathered so far. "I think I like this one," Fox announced as they perused the listing of inns. The way the room is arranged, we could have the ceremony and reception all right there." "Yeah," Alex agreed, "but I was sort of thinking it might be nice to have the whole thing outside. See, this place is situated right on the water. We could have the ceremony right at dusk when the sky is changing color, then have the reception on the patio." "Doesn't look all that big." "Well, how many people do you think we're going to have?" "True. What if it rains?" "We could reserve the room inside just in case." "Isn't that a waste of money, though?" "Not if it rains." Fox smiled and shook his head. "It would be nice to be outside. I remember..."He paused, a faraway look clouding his eyes. "...that first night we went out for dinner on Andros. We were sitting outside, and the sun was setting. You turned and this ray of orange fell across your face." He looked to Alex and lightly touched the younger man's cheek. "God, you were beautiful." A tiny smile twitched at Alex's mouth. "Were?" "You know what I mean." Alex leaned forward and dusted Fox's mouth with a soft kiss. He pulled back a bit and skimmed the bridge of his lover's nose with one finger. "August what?" "Oh, yeah. We didn't set a date. Uhhh...well, let's see. It should be a Saturday, right?" "I guess so." Alex found his online calendar, and the two men perused possible dates. At the same time, both pointed to the second Saturday of the month. "The tenth," both said in unison. "Okay, well, that was easy," Fox chuckled. "Hey, how about the house? You gonna call about the house now?" "You don't want to look at the rest of this stuff first?" Fox picked up the phone and handed it to Alex. "I'll look, you call." "We're not feeling impatient, are we?" Alex asked, dangling the phone by its antenna between his fingers. "Don't you want to make sure that the date's open?" "Sure. But do you really think that waiting half an hour or so is going to make a difference?" "Somebody else could call in that time," Fox reasoned. "And what do you think the odds of that are?" Fox began bouncing up and down in his chair. "Alex, come on." "All right, all right. Sheesh." Grinning, Alex hit redial. Clicking to the various types of ceremonies he'd listed, he waited for someone to pick up. "Do you want something really formal or...hi. Phillipe Thibodeaux please. Sure, I'll hold." Fox checked out the offerings on the monitor while Alex continued to wait. "I don't know," he said softly. I'm not...I guess I'd sort of lean toward something not so religious." Alex smiled. "Yeah. Heathens that we are, I don't really think it's necessary to...Phillipe? Hey, it's Alex Krycek again. Listen; there's sort of been a little change in plan that I hope you'll be able to accommodate...uh huh. How're you looking for the eleventh of August through...hang on, Phillipe." He turned to Fox. "One week or two, babe?" Fox shrugged and gave the younger man a bit of a smile. "I have plenty of time..." "Through the twenty-fifth. Yeah, I'll wait." Alex covered the mouthpiece and looked over at Fox. "He's checking." Fox sucked one corner of his lower lip into his mouth while he waited. Alex turned a smoky gaze on him, and he emitted a low growl. "Don't do that." "Don't be anxious? What if the date's not open?" "Don't do that thing with your mouth. And if the date isn't open, we'll pick another." Just as Alex stroked his fingers across Fox's lips, Phillipe returned to the phone. "Yeah, I'm here...that's okay...uh huh. All right. Yeah. Why don't you go ahead and do that?" Alex winked at Fox, and the nervous man began to smile. "Thanks, Phillipe. Yeah, we will. Thank you." Alex hung up and gave Fox a quick peck on the tip of his nose. "We're all set. Happy now?" Fox pitched forward and wound his arms around the other man. "Yeah." Alex slipped an arm around Fox's waist and buried his face in the lush, golden-brown hair at the back of the older man's head. "You got the ceremony narrowed down?" Fox lifted his head and looked at the monitor. "You know, I was reading here that as long as the JP or whoever says, 'By the authority vested in me by the State of Vermont, I hereby join you in a civil union,' we can have the rest of the ceremony however we want." "So, what are you thinking?" Fox shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe we could write our own?" Alex's nose wrinkled. "Really?" Fox's shoulders slumped a bit. "We don't have to. It was just a thought." "It's just that I don't think I'd be very good at that sort of thing," Alex explained gently. "You write very well," Fox argued just as softly. "All you'd have to do is put your feelings down on paper. You've always been very eloquent at expressing yourself to me." Alex rolled his eyes and gave his lover an indulgent smile. "All right," he murmured, kissing the corner of Fox's eye. "I'll give it a shot." Smiling, Fox went back to the monitor. "This is easy." "Sure, it is," Alex droned, caressing the older man's back. "As long as I agree with everything you say." "That's not true," Fox grumbled. "I gave in to the outdoor ceremony and reception. And," he grinned, "by my calculations, since you've agreed to write our own vows, it's your turn to have your way again." "It is?" Fox nodded, rubbing his head against Alex's shoulder. "So, what's next? Menu, right?" "Yeah." "Any idea what you want?" "Yep." "What?" "Naked Fox on a bed of black satin." Fox's soft laughter broke and turned into a moan as Alex began to nuzzle his throat. "I was talking about dinner, not the honeymoon." "I'm not talking about either." "Mmmh...no?" "No," Alex whispered. "Then what are you talking about?" "Talking about right now." "I see. But uh...Alex...there aren't any satin sheets on the bed." "Cotton, Jersey knit...whatever." "We're not going to get any work done," Fox warned as Alex began pulling his shirt from the waistband of his pants. "Yeah, we are," Alex countered, running his hands over his lover's bare flesh. "We can stay right here, and while you work on that," he said, nodding at the monitor, "I'll work on you." "How d'you expect me to concentrate on anything with you all over me?" Fox asked, groaning as, not bothering with buttons, Alex lifted his shirt over his head and began drawing his tongue over the older man's skin. "Sounds like a challenge," Alex chuckled, flicking at a stiffening nipple with the tip of his tongue. "You up to it?" Fox gave no answer as Alex's hand found the hardening bulge in his pants. "I'd call that a big yes." Fox's eyelashes fluttered as the younger man slid to his knees and undid his pants. A sly, glittering green gaze flicked in the direction of his face before Alex reached in past his underwear and grasped his thickening cock. "Do you think you'd prefer a sit down dinner as opposed to buffet?" Alex asked, inclining his head and gently licking the flushed crown. "Uhhh..." Fox banged on the desk with his hand a few times as he tried to focus. "I think...I uh..." "Yes?" "Ah, fuck. Alex, s...damn. C'mon...oh, God...I can't think like this." "Like what?" Alex asked, letting his tongue skip up and down the lengthy shaft. "With you licking my cock," Fox grated through clenched teeth. "Oh," Alex murmured, taking half of his lover's erection into his mouth and sucking as he drew back. "Want me to stop?" Fox emitted a shuddering sigh and looked down into emerald green eyes, sparkling with mischief. "What the hell kind of question is that?" Alex shrugged, still smirking at the seated man. "You're the one who just said you can't concentrate with me licking your cock." "You stop now, and I'll kill you." "You say the sweetest things." Fox's head fell back against the chair as Alex swallowed his entire length. Okay, so the menu could wait a few minutes... Alex sighed around the presence in his mouth. His tongue dragged over the velvety surface, mapping every ridge and vein of the rock-solid organ he would know by touch alone. His hands, refusing to stay idle, strayed over his lover's hips and thighs, finally tucking themselves beneath Fox's ass, squeezing and pulling upward to encourage the older man to push deeper into his mouth. Fox's lips parted to allow a small gasp to escape as the whole of his cock slid down Alex's throat and out. Over and over again his hips lifted and fell, and his breaths came in short pants as the other man urged him to move faster. "God...God...ah, sh..." Growling through gritted teeth, Fox bucked erratically as his climax rose up and blasted to the surface. He exploded quickly, shooting several bursts of semen down Alex's throat, and as he slumped in his seat, the younger man gently licked him clean. Alex smiled, listening to the soft rumbles of satisfaction as he lovingly completed his task then re-fastened Fox's pants. Laying his head on the older man's thigh, he looked up through his lashes into half-closed eyes. "You look like you're ready for a nap now." The gravelly statement brought a smile to Fox's lips. He reached down and petted his lover's head, sighing at the pleasure of feeling the silky strands beneath his fingers. "Got a wedding...s'cuse me, a civil service to plan." "It's a wedding," Alex corrected softly. "We're getting married, Fox." The golden brown eyelashes fluttered slowly, and Fox focused an adoring gaze on the man at his feet. "Can't believe it. After all this time, who would've thought." Alex nodded. "Feels so right though." "Yeah." Fox's eyes wandered up to the monitor then back down to Alex. "So let's call that inn." Alex kissed the older man's knee then picked himself up and sat again in his chair. Reaching for the phone, he checked the number and dialed. As they waited, Clyde trotted into the room and unceremoniously dropped down across Fox's feet. "Oh, crap," Fox cursed softly and pointed to the dog as Alex began speaking. "Good afternoon..." Alex nodded as Fox directed his attention to the dog. "My fiancé," he said, grinning at Fox, "and I are looking for someplace to have our wedding and a very small reception. Yes. Yes, we would be spending the night. Maybe two." "Don't forget about Clyde," Fox whispered, reminding Alex again, this time vocally. Again Alex nodded and held an index finger up to the other man. "August ninth through the eleventh...right...well, before we go any further, I have to know if you accept pets...a dog...German Shepherd...all right, then. Thank you; I'll call around." Alex hung up and shook his head at Fox, who slumped in his seat and sighed. "We haven't even scratched the surface," Alex assured the other man. "Vermont's got to be crawling with inns. I'm sure we'll find at least a couple of pet friendly places." "That'll still meet our other needs?" Fox asked, a hint of premature defeat creeping into his tone. "We'll find something," Alex repeated, rubbing the back of his lover's hand before beginning their search. Two and a half hours and several phone calls later, Alex began to show signs of stress. Fox watched, sucking on his lower lip as the other man ended his eleventh call. "What the hell's the matter with these yokels?" Alex growled. "Don't they realize they're missing out on a ton of business? Lots of people travel with their pets." "Maybe we'll have to make it a one-day trip. You know, fly up there then fly back." "You want to spend your wedding day traveling?" Alex asked. "Not really, but what are we gonna..." "We're going to find someplace. The perfect place. If we have to go through every listing here." And they did. And at the end of it, Fox was limp with exhaustion and disappointment, and Alex was plain pissed. Lifting his foot against the desk, he violently shoved his chair away and leapt to his feet. Fox watched him stalk back and forth for a few seconds before speaking. "Let's forget about this for tonight, okay?" he said in his most soothing voice. "We'll think of something else tomorrow." "This is ridiculous," Alex muttered, and Fox wondered if the younger man had heard anything he'd just said. "Those can't be all the inns in Vermont. There've gotta be more, there've..." "Alex," Fox called softly, rising to his feet. "Come on, it's getting late, and I'm hungry. Let's have dinner and just spend the rest of the night relaxing. We can worry about this tomorrow." Alex stopped pacing and looked at his watch. "Holy shit. Eight?" Fox nodded. "Geez. Uh...kinda late to cook anything." Alex scratched the back of his head and frowned at the floor. "Feel like Chinese?" "Okay." Alex looked up into weary, gray-green eyes. He sighed softly and approached the other man. "Tired, huh?" he asked, taking Fox into his arms. "A little." "Tell you what," Alex murmured, pressing his forehead to Fox's. "You go relax, and I'll pick something up." "I can go with you." "No, that's okay. You gotta work tomorrow. Go change. Get comfortable." Alex smiled. "I'll feed you in bed." Fox returned the smile and planted a soft kiss on Alex's lips before the other man delivered a playful swat to his rear. "Go on. I'll be back soon." The two men left the den, separating in the hall. As Fox entered the bedroom slowly removing his clothing, he heard the vague rumbling of Alex's car as it pulled out of the garage. He finished stripping, took a quick shower, then threw on a pair of boxer briefs and t-shirt. Crawling into bed, he fell back against the mound of pillows and closed his eyes. "God, that feels good," he whispered, not realizing until that exact moment how tired he really was. Amazing how just a few hours stress could do that to a person. //Well, don't get too comfortable. He won't be too long.// Picking up the remote control, Fox began speeding through the channels. Settling on a news program, he lay there watching but not really seeing what was on the screen. His thoughts began to wander almost immediately to the events of the past few hours. A serene smile curved his lips as his mind's eye saw Alex kneeling before him in the kitchen. He laughed softly then sighed. Poor Alex. On his knees on the hard kitchen floor, proposing marriage. Not at all the way he had planned it. Fox hoped that Alex really did realize that although it wasn't the way he had wanted to do it, it was still the most perfect, sweetest proposal in the world to him. And the bottom line was, they were getting married. Something that until just today, Fox would never have imagined they'd be doing. Still smiling, he closed his eyes. Alex stumbled into the house, practically falling over the dog, who was waiting to maul him. The moment he put the bags down on the counter, Clyde jumped him. "For the love of...Clyde, get off me! How long was I gone? A month? Three?" Front paws still planted against Alex's chest, something new caught Clyde's attention. Food. The broad head snapped around, and the dog began snuffling in the direction of the counter. "Oh, no you don't. Off." Alex pushed the dog down then pointed sternly at him. "Don't you touch any of that. I'll be right back." Taking one bag from the pile, he began to walk away then stopped as he saw Clyde out of the corner of his eye, sniffing at the edge of the counter. "Okay, you know what?" he said as he walked over to the back door and opened it. "It's time you went out anyway. Get going." One last longing glance at the counter, and Clyde trotted out into the yard. Smiling, Alex shut the door and headed out of the room. When he reached the bedroom several seconds later, he found Fox propped against the pillows with his eyes closed. Alex walked to the bed and leaned over the other man. He didn't say a word, but the nearness of him roused Fox from the edges of sleep. Golden-brown lashes lifted slowly, then the mouth that been turned into a relaxed pout lifted slightly in a welcoming smile. "Hi honey, I'm home," Alex said softly, brushing Fox's mouth with his own. "Where's my food?" Fox grumbled sleepily. "In the kitchen. I'll bring it in, in a minute. While you're waiting, maybe you might want to have a look at this." Fox blinked to clear his vision then sat up and took the book that his lover offered. His eyes brightened when he looked at the cover, and he gave Alex a toothy grin. "Where'd you get it?" "Bookstore about half a block away from the Bamboo Garden. They've got a really big travel section." "Should find something in here, huh?" Fox asked, thumbing through the large guide to Vermont inns and attractions. "Hope so." Alex dropped a quick kiss on the tip of his lover's nose. "Gonna go get the food and let Clyde in. Be right back." Smiling, Fox watched Alex leave the room then turned his attention to the book. Some ten minutes later, Alex re-entered, carrying a tray loaded down with heaping plates and bowls. He extended the legs on the tray and set it down over Fox's thighs then joined his lover on the bed. "How's it looking?" he asked, dipping a piece of chicken in sweet sauce and bringing it to Fox's mouth. Fox accepting the offering, licking the excess sauce from his lover's fingers before returning his attention to the listings. "I've underlined a couple on the second and fifth pages. Haven't got very much farther than that." Alex continued to feed Fox while the other man scanned the listings, underlining the occasional prospect. Almost halfway through the book, Fox perked up. "Hey. Hey, this one sounds really good. Listen...rambling farmhouse..." "Farmhouse." "Yeah. Listen. April through October. Rambling farmhouse on scenic Echo Lake. Walking paths through sprawling wildflower fields and outdoor garden room suitable for small parties. Twelve lovely, spacious guest bedrooms, five with adjoining baths. Cozy dining and function rooms, Large and varied menu, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Pets welcome." Alex snatched the book from Fox's hands and read it for himself as the older man dug into the fried rice. "Even the prices are reasonable." The younger man shook his head. "There's got to be something wrong with the place. Like cows in the bedroom or ghosts wandering the halls at night..." Fox's eyes lit up. "Uh..I mean..," Alex stammered, watching Fox's grin grow wider. "God, what the hell was I thinking?" "Let's call." "Fox, only you would think that investigating two hundred year old spooks on your wedding night was romantic." "You don't think it'd be fun?" Fox asked, holding a forkful of rice in front of his lover's mouth "I can think of better things to do." "Yeah? Like?" Alex took the rice and swallowed before speaking. "Like...sneaking away in the middle of our reception and going skinny dipping in scenic Echo Lake, then fucking each other blind on the shore until the sun comes up." "I do like that idea," Fox agreed as Alex leaned over to nuzzle his neck. "Where's the phone?" "It's kind of late," Alex answered, nipping his way up to Fox's earlobe. "Don't people up there go to bed with the chickens?" "Let's try," Fox insisted. "Where's the phone?" "Your side," Alex murmured, still heavily involved in teasing Fox's ear and now his jaw. Not wanting to move away from the pleasant sensations, Fox reached over and groped blindly for the phone. Finally finding it, he took the book from Alex and began dialing the number. "Gimme." "Hmm?" Alex held his hand out. "Phone." "Why, I can't make the arrangements as well as you can?" "Yes, you can, sweetheart. But I want to do it, okay? Let me handle everything." Fox's mouth twisted into a curious pout. "Why?" "I don't know, I...it was just my original plan to take care of everything. " Alex kissed Fox's cheek. "I wanted to make everything perfect for you." Fox closed his eyes and laid his head on Alex's shoulder. "I love how sweet you are." After he finished dialing the number, he handed the phone to Alex. Sitting quietly, he listened to the other man speak. When the conversation was complete, Alex hung up and returned his smile. "We're booked. I can call back with the exact number of guests when we find out." "I'd assume that we wouldn't be able to wait too long, though." "No, they would like to know as soon as possible. But at least you and I and Scully and Clyde are squared away." The men finished their dinner, and after Alex cleared away the leftovers, he returned to Fox, who looked like he was ready to pass out. Removing his shirt, Alex moved toward the bed. He reached for the book and began to pull it from the older man's hands, but Fox opened his eyes and tightened his grip. "What?" Alex released the book and dropped his shirt on the bed. "You were almost asleep." "I'm awake. Wanna talk about who we're going to invite." Unzipping his jeans, Alex pulled them off and fell into bed beside Fox. "This should take all of thirty seconds." Fox frowned at the other man, prompting a soft laugh. "C'mon, lisa. How many people, family and friends included, could we invite?" "More than you'd think, I bet." Alex made himself comfortable. "This I gotta hear." "Okay, besides Scully, there's her mother." "Really?" "Why not?" "All right, who else?" "The Gunmen." "Those geeks?" "They've always stood behind us." "Yeah, yeah. Who else?" "Skinner." "Skin...are you kidding me? Fox, he won't come. He hates me. " "I think you're wrong about that." "Okay, babe. You're right. He thinks I'm a swell guy, and I'm sure there's nothing he'd rather do than take a trip up to Vermont to watch us get married." Smiling, Fox shook his head. "C'mon, Fox, seriously. You've invited Skinner over here how many times? And how many times has he accepted?" Fox shrugged. "None." "He can't bring himself to set foot in our home, and you expect that he'll come to our wedding?" "I want to invite him," Fox said softly, smiling at his lover. Heaving a long sigh, Alex threw up his hands. "I think it's a waste of time but go ahead. Knock yourself out. You got any more names on this huge list of yours?" "Bobby and Susan." "Yeah, okay." "Chuck and Vicki." "You wanna see if her cousin's free too?" "Funny." "Is that it?" Fox raised a hopeful gaze to Alex. "You have any names you want to add?" Alex grunted. "Like who?" Fox's silence was his answer. "Fox, I...we've talked about this. I can't, I..." "Okay," Fox said softly. "I just want you to be sure." "...I am." "All right. So, that's how many now?" Alex counted silently then said, "Twelve, if everyone you just mentioned goes...which'll never happen." "We'll see." "Uh huh. Oh. And uh...since you wanted to know about my family, what about yours?" Fox cocked his head curiously. "Your mother." "You know there's no way in hell she'd ever attend. And I'm sure she'd be much happier not knowing." "You think she won't find out? If we invite your cousin..." "He won't mention it to anyone if I ask him not to." "I'm sorry it has to be that way, lisa," Alex murmured, caressing his lover's arm. "Me too. But she's made her choice. I can live with it if she can." Alex was quiet for a while, then he spoke. "So, do you want to call everybody, get their answers so we can call with the reservations, then send them their formal invitations?" Fox laughed softly. "You don't think it's tacky?" "Well, ordinarily I wouldn't dream of doing it that way, but this situation is a bit different than most." Fox smiled and closed his eyes, nestling into the pillows. "So, what else is new?" Not answering, Alex cleared the bed of all debris and shut the light off. As Fox opened his mouth to speak, he shushed him. "We can pick this up tomorrow, when we're fresh." "You mean you don't plan on being fresh tonight?" "Nope," Alex answered decisively, settling down and pulling Fox against him. "You're tired, I'm tired. We got a lot of work ahead of us, and we need our sleep." "It's starting already." "Hmm?" "Not even married yet," Fox complained, "and you're giving me the too tired excuse." Alex shook with silent laughter. "Shut up and go to sleep." Less than half an hour later, both men lay curled around each other, descending deep into slumber. "Ah! Damn, that's hot." "Well, thanks." One corner of Scully's mouth twisted into a grimace as her partner entered the office. "Where the hell have you been? It's almost eight-thirty." "Forgot to set the alarm last night, and we overslept." "You two really ought to learn to control your baser urges on work nights." "Contrary to what you may believe, Scully, Alex and I were not having hot, animal sex. We were preoccupied with other things." Scully's mouth curled into a smile. "Such as?" Fox cocked his head, studying the woman's grin for all of ten seconds, then a clipped grunt sounded in his throat. "You know!" "Know? What do I know?" "You know what you know," Fox accused. "Mulder, I have no idea what the hell you're jabbering about," Scully insisted, but her Cheshire grin told him another story. "You know Alex asked me to marry him!" "He did?" "You know he did! He must have discussed it with you first!" "All right, all right, I know." Scully broke into a full smile and rose from her desk. "And I think it's wonderful." Coming to her partner, she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. "Congratulations, Mulder. I really couldn't be happier for you." Fox mirrored his friend's smile. "Thanks, Scully. I...hey." Fox grasped his partner's upper arms and put a few inches between them. "What makes you think I accepted?" "Oh Mulder, please." "No, seriously. What if I had said no? I could've, you know." Scully broke into laughter. "Yeah, and Skinner could walk in here in the next ten minutes sporting a full head of blonde hair." Fox folded his arms across his chest and stared down at the redhead. "It wouldn't have been impossible that I turned him down." "Mulder, gimme a break! The way you'd been moping around and sulking?" "Huh?" "What, you think we hadn't noticed?" "We?" "We. As in Alex and me." "Alex?" "Yeah, Alex. You know Alex? Tall guy. Dark hair, green eyes. Used to kill people and blow things up for a living. I believe he sleeps next to you." Fox was silent for a second, then asked, "What did Alex notice?" Smiling, Scully shook her head. "Mulder, I love ya. Which is why I know you'll understand when I tell you that you suck at concealing your feelings. We knew something was up; we just didn't put it together until Chuck and Vicki's wedding." "Sss...so he knew that I'd been thinking about being married." Scully's eyes narrowed, reading her partner's expression. //Ah, shit.// "Hang on a minute, Mulder. Alex asked you to marry him because he wanted to. Not because you'd been brooding for weeks on end." Fox stared, blinking several times before lowering his gaze. "Okay." "Mulder..." "What?" Fox asked, removing his jacket and moving toward his desk. "I'm all right." Scully watched suspiciously as he took his seat. "Alex wants to marry you, Mulder. You should have seen how excited he was when he told me that he was going to ask you." "I understand, Scully," Fox said nonchalantly, taking his seat. He eyed his still suspicious partner and gave her a smile. "Quit looking at me like that." "Like what?" "Like you're expecting me to flip out or something." "I just want to make sure that you do understand." "I do," Fox insisted softly. "Okay." Scully relaxed a bit, but the thought remained in the back of her mind that this might not be the end of it. "So did you start planning?" "A little," Fox answered vaguely. "We uh... found a place where we can do everything." "Everything?" "Yeah. Ceremony, reception..." Fox's voice drifted off, and Scully groaned while he stared down at his desk. "Mulder? Mulder." "Yeah. Uh...we uh...made reservations for two nights, for ourselves, and I hope you don't mind, but we took the liberty of booking you in too, with Clyde." "No, of course I don't mind. What's it like?" Silence. "Earth to Mulder." "What?" "The place you booked. What's it like?" "Sounds really nice in the listing. Huge old farmhouse by a lake. Very scenic. Outdoor garden room, lots of acreage." Scully nodded. "Can't wait to see it. So, have you decided on anything else?" "Yeah, uh...Alex booked the house that we'd stayed at on Andros for two weeks." "Ooooh. That'll be nice. That place was gorgeous." "Yeah. He was going to..." Fox's voice trailed off, and he sat silently. Scully knocked on her desk to get his attention. "Was going to what?" "Take me there for one night. That's where he'd planned to ask me to..." "Oh. Yeah. I know." Fox looked at the top of his desk showing no surprise. "He drove me nuts, Mulder, calling me in the middle of the night while you were asleep to talk about it. He wanted so much to make it wonderful." "So, you know what happened yesterday, too?" "Yeah. He came to me, and we talked a little while. He felt so awful about walking out on you." "I'd hurt him," Fox reasoned. "Yeah, but you were hurt too. God, I can't imagine what it must have felt like to hear what you thought you'd heard." "I never should have thought that of him." "It was kind of hard not to think that considering the things he was saying. But he went home, and you got it straightened out, and that's the important thing." Scully gave her partner a warm smile. "He loves you so much." "I know he does," Fox whispered. "Then why do you look like that?" "Like what?" "Like you just lost your best friend." "I'm fine. Come on, let's get some work done before the whole day passes us by." Several hours later, Fox said goodbye to Scully and headed for home. Force of habit made him turn the radio on the instant he'd started the engine, but only minutes later he shut it off, preferring the company of his own tortured thoughts. //Stop it. Stop. So what if his reasons for asking you to marry him aren't quite what you thought? He loves you.// //Yes, he does. And he'll do anything to make you happy.// ''But what about him?" Fox whispered aloud. "How can I let him do this knowing that it probably isn't what he really wants?" //Probably. You're not sure, so don't go making a big thing out of it.// Fox drew a deep breath and let it out. //Leave it alone. If he really didn't want to do this, you'd know. You'd be able to tell.// Fox slowed to a near stop, now stuck in late afternoon traffic. He stared unfocused out at the line of cars. "Wouldn't I?" "So, what d'you think of a buffet? I mean yeah, it's nice to just sit down and be served, but I also hate the idea of just one choice for dinner, you know?" Clyde listened intently, his head tilting from side to side. Alex checked the roast then shut the over door and leaned against the counter. "Of course, we don't want to have more food than we know what to do with, either. Let's see...twelve people..." Alex stopped in the middle of that sentence and looked down at the dog. switching gears. "He's nuts, you know. Skinner is never going to go. But, until Fox says different, I'll include him." The hum of the garage door drew Clyde's attention away from Alex, and the dog spun around and trotted out of the room. Alex turned to pull a couple of plates out of the cupboard then went for the glasses. While he was carrying them to the table, Fox appeared in the doorway. Alex flashed him a wide grin. "Hey." "Hey." As Fox entered the room, Alex met him halfway and laid a long kiss on his mouth. When Fox remained largely unresponsive, Alex pulled back and frowned at him. "What's the matter?" "...Nothing." "Something's wrong, Fox, I can see it...did you talk to Skinner? Did he turn down the invitation?" "No, I...I didn't get the chance to talk to him." "Then what is it?" "It was just a long day," Fox lied. "I'm really tired." Alex raised one hand to the back of Fox's head and gently massaged his scalp. "Okay. Are you really hungry, or can dinner wait about an hour?" "Actually," Fox began as his gaze drifted to the floor, "I haven't got much of an appetite at all...sorry." "S'okay. Maybe you'll be hungry later." Alex turned the oven to warm and took the older man's hand. "Come with me." Fox offered no resistance as Alex led him upstairs and into the bedroom. "Take off your clothes," the younger man ordered softly. "I'll be right back." Alex walked into the bathroom, and as Fox slowly removed his clothing, he heard the water go on. Now stripped down to his underwear and sitting on the bed, he watched Alex re-enter the room. "Warm bath'll make you feel better," the other man promised as he climbed up onto the bed behind Fox and began to massage his shoulders. Fox closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the pleasure of his lover's touch, but thoughts of his earlier conversation with Scully kept him from enjoying the gentle massage. "Damn you're tight," Alex commented, working at a particularly hard knot in Fox's shoulder. "Relax, babe." Fox released a quick, heavy sigh and made a conscious effort to obey. Failing miserably, he apologized. "S-sorry, I..." "It's okay. C'mon, the tub should be full by now." Alex led the older man into the bathroom, and as Fox finished undressing, he checked the temperature of the water. "That should be good," he said, turning to Fox, who now stood naked before him. He motioned for the other man to get into the tub, and Fox did so, sinking up to his neck in the warm, fragrant water. Alex smiled at the long sigh and kneeled down on the plush carpet beside the tub. "How's that?" he asked, reaching for and submerging the soft sponge then drawing it lazily over his lover's body. "Good," Fox murmured as his eyes drifted shut. "You do too much for me, Alex." "I could never do too much for you," Alex argued softly. "And whatever I do, I do because I love you." Fox's eyelids rose slowly, and he stared straight ahead. "I know." "Don't sound too happy about it," Alex joked, flicking a few drops of water into the other man's face. "'Course, I'm happy," Fox replied, giving Alex what was supposed to pass for a smile. Alex stared intently at the older man for a number of seconds then circled the sponge over his chest. "Sit down dinner or buffet?" "...What?" "Our reception dinner. Do you think it should be sit down or buffet?" "I don't know." "You don't have any preferences?" Fox shrugged first then shook his head. "Okay, I'll tell you what I was thinking. I think I was sort of leaning toward a buffet. I like the idea of a wider variety of food." Alex grinned at Fox. "And you know the way your partner loves to eat." Fox gave no response, and Alex's grin faded. "You don't like the idea of a buffet?" "It's fine." "Fox, do you...do you not want to talk about this right now? 'Cause you know, if you don't, I can just shut up." //God. Do you really want to start something here?// Answering a silent 'no', Fox reached up and skimmed Alex's jaw with a soapy hand. "I'm sorry, Alex. Just give me a few minutes to unwind and then we can decide on dinner, okay?" The smile returned, and Alex happily resumed his task. "Sorry, lisa. I didn't mean to hit you with wedding plans as soon as you got home. You know how obsessive I can get about stuff." //Stuff he really wants. Yeah. So, he does want this. He does.// //Unless the whole thing's just an elaborate act to keep you happy. You know he's capable.// Fox closed his eyes, swallowed down the lump that had formed in his throat, and he let Alex finish washing him. Some twenty minutes later, the younger man finished and coaxed him out of the depths of the cast iron tub. He reached for a towel as Alex pulled the plug from the drain, but the other man was quicker, grabbing the deep burgundy bath sheet and wrapping it around him. "Feel a little better?" Alex asked, his face only inches from Fox's as he slowly rubbed the towel over his lover's back and shoulders. Fox nodded and gave Alex a tiny smile. "Thanks." Alex returned the smile and kissed the tip of Fox's nose. "I love you, moy lisa." Shit, he was not supposed to be feeling like hell every time Alex said that. "I love you," he croaked in return and laid his head on the younger man's shoulder. That little crease formed between Alex's eyebrows that said among other things, that he was worried. The urge to demand that Fox tell him what was wrong hammered at him, but he resisted. The last thing he wanted was any kind of confrontation. If it were that big a deal, he'd know about it. //How sure are you about that?// The frown remained as Alex finished drying his quiet lover, then he led him into the bedroom to find some clothes. "Hungry yet?" he asked, forcing a light tone. //Go ahead, tell him no and get him more worried than he already looks.// "Yeah. Actually, I am." "Good. Okay, well, get dressed, and I'll go get the food on the table." Fox nodded, and Alex gave him a quick peck on the mouth before slipping out of the room. He dressed slowly, giving himself a mental shake. //What the hell's the matter with you? You sulked for weeks because you wanted to get married, and thought you never would. Now you are getting married, and you're still acting like an idiot. Cut it the fuck out, would you? You should be happier than a pig in shit. Now finished getting dressed, get your ass downstairs, and get some more plans settled.// Pep talk over, Fox pulled the washed-out gray t-shirt over his head, zipped his jeans, and headed down to the kitchen, where he found Alex standing at the table, staring mesmerized into a pitcher of iced tea. "Smells great," he said, alerting the other man to his presence. Alex snapped out of his reverie and poured the contents of the pitcher into the two glasses in front of him. "I tried something a little different this time. Hope you like it." Fox helped get the food on the table, and the two men sat facing each other, each putting on a show for the other. "This is good," Fox said around a mouthful of tender beef. "I like it better than the last recipe you tried." "I thought you might, since you like rosemary so much." "So," Fox began, taking a quick breath and diving in, "I agree with you about the buffet. I like the idea of a variety too, and since there'd be so few of us, there won't be any long lines." Alex was quiet for a moment, taken by surprise at Fox's sudden change in attitude, but he shrugged it off, chalking it up to the positive effects of his bath. "Okay, good. One more decision made.." Fox nodded in agreement. "You talk to Scully?" "...Yeah." "Sorry," Alex said sheepishly. "I guess you know now that she knew, huh?" "She tried to act like she didn't know," Fox answered, "but I figured it out." And he left it at that. "I'm really sorry about that, lisa, but when it hit me, I just...I needed someone to talk to." Fox nodded. "It's okay. She's your friend as well as mine." Alex smiled and said nothing. "So...I told her that we booked her into the inn, and that was fine with her." "Did you tell her that she was rooming with Clyde?" "Yeah. I'm not sure she really understood that, though." Alex laughed softly as he ate. "Oh, I did forget to ask her for her mother's new phone number." "She'd have a new phone number just for moving across town?" "Her new apartment isn't all that far from the other one, but she's still in a new area code, so..." "Ah. I didn't know she'd crossed over the line. So, who've we got left? Your cousin, the Gunmen..." "Chuck and Vicki and Skinner." Alex shook his head and smiled. "I sorry, babe. I just still find that funny. I'd really love to see the look on his face when you tell him...Fox?" "Hmm?" "You looked like you were a million miles away just now." "N-no, I'm here." Alex's knee began a gentle bounce as he studied his lover. "You sure? That bath didn't make you sleepy?" Fox gave Alex what he thought would pass for an apologetic smile. "Maybe I am a little tired." "Okay, babe. Finish your dinner, then we'll just relax, okay?" Nearly half an hour later, Fox pushed his mostly empty plate away and again complimented Alex on the meal. Alex insisted that Fox leave the clean up to him and herded him into the living room while he loaded the dishwasher and straightened up the kitchen. When he joined Fox on the sofa, the older man's eyes were almost closed. They snapped open, however, when Fox felt the cushion shift under the other man's weight. "Lisa?" Alex called softly, stroking Fox's hair back away from his face. "Are you all right? Are you feeling sick?" Fox cleared his throat and croaked a simple 'no'. "Did you sleep okay last night?" Fox nodded. "Something must be wrong. It's early and you're this tired?" "Why does something have to be wrong? Haven't you even been tired early in the day?" "I guess." Alex gave Fox a teasing grin. "Maybe you're just getting old." "Maybe," Fox agreed flatly. "Want to reconsider?" "Hmm?" "You don't want to be married to some old man who's ready for bed by seven p.m., do you?" "That depends," Alex replied, leaning in to nip at Fox's ear. "Would you be going to bed to sleep?" No reply. "Your sense of humor goes right into the toilet when you're tired," Alex rumbled, kissing the side of his lover's neck. He stood up and grasped Fox's hand, attempting to tug him into a standing position. "Come on, old man. Let's go to bed...to sleep." Fox followed his indulgent lover up to bed and did indeed fall into a deep slumber not long afterward. Alex lay quietly watching the rhythmic rise and fall of Fox's chest, and when he was fairly sure the older man was truly asleep, he slipped out of bed, pulled his jeans on and left the room. First taking Clyde for a brief walk, he then headed straight for the den and picked up the phone. Checking the number, he dialed the inn. "Good evening. I had called last night and made reservations for August tenth...Krycek...right. Yes. The civil union. I was wondering...can I get a weekend reservation as soon as possible? Really? Great. That's great...yes, for two. Yes, we'd like to see the place, discuss the menu, and hopefully by this weekend we'll have an exact number of guests for you...right. Well, that sounds great. Thanks." Alex spoke a few more minutes, finalizing his reservation for the coming weekend then called the airport and booked their flight. That done, he let out a long, satisfied sigh. It would have driven him crazy if he hadn't gotten anything accomplished today. At least now it felt as though he done something wedding related. Drumming his fingers on the desktop, he wondered was else he might be able to do... "Frohike, answer the phone." "What d'you mean, answer the phone? You're sitting right next to it." "I can't break eye contact. If I lose my concentration..." "You've been staring at that spoon for almost an hour," Frohike complained, reaching for the phone and jerking it to his ear. "Give it up!" "Is that a new greeting, Frohike?" the low voice on the other end asked, drawing Frohike's attention to the caller. "Sorry. Uh...who's this?" "Krycek." Frohike almost dropped the phone. What the hell was this? Krycek never called them. "Krycek?" "That's what I said." "What...wh-what can I do for you?" "What's he want?" Langly asked, still staring at his spoon. Frohike shrugged. "You guys free one night this week for dinner?" "Dinner?" "Dinner?" "What about dinner?" Byers asked, just coming into the room. "Yeah, dinner," Alex answered. "With Mulder...and you?" "No, Mulder and Skinner." "They're inviting us to dinner?" Frohike waved Byers off. "So...one night this week?" "Yes, Frohike. Like maybe Thursday?" "I...I...I don't know. Let me check." Frohike pressed the phone to his chest and looked at the other two. "Krycek wants to know if we're free for dinner this week. Maybe Thursday." Byers shrugged. "I've got nothing planned." "How 'bout you, Langly? Will you be done staring at your spoon by Thursday?" "Yeah, I guess." Langly broke eye contact long enough to cast a wary glance at Frohike. "Mulder is going to be there, right?" Frohike nodded. "That's what he said." "Come on, guys, why wouldn't Mulder be there?" Byers asked impatiently. "I don't know," Langly answered. "But since when does Krycek call to invite us over? It's always Mulder." "And so what? You think Krycek's up to something?" "Yeah. Maybe we're the dinner." Langly gave Frohike a horrified look. "Oh, for goodness sake." Byers snatched the phone from Frohike. "Alex? Yes, it is. We'd like very much to come to dinner. Thursday would be fine. What time? All right then, see you then...what's that?" He chuckled into the phone. "All right, I'll tell them." "Tell them what?" Langly asked as Byers hung up. "He said not to worry. He found a pot big enough to fit the both of you." "Hello?" "Hi, is this Susan?" "Yes, it is." "This is Alex Krycek." "Alex...oh! Hello, Alex. How are you?" "I'm well, thanks. You? How's married life?" "Aww, we're loving it." "That's great." "So, what's up? Would you like to speak to Bob?" "No, I can ask you as well as him. I know this is sort of short notice, but do you think that you and Bob could make it over to our house for a little dinner party on Thursday?" "This Thursday?" "Yeah. Told you it was short notice. But it's really kind of important." "Yeah? Everything okay?" "Yeah. Oh, yeah, everything's fine. We'd just really like to have you both here this Thursday." "Hmm. You've got me curious. Hang on, let me check with Bob." A few minutes went by, and Susan returned to the phone. "Sorry," Susan giggled. "I had to go talk to him in the shower. He said sure. What time?" "I figured I'd serve dinner at around seven, so if you could be here for like...sixish?" "All right, you got it. Uh...Alex?" "Hmm?" "Any chance I could get you to give me a little hint?" "Uhhh...nope." "Well, fine. If you're going to be that way about it." "I am." "I guess I can wait two days." Alex laughed softly. "Thanks, Susan. We'll look forward to seeing you." They said their goodbyes, and Alex hung up, drumming his fingers on his thigh. "Okay, now. Who else? Oh, yeah." Checking the number, he dialed and waited three rings before a breathless voice answered. "...Chuck?" "Yeah. Who's this?" "Alex Krycek." "Oh, hey...you behave yourself, now...hey, Alex." Alex rolled his eyes as a soft feminine giggle sounded in the background. "Guess I interrupted something there, huh stud?" "No, no. It's...ooh, you little devil...it's okay, Vicki's just feeling a little frisky." Alex shuddered at the images that statement conjured. "Listen, I'll let you get back to your uh...you know. But I have to ask a quick question." "Okay." Loud giggle. "Shoot." "You and Vicki free for dinner on Thursday?" "Yeah, I...wait. Hey, bad girl. Alex wants to know if we're free for dinner on Thursday..." Eyes closed, teeth gritted, Alex hoped for an immediate answer. Thank God he got one. "She said we'd love to. Where we going?" "Here. I'm cooking." Chuck sounded a loud yelp and a groan, and Alex grimaced on his end. "Okay, Alex. We'll...oh, God...we'll be there. Wh-what time?" "Around six." "All right..." Alex didn't let the other man say another word. "Okay then, you kids go on with...whatever, and we'll see you on Thursday. Later." Hanging up quickly, he shuddered again and called Scully. "I knew it. Dammit." A foam-covered hand reached over the side of the tub for the ringing phone, and Scully checked the number on caller ID. She groaned softly and answered. "Hello?" "Scully, it's me." //God. Well, he sounds okay.// "Hi, Alex. What's up?" "What're you doing Thursday?" "Besides working?" "I mean after work." "Nothing. Why?" "Come have dinner with us." //Must be okay. Guess Mulder really didn't flip out.// "You know I'd never turn down one of your dinners without a damn good reason. What're we having?" "Haven't figured that out yet. Gotta be something that'll serve twelve." "Twelve?" "Yeah. I already called the Gunmen, Fox's cousin and his wife, and Chuck and Vicki. I also need your mother's number." "My mother?" "Yeah. I want to get everyone together so we can tell them all at once that we're getting married, and ask them if they'll go Vermont in August to attend the wedding. See, I've booked this weekend for Fox and me to go up there and check the place out, and I'd like to be able to give them a definite number of guests." "Ah. Gotcha. Well, that'll be nice." "Yeah...hey, Scully, let me ask you a question." "Hmm?" "You think Skinner would want to have anything to do with this?" "I...what makes you ask that?" "Because, Fox wants to ask him, and I think he's cracked for even considering it. Skinner's not exactly a fan, you know?" "Yeah, but," Scully began then stopped and started again. "You know, I really have no idea what he'd say." "You can't think he'd say yes." "I don't know, Alex. True, he's never socialized with you guys, and I know Mulder has asked him. But he never gives him a hard time about you either. And he did ask how you were doing for a long time after the whole Saint James mess. He might go..." Alex sighed softly. "Brother. So, you think I should call and ask him to come to dinner...so he can refuse me?" "At least you would have asked." Another sigh, this one heavier. "All right. I'll call him." "The worst he can do is say no." "Yeah, yeah. Okay...oh, wait. Your mother's number." Scully gave Alex the number, and when she had the time for dinner, the two hung up. Alex proceeded to call and invite Maggie Scully, and when he received a yes answer, he thanked the woman and disconnected. Now sitting back and staring at the ceiling, he meditated for a few moments then found and dialed Skinner's home number. "Damn." The first of eight slices of sausage and onion pizza stopped midway to Walt Skinner's mouth, and he looked at the ringing phone. Denying the urge to let it ring, he dropped the pizza back into the box and picked up the phone. "Yeah." "Hello, Skinner." Familiar voice. Almost sounds like...nah. "Who's calling?" "Alex Krycek." Sonofabitch, it was. "Krycek, what...is Mulder all right?" "He's fine." "Then, what...you've never called me before." "No, I haven't. I...we'd like to invite you to dinner on Thursday night." "You what?" "Fox and I are having a little dinner party on Thursday, and we'd like very much if you could come." "Umm...why didn't Mulder ask me? He's usually the one to ask..." "And you always turn him down." No answer. "Listen, Skinner, I know how you feel about me. I understand. But this isn't really for me. It's for Fox..." Alex stopped, hearing a soft grunt on the other end. "Something wrong?" "I...it's just...sorry, but hearing you call him by his first name just...it just..." "As long as we've been together, don't you think it'd be kind of odd for me to call him Mulder?" Skinner changed the subject back to the original reason for Krycek's call. "So what makes you think that you can get a yes out of me when Mulder hasn't been able to?" "I don't know. I just wanted to try. It's a very important dinner...to us anyway, and we'd like to have you there." "What's so important about a dinner?" "You won't know unless you come. Scully will be here as well as a few other friends and relatives." Nothing. "Okay. Dinner's at seven. I'll set a place for you. If you decide to show, everyone'll be here for around six. Have a good night." Alex hung up and sighed softly, relieved that that was over. He'd done all he could do. The rest was up to Skinner. Returning to bed, he found Fox still soundly asleep. Carefully, he slipped an arm around the older man and snuggled up to his back, pressing a tender kiss to the back of his head. Surprisingly, sleep found him a short time later and, satisfied with his accomplishment, he joined Fox in peaceful oblivion. Fox pulled a pillow over his head to block out the incessant buzzing of the alarm. Seconds later, the muffled sound stopped completely, and he dragged the pillow away from his face to squint over at the clock. Instead his eyes immediately focused on the smiling face in front of it. "You really should probably get up now." Fox blinked at the bright-eyed man and groaned softly. "This is the third time the alarm's gone off," Alex explained, leaning down to kiss Fox's forehead. "It is?" the gravely voice asked, prompting another smile. "Yeah. You were really out the first two times." Fox closed his eyes and groaned again. "Didn't you sleep?" Alex asked. "I thought you had." "I guess. Don't feel like it." "Maybe you're coming down with something," Alex reasoned, pressing the back of his hand to Fox's forehead, "and it just hasn't really hit you yet." "Maybe," Fox whispered. "Damn, I hope not," Alex sighed, moving his hand to Fox's cheek. "We got stuff to do." "Stuff?" "Places to go, people to see." "What people?" "The people coming here tomorrow night." Fox gave the other man a curious look. "I got busy once you fell asleep last night." "Doing what?" "Making calls. We're hosting a little dinner party tomorrow." "For..." "Scully, her mother, the Gunmen, Chuck and Vicki..." Alex looked upward, thinking. "...Bobby and Susan, and Skinner...if he shows." "You called all those people?" "Yep." "Skinner too?" Alex nodded. "Everyone's a definite except for him." "Why'd you..." "I figured it'd be easier that way. Get 'em all in the same place at the same time, and invite them. That way, when we go up to Vermont this weekend..." "We're going to Vermont this weekend?" "Yeah, I'm getting to that...when we go up to Vermont, we'll hopefully have a definite body count. Now. Before I started calling everybody, I called the inn and made reservations for us for the weekend. We can see the place, make sure it's what we want, then talk about the menu, our guests' accommodations...have a little fun..." Fox lowered his eyes and nodded. "Is that okay, babe? I know I didn't check with you, but I figured you'd want to check the place out and..." "It's fine," Fox answered. "It's a good thing to do." "And won't it be nice to go somewhere?" Alex added softly. "We haven't had a weekend away from home for a while." "Yeah. It will be nice." "So, don't you go getting sick," Alex warned in a mock stern voice. "Yes, sir," Fox droned then looked up and gave Alex a hint of a smile. Alex deposited a quick kiss on the other man's forehead and got to his feet. "You going to work or what?" Fox dragged himself out of bed and trudged into the bathroom while Alex retreated to the kitchen to get breakfast ready. He relieved himself, turned the shower on, adjusting the temperature control, then he stripped and stepped under the cool spray. Shivering, he forced himself to stand there until some of the lethargy he'd felt began to seep away. When he was as awake as he was going to be, he turned the water to warm and washed quickly. As he rinsed off, thoughts of Alex's planned dinner party popped into his head. He knew Alex would go overboard...probably cook way too much. Do the flowers and candles thing...drag out the Bokhara...God, he hated washing that stuff. He always felt like he was handling live grenades, but Alex absolutely refused to put any of it in the dishwasher... It'd be an impressive dinner; that much was certain. But he had to wonder how their news would go down afterward...not so much in regards to the reactions of their company but... //Here we have two men, acting their asses off...one acting like there's nothing in the world he wants more than to marry the other man, who's acting like he has no idea that the first man would really, truly in his heart rather that things could stay the way they'd always been.// Would anyone notice that something wasn't quite right? And if they did, who'd be the one to give it all away? Fox stepped out of the shower and dried off then brushed his teeth and shaved, still thinking. //Who do you think? Your poker face apparently leaves plenty to be desired.// "Better work on it," he whispered to his reflection before moving into the bedroom to get dressed. Long minutes later, he appeared in the kitchen doorway, watching Alex. Flipping pancakes, whistling softly. Picture of a happy guy. "Want coffee?" //Or maybe he just knew you were here.// "Yeah," Fox mumbled, shuffling over to the table and dropping down into his chair. Resting his head in his hand, he watched with weary eyes as Alex fetched the coffee pot. "So, I was thinking. I don't know what everybody likes to eat, but you can't really go wrong with surf and turf, can you?" Not waiting for an answer, Alex poured one mug of coffee and went on. "Filet mignon and broiled lobster. How's that sound?" "Sounds great," Fox answered. "And very time consuming. You don't have to go to so much trouble, Alex." "Well, I figure," Alex began as he served Fox's pancakes, "they won't have the guts to turn down our invitation after they see all the trouble and expense we went through for them." "You." "Me?" "All the trouble you went through. While you're knocking yourself out here, I'll be at work." Fox sighed heavily. "I wish you wouldn't get so elaborate." "Don't worry about not being able to help, lisa. I can handle it." "I know you can. I just..." Fox stopped in mid-sentence. "You just what, babe?" Pressing his lips together, Fox shook his head. "Fox?" "Nothing." Fox looked up into his lover's eyes, finding mild confusion and concern brewing there. "I just hate to think of you here working your ass off while I'm in the office reading through case files and getting reamed by Skinner for something or another." "It's okay," Alex insisted, covering one of Fox's hands with his own. "You know I enjoy cooking." "For that many people?" Fox countered. "I think it's going to be a whole lot of trouble, and you...you've done enough." "It's fine," Alex swore. "I look forward to the challenge." Giving up, Fox finished his breakfast and left for work with a kiss and a plea from Alex not to worry about tomorrow night. As he arrived at the Hoover Building he ran into A.D. Skinner, who was also just walking in. "Morning, sir." "Morning." "Are you late or am I early?" Skinner shook his head. "We're both late. I haven't been late in fifteen years." "Why today?" "Spent most of last night thinking...Krycek called me." "I know. To invite you to dinner tomorrow night." Fox slipped a glance at the other man out of the corner of his eye as they walked. "You gonna come?" "I never have before." Fox answered with silence. "I was surprised when he called me. Krycek's never called me." "He made all the calls last night while I was asleep." "...You were asleep at that time?" "I've been feeling kind of run down lately." "Are you all right?" "Yeah, just...tired." Skinner studied his agent for a few seconds longer then resumed their conversation. "I was considering going." Fox did a double take. "Really? Why's this time any different than the half dozen times I've asked before?" "Because Krycek did the asking. Absolutely no offense meant, Mulder, but...when you invited me, I always took it as exactly that. An invitation from you. I knew you'd like to have my company. I was never sure about Krycek. But he called this time. He asked." "So, you mean," Fox began as the two boarded the elevator, "that all this time, all I had to do to get you to come over was let Alex ask you?" "I'm not saying I would've jumped at his invitation," Skinner said. "But Krycek would have stood a better chance." Fox shrugged. "Okay...so when'll you let us know for sure?" The doors opened up on the basement floor but Fox stayed put, holding the door open, waiting for an answer. "...I hear it's some important type of dinner." Skinner paused for a moment trying to get a reading. Nothing. "Tell Krycek I'll be there." Fox stared for a moment the stepped into the hall. "Simple as that. Okay. We'll see you at around...oh. Sorry. I don't know what time." "Krycek said sixish." "Okay. We'll see you around six tomorrow, then." "Have a good day, Mulder." "You too." Fox turned and walked down the hall to his office, where Scully was again waiting for him. "You need a new alarm clock, Mulder," the redhead threw at him by way of a greeting. "Sorry. Anything going on?" "No. It's like all the spooks and monster went on an extended vacation." Fox removed his jacket and dropped into his chair, aimlessly shuffling the papers on his desk around. "So. What d'you guys want me to bring?" "...Bring?" "Tomorrow night. Want me to bring dessert or something?" "Oh. Uh. I don't know. You should probably check with Alex. If you don't catch him home, try his cell. He'll probably be out food shopping most of the morning." "Yeah?" Scully grinned. "What's he cooking?" "Filet Mignon and broiled lobster." Scully groaned happily. "God, Mulder, if you hadn't wanted him, I might have had to marry him myself." Fox gave his partner a smile and went back to shuffling. "Do you know if he called Skinner?" "He did." "What'd he say?" "Well, I uh...ran into him as I was coming in, and we talked a little. He hadn't given Alex a definite answer last night, but just now he said he'd decided to come." "Wow. This'll be a first, won't it?" "Yeah." "What changed his mind after all this time?" "Alex asked him." "You're kidding." "Nope. He said in so many words that now he feels welcome because Alex asked him over." Scully stared silently at Fox for a number of seconds then gave the man an incredulous shrug. "All righty." "That's what I said." Scully chuckled softly then went quiet as a thought came to her. "...Mulder...if everyone accepts the invitation to the wedding, who'll that be?" "Didn't Alex tell you?" "Yeah, he did. But do you realize that everyone there will be either friends or family of yours?" "You're his friends too. And after...after August, my family will be his...such as it is." "You know what I mean, Mulder." "I know. But what can I do? He's not ready to look for them." "It's such a shame. This is a huge event in his life. It'd be so nice for him to have family there." "Yeah," Fox whispered, idly flipping the corner of a piece of paper with his thumb. "Well...anyway...let me give him a call. Hopefully I can catch him before he starts shopping." Trying their home number first, Scully got no answer. "Damn." Fox looked at his watch then over to his partner. "Doesn't mean he's shopping already. He could be walking Clyde." Nodding, Scully tried Alex's cell. The phone rang only twice before a soft, gruff voice greeted her. "Alex, it's me." "Oh, hey Scully. What's up? Aren't you at work?" "Yeah, I am. But I was just talking with Mulder, and I was saying that I was going to call you and ask if I could bring dessert or something tomorrow night." "No, Scully, that's okay. I got everything under control." "I'm capable of making nice desserts you know," Scully groused, earning an amused chuckle from the man on the other end. "I'm sure you are. I've just got everything all planned out." "Wine?" "Covered." "Fine. Be like that. You know your problem, Krycek? You're too damned efficient." Another chuckle. "Well, I got nothing more to say to you...you wanna talk to your fiancé?" "Sure. He's not busy?" "Busy moving papers from one side of his desk to the other. Hang on." Scully put Alex on hold and looked to Fox, nodding at his phone. Fox picked up and spoke softly into the mouthpiece. "Hi." "Hey, handsome. How's your day?" "The whole half hour that I've been here?" "Seems like hours and hours since you left." "It does?" "Always feels like an eternity when you're away from me." An involuntary ghost of a smile curved Fox's mouth. "I miss you too," he whispered. "We didn't make love last night," Alex murmured, hearing the surprised intake of breath, then the softly uttered 'no'. "I need to make love to you, Fox. I'd say tonight, but I don't think I can wait that long." "Not much choice, is there?" Fox asked, his voice lowering to match his lover's. "What about lunch?" "By the time I get home? What time will there be?" There was a moment of silence, then Alex spoke. "I'll call you right back." "What do you..." "Couple of minutes, okay?" "All right." There was an abrupt click, and Fox hung up, a curious frown etching his features. "He up to something?" Scully asked from the other side of the room. "Apparently," Fox answered, resting his head in his hand and staring at the phone. When a couple of minutes passed, he shrugged and picked up one of the files that he'd been pushing around on his desk. A few minutes after that, his cell phone rang. "Mulder." "Holiday Inn on The Hill. Twelve-thirty. I'll be waiting in the lobby." "Oh. I...Alex. Alex?" Fox disconnected and gently set the phone down on his desk. "He hung up on you again?" Fox nodded and sat quietly for a few seconds before running his fingers through his hair and diving into the work on his desk. Taking Fox's silence as unwillingness to discuss what had just passed between him and Alex, Scully swallowed down the half dozen questions she had ready and changed the subject. "My mother's really looking forward to having dinner with you. She's also very curious about your motives." "Why's that?" "I don't know. Mother's intuition? She knows something's up. Alex didn't really give her reason to suspect anything, but I guess just the fact that he was the one who called was enough to get her wondering." "I hope she doesn't mind finding out like she's going to. She's been pretty tolerant of Alex and me, but having to deal with this news...in front of a bunch of other people...I hope she's not too uncomfortable." "I don't think she will be. She's had plenty of time to get used to the idea of you and Alex being lovers. I'd say she was more than tolerant. I've seen her watching you and smiling on occasion." Scully gave her partner a conspiratorial grin. "I think she thinks you're cute." Fox lowered his head and said nothing. "Well, anyway, don't worry about my mother," Scully concluded. "Thanks," Fox murmured and changed the subject. "Guess we've shot the shit long enough, huh? Better get some work done." For the next three hours the two worked in virtual silence, and then Fox looked down at his watch and inhaled deeply. Releasing the breath in a loud whoosh, he rose from his chair and grabbed for his jacket. "I uh...Scully, I have to go out." Scully looked up from her desk to her partner then down to her watch. "Lunch time. This have anything to do with that mysterious call from Alex?" "Yeah, I..." Fox picked up his keys and moved to the door. "I'm going to meet him." "God, say no more," Scully said, holding up one hand in warning. "You boys have fun. I'll see you when I see you." Fox left the office and headed out to the specified hotel, hoping all the way that things would turn out all right. He should have gotten hard the minute the conversation with Alex had turned sexual. Ordinarily he would have. But not today. Even now with thoughts of rolling around naked with his lover in a hotel bedroom picking at his brain, he couldn't seem to get it up. //Maybe once I get there,// he told himself. //Yeah. Once I get there, everything'll be fine.// Alex sat patiently waiting, his gaze drifting every now and again from the newspaper he held to the hotel lobby doors to his watch. Twelve-forty. //Any second. He'll be here any second.// And as soon as he finished the thought, Fox came through the doors. Having zeroed in on him immediately, Fox moved slowly forward, stopping when he reached the seated man. Alex looked up at him through a veil of lashes and let the top of the newspaper flop down over the bottom half. "Thought I'd been stood up." "Sorry," Fox croaked. "Traffic tie up." Alex rose to his feet, letting his body just barely brush Fox's on the way up. "Speaking of being tied up...come with me." //Okay, well, there was a little twinge.// Fox followed Alex to the elevator for the brief ride up to the second floor, then halfway down the hall until Alex stopped in front of room two twenty-eight. Unlocking the door, he stepped inside and back, allowing Fox to walk by him. Just as the other man passed he reached out, and in one movement grabbed Fox's arm, pulling him back while he pushed the door shut with his foot. "I've been thinking about this all morning," he growled, pulling Fox against him. "I walked around the market for over an hour with this raging hard-on. Scared a couple of old ladies." "Was that cashier there? The one that's got a huge crush on you?" Fox asked, trying to work himself into the lustful state he knew he should be in about now. His face currently buried in the side of Fox's neck, Alex uttered a muffled, "Mmm hmm." "I'm sure she appreciated your situation." "Hadn't noticed," Alex breathed, making his way up to Fox's jaw. "All I could think about was getting here and getting my hands on you." Fox closed his eyes and concentrated on the moist warmth of Alex's mouth as it moved ever closer to his own. He could feel the tempered passion in the tension of his lover's body, and he prayed...pleaded for the reaction that he knew Alex expected from him. But it wouldn't come. Every time he thought he might be close, thoughts of the two of them standing in front of a clergyman, and Alex saying 'I do' when he really didn't, crowded in and washed the burgeoning pleasure away. Lost in his own desire Alex took no notice of Fox's un-stimulated state until one hand slid over the curve of his lover's rear and pulled him in closer. Just as Alex was about to suck Fox's lower lip into his mouth, he stopped. Eyes dark with confusion stared hard at the other. "What's the matter?" //And away we go. Okay, Mulder, make it good.// "Nothing, I..." //Oh, yeah. Just beautiful. He'll never suspect. You done good, buddy boy.// //Thanks, daddy-o.// //What??// Fox shook himself back into the moment and tried again to provide some plausible explanation for his bewildered lover. He lowered his head, unable to look Alex in the eye. "I don't...I don't know. Just feeling out of sorts." "Still?" Fox shrugged and opened his mouth to speak, but no real sound would come out. "Lisa, why didn't you say so?" "I...I didn't want to disappoint you." "Baby, you don't feel well. Why would that disappoint me?" Again Fox shrugged, this time shaking his head. "I want you to see a doctor. And I'll call everyone and cancel the dinner." "Nooo," Fox moaned. "Don't cancel. I don't feel sick. Just not quite...myself." Alex sighed heavily, looking into dulled eyes. "Come home with me." "What? When?" "Now. We'll call Scully and tell her what's going on. I'm sure she'll agree with me that you should be in bed, resting." "No, I...I'll be all right." "Fox, I'm not taking no for an answer. Do this. And if you don't feel any better by tomorrow morning, I'm calling and canceling everything." Good. Now he could heap guilt on top of all the shit he was already feeling. "Maybe you're right," he said, giving in. "Maybe a good long rest is what I need." Fox looked up at the other man through his lashes. "M'sorry." "No need to be. You can't help that you're not feeling well." "I tried," Fox insisted on explaining. "I thought it'd be okay." "Stop," Alex commanded softly. "Let's get out of here so I can get you home and into bed." As they checked out and left, Alex called Scully. "...Hey, Scully, it's me. Listen, I'm taking Fox home. He's not feeling well, and I really think he should be home in bed." "You know, I thought he wasn't quite right, but he left here to go fool around with you, so I figured it might just be my imagination." "He hasn't been himself for a couple of days now. I told him if he isn't feeling better by the morning, I'm canceling dinner and our weekend, and he's seeing a doctor." "Good. In the meantime, I'll meet you at your house. I want to check him out myself...you know, as much as I can without having him in a hospital." "That'd be good, Scully. Thanks. See you in a little while." Alex hung up, and Fox looked curiously to him as they reached Alex's car first. "Why are we seeing Scully?" "She's coming over to look you over." "She doesn't have to do that." "It'll make her and me feel better. Where's your car?" "A few rows over." "You okay to drive?" "I'm not sick," Fox insisted. "All right. Go on. I'll wait and follow you." Emitting a soft sigh, Fox accepted a tender kiss, and he walked off toward his car. Alex opened his own door and dropped in behind the wheel, waiting until he saw Fox drive past, and then he followed the Lincoln out of the lot. They made it home half an hour later, and Alex walked Fox into the house and straight up to the bedroom. Clyde followed, whining all the way, but Alex ignored the dog until he got Fox comfortably settled into bed. "Relax until Scully gets here. I'm going to go put Clyde out, and I'll be right back." Fox closed his eyes, letting the weariness flood in. He hoped that Scully would show up soon so he could just pull the sheet up over his head and go to sleep. Jesus, why did he feel like this? Too tired to analyze it, he settled back against the pillows and closed his eyes. The next thing he knew, he was being gently shaken awake. "Mulder. Mulder, come on. Wake up. You can go back to sleep in a few minutes. Just let me check you out." Fox moaned sluggishly and burrowed beneath the sheet. "Fox..." Alex sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the sheet back. "Wake up, lisa. Please?" Fox's head lifted slightly, and he squinted at the man at his side. "Just a few minutes, sweetheart. Then you can sleep straight through to tomorrow morning if you want." Fox dragged himself into a sitting position and sat slumped against the pillows. "Thank you," Alex whispered, brushing the backs of his knuckles over Fox's jaw. "Okay, Mulder, look at me." Fox shifted his gaze to Scully, and she turned her penlight on, shining it into his squinting eyes. She checked his ears then asked him to open his mouth. "That all looks normal." Scully put the penlight down and began to prod at her partner's throat. "No swelling." She put on her stethoscope and held it to his chest. "Take a deep breath...let it out." Fox followed all of Scully's instructions, and when she finally pronounced him healthy as far as she could determine, Alex breathed a tiny sigh of relief. "I'm going to take some blood, Mulder," Scully announced. "Run a CBC at the lab and see if I find anything." "When'll you have the results?" Alex asked, concern creeping back in. "I'll go back right now and run it. I should have the results for you tomorrow." "Okay," Alex croaked, reaching out to stroke his lover's hair. "Go back to sleep now, lisa. I'll be downstairs if you need me, okay?" Fox nodded and settled once again beneath the sheet. Alex leaned in and laid a soft kiss on his forehead then vacated the room with Scully in tow. "I don't get it," he whispered as they moved into the hall. "He was fine and then all of a sudden a couple of days ago, he started feeling really run down." "A couple of days?" "Yeah. Well, maybe three. But that first day, there was good reason for him to be tired. That was the day he misunderstood my phone call, and I walked out. Then after we made up, we spent several hours trying to get some plans ironed out and...it was just an exhausting day." Scully nodded, listening. "But these last couple of days...I don't know." "You know, Alex, I don't really expect to find anything in this blood work. I think it just might be the anxiety he's suffered the last several weeks colliding with the events of the last few days." She shrugged. His body, his mind, his emotions...they're on overload." Alex looked back toward the bedroom. "You think?" "I do. In which case, rest is the best thing for him." She held up the vial. "I'm still going to test this and make sure, but I really don't think you have anything to be concerned about." Alex smiled for the first time since Scully walked in. "Thanks, Scully." "Don't thank me. Just make sure dinner's really good." "You don't think I should cancel that and the weekend?" Scully wrinkled her nose. "I think if you do that, you'll just heap more anxiety on him. Keep him in bed for the rest of the day today. Tomorrow too, if you'd feel better doing that. He should be feeling much better by dinner time tomorrow." Alex's smile grew wider. "Wait till I tell him he's not going to work tomorrow either. He hates staying in bed for any length of time unless he's sleeping or we're...well...you know." "Guh." Scully spun on her heel and headed for the stairs. Alex followed her to the first floor and over to the front door. "Call me as soon as you get the blood work results, okay?" "Yeah, I will. You get going on my dessert. What are you making, by the way?" "Rum krokant torte." "Okay, that just sounds like it's loaded with calories." "It is very rich." "Good. I'll see you tomorrow, and I'll bring my appetite." "So what else is new?" Emitting an indignant grunt, Scully landed a light blow to Alex's chest and headed out the door. Alex stood and watched the woman drive away before shutting the door and heading back up to the bedroom. He paused in the doorway and focused an adoring gaze on the older man. Lying amidst the rumpled sheets, face half-buried in a pillow, Fox sighed softly as he exhaled. The distinct impression of another presence in the room opened one gold-flecked eye, and he looked over at Alex. "She gone?" "Yeah." Alex approached the bed and sat carefully on the edge. Reaching out to pet his lover's head, he continued to speak. "She told me to keep you in bed for the rest of the day, and tomorrow too if I think that I should." "Tomorrow. Alex, I can't..." "Yeah, you can. And I think that's just what you're going to do." "But..." "She said it was my call." "I have no say in this?" "None," Alex murmured, giving Fox a sweet smile. "You need rest. Scully thinks it's just the strain of the last several weeks catching up to you. You need rest, lisa, and I intend to see that you get it." "What...what about dinner?" Fox asked, lowering his gaze. "If you behave yourself and stay in bed today and most of tomorrow, she thinks that you'll be fine for dinner and our weekend in Vermont. In fact, a little time in the country might actually do you good. Okay?" Eyes still cast downward, Fox gave the younger man a slight nod. Alex moved in, resting lightly against the other. "I love you, baby." Fox's eyebrows drew down into a pained frown, but he wound his arms around Alex, hugging him. "I love you too." Alex drew back and smiled down at his lover. "All right now, close your eyes." When Fox obeyed, he sat stroking the other man's hair for a few minutes before planting a single, sweet kiss on his mouth. "Call me if you need me," he whispered then exited the room, leaving Fox to sleep. Fox turned onto his side and watched Alex slip into the hall. So sweet. So devoted. Even if he didn't want to get married, Fox could never question his devotion. Well. There was that whole mess that had happened the other day. //Idiot.// Fox pulled one of Alex's pillows to his chest, hugging it tightly. //You really going to let him go ahead with this? He loves you enough to marry you because it's what you want. Do you love him enough to not let him?// Groaning with the pain that those thoughts caused, Fox buried his face in the pillow and closed his eyes. "Good morning, sunshine." "Grayish-green eyes squinted up at the smiling face hovering overhead. "Morning?" "Yeah. You slept all the rest of the day and night." "Jeez," Fox grated and pulled himself up, leaning against the mound of pillows behind him. "If you slept that long it's because you needed it." Fox ran his fingers back and forth through his hair, leaving it in a wilder state than it had been. "I guess." As he swung his legs off of the bed, Alex stopped him with both hands on his shoulders. "Whoa, whoa. Where are you going?" "My bladder has also been asleep for the past..." Fox looked at the clock. "fifteen hours. And I really feel like I could use a shower." "Okay but after that, back in bed." "Alex..." "Fox..." Sighing in resignation, Fox trudged into the bathroom and re-emerged nearly half an hour later, showered, shaven and naked under the towel wrapped around his waist. Alex was nowhere to be found, but he noticed that the bed had been stripped and re-made with fresh sheets. The top sheet and coverlet were drawn back in invitation, and Fox dropped the towel at the foot of the bed, crawling between the cool, crisp sheets. Stretching luxuriously, he moaned his pleasure. Then the delicious aromas of breakfast hit him through the open door. "Mmmmm. Food." Wait. Today was Thursday. The...God, the dinner party. And Alex was taking time to make him breakfast? //Jeez.// "Aww, what a good boy. You got back into bed without me having to nag you there." Fox looked over at the doorway, watching as Alex entered, carrying a glass of orange juice. "Here." Fox took the glass and sipped at the sweet liquid as Alex kissed the side of his head. "How d'you feel?" //Tell him. Tell him how you feel.// Fox opened his mouth then closed it again. //Tell him.// "Okay." "What's okay mean? Better than yesterday? The same?" "N-no." //Fucking selfish prick// "Better." Alex cocked his head and studied the other man. "Are you sure?" //Not sure about anything.// "Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure. By tonight I'll be fine." "Great." Alex kissed his lover's cold lips. "Scully called, and she said your blood work was perfect." Fox nodded. "I felt so much better hearing that." Fox gave his lover a tiny smile and said nothing. "I gotta get downstairs before your breakfast burns. Be back in a few." The minute Alex left the room, Fox threw his hands over his eyes and groaned softly. //Good job, Mulder. You're going to have to play the happy host to ten people tonight, announce your upcoming wedding, then take off to Vermont for the weekend to check out the inn where said wedding is supposed to be held...with a man who doesn't even want to get married.// //With a man who loves you so much he'd do anything to make you happy// //Christ, how many times are you going to go through all this? Just...// "Here you go," Alex called, walking into the bedroom carrying a heaping tray. He placed it down on the bed over Fox's legs. "Eat up." "Alex," Fox sighed. "Toast and coffee would have been fine." "You didn't have any lunch or dinner yesterday," Alex replied. "You must be starving." Fox looked down at enough food for two people, and his stomach started to turn. "Yeah," he lied. "Yeah, I am, actually." "Good," Alex said, grinning. "Eat. I'll be back to get the tray in a little while." "Alex," Fox called as the younger man headed to the door. Alex stopped in his tracks, turning around to face his lover. "Yeah?" "...I love you." A bright smile lit the younger man's face. He blew Fox a kiss and made his exit. Fox looked down at the food again. //Choke it down pal. You don't eat, and he's going to think something's still wrong. He'll cancel the dinner and the Vermont reservations and...// //And how is any of that a bad thing? It all should be cancelled anyway, and you know it.// Fox looked back down at breakfast, his appetite completely gone now. "Wonderful. What am I going to do with this?" Chewing on his lower lip for a minute, he got an idea. Picking up his fork, he cut the French toast and sausage into tiny pieces and mashed up the scrambled eggs then took the plate into the bathroom, flushing the whole thing. While he felt terrible for wasting all of Alex's time and effort, he just couldn't bring himself to put any of the food in his mouth. Just the thought made him sick. He replaced the plate on the tray and set the whole thing aside then tunneled beneath the covers. Closing his eyes and his mind to his impossible problem, he drifted back into sleep. Alex stood in the middle of the kitchen, looking around for the umpteenth time, making sure that there wasn't anything he'd forgotten. Satisfied that he hadn't, he started carrying the dinnerware into the dinning room. On his second trip, he ran into Fox, damp-haired and dressed in midnight blue pants and a deep sky blue shirt. "Hey! You're up." The younger man smiled, eyeing his lover. "And all pretty." "You too," Fox replied, admiring Alex in his black pants and moss green shirt. He looked down at the items in Alex's hands. "Can I help?" "Wait...how do you feel?" "Like I've slept for a year." "Is that a good thing?" Fox nodded. "I'm fine." Smiling, Alex laid a thorough kiss on the older man's mouth and handed the sugar bowl and salt and pepper shakers to him. "Take those in? I'll get the crystal." Fox walked toward the dining room and paused in the doorway. Damn, the room was beautiful. Alex must have been at work all day in here. Not that it wasn't always spotless, but every stick of wood shone with a lustrous warmth, the windows sparkled in the late afternoon sun, and the...for God's sake, when did he find the time to shampoo the carpet? Fox placed the items down on the table, briefly fingering the delicate petals of a fragrant Pink Osiana rose before viewing the entire mass of salmon-pink blooms. Simply, perfectly beautiful. Fox closed his eyes, trying to contain the rush of emotion that had just suddenly washed over him. They snapped open as Alex bustled back into the room and carefully placed the crystal on the table. "There's more in the kitchen. You wanna get it while I start arranging all this stuff?" "...Sure." Fox left the room but not before Alex landed another kiss on his jaw. The minute he was out the door, his shoulders slumped, and he walked slowly toward the kitchen. Gathering up the last of the crystal, he started toward the door. Before he made it into the next room, one of the water tumblers slipped from his grasp and crashed to the floor. "Shit." "Shit!" His echoed word sounded from the next room, and seconds later, Alex appeared in the kitchen, gazing mournfully down at the shattered remains of one of his treasured Bokhara tumblers. "Sorry, I...guess I was carrying too many at once." "It's...it's okay," Alex said in a small voice. "We've still got enough for dinner. I can replace it next week." "Yeah, but..." "Don't worry about it," Alex said softly, cupping the back of Fox's head as he dusted the older man's cheek with a kiss. "Can you take the rest of those into the dining room? I'll pick this up." "No. I broke it, I'll clean it up." "It's okay, lisa. I got it." Fox bowed his head, not moving for a few moments, then he turned and started out the door. When he reached the dining room, he looked down at the exquisitely set table, and he felt something inside him break. Kicking a chair away from the table, he dropped down into it, still clutching the tumblers to his chest. He had no idea how long he sat that way, but from the look on Alex's face as he entered the room, it must have been quite a while. "Fox? What's...what are you doing?" "Why are we doing this?" "What?" "You don't want this." Alex cocked his head, and that troubled crease formed between his brows. "Don't want what?" "To marry..." Fox took a shuddering breath and continued. "...marry me." Alex's mouth dropped open, and he stood speechless for a number of seconds before he gathered his wits and spoke. "Fox...what the hell are you talking about?" Fox continued to stare at the table. "You love me." "Is this news to you?" "You asked me to marry you because you love me, and you knew it'd make me happy." //Ahhhhh, shit.// "Fox, where did you get this from?" "Scully." "Scully. You're telling me that Scully told you that the only reason..." "She wasn't looking to cause any trouble," Fox interrupted. "It just came up in conversation, and then she did everything she could to make sure that I understood that you weren't just giving me what I wanted as usual." "God." Alex rubbed his forehead. "But you didn't believe her, did you?" "You say it. She says it. You spoil me rotten. You give in to me constantly." "Yes," Alex freely admitted. "I do. But not about this. Baby, not about this." "It's too much of a coincidence. Marriage was never a consideration all this time. I start thinking about it, and a few weeks later you propose. I know you and Scully put it all together at Chuck's wedding." "Yeah, but...Fox, let's not do this. We've got a bunch of people coming over in..." Alex checked his watch. "less than half an hour. Please. Let's finish setting the table...we'll have a nice dinner, and then we can talk about this all night if you want. I'll explain to you in every conceivable way that I want this." Fox was quiet for a moment then shook his head. "How can I sit here...how can we...with our friends and family and announce a wedding that shouldn't happen?" Alex lost it. "Are you shittin' me? You pout and sulk about this for how long, and now you're ready to just chuck it all because of what you believe to be true?" No answer. "Oh, God, tell me this isn't happening!" Alex railed at the ceiling. He looked at Fox and started to laugh. "It is though, isn't it? We can't do fucking anything without a bunch of bullshit first!" Fox rose from his seat, dropping the crystal onto the table. Amazingly, nothing broke. "There'll be no bullshit," he said flatly. "No pouting, no sulking. No anything." "Wh...where the hell are you going?" Alex demanded to know as Fox walked by him. Receiving no answer, he followed, tailing Fox up the stairs and down the hall. "Fox...Fox." Before he could catch up, Fox turned into the bedroom and closed the door. Alex heard the lock click into place just as he reached for the knob. "Dammit Fox, open this door!" Silence. Alex pounded on the door. "Fox! I'm not playing with you; open this door!" More silence. "Don't make me kick it in!" And...nope. "Sonofabitch! Come on, Fox, they'll be here any minute!" When nothing happened, Alex changed his tactics. "Okay. Look...I'm sorry. We'll talk about it, okay baby? Just open the door. Please?" Still Fox refused. And plan B went straight to hell. "Gaaah! You pain in the ass!" Alex roared. "Fox, you are seriously trying my patience! What the hell am I supposed to do with all those people when they get here?" "Have dinner with them!" Fox finally shouted from the other side of the door. "Then you can entertain them all with the story about how you just narrowly escaped being married to a sulky, whiny, spoiled pain in the ass!" Before Alex could scream back, the doorbell sounded. "Shit! Somebody's here! Now for the last time, are you coming out of there?" "No!" "Fox, come out!" "No!" The doorbell rang again "Fuck." Alex whirled around and stomped down the stairs then stormed over to the front door. Scully, her mother and Skinner jumped back, startled as the door flew open and a wild-eyed Alex stared out at them. "Hey, Scully! And Mrs. Scully!" he shouted. "So nice you could make it, Skinner!" Stepping aside, he waved them in. "Welcome to Fox's house of insanity!" "What?" Scully asked, exchanging confused glances with her companions. "Alex, what's wrong?" "Wrong? What the hell could be wrong? I mean aside from the fact that Fox has locked himself in the bedroom and won't come out!" "Huh? Why'd he do that?" "It's a pretty damn funny story, actually. Oh. Wait. Where are my manners? Would anyone like a drink?" Skinner drew a deep breath and let it out. "Kinda wishing I'd had a couple before I got here." "You can start now. Beer in the fridge. If you want anything stronger, Scully can show you were it is." Alex turned away from the dumbfounded man and back to Scully. "See Scully, my sweet, reasonable, level-headed pain in the ass is under the impression that I asked him to marry me..." Skinner's and Maggie's eyes widened to double their normal size. "Asked him to what??" "...because I was just giving him what he wanted." Alex looked pointedly at the woman. "Any idea where he got that from?" Scully tipped her head back and closed her eyes. "Awww, damn." "Damn? Is that all you have to say?" "No, I...my God, Alex, I'm so sorry. I thought he was all right with it, I really did! I would have told you if I'd suspected that he wasn't." "Wait a minute, wait a minute," Skinner broke in, signaling a time out with his hands. "Is that what this dinner is all about? You wanted to tell us that you're...you're getting married?" "We were," Alex shouted in the direction of the steps. "Until that maniac went and lost his mind!" "Holy cow, what's all the yelling about?" Three pairs of eyes directed their gazes at the door. Chuck and Vicki walked in, followed by the Gunmen. "Fox," Alex called, stalking to the bottom of the stairs and hollering up in a mocking tone. "Honey...almost all of our guests are here. Are you sure you don't want to come down and greet them?" The group downstairs heard an upstairs door open. "Hello!" The door slammed shut, and Alex roared his frustration, pounding furiously on the railing with both fists. "What the hell is going on?" Chuck whispered to Scully, who held up one hand and shook her head. "Lovebirds having a little spat?" Langly grinned, earning a hard glare from Byers. "I don't think jokes are what's needed here," he murmured to the blonde. "Alex looks pretty uptight." "Astute observation, Byers my man," Alex answered, slipping his arm around the bearded man's shoulders and leading the way into the living room. "Since most of you are here, why don't you make yourselves comfortable?" "Is he kidding?" Skinner asked Scully under his breath. "I gotta go check on dinner, 'cause you know, if it burns," Alex laughed manically, "I'm really gonna be upset. Scully, why don't you see if anyone would like a drink." "Actually, I thought I'd go up and try to reason with Mulder." "Forget it. He's beyond reason. If he wants to stay up there, let him." "But, Alex. The whole purpose of this dinner..." "I remember well what its purpose was," Alex said, cutting Scully off. His next words were uttered flatly. "Looks like it's just another dinner, now." The group exchanged amazed glances as Alex excused himself and walked into the kitchen. "What the hell are they fighting about?" Frohike asked as soon as he thought Alex was out of earshot. "God, I feel responsible," Scully said, not answering Frohike's question." She turned mournful eyes to her mother. "I swear if I'd known Mulder was going to dwell on it, and it'd cause this much commotion, I never ever would have..." "You guys always in the habit of leaving your..." Bobby's words were cut off when he and his wife walked through the open door and found a small group containing neither one of their hosts. Scully got up to usher them in. "Hi. You must be Mulder's cousin Bob. And you must be Susan." "Yeah. And you must be Scully?" "Dana. Very few people actually call me by my last name." "Okay, Dana. Nice to meet you." Bobby looked around. "Where are my cousin and Alex?" Scully rubbed at her temple with three fingers. "Mulder's upstairs, and Alex is in the kitchen. Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable." Bob shut the door, and the couple entered. Introductions were done, and just as the last hand was shook, a loud banging sounded in the kitchen. "Holy crap," Frohike mumbled. "He's going to tear this place apart, and then we'll be next." "What's all that about?" Bobby asked rising from his seat, but Scully stopped him gently. "I'll go check on him, then I'll be back to fill you in." Hurrying off toward the kitchen, Scully found Alex bent over, hands on his knees, and scattered all around him were a variety of unused pots, pans and utensils. "Alex, what are you doing?" "Checking on dinner," he rasped from his bent position. "Come on. Sit down here." Scully pulled on Alex's arm until he yielded and walked over to the kitchen table. She pushed him down into a chair and pulled one up to face it. Lowering herself to the cushioned seat, she gathered her thoughts before she began to speak. "Again, Alex, I'm sorrier than I can tell you. It was just...a conversation. I never in a million years dreamed he'd do what he's doing. I mean, he looked a little funny when I mentioned it, and I thought there might be a problem, but he swore there wasn't, and everything seemed normal with the both of you after that, so I figured it was nothing to worry about." Alex nodded, looking down at the floor. "It's okay. If it wasn't that, it'd be something else." "What do you mean?" "I mean that there'd be something else to throw a monkey wrench into the works. There's always something else." Scully closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You know...some people, for whatever reason face more trials than others. But few people, I'm willing to bet have faced more than you and Mulder. And you've fought your way through all of it. You've got a love seldom seen, Alex. But I don't have to tell you that, do I?" Weary, dark eyes looked up into the woman's face. "I'd do anything. Anything for him, Scully." "I know that. Mulder knows that." "Which leads us to our current trial. Who the hell ever thought we'd be fighting about how much I love him? Because that's what it amounts to, basically." "You know, Alex, you might be too upset to see this right now, but in his own weird way, Mulder's expressing his love for you too." "By locking himself in our bedroom and leaving me twisting in the wind down here?" "He's not mad, Alex. He's sad. He loves you, and though getting married is what he wants most in the world, he refuses to let you do something you don't really want to do..." Alex opened his mouth to protest, but Scully held a hand up, shushing him. "...what he feels you don't want to do. He loves you, and he doesn't want you to be trapped. And you know, now that I'm thinking about it, I'll bet that's why he's felt so run down the last couple of days." Alex cocked his head curiously. "Depression." "Oh." "Uh...s-sorry to interrupt." Alex and Scully looked to the door and found an uncomfortable looking Chuck standing there. "S'okay, Chuck," Scully said. "Something you need?" "No, I..I just thought I should come and tell you that someone else is here." Scully shot Alex a curious look. "Who else was coming?." "Nobody. God, what the hell is this now?" As the two rose from their seats, Chuck stopped Alex before he could exit the room. "Alex, I don't know exactly what's going on here, but, you and Mulder...is everything...you guys okay?" "Not at the moment, Chuck, no." "But you will be?" Alex released a heavy sigh. "It's hard to see past this at the moment, but yeah. Somehow we will be." The three entered the living room, and when the new guests came into view, Alex stopped dead in his tracks, staring frozen at the man and woman who now faced him. "It is you," the woman breathed, and then a wide smile lit her face. "Alex." Gone positively white, Alex visibly shook where he stood, mute with deep shock. "Alex?" Scully called, coming up beside the immobile man and placing a hand on his arm. "What are you," Alex finally gasped. "How..." "We were given information on where we could find you," the man in the pair spoke, eyeing Alex up and down. "Information..." "Yeah. Said he was a friend. Said you were getting married..." Those who hadn't yet heard looked at each other quickly then turned their attention back to the scene. "...and that it would mean a lot to you to have some family there." Family. Scully looked, really looked at Alex and the other two, and then she could see something of a resemblance. //Oh, God.// The man focused on her and stepped forward. "We're really sorry for crashing your party, here. You must be Alex's fiancé'. We're his cousins, Victor and Maria." "Uh. Hi. Nice to meet you, but uh..."Scully tried to smile at the pair. "Would you excuse me for just one minute?" Hating to leave Alex's side but knowing she must, she walked away quickly, immediately followed by Skinner. "Where are you going?" he asked, trailing her to the stairs. Scully looked from Skinner to the people in the living room and back again. "To get Mulder." Skinner returned to the middle of the living room, where he found Victor grilling his still very stunned cousin. "Where've you been? Do you know how long we looked for you? It was like you just dropped off the face of the earth. What have you been doing all these years? Why haven't you contacted us?" Alex had yet to move from the spot he seemed glued to. He looked down, avoiding the washed out green gaze of his cousin and said nothing. Seeing that Victor's approach was getting them exactly nowhere, Maria touched his arm to get his attention. "Victor, stop." She stepped forward and spoke softly. "Alex...I can see how shocked you are. If you don't want us to be here...if for some reason you really don't want us in your life..." "What'd we do to him," Victor demanded to know, "that he wouldn't want us in his life?" Maria shot her cousin a warning glare then looked back to Alex. Alex, we'd really like to know. Should we go and forget we ever saw you?" Alex looked up from the spot he'd been staring at on the floor and finally into the kind brown eyes of his cousin. But still the words wouldn't come. "Mulder." Scully rapped softly at the bedroom door. "Mulder, answer me." Nothing. "God. Mulder, I know what happened, and I'm really sorry that you're feeling this way, but you have to knock it off now." "Why?" //He lives. He breathes.// "You need to come downstairs." "No, I'm sure I don't. Alex has got it all under control." "No. No, Mulder, he actually hasn't." "What happened? Did he overcook the lobster or something?" Scully closed her eyes and emitted a long sigh. "You have more company. Company Alex had never expected." Silence. "Mulder, Alex's family is downstairs." There were just a few more seconds of silence, then the door jerked open. Fox met his partner's eyes for only a split second before walking past her and heading for the stairs. "Alex? Please say something." "I think his silence is saying a lot," Victor cut in. "Let's go, Maria. I don't know why I let you talk me into this in the first place." Victor spun around and came face to face with a man he hadn't seen before. The rest of the group stared slack jawed as Fox gazed directly back at the other man. "Victor Krycek?" Maria watched quietly, sizing up the new arrival, and she immediately came to the conclusion that this wasn't just another guest. "Yeah." Fox held out his hand. "Fox Mulder." Victor studied the other for a quick minute, before reaching out to shake his hand. "Please don't leave yet. Give Alex a little time. You can see he's in shock." Fox stepped around Victor and came to stand directly in front of Alex. The younger man looked up into his lover's eyes and saw none of the turbulence of just an hour ago. Instead, comfort and the quiet strength he had learned to depend on were what he found. Fox reached out, taking his hand and holding it firmly in his own, and Alex's heart swelled with gratitude and love. The group watched the silent exchange, mesmerized by the intensity of the moment. Alex closed his eyes, still clutching Fox's hand. He took a few good long moments to compose himself, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that Fox was still watching him. The older man nodded, and Alex took a deep breath, drawing on his strength. He looked past Fox to his cousins, cleared his throat and spoke. "Please s...stay and have dinner with us. Afterward we can...talk." Clearly fascinated by Alex's interaction with the other man, it took Maria a moment to tear her eyes away and answer. "Oh. No. No, Alex, you weren't expecting us..." "There's plenty," Alex said softly then looked to Fox for help. "We insist," Fox added, coming to Alex's rescue. "Stay and let's talk." He looked to Victor. "How 'bout it?" The older Krycek pointed back and forth between Fox and Alex. "You...you two are...you're his..." "Do you have a problem with it?" Fox asked cordially. "I've got some problems with my cousin here," Victor began, "but his sexual preference isn't one of them. I was just a little surprised there for a minute." Fox nodded. "Will you stay, and we'll see if we can't try and address some of those problems?" Before Victor could answer, the oven timer went off. "Oh. I have to uh..." Alex stammered, pointing toward the kitchen. "Excuse me." Fox released Alex's hand, and he retreated to the kitchen. When he was out of sight, the older man turned back to their guests. "If I know Alex, he's got dinner timed to the last second, so Scully, if you'd do me a favor and show everyone into the dining room, I'll go give him a hand." "Sure, Mulder." Scully led everyone into the dining room, and Fox made straight for the kitchen, finding Alex rushing to get everything into the serving platters. "How's it looking?" "Good," Alex said softly. "Uh...we need to set two more places." "Oh, yeah. I'll do that." As Fox was getting out the china and crystal, Scully entered the room. She shot her partner a look, asking silently if Alex was all right. Fox held up a hand, instructing her to be patient. Scully nodded then cleared her throat and spoke up. "They're all in there. What can I do?" "Start bringing this stuff in," Alex answered, motioning to the items that were all ready to go. "Okay." Scully picked up a bowl and left the room, and Fox walked up behind his lover. "I know we don't have time to talk about this, but just answer one question for now. Are you okay?" "Yeah," Alex breathed, and Fox could see from the blackness of his eyes that it was just barely true. "Just a little surprised is all. How did they find me? Why?" "I don't know. What d'you say we go find out?" Scully returned to the kitchen, and as quickly as possible, the three got everything into the dining room. As Scully put the last bowl on the table, she seated herself between her mother and Skinner. "Everything looks gorgeous, Alex," she said, finally having a chance to really look around, and all agreed. "Thanks," Alex answered, and he and Fox took their places at opposite ends of the table. The meal began silently, everyone afraid to upset the delicate truce that seemed to have been called. Finally Fox spoke up, his curiosity getting the better of him. He turned to Maria, who was seated immediately to his left. "Have you traveled far to get here?" "Not real far. We both live in Lancaster." "...Pennsylvania?" "Yeah. Both Victor and I wound up staying close to home." Fox nodded. "Scully and I have been there on a case. Remember, Scully?" Scully thought for a moment then shook her head. "Actually, no." "Sure, you do." Fox sought to jog his partner's memory. "The old plantation and museum where people had seen the ghost of the General who had built the place..." "Ohhh, yeah." Victor looked back and forth between the two. "A case? What do you do?" "We're FBI agents." "And you were in Pennsylvania investigating a ghost sighting?" "Yeah." "But this isn't something you do all the time, right?" "As a matter of fact, it is." "You're telling me that my tax money is paying you two to chase ghosts?" Victor asked, disbelieving. "And aliens," Fox added helpfully. Scully rolled her eyes. "Aliens?" Victor turned a sharp stare from Fox to Skinner. "You're his boss, right?" Skinner rolled his head, letting those closest to him hear his neck crack. "Right," he answered tightly. "And you know that this is what they do." "I know it sounds outrageous. And some of it I seriously question. But there are things out there...unexplainable phenomena..." "And you two are the FBI's resident experts on this crap?" Victor cut Skinner off to ask. Fox shrugged. "I don't know if I'd call us experts exactly. We've seen an awful lot of strange stuff, though." Victor shook his head and rested it in his palm. "I think it's neat," Maria piped up, taking advantage of her cousin's silence. Fox gave her a wide grin. "You a believer?" "Yeah. I think it's ridiculous to think that we're all alone in the universe. And I'm sure that there's more going on right here on earth than anyone would think." Fox lifted shining eyes to Alex's. "Cool." Alex returned the smile and lowered his eyes to his plate. The conversation spurred a spirited debate on the legitimacy of alien abduction claims and hauntings, and when the conversation waned, Fox picked up on his original discussion with Maria. "You won't be traveling back to Lancaster tonight, will you?" "Oh, no. We have a hotel room here." Maria glanced quickly at her cousin. "Alex, this is delicious. Did you do all the cooking?" Alex looked up through his lashes to the woman. "Yeah." "Fantastic." "Thanks." Alex looked back down and said nothing more. "So," Fox persisted. "How long are you in town for?" "A couple of days." Fox wanted to ask Alex's cousins to stay with them, but he was fairly sure that Alex wouldn't be entirely thrilled with that idea. Besides, they needed some time alone to sort out this newest stumbling block. "And could you explain to me how it is you came to find Alex?" "A very nice man came to see us. He said he was a friend concerned about the fact that Alex had no family to speak of, especially in light of his upcoming wedding." "Wait," Bobby broke in. "Is that what this dinner is about?" Alex's head lowered more, and he remained quiet. Fox answered for them both. "Yeah. Uh...we'll get to that in a little bit, okay Bobby?" Fox's cousin nodded and traded smiles with his wife. "I have a card." Fox gave Maria a curious look. "Card?" "Yeah. Sorry, I almost forgot." The woman reached into the purse that she had placed on the floor beside her and withdrew a pale yellow envelope. She handed it to Fox, who pulled it open and withdrew the card. Watercolor flowers covered the front, and across the middle, gold script words read, "Congratulations on your engagement". Frowning, Fox opened the card and read the inside to himself. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me." Alex watched the older man curiously. "What is it?" he asked, waiting as Fox rose from his seat and carried the card to his end of the table. He took the card and read quickly, moaning as he dropped it to the table and looked up at Fox. "I'm dying of curiosity here, guys," Scully murmured, hoping that Fox would share the mysterious sentiment with them, and he did. Lifting the card, he read aloud. "Family is very important. We thought Alex might like to have his with him on this momentous occasion. Consider this our wedding gift to you." Fox dropped his hand to the table, still holding the card. Most of the guests waited to hear the identity of the man who had given Maria the card, but some already had their suspicions. "You think it's Cancerman?" Langly asked. "Cancerman?" Victor questioned, a crease similar to Alex's forming between his eyebrows. "What did this man look like? Fox asked, knowing the description Alex's cousins would give. "About six feet," Victor started. "Wore a suit. Pretty wrinkled...his face, that is. In his seventies, maybe." "Watery blue eyes," Maria added. "Chain smoker. We actually had to talk to him outside so he could smoke. Oh...Cancerman! I get it. Is that him?" "Yeah," Fox answered. He sighed heavily and looked over at Scully and Skinner. "We sweep the house on a regular basis, so my guess is something's planted at the office." "Why do I get the feeling that this man really isn't a friend?" Victor asked. "Not really, no." "So, he was actually just trying to cause trouble by bringing us here?" "I don't think so." "Okay, I'm confused now." "I'm sure you are," Fox replied, drawing his hand gently over Alex's shoulders before reclaiming his seat. "We'll try to explain it all later." Dinner resumed with little more than small talk, and when it was done, most of the guests adjourned to the living room while Alex and Fox started to clear the table. Scully pitched in, and her mother insisted on helping, citing the old adage, many hands made light work. As the four began moving everything out of the dining room, Maria appeared in the doorway. "I'd like to help," she offered, giving Alex a hopeful look. "No, you...you're a guest. Besides, Victor would be left out there with a bunch of people he doesn't know." "Victor can make himself comfortable anywhere," Maria countered. "He's already involved in conversation with two of your friends. The one with the long blonde hair, and the other one with the leather vest." Fox began to laugh. "God only knows what baloney Langly and Frohike are feeding him." "M-maybe you should go rescue him," Alex said, not quite meeting his cousin's eye. "And anyway, you're a guest," he repeated. "You're not here to work." "Yeah, but I wasn't raised that way. We weren't. It may have been a lot of years since we've seen each other, Alex, but we're family. Family helps." Grinning broadly, Fox looked down at the woman, who couldn't have been much more than an inch taller than Scully. "I like you," he said, pointing down at her. Maria beamed up at the much taller man. "I like you too. I haven't known you for more than about two hours, but I can see how much you love my cousin. I'm so glad we came." Still smiling, Fox left the room with an armful of plates. When he was gone, Maria turned to Alex, who was gathering up the napkins. "He's cute too. You'll have to tell me where you found him so I can see about picking one up for myself." "Sorry," Alex said almost inaudibly. "Fox is one of a kind." Maria sighed wistfully. "Figures. You're very lucky, I think." Alex looked down at his armful. "You don't know how lucky." "Sounds like a story there." "A really long one." "Hope I can hear it sometime." Alex looked up at the woman. "Sometime?" "Yeah, well...Alex, I don't know what happened to keep you away from us for so long, but...I hope that we can be a family again." Alex's gaze dropped again. "Tell me that after you hear the whole story." "Uh oh. Not pretty?" "No. Pretty ugly, in fact. But uh...better finish getting this cleaned up before the guests think they've been deserted." Alex watched out of the corner of his eye as Maria got to work, efficiently clearing the table. As if it wasn't bad enough that his dinner hadn't gone down at all well, his heart was now thrashing out an erratic rhythm in his chest. They were here. The people he had been so adamant about not being ready to see. They'd walked into his home, shocked ten years off of his life, had dinner, and now he was going to have to sit with them, ten other people, and the man with whom he was supposed to have announced his upcoming wedding, and be questioned fifteen ways to Sunday about where he'd been and what he'd been doing the last dozen or so years. No. Oh no, no, no, no, no. He couldn't do it. Not tonight. Not tonight of all nights. Absolutely nothing had gone right, and...okay, the food was excellent. But that was it. Everything else had gone completely wrong, and he couldn't handle anything else. Not one more thing. Turning to take the napkins into the laundry room, Alex almost collided with Fox, who was just coming back in to see what else needed to be done. "Sorry," Fox apologized softly, reaching out to steady the younger man. He looked around the room. "I made Scully and Maggie go into the living room. There isn't that much more here to do." Alex nodded, his eyes skittering around the room. "You should go too. Some etiquette book somewhere must have something to say about at least one of a dinner party's hosts actually spending time with his guests." "Scully'll sub for us," Fox informed the other man. Any other time that remark would have sent them both into a giggling fit. "I don't...God, I don't know what to talk about first," Fox said. "There's so much." "But no time," Alex murmured, smoothing the napkins he'd folded over his arm. "We really should get out there as soon as we can...so Victor can tear into me again." "I'll be there," Fox said simply, and Alex was reassured. "So will I." Both men turned to look at the woman who had come back into the room. "Victor hasn't changed much since we were kids," Maria said with a little smile then directed her next statement to Fox. "Right or wrong, our grandmother always had a soft spot for Alex. It never sat well with Victor. He'd always been jealous of him. Led to some spectacular fights." Fox thought he saw a hint of a smile twitching at the corners of Alex's mouth. So did Maria, and she continued. "Alex, remember that time when you'd had enough of Victor tormenting you, and you hid up in the pear tree, waiting for him?" The smile grew a bit. "Yeah. I dropped on him as he walked by. He fell to the ground like a sack of wet cement. Got in a few really good ones before he managed to throw me off of him." Alex shook his head. "I'd waited up there for two hours for him, and he ended up beating the crap out of me, but it was worth it." "Plus, when Babushka found out, she really let him have it. He couldn't sit down without wincing for two days." Alex laughed softly. "He gave me the evil eye for a whole week after that, but he didn't even try to retaliate." The two fell silent, and Alex ventured a direct gaze at his cousin. "After we get all caught up I'm not sure you'll want to stay." "Let me be the judge of that." Alex nodded and again lowered his head. Watching intently, Fox stepped forward and took the napkins from Alex. "Why don't you two take the rest of what's left into the kitchen, and I'll go put these in the laundry room?" "'Kay." Alex flashed Fox an appreciative glance. "Thanks. And would you let Clyde out and bring him into the kitchen? He's probably started eating the wallpaper by now." "He hasn't had dinner?" "No. I'd been so busy, I forgot to feed him." "All right." The small group separated, and Maria followed Alex into the kitchen with the last of the dinnerware. "Clyde?" "Yeah. Oh, uh...you still like dogs?" "Sure. Who doesn't?" "Victor didn't like them as a kid. Remember the Zajik's little brown and white terrier? That dog wanted a piece of him every time he walked by their fence. He knew Victor was afraid of him." "Oh, yeah. Come to think of it, he never did get any pets of any kind. I'd have a dog but my apartment building doesn't allow them." "So, from your earlier comment about Fox, I take it you're not married?" "I was," Maria answered as the entered the kitchen. "He turned into a real jerk, though. I divorced him less than two years later." "Oh. Sorry." Before Maria could tell him not to be, Clyde bounded into the kitchen, followed by Fox. "He wasn't eating the wallpaper," Fox informed Alex as the dog ran circles around the three then stopped to investigate the newcomer, "but he did chew a nice hole in one of my jeans." "He's adorable!" Maria squealed, petting the top of the wiggling animal's head. "You think so?" Fox deadpanned. "Want him?" "He's kidding," Maria said to Clyde, who had just given her a sloppy welcome kiss. "I'll bet he loves you to death." "He does," Alex broke in. "He just gets a little grumpy because it's only his stuff that Clyde likes to tear up." "Why's that?" "Don't know. It's been that way since he was a pup. Well..." Alex finished rinsing and stacking the dishes, and while Fox fed the dog, he moved toward the coffee pot. "I'll get this going, and then we can go join the rest." Five minutes later, the coffee was perking, and Maria slipped out of the kitchen followed soon after by Clyde, leaving the two men alone for a moment. Alex pulled down the coffee cups and dessert plates, setting them on the kitchen table as Fox warily watched him. "Guess I've farted around long enough," the younger man said with resigned sigh. He gave Fox a pained smile. "Time to go out and face the music." "Yeah. Alex..." Fox called, but Alex had already started moving to the door, and he'd called the other man's name so softly, he hadn't heard it. Emitting a shuddering sigh, he followed Alex out to the living room. "Victor, if you'd just relax, you'd see that he really is a nice dog." The other male Krycek sat rigidly as Clyde carefully checked him out. "Okay, Clyde. Leave him alone." Clyde ceased his investigation, and with one last look at the seated man, he trotted over to Fox, tail swinging lazily. The color slowly seeped back into Victor's face, and he started to breathe again. "It's okay, dude," Frohike confided, nudging Victor's arm. "He looks at me like that, too. Freaks you out, don't it?" "Stop scaring the guy, Frohike," Langly broke in. "He's a good dog." Looking over his glasses at Victor, Frohike shook his head, and Langly rolled his eyes. "Okay, guys," Chuck began, changing the subject. "Forgive my abruptness, but let's get down to it, shall we? Vicki's going to jump right out of her skin if we don't get on this wedding thing soon." Vicki swatted lightly at her husband. "Chuck..." Bobby's wife Susan tossed the other woman a smile. "It's okay, I'm dying too." She gave the two men a pleading pout, ignoring her husband's attempts to wave her off. "Okay, so we all know your big news, but...can't we still have a formal announcement?" She looked around at everyone. "We'll all act surprised, right?" Alex lowered his head, trying to come up with something to tell these people. Before he could, Fox spoke up. "Susan...everybody...in case you couldn't tell, things haven't exactly gone the way we'd planned," he said softly. "Some unexpected stuff happened, and..." "I screwed up." Fox stopped speaking, turning in the direction of the husky voice. Sitting on the arm of an empty chair, eyes still cast to the floor, Alex continued to speak. "Right from the beginning. I did some stupid stuff, and this is how it ended up. With the man I love more than life locked in our bedroom, doubting my reasons for asking him to marry me." He lifted his head and looked directly at Fox. "I wish that there was some way I could go back and fix it all...make everything right." Again, he looked at the floor. "I wish I could make him understand that my desire...my need to have him as my husband goes as bone deep as my love for him. But..." Alex shrugged and gave a despondent shake of his head. Fox stood not more than three feet from his silent lover, just staring. Alex's on the spot eloquence never ceased to amaze him. Scully moved stealthily amongst the silent guests and came to her partner's side. "What else do you need?" she asked under her breath, drawing Fox's attention for a precious few seconds. When he turned back to Alex, he found the younger man in the same defeated position. Inching forward, he reached down, gently hooking his index finger around Alex's. "This was my fault," he whispered. "Not yours. I jumped to conclusions just like I did with the phone call. I'm sorry, Alex." Alex started to look up and found Fox lowering himself to his knees. He took the younger man's hands in his and bestowed a soft kiss on both. "You said you wanted to marry me, and I should never have questioned your sincerity. "Please forgive me and..." his hands tightened around his lover's. "...marry me, Alex. Please." Alex stared long enough to make a few people including Fox uncomfortable, then he spoke. "How do I know you're not just doing this out of guilt?" Fox's jaw dropped. Alex gave the older man a tiny smile. "I'm kidding," he said softly. Relief flooded Fox's features, then he reached up to smack Alex's forehead with the palm of his hand. "Jerk. You're gonna pay for that." "Promise?" Alex asked, standing up and dragging Fox along with him. "Oh, yeah. So, you gonna answer me?" Alex turned a hundred-watt grin on the older man as he spoke to their guests. "Guess what, everybody. We're getting married." An assortment of sounds and comments followed, and as they drifted into each other's arms and a long, deep kiss, the women started to 'aww' and applaud. "I love you," Fox breathed against Alex's mouth before taking it again passionately. Knowing full well how easily the two could get carried away, Scully strolled up behind Fox and tapped him on the shoulder, clearing her throat. "Okay, kids. We're all tickled pink for you; really we are, but would you mind breaking it up now? The guys are starting to turn a little green around the gills." The two separated when they were damn good and ready, and Fox focused an apologetic gaze on his lover. "Sorry for being such a pain in the ass." Alex smiled and pushed Fox's head down to his shoulder, holding him tightly. "S'okay," he whispered into the other man's hair. "You're my pain in the ass." "Thank God," Scully interrupted, "because no one else would have him." She turned around to ask if anyone was ready for dessert and came face to face with Skinner. "Sorry," he apologized, reaching out to steady Scully as she reared backward. "Didn't mean to startle you. I just uh..." he stepped around the woman and faced the two, who were still clinging to each other. "Offer my congratulations." Fox lifted his head from Alex's shoulder and turned to face the A.D. A smile tilted his mouth, and he reached out to take the offered hand. "Thank you." Skinner nodded and released Fox's hand then offered it to Alex. "Krycek." A bit stunned, Alex took the other man's hand. "When hard proof stares you in the face for as long as this has, it's kind of tough to turn a blind eye to it. Continued happiness." Alex choked out a weak thanks before falling silent. Following Skinner's lead, the others crowded around, offering hugs and handshakes. Last in line, Victor walked up to the couple and stared wordlessly at Alex for a moment. Then he spoke. "Things seem good for you." Wary green eyes watched the older man. "I've been very lucky," Alex said, absently stroking Fox's back. "Well, when you're done celebrating all your good fortune, could you maybe find a little time to explain to Maria and me what the hell you've been doing all these years? I mean besides shacking up in a big house in the Virginia suburbs with the man of your dreams, here." Alex's expression went from guarded to angry in nothing flat. "We're not shacked up," he said, a slight growl to his voice. We're living our lives." "And a pretty good one it is," Victor said, looking around. "While you were busy living your privileged life, did it never occur to you that some people might be concerned about what had become of you?" "You're not going to tell me you were worried about me, were you?" Alex asked, becoming more ticked off. "I didn't say that," Victor sniped. "But what about Maria? Your father?" "What?" Alex laughed bitterly. "Don't bring my father into this. He didn't give a rat's ass about me or what I did." "How do you know how he felt after you disappeared?" "The question, Victor, isn't how, it's why. Why didn't he care about me before I left? Why didn't he bother returning any of my calls? Why didn't he attend my graduation from the academy?" Victor stared in silence. "What, no answer? Guess not. The next time you want to throw my father in my face, cuz, make sure you know what you're talking about." "You haven't changed, have you?" Victor huffed. "Still an arrogant wise-ass. There are a couple of things that are different, though." Victor moved closer, invading Alex's space. "We're not kids any more, and Grandmother's not here to defend you." "Okay, hang on a minute," Fox cut in. "Are you threatening him?" "Threatening? Nope. I'm simply stating facts." "Well, here are a few more facts for you. You're a guest in my home. An unexpected, uninvited guest, and despite that, you've been welcomed and treated as well as any other guest here. But my good manners get chucked out the window when a guest starts leveling threats against my fiancé. Even when that guest is a relative." "I see. Well. My mistake, Alex. Our grandmother might not be here, but you've still got someone to hide behind." "Hide." Alex stepped forward, now face to face with his cousin. "Let me throw one more little fact at you, Victor. I'm not that little half-pint kid you used to push around," he purred softly, his eyes burning into the other man's. "I'm a big boy, now..." "Oh, that doesn't look good," Maria said, halting her conversation with Scully and looking over at her cousins. "No, it doesn't," Scully agreed, recognizing the cold glint in Alex's eyes. She quickly followed Maria over to the men, and they wedged themselves between Alex and Victor. "What's going on?" Scully asked, looking pointedly at Alex and then Fox. "Is this the evening's entertainment?" "Everything's fine, Scully," Fox said, fully intending to let Alex take care of Victor any way he saw fit. "Victor, this is not what we came here for," Maria snapped. "What the heck are you doing?" "Just trying to get some answers from our long lost cousin," Victor said, refusing to turn away from Alex's gaze. "Looks like you're trying to get more than that out of him," Scully murmured. "Mulder, why are you letting this go on?" she asked quietly. "Why are you encouraging him?" "I'm not doing anything," Fox replied, arms folded across his chest. "Exactly. That's encouragement enough for this lunatic, and you know it." Sighing heavily, Fox moved toward Alex, sliding his hand over the younger man's back. "She's right, babe. This really isn't the time or place. We've had enough turmoil for one day, huh?" Alex stared at Victor for a while longer then backed up and into Fox's arms. The older man wrapped him in a snug embrace and kissed the back of his neck before he turned and lost himself in a soothing ocean of green and blue. "Come on, let's get the dessert and coffee, and then find out how many of these people are coming to Vermont." The coldness in Alex's eyes vanished, and he gave his lover a sweet smile. "'Kay." Scully watched the two walk away, then she turned and faced Alex's cousins. "Do yourself a favor," she said, directing her words to the male of the pair. "Don't provoke him." "No?" Victor asked, amused at the redhead's caution. "No." "And why not?" "He'll hurt you." Scully walked away, leaving Victor to contemplate her bluntly stated explanation. "He's still a jerk," Alex said, placing some dessert dishes on one of the trays on the counter and counting out the utensils. "He's still very jealous," Fox reasoned, getting the coffee. "It's so obvious". "I'd hoped he would have outgrown that. God. My reasons for not wanting to see them had everything to do with me. With my fear of what their reactions would be to what I'd become. I hadn't even thought of the fact that Victor might be the same asshole he was when we were young." "Maria's very nice, though." "She always was sweet. I'm glad to see her. And she's the one I'm worried about now." "She is?" "Yeah. After the way he's acted, Victor can kiss my ass. But Maria...what if she freaks out when she hears about all I've done? What if she wants nothing to do with me?" "Alex..." "It's entirely possible, Fox. I was about as far from being a boy scout as anyone could get." "Yeah. But she sees you now. She'd have to be blind not to see that you've changed your life." "Maybe it won't matter who I am now." Fox stepped forward and draped his arms over the younger man's shoulders. "I really don't think she's going to tell you to go to hell, Alex. She was so happy to see you. I'm not saying I don't think she'll be shocked. Our history isn't for the faint of heart. But she'll be all right. And you'll have family at our wedding." Alex smiled and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he exchanged an adoring gaze with his lover. "I love you so much." "As crazy as I make you?" "I'd say we're pretty even in that department," Alex said, slipping his arms around Fox's waist. Before the two could kiss, Scully appeared in the kitchen. "Don't you start." Alex groaned softly and tilted his head to glare at the newcomer. "Your timing, as usual, Scully, is incredibly bad." "That depends on who you're talking to," Scully shot back. "Where's the damn dessert?" "Let's feed them, get a tally and get them the hell out of here," Alex murmured, closing his teeth over Fox's bottom lip and pulling gently. "Won't help," Fox reminded the younger man. "We still got some 'splainin' to do to your cousins." Alex emitted a low, frustrated growl. "We've got a weekend in Vermont, though," Fox purred, rubbing his head against Alex's shoulder. "All alone." "Yeah. Which reminds me. Scully, will you watch Clyde this weekend? Thanks." "What? I don't get a chance to answer? What if I've got someplace to go? What if I have a date or something?" Fox smiled, hiding his face in Alex's chest, and Alex laughed out loud. "You think it's impossible?" "Nooo. No, no," Alex answered. Of course not." He fought to keep in another giggle. "Do you?" Hands planted squarely on her hips, Scully looked from one amused man to the other. "Fine." She wagged her finger at them. "One day I'm going to surprise you both." "Yeah," Fox said, wide-eyed and innocent. "Sure. Sure, you will. So. In the meantime, can you watch Clyde?" Scully looked past her partner to his grinning lover. "I hate you both." She picked up a dessert tray and moved toward the door. "Get the other tray and the coffee, and let's go." Still smirking, the men followed Scully into the living room and served dessert. When everyone except Victor was settled down, Alex got to his feet, standing beside the chair where Fox was seated. "Okay, everybody. Looks like this actually worked out the way we'd planned it." He eyed his cousin, standing by the patio doors then looked back at the group. "Mostly. Anyway...since you already know that Fox and I are getting married, the only thing left to tell you is that you're all invited." Smiles and murmurs rippled through the guests, and Alex continued. "You'll get formal invitations in the mail, but Fox and I are going up to Vermont tomorrow for the weekend to scope out the place we think we want to book, and we'd really like to have a number for them to work with. You know, for rooms and dinner and whatnot." "We'll be there. What's the date?" Bobby asked. "August tenth," Fox answered before shoving a spoonful of torte into his mouth. Bobby pulled out his Palm Pilot and entered the date. "We'd be spending the night, and anyone who would like to attend would stay at the inn as our guests." "We couldn't let you take all that expense on yourselves," Byers argued. His partners' heads snapped around, and they looked at him as though he'd lost his mind. "Why the hell not?" Langly asked. "Yeah," Frohike added. "We're not the ones who want to go all the way to Vermont...hey. Why the hell are we going all the way to Vermont?" "Same sex marriages are legal there." "We'd be happy to share your day with you," Byers said before his friends could say anything more. "But only if you allow us to pay for our own rooms." "He's right," Chuck piped up quickly before Alex or Fox could argue. "That'd be way too much for the two of you to have to take care of yourselves." "We want to," Fox argued. "We won't let you," Scully stated in that no nonsense Scully-in-charge voice. "Now shut up about it already." Receiving no more argument, Scully looked around. "How about the rest of you? Everybody going to attend?" Answers were immediate and positive from all but Skinner and the Krycek cousins. Scully tackled Skinner while Fox headed over to Maria. "Sir?" Skinner looked up from his coffee into Scully's bright blue eyes. "You didn't say anything. Are you going to go to the wedding?" Skinner opened and closed his mouth, not knowing how to answer. "They'd really like to have you there, you know." "I appreciate the invitation, Agent Scully," Skinner murmured confidentially, "but..." "But what?" "I just..." "Did you not mean what you said?" "I don't say what I don't mean. I do wish them every happiness. I just think that it'd be awkward." "Why?" "First of all, just about everyone attending is going to be there with someone else, and second, you're all closer to Mulder and Krycek than I am." "Frankly, sir, no one's keeping you from being more of a friend to them but you. And you wouldn't be at the wedding alone. You'd have a date on each arm." One eyebrow arched above the wire rim of Skinner's glasses. "My mother and me." Skinner lowered his gaze and tapped lightly at his coffee cup. "Come on," Scully coaxed. "When's the last time you had a date with two women at once?" //When's the last time I had a date with one woman?// "All right," Skinner answered, his tone kept low. "The guys'll be very happy," Scully smiled, patting her boss's hand. "Mom?" she called to her mother, who was a few feet away, talking to Susan and Vicki. Mrs. Scully excused herself and walked toward the pair, smiling. "We got ourselves a date for the wedding." "Oh, you're going," Margaret Scully chirped, smiling at Skinner. "I'm so glad. Those boys deserve all the support they can get." Scully left her mother talking to Skinner while she went in search of one or both of their hosts. She found Fox first, standing by the patio doors, talking to Maria and Victor. "I'm not going to beg you to go," she heard Fox saying as she walked up. "I'd love for him to have some family there, but, supportive family." "I'm not attending anything," Victor, replied, his arms folded stubbornly over his chest, "until I get what I came for. And even then...we'll see." "Whether Alex tells us anything or not, I'll go," Maria told Fox. "All I really need to know is that he wants his family." "He does," Fox assured the woman. "Yeah, he wanted us so much, he never bothered to contact us," Victor reminded them smugly. "Alex has been through more hell than any twenty people you know," Fox explained none too gently to the other man. "And he just hasn't been ready to face any more trauma." "Trauma," Victor repeated. "We're trauma, Maria." "I think you know I'm talking about the situation. The idea of facing his family after such a long absence from their lives was a frightening one to him. Something really awful happened to him last year. Something that left him wide open. Vulnerable. If I had used those words to describe Alex to almost any one of the people here a little over a year ago, they would have laughed their asses off. Now you ask them, and they'll tell you the same thing I have. And although he's much better, he's still recovering from it. "I found him one night not too long ago looking at pictures of his family. He wanted to contact you, I know he did, but he wasn't ready. Emotionally, he just wasn't there yet." "What happened to him?" Maria breathed, concern more than evident in her expression. "It's part of a very long story. One we'll tell you after the guests leave, if you like." Maria nodded mutely. Fox looked from her to Victor. "One word of warning. He doesn't need any crap." The dark head peppered with the occasional white hair tilted curiously. "You're very protective of him. What is it about my little cousin that inspires people to such devotion?" "I love him," Fox stated simply. With that, he backed up one step then turned and walked away. "Call us when you get back." "We will," Alex called as Margaret Scully made her way to her daughter's car. Scully hung back to talk to the men for a moment. "You're going to be fine, Alex," Scully encouraged, reaching up for a hug. "Just tell it like it is. However they react, you'll be able to live with it. Because you will have told them the truth." Head down, Alex nodded. "You," she said, now looking at her partner. "You all done with your tantrum?" Fox glared at her. "I'm kidding, Mulder, lighten up. All the yelling and fussing you guys did earlier was meaningless." She motioned to the two men. "This is what matters...he needed you," she said, her gaze flicking over at Alex, "and in a heartbeat, all the drama was forgotten, and you were right there." Scully smiled and shook her head. "Just when I think you two can't get any more obnoxiously sweet..." Fox laughed softly. "Gee, thanks, Scully. By the way, don't forget you're watching Clyde." "Yeah, yeah. I'll come here straight from work tomorrow." The men said goodbye to the best friend they would ever have, and turned hand in hand to face Alex's cousins. "It's not getting any earlier," Victor commented, his expression unreadable as the other two men moved toward the sofa. "We're aware of that," Fox said, sending the other man a warning look even as he took his place beside Alex and again held the younger man's hand. There were a few moments of silence then Alex took an audible breath and looked around at the three, his gaze coming to rest on Fox. "I'm trying to figure out the quickest way to say all this and still be thorough." "Just talk, Alex. Don't worry about the clock." "Fox is right," Maria said, trying to reassure her cousin. "Just ignore Vic's scowling and do this however you're most comfortable." She and Victor exchanged sneering looks, and then everyone settled down, waiting for Alex to speak. When he finally did begin, both cousins sat listening, alternately mesmerized, stunned and confused at the story that was being laid out before them. When Alex reached the end some three hours later, a palpable silence descended on the room. Long minutes later, Victor spoke up. "Assuming this is all true," he said to Fox, "you've got to be either the most forgiving man in the world, or you're as deranged as he is. I mean, after all he's supposedly done, how can you sit there and tell us you love him? How can you own a home with him? Live together like a normal, everyday, suburban couple? And tell me this. Do you sleep with one eye open? I think I would knowing that something like what he's just described himself as was lying not more than six inches away from me." Alex sat with his head down, not saying a word. Fox slipped an arm around his shoulders and kissed the side of his head before turning a blank stare on Victor. "You love who you love." "And you fell in love with a thug. A thief, a liar...Jesus, a killer." "I fought my feelings for a long, long time. I reminded myself on a constant basis about who he was and the things he'd done. I beat the hell out of him almost every time I saw him to prove my hatred...to him and to myself. I tried to believe it. I tried so hard. My heart, and if I'm going to be completely honest, my body, weren't having it. And that night I found him in my apartment..." Fox shrugged. "Not that I didn't fight it as best I could, but I was so tired of fighting. I let go for the first time. I surrendered my body, and not much later I found, my heart to him, and that was it. It was over. I was hooked." "So, let's just forget all his treachery and deceit because the sex was good?" "You haven't been listening," Fox deadpanned. "The sex was mindblowing. But I believe I said that there was more going on between us. We talked. And I started to see that there was a whole lot more to him than I'd ever imagined. And, coincidentally, I'd found that there was more to me. I'd found a human being with human needs. I'd felt nothing but the need to chase aliens and my lost sister for so long that I'd forgotten that there were other things in life. Together we discovered more. And more. The obstacles were high, and the road was long and really twisted, but we made it. We're here. And not to get all Jerry Maguire on you, but...Alex completes me. He's the other half of me. Everything without him is pointless. If I had lost him last year, it all would have been over. Done." Maria remained silent, trying to take in everything she's just been told, but Victor had more to say. "I'm not completely insensitive to what you've been through, Alex, in case you think I am. I'm not quite the asshole you and Maria always thought I was. But I am...opinionated I guess you might say. My opinion is that when we were kids, you were spoiled. Indulged far too much by our grandmother, and now here you've got someone else wrapped around your little finger. It's unfortunate what happened to you. I'm sorry that it did. But have you ever thought that in a way it was your punishment for all the hell you'd put..." Fox felt Alex slump against the back cushion of the sofa, and in an instant he was on the edge of his seat, glaring at Victor. "Did you forget what I told you before we started this conversation?" "I'm not giving him any crap," Victor insisted. "I'm asking seriously if he'd really imagined that he would come away clean from all that he'd done. Some how, some way we all end up paying for our wrongdoing." Fox opened his mouth to rebut, but Alex's voice, soft and almost emotionless stopped him. "You're right, Victor. But I've done my penance...a hundred times over. Don't know if that's enough. Don't know if it'll ever be enough. I've asked myself a million times how my life turned out this way. I'm no closer to figuring it out now than I was four years ago. But I don't dwell on it like I used to." Alex's eyes went from his cousin to his lover. "However it happened, this is my life. I'm more grateful than I can say for it, and I will not apologize for being lucky enough to have it." Alex pushed himself to the edge of the sofa to be closer to Fox. Reaching out for the older man's hand, he pulled him into his arms. "We're getting married," he murmured, keeping his eyes on Fox's, willing the other man to see into his heart and know absolutely that it was what he wanted. A tiny smile formed, and Fox leaned in, brushing Alex's mouth with his own. Without hesitation, Alex drew him into a deep kiss, and for several seconds, they forgot that Victor and Maria where sitting not more than six feet away. It was Fox who finally broke the kiss, laying his head on his lover's shoulder. "I'm really sorry about earlier." "And I'm sorry for reacting the way I did. It didn't help matters any." Hugging Fox tightly to him, Alex turned his eyes to his cousins. "I know that in the last couple of hours you've probably heard more than you'll be able to process in a month. But...you're invited to our wedding. We'd like you to be there. If you don't want to go, we'll understand." Silence. Alex released Fox from his embrace but kept one arm around the older man's waist. "Maria?" Russet eyes swirling with dozens of emotions, not the least of which was profound confusion, Maria looked up at Alex. "I can't...I...I don't know what to say to you." Lowering his head, Alex nodded. "Not a whole lot to say, I guess." "I'm sorry," Maria breathed softly. Alex began to tell her not to apologize when Victor broke in. "What are you sorry about? Alex made all his own choices. He should be rotting in some prison somewhere or long dead. Instead he's had the incredible luck to fall into this," he said, waving a hand through the air. I'd say sympathy is the last thing he needs." More silence. "It's getting late," he announced. "I think it's time we left." Victor rose to his feet. "Sorry we barged in on your party." Alex shook his head, unable to say anything. Maria got up slowly and met Alex's gaze for a few brief difficult seconds before looking away. "Have a...a uh...a nice weekend in Vermont. Thank you for dinner and for not kicking us out when we showed up on your doorstep." "You'll always be welcome," Fox informed her. "Thank you. I...oh, God, I feel terrible." "Why?" Fox asked. "It's been so many years since we've seen Alex, and I...God, I was so happy, and now I...you told me it wasn't pretty but I never expected to hear..." Maria turned misty eyes up to the two men. "I need some time to take it all in. I'm sorry." Victor bit back a response, but Alex could see his irritation at hearing yet another apology from Maria. "Please, Maria. The only one here who should be sorry is me. You have every right to walk out and try to forget you ever saw me." "No, I...I don't want to jump to any rash decisions. I just need a little time to absorb everything. I wish I could tell you for sure that I'll be able to get it all settled and to please include me as a guest at your wedding, but I can't. I can't, I..." "Maria, let's go," Victor said in a tone that just approached compassion. "It's been a very long day. You're tired. Maybe you'll be able to think more clearly once you've had a good night's sleep." The cousins began their trek to the door, followed by Fox and finally Alex. Fox opened the door and stood eyeing the two while Alex hovered in the background not knowing what to say in parting to the family who had so briefly re-entered his life, but whom he would now probably never see again. "You came this far," Fox said softly. "I hope you don't let it end here." Maria turned wide eyes from Fox to Alex, and she swallowed down the tears that threatened to spill over. A hand at her back coaxed her toward the exit. "Come on," Victor said quietly, and her leaden feet began to move, carrying her out the door and down the steps. "Thanks for dinner," Victor told Fox before tossing a quick look Alex's way and following Maria to the car. Once they were both inside the vehicle, they looked to the house. Only Fox stood in the doorway, looking back. Maria bowed her head, and Victor started the rental car and drove away. Silence prevailed for a good ten minutes before Victor finally spoke. "At least the mystery is solved. We know where he's been and what he's been doing all these years." He glanced over at his silent cousin. "You gonna say something?" "I don't know what to say." Maria turned a pained gaze to the window. "I don't know what to feel." "You and Alex always got along better than he and I did. It's natural that you're upset." "Aren't you?" Maria asked. "Even a little bit?" "I don't know that upset would be the right word. Irritated? Pissed that this trip was wasted? Yeah. One thing I'm not, though, is surprised. Well, okay, maybe a little at first. But thinking about it, it isn't any big shock that Alex turned out the way he had. There was always something off about him." "What d'you mean, off?" Maria asked, impatience edging her tone. "Off. Like he might snap at any minute. He always had this wild look about him. You have to admit he was a violent little shit. Always attacking me." "You tortured him constantly," Maria reminded her cousin. "Anybody would've acted the way he if they'd been driven as crazy as you drove him. And he was no more violent than you when you come right down to it." "I never jumped him from the top of the stairs or dropped on him from a tree." "He was much smaller than you. It was the only way he could get the advantage. And everything you did to him, you did on the sly. You were a sneaky punk, Victor, and you didn't like Alex because Babushka loved him so much." "That is not why I..." "Yes, it is. It might not have been fair, but that's the way it happens sometimes, especially with the older generation. Anyway, it was ages ago. The competition is over. Get over it already." "I was never in competition with him," Victor snorted. "No? You think I didn't notice the look on your face when we drove up to that beautiful house? You think I didn't see the way you checked everything out inside from the carpeting to the napkins?" "Gimme a break." "And Fox?" Victor cut his eyes to the right then slid his gaze back to the road. "A beautiful home and a gorgeous man to share it with. And none of that ticks you off, does it?" "I could have had all that," Victor sniped. "If I'd wanted it." "I see. So, you'd rather have dozens of cheap, meaningless rolls in the hay than one great relationship with a wonderful guy?" "Chris wasn't all that wonderful." "No? Good looking, kind, intelligent, loyal..." "Fine," Victor snapped. "Okay? Fine. You want to hear me say it? I was a dog, all right? I was a dog and he left me. I could have had what Alex has, and I blew it. Great. There. You happy?" "No. I'm not happy. How could I be? You're not happy. All I want is for you not to take your anger and your shortcomings out on Alex." "Yeah. Wouldn't want to do that. God knows he's apparently got plenty of his own. And that is the subject. Or it's supposed to be. Maria, were you listening to all the things he was saying he'd done? Holy shit." "I heard every word. I also heard that he's turned it all around." "You're defending him, yet you left there completely unsure about having anything more to do with him." "Yeah." Maria sighed and watched the lights pass her window. "I'm very confused. There's not just me to consider, you know?" "Raiza should never know someone like him. It's bad enough that her father turned out to be such an asshole...I'm glad you didn't tell Alex about her." "Don't sound so final," Maria advised. "I'm not sure that I won't. I've got to think about it." Victor looked shocked. "You can't be serious. Maria. Again I ask. Were listening to him?" "Yes." "You want your five year-old daughter to know a man like that?" "He's family." "I'm sure Charles Manson had family too." "Stop." "I'm just trying to tell you..." "I know what you're trying to say. Whatever he was, he isn't any more." "So he said." "The man I met tonight seemed like a nice, normal person with a home, a stable relationship, friends...a dog..." "And a dirty, dirty past. How close do you want to be if that past ever catches up to him? How close do you want Raiza to be?" Maria turned back to the window and closed her eyes. "I don't know." Alex drifted quietly into the bedroom. Slowly unbuttoning his shirt, he moved to the window and looked down into the dark yard. Already in bed, Fox dropped the case file he'd been reading in his lap and watched the younger man. Removing his glasses, he called Alex's name softly. "I got so busy today, I forgot to fill the feeders," Alex said, not really acknowledging his lover's subtle petition. "Remind me in the morning before we leave." "Alex, Maria will be back. I'm not so sure about Victor, but Maria wants you in her life." Alex lowered his head. "She was pretty freaked out when she left." "Yeah, but she just needs time to put it all in perspective. She seems like a bright, fair-minded woman." "Bright and fair-minded only goes so far." "Then how do you explain me being here?" Alex looked from the window to his lover. "You're crazy." Both men smiled then broke into soft laughter at the comment. The smile faded from Alex's face first, then Fox's. "Baby, come to bed." Alex looked out the window once more then let out a sigh as he removed his shirt and draped it over the back of the chair. Fox watched silently as he deftly undid his pants then slid them off and folded them, neatly placing them beside the shirt. Black socks joined the clothing on the chair, and now he was clad only in a pair of black silk boxers. Crossing over to his side, he slipped under the sheet and sat beside his lover. Not looking at Fox, he plucked idly at the sheet pooled between his legs. "Things are never boring for long around here, are they?" "Nope." Alex let his head drop to the side, resting it on Fox's shoulder. "D'you really think she'll be back?" "I really do," Fox said, kissing the top of the sable head. "And not that I should care...he's still such an asshole, but I think I'd still like to try and see if Victor and I could be friends too." Fox shook with laughter. "Even after you were ready to brawl with him in the front yard?" "I'm probably just asking for trouble, right?" Fox shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe if you cold-cocked him once, he'd stop being such a shit." "Mmm...Fox, why do you think he did it? Really?" "What? Oh. You mean Cancer Man? Not exactly sure. Did he do this to be nice? To stir up a hornet's nest? Probably a little of both. Wouldn't be the first time he's done something for us. He cleaned up that mess for us in Connecticut...he even sent you flowers, the sick bastard. And he never asked for anything in return. Maybe he figured this time around he was entitled to a little amusement." Alex grunted in response. "Speaking of being amused," Fox murmured, nuzzling his lover's hair. A lazy smile curled Alex's lips. "Yes?" "What d'you say you and I amuse each other?" "It's late," Alex answered on a soft moan as Fox tilted his head up and skimmed his bottom lip with his tongue. "We gotta get up early." "So, we'll make it fast. It isn't like we're not already halfway there." "Halfway..." Fox took Alex's hand and placed it over the bulge in his underwear. "Okay, so you're halfway there." "And you're not, huh?" "Nope." Fox reached into Alex's lap, rubbing his hand over his partially erect cock. "Ohhh, nooo." Slouching against the pillows, Alex closed his eyes and moaned softly as Fox continued to massage him through his underwear. "Feel good, baby?" Fox asked against Alex's ear before his tongue snuck inside. Alex shivered at the sensation and nodded mutely. Seconds later Fox's mouth left his ear and slanted across his jaw, moving to his lips. Alex opened to him willingly, sliding his fingers through the silky golden-brown hair and holding Fox to him. And as quickly as that everything else just left his mind. No Victor, no Maria. Even their trip to Vermont and its purpose was forgotten as he gave himself up to the heat of his lover's kiss, and the magic being worked on his rapidly filling cock. He moaned in protest as Fox broke away from his mouth, but lust quickly replaced frustration as the older man's head moved lower. His head pressed deeper into the pillows, and he arched his throat, making to Fox an offering, which the other man couldn't pass up. Growling softly, Fox licked an erratic path along the stubbled surface, stopping from time to time to suck gently at the fragile skin. Below him Alex writhed and whimpered, fingers digging into his back, urging him on. Involuntarily, the hand on Alex's silk-covered cock squeezed tightly, and the younger man bucked hard into it, grinding out Fox's name between clenched teeth. His lover's rough plea went through Fox like a bolt of lightning, zig zagging, igniting a flame everywhere it hit, and he couldn't help himself. Hand still on Alex's cock, he tangled the other in the younger man's hair and held his head immobile while his teeth clamped down on the sensitive base of his throat. His mouth sealed over the area, sucking voraciously, and Alex released a wild cry as exquisite pain lanced through him. Instinctively he tried to pull away, but Fox's grip only allowed him a few centimeters of movement. Tightening his hold further, the older man bit more deeply into his lover's flesh, stopping just shy of breaking the skin. The darkness behind Alex's closed eyes flared a bright red, and a loud, grating sound rolled deep in his throat even as his hips rolled upward, pressing his cock harder against Fox's busy hand. A few more seconds of this, and there would be no stopping the explosion he felt building. As if Fox had heard his thoughts, the pressure on both his throat and his cock subsided, and his weighted lids lifted, lashes fluttering sluggishly. When he was finally able to focus, he found himself looking up into a turbulent mix of brilliant green and gold. Before he could determine Fox's intent, the older man dragged his hand up to the band of his silk underwear and pulled. Quickly, Alex lifted his hips in assistance, and seconds later he was naked and squirming under his lover's searing gaze. "Fox..." A tiny smirk touched Fox's lips as he reared up on his knees and slid his own underwear down and off. Still kneeling, he stared down at the younger man while his fingers traced the fine line of hair that began at his navel and plunged into the thatch of dark curls at his groin. "Get the lube," he whispered while his hand slipped lower and finally brushed over the length of his erection. Moistening dry lips with the tip of his tongue, Alex reached for the nightstand drawer and yanked it open. Without taking his eyes off of Fox, who was now slowly pumping his cock, Alex groped around for and found the lube. "Put some on yourself." Alex obeyed without delay, removing the cap and squeezing some of the contents into the palm of his hand. His eyes flicking from Fox's face to his groin, he wrapped his hand around his own cock and very slowly and carefully applied the lube. The moment he was finished, he began to take his hand away, but a low, breathy command from Fox stopped him. "No. Don't stop." Fox stared down into half-closed eyes. "Touch yourself for me, Alexei. I want to watch you." Shuddering lightly, Alex replaced his hand and gave Fox what he wanted. "Beautiful," Fox moaned, watching how Alex writhed and whimpered at his own touch. "Jesus, so fucking beautiful." He released his own cock and swung one leg over the younger man, now straddling his hips. "Put your dick in me baby, and let me ride you." Alex grunted out loud, and he followed the coarse order, directing his cock to the cleft of Fox's ass. With a little help from the older man, he found his goal, teasing the small opening for only a scant few seconds before beginning to push into it. Jaw clenching convulsively, Fox sank down, meeting Alex halfway. When the connection was complete, both men stilled, panting heavily. It wasn't long before Fox began to move, though, lifting and lowering himself. He moaned softly, loving the silky glide of his lover's cock within him. So good. God, it felt so good to have Alex inside him that he'd often wondered how he was able to get through those nights he had to spend away from home on some stupid case. Making love with Alex was one of the few truly perfect things in his world. So real and purely honest, and as necessary to him as his next breath. And so. Fucking. Good. "Christ," Alex gasped, his hands going to Fox's hips. "Faster, lisa. I can't...I..." Fox managed a pained chuckle and grasped his own cock firmly. "Okay, baby. I'm with you..." Alex watched his lover jerk himself off as he quickly rocked against him, and a guttural cry broke past his lips. "Oh...God...squeeze," he panted. "Squeeze me, Fox...ah, fuck...that's..." Alex's mouth fell open, and for a brief second no sound came out. Then a low gurgle started deep in his throat and blossomed into a full roar as he detonated, coming hot and hard into his lover's body. Fox rose up and slammed back down again and again in an erratic rhythm, and his hand moved over his cock at a frantic pace until seconds later he let out a long, harsh cry and released a torrent of semen over Alex's belly and chest. Now utterly drained, Fox fell in a boneless sprawl onto his lover's chest, too weary to concern himself with the cooling stickiness between them. With the exception of the occasional satisfied moan or sigh, the men lay quietly, Fox's head nestled against Alex's shoulder. Slowly, Alex lifted a hand to his lover's head, burying his fingers in the perspiration-dampened hair and massaging gently. Finally, he broke the blissful silence. "Know what I'm thinking about?" Eyes still closed, Fox tenderly stroked the other man's chest. "What?" "I'm thinking about how much I'm going to love being married." Fox pressed a soft kiss to his lover's chest and said nothing. Alex brushed the fingers of his free hand over the band on Fox's right ring finger. "One night while you were asleep, I switched my ring to my left hand just too see how it would feel." Fox lifted his head a bit and looked into Alex's eyes. "And?" "It felt natural. Completely...right. That was the night it all got really clear. That was when I really became conscious of how much I wanted to marry you." He slid his fingers through the hair at the side of Fox's head and tugged gently, bringing the older man's face down to his. "We got that all straight now, right?" Fox smiled and brushed Alex's mouth with his own. "Yeah. We got it straight." "Good. We've had about as many close calls lately as I can take." "I promise I'll behave myself from here on out," Fox murmured, lowering his head. "Yeah, right." Alex kissed the golden-brown crown. "Go to sleep." Fox lifted his head and fixed a brooding stare on the other. "You don't believe me?" Alex opened his eyes and smirked up at his lover. "What? That you'll behave? No. Not really." Saying nothing, Fox's frown deepened, and Alex broke into soft laughter. "I'd have to be some kind of moron to think that you're not going to give me an ounce more of trouble from now until August." "Yeah?" Fox huffed. "Well, you're no Sunday stroll in the park either, you know." The grin grew wider. "We're a perfect match." The scowl broke, and a tiny smile and a breath of a laugh took its place. "I'm sure Scully's explanation would include not only the word perfect but psychopaths as well. Or maybe kooks or...or wackos." "Would she be wrong?" Fox thought about the events of the last few hours and grinned openly. "Guess not." Alex wrapped his arms around Fox and flipped them over so that he was now the one on top. "I love you, you psychotic, wacko kook." He laid a firm kiss on the older man's mouth then tucked his head under Fox's chin. "Now go to sleep. We gotta get up early." Closing his eyes, Fox wound his arms around Alex and nuzzled the top of his head. "'Kay." A long silence followed, and then Fox whispered Alex's name. When no answer came, he spoke a little louder. "Alex?" Alex's eyelids lifted halfway, and his brows drew down into a frown. "Why aren't you asleep?" "Can't." "Are you trying?" "I've been trying for the last twenty minutes." Alex lifted his head and cast a weary gaze down at his lover. "What's wrong?" "Nothing. I'm just not tired...are you?" Rubbing his hand over his face, Alex sighed. "I was." "Oh. Sorry." "Uh huh. Okay. How about some warm milk?" Fox wrinkled his nose. "Want to read a while? That always makes you sleepy." "Nah." "Shot of something?" Fox shook his head. "Soooo...you just wanna lie here and keep me awake?" "No..." "I know I'm going to hate myself for asking this, but...what do you want to do?" "Not what you're thinking," Fox insisted. "I want to talk some more about tonight." "What about?" As if he couldn't guess. "I keep thinking about Victor. There's something about him that I find pretty strange." "You mean his dazzling charm didn't blind you to his little idiosyncrasies? "It was tough," Fox said smirking, "but I managed it. Anyway, don't you think that as hard and judgmental as he seems, he took it pretty well that his cousin is in love with another man? It seemed awfully weird to me, and I was wondering if you were thinking the same thing I'm thinking." "Yeah, I did notice," Alex answered. "And you're right. I think that Vic and I have got a little more in common than either of us had thought." "It's the only thing that makes sense," Fox agreed, absently stroking his lover's back. "Guess it's in the blood, huh?" Alex sighed as Fox's hand moved lower on his back. "Mmm. But my guess is he doesn't have a man in his life right now. I don't think he'd be so angry and rude if he did." Alex snorted softly. "So you think maybe it wasn't jealousy that made him torture me when we were kids? You think it was just that he didn't have any little boys to play doctor with?" "Could be," Fox answered. "Or maybe he was just a punk-ass little prick." Alex laughed at the comment, then the smile left his face. "Am I nuts for still hoping that this could work out somehow?" "'Course not. As sure as I am that my mother will never talk to me again, there's still a tiny piece of me that can't help but hope that lightning will strike and she'll change her mind." Alex tightened his arms around the other man. "There is a bright side." "Yeah?" "There won't be many relatives coming out of the woodwork to contest either of our wills." Fox snickered then let out a long yawn. "Well, there you go. I never thought of that." "Now are you getting tired?" Fox shrugged and changed the subject. "We didn't get their addresses." "Huh?" "Maria and Victor. To send them invitations." Fox reached over to the nightstand to his right for the phone and started dialing. "What...who're you calling?" "Information...Lancaster Pennsylvania. Do you have an address and phone number listing for a Victor Krycek? K..R..Y...yes, that's right." Fox retrieved the file folder he'd tossed aside earlier and waited only a few seconds then scribbled a number on the back of it. "Thank you. How about a Maria...hang on...do you know her last name?" Alex shook his head. "It was Orlov, but she said she was married for a while." "Can't hurt to try. Operator? Try Maria Orlov. O..R..L..O..V...no, huh? Okay, thanks. No, that's it. Goodnight." Fox hung up and tapped at his forehead with the pen. "I suppose we could send her invitation to his house." "He'd probably throw it away and never tell her about it." "Then we'll go there ourselves if we don't hear from her." Silence fell for a few minutes, then Fox approached what he knew would be a tough subject. "Alex?" "Hmm?" "What about your father?" "What about him?" "Don't you want to at least find out about him? How he is?" "Fox," Alex sighed. "I had a fairly normal life with okay parents. They weren't Ozzy and Harriet by any stretch of the imagination, but they were all right. When my mother and then my grandmother died, I'd told you how my father had changed. Especially toward me. You heard how he never returned my calls or even attended my graduation from the academy." "I know. But he's several years older now." "He turned seventy-eight in January. He was quite a few years older than my mother." Sometimes people have regrets when they start getting on in age, you know? Maybe he'd like to see you." Alex looked away and said nothing. "If he did, Alex...would you go see him?" "If he wanted to see me, don't you think he would have made the effort to come with Victor and Maria?" "Maybe he doesn't even know they're here," Fox reasoned. "Or maybe he's sick or something. You didn't exactly give Victor a chance to tell you much about him." More silence. "You know I won't push," Fox said. I just want you to think about it, okay? I don't want you to have any regrets in later years." Alex looked back at the other man and found him smiling. "If you turn into a decrepit old grouch, I'll have to beat you with my cane." The image of a gray-haired, wrinkled Fox waving a cane at him struck Alex funny, and he began to laugh. "You think I'm kidding, but I'm not," Fox warned, giving Alex's rear a playful slap. The younger man retaliated with a soft growl and a gentle nip at Fox's throat. "You trying to get something started?" "Nope. It's late, remember?" "Yes, it is. Really late. Can we go to sleep now? Please?" "Okay." The two settled down and all was quiet for some time before Alex's voice sounded in the darkness. "I'll give it some thought." "Hmm?" "My father. I'll think about it, okay?" "That's all I ask." Snorting softly, Alex kissed the corner of his lover's mouth. "G'night, lisa." Fox mumbled a soft response, and they finally both fell into a deep sleep. "How's your breakfast?" The woman picked at her eggs and shrugged. "You still brooding about last night?" No answer. "Come on, Maria, cut it out. You gonna let somebody you haven't seen in a good many years screw up your life?" "He's not somebody, he's our cousin. And he hasn't screwed up my life." "He will. If you let him in." "Knock it off, Victor." "Tell me I'm wrong." "I can't. I also can't tell you that you're right. But I can tell you, again, that you're not seeing Alex objectively. You didn't like him then, you don't like him now. And your reasons are all wrong, and I won't listen to them." "Fine. Don't. Go to his wedding. Get involved in his life, and what's more, let him get involved in yours. Go ahead and expose Raiza to..." "Stop using my daughter as ammunition, Victor." "I'm not using her. That kid's the closest thing I have to a niece, and I don't want to see her opened up to the kind of crap he's involved in." "Was. He was involved in." "Yeah. Okay. Whatever." "Victor," Maria said softly. "You don't have to worry. If I do decide to introduce Alex to Raiza, it won't change your relationship with her. She'll still have plenty of love for her uncle Victor." "I'm not worried about myself," Victor insisted. "I just don't want Raiza to be hurt." "All right," Maria said, knowing that however adamant Victor was about his concern for her daughter, the fact did remain that his jealousy of Alex spoke just as loudly. "Let's just finish breakfast so we can get out of here and catch our flight." Half an hour later, the two were finished and on their way to the airport. When they boarded their plane, Maria took her seat next to her cousin and sat looking silently out the window. The plane started down the runway and in minutes was airborne carrying them farther and farther from the piece of their family so long lost and briefly found, only to be possibly lost again, this time for good. Maria closed her eyes and considered the decision she had in front of her. "He's already had breakfast. The meat for his dinner is in the fridge on the second shelf. Each serving is measured out into it's own container. Mix it with a cup and a half of dry, and don't let him con you into giving him anything else." Scully sighed into the phone. "I know, Mulder. I've sat for him before, remember?" "Uh huh. And every time he gives you that pathetic look, you break down and give him stuff." "Not every time." "Often enough. He was four pounds overweight at his last vet appointment." "For God's sake, Mulder, four pounds isn't disastrous." "Tell that to Alex. Since last month he's been a man on a mission." "Why does he obsess like he does over stuff?" Fox laughed into the phone. "I don't know. But if he wasn't that type we might never be were we are." "And I might still be stuck with you. Okay, maybe it isn't such a bad thing. When are you leaving?" "Alex is doing his last minute checks, and we should be leaving in about half an hour." "Okay, you boys have a good weekend, don't worry about anything." "Thanks. Oh, Scully?" "Hmm?" "Sorry about last night. It wasn't exactly what we'd had in mind." "You know you don't have to apologize to me, Mulder. If things are quiet with you guys for too long, I starting thinking something is wrong." "Yeah, but what a night for it to happen. I wonder what everybody was really thinking." "What, when you were locked up in your bedroom sulking, and Alex was downstairs pacing and snarling like a rabid pit bull?" Fox smiled into the phone, responding to his partner's good-natured ribbing. "They were probably thinking afterward, 'And they're getting married?'" Scully laughed. "Everybody's happy for you, Mulder. Most of those people have been around you and Alex long enough to know what lunatics you are, and that you love each other desperately." "Yeah, but what about the ones who haven't been? Skinner must think we're completely insane. And your mother..." Fox walked over to the stove and checked to insure that all the knobs were in the off position. "There's no denying that they think you're nuts. But they'd have to be dead not to see how you feel about each other. Now, you go and enjoy your weekend. And make sure you book me a room with a nice view." "We'll see what we can do. Thanks again, Scully. See you Sunday." Fox hung up and checked to make sure that the back door was locked. He didn't know why; he was sure that Alex would just come along behind him and double check it. "Okay, bag's by the door, Clyde's been out..." Alex strode into the kitchen and walked right over to the door, turning and rattling the knob. "...let's get out of here." Fox stood by the table smiling as he shook his head. "What?" Alex asked, releasing the knob and returning Fox's smile. "Nothing," the older man murmured as Alex moved over to the stove. "Just like clockwork." Alex shot his lover a confused glance. "Fox, what the hell are you talking about?" "I just checked all that." "Oh." Alex tested each knob anyway. "Happy now?" Alex shrugged then met Fox at the table, slipping his arms around the older man's waist. "'Course. I'll be happier once we get this show on the road, though." "I'm ready." Alex gave his lover an enthusiastic if brief kiss. "Good. Let's go make some wedding plans." Green eyes fringed with gray lashes watched from the window as the silvery-taupe Envoy pulled into the driveway. "They're back," the old voice said, drawing the attention of the woman who was playing on the sofa with her step-niece's child. The woman looked up expectantly, waiting for the man to rise from his seat. He did so with a fair amount of effort and made it to the door just as the pair climbed the last step to the front porch. They looked silently at each other for longer than the woman on the couch could stand, but she remained silent. Finally he stepped back and let them in, and the little girl bounded off the sofa and dashed to her mother. "Hi mummy!" The woman swept the little twig into her arms and exchanged kisses. "Hi sweetie. Were you a good girl for Uncle Iliia and Aunt Natalie?" "She was a darling as always," the older woman answered for the child. "You'd say that even if she wasn't." "Not true. Raiza is just a good little girl." Maria kissed her uncle's wife. "Thanks." "Always a pleasure. We love having her here. Puts a little life into the house." Victor held his arms out to the little girl, who immediately deserted her mother for a higher vantage point. The old man watched from the chair he'd retreated to, and when all of the greetings were complete, he spoke. "Is it him?" Maria licked at her bottom lip then nodded. "You saw him." "Yes." The eldest Krycek inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. "What did he have to say for himself?" "It's a very long story, Uncle Iliia." Victor snorted, and Maria shot him a fast, hard look. "In other words, I won't like it." "It's not particularly wonderful. Not at first." "Not at all." "Victor..." Maria's cousin emitted another disgusted snort then turned his attention back to the little girl. "What has my son been up to all these years?" "This isn't the time to go too far into what we'd found out," Maria said, looking in her daughter's direction. "In fact, maybe you should hear all of it from Alex." "Yeah?" Victor broke in again. "And when would that be?" Iliia Krycek looked from one to the other. "Does he not want to see me?" "Alex is a little..." Maria paused, looking for the right word. Victor helped out. "Bitter? Ticked off?" "What is he mad about?" the older man asked, anger crackling in his tone. "He's the one who vanished from our lives without a single word." "That's what I said," Victor agreed. Before Maria could jump on him, their aunt spoke up. "Alex was a young man," Natalie began. "I didn't know him especially well because the rift between you was already there when we married. But Iliia, he did call you on several occasions. I always had to come up with some excuse when you wouldn't come to the phone or wouldn't call him back. That boy graduated from the FBI Academy, and you wouldn't go. How do you think that made him feel to know that his own father wanted nothing to do with him for no good reason? How do you think it hurt him when at graduation everyone else had proud parents sitting out there watching them, and he had no one?" Her husband refused to answer. "Do you really wonder why he might be resentful?" Again, nothing. "It was wrong. And it was wrong that the rest of us let you keep us from going. If I had it to do over again, I would have been there." "So would I," Maria added. "Maybe it would have changed things." "What things?" Iliia asked gruffly. "Maybe he would have had a better life for those first several years. Maybe the caring of just two people could have helped." "I want to know what happened to him. Tell me, now." "Do you care, Uncle Iliia? Or would you just use the information to re-open his wounds." "He's my son." "He's always been your son. What does that mean to you now that it didn't mean before?" The old man declined to answer the question. "Is his life that bad?" "Not anymore. He's got a wonderful life. With someone who loves him dearly." Maria watched her uncle's face. "He's getting married." The gray head cocked to one side. "Is that so?" "Yes. Why don't you go to see him? Wouldn't it be nice to make up with your only child and attend his wedding?" "Maria..." Victor mumbled but got no farther than that. "I've thought about it, Victor. I think I'm going to go." "After all that..." "Yes. I don't want his past to stand in the way of what I think would be a wonderful addition to our family." "But, Raiza..." "Will know that her family extends beyond just the few people in this house and our own parents." "I think it's a bad move, but I guess it's your decision." "Yes, it is." Iliia listened to the conversation between the two, his curiosity rising sharply. "Is someone going to tell me about him or not?" "All right, Uncle," Victor said, trying to soothe the older man's ruffled feathers. "Maria, why don't you take Raiza into the kitchen or something, and I'll..." "Oh, no you won't." Maria turned to her daughter, who was curled in Victor's arms, playing with his keys. "Raiza? You want Uncle Victor to take you out to play?" "Yeah! Yeah!" The child began to bounce in her cousin's embrace. "Let's go outside, Uncle Victor!" Throwing Maria a venomous look, Victor kissed the girl's cheek. "Okay, kiddo. Let's go out and see how dirty we can get." Not until the two had left the house did Maria sit down and begin relaying the events of her meeting with Alex to his father. She didn't want to include the fact that he was living with and marrying another man, but she didn't want any surprises of any kind in case Iliia did decide to see his son. When she finished her story, the older couple sat silently. Natalie, head bowed to the floor, and Iliia, staring at her in disbelief. "I know it's a pretty wild story," Maria explained. "But I really don't think he'd make up any part of it. Especially since the first half of it casts him in such a bad light. But the important thing is that he turned his life around. He's not what he was. And he's alive, he's recovering from what happened to him last year, and he's got someone to love and care for him. He's happy, Uncle. And he'd be even happier to have his family in his life, I know it." Still no response from Iliia. Natalie lifted her head and fixed a watery gaze on her step niece. "I don't know what to say," she whispered. "I had the same reaction," Maria assured the woman. "They were shocking, the things he'd done. But just as shocking were the things that were done to him. Alex has suffered a whole lot. And I think he's paid for his sins many, many times over." She looked back to the man. "Uncle? Have you nothing to say?" More silence, then he spoke. "You think all that's happened to him is my fault." Maria sighed heavily. "I didn't say it was. And though Alex hasn't forgotten the way you've treated him, I don't think he blames you either. He takes full responsibility for the things that have happened in his life. I do maintain, however, that the possibility is there that things might have happened differently if he'd felt he'd had someone to turn to." "You mean he might not be a homosexual?" Iliia asked with no small amount of distaste. "That's not fair," Maria shot back. "You tolerate Victor's lifestyle." "Victor is not my son," "Iliia," Natalie called, touching her husband's arm. "You keep stressing the fact that Alex is your son. He certainly is. And you should love and support him no matter how far outside your notion of a proper life he lives." "You mean I should go to him, shake his hand and tell him that espionage and assassination was an excellent business to get into, and that I'm glad there'll be no grandchildren in my future?" "You know exactly what I mean," Natalie said, angry with her husband. "Keep this up, Iliia, and you'll never see him. You'll go to your grave without ever having seen your son again. Is that what you really want?" The man fell silent again, and Maria gave him a thin smile. "Genes are an amazing thing. Just now I can see the resemblance between you." "What are you talking about?" "He broods just like you do." The old man looked up from beneath long, gray eyelashes. "...Has he changed much?" "Not much. He's filled out...more mature. Very handsome." "Sounds like the pictures I've seen of you when you were young," Natalie said softly. "Yeah, actually, he looks a lot like Uncle Iliia when he was Alex's age." "What about this...companion of his?" Iliia asked. "What's his story?" "He's with the FBI. Remember I told you that's how he and Alex met." Iliia nodded. "That's right. You did say that." "Anyway, his name is Fox Mulder, and..." "Fox?" "I know," Maria smiled. "But it's his real name." "Sounds gay. Is he the woman in this relationship?" "Uncle Iliia." The old man shifted in his seat, huffing softly. "They're both very much men, so please stop stereotyping. Now, would you like to hear about Fox or not?" Grunting, the elder Krycek waved at his niece to continue. "He and Alex are about the same height. Lighter hair, hazel eyes...quirky sense of humor from what I could tell, though he seems highly intelligent." Maria smiled. "They make a gorgeous couple. And they love each other so much. You can feel it just being around them. It's breathtaking." She looked to her uncle. "Can't you find it in your heart to go see him?" Iliia shook his head and looked away. "You haven't seen your son in what? A dozen or so years? Is this really the way you want it? What do you think Aunt Helena would say? What would Babushka say if she knew the way you've treated her grandson?" Iliia looked from Maria to his wife then at the floor. "It's been too many years for us to reconcile." "It's never too late," Maria argued. "You can have him back if you want him." The old man looked at the floor for a long while then rose from his chair. Saying not another word to the two women, he shuffled from the room. "Are you sure you're reading that map right?" Fox looked up from the road atlas and cast the driver an irritated glance. Alex caught the look and sighed heavily, returning his eyes to the road. "Just seems like we've been driving forever." "We haven't." "Seems like it." "Well, you'll be happy to know that you're going to bang a left in about a quarter of a mile." "Then will we be there?" "Not exactly." "Jesus God, where the hell is this place?" No answer. "I know," Alex nodded, his eyes scanning the area. "It's going to turn out to be one of those Stephen King type joints. Old farmhouse...way out in the boonies. No neighbors within fifty miles...oh, yeah, I can see it. I'll bet the innkeeper is an old, gimpy bastard with a plaid shirt and bib overalls..." Fox rolled his eyes. "...Really soft spoken...and he smiles a lot. Very hospitable. But at night, he skulks around the grounds doing all sorts of creepy stuff you can't see because it's so freakin' dark. Too dark to see your hand in front of your face. Too dark to see him coming to kill you..." "Are you through?" Fox asked calmly. "I wasn't, really. Why?" "Because you just passed our turnoff." "What?" Alex whipped his around then turned a wide-eyed stare on his lover. "Why didn't you say something?" "And interrupt a good horror story?" Cursing loudly, Alex turned the car around and headed back toward their turn. Finally back on the correct course, he glanced over at Fox. "You gonna pay better attention, now?" "You betcha," Fox offered blandly. "But if you've started forming an opinion about this place before we even see it, what point is there in going?" "I haven't formed an opinion." "No? What was all that about that I was just listening to, then?" "I was just...talking," Alex finished with a mumble. Fox shook his head and gave the younger man a trace of a smile. "Relax, would you? I have a feeling we're going to love it." They had no idea how much. Pulling up almost twenty minutes later, both men stared in silent awe. A rambling white farmhouse that seemed to go on forever met their eyes. Just on the side that they could see, scores of multi-paned windows glistened in the early afternoon sun, and several floribunda rose bushes trailed in what would soon be masses of vibrant red over arches and doorways, and huge bushes of hydrangeas, spirea and other complimentary plants lined the long cobblestone path to the house. Behind the property, the view of the lake was a spectacular one. Fox groped for Alex's hand and found it, squeezing tightly as he took it all in. "Okay, so maybe the Stephen King crack was a little off," Alex breathed, drawing Fox's hand to his mouth for a kiss. He parked the car, and the two got out, retrieving their bags from the back seat. Before they could close the door, a Saint Bernard with a head the size of Alex's shoulder bag came lumbering down the path to greet them. "Oh my God, I take it back." Fox gave his lover a curious look. Alex pointed to the behemoth. "Cujo." Fox chuckled and reached out to pat the dog's head as he reached them. "Yeah, he's a killer. Hey, buddy. You the official greeter around here?" The huge plume of a tail swept back and forth, and the dog nudged Fox's leg with his head. "Cujo, don't maul the guests." Both men looked up at the same time, their mouths dropping open in surprise. The approaching woman laughed. "Yeah, that's his name. My husband's warped idea of a joke." Kind blue eyes looked up at the pair as she reached them. "I'm Joan Wilkins. Welcome." "Thanks." Fox took the woman's extended hand. "I'm Fox Mulder. This is my partner, Alex Krycek." "You're the one who called," Joan said, letting go of Fox's hand and taking Alex's. "That's right. Nice to meet you." "Well, come on in. We'll get you registered and settled into your room." The men followed Joan into the house, their eyes roving around the huge front room. "It's so big and airy, yet you've managed to maintain a cozy feel," Fox commented as Joan motioned for he and Alex to sit. The men sank into a plush, dusty terra cotta love seat, and their host perched herself at the edge of a forest green chair across from them. "We try," the woman said, reaching for a brown leather bound register on the heavy oak table between them. "So. If I remember correctly, you boys are getting married in...August?" "Right," Alex answered, rubbing behind Cujo's ear. "The tenth. And we've got what we believe to be a total number of people we'll need rooms for." "Oh. Great! Let's see if we can accommodate all of 'em. How many rooms will you need? We can sleep up to four in a room." "Good. In that case, we'd need six rooms. Right, Fox?" Fox did a quick count and nodded. "Yeah. As of right now, it's six. You and me, Chuck and Vicki, Bobby and Susan, then we'll need a double for Scully and her mother, a triple for the guys, and a single for Skinner." Joan nodded, checking the date. "No problem. But you fellas have a good look around first. Make absolutely sure you want to stay here, and then we'll finalize, okay?" "All right. Thanks." The men took care of their registration, and then Joan showed them to their room, which they immediately fell in love with. Fox remained in the doorway taking it all in while Alex moved into the room and did a slow spin, checking out everything from the wooden rafters that ran the length of the ceiling to the British colonial furnishings that adorned the spacious room. "Are all the bedrooms this big?" Fox asked, his gaze skipping to the big four-poster bed and then to Alex. //Damn.// He shifted from one foot to the other, holding his bag in front of him in hopes that Joan wouldn't notice the bulge that had immediately begun to blossom at the thought of his lover lying naked in the middle of that huge bed, on that plush, down comforter, waiting for him... "Not all. We have four this size with adjoining baths that we use for honeymooners or special guests. I thought you'd like to have one of them this weekend." She smirked. "You know, sort of give it a test drive." Fox lowered his head and smiled. "Thanks, that was nice of you." When he lifted his head, his gaze went directly to Alex, who was now watching him from across the room with a decidedly hungry gleam in his eye. Joan noticed too, and she stepped back into the hall, smiling broadly. "Why don't you get uh...settled? Come downstairs at your leisure, and I'll give you a tour of the rest of the place." Alex thanked Joan as she closed the door, then he turned his attention to Fox. "Beautiful room, huh?" Fox nodded, looking around once more. His gaze returned to Alex, and the younger man moved toward him. "What does it say about us that a total stranger mentioning our 'test driving' a bedroom can get us hot?" "Says we're a couple of horny bastards who can't keep their hands off of each other." Fox grinned as Alex reached him and slipped both arms around him. "Ain't it great?" Alex nodded and mouthed a silent 'yeah' before initiating a passionate kiss. No coaxing needed, Fox opened his mouth and met Alex's tongue halfway, clashing with his lover, stroking and teasing. The breathless groan that rumbled from his throat vibrated in Alex's mouth, and the younger man tightened his hold on him and forced his tongue into his mouth. The groan died on a soft whimper, and Fox pressed into Alex, feeling an answering hardness in the other man. He wanted to break away from the insistent mouth and tell Alex how much he wanted him, but the demanding thrust of his lover's tongue and heat of his embrace left him too weak to try. Slowly, Alex backed him to the bed then pushed him down onto the mattress. It was then that the kiss was broken, and Fox managed to gasp his lover's name. "You want me, lisa?" The husky tone closed Fox's eyes halfway, and he nodded his answer. "Show me, Fox," Alex rasped. "I want to see how much." The weights on his eyelids growing heavier by the second, Fox battled closing them altogether as he lifted his hands to his shirt and started undoing the buttons. He watched Alex watching him, and when he had the shirt completely undone, he ran one hand over his chest, stroking gently, dusting over each nipple but not staying long enough to get himself too worked up. With Alex still watching, he spun to his knees and pulled the shirt out of his pants. One at a time, he removed his arms from the sleeves and let the garment fall to the bed. Swaying in front of the younger man, he popped the top button on his button fly jeans then looked down to watch his hands undo the next. Alex watched as well, his breath catching in his throat as the third button gave and he realized that Fox wasn't wearing any underwear. His gaze shifted to Fox's face to find the other man just looking up at him through his lashes. "So sexy," he whispered, skimming a crooked finger down the bridge of Fox's nose. "Finish taking those off, baby. I need you naked." As Fox slithered out of his jeans, Alex began working on his own shirt, tugging it free of his jeans and pulling it in one swift move over his head. By the time he'd gotten his pants undone, Fox was naked and pressed against him, dragging his tongue over the thrashing pulse in his throat. "Fox," Alex sighed, his head rolling back along his shoulders. "Lisa...lie down." Fox moaned softly and slowly obeyed his lover's command. He sank down to the mattress and sprawled out on his stomach, lifting his ass slightly in offering. A low growl sounded from behind him, and heard the rustle of clothing as Alex finished undressing. Unable to resist, Alex reached down and ran both hands over the muscular rear. "Come here, baby. On your back." Fox did as he was told, shifting position so that he was looking directly up at Alex's cock, which the other man was now stroking gently. His eyes drifted shut and a stuttering gasp left his lips as the velvety shaft skimmed over his face. "Show me." He barely heard the two-word command, so softly was it spoken. Unable to hold his eyes open any longer, Fox arched his neck and opened his mouth, letting Alex slip his cock inside. "Ohhhh, that's nice," Alex breathed, pushing deeper. "So good..." Fox sucked hungrily at each new inch given to him, his tongue sliding over the thick shaft. Before he could feel the head hitting the back of his throat, Alex partially withdrew. Shushing his lover's soft whimpers for more, Alex reached down and stroked his cheek. "You keep sucking me like that, lisa, and this is going to be over really fast. Easy, baby." He slid back in, moaning as he was again surrounded by wet warmth. "Yeah...easy...nice and...m-mmmm." His hips began to move ever so slowly, gently fucking Fox's mouth. Fighting to keep his eyes open, he looked down at the man on the bed. His beautiful, insatiable Fox. Willingly laid out before him, perfect body writhing in a sensuous rhythm as he took the whole of Alex's cock down his throat again and again. His own erection standing painfully erect, waiting for attention... "Touch your cock, baby," he demanded softly. Stroke it for me." Whimpering around his mouthful, one of Fox's hands slipped down to his groin and began to carefully caress himself. His body involuntarily bucked, and a muffled grunt sounded in his throat, and Alex issued a pained moan. "Fuck. Knew I wouldn't be able to..." Fox felt his lover's fingers thread through his hair, and he took a deep breath, knowing instinctively that things were about to progress quickly past the gentle, teasing stage. "Can't wait, baby," Alex panted, moving more quickly. "Come on...come with me..." Fox gripped his cock and began to milk it in time to each thrust of Alex's hips. In no time he felt the familiar coiling in his lower regions, and his hand moved faster, trying to keep up with Alex's progress. The controlled grip Alex had on his hair turned the slightest bit uncomfortable, and the younger man's motions grew more frantic. "Come...on...coming...oh, God. Oh...oh, God, God, God." Snarling through gritted teeth, Alex exploded, shooting a stream of hot fluid down Fox's throat. That triggered Fox's own orgasm, and he choked out a hard groan while trying to swallow most of what Alex had pumped into his mouth. Several bursts of semen covered his stomach and hand as it slowed then stilled. It remained curled loosely around his softening cock, and he felt Alex slip out of his mouth. There was a small amount of movement, and then the younger man slid up on the bed. Fox's eyes opened halfway, just in time to see the dark head moving between his legs. He slid a hand down toward it and weakly petted the sable strands as Alex licked him clean. When his task was complete, Alex pulled himself up next to his weary lover and laid his head on his chest. "........So, you like the room?" Fox's chest shook with silent laughter. "It's a good room." "Maybe we should see the rest of the place." "M-mm hmm." Alex smiled and kissed Fox's chest. "After a nap, maybe?" Fox paused a minute, thinking how good it would feel to close his eyes for a little while; especially since neither of them got enough sleep the night before. In spite of that, he shook his head. "Nah. We shouldn't keep Joan waiting too long." "'Kay. What d'you say to an early night, though?" "Sounds good." Reluctantly, Fox pushed Alex up and off. "Quick shower first?" "Mmm." Alex kissed then nipped at Fox's mouth. "How quick?" "Behave," Fox warned, grinning as Alex got up and pulled him to his feet. "This is a working weekend." "What, you think it's not work keeping you satisfied, you slut?" Fox delivered a playful swat to his lover's ass and pointed toward the bathroom. "Get the hell in there so we can at least get some stuff taken care of today." Twenty minutes later, Fox ran a hand through his towel-dried hair, checking his appearance in the mirror on the dresser. "You ready to go down?" Alex leaned into the room, balanced precariously by one hand on the doorframe. Mumbling a few inarticulate words around his toothbrush, he pulled himself back into the bathroom. "Well, hurry up, would you? I'm anxious to see the rest of this place." More mumbling. "Hey, I didn't start that, you did." The water ran for a few seconds then stopped, and Alex emerged from the bathroom, kissing the back of Fox's neck as he walked by. "Yeah. Okay." "You did." Alex opened the door and waved his lover out. "Yes, dear." "And this is the garden room." Joan stepped outside with the two men following close behind, and both stopped dead in their tracks. An arbor, roughly fifty feet long and twenty feet wide, covered in clematis vines and the same climbing roses they'd seen out front met their appreciative gazes. The floor was fashioned out of flagstone, randomly placed. Lush green moss grew between them. Housed within the airy shelter, four round tables with five chairs each sat in pairs on either side, forming a sort of aisle between them. "There are tiny white Christmas lights scattered here and there in the rose bushes," Joan announced, snapping both men out of their own thoughts. "It's really pretty at night. And before it gets dark, there's a spectacular view of the sun setting over the lake. We've had a few weddings here before, so we can help out with ideas on how to decorate, and..." Joan's words faded as Alex walked up behind Fox, who was glancing around in awe. "Can you see us getting married here, lisa?" Fox turned to his lover, a serene smile on his face. He nodded, and Alex closed the brief distance between them, reaching out to caress his cheek. "We love it," he said to the woman, not taking his eyes from the other man's. "We'll definitely take it." "You got it, then. And listen, if it rains, and we'll pray that it won't, the room we came through to get here will be available to you." "You know, I didn't even really notice what it looked like," Fox said, breaking his silence. "Did you?" he asked Alex. "Not really," Alex laughed softly. "I was so intent on seeing this, I didn't pay it any mind." "Well, let's go check it out," Joan suggested. Preceding the men into the function room, she waved her hand in a semi-circle. "This is it. You like?" Alex's regard bounced around the cozy, inviting room, lighting on the comfortable-looking furniture, polished hardwood floor with its scattering of plush area rugs, and stone fireplace, and he smiled. An object beside the fireplace that he hadn't noticed until now beckoned him forward, and he walked silently to it. "Works for me," Fox answered for them both as he watched Alex approach the gleaming piano across the room. He turned his attention back to Joan and gave the woman a huge grin. "I can't believe how perfect this place is. I think it's exactly what we'd both been hoping for." "That's so great. Most people have that reaction to it." "You've got something special here, that's for sure. Have you owned it long?" "It belonged to my parents," Joan answered, happy to give Fox the history on the place. "My grandfather left it to my mother, but back then it was still just a house. My parents got the idea to turn it into an inn. They worked really hard to convert it, and it was like, twenty years before they started turning a profit." "Wow. That's determination." "Yep. They retired in nineteen eighty-two, and that's when Jack and I took it over. We've updated the electrical service and stuff like that, but aside from that, we've tried to keep it pretty much..." A soft tinkling stopped Joan from finishing her story, and she and Fox turned toward the sound. They found Alex sitting at the piano, tapping lightly at the keys. Joan's face lit up, and she started toward the piano. "You play?" Alex looked up, blinking at the woman and Fox, who had walked up behind her. "What?" Joan gestured to the instrument. "Jack and I don't. We just bought it because we thought it 'd go nice in here. Once in a while we'll get a guest who knows how to play it...do you?" Fully expecting Alex to say no, Fox didn't give the conversation his full attention. "I..." Alex shrugged and paused a moment. "...My parents made me take lessons as a kid." Fox's head snapped around, and he stared at the seated man. Alex didn't lift his gaze from the keys. "How long?" Fox asked. "'Bout...seven years." "Seven...then you stopped?" Alex nodded. "My dad didn't want me to play anything but that Lawrence Welk type music...or classical. So I stopped." Joan backed off to a discreet distance and let the men talk. "Alex, I don't...how come I never knew this?" Alex turned an apologetic look up to his lover. "Sorry. I...it was a part of my past I'd never intended to revisit." "Why not?" Fox asked, moving closer and leaning on the top of the piano. "You must have enjoyed playing on some level. This piano drew you right over to it." "Yeah, I mean...it was great when my father wasn't around and I could play what I wanted, but..." "What did you like to play?" "Same stuff I still like listening to." "I'm in shock, Alex, I...we've been together four years. I thought I knew everything about you by now." There was no anger in Fox's tone. Only amazement. "You might not believe me, but," Alex murmured, "I'd actually forgotten about it. It was a non-existent memory. There was no reason other than that for my not having mentioned it." He looked up at Fox. "Are you mad?" "Do I look mad?" Fox asked softly. "No." "I just have one question." "You never have just one question." Fox laughed and conceded the point. "Yeah, okay." "So, what do you want to know?" "Were you any good?" "Okay. No prodigy." "The last time you played was what? Twenty years ago or so? And you never touched a piano again?" "That's right." "Wow. You remember anything?" Alex shrugged, his fingers skimming the keys. "Not sure. I suppose you never completely forget." Fox gave no response aside from an expectant silence. One corner of Alex's mouth quirking gently, he watched his fingers place themselves. He plucked off a few simple chords, acquainting himself with the keyboard then played the scale a couple of times and bowed as Fox applauded softly. He played a few more chords that actually sounded vaguely familiar to Fox, then he stopped and removed his hands from the keys. Slowly, the older man left his place in front of the piano and came to sit beside him. Dusting his shoulder with a gentle kiss, Fox spoke. "I'm not gonna laugh at you if you hit a few sour notes." Alex smiled and shook his head. "Then, what? If you really don't want to, it's okay. We can just rewind." Fox bumped Alex's shoulder with his own. "Go back about half an hour...wipe this whole conversation from my memory." "Nothing ever gets wiped from your memory." "No, really." Fox grinned. "Piano? What piano? I didn't see any piano." Alex emitted a soft snort then met his lover's eyes. There was disappointment beneath the understanding, but Fox would never push him on anything that had to do with his past. Leaning in far enough to touch foreheads, he laid a tender kiss on the other man's lips. "I love you," he whispered, and Fox's mouth curved into a soft smile. "Good thing. You know, since we're getting married and all." The two rose from the bench and made their way over to Joan, who was seated in front of a coffee table, scribbling in a book. She looked up over the tops of her glasses and gave the men a mock pout. "No sonatas?" "Sorry," Alex murmured as he and Fox sat on the sofa across from her. "Well...the room work for you?" "In every way," Alex answered, looking to Fox for confirmation. "Yeah. It's plenty big enough for a buffet table, a band, dancing...and you said it'll be available to us?" "Yep. It's only used for events, and we only book one per weekend, so it's yours, rain or no." "Great." Alex relaxed a bit and draped one arm over Fox's shoulders. "Now, how about food?" "Well, we've catered weddings and parties before, and no one's ever been disappointed. I can go over the menu with you, see if anything tickles your fancy. If not, you're certainly free to check out the other caterers in town." "Fair enough. Can you recommend any good florists and musicians?" "We gotta find a clergyman too," Fox added. "As a matter of fact, I..." Joan looked down at her watch then turned wide eyes to the men. "Yikes. I gotta get dinner started. If you want to come with me into the kitchen, we can talk there. If not, I'll be free again after eight." "We don't want to distract you while you're working," Fox offered. "I've become very good at multitasking. Just come with me, let me throw a few names out at you, and you can go off and check them out if you want." The men agreed and less than an hour later they were on their way to town, armed with the names, phone numbers and addresses of a couple of florists and musicians and the minister who had performed several other same sex marriages at the inn. Nearly an hour and a half after they'd started out, they found themselves parked in front of a building as charmingly rustic as the rest, but the hot pink awning that extended from the door to the street, not to mention the huge neon butterflies frozen in mid-flutter in the two picture windows set it apart from the others. "Oh, I knew things were going too well," Alex murmured, gawking at the offensive objects. "Joan did write 'can't miss it' next to the address of this place," Fox said, grinning. "You gotta admit, it's an attention grabber." "God," Alex gasped. "Let's go see the other place." "You don't even want to go in?" "What? In there? Not especially, no." "Why not?" "Fox, anyone with taste as hideous as this is not someone I want within fifty miles of my wedding." Fox shrugged and said nothing. "Do you?" Alex asked, his tone cueing Fox in to what his answer had better be. "Uhh...no. Nope. Absolutely not." Alex stared for a few seconds at the older man then turned his attention to the side-view mirror. He let a couple of cars pass then pulled out and onto the street. He found the second florist with a minimum of trouble, and when he parked in front of the building, he looked to Fox. "See? Nice. Tasteful. No butterflies, no pink awnings." He shut the engine off and opened his door. "Let's go." Entering the shop, they walked across the slate floor, eyeing the minimalist décor and high style arrangements. "Very uh...cosmopolitan," Fox mumbled, looking around. "Yeah. I wouldn't expect to see this kind of..." Alex broke off in the middle of his sentence as a tall, pale, painfully thin woman draped in black entered from the back room. "Good afternoon," she droned, managing to speak the words without really moving her lips. "May I..." she looked the men up and down. "...help you?" "Yeah," Alex said, sensing a bad scene coming up. "We're getting married in August..." One black eyebrow arched slightly, and the woman's back became impossibly stiffer. "...and we'd like some flowers for the occasion." "Well...before we proceed, may I first ask what the date of your union is?" Fox watched one corner of Alex's mouth twitch at the word 'union'. "August tenth." "I'll have to check my schedule," The woman said coolly, walking over to a desk in the corner of the room and opening a drawer. "We may be booked for that weekend." Fingers drumming on his thigh, Alex watched as she slowly turned the pages of the book and stopped on what he assumed was the tenth. Her expression remained impassive, but she stared at the page a good long time, and just before she was about to speak, a man entered the room carrying a fluorescent light bulb and smiled at them. "Wow, customers! Hi. Sorry to interrupt. I'll be out of your way in a second." The woman glared at the man as he began to replace the bulb in the small display refrigerator then looked back down at the book. "It would seem that we are free that Saturday. If you'd like to take a seat," she said, motioning to the two chairs in front of the desk as she sank into the one behind it. Eyes fixed intently on the woman, Alex let Fox sit first then settled beside him. The woman said nothing until the man finished installing the bulb and left. "Now. I'll start by telling you that we do have a minimum for weddings, and some people find it a bit high..." Alex laughed softly, looking to Fox. "She's trying hard, isn't she?" "Oh, yeah." "I beg your pardon?" Alex gave the woman and frown and waved nonchalantly at her. "Nothing. You were saying?" "Yes. My minimum. I won't touch a wedding under a thousand dollars. If that's too much, you might just want to..." "That's fine," Alex interrupted, eyes gleaming. "So, please; by all means, lets continue." The woman paused for a moment, holding her disappointment securely in place. "In that case...what have you got in mind?" "Nothing overpowering. Simple and nice," Alex instructed. "If it doesn't rain, we plan on getting married," he said, stressing the word 'married', "outside, under an arbor that's already covered with climbing roses. There are four tables there, and we'd like something small for each. There's a room that we'll be using as well. We'll need a few arrangements for those tables and one for a piano in the corner of the room. Uhh...what else, lisa?" Fox gave Alex a wide-eyed look and shrugged. "You want to wear a boutonnière?" Fox wrinkled his nose. "Do we have to?" "Nope. I think I'd rather not, anyway." Alex gave his lover a tiny smirk. "But uhh...you wanna carry a bouquet?" Fox sneered at the younger man, but before he could fire off a wise-ass response, the saleswoman's voice drew their attention back to her. "Men do not carry bouquets. Even your kind," she finished under her breath. Alex's eyes narrowed. "Our kind?" "Men like you," the woman sighed, making things worse. "Like us," Fox repeated. "What? Tall men like us? Good-looking men like us?" "We are cute," Alex agreed quickly, nodding at Fox. Fox nodded back then continued grilling the saleswoman. "So. What exactly do you mean by 'men like us'?" She had a hard time saying it, but finally... "Gay men." Alex delivered a sharp backhand to Fox's arm. "You're gay? You bastard! How come you didn't tell me?" "I thought it could wait until after the wedding," Fox returned, not missing a beat. "I didn't want to upset you." "I don't see the humor in this at all," the woman said, casting a disdainful glance from one man to the other. Fox turned a cool gaze to her. "And you know what? Neither do we. I've had just about enough of this." He rose from his seat and held his hand out to Alex. "I don't get it. Why didn't you just lie and tell us that the date was already booked? Why tell us it was open and then do everything you could to dissuade us from using you?" Alex took Fox's hand and got to his feet. "You heard that guy, babe. He was surprised to see customers in here. Wonder why that is." He shook his head at the woman. "That your husband, lady? He is, isn't he? If we'd left quickly, he'd probably have a pretty good idea why, and he'd be reading you the riot act about now, right?" The woman snorted and looked away. "Thought so. Well, you have a nice day. Tell hubby the gay guys said bye." Hand in hand the two left the shop and stepped back out onto the street. "Well, that's great," Alex huffed as they walked toward the car. "We got a minister but no flowers." "Alex..." "What the hell are we supposed to do about flowers?" "Let's go check out that other place," Fox suggested. "The place with the pink circus tent in front? Oh...oh, God, Fox." "You know what?" Fox asked, smirking at the other man. "You're just as bad as Morticia in there." "S'cuse me?" "Uh huh. You're a snob." "A...I'm a what?" "That's right. You looked at the outside of the building and automatically started jumping to conclusions about their work." "I...but that was...Fox, come on." "I used to wear those funky ties before you got your hands on me, remember? Didn't make me stupid or anything, right?" "No, but..." "Come on," Fox coaxed, opening his door. "Let's go check them out." Heaving a much put upon sigh, Alex rounded the front of the car and got in. "Fine. But the first time they mention the use of pink or butterflies, we're out of there. If we have to fly the arrangements up from Virginia, that's what we'll do." A short time later Fox was dragging Alex up to the door of the first shop. "Hibiscus Harry's?" Alex groaned, reading the name on the door. "Catchy name, huh?" Fox opened the door and pushed the reluctant man inside. "Oh, Christ," Alex gasped, taking in the ostrich feathers and crystal lamps. "Fox..." "Hey there, kids!" a cheerful voice piped from behind a display of paper mache giraffes. "What can I do you for?" "Not for all the money in the world," Alex mumbled, stumbling sideways as Fox elbowed him. "Hi," Fox said, returning the man's smile. "We need a little help." "Okee dokee." The man stepped forward, and Alex closed his eyes as green Bermuda shorts and a fluorescent orange and blue Hawaiian shirt assaulted his vision. "Fox..." Ignoring Alex, Fox spoke to the other man. "We're getting married this August..." "And you need some flowers, do ya?" "Yeah," Fox answered, smiling at Alex. "Cool. August what?" "Tenth." The man nodded. "Can do. We got one more wedding on that day, but it's really tiny. So. Let's start with an introduction. I'm Harry." "Hibiscus Harry?" Fox grinned. "The one and only." Fox reached out and shook the man's hand. "Glad to know you, Harry. I'm Fox, and this is Alex." "How ya doin', Alex?" Harry asked, "You're looking a little pale there, bud. I promise, this won't hurt a bit." "Wanna bet?" "Cold feet, kid? It's okay. Lots of people get it. You'll be fine. Come on. You boys have a little sit down, and we can talk about what you want." "Sure." Fox began to move forward then stopped when he realized that Alex wasn't following. "Come on, honey," he purred, taking Alex's hand and pulling him along. Pushing him down into a straight out of the seventies, avocado green plastic chair, Fox dropped down in the chair beside him. Grinning, he looked at his own harvest gold seat then turned his gaze to Alex. "Tell me this doesn't bring back memories." "Of?" "Come on, Alex, you know your mother's kitchen was one of these two colors." "I don't recall." "Right." "Everybody's mother's kitchen was one of these two colors," the man chimed in, laughing. "Sorta gives you that homey feel, doesn't it?" Fox readily agreed with the man while Alex simply stared at the two of them. Fox cleared his throat and got back to business. He repeated what Alex had said to the first florist, and when he finished, Harry sat nodding for all of twenty seconds before diving in. "Okay. Check this out; tell me what you think. I'm seeing hydrangeas in all shades of blue and purple. We'll also carry the red rose theme from the climbers on into the arrangements, and to give 'em a little spark, something in chartreuse." Fox gave Harry a puzzled look. "Chartreuse being..." "Green." Both men looked to Alex. "Chartreuse is a shade of green. Light. Bright, but not really lime. I like it." Harry's eyes brightened further if that was at all possible. "The color or the idea?" "The idea. I like the whole idea." Fox's eyebrows arched. "Do you now?" "Yeah, yeah." "Far out!" Harry continued. "I'm seeing the table arrangements in short, cylinder glass bowls. Compact and informal. Oh...oh! And rose petals and hydrangea florets scattered here and there on the floor outside. That's it. Nothing more. Inside, we can do the same type arrangements for the tables and a big one in a high pedestal container with a couple of little arrangements near it on top of the piano." Alex sat quietly thinking, then he nodded. Harry smirked at him. "Have I got your trust now?" Alex gave the man a grudging smile. "I guess." "Good. Now. Anything else?" Fox thought for a second then snapped his fingers. "Scully. Think we should get her something?" "Something like..." "I don't know. Those things that women wear." "You mean, like a corsage." "Yeah." "I don't know, Fox. I don't see Scully as the corsage wearing type." Harry broke in. "Is this Scully in the wedding party?" "Well, it's just Fox and me," Alex answered, "But we'll need two witnesses, and she'd be one." "If she's going to stand up there with you, I think you should get her something. How about flowers to carry?" Fox's nose wrinkled. "Won't she look too much like a bridesmaid?" "Not unless she's wearing peach taffeta," Harry grinned. "Noooo, no taffeta." "Well, I think a very small clutch would be a nice gesture." "Okay, I'll go along with that. Lisa?" "Sounds fine." "Okee doke. Any other women? Mothers? Grandmothers?" "Nope. None of those." "Fathers? Grandfathers?" "Again, that would be a no. But uh..." Alex turned to Fox. "I think it would be nice to have flowers in the guests' rooms when they get there." "Yeah, that's a good idea." Another twenty minutes, and the flowers were taken care of. On the way to the car, Fox needled Alex. "So. Guess the saying really is true." "What saying would that be?" Alex asked, knowing that he couldn't get away without hearing at least one 'I told you so'. "You know. The not being able to judge a book by its cover thing." "We haven't seen the flowers yet." "Yeah," Fox grinned. "Okay. But on the tenth, I'm going to say I told you so. And I'm going to say it on the eleventh, too." The men got into the car, and Alex sent Fox a half-hearted glare. "You'll do it too, won't you?" "Absolutely." "All right, shut up about it for now and tell me where this musician is supposed to be." "Uhhhh....Harmony Haven." "Whaa??" "It's supposed to be..." Fox looked all around him and pointed. "Guess we can get out of the car. There it is." Alex's head swiveled around and found the place Fox was pointing at across the square. "It looks like a music store." Fox shrugged. "Where else would you find musicians?" "I don't know. In a studio?" "There you go again." "All right, all right. I promise I'll behave myself." "Yeah. What did you say to me when I promised the exact same thing?" Alex couldn't hide the smile. "I figured that sooner or later those words would come back to bite me on the ass." Fox laughed softly and slipped an arm around his lover's waist as they walked toward the building. "Who knew it'd be sooner, huh?" "Don't look at me like that......I'm serious." Deep brown eyes stared as Scully tried to enjoy her hamburger. "Clyde, Mulder specifically said no extras." More staring. "Are...are you drooling? Oh, my God. Look, you're not getting any, so just cut it out." The dog emitted a heavy sigh and rested his chin on Scully's leg. "Oh, man. They're going to blame me, you know, if you haven't lost those four pounds," she said, slipping a little piece of meat to the animal. "Okay. That's it. Now, go away." And he did. As soon as he'd eaten a third of Scully's hamburger. "Very nice," she muttered to herself as Clyde happily trotted away. "Conned by a dog." As she started to clean up the kitchen, Clyde trotted back in with a ball in his mouth. Nudging Scully's leg with his nose, he growled for attention. "What...no, you don't. You made me give you part of my dinner; I am not playing ball with you." Clyde dropped the ball and yapped loudly. "What part of the word 'no' don't you understand?" Yap. "Clyde..." Yap. Yap. "You're as bad as they are, you know that?" The phone rang before she could give in. "Sheesh. Checking on us already? Clyde would you stop that racket?" Scully begged while reaching for the phone. "Hello? Would you please..." "I...I'm sorry, I think I might have the wrong number." "Who are you looking..." Scully paused to shush the still-barking dog. "...who are you looking for?" "Is that Clyde barking?" "Yeah. Uh...is this Maria?" "Yes, it is." "This is Dana." "Oh! Hi, how are you?" "I'm fine. Just trying to get this animal to shut up." "So I hear. Uh...is my cousin at home?" "No, sorry. He and Mulder left for Vermont this morning." "I thought I'd probably missed them but I wanted to try anyway." "Well, I'm sure I'll be hearing from them soon. Is there a message?" "Uh...yeah. Could you just ask him to book one more room?" "Really?" Scully breathed. "That's so great. Mulder had mentioned this morning that they weren't sure you'd be going to the wedding." "Yeah, I had some thinking to do. I actually didn't think I'd come to a decision so soon, but I have. Alex is my family. And I want him in my life." Scully smiled into the phone. "I can't tell you how happy I am. For a long time now, neither one of those men has had any family to speak of. They've only had each other. And while that's all they need, I know they both wish they had someone else to share their happiness with." "They've got you," Maria said. "I could see last night how much they love you." "Mmm. Could you also see how nuts they drive me?" Scully droned. "I've been dealing with their craziness for years. It's about time they had someone else to aggravate." "You're uh...you're kidding, right?" Scully laughed at the woman's disturbed tone. "Mostly. I really love the psychos, and I wouldn't give 'em up for the world. But it would be nice to have someone to share their insanity with." Maria laughed then. "Are they really that bad?'' "God, the stuff they've put me through." "Well, Alex told us some stories last night that were just too wild to believe." "Believe them." "What I really don't understand is, with so much between them, how did he and Fox ever..." "Wasn't easy. In fact, it's been hell. But there they are. Still together and wildly in love. If there were any two people destined to be together, it's Alex and Mulder." "I'd like to hear the whole story sometime. I mean, last night I got Alex's story, and of course Fox was a part of that, but I didn't really hear a lot of their story, you know? Guess we'd need a lot more time for that." "Yeah, you would. Their life together could be made into a month long mini series." "Well, I hope to have plenty of time." "You will. Alex will be so happy. Uh...what about Victor?" Maria sighed heavily. "I'm not sure. I knew it was a long shot from the beginning. They'd never been close. But I'd really hoped that time would have tempered that animosity." "Guess not, huh?" "No. Victor's still very jealous of Alex." "I don't understand," Scully said. "Your grandmother has been gone for years." "Yeah. But you may or may not know that when she passed, she left all her money to Alex. That really frosted Victor." "What about you?" "I can't say that I didn't feel a little...left out. But I never held it against Alex. He wanted to give us some of his inheritance, you know. We wouldn't accept it, though. I felt that our grandmother wanted him to have it, and that was the way it should stay. Victor didn't take it just because he was too pissed off. I remember he told Alex to take his charity and shove it up his...well, you know. "Anyway, years later, there's Alex with this beautiful home and a wonderful life with a man who adores him. It got Victor riled up all over again. He could have had a life very similar to Alex's, and he blew it." "That's not Alex's fault." "No, of course it isn't. But seeing the life that Alex is living forced Victor to remember what a fool he'd been. A very wonderful man was once in love with him. And Victor treated him badly. And it ended." "I..." Scully stammered. "I didn't realize...I guess it makes sense now." "What does?" "Last night. When Victor said that he wasn't concerned with Alex's sexual orientation. It seemed kind of odd since he'd presented himself as a very rigid, opinionated person. Now it makes sense." "Yeah. I felt so bad when Chris left him. I mean, he had every right to go; Victor was not the most faithful of men, but I'd so hoped that he'd straighten out and they'd make it work. Chris could have been good for him if Victor would have just given him a fighting chance. The man was kind, hard-working, patient...he had to be to put up with Victor for as long as he had. But, finally, he'd had enough, and he left. And of course, it was until after it was all over that Victor really realized what he'd lost." "That's usually the way," Scully sighed. "But still. Victor's screwed up life should have no bearing on how he feels about Alex." "I know that. I told him that. He's not very easy to reason with, though. Especially when it comes to our cousin. And God, when he heard Alex's story that just gave him more of an excuse to be hostile." "That's really too bad. But I don't get it. Why'd he come with you if he was still so unreceptive to a reconciliation with Alex?" "I think he was hoping that if we did find Alex, it would be in a situation far less comfortable than it is." "Wow. He's never going to find any kind of happiness holding on to that kind of animosity." "Tell him that." Scully released a soft sigh. "What about Alex's father? What's the deal with him?" "I'm afraid he's more like Victor. Stubborn and very unreasonable." "Well, that sounds like a Krycek trait." Maria snorted softly. "Alex too, huh?" "He's got his moments," Scully answered. "Mulder keeps him grounded, though. He's the only one who can...unless of course, Mulder's being stubborn and unreasonable too. Then I want to bang their heads together." Maria laughed in response. "Anyway...have you seen his father yet?" "Yeah. Uncle Iliia asked a lot of questions...I answered them. I figured that if there was any chance that he'd want to see Alex, I didn't want there to be any surprises, you know?" "Understood." "Anyway, I don't know. I think that maybe we might have got him thinking. By we, I don't mean Victor and me. I mean his wife Natalie. She also thinks he's way out of line, acting the way he is toward his son." "So...two against two." "Yes and no. I got rid of Victor while I talked to him." "How'd you manage that?" Maria went silent for a minute then figured, what the heck? Scully was going to find out about Raiza anyway. "Dana, there's one thing that I failed to mention to Alex last night. I have a child. A daughter." "Oh." "Yeah, uh...I didn't want to say anything about her just yet. I mean, if I decided to stay out of Alex's life, I thought it would be better if he didn't know about her. She's so young. I really didn't know if I wanted to subject her to...I mean..." "It's okay," Scully soothed. "I understand. But you've decided now that you do want to tell him about her?" "Yeah. I do. She's got so little family. How can I deny her what I think would be a couple of really neat uncles?" "I agree. So, how old is she?" "Five. And very impressionable. Which is why I have to admit that I'm still wary about this whole thing." "I understand that too. But I think I can promise you that Alex and Mulder'll be tickled to death to have a little one to dote on. You know, besides Clyde." "That's what I'm hoping. Victor, as much of a mook as he can be, loves her dearly, and she adores him. I asked him to take her out to play yesterday, and she took it from there. He couldn't say no." "Smart." "Yep. He's a pushover when it comes to Raiza. He's worried about that too." "What?" "He's worried that once she gets to know Alex, she'll love him more." "Alex would never do anything to disrupt Victor's relationship with your daughter." "I'm sure he wouldn't. But again, once Victor gets an idea in his head, it takes more than some verbal reassurance to get it out." "Good luck. Sounds like you're going to have your hands full." "Don't I know it." "So, if we can get back to Alex's father...how did he react?" "Not favorably. Uncle Iliia, as I said, is a very stubborn man. He refuses to admit that the destruction of his relationship with Alex was his fault. All he's focused on is the fact that Alex basically disappeared from the radar screen for all those years. He won't go back to the time before that when he shunned his only child for really no reason. He won't see that he's the one who started this ball rolling. I know it was a shock to him when Alex's mother died. It was a shock to all of us. But he retreated into himself. And when his mother died, he just kept sinking until he'd gone so deep that he'd completely turned away from the only family he had left in the house...Alex." "He must have come out sometime," Scully said. "He remarried." "Yeah. And then it was like he tried to start over. He buried the memory of his wife and mother, and since Alex was so close to that, he basically buried him right along with them. It...it's weird, I know. But that's how it's been." "I can't imagine my mother turning away from me like that. I think I'd be devastated." "I know. My mother's tried talking to him. So has Victor's father." "These are Iliia's brother and sister?" "Right." "Apparently, they've had no luck." "None. They gave up a long time ago." "That's...God, that's really too bad. But you know, if he can't be at the wedding as a loving, supportive father, then I guess it's best that he not go at all." "Yeah," Maria sighed. "But uh...hey. What about your parents? And Victor's? They sound like reasonable people." "I...do you think Alex and Fox would mind?" "Mind having happy, caring relatives there to share their day? They'd be thrilled. If you think they'd be really open, why don't you ask them? We can surprise Alex." "Aww, that'd be so nice." Maria smiled into the phone. "I'm all excited now." "Yeah, me too," Scully crowed. "I love springing surprises on people. So, okay. You talk to your parents and Victor's, and let me know how it goes. Then I'll talk to Mulder and see if they've got room for you at the inn, and make the arrangements for seating and dinner and whatnot." "What if they're booked for that night?" "I'll ask them to recommend someplace close by and you can stay there." "Sounds like a plan. Okay, I'll get to work and call you back as soon as I can." "Great. I'm so glad you called, Maria. It'll be nice to have you as part of our little family." "Thanks, Dana. Call you soon." Scully said goodbye and hung up grinning. "Well, Clyde, we've done our good deed for the day. I guess we can go out and play now." At the mention of the word 'play', the dog, who had since resigned himself to the fact that he wasn't getting Scully out of the house, leapt to his feet and began to howl. "Where's your ball? Go get it." Clyde wheeled around searched out his ball. Finding it in mere seconds, he leapt around growling until Scully got to her feet. Continuing the noise, he followed her out of the house and into the yard. "He wasn't that bad." "Wasn't that..." Alex gave the other man an incredulous stare. "Fox, he wanted to play the Chicken Dance at our wedding! And the freakin' Hokey Pokey, and what's that other stupid song...oh yeah, the Macerena!" "So? We told him that we weren't into that stuff, and he agreed that they wouldn't play it." "Uh huh. So instead he plays a sample tape of his tribute to Neil Diamond." At that, Fox threw his head back and started to sing. "Love on the rocks. Ain't no big surprise..." "Fox..." "Just pour me a drink and I'll tell you some lies..." "If you don't shut up, and I mean right now, I think I'll have to kill you." "Before you marry me and inherit my fortune?" Alex emitted a low grunt. "So okay, what are we going to do about music?" "I don't know. There's got to be somebody else, even if they're not in town." "How about if we go back to the inn and find a phone book? Most directories give the names of businesses and whatnot for a few towns in the general area." Alex agreed, and the two started back. Upon arrival Cujo again greeted them, and they walked into the house, followed by the dog. "Hey, they're back!" Joan chirped, bustling into the room, followed by a man they hadn't yet met. "Guys, this is my husband Jack." The short, stocky man with sandy hair and twinkling blue eyes walked up and extended his hand. "Hey, how's it going?" Alex shook his hand first, then Fox, and when the introductions were completed, Joan asked how their trip into town went. "Well, we've secured a florist, but not a band," Fox volunteered, smirking as Alex rolled his eyes. "Yeah? Which florist?" "Hibiscus Harry." "Good! He's a bit eccentric, but you'll love his work. I gave you the address of the one on Morton Street because being from Washington, I didn't know if your tastes would run to that style of work, but I'm glad you went with Harry. He's an excellent designer, and he's so much easier to work with." "So we discovered," Fox said. "That woman was not very nice." Joan wrinkled her nose. "I was hoping that months without a deluge of work would temper her attitude a bit. Guess not, huh?" "Uh, no." "Sorry. I hope she didn't give you too much of a bad time." Fox shrugged. "Could've been worse. Our problem now is finding a band. You don't know of any except for that one?" "Sorry," Joan said. "If there are any others, I don't know about them." "We thought that maybe if we had a look in your phone book we'd be able to find some more in the area." "Sure, you're welcome to look," Joan assured Fox, pointing out the directory. "Hey," Jack broke in. "What about my nephew Andy?" "Oh, not for a wedding," Joan argued then turned to the other two men. "His nephew has a heavy metal band. Eww." "No, no," Jack huffed. "Maybe he'd know of an appropriate band. Andy knows tons of musicians." "Oh. Well. I guess that's worth a shot. You guys want us to call Andy and see if he knows anyone?" Fox looked to Alex, who threw his hands up. "Sure, what the heck? What've we got to lose, right?" While Jack made his call, Joan led the men into the kitchen. Four people moved around the huge room, tending to this pot and that one, chopping, pressing and rolling. "They can do without me for a couple of minutes," Joan promised then motioned for the men to sit at the table. "Would you like some coffee? Tea?" "Actually, tea sounds good," Alex said, rubbing the middle of his forehead with his knuckles. "You got it. Fox?" Fox held up one hand. "I'm fine, thanks." As Joan got up to get the water on the stove, Fox reached for his lover's hand. "Head hurt?" "I'm okay. Just a little tired." "Relax," Fox whispered, rubbing Alex's hand. Everything's going to be great." "Not if 'The Solitary Men' are the only band we can get." Fox gave the younger man a cheery smile. "It'll make for some amusing memories." "I want you to have sweet memories," Alex insisted softly. Fox stared for a moment then leaned forward and dropped a tender kiss on the other man's mouth. "How can they not be sweet?" He asked. Alex closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Fox's. The meaning behind his silence did not go unheard, and Fox cupped the back of his head and kissed him once more before Joan reappeared with two steaming mugs. "Here we go." She set the mug down in front of Alex, who reluctantly pulled himself away from his lover's touch and thanked her. "Here's our menu." She placed a four-page booklet down on the table. "You boys want to have a look?" Alex picked the booklet up and moved closer to Fox. "You weren't kidding when you said you had an extensive menu," he murmured then looked over at Fox, who was squinting at the pages. "Where are your glasses?" "Left 'em in the car, I think." "There's a good place for them." Fox shrugged and returned his attention to the menu. Alex watched him trying to focus on the small letters then got up with a long sigh. "Where are you going?" Fox asked as the younger man moved away from the table. "Be right back, Joan," Alex droned, leaving the room. Joan shook her head and laughed. "My guess'd be out to the car," she said, answering Fox's question. As predicted, a couple of minutes later Alex reappeared in the kitchen and handed Fox's glasses to him. Fox gave his lover a sheepish grin and put the glasses on. "Better?" Fox looked down at the menu. "Wow." Alex lifted his mug to his lips. "Uh huh." Still smiling, Fox rested his cheek against Alex's shoulder and continued to look the menu over. "A lot of choices, huh?" "Told you. Do you think you'd be interested in anything?" Jack walked back into the room and took a seat at the table, waiting for the conversation to stop. "I..." Alex began, nodding. "I think so. What d'you think, lisa?" Fox lifted his head and smiled at Joan. "But is it any good?" The woman chuckled and rose from her chair. Moving over to one of the two large stoves, she opened up a pot and ladled some contents into a bowl. She returned, placing the bowl down in front of her guests. "Try that." Sniffing at the creamy concoction, Alex dipped the spoon in and raised it to his lips. Fox watched him blow the steam away then pop the spoon into his mouth, and he smiled as Alex moaned happily. "That's gotta be the best clam chowder I've had." He scooped up another spoonful and blew at it before carefully moving it to Fox's mouth. "Oh, yeah," Fox agreed after swallowing. "Excellent. Joan, if all your meals are this good, I'd say you have the job." "Well, don't make up your minds right now," Joan said. "You'll be here for how many meals?" "Uh...if we have lunch too? Four or five." "Okay, then. Take the menu to your room. Take your time and pick out what you think you want. If by the time you leave you decide you want us to do the food, give me your list. If you don't, there'll certainly be no hard feelings." "That's fair," Alex said, and Fox nodded his agreement. "Good. Now. Jack, have you got anything?" "I got a few names. Andy promises me that they're very good and more like what you'd be looking for. You can call them and ask for tapes, and they'll send 'em to you." "Great," Alex said, taking the offered sheet of paper. "Thanks a lot." "No problem." "You boys got a little more than an hour until dinner, so if you want to go for a walk or...whatever," Joan grinned, "go ahead." "Sounds good." Alex took Fox's hand and brought it to his lips. "How 'bout it? Want to go for a walk or...whatever?" Fox lowered his lashes and looked up at Alex through them. "I think a walk would be safer than 'whatever' this close to dinner." "'Kay." Alex pushed away from the table and pulled Fox up after him. "Thanks for the tea, Joan. We'll give this menu a good look. Jack, thanks for getting these names." Jack gave the couple a quick salute, and they left the kitchen. "Feel better?" Fox asked, lacing his fingers with Alex's and swinging the younger man's arm back and forth. "We've got flowers, and we're pretty sure we've got food. All we need is some..." "Shit!" "Nooo, I don't think we need any of that." Fox sent Alex a confused look and waited. "Pictures!" Alex shouted. "We need a photographer!" Fox slammed his hand over his heart. "What? You mean you actually forgot something?" "Yes. Dammit!" "Alex," Fox laughed, gently grasping the agitated man by his shoulders. "Take it easy. We don't have to get everything settled this weekend." "When else are we going to do it?" "We can come up again. You wouldn't mind spending another weekend here, would you?" "No, but..." "It's all right," Fox soothed. "You're going to give yourself a stroke if you don't take it down a notch." Alex emitted a frustrated whimper as Fox pulled him into his arms. "How could I have forgotten?" "It's not the end of the world. Come on, baby, take it easy. If all else fails, we can buy those little disposable cameras for everybody and get a bunch of candid shots." Alex lifted his head and stared at the other man. "Oh, God." "What? Don't you think candid shots would be nice?" "In addition to professional photos? Yeah. Not instead of." "Alex..." "What? Is it being unreasonable to want a nice professional picture of us to put above the mantle instead of some fuzzy amateurish snapshot?" "No. Of course not. All I'm saying is that in case we can't get a professional, we shouldn't lose our minds over it, and we should make do with what we've got." "You mean I shouldn't lose my mind." "Okay, well...yeah..." Alex glared at Fox, who in turn gave him a comforting smile. "Some of the nicest pictures I've seen are shots taken when the subjects were caught off guard. If that's what we have to do, we'll do it, and it'll be great." Heaving a conciliatory sigh, Alex wrapped his arms around the older man. "Am I aggravating you?" "No. You're aggravating yourself. By the time we get to August, you're going to be too exhausted to enjoy our honeymoon." Alex shook his head, pulling Fox more tightly against him. "Sorry, lisa. I promise I'll try and calm down. Last thing I want is to be too tired to make love to you four or five times a day on our honeymoon." Fox grinned and leaned into a brief but thorough kiss. "Remember the waterfall?" "Yeah," Alex whispered then claimed another kiss. "And the beach, and the living room, and the dinner table...believe me, I haven't forgotten a second of that trip." Purring softly, Fox moved in for a breath of a kiss, ending it with a teasing pass of his tongue across Alex's lower lip. "You do that again," Alex warned, rocking against his lover, "and there'll no walking going on today." Leveling a smoky stare on the younger man, Fox took his hand and slowly backed toward the door. Alex glanced toward the stairs then gave his lover a questioning look. "Almost dinner time, remember?" Fox asked, reaching behind him to open the door. "Yeah, but..." "Later." Deep growls rumbling in his throat, Alex followed Fox out into the late afternoon sunshine. "Hi, Mum." "Hi. What're you up to?" "Nothing much." "What's up?" "I wanted to talk to you. Got a few minutes?" "Sure. What do you want to talk about?" "What I'd called you about last night." "Oh. Your cousin?" "Yeah. Uh...I know you and Dad were shocked just like the rest of us, but...you didn't really have anything negative to say." "No, well...I mean, what can I say? Everybody at one time or another makes some kind of mistake in their life. Some more outrageous than others..." "I know." "But you said Alex has paid for his mistakes, and that he's straightened his life out, and I say good for him. He's my nephew. And I'm so glad to know that he's all right, and he's happy." "Glad enough to think about going to his wedding?" "I...I hadn't thought. Did he say he wanted us there?" "I talked to his best friend, and she said that it'd be a wonderful surprise for him to have his family there. I doubt very seriously that Victor or Uncle Iliia will go, so that would leave just Raiza and me unless I can get you and Dad and Uncle Ivan and Aunt Irene to go with us." "Maria...I don't know." "What?" "Okay, you said his friend said it'd be a big surprise, but...a good, big surprise or a bad big surprise? The last thing any of us needs is a scene." "If our visit with Alex was any indication, I think he'd be pleased. Shocked speechless, but pleased." "All right, what about his plans? Assuming we all end up attending, won't six extra people upset everything? Accommodations, dinner..." "Dana's going to handle all of that. Any more objections?" "There weren't objections, honey, I just wanted to make sure that if we did go it wouldn't be any imposition on Alex and his uh...this might sound like a stupid question, but what would call him?" "His husband, I would imagine." "Sounds funny knowing that we're talking about men." "But you're okay with it? I mean, you've accepted Victor just fine." "Sure. But Victor didn't get married." "But he lived with Chris for a while." "Yeah. But I could just refer to Chris as Victor's companion." "Mom, if you or Dad or anyone else is not going to be able to look at Alex and Fox as an ordinary couple, then maybe you shouldn't..." "No. No, I'll be fine. Alex is my nephew, and I really would love to see him and let him know that he has got family who care." Maria smiled into the phone. "Thanks, Mom. What d'you think Dad'll say?" "First he'll roll his eyes and say, 'What? Another one?' Then he'll say something wise about the genes on my side of the family, then he'll say it's up to me." "Okay. As long as he can behave himself." "He'll be fine, I'm sure. Your Uncle Ivan's the one I'd wonder about. He tends to follow that Krycek code of stubbornness. Though he finally did accept Victor's lifestyle." "Yeah, but with Victor, it was just the matter of him being gay. Alex has a whole lot of baggage in addition to that." "I still can't believe it." "I know. Hard to wrap your mind around, isn't it?" "Very." "But you know, Mom, no one in the world has more reason to reject Alex than Fox. And I can't tell you how insanely in love with Alex he is. Wait until you meet him. He's tall and he's handsome, smart but not stuffy. He seems to be a bit quirky, which I love in a guy, and when he looks at Alex...let me just say that if the idiot had ever looked at me that way once in a while, we might not be divorced now." "Sounds like quite a catch, this Fox. Is that his real name?" "I would assume so" "Very unusual." "Mmm hmm." "How about Alex? Has he changed much? I remember him as this skinny kid with floppy hair and a baby face." "Every now and then I'd see signs of that baby face, but he's matured into a very handsome man. He had already reached Victor's height when he was still home, but he's filled out quite nicely. He and Fox make a striking couple." "I'm anxious to see him...them." Maria's mother inhaled deeply then let it out. "Well, I guess I'd better go run this by your father." "Okay. If he gives you any trouble, let me know. I'll go over and we can double-team him." "All right. Talk to you later." "Bye, Mom." Maria hung up and sat watching Raiza playing on the sofa for a little while before going over to her. "What're you making?" "A necklace for Annie," the little girl said, proudly holding up the string of orange, pink, and green beads that trailed over her lap and down the front of the sofa. "Isn't that a little long for Annie?" Maria smiled, looking from the necklace to the child's doll. "She might trip over it." Raiza thought seriously on this for several seconds then nodded. "I think you might be right. But it's not too long for you." Maria eyed the garishly colored necklace warily. "Uh...me?" "Yup." The little girl tied the ends of the string into several knots then held it up to her mother. "Here!" "Oh boy." Maria took the necklace and kissed the top of the dark head. "Thanks." "You're welcome," Raiza said, reaching for the necessary items to make another necklace. "Honey." "Hmm?" "Mummy has a surprise for you." Big, dark eyes fringed with matching lashes looked up expectantly. "Where is it?" "It's not really an it, it's a who." "Who?" "Yeah. You know how Uncle Victor is Mummy's cousin?" Raiza nodded. "And you know he's really your cousin too, but you call him Uncle because he's so much older than you." "I know, Mummy. You told me before." "Okay, well...Mummy has another cousin, like Uncle Victor. One you've never met before." "Where?" "In Virginia. That's a few states away from here. That's where I had gone. I went to see him." "Can I see him?" "That's the surprise. I'm going to take you to meet him." "Can we go today?" "No," Maria chuckled. "Not today. It'll be quite a few weeks from now. We're going to surprise him. See, he's getting married, and...Raiza, you know how Uncle Victor used to live with Chris?" "Yeah. I liked him. I wish he didn't go away." "Yeah, I liked him too. But anyway, just like Uncle Victor lived with Chris, your Uncle Alex lives with a man." "Uh huh." "And they're in love, and they're getting married. And then you'll have two new uncles." "And we're gonna go to the marriage?" "Wedding, honey. Yes, we're going to go." The child started bouncing up and down in her seat. "Do I get a new dress?" Maria shook her head and grinned. //Ah, to be five again.// "Yeah. I suppose we can get you a new dress." "Annie too?" "Why would Annie need a new dress?" The little girl planted both tiny fists on her hips. "She has to look good for the wedding too, Mummy." Maria threw up her hands and raised her eyes to the ceiling. "Sorry. Don't know what I was thinking. Of course Annie needs a new dress." That settled, the child quickly changed gears. "Do they have kids?" Maria's eyebrows drew down into a confused frown. "Huh?" "My new uncles. Do they have a little girl for me to play with?" "Ahhhh, no. No, they don't." "Are they gonna have one?" Maria stared dumbly at the child for a long, breathless moment. "Are they?" "Nnnno. They uh...they aren't." "Don't they like kids?" "I'm sure they do, honey, but uh..." "Sandy Benson said boys can't have babies." //Thanks, Sandy Benson.// "Well, she's..." //Crap// "She's sort of right. A man and a woman can have a baby, but two men can't." "How come?" Maria groaned inwardly. She'd really intended to wait just a while longer to have this conversation with her daughter, but opportunity, it seemed was banging at her door, and besides, she knew the kid wouldn't be put off. "Brother...okay, Raiza. It's like this..." "Mmmmmmh." Sweat pricked Fox's upper lip as he glided slowly into Alex's slick heat. His hands moved in unison over the damp back and tight globes of his lover's ass, and Alex's moans of pleasure, muffled by the pillows sizzled along his spine like an electric jolt. "Aaaah. Damn. Squeeze me, baby," he whispered, tightening his fingers on Alex's ass as he spoke the words. Alex obeyed, contracting his muscles, and a hard groan erupted from Fox's throat. His fingers dug into the softness of the pillow beneath him, clutching it desperately as Fox rocked back and forth, nudging his prostate. He pushed his face deeper into the pillow to muffle his frustrated cries, and just when he was sure that he could take no more, he felt his lover's hand slide around in front of him and grasp his neglected cock. Alex's choked sobs increased in volume as Fox began to stroke him. The pressure built to an excruciating level, and just when he thought he'd surely explode, Fox let him go. His head jerked up, and he whimpered wildly. "No...n-no. Fox..." Fox withdrew slowly, incurring more protest. Saying nothing, he gently turned Alex onto his back and stared down into pleading eyes. "I want to look at you," Fox whispered, caressing the younger man's cheek. A loud breath trembled past Alex's lips, and his glazed eyes tried to focus on his lover's. "Please...lisa..." Fox leaned in and covered Alex's mouth with his own, tenderly feeding on the soft flesh. His tongue slithered inside, stroking across the other man's as he lowered himself to the quivering body below. Alex reached up, threading trembling fingers through his hair and sucked hungrily at his tongue, and the action sent a fresh wave of desire slamming down on him. Hands that couldn't keep still slid down his back and over his ass, griping the firm muscles, and Alex pushed upward, grinding their cocks together. Overcome by the sensation, the younger man's head fell back, and he let out a harsh sob. "Sshhh. God...easy," Fox rasped as he twisted away from Alex's insistent grasp. His hands went to Alex's legs, and they parted easily for him, spreading wide then lifting to encircle him. "Need you," Alex panted. "Please...please..." Fox positioned his cock and pushed forward, slowly burying himself inside of the gasping man. Through half-closed lashes he watched as an expression of absolute pleasure contorted his lover's face. He felt the tension in Alex's body increase, and he wondered hazily how long it would be before one or both of them detonated. Refusing to let it happen just yet, he moved at an agonizingly slow pace, forcing Alex and himself to feel every second of the exquisite torture. "Relax," he gasped, trying to soothe the shuddering man. "Feel me, Alex. Just...just feel me." Clinging to Fox, Alex closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe deeply. Each lazy thrust made it more difficult, but he tried. Fox rewarded his efforts with another kiss, and then the older man's tongue slipped back into his mouth, mimicking his movements down below, and all of Alex's labors went straight to hell. His breaths again quickened, and he clutched at Fox; his hair, his shoulders and back. And all the time, an increasingly desperate whimpering sounded in his throat, sending the other man into an irreversible frenzy. All pretense of control completely gone now, Fox deepened the kiss, shoving his tongue as far down Alex's throat as he could while wrapping one hand around his lover's cock. His hips jerked madly as did his hand, and in one blinding flash, they were there. Strangled cries rose into the still air and slowly faded as the two reached their respective climaxes and collapsed into each other's arms. Silence except for the labored breathing of each man descended on the room. Soon even that dissipated, and Fox lay boneless and blissfully spent over Alex's damp chest. Now able to focus on something other than the devastating pleasure that his lover's body had provided, he could hear the faint chirping of crickets through the screened window. A tiny smile touched his weary lips, and he turned his head a fraction to kiss the slick, salty skin. No response. Another kiss. "You alive?" "....No." Fox laughed softly at the barely uttered answer. "Summer's coming." "Mmm." Alex opened one eye and directed it at the top of Fox's head. "What?" "Crickets." "Oh." Fox nuzzled his lover's chest. "We're getting married in the summer." "Yes, we are...unless we can't get some decent musicians." Fox lifted his head and tapped Alex's forehead with the tips of his fingers. "With or without a band, flowers, food or guests, we're getting married on schedule. Is that clear?" Alex looked up into dark, determined eyes. "Yeah, okay." "I'm serious, Alex." "Never for a minute thought that you weren't." Alex reached up to stroke his lover's hair. "Do you want to do that?" "What?" "Chuck the plans. Just have a quiet ceremony." "A little late for that." "It's never too late." Fox studied Alex's shadowed face for a few seconds then shook his head. "Let's keep everything as it is. It'll all work out, and even if there are a few gaffs, so what? That's what makes it memorable and unique. Just remember; whatever happens, stay cool, okay?" "Easier said." "I know, I know. But can you try? This should be fun, not nerve-wracking." "I agree," Alex said. "But when it's eight weeks until your wedding and you've got no music, a handful of guests with disposable cameras, and a refugee from the seventies doing your flowers, it's kind of hard not to be nervous." "It'll be fine," Fox answered. "You gonna make me repeat it to you ten times a day?" Alex stared up at the other man and said nothing. "I will, you know." Alex threaded his fingers through Fox's hair and pulled him down into a tender kiss. "I know," he whispered against Fox's mouth before reclaiming it for a deeper kiss. He released the older man several seconds later and wound his arms around him. "Just crack me over the head whenever I get too wound up, okay?" Fox smiled, nuzzling Alex's shoulder. "You got it." Both men went quiet, Alex stroking Fox's back gently. Long minutes later he heard the steady, deep respirations signifying that his lover was now asleep. He lay still for a while, enjoying the comforting weight of Fox's body, then he carefully wiggled free. Brushing a soft kiss over the strands of the other man's hair, he got out of bed and crept into the bathroom. A few minutes later he re-entered the room, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Checking once more to make sure that Fox was still asleep, he slipped silently from the room. Fox pushed his breakfast plate away and sighed loudly. "I'm stuffed." "I'd be stuffed too if I ate as much as you just did," Alex answered, smirking at the other man. "I couldn't stop eating it," Fox answered, picking up his coffee cup and sipping at the hot liquid. "Joan, that was great," he said to the innkeeper as she bustled toward them. "Glad to hear it." "What's for lunch?" Alex stared at the older man over his orange juice. "Are you kidding?" "Just curious." "How can you even think about food right now?" Fox shrugged and smiled up at Joan. "So?" "Worcester crab sandwiches and cold pasta salad." "Sounds great." "Throw in a bottle of wine and some fruit, and it'd be a wonderful picnic lunch," Joan said, nudging Alex. A hint of a smile was her only response. "And for dinner," she informed Fox, "before you ask, it'll be New England boiled dinner." "God, I don't think I've had that since I was a kid." "Yeah?" Joan smiled and sat down. "You from New England, or have you just visited before?" "I was born and raised in New England." "No kidding? Where about?" "Martha's Vineyard." "Holy mackerel, really? Jack's got an aunt in Edgartown. She's always after us to visit more, but it's tough when seventy -five percent of your business is done in the summer, you know?" Fox nodded. "And who wants to be on the island in winter? I mean, if you don't have to be." "Right. So, where on the Vineyard are you from?" "Chilmark originally. We moved to West Tisbury later." "Such a small world. How 'bout you, Alex? Where are you from?" "I was born in Pennsylvania." Joan waited for some elaboration. When none came, she gave Alex a slightly inquisitive smile and changed the subject. "Well...I'd better get going on that lunch if you're going to have it for your picnic. Uh...I'm sorry, I just sort of assumed, didn't I? Don't let me push you into it. I tend to get pushy sometimes." "No. Really?" "Who asked you?" Joan snorted as her grinning husband approached. "Careful, fellas," Jack warned, easily avoiding his wife's hand as she swatted at him. "Give her an inch..." "S'okay," Fox said to the man. "We're used to it. We've got a friend who likes telling us what to do. She swears we can't get along without her." "She's probably right," Joan teased. "Yeah, she probably is." Alex remained silent but the smile that played around his lips attested to his agreement. "Speaking of Scully, we'd better give her a call and see if Clyde's been behaving himself." "'Course he has." Fox raised one eyebrow. "You think so, huh?" "He's a good boy," Alex huffed. Fox nodded and gave Alex's knee a patronizing pat. "He is." "For you, he is." Alex snorted and pushed his chair away from the table. "It's a good thing one of you listens to me." "See you around lunchtime, Joan," Fox called as he tailed Alex out of the kitchen. "And if I listened to you all the time what reason would you have to spank me..." "'Bout damn time." Fox twitched at the tone in his partner's voice as she answered the phone. "Everything okay, Scully?" "Depends on what you mean by okay." "What d'you mean?" Fox asked, smiling as he glanced at Alex. "Didn't Clyde behave himself?" "Damn dog wore me out! All he wanted to do was play. When I stopped playing with him, he yapped until I played with him some more. And then when I was finally able to get away from him and go to bed, he woke me up at five friggin' thirty this morning, wanting to go out. And what do you think he wanted to do then?" "Uh..." "He wanted to play. One morning very soon, Mulder, your neighbors are going to show up on your porch carrying pitchforks and torches, y'know?" "Yeah, well..." Scully interrupted. "What is this animal's problem?" Her question was met by a hearty laugh. "Blame Alex. Ever since he put Clyde on that natural diet, his energy has doubled." "He wasn't enough of a maniac before?" "Yeah. But now he's a healthier maniac." "Wonderful." "Yeah. So, where is he? You didn't lock him up in a closet or anything, did you?" "Don't think I wasn't tempted. He's outside." "Ah." So, have you got anything accomplished?" "Yep. Minister and flowers are set. Booked the rooms, and we're pretty sure we're going to let Joan do the food." "Joan being..." "The innkeeper. We'll decide for sure tomorrow after we've eaten some more of her cooking." "Uh huh. Well, that's good." "Yeah." "Anything else?" "We talked to one musician yesterday, but that wasn't going to work out." "Yeah. Tell her why!" "That Alex?" "Yeah." "What's he yelling about?" He wants me to tell you why the musician didn't work out." "Okay. Why?" "He wanted to play stuff like the Chicken Dance." "What? Oh, God." "Yeah. I thought Alex was going to have a stroke." "There should be a law against that song and all others like it." "Aww, c'mon Scully. Wouldn't you love to see Skinner doing the Hully Gully?" "Okay," Scully snickered. "It might almost be worth it to watch that." "That's what I thought. But you-know-who doesn't see the prospective humor." Alex snorted and cut Fox a dirty look. Grinning, Fox shrugged and turned his attention back to his conversation. "So anyway, we're in pretty good shape except for the music and a photographer. It'd be nice to get at least one of those things squared away before we head back tomorrow." "Will Alex live through it if you don't?" "Not sure. I may have to have him med-flighted home." "You talking about me?" Alex more accused than asked, looking up from the menu he'd been studying for the twentieth time. "Nooo, no." "I can understand his anxiety, Mulder. It's not all that long before August." "It's two months away." "Right. Not exactly a lifetime. Do you realize that most people start planning their weddings more than a year in advance?" "Chuck and Vicki didn't." "I know. I was witness to the results, remember?" "It was fine. You and Alex are just snobs." "If having good taste makes me a snob, then fine. I'm a snob," Alex sniped as he got up and snatched the phone away from Fox. "Scully?" "Hey, it's my fellow snob. Okay, tell me. How's it really going?" "It could be worse, I suppose," Alex sighed then spun around and lunged for Fox as the older man slapped his ass and walked away. "The inn is beautiful, and so are the grounds. The innkeeper is a wonderful cook, she and her husband couldn't be nicer, and like Fox said, we'll probably let her cater the reception. The florist is a complete spaz, but he sounds like he knows what he's talking about, so..." "Well, you must have seen his shop, right? How'd it look?" "Like The Brady Bunch meets Laugh-in." "What?" "But when he opened his mouth to talk business, he sounded really competent. So, we're taking a chance. Besides, it was him or this skinny-ass, translucent vampire chick with a really bad attitude." "I see...I think." "Let's just say he was the lesser of two evils." "Okay..." "Fox thinks he's cool." Scully began to laugh. "That bad, huh?" He could be one of the Lone Gunmen." "Yeesh." "Now you got it?" "Yeah. I think so." "So, is Clyde bugging you?" Alex asked, changing the subject. "Yes. Why didn't you tell me that this new diet of his had turned him into a crazy dog?" "He's not crazy. He's just a little more...enthusiastic." "Yeah. Okay. Well, I gotta go. Your enthusiastic dog is digging a trench by the fence." "What? Tell him I'm going to kill him!" "Yeah," Scully answered flatly. "I'll do that. I'm sure he'll be terrified. Clyde! Knock that digging off, or your dad said he's going to kill you!" There was a brief pause, then Scully laughed into the phone. "Look at that. He stopped." "See? He knows what you're saying." "Uh huh. Listen, put Mulder back on for a minute, would you?" Alex handed the phone back to Fox, shaking his head. "What'd he do?" "He's digging holes." "I thought he'd stopped that." "I think he's just doing it because he knows he can get away with it with Scully. He's probably conned her into a bunch of stuff he's not supposed to be eating, too." Fox rolled his eyes and took the phone. "Yeah?" "Listen, Mulder, I've got something to tell you, but don't let Alex know what I'm saying." "Uh. Okay..." "I talked to his cousin Maria." "Yeah?" "Yeah. She called here hoping that you guys hadn't left yet for Vermont. She wants to come to the wedding." "Really? That's..." Fox caught himself. "Umm...yeah, that'll be fine." "There's more. She wants to see if she can get some more of his family to be there." "Really. Like?" "Aunts and uncles, I suppose. She doesn't think his father would go. And she's bringing her daughter." "Huh?" "She's got a five-year-old daughter. She didn't say anything to Alex about it the other night, because she just wasn't sure about anything, you know?" "Yeah, I know. " "You don't think he'll have any problems with these people showing up, do you?" "No, I don't think so. I think he'll be very pleased about that." "Yeah, so do I. She's going to call me back with a definite number. And listen, when she does, don't worry about sneaking around to get them rooms. I'll take care of it from my end." "That'd be great. Thanks for the update, Scully." "Okay. Call me later and let me know how you made out with the musicians and whatnot." "Will do. Talk to you later." "What was all that about?" Alex asked as his lover hung up and turned to face him. "Boring work stuff." Fox approached the younger man. Slipping his arms around Alex's waist, he planted a tiny kiss on the tip of his nose. "So, we gonna call some of those numbers?" "Yeah, let's get on it. Maybe we can at least get the list narrowed down before lunch." Alex picked the phone up, and the two sat down with the list. As Fox studied the piece of paper, Alex stared at him. Feeling his lover's eyes on him, Fox looked up in question. "You were talking about me, weren't you?" Frowning to mask a grin, Fox shook his head. "Nooo." "How are you feeling today, Uncle?" The lack of an answer didn't seem to offend Maria. She entered the living room and took a seat opposite the old man. "You've been working on that puzzle for some time now, haven't you?" "It would have been done a long time ago if he would have let me help him," Natalie said, walking into the room from the kitchen. She placed a tuna sandwich and glass of iced tea in front of the man. "Here, Iliia," she said softly, waiting until the man held his hand out to place two pills into them. She stepped back but did not leave the room as Iliia washed the tablets down with the iced tea. "Well," the elder Krycek grunted, clearing his throat. You two obviously want to speak to me about something. Get on with it." "I was wondering," Maria began, "if you'd given any more consideration to seeing Alex." Iliia cast his eyes down to the coffee table, and he reached down to move a few puzzle pieces around. "Uncle..." "Are you going to hound me until I give you an answer?" "Am I going to have to?" "No. I won't see him." "What? Why?" "I don't have to explain my decisions to you. Accept it and let me be." Maria opened her mouth to argue but was stopped by her aunt. "Fine, Iliia. I know how stubborn you can be. But I want you to know that come August, I'll be accompanying Maria and her parents to Alex's wedding." The gray head snapped up and sharp green eyes stared at the woman. "That's right," Natalie continued. "You don't have to go, but I'll be there." Iliia turned his eyes to the younger woman. "And your parents are going to this thing too?" "Yes, Uncle. They're going to your son's wedding. Iliia snorted softly and looked away. "Wouldn't you like to see how happy your only child is? Wouldn't you like to share in it?" "Alexei and I haven't shared anything for a very long time." "You could start." The old man shook his head. "No." "Uncle Iliia, for the love of..." "Forget it, Maria," Natalie broke in. "When your uncle makes his mind up about something it takes nothing short of an act of God to make him change it." Natalie led the younger woman out of the room and into the kitchen. "I don't understand," Maria growled. "How can he be like that? He pushed Alex away, not the other way around." "Would you believe it if I told you that I think it's because he's afraid?" Maria cocked her head, waiting for elaboration. "And ashamed," Natalie went on. "He knows full well what he did to Alex, and after that story you told, I know he must be feeling responsible, no matter how much huffing and puffing he does. And now he's afraid to see his son." "He'll never overcome his fear if he doesn't face Alex." "I know. But we have to resign ourselves to the fact that it probably won't ever happen." Natalie took the distressed woman's hands in her own. "Alex will have family at his wedding. People who are genuinely happy to see him and wish him well. That's what's important." Maria nodded and smiled at her aunt. "Thank you for agreeing to go." The smile grew wider. "You're a brave woman. The look on his face when you said you'd be going was not a pleasant one." Natalie shrugged. "Iliia is not as intimidating as he would like to think he still is." "When we were children, we were terrified of him," Maria chuckled. "Another way in which Alex reminds me of him now." "Oh?" "Yeah. I neglected to mention that he and Victor almost wound up in a brawl the night we were at his house. Victor was needling him relentlessly, and Alex got angry. I got the very distinct impression that Alex would have mopped the floor with him." "What stopped him?" "Well, Fox was so irritated with Victor, he was going to let Alex cold cock him. But Dana insisted that it was neither the time nor the place, so he stepped in and diffused the situation." Maria smiled. "Which he did with no trouble at all. I get the feeling he's probably the only one who can handle my cousin." The older woman nodded. "I'm looking forward to meeting this Fox. I really hope he won't mind us crashing his wedding." "Dana insists that we'll all be very welcome." "She knows this for sure?" "Nobody's closer to Alex and Fox than she is. If she says we'll be welcome, I believe her." "All right then." Natalie sighed then gave her niece a trace of a smile. "Guess I'd better start looking for something to wear." "Yeah, me too. And Raiza insists that her doll needs something new, too." Both women laughed then she continued. "Let's set up a date to go shopping. You, me, my mother and Aunt Irene." "Have you asked Irene and Ivan about it?" "Yes. Before I got here." "What'd they say?" "Let's just say that it looks like Victor and Uncle Iliia are going to have only each other for company on August tenth." "Victor must be pretty mad." "If he isn't yet, I'm sure he will be. Oh, well. He'll live through it." Maria looked down at her watch. "I'd better get out of here. The sitter could only stay until three, and I've still got a couple of things to do." Natalie followed Maria to the door and saw the younger woman off with a promise to think about a shopping date, and when her niece was gone, she returned to where Iliia was sitting and looked down at the silent man. "You still have a little time if you want to change your mind." Saying nothing, Iliia picked up a piece of his puzzle and studied its shape and color before attempting to fit it. "All right. Fine. Finish your lunch," Natalie said softly and left the room. When he was sure she was gone, Iliia dropped the puzzle piece and poked half of his sandwich with one finger. Pushing it away, he sat back against the sofa and stared sightlessly at his hands folded in his lap. "I don't know about you," Fox moaned after another succulent mouthful of his sandwich, "but I vote for Joan to do the catering." Alex nodded enthusiastically as he again ripped into his lunch. "Cool. See? We got one more thing settled. And, we've got tapes being mailed to us from the musicians." Popping the last of his sandwich into his mouth, Alex lay back and rested his head in Fox's lap. "Yeah, maybe it'll all turn out okay after all." "Told you." "Yeah, yeah. Wanna go see what photographers we can find after this?" Idly running his fingers through Alex's hair, Fox gave him a conciliatory smile. "Sure." "What? You have something else in mind?" Fox shrugged. "I was just thinking how nice it is out here." "Uh huh." "And how it might be nice to maybe lie down under this nice big tree and..." "Take a nap?" The question earned Alex a light slap to his forehead. Laughing softly, he nuzzled his lover's crotch. "I didn't say when we should take a nap." Fox's mouth curled into a contented smile as Alex turned his head and closed around the denim-covered, growing bulge. Biting down gently, Alex uttered a soft, throaty growl. Fox made an identical sound, tugging lazily at his hair, and he released the older man, directing a smoky gaze up at him. "Lie down, lisa." Fox slid away from the tree, obediently lowering himself to his back. His eyes slipped shut, and his back arched slightly as his lover's hands skimmed slowly over his chest and stomach. Alex pushed his t-shirt up, his lips following his hands, and a soft moan left Fox's lips as the younger man lapped at one quickly hardening nipple. His fingers crept through Alex's hair, massaging gently as pleasure tingled through him. The thought that any other of the inn's guests could be walking the grounds flitted through his mind but just as quickly left it as Alex's teeth closed around the tight nub and pulled. "Ah...God..." Alex's tongue flicked quickly over the bit of flesh he still held in his mouth, and a loud groan rumbled in Fox's throat. Alex released the nipple and lifted his head. Sparkling emerald eyes danced with mischief. "Shhh. Want someone to hear?" "Y'mean you wanna just give 'em the visual without the sound effects?" Alex laughed softly. "Yeah, we aren't exactly hidden from view, are we?" One corner of his mouth twitched up into a hint of a smile. "Maybe we should stop." Fox stared back. "That what you want?" "What I want," Alex growled softly, "is to suck you dry." He cast a furtive glance around then looked back at Fox. "Think you can be quiet?" "You're kidding, right?" Alex's shoulders shook as he laughed silently. "Okay. I got an idea." Quickly he undid Fox's pants, freeing his rigid cock. Unable to help himself, he leaned in, taking the head in his mouth and sucking hungrily. "Ah, Fox gasped. "Damn...this is your idea?" Alex pulled away, smirking down at the older man as he worked on his own jeans. "No." Fox watched as his lover discarded his pants and turned himself so that he was lying on his side and his cock was bobbing just inches from Fox's head. Smiling, he turned onto his side and skimmed his hand over Alex's hip as he nuzzled the thick muscle. "This should keep you quiet," Alex murmured, grasping his cock at the base and rubbing it against Fox's lips. The older man's eyes fluttered closed, and his mouth opened to allow his lover entrance. Emitting a stuttering sigh, Alex stroked the golden-brown head as Fox's tongue lazily stroked along the length of his cock. His head turned, seeking out the heat of the older man's groin, and he buried his face there, inhaling the clean, musky scent he'd know blind. Fox's cock twitched, straining against Alex's cheek, and he rocked against the other man, whimpering around the length of solid muscle in his mouth. The whimpering turned to low moans as Alex gently licked him from base to tip. He moved back, releasing the younger man's cock to whisper a simple plea. "Alex...please..." "Who told you, you could stop sucking my cock?" Alex asked, flicking his tongue back and forth over the swollen head of his lover's erection. "I'll suck yours if you suck mine," Fox threw back. Alex grinned. "Well, if you're gonna be that way about it." Fox's fingers clenched, digging into the back of Alex's thigh as the younger man sucked his cock into his mouth. As he was taken all the way in, his lips slid back over the flushed head pressed against them, and Alex's moan vibrated all around his cock. Slowly, each man teased the other, urging him toward release. Stroking and squeezing the clenching muscles of his lover's ass, Alex worked the substantial length of Fox's erection, listening to the older man's muffled cries grow in intensity. Fox mimicked Alex's motions; drawing similar sounds from him, and his hips began to rock gently. Inhaling deeply, Alex shuddered as a fresh surge of excitement passed through him. His hands pushed against Fox's ass, encouraging the other man to thrust more deeply. Hungrily he swallowed every inch of flesh as he began to fuck his lover's mouth, throwing both men into a frenzy. Bucking and thrashing uncontrollably, they held tightly to each other, their frantic grunts and gasps drowning out the sounds of nearby birds. It was coming. More quickly than he'd intended, but somewhere in the back of Alex's lust-clouded brain, he figured it was probably for the best. It'd be just their luck for another of the inn's guests to be wandering around the area. And wouldn't it be nice for the kind old couple they'd met in passing this morning before breakfast to be out on a nature walk and find them like this. Somehow he doubted that they could pass themselves off as a couple of fluffy bunny rabbits frolicking in the grass. The idea, warped as it seemed would have struck him as amusing were Fox not currently sucking him into unconsciousness. A low, feral growl rumbled in his throat, and his body began to vibrate as it succumbed to his lover's demand that he let go. A loud, harsh cry escaped past his occupied lips, and Fox swallowed all that he could before he came, sobbing breathlessly. As Fox's cries faded, Alex lay stroking his rear and gently licking his cock clean. Fox smiled lazily, returning the favor, and when they were done, he sat up and looked around before gazing down at the younger man. "Nobody around to bust us?" Alex asked, caressing Fox's thigh. "Not yet." Fox looked around again. "Maybe we should get dressed before our luck runs out." Re-arranging their clothing, the two men fell back to the ground; Fox resting his head on Alex's chest. "That was nice." "Hmm hmm," Alex breathed, kissing the top of the golden-brown head. "We should think about getting into town soon, though." "I know." "Hope we can find somebody." Fox lifted his head and grinned down at the other man. "Well, just remember that if we don't have any luck today, you're not going to start climbing the walls...right?" One corner of Alex's mouth quirked up into a semi-grimace. "Alex..." "I'll be cool," Alex promised half-heartedly. "And if I believe that..." "I will." "Yeah, okay." Fox planted a kiss on Alex's collarbone then boosted himself to his feet and held out his hand. Alex took it, and he helped the younger man up. Together they gathered the picnic things and found their way back to the house. "Quiet," Alex observed as they entered the house and walked through to the kitchen. "Wonder where everybody is?" Fox asked, placing the basket on the counter. "I'll tell you where they are," Alex murmured close to the other man's ear. "They're all in the root cellar having their weekly Killer Innkeepers of New England meeting." Fox rolled his eyes. "They're deciding which one of their lucky guests is going to be sacrificed first...and how." "You're a bigger fruitcake than I am." "Okay," Alex mumbled, "but when you wake up in the middle of the night to bloodcurdling screams, and I'm not in bed..." "I'll get right on the phone to the police," Fox vowed. "Are you kidding? The local cops are all members of the same little coven. And besides, why would you call them? You're going to waste time waiting for the cops while I'm being dismembered and turned into tomorrow's stew? What the hell are you if you're not the law?" "Well," Fox grinned, "I was thinking I'd call 'em for backup, since there'd be one of me and who knows how many of them. But sorry, I didn't realize that the cops were in this circle of evil, too." "Yeah, well, turn the radar back on, Agent Mulder." Chuckling softly, Fox emptied the picnic basket and returned it to the shelf he had seen Joan take it down from. "Tell you what." He walked over to Alex and drew the other man into his arms. "I'll cuff you to the bed tonight so they can't sneak off with you. How 'bout that?" "Yeah?" Alex purred. "That kinda leaves you free to do what you want, doesn't it?" Fox shrugged and gave his lover an innocent smile. "Kinda." "Mmm hmm." Alex gave Fox's rear a light tap. "Let's go. We got us a photographer to find." Fox pressed a quick peck to Alex's lips and, taking his hand, followed him out of the kitchen. "And if you think I'm not going to tell them that it was you who broke the bird bath, you're sadly mistaken!" Scully stumbled onto the patio and kicked Clyde's toys out of the way then grabbed for the phone. "Hello?" "Hi, Dana. Uh...sounds like I might have caught you at a bad time." "No," Scully breathed, dropping into a chair. "Just trying to keep up with this beast." Maria laughed. "Clyde?" "Uh huh." "He's such a sweetie." "Yeah, he's real adorable. So...how'd you make out?" "My mom and dad are going. So are Victor's parents and Alex's stepmother." "Guess his father was a no go, huh?" "I've never met a more infuriatingly stubborn man in my life," Maria sighed. "Wait till you spend a little more time around Alex," Scully droned. "And Mulder, for that matter." "They can't be as bad as Uncle Iliia." "Wanna bet?" "God. Anyway...my mother wants me to be very sure that we're going to be welcome at the wedding. I told her what you said, but..." "I understand how she must feel," Scully answered. "You go ahead and reassure her. Alex'll be shocked, and maybe even a little wary, but once he gets over that, he'll be thrilled you're all there, I guarantee it." "Okay. We just want to be absolutely sure. I mean, this is Alex's wedding. His family wouldn't do anything to ruin it." "I'm so happy that most of you decided to go. Mulder and I have been Alex's only family for so long...speaking of Mulder, do you think they'll accept him all right?" "I've told them all about him, believe me. I wouldn't take them up to Vermont with them all thinking Alex is marrying a woman." Scully laughed. "God, could you imagine?" Maria shuddered. "I don't even want to. Anyway, they're fine with it. I mean, Victor sort of broke that ice a long time ago." "Something to be thankful to him for." "Yeah. And to answer your question, I think they'll love Fox." "I hope so. He's almost as devoid of family as Alex." "When they talked to Victor and me that night, they told us what happened with Fox's father. I'm still amazed when I think that with all that's happened between the two of them, they can be so deeply in love." "I know." "Anyway, neither of them had mentioned Fox's mother. Is she deceased also?" "No. Though for all the attention she pays to her son, she may as well be." "Really?" "Oh, yeah." "That's awful." "Yeah, it is." "Is it because of him and Alex?" "It didn't help, believe me, but there was a huge rift between them long before Alex ever came into his life." "I just can't imagine." "I know." "Well, my family will accept Fox as one of their own...most of them, anyway. I don't know that Victor and my uncle will ever accept Alex back, let alone his husband." Scully smiled at the reference. "I can't believe they're getting married." "Was it so unlikely?" "Yeah, it...they've been together all this time and the subject had never come up." "So, how did it happen? I know there seemed to be something odd going on that night of their dinner party." "There's usually something odd going on with those two," Scully commented. "But that's beside the point. Mulder's cousin got married. I think that may have planted the seed. He started acting kind of funny, and it wasn't until Chuck and Vicki's wedding that Alex and I figured it out. Well, I figured it out. Alex thought I was insane. Took him only until the end of the reception to realize that I was right. And to try and made a very long, confusing story short, Alex asked Mulder to marry him, but because of something stupid that I'd said, Mulder thought Alex was doing it just to make him happy. He brooded about it for a while, then it all came to a head the night of the party. They had a big fight, you and Victor showed up, Mulder stopped sulking when he realized that Alex needed him, and...well, you saw the rest." "Yeah. Are they always so nutty?" "Not always. Doesn't matter, though. However loony they get, the bottom line is they're insanely in love with each other." "I could see that ten seconds after Fox walked into the room that night. They give off such strong energy together. I know very little about them, but it seems very right that they should be married." "Yep. So...I'd better get moving and call for those rooms. How many?" "Three will be fine. Natalie can share with Raiza and me." "Natalie is..." "Alex's stepmother." "Ah. How did his father react to hearing that she was going to go the wedding?" "Not thrilled," Maria answered, "but he didn't say much. He knows he can't stop her, and he won't embarrass himself by trying and failing." "I see. Well, as long as he's not walking around sulking and being miserable." "Oh, he'll do that." Maria's tone made Scully laugh. "But he's pretty sullen most of the time, anyway. The only one who really seems to be able to look past that is my daughter." "Children are so much more perceptive than we are sometimes," Scully mused. "Guess she sees things in him that you adults aren't able to." "That's what I keep telling myself," Maria chuckled. "I like to believe that under all that grumpiness he's really a sweet man." "There's got to be something there. His wife has been with him for several years, right?" "Yeah. I guess she can deal with him all right, but she apparently can't handle him." "Alex isn't easily handled," Scully said, comparing the younger Krycek to his father. "In fact, it's pretty damn near impossible." Maria was quiet for several seconds, then she spoke. "But he seems so domesticated now, compared to what he told us he was like." "You wouldn't believe the difference," Scully answered. "Alex's life after the academy was a nightmare. It made him hard. The things he did...he was someone I'm sure you wouldn't have recognized. Since that's all I'd ever known of him, I hated him. He and Mulder falling in love was nothing short of an act of God, yet I couldn't for the life of me understand how Mulder could allow it to happen. Took me a long time, though, to trust that Alex really did love him and wasn't just out to do him harm." "But you really do trust him now," Maria said softly, the statement coming across more like a question. "You believe he is who he is." "Without a doubt. Don't get me wrong; he's still an ornery, aggressive, stubborn, dangerous man in certain situations. But loving Mulder has softened him. Domesticated him, to use your word." "I guess it really is who he wants to be," Maria said. "Since they're taking this huge step." "It is. He freaked out for a little while there after he'd been taken, and he questioned who he'd become. Thought that living easy, not being on guard all the time was what had gotten him snatched. Took a while for that to finally come to a head, and it wasn't pretty." "They'd given us a brief rundown on everything, but they didn't go into a whole lot of detail," Maria said, hoping for more so that she might better understand. "Well," Scully sighed, " a brief rundown is all you need, believe me. The details are hair-raising. Anyway, with Mulder's help and more love than he knows what to do with, Alex is finally, fully recovering. The doubts about himself are gone. He knows he's as strong as he ever was. He loves his life. He adores Mulder, and marrying him is what Alex wants most in the world." "I'm so glad we're going to be there is see it." "Alex will be glad too. But you're not gonna be there at all if I don't get off this phone and get those reservations made." Maria looked at watch and giggled. "Wow. I guess we've talking a while, huh?" "Yeah. I've haven't yacked this long on the phone for a long while. I'll call you back when I've got the reservations made, okay?" "Okay, I'll look forward to hearing from you." Scully hung up and looked around for the number to the inn. Finding the slip of paper that Alex had scribbled the number on, she sat back and dialed. The bedroom door swung open, and Fox trudged into the room, preceded by Alex, who threw himself onto the bed and scowled up at the ceiling. "Remember our agreement." "Two photographers, Fox. Only two. One so homophobic, he probably sprayed the joint down with Lysol the minute we walked out, and the other with eyes like a dead eagle." Fox dissolved into laughter. "Never heard that one before." "Well, tell me he didn't suck! Did you get a load of those pictures on his wall? The faces were different, but the poses were exactly the same." "They were?" "How could you not notice? Every guy in every picture looked like friggin' Robert Young." "Huh?" "Yeah! If they weren't wearing tuxes, then the men were wearing sports jackets, and all of them had their hand placed strategically in the pocket with their thumb hanging out. What the hell was that shit? All they needed was a damn pipe stuck in their faces." Alex closed his eyes and slammed his head up and down on the pillow. "Damn. What the hell are we going to do now?" "We'll figure something out," Fox promised, reaching out to rub Alex's knee. "Yeah?" Alex droned. "Like what? You want to fly a photographer out here from D.C.?" "I don't think we'll have to take it that far," Fox answered, sitting down on the bed. "But if we have to..." Alex groaned loudly. "Don't worry," Fox whispered, lowering himself to his lover's side. "It'll work out. We'll check the next town. It's only twenty-five minutes out, and it's bigger. Bet there'll be more photographers there than there are here." "We're leaving tomorrow," Alex countered. "When are we supposed to find the time to..." Before he could finish, Fox got up and grabbed for the phone book. "It's not that late," he said, thumbing through the yellow pages. If we find something close by, we'll drive out right now." Alex watched quietly as Fox picked up the phone a few seconds later and began to dial. Four calls later, the older man dropped the phone and patted Alex's leg before rising to his feet. "Let's go. We got two more stops to make." Alex took Fox's extended hand, but instead of letting the other man pull him up, he pulled him down. As Fox fell onto his chest, Alex clamped his arms around him. Forest green eyes stared up at him in absolute adoration. "I love you." "Good," Fox murmured, smirking down at the other man. "Makes the whole getting married thing more believable. Oww!" He reached back to rub his stinging ass and pouted down at Alex. "You were asking for it with that comment." "Was not." "No? Okay, my mistake." Alex shoved Fox off of him and swung to his feet. Grinning down at the man on the bed, he now held out his hand. "Let's go." The pout having turned into an irritated scowl, Fox got up and shuffled toward the door. Before he could reach it, Alex closed in on him and delivered another hard whack to his rear. He emitted a sound that was a cross somewhere between a loud mewl and a groan, and as he spun around to confront the younger man, he found himself pinned up against the door. "Want more?" Alex asked, his words a warm, breathy hiss across his lover's mouth. Fox's eyes grew suddenly heavy, and he stared at Alex through a veil of golden-brown lashes. His lips parted, and it took a while for him to finally speak. "We have to...to go to umm..." "See those photographers?" Fox nodded, just barely writhing against the other man. "I didn't mean that I was going to do anything right now." Fox had a hard time concealing his disappointment. "I just thought it'd be kind of interesting to tease you a little before we go." "You're mean." "Nooo," Alex purred, licking the corner of Fox's mouth. "How could I be mean to my sweet baby? I love you. I'm only giving you what you want." Alex pressed closer, his voice a low, knee-weakening rasp. "Tell me what you want, Fox." Fox whimpered softly and closed his eyes, parting his lips in offering. He leaned forward the scant few inches that were between them, and just as his mouth touched his lover's, Alex pulled back slightly. "Please don't tease me," he gasped, his lashes rising to allow him to look into almost black, glittering eyes. "Tell me what you want," Alex repeated, ignoring the older man's plea. Fox's breath left him in a rush as he began to speak. "I want...I want to give you everything, I..." Fox stopped then, staring into the dark depths of his lover's eyes, he continued. "...I want you to take it." "Everything?" Alex asked softly, grinding his hips against Fox's. "Anything I want?" "Yes." "As much as I want?" "Yes." "For as long as I want?" Fox shivered inwardly at the hint of evil that had just crept into Alex's tone, but still he answered with a yes. "You know," Alex rumbled as he nuzzled Fox's jaw, "suddenly I'm kind of sorry that we didn't have the time to drive up and back. It would have been a fun ride home." He looked down at his watch and sighed. "We'll have to continue this later. We gotta get out of here if we're going to talk to those photographers." Fox whined pitifully when Alex let him go, but since he was the one who'd initiated this next little expedition... "C'mon," Alex coaxed softly, reaching for Fox's hand. Gently pulling the older man along, the exited the room and started for the first floor. As they reached the front door, Joan's voice turned them around. "You boys be sure and make it back before dinner." "Oh," Alex grinned, listening to Fox's pained groan. "Yeah, uh...what time would that be?" "You got about three hours." "Okay. Well, we'd better get a move on." Squeezing Fox's hand, Alex tossed his head in the direction of the door. "Let's go, lisa." Alex opened the door, and Joan stopped them once more. "Fox, you okay?" Both men turned around, and Fox fixed a glassy-eyed stare on the woman. "Huh?" "You look kind of flushed, and your eyes are all glazed." "N-no. I'm...I'm okay." "He's fine," Alex threw in, giving the woman a good-natured twitch of his nose. Joan watched the two slip out the door, then she shook her head and walked toward the kitchen, chuckling. Just as she was about to check on dinner preparations, the phone rang. "Pepperberry Farms, this is Joan, can I help you?" "Hello. My name is Dana Scully, and I'm calling about booking some rooms for August ninth through the eleventh." "Hmm. Okay," Joan murmured, trying to think. "I'm going to have to check reservations. I've got a wedding that weekend, and..." "I know," Scully interrupted. "It's my friends who are getting married." "Oh! Really?" "Yes. Fox Mulder and Alex Krycek. There are a few more relatives who are coming in, and it's a surprise, so I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't mention my call to them." "Oooh, I love surprises. How many rooms did you need?" "Three." "Three. All right, let's see..." Scully waited only a couple of minutes before the Joan spoke again. "Oh, no. I only have two available. Oh, I feel terrible. It would have been so nice for all the guests to be here. Would you like the two rooms that I've got anyway?" "No, I really think that it'd be best to have them all in the same place. They're all Mr. Krycek's family, and I think they'd be more comfortable if they were all together." "Of course." "Could you give me the names of a few places in your area that might have availabilities?" "Yeah. Sure, uh..." Scully wrote down the names of the three inns that Joan had suggested, thanked the woman for her help, then set about finding lodgings for the Krycek family. "Wasn't." "Was." "Wasn't." "Was." "He was not," Fox huffed, turning his head to scowl at the driver. "Fox, that guy did everything but come right out and ask you to hit the carpet with him." "He was just being friendly!" "Any friendlier and he would have fallen to his knees and buried his face in your crotch." "Alex," Fox sighed. "Why would he come on to someone who was in his studio looking to hire him to take pictures of their wedding?" "I don't know," Alex replied tersely. "Same reason he'd tell you what a beautiful mouth you had right in front of your fiancé? He's lucky his eyes are still in his head," he concluded in a low mutter. Fox shook his head and closed his eyes. He was quiet for a moment then looked over at Alex. A faint smile curved his lips, and he moved across the seat. Slipping and arm around Alex's middle, he laid his head on the irritated man's shoulder. "You're sexy when you're jealous." Alex snorted and said nothing. "Okay, so why are you mad at me?" "I'm not mad at you." "Seems like it." Alex's tone gentled. "M'sorry, lisa, I..." He rubbed his cheek into Fox's hair. "It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I got you all hot before we left the inn. The photographer was probably sniffing the air before we even hit the doorway." "I didn't encourage him," Fox mumbled, playing with the zipper on Alex's jacket. "I know. But you're beautiful enough when you're not turned on. When you are, you're just...you're incredible." Fox breathed a soft sigh and nestled more tightly to his lover's side. "And I'm yours." A tiny smile began to replace the frown, and Alex shifted to kiss the top of Fox's head. "I know." There was silence for a short time, then Fox spoke softly. "He really was very good." No answer. "The best we've seen." "...It'd be stupid of me not to want to hire him, wouldn't it?" "You want beautiful, professional pictures, don't you?" "That is what I've been bitching about, huh?" "Yeah, it is," Fox answered. Alex thought on it for a few minutes, then he relented. "Okay. Let's call him back and tell him he's got the job. If he hits on you at the reception, I'll just drown him in the lake." Fox chuckled as he pulled out his cell phone and searched for the number. "He's not going to hit on me." "He'd better not," Alex growled in warning, "or I'm telling you, Fox, I won't be held responsible for my actions." Fox made the call, and once he had it all settled with the photographer, he tossed the phone down on the seat and turned to plant a firm kiss on Alex's jaw. "We're good to go." "I'll bet he is." "Would you stop? You should be happy! We've got everything accomplished that we came up here for." "Mmm. Music isn't set, yet." "No, but they're sending tapes. I'm sure we'll like one of them." Alex curled his right arm up around Fox's chin and petted the side of his lover's head. "Yeah. Maybe this'll turn out okay, huh?" "Have I not been trying to tell you that?" "I know you have. I just...things haven't gone exactly according to plan up until now, and I guess I've just been really uptight." "Can you relax a little now?" "Yeah, I think maybe I can." "Good." Fox slowly stroked the length of Alex's thigh. "Now, can you focus that energy someplace else?" Alex began to grin. "Where would you like it?" "On me," Fox answered, sounding very self-centered and making no apologies for it. Alex's hand left the other man's head and drifted down to his own crotch, rubbing gently. "All over you?" "Yes," Fox whispered, hungry eyes watching his lover's hand. Glancing at the clock on the dash, Alex moaned softly. "Not enough time right now, but after dinner we'll spend the rest of the night in our room. And I promise you, I'll devote every last ounce of my energy to you." Fox squirmed happily at the thought, and his hand slid up to cover Alex's. "We could skip dinner." "We could, but Joan's expecting us. She's been so nice to us; it wouldn't be very polite to blow her off." "I guess," Fox sighed. "But?" "Hmm?" "I heard a 'but' in your tone." Fox shrugged, stroking his palm over the hand that was still in Alex's lap. "But my dick's about to punch a hole in my pants." Alex let out a low chuckle. "Down, boy." "Impossible." Fox lifted his head and lightly mouthed Alex's ear. "You can't tell me that it won't bother you to wait until after dinner." "No, I can't." "So, how 'bout we just take the edge off? Maybe a quick shower before dinner?" Alex closed one eye; trying to concentrate on something other than his lover's teasing mouth. "Mmm..." "Please?" Fox moaned, tickling the inside of Alex's ear with his tongue. "Ten minutes. Consider it an appetizer." No response except for a long, soft sigh. "Alex..." Alex drummed on the steering wheel and tried to keep his eyes focused on the road. "I'm thinking, I'm thinking." "Hi. Maria?" "Yeah. Dana?" "Uh huh. Just calling back to let you know that you're all set. Unfortunately, the place that Mulder and Alex are staying at didn't have enough rooms available. But I've booked you and your family at a nice inn that's only twelve miles down the road from there." "Great. Thanks so much, Dana." "Not a problem. You got a piece of paper?" "Yeah, I...hang on...okay, go ahead." Scully gave Maria all of the information, they talked for a few minutes more, then said goodnight. Just as Maria hung up and started to head for the kitchen, the phone rang again. "Hello?" "You got my parents to go to this thing in August?" "Hi, Victor. How are you? Oh, me? I'm fine." "Maria..." "I didn't get them to go," Maria sniped. "I asked, they agreed. They want to go, Victor, unlike you and Uncle Iliia. So, leave them alone." "What d'you mean, 'leave them alone'?" "Just what I said. Don't try and talk them out of going. If you want to be a jerk, be one. Just keep your mouth shut and let your parents go and have a good time." "You didn't tell them, did you? They have no idea what their little nephew has become." "They know everything we know," Maria shot back. "And somehow they aren't being a tiny fraction as hard-assed about it as you are." "They know." "Yes." "Everybody." "Yes." God, that pissed him off. "And nobody gives a damn." "Everybody gives a damn. They give a damn about Alex and the fact that he's turned it all around and is now living a happy life with a man who loves him." "Unbelievable." "You're the one who's unbelievable, Victor. You and Alex's father. But...whatever. If you can't stop being bitter and petty and be happy for him, that's your problem. Just leave the rest of us out of it." "Don't worry," Victor muttered. "I'm not going to waste my time brooding or trying to convince any of you that you're being a bunch of suckers. Go, all of you. Have a marvelous time." "Thanks, we will. Goodbye, Victor." Victor blinked as he heard the click on the other end, signaling Maria's disconnection. He tossed the phone down, fuming. Only a couple of days back in their lives, and already that prick cousin of theirs was screwing it all up. Alex entered the room, followed closely by Fox. He turned and watched as the other man leaned against the door and stared longingly at him. Displaying a small grin, he lowered his eyes and turned toward the bathroom, pulling his jacket off. Fox paused for a second then pushed away from the door. He walked slowly in the direction that Alex had gone and stopped in the doorway, watching his lover pull his shirt out of his pants. When Alex had completed his task, he turned around and met Fox's hungry gaze. His hands dropped to his sides, and he waited. Moving into the room, Fox turned the shower on then started toward Alex. When they were only a breath apart, he raised his hands to the younger man's chest, playing with the top button of his shirt. "You done thinking?" Alex lifted his hand and traced the line of Fox's jaw with his fingertips. "Can't take a shower with our clothes on." Fox backed away only far enough to begin removing his clothing. When everything lay in a heap on the floor, he turned his full attention to Alex, who had only removed his shirt. He lifted a questioning gaze to Alex's face. "You do the rest," Alex whispered, and Fox immediately obeyed, moving forward to touch his hands to the front of Alex's jeans. He watched himself undo the button, then he looked up. He kept his eyes on Alex's even as he lowered himself to his knees and pulled the zipper down. Alex watched curiously, waiting until Fox had him completely undressed, then his eyes closed as his lover began to gently nuzzle his swollen cock. A smile twitched at the left corner of his mouth, and one hand slid through Fox's hair, burrowing into its lushness as the other closed around the base of his cock. "What do you want?" he rasped, rubbing the solid column of flesh over Fox's lips and cheek. Fox tongue inched out, swiping at Alex's cock as it moved over his mouth. "What you promised." Alex emitted a soft, breathy laugh. "You're such a slut." His fingers tightened ever so slightly in Fox's hair, and he pulled his lover's head back a fraction as he continued to tease him. "So fucking beautiful." Alex's cock nudged in past Fox's lips, and his hips thrust forward, pushing it in as deeply as it would go. Fox swallowed readily, his hands sliding up over the firm mounds of Alex's ass. He trembled with excitement, gratefully taking the next three strokes, but then Alex stopped and pulled away. His lashes lifted halfway but dropped again as Alex took hold of his cock once more and began to stroke it over his face. "Hands behind your back," he gasped, and Fox complied, allowing his lover's soft command to be his only restraints. Alex's knees shook with the effort it took for them to hold him up, and his hand moved a little more quickly jerking his cock as he continued to move it against Fox's skin. Fox's respiration became irregular in no time, the harsh sounds only encouraging Alex to let his control slip another notch. "Jesus...baby, oh God..." "Please," Fox begged as Alex's cock slapped against his right cheek and the side of his nose. "Want...let...let it go..." Alex sobbed through gritted teeth as the last of his resolve slipped away. His fingers tightened uncontrollably in his lover's hair, and his other hand moved erratically over his cock. He fought to keep his eyes open, wanting to watch... Fox's tongue lashed at Alex's cock, making contact with the velvety skin as often as the younger man's jerky movements would allow, and within seconds, guttural, broken cries rolled in Alex's throat as he came hard. Fox swallowed the semen that managed to splash into his mouth, but the rest hit in other areas, coating his cheek, chin, and hair. A few good pulls on his own cock, and he could easily have come with Alex, but his hands remained behind his back as was demanded of him until he sensed that Alex's ability to remain on his feet became almost non-existent. Moaning softly as Fox rose to his feet and wrapped his arms around him, Alex leaned heavily into his lover's body and let himself be led into the shower. Once inside, Fox let him go and turned his face up to the warm spray, rinsing away all evidence of Alex's orgasm. Then he turned to face the other man, drawing him forward, under the showerhead. Sable lashes lifted slowly, and Alex focused a hazy gaze on Fox. "That was intense." Fox smiled and lathered a sponge. Running it over Alex's chest, he dusted his lover's cheek with warm, wet lips. "For me too." Alex smiled lazily and said nothing. Fox sighed heavily and took the younger man's hand, guiding it down to his groin. "Really intense." Alex groaned. "M'sorry lisa." His fingers curled around his lover's rigid cock, squeezing gently. "You got me so worked up, I..." "S'okay," Fox whispered, nuzzling Alex's jaw. "Just do something about it, please?" Alex tilted his head, capturing Fox's mouth in a long, tender kiss, then he turned his back to the older man and braced his hands against the wall. Needing no more invitation than that, Fox stepped forward, covering Alex in lather, then he slipped his hands between the other man's ass cheeks and parted them enough to allow his cock access. A clipped moan left Alex's lips as he felt his lover push into him. When Fox was buried deeply inside him, the older man wrapped his arms around him and began to kiss and lick the back of his neck. He shuddered at the sensation and tightened his muscles, trapping Fox inside of him. "Shit," Fox gasped, dropping his head to Alex's shoulder. "That's...more. Don't stop." Slowly and repeatedly, Alex squeezed his lover's cock as strong teeth bit into his shoulder and neck and restless hands roamed the front of his body. "Jeez," Fox half whispered, half sobbed. "So...faster...damn...hard...harder..." Alex obliged as Fox clung tenaciously to him, choking and gasping his pleasure. "God...oh yeah, that's...Christ." Gripping Alex tightly, he came, his body jerking with the intensity of it. His cries rang out against Alex's shoulder, and then he began to slump, his grasp on his slippery lover loosening, and his cock falling out of it's warm, slick home. Alex turned around, wrapping his weakened Fox in his arms and holding him up under the water. "Better?" he asked, reaching for the sponge and running it up and down the long back. Fox nodded, standing quietly for a few moments, then he lifted his head and fixed a dreamy-eyed stare on the other man. "We should probably hurry up or we're going to be late." "Oh, now you're worried about being late?" Alex asked, slicking Fox's wet hair back. "Now I can eat without wanting to drag you down under the table," Fox explained. Alex emitted a low chuckle. "Bet I can change that by the middle of the entrée." "Ooooh," Fox purred as the two lazily stroked each other. "Sounds like a challenge." "No challenge," Alex countered. "You're easy." Fox shrugged and offered his lover a tiny smile. Arguing the point would be useless. Kissing Fox's wet mouth once, Alex pulled away, and the two got down to the serious business of showering. Less than twenty minutes later, they were dressed and heading down to the dining room. Saying a polite good evening to the guests they passed, they wound their way through the large room and seated themselves at a small table in the far corner. Before they could get involved in any deep conversation, one of the inn's young waitresses approached and smiled down at them. "Hi, fellas. Hope you're enjoying your stay." Alex flashed the girl a dazzling smile and nodded. "It's beautiful here." Fully aware that the men were a couple, the young woman blushed furiously all the same and filled their water glasses. "W-would you like a drink before dinner? Maybe an appetizer or salad?" The two figured out what they wanted, then Alex dismissed the girl with another knee-buckling smile. When he turned back to Fox, the older man was sitting with his head resting in one hand, staring at him and smirking. "What?" Fox blinked slowly then spoke. "And you talk about me." Alex gave him a puzzled look. "What're you talking about?" "Just a few hours ago, you were carrying on about how I made that photographer want to bury his face in my..." "What about it?" "How about you?" "Me?" "That waitress just about fell at your feet in a dead faint when you smiled at her like that." "Like what?" "Like you were about to ask her up to your room to look at your etchings." "You're nuts," Alex announced, chuckling at the thought. "Maybe so. But I'll bet if you asked her nicely, she'd cut your food up for you and feed it to you." Alex laughed again. "I know you know you're doing it." Alex opened his mouth to answer but got only two words out before the girl reappeared with two glasses and the wine that he had asked for. "Here you go," she offered, placing the glasses on the table and the ice bucket down beside Alex, all the while sneaking glances at him from beneath her lashes. "Your salads will be out in a minute." "Thank you..." Alex cocked his head slightly and gave the young woman another smile. "...I'm sorry hon, what's your name?" "Oh. Uh..." The girl blushed furiously. "Kerry." "That's pretty. Fits you." Fox folded his arms over his chest and stared silently at Alex. Kerry turned a deeper shade of crimson. "Thanks. Well, uh...here's your wine." She laughed nervously. "You know that already, don't you? I'll uh...I'll go see about those salads." "Good idea," Fox said softly, for the first time drawing the girl's attention. "Thank you, Kerry." The girl gave him a fast, uneasy smile and walked away. "Punk." Alex's eyes widened in mock surprise. "I'm sorry?" "You heard me. That kid didn't know what to do with herself." Grinning slyly, Alex shrugged. "Just giving her something to squeal about with her girlfriends later." "Yeah, I can hear it," Fox droned then took his voice a few octaves higher." 'Tammy! Brittney! I'm like, soooo moist! That total babe at the corner table was flirting with me right in front of his boyfriend!'" Alex shook with laughter. "She's probably thinking now that she could be the woman to make you go straight." Alex lifted one shoulder and let it drop, but before he could say anything their waitress approached, carrying their salads. "Here you are," Kerry breathed, glancing at Fox before letting her gaze linger on Alex. "The tomatoes we got this time around are really good. I made sure you got some extra." Displaying a serene smile, Alex speared a cherry tomato and brushed it over Fox's lips. "Thank you, Kerry. My Fox loves tomatoes, don't you baby?" Smirking, Fox parted his lips just wide enough for Alex to push the tomato through. Slowly, his tongue stroked the orange-red skin before taking a bite. Eyes never leaving his, Alex popped the rest of the tomato into his own mouth. "So good," Fox whispered then licked at his lower lip. His eyes slid up to the girl, who stood gaping at the pair. "He's so sweet." He cast an adoring gaze on his lover. "Will you still be this sweet to me after we're married?" Kerry glanced quickly from one man to the other. "Oh, you're...you're getting married?" "Yep," Alex answered. "Right here, in fact. In a couple of months. That's why we're here. We're checking the place out." "I see." Kerry couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice. "Congratulations. I hope you'll be very happy together." "We already are," Fox purred, smiling at the girl. "But thank you for the good wishes." He turned his attention back to Alex, who was now holding another tomato up to his mouth. As he took the offering, Kerry began to back away. "I'll uh...I'll be back as soon as your dinner is out." Alex watched as the girl trudged off toward the kitchen, then he turned back to Fox, eyes twinkling. "Okay?" Fox tipped his head slightly to one side. "I think she's pretty well informed now that there's no straightening me out." Fox simply smiled and pointed at Alex's salad dish. Skewering another of his plentiful tomatoes, Alex fed it to the older man. "You do have a few of your own, you know." "Yeah, but I didn't rate as many as you," Fox explained. "I'm just trying to even things out." "I see," Alex murmured, preparing to shove his first forkful of greens into his mouth. "Kind of you." Fox nodded and finally turned his attention to his own plate. By the time dinner came a half hour later, the men had finished picking at their salads and were engaged in quiet conversation. "Seriously? You didn't bring it?" "No, I really didn't." "Why not?" "You didn't ask me to." "Since when do I have to..." Alex broke off his question and smiled up at the waitress, who had stopped in front of their table with a large tray. "That looks good," he said, watching the girl place their meals in front of them. "It is. Very good," Kerry answered politely. "Enjoy your meal." And with that, she was gone. "I think she's mad at you," Fox whispered. "Can you blame her? I am a hell of catch." Fox chuckled softly. "You're the only person I know who's more attractive when being so blatantly conceited." "You only think that because you love me," Alex said. "If I was anybody else, you'd say I was an arrogant bastard." "You are an arrogant bastard." Alex smirked at his lover's admission. "And I couldn't be happier about that." Alex's smirk softened. He recognized the vague inference. It wasn't all that long ago that he'd been an insecure, emotional wreck, and though his condition had been achieved through no fault of his own, he'd hated himself for it, and in his confused attempts to liberate himself from his frightening state had inflicted a great amount of suffering on them both. He cast a tender gaze on the single source of his returned strength and confidence and reached across the table for his lover's hand. Fox intertwined his fingers with Alex's and allowed the younger man to dust his knuckles with warm kisses. "I love you," Alex mouthed, the silent words closing Fox's eyes. When he reopened them, Alex was still staring at him. "You know what I want right now?" One corner of Fox's mouth twitched, and he shook his head. "I want to be upstairs in our room." Alex's thumb swept over the back of Fox's hand. "Feeling you naked and hot under me." A hard, soft breath escaped Fox's lips. His eyes, riveted on the other man's, watched the pupils dilate, nearly swallowing all of the green around them. "Are you hot, lisa?" Pressing his lips together, Fox nodded slowly. "I know you are," Alex whispered. "I can feel your heat from across the table." His tone lowered an octave. "I can smell it." The hand not being held in Alex's trembled, and Fox's heart began to thud. "You want to..." Fox stopped, cleared his gravelly throat then resumed. "...just have dinner and skip dessert?" Alex curled his hand into a fist and rested his head against it. Staring intently at Fox, he said, "No, I'm going to have dessert." "We have some great desserts," Kerry said, trying to forget her disappointment and do her job as she approached the table with a full water pitcher. "Grape nut pudding, German Chocolate cake, cherry cheesecake..." "Thanks, Kerry," Alex murmured as the girl topped off their glasses. " Which one of those do you think you'd like me to lick off of you, lisa?" Embarrassment and the thought of Alex licking chocolate frosting from his cock lowered Fox's gaze to the table. "Alex..." Alex looked from his lover to the red-faced waitress. "Sorry, Kerry. He's just so damn sexy, it's hard for me sometimes to contain my uh...enthusiasm." Kerry smiled nervously and nodded. "Enjoy your meal." Alex watched the young woman hurry away, and he turned and smiled at Fox. "So, you didn't answer me." Fox cocked his head to one side. "Dessert," Alex murmured. "That wasn't just for Kerry's benefit. I actually am going to eat one off of you. Which would you prefer?" "Since you're the one who's eating it," Fox whispered, lowering his tone to match Alex's, "I suppose you should be the one to pick it." Alex shrugged. "Makes sense." The two men began to eat, and all was quiet for a while, then Alex lifted his hand, pointing his fork at the other man. "I guess whatever's quickest would be best." Fox looked up from his meal. "Hmm?" "Dessert," Alex reminded him. "I don't want to have to lick my way through a lot of goop before I can get to your dick." The younger man smirked. "You know how impatient I can be." Fox closed his eyes and shook his head. "Speaking of impatience." Alex rubbed his foot against Fox's leg. "Hurry up and eat." "You don't want me to end up with indigestion do you?" Fox asked in a teasing tone. "That'd be the least of your problems." Fox put his fork down and gave his lover a curious look. "Meaning?" "You don't hurry up and finish, and you'll find out." Fox's cock twitched. "I think I'm being threatened." "Is that what it sounds like?" "Yeah, it does." Alex leaned across the table, his eyes zeroing in on Fox's like a laser. "And you're hard as stone, aren't you?" Fox sighed softly. "You know I am." One corner of Alex's mouth slanted into a smile. "I'll take care of that for you. Finish your dinner." Fox looked down on the food he'd just heaped onto his fork then glanced back up at Alex. "This is very good." "Yeah." "Are our minds made up?" "About Joan catering?" "Mmm hmm." "As far as I'm concerned. You?" Fox nodded and finally slipped the food into his mouth. Chewing slowly, he watched Alex down three forkfuls to his one, and he smiled, waiting. Coming up for a breather, Alex looked up and found Fox thoughtfully pushing the potatoes around in his plate. "Is everything okay?" "Fine," Fox said and speared some food. "Just savoring my meal." "Fox..." Fox looked up and gave Alex a sweet smile. "Hmm?" "You're being bad." "Bad?" "Are you looking to get punished?" "Are you looking to punish me?" "If you don't behave yourself and eat, I might have to." Fox's erection strained against his pants as he considered the dozens of delicious punishments Alex might inflict on him. He ate even more slowly, but Alex said nothing until he finally pushed his plate away. "Done now?" Fox nodded. "Let's go." "What about dessert?" "Do you think you deserve any after misbehaving?" Fox sent a tantalizing pout Alex's way as the two got up. "You were the one who was going to eat it, anyway." "I can live without it. There are plenty other things I can do to you that'll be just as good." Alex stepped back and motioned for Fox to precede him out of the dining room. Before they made it to the door, Joan walked in and beamed at them. "How was dinner, boys?" "Excellent," Alex answered. "And it made up our minds. Fox and I would like you to do the catering for our wedding." "Great! Will you have the menu to me by the time you leave tomorrow?" "Sure." "Not staying for dessert after all?" Three heads turned in the direction of Kerry's voice. The girl forced a cheery smile for the benefit of her employer. Before either of the men could answer, Joan gasped in surprise. "What? No dessert?" "We're pretty full," Alex explained, grasping Fox hand in his own. "And it's been a long day. We're just going to turn in...spend the rest of the evening in our room." "But maybe you'll feel like something in a little while." Joan insisted. "Let me send it up to you." Alex gave the woman an easy smile. "Okay, okay. If it makes you happy, send something up." "I'll go make up a tray and send Kerry up in a little bit." "All right. Thank you." Alex lifted Fox's hand to his lips, bestowing a soft kiss on the knuckles. "All right, you. Upstairs." Fox uttered a soft thank you and goodnight to Joan, and he and Alex exited the room. Following his lover up to their room, he advanced to the bed as the other man rounded it. "Get undressed," Alex commanded softly as he began unbuttoning his shirt. Fox obeyed in silence, keeping one eye on Alex's movements. When he was fully naked, he stood by the bed, waiting. Alex had only gone as far as undoing his shirt and pulling his belt off, and now he stood on the other side of the bed, eyeing Fox hungrily. Belt doubled up in his hand, he walked slowly toward the other man. "Are you ready?" Fox's eyes flicked down to the belt and then up to Alex's face. Suddenly too heavy, his lashes drooped, and he heaved a long, deep breath before nodding. Alex stopped only a hair's breadth away, and he let the belt brush over Fox's back and rear. "I love you lisa," he murmured against the other man's flushed lips before taking them in a deep kiss. As they fed on each other, Alex surprised him with a healthy swat to his ass. The action startled him, and he started to pull away as he yelped, but Alex's other hand plunged into his hair and held him in place. Insistent lips drank in his cry, and he felt the growing bulge in Alex's pants pressing into his thigh. Another swat, and he bucked and began to frantically rub himself against his lover. "Nooo," Alex whispered, pulling away from Fox's mouth. "Not yet. This would have been so much easier if you had brought your toy," he tsked. "Now you'll have to use willpower." Fox whimpered softly and lowered his head to Alex's shoulder. "Aww, baby." Alex stroked the soft hair and cooed in his lover' ear. "Is it too much? Maybe I should just stop, huh?" "No," Fox gasped, wrapping himself around the younger man. "Don't. Please don't." "You don't want me to stop?" Alex breathed, rubbing the hand that held the belt over Fox's ass. "No," Fox choked. "Please, Alex. Please spank me." Alex laughed softly. "You gonna come if I do?" "Not until you tell me to." "You promise?" "Yes." Alex backed away leaving Fox to shiver at the loss of his heat. "Hands against the wall." Fox moved toward the indicated wall, and he braced his hands against it. A soothing hand caressed his ass, then Alex kissed the already reddening flesh. A long moan escaped his lips. "Feel good, lisa?" Alex asked, dragging his tongue over the same spot. Fox nodded, afraid to trust his voice, Alex teased him a bit longer then moved away. He lifted his hand, ready to strike, but a knock at the door stopped him. "Must be Kerry with dessert," he whispered into Fox's ear as he pressed up against the older man's back. "Don't move." Kerry's jaw went slack as the door opened, and Alex appeared, shirt out of his pants and undone, a folded leather belt hanging from his hand, and a decidedly wicked gleam in his eyes. "Wow, that all looks really good." Alex reached for the tray. "Tell Joan thank you again for us, would you?" "Sure, uh..." Kerry's eyes flicked ever so quickly past Alex then, seeing nothing came right back to his face. "Enjoy your dessert." "We will. You have a good night. Look, Fox," he said softly as he closed the door, indicating to Kerry that his lover must have been somewhere close by. "So much to keep us busy..." Blowing out a hard breath, Kerry started to move away but then intense curiosity called her back. She listened closely, but the heavy oak door afforded her only muffled sounds. Just as shame and the fear of getting caught started to move her away, a snapping sound followed by a faint cry drew her back. "God, what the hell was that?" she whispered to herself, listening intently. Another snap, just a bit louder than the first sounded, followed by another cry. And then it became clear. The belt. "Oh my God, he can't be." Not knowing what else to do, Kerry stood there, trying to compose herself. What to do, what to... Hell, what could she do? She couldn't say anything about it to Joan. How could she explain eavesdropping at a guests' door? But Jesus, poor Fox. What the hell kind of monster was he marrying? Dammit! Why were the handsome ones always such bastards? Pulling herself out of her thoughts, she hurried away from the sounds behind the door and made her way back down to the dining room. Back inside, Fox was still braced against the wall, arching his back and whimpering for more. "No, lisa," Alex murmured, brushing the belt up the inside of his lover's thigh. "You've had enough." Fox shook his head, whining desperately. "Not enough. Please..." A low chuckle sounded from behind him. "You've got to be the only man I know who begs to be punished...well, besides me." Another blow, and Fox emitted a harsh groan. His cock screamed for release, but he knew that this was far from over. "Harder," he sobbed through gritted teeth, and Alex obliged. The next blow snapped his head back, and a guttural cry forced itself past his constricted throat. "Are you sorry now for taking so long with dinner?" Fox shook his head without hesitation, and Alex swung the belt again. "How about now?" the younger man asked. "Will you behave yourself now?" "No," Fox breathed heavily, and Alex delivered one last blow. His whole body jerked with the force of it, and a long, rumbling sob pushed past his lips. Alex dropped his hand and stepped forward to take Fox into his arms. Turning around and burying his face in Alex's shoulder, Fox shuddered against him. "How about just for tonight?" Alex asked, kissing the side of his lover's head. Clinging to Alex, Fox nodded. "Good," Alex whispered. "Now, how about some dessert?" Fox looked up into Alex's eyes and waited to see what the younger man had in mind. Finding the gooiest pastry on the tray, Alex took some with his fingers and smeared it over Fox's engorged cock, then he lowered himself to his knees in front of the naked man. "Remember, you promised to behave." And with that, he began to delicately lap at the cream covered erection. Fox gritted his teeth and endured a torture he considered to be worse than any spanking. Alex's tongue played over every inch of his cock, and when he was almost clean, his lover's hand was back, covering him in more pastry. "God," he grunted, not sure of how much more he could take. "Ah, God..." Lost in bliss, Alex licked and sucked at his lover's cock and balls until all of the pastry was gone, and Fox could just about stand. Feeling the quivering in Fox's legs, he rose to his feet and led the other man over to the bed. "Face down. And no humping the mattress." Fox sank gratefully onto the bed, waiting for his lover's touch. It came not long afterward when he felt a cool stickiness coat his rear. He moaned in relief as it soothed the burning of his skin, and then again in pleasure as Alex's fingers moved slowly into the valley between his ass cheeks. "I have to remember to tell Joan how good her desserts are," Alex murmured before swiping at some of the chocolate with his tongue. Fox's mouth dropped open on a long sigh, and he fought to keep his hips still as Alex's mouth worked over the firm mounds of his ass. Involuntarily, he winced and bucked as Alex hit one particularly sensitive welt, and the younger man's touch gentled, lovingly soothing the injured spot. As Fox settled down, Alex moved on, coming closer and closer to the crevice between his cheeks. Finally, his tongue slithered downward, and he felt Fox's body tighten and a frantic whimper leave the older man's throat. "Easy," Alex whispered, letting one hand glide over his lover's back. "Breathe, lisa. Relax." "Can't..." Fox clenched his teeth as Alex's tongue swept between his cheeks again. "Can't." "You have to," Alex rasped. "You promised." A tear of frustration formed at the outside corner of Fox's eye, and a series of clipped whines hummed past his compressed lips as Alex's tongue plunged in, swiping away all the pastry that his fingers had deposited there. His hips began to jerk, but he pulled the strength out of somewhere to stop, and Alex 'rewarded' him by working his tongue into the puckered opening of his anus. Clawing at the sheets, he screeched his pleasure and frustration as Alex continued to tongue fuck him, pushing him way beyond the limits of endurance. Face buried in his lover's ass, Alex hummed excitedly, stabbing harder and faster until fatigue forced him to stop. By then Fox was limp with exhaustion, and he couldn't do much more than lie whimpering face down into his pillow. Alex pulled himself up to his knees and gently turned Fox onto his back. Dazed eyes, almost as green as his own blinked up at him, and Fox gave him a heart-melting pout. "No more," the older man begged in a small, broken voice, and Alex stretched out over his trembling body, gathering him into his arms. "No more," he repeated before releasing Fox and finally peeling his own clothing off. He came back to his tormented lover, nuzzling the stubbled cheek before taking his lips in a sweet kiss. Fox sighed into Alex's mouth, and his hands rose to the younger man's back, moving in long strokes over the heated skin. "Fuck me," he begged in between kisses. "Can't wait, fuck me, fuck me hard..." Alex attempted to shush his lover's increasingly frenzied pleas. "I will, I...where's the lube, sweetheart?" Fox's head rolled from side to side, and his breaths came in short, harsh bursts. "Don't know. I don't..." "Okay. Hang on." Quickly, Alex found the lube and coated two fingers with it. Gently, he inserted one finger into Fox's ass, and the frantic man bucked against him in response. "Alex," Fox gasped weakly. "I...oh, God, I..." "Shhh." Alex slipped the second finger into his lover, and Fox pulled at the sheets, ripping them away from the mattress. "Fuck me...fuck m-me," he sobbed, rocking against Alex's fingers. "All right, baby." Alex withdrew his fingers and applied some lube to his cock before grasping Fox's hips and pulling him into position. "Help me, Fox. Come on baby, wrap your legs around me." Fox obeyed, holding Alex in a tight grip, and in a matter of seconds, he felt the slick head of his lover's cock pushing into him. His mouth dropped open, and his neck arched sharply as Alex swiftly buried himself inside him. "Mmmmm, yeah," Alex gasped. "God, Fox, you're so hot." He pulled out and sank back in, luxuriating in the slick heat of his lover's ass. "Soooo good..." Fox's fingers threaded through Alex's hair, and he moved with the younger man, reveling in every thrust. "Hard...harder....yeah...oh, yeah." Fox winced as Alex drove harder into him, and he tightened his hold on the younger man, biting into his shoulder. The small pain excited Alex beyond reason, and he drove faster and deeper, his body shaking with the increased force of his lunges and Fox's answering cries. He squeezed a hand between them, grasping his lover's cock and began to pump it in time to his thrusts. "Come with me, lisa," he choked, now slamming erratically into Fox. "Come on...come on, baby...scream for me..." Fox's orgasm hit with terrific force, rocking him so hard, the only sound he was able to make was a strangled gasp. Alex followed seconds later, loudly sobbing his satisfaction, and his hips jerking frantically as he pumped streams of hot semen into his lover. He collapsed onto Fox's perspiration-dotted chest, moaning weakly. Fox lay motionless beneath Alex, unable to make a sound, and it wasn't until several minutes later that Alex was able to lift his head and look down at the older man. Damp, hazel eyes met tranquil green, and Fox managed a weak smile. "You didn't scream," Alex croaked, resting his forehead against the other man's. "Sorry," Fox whispered, slowly skimming a hand back and forth over Alex's rear. "Couldn't." He grimaced and squirmed slightly under Alex's weight. "My ass hurts." Alex laughed softly and heaved himself off of the older man, allowing him flip onto his stomach. "Better?" he asked, investigating the scattering of small, red welts that covered Fox's ass. "Yeah." "You're not going to be able to sit comfortably the next couple of days," he informed the other man, letting his fingers drift over the sensitive skin. "I asked for it," Fox answered, wiggling his behind a bit. "Mmm hmm." Alex moved closer, pressing several kisses into Fox's hair. "You sorry?" "No," Fox breathed, opening his eyes and giving Alex a hazy, satisfied stare. "In case you didn't know it, I love it when you spank me." "I kinda got that idea." "You love it too." Alex smirked at the older man. "Yeah, I do." He brushed a few strands of hair out of Fox's eyes. "I love turning that pretty ass red. I love all those sounds you make..." He lowered his face to Fox's, brushing his mouth over the other man's ear. "So tortured and desperate..." Fox closed his eyes and sighed. "And I love that you trust me enough to give it all up to me." "I love you," Fox rasped. "It's easy to let go and trust you not to really hurt me." Alex planted a tender kiss on Fox's cheek then settled down and pulled the older man against him. "Never," he whispered then fell silent. Within minutes both pairs of eyes had closed, respiration evened out and slowed, and both men fell soundly asleep. "And we...are..." The young brunette put the last glass away. "...outta here." She turned to Kerry, who was so immersed in her own thoughts that she didn't hear a word. "Uh...hello. Anybody home?" Kerry blinked and focused on her friend. "Sorry. What?" "What the heck's wrong with you?" Ruthie asked. "You've been acting spacey for a couple of hours now." "I don't. I..." Kerry looked up to her friend. "You can't tell anybody, okay?" Ruthie rubbed her hands together and sat down. "Oooh. I love juicy stuff." "Promise me, Ruthie." "Okay, okay, not a word. Now tell me." Kerry blew out a hard breath then began. "You know those two guys that are staying here this weekend?" "The fine gay guys?" "Yeah." "God, they're so hot." "Yeah. Uh..." "Why is it all the pretty ones are either gay or married?" "I don't know. Ruthie...God, I don't know how to say this. I don't know what to do." "Geez, Kerry, what is it?" "I think...I mean, I...I heard...oh, God." "Spit it out, would you, woman?" Kerry clenched her fingers in her hair for a moment then looked up at her friend. "I think the one with the darker hair is abusing the other one." "Huh?" "I heard them tonight, Ruthie. I...I had to deliver a tray of dessert to their room, and the dark one came to the door with his shirt all undone and a belt in his hand." "Uh huh..." "I...Ruthie, you gotta promise not to tell anybody. I could lose my job." "All right. I told you I wouldn't." "Okay. I uh...I stayed a while and listened at the door. He was beating his boyfriend, Ruthie. I could hear the crack of the belt and then someone crying out." Ruthie cocked her head and stared hard at her friend. "Are you sure you heard right?" "Yes. There was a crack and a cry. Several seconds went by, and then there was another crack and a cry. I heard it again as I was walking away from the door." Ruthie scratched her head, trying to conceal a grin. "Uh...honey...I think you got it wrong." "Got what wrong? That bastard was hitting the man he's supposed to be marrying in a couple of months!" "Sweetie, I think you were listening to a game." "A game?" "Yeah. They were just playing a kinky game." "How do you know?" "It makes sense. Most abusers are very careful to keep what they do to their partners a secret. There's no way he would have shown up at the door with a belt in his hand if he was actually, seriously abusing his boyfriend. And it seems to me that what you heard sounded too controlled." Kerry looked down at the floor. "You...you think?" "Yeah, I do. God, girl, how old are you? Twenty-three? You need an education. The next time we all go down to Boston, you're coming with us." "I'm not completely dumb," Kerry huffed. "I know about something about S and M." "Clearly, not enough," Ruthie giggled. "Watch; you'll see. Tomorrow they'll be all lovey dovey." "They were lovey dovey tonight. What does that prove?" "Would you be all touchy feely with a man who's been beating on you?" "If he was going to beat me some more if I wasn't? Yup." "But you wouldn't be able to hide the fear, would you?" Kerry shrugged. "Not completely, no." "Watch them in the morning. I'll bet you they're all happy with each other." "We'll see." "Yeah, we will." The two women exited the kitchen and started for home. Fox blinked in the early morning sunlight and stretched luxuriously as he looked to his side and found... Nothing. He sat up and listened, expecting to hear the shower going, but all was quiet. He glanced at the clock and saw that it wasn't even seven yet, and immediately slipped out of bed. "Alex?" No answer. Visually checking the bathroom, Fox walked back into the bedroom, frowning. Where the heck could he be? "Hmm." He turned back into the bathroom for a quick shower, and as he turned the water on, he heard a door close. Peeking out into the bedroom, he saw Alex walking in, fully dressed and wide-awake. "Where'd you go?" "Uh..." Alex gave the older man a quick grin then walked toward him. "I woke up early...sun was just coming up. I just...went outside to watch it." Fox's mouth turned down into a delicious pout. "I would've gone out with you." "I'm sorry, lisa," Alex said, taking the older man into his arms. "But you were fast asleep. I didn't want to wake you." He planted a firm kiss on the older man's mouth. "Sleep well?" "Like the dead. You?" "Mmm hmm." Alex grinned at Fox. "How's your ass?" "Sore." "Awww." "Wanna kiss it and make it better?" Fox whispered, brushing his lips over Alex's. Answering with a soft growl, Alex backed Fox into the bathroom. "Would you stop?" "What?" "You keep looking at the door," Ruthie said as she poured the last glass of orange juice at table three. "You're going to spill something, then we'll have to reset the whole table." "Guests are starting to come down." "Yeah, I see that." "Haven't seen them yet." "God, Kerry, what d'you think? You think maybe he killed his boyfriend and stuffed him in the trunk of their car in the middle of the night?" Just as Kerry was about to answer, the objects of their conversation entered the room, hand in hand and looking every bit the happy couple. Ruthie raised her eyebrows and held her hands out as if to say, "You see?" Kerry watched them move over to a table and sit down, Alex taking the seat right alongside Fox's. She also saw him chuckle at his partner's grimace of discomfort as he squirmed in his chair. "Joan should have cushions on these chairs," Fox grumbled, shifting to find a more comfortable position. "Wanna sit on my lap?" Alex asked, kissing his lover's ear then his jaw. Fox smiled, leaning into Alex's kiss. "That'd create a whole new set of problems, wouldn't it?" "Not for me." Grinning, Fox rested his head against Alex's. "Haven't you had enough this morning?" "What kind of dumb question is that?" Kerry approached in time to hear Fox's hearty chuckle. "Good morning," she offered, looking suspiciously from one man to the other. "Morning," Fox returned, turning sparkling eyes up to the waitresses'. "How are you today?" "Fine," Kerry murmured, trying to check Fox for marks without looking like that was what she was doing. "You?" "Great," Alex answered after downing his orange juice. He then sent Fox a sly look. "Well, most of us. Hey... maybe she can get you a nice soft pillow to sit on." Kerry watched wide-eyed as Fox slapped Alex's forehead with the tips of his fingers. But the other man just laughed, wrapping him in a bear hug and planting a noisy kiss on the side of his face. "Just trying to help, babe." "Yeah, you're a pal." With one of Alex's arms still around him, and the younger man's other hand reaching for his glass of juice, Fox looked back up to the waitress. "Can I get a cup of coffee with cream and one sugar, and some more juice for my best buddy, here?" Alex drained Fox's juice and grinned at his lover. "Blood sugar's low." "Right." "Your fault." Fox leaned in for a kiss. "Uh huh." Kerry stood in front of the men, glancing from one to the other. Finally it was Alex who noticed. He kissed Fox once more then looked up at the young woman. "You okay hon?" Kerry blinked, surprised back to attention. "Yeah. Oh. Uh..." "You sure about that?" Fox asked. "Did you not sleep well or something?" "Actually, I didn't. But um...I'm fine." Kerry gave the men a quick smile. "How was your night?" "Good," Alex answered nonchalantly. "Slept like babies." Kerry shot one more look between the two then backed away. "Good. That's...that's good. I'll go get your coffee and juice now." Fox watched the girl walk away, and he turned to Alex, frowning slightly. "She seem a little shook up to you?" Alex nodded. "Maybe she had a fight with her boyfriend or something." Fox chuckled softly. "That's you, isn't it?" "Shut up," Alex murmured, grinning as he pushed against Fox's shoulder, rocking the older man to one side. Fox's laughter faded, then he leaned forward, planting his elbow on the table and resting his head in his hand. His eyes sparkled softly as he gazed at his lover. "We're getting married, Alex." Alex gave the older man a shocked stare. "We are?" Fox gently kicked the other man. "Don't be a wiseass." "What d'you expect when you tell me stuff I'm totally aware of?" "I just like to say it out loud once in a while." Fox inhaled deeply then released it. "It's an amazing feeling." Alex smiled, pulling the older man toward him. "I know." Fox sighed into his lover's mouth as it covered his in a brief but sweet kiss. When they parted, Alex looked to his side and found an uncomfortable looking Kerry standing there with a tray. "S-sorry, I...uh...I didn't want to interrupt." "That's okay," Alex answered, reaching out to pet Fox's head. "The interruption is for the best, trust me." He focused a loving gaze on the other man. "He's so irresistible, it's easy to get carried away." A strange look crossed the young woman's face as she set the coffee and juice down and began reciting the breakfast menu. The men ordered, and she excused herself, heading back to the kitchen. "So, you satisfied that we don't have to bring the cops into it?" Ruthie asked as her friend passed her. "I guess they do seem happy with each other." "Of course they do." "And I guess I shouldn't read anything into what he said." Ruthie cocked her head curiously. "What who said?" "The dark one. Alex. He said that the other one was so irresistible that it was easy for him to get carried away." "I'm sure he didn't mean that he got carried away beating on him if that's what you were thinking. And he's right. His boyfriend is irresistible." Ruthie sighed. "You see that mouth? I'll bet he sucks some serious cock." Kerry blanched at her friend's coarse statement. "Jeez, Ruthie!" "What?" "I can't believe you said that." The other girl smirked. "Hey, I just call 'em as I see 'em." "God." "Oh, yeah," Ruthie laughed as the two girls set about their business. "We're going on a little trip to Boston, and soon." Fox tossed his napkin onto the table and sat back in his chair. "If I ate one more bite I'd explode." "Don't do that. I don't want Alex blaming me for blowing up his fiancé," Joan said, approaching from Alex's rear. "Joan, another fine meal," Alex said, pushing his plate away. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a folded up sheet of paper. "Here are our choices for the menu." Smiling, Joan took the paper and looked it over. "Very good. I'll do you boys proud, I promise." "We have no doubt," Fox said, rising from his seat. Alex got up and moved to his side. "We gotta get ready to go.' "Okay. I'll most likely be in the kitchen. Pop in and say goodbye." "We will," Alex answered then followed Fox out of the room. "Well, that's settled," Fox murmured as the two ascended the stairs to their room. "That must make you happy." "Yep," Alex replied cheerfully, gathering their belongings. "Surprisingly, it's been a productive weekend." "Seeeee?" "No." Alex dropped the jeans he'd been folding and yanked Fox down to the bed. "Let me see." Giggling manically, Fox fought off Alex's attempt to pull his zipper down. "C'mon!" he yelled breathlessly. "We don't have time for this!" The two wrestled for a while longer then Alex let Fox go and rolled to his feet. "All right, all right. Let's get this stuff packed and get out of here." Fox lay panting on the bed for a few seconds more, then he pulled himself up and smacked the back of Alex's head as he passed. Alex's hand shot out and landed a quick blow to his ass, and he turned around, pointing at the younger man. "Don't start that again." Alex held both hands up, giving Fox and innocent look then grinned as he turned his attention back to packing. A little more than an hour later they said goodbye to Joan and her husband and headed for the airport. A few hours after that they were back home, walking up to the front door. "Good God, you'd think we'd been gone a year," Alex mumbled, listening to the racket Clyde was making in the house. He unlocked the door, and the two men braced themselves for the attack. Clyde went for Fox first, knocking him back a couple of steps. After a thorough face washing, the howling dog leapt to Alex, doing the same thing. "For Pete's sake, Clyde, what the hell's all that..." Scully stopped in her tracks, raising her eyes to the ceiling. "Oh, thank you, God!" "Happy to see us, Scully?" Fox asked, pushing the dog off as he attempted to leap up on him again. "My friend's four year old twins are less exhausting than this beast!" Scully complained. "Don't listen to her, Clyde," Alex told the dog as he circled the two men, yapping. "She really loves you." "Yeah," Scully huffed. "For about ten minutes at a time." Alex chuckled, inching past Clyde and dropping his bag by the sofa. "What're you going to do while we're on our honeymoon?" "God, don't remind me." "Was he that bad?" Fox asked, coming under attack again. "Oh nooo," Scully said, watching her partner get mauled. "He was a perfect darling. A more well behaved dog I've never met." When Fox finally managed to calm Clyde down, he turned to his partner, ready for the barrage of questions he felt sure was coming. "So, you happy? You satisfied with everything so far?" "Yeah, we are," he answered, sitting on the arm of the sofa and scratching the top of the broad head that had just insinuated itself under his arm. "I managed to keep Alex out of the coronary care unit, and things look like they're going to work out okay." A soft snort came from Alex's direction as he moved off toward the kitchen. Clyde bounded behind him, leaving Fox and Scully alone. Scully peeked down the hall to make sure that Alex had indeed gone, then she returned to her partner, tapping his knee. "I got Alex's family booked into a place not far from where we're staying." "How many of them are there?" "Six." "Really." "Yep." "Any of those six his father or Victor?" "No," Scully said matter of factly. Fox just sighed. "But," Scully continued, "Maria assures me that the ones who are coming all want to be there. They want to be a family," she added, reading the flash of apprehension on her partner's face. Fox smiled then, nodding. "He's going to be so surprised," he whispered, checking to make sure that Alex wasn't sneaking up on them. When he turned his attention back to Scully, there was a different, almost sad look in his eyes. "I'm so glad he's got family to share this with him." Scully sighed softly, knowing what was in her partner's heart. "Have you tried contacting your mother?" Fox paused, reaching down to scratch Clyde's head as the dog crept back into the room and crouched at his feet. "What's his problem?" Scully asked, observing the lowered ears and hanging tail. Fox shrugged. "Anyway...did you call her?" "No." "Are you going to?" "What would be the point?" Fox asked softly. "She'll want nothing to do with it, believe me. In her eyes I'm a complete failure as a son, a man...everything. She'd rather live the rest of her life acting like I don't exist." "She's your mother, Mulder," Scully stressed. "Tell her that." While he didn't mean it literally, Fox's words resonated in Scully's head until Alex's voice, booming from the general direction of the kitchen, drowned them out. "What the hell happened to my birdbath!?" One red eyelash swept upward then fluttered a bit before the eye it had concealed managed to focus on the alarm clock. Scully groped for the ringing phone, her sleep-fuzzed mind half wondering who the hell was calling her at one-thirty in the morning. The voice on the other end drew a groan from her, and she rolled onto her back, rubbing at her eyes. "Don't you sleep? ...Yeah, well I was doing fine. What the hell couldn't wait until a more decent hour? ...You want to what? Uh...why? ...Since when do you...are you kidding me? Just when I thought I knew everything about you...okay, but hang on a second. Where do you think you're going to find the room here to put this thing? ...Oh. Okay, I see." Scully laughed. "I was envisioning half my living room in storage. Okay, sure. Hey...do I get to watch? S'cuse me? It's my apartment! Where do you expect me to...you've got a lot of nerve, Krycek. What d'you suggest I do while you're taking over my apartment? ...Funny. And when do you plan to do this? Of course. How did I know? Okay. Yeah. Just don't break anything, okay? ...Hey...no...talk to your dog about that. I had nothing to do with it....uh huh. Good night, Alex." Scully hung up and stared up at the ceiling, shaking her head. "Why do I let them do these things to me?" Turning onto her side, she closed her eyes, hoping for sleep to reclaim her quickly. Alex woke to the sound of soft whistling. He opened one eye and found Fox standing in front of the dresser mirror, putting on his tie. He twisted his neck to find the clock then groaned and again turned his attention to his lover, who had heard the sound and was now smiling at him. "Morning, baby doll." "Aren't we chipper this morning," Alex mumbled in answer as he again closed his eyes. "Why not?" Fox asked, approaching the bed. "I slept great. Didn't you?" Not so much, no. Giving no audible response, Alex rubbed his eyes and focused on the smiling face. An involuntary grin curved one corner of his mouth, and he lifted a hand to caress Fox's arm. "You want breakfast?" Fox shook his head. "Go back to sleep." "I'm awake." Fox sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the hair back from Alex's forehead. "It isn't too often that you sleep through the racket I make in the morning. You couldn't have slept very well." Alex said nothing. "You're not still worrying, are you?" "No. Just...reviewing I guess." "We haven't forgotten anything." "I know, I..." Alex gave Fox another smile. "I just can't stop thinking. My mind won't stop working." "Thinking about what a horrible mistake you're making?" "Yeah, that's it," Alex chuckled. "I'm wondering what the hell I'm doing marrying the man I can't breathe without." The sparkle of humor faded from Fox's eyes, replaced by one of sheer adoration. His hand drifted across Alex's cheek then down his throat to his chest. It rested there over the steady thud of his lover's heart. Alex's hand came up to join his, cradling it in warmth, and the younger man gazed directly into his eyes. "You know that, right?" "As sure as I know you're my every breath," Fox answered softly. He leaned in slowly and met Alex's lips with his own. Long seconds later they parted, and Fox exhaled heavily. "I know," Alex said before the older man could speak. "You gotta get to work." Fox nodded and kissed the tip of Alex's nose. "What're you going to do today?" "Don't know," Alex answered, stretching. "You haven't done any writing in a while," Fox reminded him. "Mmm." Alex raised his eyebrows. "Been kinda busy with other stuff." "Yeah. But you can write today." "Maybe I will." Alex pulled Fox down for a tender kiss then released him. "You goin' to work or what?" A few minutes later Fox was on his way to the office. Alex showered, took Clyde out and had a light breakfast. After straightening up around the house, he checked his watch and, determining it was still too early to go shopping, he headed into the den and booted up the computer. Opening up his work, he stared at the monitor for a while before closing it. Smiling, he began a new document. "...But...you're not even trying to understand. Please...this is so important. Please, just give me an hour of your time. That's all I ask. Maybe we can talk over lunch...all right. Thank you...yes, that'll be fine. I'll meet you there at twelve-thirty." Scully hung up seconds before Fox walked in, carrying two steaming cups. Placing one of the styrofoam cups down in front of his partner, he bid her good morning. "Hey, Mulder. Thanks." Scully picked up the cup and blew into it before taking a small sip. "Anything good going on?" Fox asked as he hung up his jacket and dropped into his chair. "Skinner sent a memo down just before you came in. Department Head meeting at eleven." Fox stared blankly at his partner and shrugged. "He wants you there." "What the hell for?" Fox asked, more than just a bit surprised. "I never had to go to any of those before." "I know. But apparently the Director chewed out Skinner and some of the other A.D.'s about lax departmental procedure, so they've got to clamp down on stuff like lousy meeting attendance, illegible requisition forms, blah, blah, blah..." Fox dropped his head back against his chair and groaned. "I don't wanna go." He turned his attention to Scully. "You be the department head." "Not a chance in hell." "C'mon, Scully," Fox whined. "Save the puppy dog eyes for Alex. They don't work on me." Fox slouched deeper into his seat and opened up one of the files scattered over his desk. Scully watched him over her coffee, smirking. "It might be interesting." "I'm so sure," Fox muttered, flipping idly through the file. Scully said nothing in response and the two worked quietly until a couple of minutes before eleven. Scully glanced at her watch and looked quickly up at her partner. "Mulder." "Hmm?" "It's almost eleven. You'd better get going." "Shit." Sitting back in his chair, Fox drummed his fingertips on his desk for a few seconds then slowly rose to his feet. Grabbing his jacket of off the hook, he shrugged into it then trudged toward the door. "Feel like I'm walking the plank." "C'mon, Mulder; it won't be that bad." "Yeah." Fox opened the door and passed through it. "If I don't make it back, tell Alex I love him and I want him to go on with his life." "If you don't come back," Scully called, "can I have him?" Fox poked his head back in through the door, staring at his partner. "I've always wanted a man who could cook," Scully explained blandly. Fox disappeared then, without a word, leaving Scully alone to sit back and consider the lunch date she'd be leaving for in about an hour. Mulder would probably have a fit if he knew, but he was her best friend, and it pissed her off royally that his own mother could shun him the way she had. Scully realized that it was more than likely a lost cause but she had to give it a shot. Sighing heavily, she went back to work until it was time to leave. Fox had yet to return, so she left him a brief note lying about her plans then left for a meeting she was sure she'd regret calling for. "Sorry Mulder," Skinner murmured to his agent as the two exited the briefing room and headed down the hall toward the elevators. "The Director insisted, and I really wasn't in any mood to listen to him bitch and moan about how his orders don't get carried out." "I understand," Fox answered. "But uh..." He looked at Skinner warily. "This isn't going to get to be a habit, is it?" "I'm hoping it's just a phase, but who knows?" Skinner stopped in front of his office door. "Completely off subject; how was Vermont?" "Great. We got a lot done." Skinner nodded. "Glad to hear it." He looked around then lowered his voice an octave. "How'd it go with Krycek's cousins?" "Well, Victor is being completely obnoxious but Maria is coming to the wedding, and so are some others." "Others?" "More family." A tiny sound escaped Skinner's throat, but he said nothing. "What?" "Nothing, I..." Skinner shook his head and went silent. "You were going to say something," Fox pressed. "What was it?" "I just...don't get all ruffled, Mulder, but...it's hard to imagine Krycek with...family." "You mean the two legged kind?" Fox asked in his usual monotone. "That's not what I meant." Fox nodded, giving the older man a hint of a smile. "S'okay; you wouldn't be the first to wonder. Well...guess I'll go see what Scully's doing for lunch." Skinner opened his door as Fox walked away and took one step into the office before turning around and calling to the other man. "Mulder." Fox stopped and turned in the direction of Skinner's voice. "If I can be of any help..." Fox treated the A.D. to a full smile. "Thank you." Skinner nodded and retreated into the office, leaving Fox to head grinning to the elevator. Scully sipped at her water and checked her watch for the third time. She wouldn't just not show up. Another sip. Fifteen minutes wasn't that big a deal. Another glance at her watch. She wouldn't. A few minutes later she recognized the white hair and cool features of Teena Mulder at the door. The woman spoke briefly with the host, and he showed her to Scully's table, smiling at the redhead as he pulled the older woman's chair out. Scully thanked him then turned her attention to her lunch guest. "Mrs. Mulder, thank you for meeting me." "Well, you made it sound as though it were of the utmost importance," Mrs. Mulder responded briskly, nodding at the waiter who had come to fill her water glass. "I assume this has something to do with my son." //Oh, you still call him that?// "Yes, it does." "Is he ill?" "No. No, Mulder is fine. He's wonderful, in fact." Any hint of concern was gone then. "Then, what is it you wish to discuss with me?" //Might as well just belt it out.// "Mrs. Mulder..." "You ladies all set to order?" Both pairs of blue eyes cut up to another waiter, who had just appeared at their table. "Set to order. I only sat down thirty seconds ago..." The young man shrank back from Teena Mulder's sharp words, an apology ready to leave his lips. "It's okay." Scully soothed the young man, picking up her menu. "Can we have just a couple minutes more?" "Sure. Be back in a few." The waiter cast a wary gaze in the older woman's direction and hurried away, and Scully sighed softly. "Guess we'd better figure out what we want first," Scully said, glancing at the other woman over the top of her menu. Mrs. Mulder said nothing as she put her glasses on and began reading. Several minutes later, their orders were placed, and Teena Mulder removed her glasses and folded her hands neatly on the table in front of her. "All right then, Miss Scully." Scully groaned inwardly and took a sip of water before beginning. "Mrs. Mulder, I know about the rift that exists between you and your son." One white eyebrow lifted. "We're best friends," Scully explained. "We discuss everything." "Really." "Yes. And...Mrs. Mulder, don't you miss him?" "I don't believe my feelings are any of your business." "Not generally, no. But where they concern Mulder...he's your only child..." "I gave birth to two children." "Yes, I know. And I am sorry, but for more than two thirds of his life he's been your only child. And you've just dismissed him." "It wasn't as simple as you make it sound." "No, it wasn't. He told you, his mother, something very important about himself. His life. He needed your support and understanding, and you walked out on him. That was how long ago? And you've never called him. Never written..." "I haven't heard from him either." "If my mother rejected me the way you did him, I would be too hurt and afraid to contact her too." The other woman snorted softly. "What is the exact purpose of this meeting if you don't mind, Miss Scully?" Scully took a deep breath and released it heavily. "He's getting married." Mrs. Mulder cocked her head. "Married. When did this come about?" "Just a few weeks ago." "So," the older woman breathed. "He finally gave up on that scandalous relationship with that man?" Scully drew herself up a little taller in her seat, ready to defend her friends. "That man's name is Alex." She paused for half a beat, making sure that she had the other woman's full attention. "Your son is deeply in love with him, Mrs. Mulder. And they're getting married." The normally pale woman went two shades whiter. "They're what?" "They're getting married. In August." "How is this possible? It can't possibly be legal." "I won't try to explain all the details to you. Just suffice it to say that in a couple of months, your son and the love of his life will stand in front of a minister and exchange vows." "So he's taking this horror as far as he can." Mrs. Mulder turned away. "Just when I thought my shame couldn't possibly go any deeper." "I realize that Mulder's admission was quite a shock to you," Scully said in a very soft voice. "But he's your child. A mother should love and support her child no matter what. And if that child is truly happy, then she should be to. You should be happy for your son." "Don't tell me how I should feel," Mrs. Mulder snapped softly. "He's s...sleeping with another man for God's sake. And now he wants to marry him? Marriage is a sacred institution, and Fox is making a mockery of it." "Mrs. Mulder," Scully said gently, trying her best to reason with the woman. "I was raised a Catholic, by devoutly Catholic parents..." "Then you should understand how deeply profane this is. How sick and twisted..." "There's nothing sick or twisted about it," Scully argued, her anger beginning to simmer. "And if you would just open your mind and your heart, you'd see how wonderful they are together. If you would just spend a little time with them, there'd be no way you could deny what's between them." "I don't want to know what's between them." "I didn't want to know either," Scully said, tempering her ire and trying a new approach. "I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to. But they made me believe. I'd never seen such devotion. I've still yet to see anything like it. Mrs. Mulder, your son has someone who will love and protect him to his dying breath. And Alex has that very same thing in Mulder. Nothing short of death will ever separate them." "That would all be very lovely were it not for the fact that you're talking about two men. I will never accept this Alex or Fox's relationship with him, no matter how in love you say they are." Scully sat shaking her head as she stared at the other woman. "So basically, you're telling me that you've disowned your son." "Not exactly. If ever he decides to come to his senses and put a stop to this insanity, and sincerely apologize for putting me through such hell, I'd be willing to listen." "You don't get it, do you?" "Get what, Miss Scully? Get that the son that'd I'd had such hopes for has failed me in every conceivable way? I get that loud and clear, thank you." "He told me," Scully muttered to her water glass. "He said you were a lost cause, but did I listen?" "Excuse me?" Scully looked up at the woman with cold eyes. "Your s...Mulder...told me that you'd never come around. But still I'd hoped." She rose from her seat. "I'm sorry for wasting your time. More so, I'm sorry for wasting mine. I'll pay the tab on the way out." Before Mrs. Mulder could respond, Scully turned and walked away. Alex's cell phone began to ring just as he struggled into Scully's apartment, carrying a large box. Carefully leaning it against the wall, he pulled the phone out of his jacket pocket. Caller ID revealed Fox's name and number, bringing a smile to Alex's lips. "Master Alex's S&M Palace, how may you serve me?" There was a soft chuckle, then Fox said, "Any way you tell me to." Alex grinned as images of Fox out in the driveway, washing his Porsche in a heavy black leather collar and sheer, clingy underwear danced through his mind. "Uh...we'll discuss that later. You on lunch?" "I guess. I had to go to a stupid meeting earlier, and when I got back, Scully was gone. Left me a note saying that she was starving, and since she didn't know when I'd be out of the meeting, she went to lunch without me." "Aww. Want me come and have you for lunch...I mean, have lunch with you?" Fox broke into laughter. "I kinda like your first idea." "Maybe if we're quick, we can do both." Fox moaned softly into the phone. "Don't tempt me." Before Alex could respond, Fox's phone beeped, and he asked the other man to hang on. "Mulder." "I guess you're out of the meeting." "Yeah. Finally. Where are you?" "On my way back to the building." "I hope you at least brought me a doggie bag." "You know what, Mulder, I didn't even wind up eating. I remembered some errands that I really had to do and..." "Thought you were starving." "I was. But I really needed to do that stuff." "Well, I'm on the phone with Alex right now. I'm going to meet him for lunch." "Ooh. Yeah? Since you're not going to be working for an hour or so anyway, can I go with you? I really am still hungry." "Uh..." //Shit// "Yeah, I...I..." "Where are you going?" "I don't...I don't know. Hang on a minute, and I'll check." Fox switched back to Alex and heaved a hard sigh into the phone. "Babe..." "What? Don't tell me Skinner wants to see you in his office or..." "No. No, uh...that's Scully on the other end. She never had lunch. Did some important errands, and now she's still hungry." "So you're blowing me off?" "'Course not. But uh...she wants to know if she can eat with us." Alex grumbled briefly, then echoed Fox's sigh. "I suppose. I mean, what are we gonna do? Say no?" "Sorry." "S'okay." Fox couldn't see the grin that began to twitch at Alex's mouth. "Tell her we'll meet at The Capitol Grille. I should be there in about half an hour." "Okay. I'll leave in about ten minutes, then. Alex?" "Hmm?" "I'll make it up to you." Alex's low, amused voice sent shivers down Fox's spine and straight through his interested cock. "Yeah, you will." Groaning, Fox returned to Scully, told her where they'd be meeting for lunch, then left his office. The minute she hung up, Scully phoned Alex. "Yes, Scully?" "Listen, I just wanted to tell you that I just met with Mulder's mother a little while ago." "You... that was your errand?" "Yeah. Didn't want to tell Mulder that's what I was doing." "Scully, you weren't trying to get her to come to the wedding, were you?" "Yeah, I was." "Scully..." "It's terrible that his mother won't be there. He's her son for God's sake." Alex let out a hard sigh. "Like talking to a brick wall, wasn't it?" "Worse." "If you'd talked to me about it first, I would've told you not to waste your time." "Don't know that I would've listened to you anyway." "You're a good friend for wanting to try. But Teena Mulder is about as likely to go to our wedding as my father is." "I'm so sorry, Alex." "Don't be. While it would have been nice for Fox and I to have our parents there, it isn't necessary. We've got our friends, we've got you, who's about as close to family as anyone can get, and most importantly, we've got each other. The bottom line is, as long as I'm standing in front of a minister with my Fox, looking into those beautiful eyes and hearing him say that he's mine forever, it doesn't really matter who shows up and who doesn't." "You know what, Alex?" Scully said softly. "If there was a man out there who would love me a third as passionately as you and Mulder love each other, I'd marry him in a heartbeat." "He's out there somewhere, Scully," Alex murmured. "Could be right under your nose." "If you suggest Frohike, Alex, I'll kick your ass." Alex laughed into the phone. "I didn't mean he was under your nose literally." Changing the subject, he asked, "Are you on your way to the restaurant?" "Yeah. You?" "I'm leaving your place now." "So, you got what you wanted?" "Yep. I'll come back after lunch and set it up." "Just don't break anything, okay?" "I'm not going to break anything," Alex sighed as he let himself out of Scully's apartment and locked the door. "'Cept maybe that glass greenhouse water garden thing with the fake plant in it. I might accidentally break that." "Don't you dare." "That thing's hideous, Scully; where'd you get it?" "My godson gave it to me for Christmas last year." "Yeesh." "It's not that bad." "No?" "Nah." Scully smirked into her phone. "In fact, I was thinking about getting a bigger one for you and Mulder as a wedding gift." "Make sure you include the sales receipt," Alex droned as he got into his car and drove out of the parking lot. "Because it will be going back." Scully answered with a chuckle. "See you in a bit, Alex." Both disconnected and continued on to the restaurant. Fox sipped at his water and watched the comings and goings of the restaurant's patrons. His eyes only stopped moving when they fixed on the couple who'd just come through the door. He glanced quickly at the petite redhead then lifted his gaze to her tall, dark companion. One corner of his mouth rose into a hint of a smile, and his pulse quickened at the sight of his fiancé now walking toward him. Scully reached the table first, followed immediately by Alex, and as she took her seat, the two men locked eyes. A hundred unspoken words passed between them in one look, and Scully lowered her eyes, smiling. Cupping the back of his lover's head, Alex leaned down and brushed a tender kiss across Fox's lips. "You meet in the parking lot?" Fox asked as Alex moved away and took his seat. "Yeah." Reaching over to take Alex's hand, Fox brought it up to his lips. Alex closed his fingers around his lover's, stroking gently as he looked across the table at Scully, who had since opened up her menu. "Know what you want?" "Think I'll have the jumbo bacon cheeseburger and onion rings." Grinning, Fox shook his head then turned to Alex. "What about you?" Still caressing Fox's hand, Alex turned a warm gaze on the older man and said nothing. "Later," Fox whispered, reading Alex's expression exactly. Slowly lowering their hands to his lap, Alex drew Fox's palm over the growing bulge in his pants. "I gotta hold on to that until later?" Just as Fox opened his mouth to respond, Scully's exasperated voice sounded from across the table. "Oh God, don't you two start." All she received was a faint moan from Alex and a trace of a smirk from Fox. "I'm serious, Mulder. Get your hand out of his lap, right now." "You're no fun, Scully," Fox said as his hand reappeared above the table. Alex whimpered his disapproval and dropped his head to Fox's shoulder, nuzzling the navy blue material of his lover's suit. "Sorry, babe, Scully's being a prude." "Why? Because I want you to stop groping your boyfriend..." "Fiancé." "God. Okay, because I want you to stop groping your fiancé in the middle of a busy restaurant?" "I wasn't groping," Fox corrected softly, petting the head resting on his shoulder. "I was caressing." "Oh. I see. Sorry for the misunderstanding." Fox grinned at Scully, and Alex lifted his head as the waiter approached. The three ordered lunch then discussed not much more than the wedding for the next hour. When lunch was finished, Fox paid the tab, and the three walked together out to the parking lot. "See you at home," Fox murmured, pulling Alex to him and laying a long, hungry kiss on his mouth. "Don't work overtime," Alex growled, nipping at his lover's lower lip as they broke the kiss. "What, and leave you like this?" Fox asked coyly, rubbing his crotch against Alex's. "Okay," Scully cut in just as Alex's hands slipped down over Fox's ass, "playtime's over. Mulder, get into your car and get your ass back to work. Alex, you go back to doing whatever the hell it was you were doing before lunch, and save the bump and grind for later." "I'm going, I'm going." Fox moved closer to Alex and whispered against his mouth, "Will you miss me?" Before Alex could answer, Fox grunted as he was jerked backward. Alex stood laughing as Scully hauled her partner by the back of his jacket to his car and shoved him inside. He waved to Fox, who waved back and glared at Scully before starting his car and pulling out of the lot. Only a few minutes after he left, his cell phone rang. Checking the number, he smiled and answered. "I promise I won't jerk off until you come home." His voice lowered to a soft, sexy purr. "Then I'll give you a show." "Alex." "Oh." He stopped the giggle that bubbled up. "Scully. Thought it might have been Fox." "Liar. Don't you two ever quit?" "We'll stop when we're dead," Alex countered good-naturedly. "What'd you call me for?" "You going back to my place?" "Yeah." "Okay, do me a favor. There's a package of chicken wings in the freezer. I forgot to take it out this morning. Just put it in the sink, okay?" "'Kay. Anything else?" "No, that's it. Thanks." "All right. I'll only be there for about an hour or so, then I gotta get home and get dinner started." Alex grinned into his phone. "Then I can get Fox started." "Oh, for...goodbye, Alex." Laughing softly, Alex hung up and continued on to Scully's apartment. "Okay. Thirty-five feet from the house. That's how far Mr. Scott said the dog's kennel was. And it was mid-afternoon when he heard a commotion, looked out the window and saw three, small gray figures approximately the size of ten year olds enter the...Mulder." Scully set the file down and crossed her arms over her chest, staring at her distracted partner. "Mulder, go home." Fox blinked up at Scully. "What? I'm listening to you." "You are, huh. Okay, what did I just say?" "You were saying that this Mr. Scott's ten year old dog was..." "Cut. Stop. Hold it right there." Scully emitted a long breath. "You're a million miles away." "Am not." Fox looked down at his desk, grinning sheepishly then shrugged. "I was just thinking." "Yeah, I know what you were thinking about." "No, you don't. What I was thinking has nothing to do with Alex. Well, it does, but it doesn't involve sex. Well, it does, but..." "Good God. Get out of here, Mulder. And take your libido with you." She didn't have to tell him a third time. Twenty minutes later, Fox was on the beltway, digging into the inside pocket of his jacket for his phone. Locating it, he called home. Two rings later, the sound of gasping and moaning met his ear. "Alex, I'll kick your ass." Laughter replaced the gasping. "Hi honey." "Yeah, hi. What're you doing?" "What'd it sound like I was doing?" "You were not jerking off." "I wasn't?" "No." "How d'you know?" "Because you're waiting for me." Fox's voice lowered. "Aren't you?" Alex's tone matched his lover's. "Yeah, I'm waiting for you. When'll you be home?" "Soon." "How soon?" "Soon enough." The abrupt click of the phone surprised Alex, and its ominous implication made his cock twitch. Stretching sinuously, his hand wandered down to his crotch, caressing lightly before moving away. //Don't touch. That's for Fox.// Alex closed his eyes and smiled as he imagined Fox's hand wrapped around him, expertly stroking him before kneeling to take him in his mouth... "Mmmmmmh. I hope your soon and my soon are the same thing, lisa." Forcing himself to get up, Alex set about getting dinner ready. The garage door rose, and the Lincoln rolled quietly to a stop. Cutting the engine, Fox stepped out of the car and entered the house, wondering why Clyde wasn't there to greet him. Figuring that the dog was either in the yard or out walking with Alex, he moved toward the kitchen. The sounds of utensils clanging confirmed his first thought, and he entered the room to find Alex just lowering the flame on a pot of boiling water. The younger man heard him come in, and just before he could turn around, Fox wound an arm around him, jerking him back into the heated cradle of his body. "Undo your pants," he rumbled against Alex's cheek, pushing his wool-covered erection into the other's ass. Alex obeyed, and as soon as the way was clear, Fox shoved his hand inside, grasping his lover's warm cock and squeezing. Alex winced and moaned softly, rubbing his face against Fox's. "You been hard since we talked?" "Since lunch," Alex gasped. "Yeah?" Fox removed his hand, and before Alex could issue any type of protest, he shoved the younger man up against the counter. With two hard pulls, he forced Alex's jeans down past his knees then undid his own trousers. "Get the lube." Alex pulled open the drawer by his hip, withdrawing a slim tube and handing it back to Fox. Quickly, Fox slathered a generous amount of the cool gel onto his cock then tossed the tube onto the counter. The hollow sound prompted Alex to recall the last time they'd done it in the kitchen, and his comment to Fox that he needed to replenish their stock. He made a mental note to try and remember to do it this time. The pressure of Fox's cock pushing its way into his ass dissolved the thought, and he cried out his fiancé's pet name as he bucked against the overwhelming presence inside of him. "Shhhh." Grasping the back of Alex's neck, Fox pushed him down until his chest was resting on the counter top. Then without further hesitation, he gripped the other man's hips and began to slam into him. "Ahgod!" Alex yelled, clawing the counter. Fox answered with a hard grunt and increased the strength of his thrusts, forcing a tortured sob from his lover. "This what you were waiting for?" Fox breathed shakily, keeping the relentless pace he had set. Alex nodded frantically, reaching for one of Fox's hands and guiding it to his cock. When Fox made no effort to jerk him off, he lifted his head from the counter and, letting out a frustrated growl, tried to make the older man do what he wanted. Fox pulled his hand away, not without a struggle, then he withdrew his handcuffs from his back pocket and wrestled Alex's hands behind his back. Efficiently snapping the cuffs on, he picked up where he left off, uninterrupted. Whimpering into the counter, Alex shuddered with every hard stroke. His cock, swollen and neglected bobbed in sync to Fox's thrusts, and he prayed for contact, any contact with it. But Fox kept the lower half of his body far enough away from the counter that he couldn't rub up against it. Beautiful, sadistic bastard. Breaths coming now in broken gasps, Fox drove erratically into Alex, pushing himself quickly toward release. Well aware of the signs of his lover's impending explosion, Alex contracted his muscles, milking the other man's cock and helping him straight over the edge. "Fuck...oh, shhhh..." Fox clenched his teeth, groaning loudly as he lost what was left of his control, and he collapsed on top of Alex, shuddering violently and emptying himself into his lover. When he finished, he stood there, joined to Alex, purring softly as he nuzzled the sable head. Hands still cuffed behind his back, and the weight of Fox's upper body on his, Alex squirmed slightly, whining his lover's name. Fox opened his eyes then closed them again briefly and smiled. Gently, he pulled out of Alex's rear and kissed the back of the younger man's neck before turning him around and meeting pleading emerald eyes. His gaze drifted down to the younger man's rigid erection, and then he looked back up, smirking. "Looks like you could use a little attention," he murmured, voice rough with spent passion. "Please," Alex whispered, leaning in to brush his lips over Fox's. Nipping gently at his lover's generous lower lip, he followed with a slow, teasing pass of his tongue. Fox moaned at the caress and slid his hands up under Alex's shirt to his chest, stroking the hot skin. His fingers wandered over the tight brown nipples, pausing to flick and lightly pinch them, and Alex jerked, groaning with pleasure. Engaging Alex in a deep kiss, Fox teased his nipples for a few seconds longer then pushed his shirt up as far as the younger man's restrained arms would let him. Alex's head fell back, and a stuttering gasp escaped his lips as Fox's head dipped to his chest, and the older man began to suck at his nipples. His bound hands clutched at the edge of the counter top, and his back arched, pushing against the tongue that was now flicking back and forth, in turn over each rigid peak. "Fox," he gasped. "Lisa..." Golden-brown lashes lifted, and amber flecked eyes gazed up at Alex. Fox gave the younger man a wicked smile then closed his teeth around the nipple he was closest to. "Fuck!" Alex grated deep in his throat as Fox pulled, scraping the hard flesh with his teeth. "Unlock the cuffs," he demanded. "Let...let me go." Nipple still between his teeth, Fox shook his head, pulling another loud groan from the other man. "Bastard. God, you fuckin' son of a..." Alex's tirade ended on a breathless sob as Fox unceremoniously dropped to his knees and sucked his cock into his mouth. "Baby," he whispered, having a complete change of heart. "Oooooh, yeah. Thank you. Jesus, thank you..." Slowly, Fox worked his lover's cock in and out of his mouth, his tongue tracing every ridge and vein. His hands wandered idly over the front of Alex's body, caressing and lightly scratching at the heated skin, and every increasingly desperate sound that Alex made warmed his blood another degree. He sucked harder, producing a loud sob from the younger man, and a plea for mercy, roughly uttered in Russian. In the last few years Fox had learned quite a bit of Alex's second language, and the two often purposely irritated Scully, indulging in brief conversations in her presence. In private it was usually used in a sexual context, initiated in foreplay and carried through to the last contented whisperings just before sleep. Now Fox pulled away, gently grasping the head of Alex's cock between his teeth before letting go and telling him in flawless Russian to be patient for just a bit longer. Slowly he sucked Alex back in, teasing the younger man for a few minutes more before finally finishing him. Alex's head dropped back, his eyes squeezing shut as endless waves of intense pleasure crashed down on him. His mouth fell open, a hard sob tumbling out as he came down Fox's throat. His legs now weak from the force of his orgasm, he leaned heavily against the counter as the older man gently licked him clean. When Fox was finished, he rose to his feet, pulling Alex's pants up as he stood, and took his drained lover into his arms. "You okay, babe?" Alex nodded against Fox's shoulder then lifted his head, fixing a glazed stare on the other man. "Cuffs." Fox grinned. "Oh." Taking the key from his pocket, he gently turned Alex around and unlocked the bracelets. Turning him back, Fox planted a tender kiss on the tip of his nose. "Better?" Alex nodded and again relaxed into his lover's arms. "Gotta finish dinner." "I'll help." "No." Alex lifted his head from Fox's shoulder and gave the older man a soft smile. "You go change. I'm almost done. By the time you come back, it'll be on the table." Fox claimed a thorough kiss then backed away, leaving Alex to finish cooking. Walking straight up to their bedroom, he pulled a pair of faded jeans and a stretched out t-shirt then went in to shower. Twenty minutes later, he re-appeared in the kitchen to find Alex preparing to serve the meal. Alex smiled as Fox came up behind him and dropped a noisy kiss on the back of his neck. "Wanna get the salads out of the fridge?" Giving his lover a gentle slap on the rear, Fox turned to the refrigerator and removed two plates. Joining Alex at the table, he set one plate in front of the younger man and carried the other to his place. "How was the rest of your day?" Alex asked, watching as Fox dug into his salad. "Okay." Fox shrugged then grinned at Alex. "Had a bit of a hard time concentrating on work." "Yeah? How come?" "All I could think about was getting my hands on you." "That right?" Alex murmured in that low, smoky voice. Fox put his fork down and changed the subject. "Well, I did give one more thing a tiny bit of thought." Alex cocked his head. "What?" We gotta send out invitations within what? The next few weeks?" "Yeah," Alex answered. Three, four at the most. Although it's just a formality. We know who's going." "We don't know about everybody." Alex sighed heavily and picked at his food. "Send them an invitation, babe," Fox instructed softly. "If they come, great. If they don't...it's their loss." "I guess," Alex mumbled, spearing a slice of chicken. "Uh...what about your father?" Alex stopped chewing for a moment then continued and swallowed. "What about him?" "You promised me before we went to Vermont that you'd think about talking to him." Alex shrugged and said nothing. "Okay," Fox murmured, reaching across the table to rub his lover's hand. "I'll leave you alone." The two ate in silence for a while, then Alex cleared his throat and spoke. "We haven't heard anything from Maria." Fox nodded. "It's only been a few days." "I know, but..." Alex wrinkled his nose. "I don't think we're going to." "You don't know," Fox offered, hoping Alex heard the optimism in his tone. "You might be surprised." "Yeah, I sure would be." "Just send an invitation. You'll hear from her." Alex sighed softly. "Uh huh. Probably to tell me that she doesn't want anything to do with me." "Alex..." "Well, can you blame her? I haven't exactly been a boy scout, you know?" "Don't be so hard on yourself," Fox murmured, wanting more and more to tell Alex what he knew. "Maria isn't blind. She can see who you are now." "Maybe it won't matter. Maybe she thinks that who I was was so bad that..." "Would you cut it out?" Fox broke in, reaching across the table and taking Alex's hand firmly in his. "She doesn't think you're a rotten person. Send her an invitation and you'll see." "I don't think I'll be seeing much of anything. All we've got is Victor's address, remember?" "You know we can get hers if we really want to," Fox said, and Alex fell silent, knowing that his lover spoke the truth. That settled, the two finished dinner and spent the rest of the night quietly, reviewing their plans. They turned in early, Alex falling asleep much more easily than Fox would have guessed. His lover nestled against him, Fox slowly rubbed Alex's back as he reviewed their dinner conversation. The look on the younger man's face as they discussed his family spoke to his sadness, and Fox felt his pain. He sure as hell couldn't let this go on. He'd get Maria's number from Scully in the morning and give her a call. He'd ask for her address then tell Alex that he had the Gunmen get it for him. They'd mail her an invitation immediately, and he'd ask her to call Alex the minute she got it. She didn't have to tell him about the rest of his family, but he was sure that Alex would feel worlds better just knowing that Maria didn't hold anything against him and would be attending their wedding. His mind now a bit more at ease, Fox closed his eyes and went to sleep. "Morning, Mulder." "Hey." Scully watched her partner hang his jacket up, waiting until he turned around to speak again. "Where's my coffee?" "Huh?" "It was your turn to bring the coffee," Scully reminded him. "Unless you're going to pull two cups out of your pants pockets, I'd say you forgot." "Damn," Fox said a little above a whisper. "Sorry. I did forget." Scully leaned back in her chair and studied him. "Something else on your mind?" "Yeah, kinda. I need to call Maria." Scully nodded, digging Alex's cousin's phone number out of her purse. "'Kay." She found the slip of paper and handed it to Fox. "What for?" Alex and I were talking about his family yesterday. He's so sure that Maria's decided that she wants nothing to do with him. I want to get her address and mail her an invitation so she can call him. She doesn't have to tell him anything about the rest of the family; I just want her to tell him that she'll be at the wedding. It'll make him feel better." "Ah. Yeah, he's wound up enough about the wedding itself. It wouldn't do for him to have to be worrying about his family too. Uh...what about Victor?" "It'll probably be a pretty good thing if he doesn't show," Fox said, dialing the number. "He and Alex together in the same room are definite trouble....damn. Machine. Hi, Maria. This is Fox Mulder. I need to talk to you about something. I don't want Alex to know that I've talked to you, so please call me at work or call Scully if it's after six. Here are both numbers..." Scully listened to her partner rattle off both numbers and smiled at him as he hung up. "I was just thinking about how surprised he's going to be when he sees so many of his family there." She broke into laughter. "Good God, what are we doing? Getting a bunch of Kryceks together in one spot. Even without Victor there, the results could be catastrophic." Fox grinned at the prediction and took his chair. "Could be fun." Scully grunted and got up. "Where're you going?" Fox asked, watching his partner move toward the door. "To find some coffee." "Get me a cup," he called after her. "Like hell!" Fox was about to shout back when the phone rang. Jerking it up to his ear, he murmured his usual into the mouthpiece. "Mulder." "Hi...Fox? It's Maria." "Hi," Fox smiled into the phone. "Didn't expect you to call me back so soon." "I had run out for a few minutes. Now I'm back home for about half an hour before I leave for work. How are you?" "I'm good. You?" "Fine. How was Vermont?" "We got a lot done. Alex might survive after all." "Is he nervous?" "About something not going exactly the way he wants? Yes. He's really anal about certain things." "Well, do you really think it's a good idea for us to spring the family on him at the wedding then?" Maria asked warily. "I don't want to do anything that's going to upset him." "Don't worry about it," Fox assured Alex's cousin. "That's one surprise he's going to love." "God, I hope so. This thought of all hell breaking loose just before you guys take your vows won't leave my mind." "That's not going to happen. Neither Victor nor Alex's father is going, am I right?" "...Right." "Then don't worry. Anyway...the reason I called was to get your address. We're going to send you an invitation. When you get it, do me a favor and call us, okay? Alex is afraid that you've probably decided that you don't want anything to do with him. If you call and talk to him, it'll put his mind at ease." "Of course," Maria answered. "Umm...did Dana tell you about Raiza?" "Your daughter? Yeah. I'm looking forward to meeting her." Silence. "Maria, I understand why you didn't say anything about her to us. Your first priority is protecting your child. You're obviously a good mother." "Thank you, Fox." "So, you're okay with having her there? Does she understand about couples like Alex and me?" "Yes, she does. She's grown up around her Uncle Victor, and he'd had a relationship with one man for a while, so..." "So he is gay," Fox exclaimed, and Maria laughed. "You guessed?" "Alex and I did have a hunch. So, yeah, your daughter does know..." "That sometimes boys love other boys. And she's very cool about that. Sometimes I seriously wonder if she's not some forty-year-old midget that someone replaced my baby with." "Can't wait to meet her. And the rest of your family." "Will you have any family there?" "My cousin and his wife. Scully." "Oh. I...Fox, I hope you don't mind, but Dana told me about your mother. I'm sorry she won't be there." "Thanks," Fox said softly. "She and Alex's dad would get along great, I think." "Sad to say, but I think you're right. Oh, well. It's their loss, you know." "I know." "Well, I'd better get out of here. Thanks so much for calling, Fox. I'll be looking for my invitation." "Great. Talk to you again soon." Fox disconnected and leaned back in his chair. Staring at the phone for a few seconds, he began to smile. "What's with the dopey grin?" A frown replaced the smile as Fox looked up at his partner. "Dopey." Scully chuckled, setting her partner's coffee down on his desk. "Okay, how's goofy?" Fox grunted and picked up his cup. "Maria called back." "Oh, yeah? Did you have a nice talk?" "Yep. And she'll call as soon as she gets the invitation." "Good. I'm sure it'll be a load off of Alex's mind." "Yeah." Fox took a sip and put the cup down. "I don't want him to worry about stuff." "I know. Dealing with Alex when he's worked up about something isn't much fun." Fox shrugged and gave Scully a knowing smile. Returning the smile, Scully turned and strolled back to her desk, and the two finally got down to work. Almost a week later Alex burst through the back door, Clyde romping in ahead of him. He ran to the ringing phone and uttered a breathless hello. The voice on the other end almost made him drop the phone. "Hello, Alex." "Hi. Uh...hi." "It's Maria." "I know, I..." Alex pulled a chair away from the table and dropped into it. "Hi," he said again, not knowing what else to say. Maria smiled, hearing the shock in her cousin's voice. "I got your invitation today." "Yeah. I...uh...w-we...Fox and I thought we'd send you one, but uh," Alex stammered, "if you don't..." "Alex," Maria interrupted, hoping to put the poor man out of his misery quickly. "I'm going." "You....really?" "Yes. You're all I thought about from the time Victor and I left your house that night. I went over and over everything you'd told me, and while I don't think I'll ever fully understand all of it, I think that I do understand how dearly you've paid for your sins. No one's got the right to hold anything against you. It's over. You've got a wonderful life, Alex. With a man who clearly adores you. Anyone can see how happy you are now. I'd like to share in that happiness." She could hear the hiss of relieved breath on the other end. "I'm glad," Alex murmured, looking up and giving Fox a soft smile as the other man entered the kitchen. "We'll be so happy to have you there. Uh. I can see about making reservations for you at..." "Oh, no, that's fine," Maria said, cutting Alex off. You've got enough to do. I'll take care of my accommodations." "Are...are you sure?" "Absolutely. Don't worry about it." "All right." Loosening his tie, Fox walked over to his smiling lover, kissing the top of his head. "So, how are the plans going?" Maria asked brightly. "Everything's pretty much set right now," Alex answered, feeling more at ease. "All we have to do now is wait." "No pre-wedding jitters?" Maria teased. "No cold feet?" "The only thing I'm jittery about is a glitch in any of the plans. As far as actually getting married goes..." Alex paused, giving his lover and adoring glance. "I'm great. Fox is all I've ever wanted. He's the center of my world, and marrying him couldn't be more right." The statement earned Alex another kiss, this one aimed directly at his mouth. He met Fox's lips, pulling his lover down onto his lap. As Fox snuggled against him, he listened to Maria speak. "I knew that the night we went to your house. I could feel the bond between you. I...it was amazing." Alex smiled but it faded quickly. "I don't suppose Victor feels that way." "'Fraid not. I'm sorry, Alex. I'd hoped that after all these years he'd stop being such a horse's ass and get over his jealousy of you. I think he was secretly hoping to find you in a less uh...cozy situation." Alex grunted softly. "Sounds like Victor." Gently stroking Fox's back, he relaxed further. "To hell with him." His head resting comfortably on Alex's shoulder, Fox waved at the phone. "Fox says hi." "Tell him I said hello, and I'll look forward to seeing you both again in August." "I'll do that. Maria...thank you." "Don't thank me. I've got as much to gain as you do. You guys take care, and if there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to call." "Thanks, we will." The cousins said goodbye, and when Alex hung up, Fox lifted his head from his shoulder. "You look happy." Alex beamed up at the other man. "She's coming." "Yeah, I got that impression. See? Concerned for nothing." Alex nodded and kissed his lover. "So...since she's coming, you wanna ask her to be one of our witnesses?" A light came into Alex's eyes for a moment then it faded. "I...Fox, we already asked Scully and Bobby." "Bobby'll understand." "No, I...we can't do that. It wouldn't be right." Fox cocked his head and looked into Alex's eyes. "You'd like to have her, wouldn't you?" "Yeah, but..." "Let me talk to Bobby." "No," Alex breathed, shaking his head. "Don't, Fox. It's okay. I'd feel awful pulling Bobby, and besides, don't you think we're being just a little presumptuous thinking that Maria'd even want to..." "No, I don't think that. She's your family. I think she'd be honored to stand up for you. And I think Bobby would be more than happy to stand aside for her. But if you really feel that things are better left as they are, I won't push." Alex's uncertain silence prompted a comforting hug from the other man. "It's okay, babe," Fox whispered. "Forget I mentioned it." He knew Alex wouldn't forget. And he knew as sure as his name was Fox, that Alex would so love to have his cousin involved in their wedding. "Victor's still being an asshole." Fox smiled at the soft attempt to change the subject. "So screw him." Smirking, Alex leaned forward, nipping at Fox's lower lip. "No thanks. You on the other hand..." Fox chuckled as Alex bucked against him. "What's that?" Alex pushed the older man to his feet then rose and took his hand, tugging him into the other room. "Come with me, little boy, and I'll show you..." July 23 Fox caught Clyde, throwing a big towel around him as the wet dog romped into the kitchen. Alex appeared through the door, hot on the Clyde's heels, cursing. "Shit! The sky just opened up! We were just a couple of blocks from home and then..." He made a loud swishing sound between clenched teeth. "Told you it looked like rain," Fox informed the younger man, trying to hold on to the wiggling dog with one hand while he tossed Alex a towel with the other. "Clyde, would ya hold still for two minutes? Alex, talk to your son." "Clyde, keep still," Alex murmured absently, more interested in drying himself than Fox's problems with the Shepherd. "Skinner called while you were out." "Skinner. What'd he want?" "Wanted to know if we were all set." "All set?" "Yeah. If there was anything we needed, if there was any way he could help us..." "Skinner?" "Uh huh." "Wow." "He's definitely coming around," Fox said, finally settling Clyde down long enough to dry him. "Never thought he would," Alex answered, shaking his head. The sudden rumble of thunder drew his attention away from their conversation. "Looks like you made it in just in time," Fox said, getting to his feet and taking Alex's used towel. "You watched the weather report this morning," Alex called, following his lover into the laundry room. "Did they say anything about a thunder storm?" "Nope." Fox lifted the washing machine lid and dropped the towels in. He turned to the other man, taking him in his arms. As he did, another rumble sounded, this one a bit louder than the first. "Wanna go out and play in the rain?" "Didn't I just come in from the rain?" "Yeah, but you were out there with Clyde. Getting wet with me will be a lot more fun." Alex emitted a low chuckle as Fox captured his lower lip between his teeth and pulled gently. "C'mon," Fox coaxed in that soft purr that never failed to get Alex up. "It's dark enough. No one will see." Not waiting for an answer, he grabbed and handful of Alex's damp shirt and pulled him back through the kitchen and out the door. The rain hit both men in a steady shower, soaking them almost instantly. Hand still clenched in Alex's shirt, Fox jerked the younger man against him and initiated a hard kiss, which Alex immediately surrendered to. As he pulled away, lightning lit up the yard, and Alex looked up at the sky. "It'd be a hell of a thing for us to get struck by lightning just a few weeks before our wedding," he murmured, his words almost drowned out by the following thunder. "Turning chicken in your old age, Krycek?" Fox asked, reaching down to unfasten the younger man's jeans. "Is this the same man who fucked me against his car in a dark alley just a few months ago?" Alex laughed as another brilliant flash accompanied by a violent crack of thunder came. Fox answered with a grin, shoving Alex back against the house then pulling down his waterlogged jeans. He undid his own pants and withdrew his cock, letting the cool rain run over his heated flesh. He said nothing, holding Alex's gaze with his own. The smile faded from Alex's face, and his hand slid down to his own erection. Curling his fingers around the swollen shaft, he began to gently pump it. Fox watched, captivated by the sight of his lover, soaked clothing clinging to his body, flashes of lightning illuminating him as he masturbated for his pleasure. Sable lashes, heavy with moisture lowered over Alex's eyes as he reached down with his other hand to fondle his balls briefly before closing around his cock, just above his other hand. Fox's breath caught in his throat as he watched Alex begin to jerk himself with two hands. He moved forward, slowly stalking the man against the house, and when he reached touching distance, he extended one hand, carefully caressing up Alex's side to his chest. He leaned in, meeting Alex's parted lips with his own and plunged his tongue into the moist warmth of his lover's mouth as he began to undo the drenched shirt. Alex moaned into Fox's mouth, his tongue tangling with the older man's. Fox pushed his shirt aside, warm hands skimming his chest before circling his back and pulling him closer. "Harder," Fox groaned against his mouth while pressing his own cock against Alex's hands. Alex obeyed, tightening his hands and tugging more vigorously. Still touching Fox's, his mouth fell open, hard gasps pushing past his constricting throat. As his knees began to weaken, and he slid lower against the side of the house, Fox's hands went down to his ass, clenching in the hard muscle and pulling him upright. "C'mon," Fox grated, biting at Alex's jaw then his neck. "Faster." He bucked rhythmically against Alex's quickly moving hands. "Faster." Teeth gritted, Alex released a series of sobbing grunts then let go, coming all over his hands and his lover's cock. Fox's hands, still gripping his rear, continued to hold him up, but the other man stopped pressing against him. His lashes fluttered madly for a number of seconds, then he opened his eyes and trained a fuzzy stare on Fox. "Finish me," was all Fox said, and Alex slid to his knees in the soggy grass, taking his lover's still rigid cock into his mouth. He tasted of rain and semen, and Alex sucked hungrily, knowing that mere seconds would be all it took to make him come. The thunder and lightning came almost continuously, now accompanied by an increasingly strong wind, but Fox noticed none of it. All that mattered to him at the moment was the hot, wet mouth wrapped around him, relentlessly driving him toward a blinding finish. It came in an instant, and his head snapped back, mouth open, his roars of completion joining those of the strengthening storm. Alex swallowed all that his lover pumped down his throat, and when it was done, he licked Fox clean and rose to his feet. Chuckling weakly, Fox wrapped his arms around him. "My legs feel like rubber." Embracing the older man, Alex held him up and moved as quickly as the wet pants around their knees would allow. "Hell of a dignified picture this would make," Alex called above the thunder, grinning as they reached the door, and he let them in. Fox shooed the dog away as he trotted up to greet them, then he leaned up against the counter and proceeded to remove his saturated pants. "See? Wasn't that fun?" "Of course," Alex answered, peeling off his shirt. "I've got more fun for you." "Yeah?" Fox asked, leering at the younger man as he unbuttoned his own shirt. "I just washed the floor this morning." Alex looked pointedly down at the quickly forming puddles. "It's your turn." "Well..." Fox followed Alex's gaze. "It's just water, right? It's not like it's dirty or anything." "It's not just water," Alex argued, removing the last of his clothing. "We tracked mud in here, or don't you see that?" "Where?" Fox asked, looking around. "Oh. Okay. There's a little by the door." "Not just by the door." Fox sighed heavily as he eyed the naked form of his lover. "Then let's go put some dry clothes on. If you think I'm going to wash the floor while you stand there like that..." "Why?" Alex asked, smirking. "Is it that distracting?" Fox snorted and approached slowly. Reaching out to caress Alex's back then his rear, he let his tongue drift across the younger man's lips. "Just a little," he whispered then firmly tapped one cheek. "Let's go." Ring. Low groan. Another ring. Alex's head popped up, and he frowned sleepily in the direction of the shrilling phone. Beside him, Fox stirred as the phone rang a third time. Before he could turn over, Alex was stretching over him, grabbing for the receiver. "H'llo?" "It's me. Your lights on?" "No," Alex murmured. "When did they go out?" Scully's hushed voice asked. "When Fox turned them off about two hours ago." "What...that's not what I meant, you dope!" "You call my house at almost one in the morning and call me names?" "Alex, do you have electricity or not?" "I suppose so, since the alarm clock is working." "Who's that?" Fox mumbled, turning face down into his pillow. "Scully. Her electricity's off, I guess." Alex turned his attention back to the caller. "Is it?" "Yeah," Scully breathed. "My phone is out too. I'm using my cell. I wonder why all my stuff is out and yours isn't." "Don't know," Alex sighed, stifling a yawn. "That was some storm, huh? I think it's finally moved on." "Mmm hmm." Fox picked his head up. "She's still talking?" He felt Alex nod in the darkness. "Give me that." Alex let Fox take the phone then fell back to the pillows, closing his eyes. "Scully, what's up?" "Nothing, I...my phone and electricity have been out for a while, and I wanted to know if yours was." Fox chuckled softly. "That storm scare you?" "Scare...what? Me? Of course not." "I never knew you were afraid of thunder storms." "That wasn't a thunder storm," Scully muttered. "It was more like...God, it was violent. I think I was a kid the last time I remembered one like that." "I know. We've got a few big branches down in the yard that we know of. We'll have to wait until morning to see about any other damage." "Hmm...oh. Oh. My lights just came on." "Feel better?" "Yeah, I guess. A little." "Good," Fox deadpanned. "Now you can shut them off and go to sleep." Scully grunted softly. "Tell Alex I said goodnight." "He's gone back to sleep already," Fox answered, listening to the soft sounds of his lover's slumber. "G'night, Scully." "'Night, Mulder. Sorry I woke you guys." "Sure you are." Smiling, Fox hung up then nestled down into the warm sheets, arm tucked securely around Alex. Within minutes, he too was asleep. "Another gift." Alex looked up from the final list of music selections to the man just entering the house. "Met the mailman at the door." Fox walked into the living room and leaned over to give Alex a greeting kiss. "Did we not tell these people that we didn't want any gifts?" "Yep." "They listen about as well as you do. So, who's this one from?" As Fox sat down, preparing to detach the card from the box, the phone rang. Alex picked it up, his eyes on his lover. "Hello? ...Alex Krycek...hi, Joan, how are you? ...What?" The edge in Alex's voice drew Fox's attention away from the package. "...What?!? ...Oh, you have..." Alex closed his eyes and took two long, deep breaths. "Was anyone hurt?" Fox sat up, full attention now on Alex. "...Good. That's...that's good. How much damage is there? ...Christ. Ah, damn..." "Alex?" Fox called, coming to sit beside his distraught lover. "Babe, what's wrong?" "Fire," Alex spoke in disjointed sentences. "Damned storm. Son of a bitch..." Shaking his head, Fox grasped the phone. "Let me talk to her." Gently, he pulled the receiver from Alex's grip and drew it to his ear. "Joan? It's Fox Mulder. What's going on? Alex has just gone about three shades paler...what...you're kidding." Fox closed his eyes and tipped his head back. He opened his eyes as Alex leapt to his feet and began to pace. "How much damage was there?...I see. God. We're uh...we're glad no one was injured...no, don't...don't worry about us. You've got enough on your plate right now. We'll figure something out. Thanks for calling. We'll get back to you soon. You take care...all right. Bye." Fox hung up and sat watching Alex prowl back and forth in front of him. Everything he thought to say died in his throat before he could get it out. He was pretty sure Alex wouldn't hear anything, anyway. He ran his fingers through his hair, unconsciously mimicking the younger man's hectic movements, and he rose to his feet. "What're we gonna do?" Alex asked as Fox came up behind him. "We don't have time to find any place else." "Well," Fox began, his voice weak. "It...it was just basically the arbor that was destroyed and a little damage to the reception room. The rest of the house is fine, Joan said..." "We weren't getting married in the rest of the house," Alex snapped. He continued to pace while Fox stood by helplessly. "Shit. Shit, shit, fuck! I can't...I can't even believe this shit! It's...it's like somebody somewhere reeeeally doesn't want this to happen." A few seconds more, and he looked up to find Fox standing by the sofa with his head down. He reached out and brushed the other man's hand with his fingertips. "M'sorry, lisa," he murmured, instantly repentant. "But we are so screwed." He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Fox, resting his head on his shoulder. "What the hell are we gonna do?" he whispered. Fox heaved a short, hard sigh and hugged Alex to him. "I don't know, I don't...but we gotta think of something. We're not going to stand by and get our asses kicked like a couple of weak-ass punks, are we?" Smiling slightly, Alex tightened his hold on the older man and slowly shook his head. "Okay, then. Here it is. We're gonna stay at the inn. Like I had started to say, the rest of the place is fine." Alex waited, desperately hoping that Fox could pull some brilliant idea out of thin air. "Then..." He lifted his head from Fox's shoulder, staring hopefully into almost brown eyes. "Uhhhhhh..." Another panic attack was about to overtake him when Fox's breath caught, jolting him back from the edge. "We'll have the ceremony by the lake. At sunset, like you'd talked about before. It'll be great." "Unless it rains. That's why we'd reserved the inside room in the first place, remember?" "Yeah. So, we'll rent a tent. A huge one. We'll call Joan back, get the names of some rental places and book one." "A few weeks before? What if..." "We'll get what we need if we have to have it flown in," Fox interrupted, trying to quell Alex's concern. "Then we'll call the florist and tell him we'll need more flowers than we'd thought. I'm sure he won't object to making more money." Alex closed his eyes and sighed. "We umm...we'll need tables and chairs too. And some method of lighting, and..." He stopped and tilted his head back. "Oh, God, Fox." "It's all right, it's all right," Fox soothed, rubbing his lover's back. "We'll get it done." Alex once again focused his gaze on the older man. "Thank you." "What for?" Fox asked curiously. "For staying calm. I know I'm freaking out here. If you freaked out too, we wouldn't get anywhere." Fox smiled and kissed the younger man soundly. "Let's get Scully in on this. She can help us make those calls." Four hours later, Alex lay sprawled on the sofa as Fox kneeled over him, pressing a cold cloth to his forehead. "We'll make some more calls in the morning," Fox assured the motionless man. "There's gotta be somebody somewhere who can help us." As if on cue, the phone rang, and Fox snatched it up as the piercing shrill aggravated Alex's already pounding headache. "Hello?" "Mulder. It's Skinner." Fox clasped his hand to the back of his neck and rolled his head. "Hi. Uh...what can I do for you?" "Actually, I think I'm in a position to do something for you." "Me?" "Both of you." Skinner explained. "I spoke to Scully a little over half an hour ago and she told me about your problem." "I see. And you think you can help?" "Yes. You see, my ex-wife's sister is a party planner in Lexington. Nothing cheesy, very upscale. I called her, and she might have what you're looking for. She'll ship what you need to Vermont. Workers, supplies... and they'll set everything up. I'm sure, though, that she'll soak you for it. But if you're really stuck..." "We really are." "If you want her number, I'll give it to you. She said you can call her tonight." Fox let out a long, semi-relieved breath. "Yeah. Yeah, that'd be...Walt, how do we thank you?" "Save the gratitude until after she hits you with a price." Fox smiled into the phone. "At this point, cost is the least of our worries." Hearing Fox's end of the conversation, Alex removed the cloth from his head and slowly sat up, listening intently. "Yeah," Fox said, reaching down for a pen. He flipped the page on the notebook Alex kept all the wedding information in and began to scribble something. "Got it. I'll call you back." The moment Fox hung up, Alex spoke. "What's that about?" The older man lifted smiling eyes to his fiancé. "Skinner of all people may have just saved our asses." "How's that?" Fox looked down at the number he'd written and began punching them in to the phone. "His ex-sister-in-law is a party planner in Lexington. He spoke to her. She thinks she can help." Alex's lips parted but no sound came out. Not even a breath slipped past as Fox waited for someone to pick up. "Hello, is this Michelle? I'm Fox Mulder. Walter Skinner spoke to you about...right. I hear you may be able to help us out of a tough spot...yeah. Did he explain what happened? ...Yeah, that's the long and the short of it." Fox explained their needs to the woman, and his widening grin told Alex that they were back in business. "Great. That's...that's wonderful. We're on, then. Right. We'll take care of it. Thank you. Thank you so much." Fox hung up and dropped down on the couch, pulling Alex against him and planting a noisy kiss on his cheek. "Are we really all set?" "Completely." Fox blew out a hard breath. "And to think it was Skinner who came to our rescue." Alex began to smile then let it fade. "It sounds good? Like what we really want?" "Better." Fox pulled back and caressed the side of his lover's face. "Thank you for trusting me to make the arrangements myself." He laughed softly. "All through that conversation I fully expected you to snatch the phone from me and take over." "Have I been that much of a control freak?" Fox smoothed the pout from Alex's lips with his thumb. "Yep." The pout returned. "It's okay," Fox whispered. "I love it when you take control." "That's not what I was talking about." "No?" Fox crooned, leaning in and dragging his tongue across Alex's lips. "Don't you start," Alex warned, even as he grasped a handful of Fox's hair and nipped at the older man's chin. "We still have things to do." "Like?" Fox asked, his hands wandering over Alex's shoulders and back. "I want to hear all about this stuff you just booked. We haven't opened the package that came. You gotta call Skinner back..." "Oh yeah. I did tell him I'd call him, didn't I?" "Mmm hmm." Fox filled Alex in on all the details as he knew them, opened the gift that turned out to be from Maggie Scully, then called Skinner, thanking him profusely for the help while Alex slowly undid his shirt and pants. As soon as he hung up, Alex rose to his feet and pulled him up by the edges of his shirt. He shut the lamp off on the table by the sofa and let himself be led up to bed. August 7 "How long's it going to take you to pack that bag?" Fox asked, walking into the bedroom to find Alex carefully arranging the contents of his suitcase. "It took me ten minutes to pack mine." "Yeah, I know. Get it out of the closet." "Why?" "So I can repack it." "What d'you mean?" "Who packs your bag when you go away on a case?" "You." "Who does the packing when we go on a trip together?" "You." "And why is that?" Frowning, Fox shrugged. "I don't know. 'Cause you just do." "Because you can't pack worth a damn." "What?" Fox asked, planting his hands on his hips. "What's wrong with the way I pack?" Alex shut his suitcase and walked over to the closet, pulling Fox's bag out. He hefted it onto the bed and opened it up, gesturing to the contents. "Yeah?" Fox looked inside. "I don't see any problem with the way this is packed." Alex patted the other man on the shoulder and gave him a condescending smile. "Of course not, sweetheart." Pulling almost everything out, he began to refold Fox's clothes. "I was trying to give you one less thing to do," Fox explained, brooding as Alex worked. "And I appreciate it, lisa." Alex straightened up, kissed Fox lightly then turned back to the packing. When he finished, he put the bag away and walked over to where Fox stood, slouched against the wall. "Still pouting?" Fox gave a half-hearted shrug and said nothing. Smirking, Alex slipped his arms around the older man's waist. "What'sa matter, baby?" "I don't know if I can marry a man who can't trust me to pack my own suitcase." Alex let out a loud bark of laughter and pulled Fox more tightly against him. "Awww. Did I hurt your feelings?" Fox nodded. Playing along, Alex guided Fox's head down to his shoulder. "I'm sorry, lisa. Let me do something to make it up to you." Fox struggled to conceal a grin. "Like what?" "Whatever you want," Alex purred, pressing his crotch to his lover's. The smile came then, full and uninhibited, and Fox lifted his head. "Think I'll save it for the honeymoon." Alex returned his smile. "You mean you don't want to do anything about that?" he asked, gently grinding against Fox's growing erection with his own. "I didn't say that." As Fox's hand rounded the curve of Alex's ass, his cell phone rang. "Scully," Alex droned. "Right on time." Fox groaned and dug into his pocket for the phone. "Mulder...yeah, Scully..." "How does she do that?" Alex whispered more to himself than to Fox then quieted as he watched the expression on his lover's face go from irritated to concerned. "What...well...can't you say anything to me about it? ...It's that important? All right, all right. Yeah, we'll be there." Fox disconnected and looked to the puzzled man. "I don't know," he said in answer to the unspoken question. "She just said that she's got something I'll want to hear, but she can't say it over the phone. She needs to see me, and she suggested that I bring you. She doesn't want to meet at her place, so we're going to the pub on fifteenth." Alex sighed heavily. "Well, I," he began, scratching the back of his head. "I guess it's gotta be pretty big if she'd bother us with it now." "That's what I'm thinking." Groaning, Alex backed away from the other man. "Well, let's go see what our latest obstacle is going to be." Scully sat looking anxiously from her watch to the door. "Where the hell are they?" She'd been waiting for almost half an hour now, and though it wasn't an unreasonably long wait, she was beginning to grow impatient. Just as she was about to call Fox to see where he was, the door opened and two tall figures made their way into the restaurant. "'Bout damn time." A brief search was all it took for the men to find her, and they made their way toward her table. "Okay, Scully," Fox said as the two drew up close to the redhead, "what's going on?" "Not here," Scully said, looking around. "In the back." The men looked at each other then followed Scully. The woman looked around again then opened a door at the back of the pub and led the way into darkness. "What the hell...Scully," Alex called, peering around at the deeply shadowed objects in the room they were now in. "What's with all the cloak and dagger..." Before he could finish, the lights were switched on and their friends jumped out from behind their hiding places, yelling the obligatory 'surprise'. Alex stood open-mouthed, staring at all the smiling faces, and Fox responded with a softly uttered, "Holy crap." A grinning Scully approached the stationary men, poking both gently in the chest. "Gotcha," she whispered before they were overrun with well-wishers. "Did you do this?" Fox asked Scully, above the music that had just started to play. "Couldn't let my best friends get married without a party," Scully replied. "And since we didn't know who got the bridal shower and who got the bachelor party, we thought we'd just have one party for everybody." Shaking his head, Alex came to Scully, wrapping her in a tight embrace. "I don't know what to say." "Don't say anything," Scully replied, knowing that she caught Alex emotionally off guard. "Just enjoy your party." She released Alex just in time for Maggie to swoop in and gather Alex into her arms. Scully turned to her partner, giving him an expectant look "Very sneaky," Fox said in his low monotone, a smile playing at his lips. "You got us good." A self-satisfied grin spread across the woman's face as she accepted her partner's gratitude. "Thank you, Scully. This is..." Fox shook his head, looking around at all the pastel balloons and streamers and paper wedding bells. "...hideous." He smirked down at the woman. "Alex is going to hate these decorations when he finally notices them." "I know!" Scully giggled. "I couldn't be completely nice. I had to have a little fun with him. Look, I even got you guys a nice cake with doves and pretty powder blue frosting flowers all over it." Fox dissolved into laughter when he followed Scully's direction to the three-tier cake. "Oh God, that's priceless. Nice touch with the two grooms on top." "I thought so," Scully said proudly. "Now, go on." She slapped Fox on the back. "Go greet your guests." Over an hour later, Fox finally found his way to Alex, who stood gaping at the cake. "Isn't it nice?" he asked, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice. Alex spun to face the older man. "Did she put Chuck and Vicki in charge of decorations?" The laughter came as Alex's shocked expression met Fox. "It was uh...sort of an extra special little gift just for you from Scully." "Yeah?" Alex looked around and found Scully standing with Langly and Skinner in the far corner of the room. He caught her eye, and she waved, smiling sweetly. He mouthed the words, 'I'll get you' then turned back to Fox. "At least the music's good. Wanna dance?" Smiling, Fox let Alex lead him out into the center of the room, and the two fell into a graceful rhythm, drifting together alone on the dance floor. "Awwww," Vicki cooed, linking her arm through Chuck's and lowering her head to his shoulder. "Isn't that sweet?" Chuck stopped his conversation with Fox's cousin Bobby, and the two men watched the guests of honor. "I'm glad Fox has got someone who really loves him," Bobby said, his voice low. "He'd been so unhappy for so long." "I know he hasn't had it easy," Chuck answered, stroking his wife's back. "I guess Alex hasn't either. They're both very lucky, I'd say." Over in the corner, Scully had stopped speaking and watched her best friends for a moment before turning to her mother. "Disgustingly sweet, aren't they?" Laughing softly, Maggie shook her head. "Says their biggest fan." Scully smiled at the older woman said nothing. Her attention was drawn up to the man standing beside them momentarily then went back to the dance floor when Skinner didn't meet her gaze. Ever alert, Maggie nudged Skinner from behind. "Why don't you two go join them?" Skinner's mouth fell open and a clipped sound came out as he looked from Maggie Scully to her daughter and back again. "Mom," Scully whispered under her breath then turned to Skinner to apologize. "Sorry, sir...my mother...sometimes she just..." "Walter." "Hmm?" "We're not at work," Skinner surprised himself by saying. "There's no reason we can't use first names. And umm..." He looked out at the two men then back to Scully. "If you'd like to, I certainly wouldn't mind..." Scully cocked her head, listening to the A.D., an incredulous look on her face. Skinner took a fortifying breath and continued. "I can't remember the last time I danced, but if you're feeling brave..." "Oh, for goodness sake," Maggie broke in, shoving them toward the dance floor. "Go on." The two stumbled forward, then Skinner gave Scully what passed for a tight-lipped smile and held his hand out to her. Cutting a look at her mother, Scully carefully took the extended hand and accompanied Skinner out onto the floor. "Are you kidding me?" Cheek pressed to his lover's, Fox moaned softly. "Hmm. What?" "You're not going to believe it. Look who's out here." Fox opened his eyes and looked in the direction in which Alex's head was turned, and he gasped softly. "Noooo." "Who d'you think asked who to dance?" Alex asked, amused by the clear discomfort of the two who had joined them on the floor. "Don't know," Fox answered, "but we're probably not helping by staring at them." "Yeah, I guess." He motioned to the other couples to come out and dance, hoping that more people on the floor would put Skinner and Scully more at ease. It seemed to work, and he again relaxed against Fox, smiling. "There. Okay? We did our part for budding romance." "Budding..." Fox broke into laughter. "I'm sure they'd love to hear that." Meanwhile, Skinner moved silently around the floor leading an equally quiet Scully. Finally, he cleared his throat and spoke. "I'm sorry if I'm a bit clumsy. It's been a very long time since I've done this." "Oh, no!" Scully answered quickly. "You dance very well." Skinner nodded and fell into silence again. Scully gave him a bit of a smile then looked around the room. Her eyes lit on Fox and Alex, moving effortlessly together, and her smile grew. She looked back to the A.D. and found him staring down at her. Immediately uncomfortable, he turned his gaze away. "I'm glad you were able to come today." "Yeah. Yeah,me too. It's a nice party. Nice people." "They are. A bit odd, some of them, but what would you expect from friends of Mulder?" Scully heard a sound that might have been a short laugh, and she looked up again to meet Skinner's eyes. "Odd or not, it's nice to have friends." "The guys are happy that they can consider you their friend." Skinner stole a glance at the two men wrapped blissfully around each other. "I never thought I'd ever feel anything for Krycek but hatred and distrust." "I know. No one ever would have guessed we'd all be where we are today." Scully followed Skinner's gaze. "They love each other so much." "That's clear." Changing the subject, Skinner asked, "What's the word on Krycek's cousins?" "Victor is a lost cause it seems, but Maria's going to the wedding. And, keep this to yourself, but she's bringing some more of Alex's family with her." "More?" "Yeah. Aunts and uncles. Maria's small daughter, and Alex's stepmother." "Really. And Krycek doesn't know?" "Nope. He's going to be so surprised. Too bad his father refuses to go. Apparently the man is just as bad as Mulder's mother." "Yeah, I've noticed that she hasn't been part of anything." "She's completely against them. She had a bad relationship with Mulder anyway because of the situation with his father and sister, but his being in love with another man has made things a million times worse." "I take it there's no reasoning with her." "None. I've tried very recently, and she won't budge." "That's too bad. I wonder if some parents realize the damage that they do when they reject their children...to the children and to themselves." "If these two parents know, they apparently don't care." "It really is a shame." "Yes, it is." The song ended, and the two left the dance floor, relieved at having found something to fill the awkward silence that certainly would have lingered between them for the duration of the dance. "Aww, why'd you stop?" Maggie prodded as the two approached her and two of the Gunmen. "Another slow song is playing." She beamed at her daughter. "You looked so nice up there together." While Scully searched for something to say that would appease her mother and not embarrass either herself or Skinner, Frohike interrupted. She could have kissed him. Almost. "Never mind that, go pry your partner away his boyfriend there, and make them eat something. Nobody'll eat until they do, and I'm starved." "Pry is a good word," Skinner mumbled looking for even a crack of daylight between the two men. "Anybody got a crowbar?" "Yeah, once they're stuck together like that, it's pretty hard to separate them," Scully said, smoothing her blouse and starting out toward the dance floor. "Mulder," she called, tapping her partner on the shoulder once she reached them. "You guys wanna break it up for a little while? Everybody's getting hungry." "So, tell 'em to go ahead and eat," Fox murmured, nuzzling Alex's jaw. "They won't eat until you do." Scully sighed loudly when she received no answer. "Alex." She tried tapping the other man. "Alex, come on." Alex lifted his head and opened his eyes, focusing a tranquil gaze on Scully. His eyes lingered on her for a moment, then he pulled slightly away from Fox. "C'mon, lisa. Let's eat before everybody keels over from starvation." Taking Fox's hand, Alex led him over to the buffet and checked out the offerings. "Looks good," he said, picking up a plate and handing it to Fox. "Who'd you get to cater?" Fox asked, digging into a mound of potato salad. "No one in particular. Everybody pitched in and brought something. Most of it, I believe, is homemade." "Yeah, dude," Langly chimed in as he and Frohike shoved at each other, fighting for a place right behind Alex. "I made the stuffed mushrooms." "You did?" Fox grinned, looking from Langly to Alex, who had just uncovered the mushrooms. "You mean you've been holding out on us, Langly?" Alex peered into the aluminum pan, making no effort to conceal the look of apprehension on his face. "He'd been doing us a favor until now. Langly, what the hell is in this?" "Onions, butter, sauerkraut, chopped walnuts..." "Sauerkraut?" "Well, the recipe called for blue cheese, but somebody didn't pay attention to the shopping list." "Don't blame me," Frohike huffed. "You had time to go out and get some last night, but you were too lazy!" Langly gave Alex and Fox an uneasy smile, shaking his head. "So you decided to substitute with sauerkraut?" Alex asked, not sure why he was so surprised. "How is sauerkraut even remotely like blue cheese?" "It might be good," Fox said, trying to rescue Langly. "Well, be my guest," Alex said, spooning out one of the big portabella mushrooms and dropping it in Fox's plate. "Think I won't?" Fox asked, picking up a fork. "You know I'll try anything once." "Sometimes twice," Alex murmured, getting a knowing smirk from his lover. Fox cut off a piece and lifted it to his nose. His eyes closed, and he made a face, but he tasted it anyway. Alex watched silently, brow crinkled as Fox chewed and swallowed. The older man opened his eyes and looked to Langly. "Uh...dude..." Alex didn't wait for the rest. He recovered the pan and took it out of the sight of unsuspecting guests. "All right, all right," Langly moaned. "But you can't say I didn't try." "To kill us?" Alex asked, returning and slipping an arm around Fox's waist. "Thanks anyway," Fox said, patting Langly's shoulder as Alex directed his attention back to the buffet. "Ha," Frohike whispered, cutting in front of Langly and grabbing for a plate. Langly discreetly flipped the shorter man off and got in line. The rest of the guests fell in behind him, and a short while later everyone was seated with a full plate. "So, Fox," Susan called to her husband's cousin from the next table. "You guys got your vows written?" "I have, though I don't know if vows is exactly the word for it," Fox answered. Susan smiled and looked expectantly at the man beside Fox. "I got it covered," was all Alex said then shoveled the last of the potato salad into his mouth. "Can't wait to hear them," Susan commented, smiling. "I'm sure it's going to be so..." "Sickening," Frohike cut in. "I never would have guessed Mulder was so sappy. And over him, for God's sake." Alex glared at Frohike over his glass, and the other man pushed closer to Byers. "Kidding, man. Just kidding." "Would you back off, please?" Byers asked, trying to squirm away from his friend. "I'm trying to eat." "Food is more important than one of your closest friends getting killed?" "When said close friend is an idiot? Yes." Frohike cast an uneasy glance in Alex's direction and breathed a sigh of relief when he found that the other man had redirected his attention back to his fiancé. "You didn't get any of Vicki's Swedish meatballs," Alex noted, checking out the contents of Fox's plate. "Didn't really feel like meatballs," Fox answered, peering into Alex's plate. "Are they good?" "Pretty good." Alex speared a meatball and held it up to Fox's mouth. The older man took a bite, leaving half of the meatball on the fork. Alex popped the remainder into his own mouth. "Yeah, that is good," Fox said, stealing another meatball from Alex's plate. Alex watched Fox devour the second meatball, smirking as the older man dove in for another. "Guess you feel like it now, huh?" Fork halfway to his mouth, Fox lowered his lashes, looking up at his lover through them. "Sorry." "Like hell you are." Alex got up and, taking his plate with him, he walked back over to the buffet. Loading up on more meatballs, he returned to the table and placed the plate between Fox and himself. Cheek resting in the palm of her hand, Scully watched Alex plant a kiss on Fox's temple then proceed to feed the other man another meatball. "It would appear that Mulder is very uh..." "Spoiled," Scully said, finishing Skinner's sentence as the A.D. made his observation. "Alex lives to indulge him." Skinner watched the two, shaking his head slightly. "It's still hard to believe sometimes." "You haven't spent that much time with them," Scully answered. "You'll get used to it." Skinner looked back to the two men. "They really are in love." "Like most other people only dream about." Skinner's gaze drifted from the men to Scully and stayed there until the woman's attention was drawn to his face. He looked down quickly, feigning interest in his food until he was sure that Scully had looked away. All of this did not go unnoticed by Bobby's wife Susan, who drew Scully away when everyone had finished eating. "Nice party. The guys were really surprised." "Yeah," Scully agreed as the two women began picking up a bit at the buffet table. "I couldn't see them getting married without a party." "So, uh...you and your boss looked very cozy earlier." Scully's head snapped around. "Huh?" "When you were dancing. You make a very attractive couple." "He's my boss," Scully said, doing her best to sound unruffled. "That's all." Susan laughed softly. "The way I saw him looking at you at little while ago? I get the distinct feeling he'd like to be more." Scully opened her mouth to respond but nothing would come out. "You too." Scully's shock increased, and she forced herself to say something. "Me. I..." "Come on, Dana, there's definitely something cooking there." "There's nothing cooking." "You'll forgive me if I don't believe you." "Don't believe her about what?" Margaret Scully asked, joining her daughter and the other woman. "This thing happening between she and Mr. Skinner that neither one of them is willing to admit." Margaret smiled at her daughter. "I heard the conversation between you a little while ago. I also saw the way he looked at you when he thought you weren't watching." "Mom..." "We just call 'em like we see 'em," Susan said, grinning. "Would it be so terrible?" Maggie asked. "Wouldn't it be nice to have a man in your life?" She turned to Susan. "I thought she and Fox would get together, but that was blown out of the water a few years ago." "Mom. Jeez." "Well, it's true. I've gotten over it, and though I never thought I would, I do think he and Alex make a very sweet couple. And now it appears that Mr. Skinner has taken an interest in you, Dana." Maggie raised her eyebrows. "He's very attractive. Strong and intelligent. I'm sure he's very dependable. You could do a lot worse." "Scully and Skinner kissing in a tree..." Scully whirled around to find Alex standing behind her wearing a Cheshire grin. "Shut up." "Make me," Alex teased. Scully took the opportunity to break away from her mother and Susan. Grabbing Alex by his sleeve, she pulled him away and into a more private conversation. "There is nothing between Skinner and I," she whispered. "Don't go getting my mother all worked up about something that doesn't exist." Alex laughed. "I'll give it a month at the most." "What'll you give a month?" "This denial stuff. I'll give it a month at the most to run its course." "And then?" "And then...you and Wally..." Alex made soft kissing noises. "You're crazy." "I've heard. But I'm right." "Alex..." "Come on, Scully, what's the big deal? You're hot for Skinner, he's hot for you. Do something about it!" "Oh my God..." "How long has it been since you've had any?" "Any what?" "Sex, Scully. In all the years I've known you, you've never had a boyfriend. You must be some kind of frustrated, girl." Scully rolled her eyes. "I'm fine." Alex shook his head. "Y'know, Scully, while toys can greatly enhance sexual relations between two people, it gets awfully tiresome when that's all you have." "Thank you, Doctor Ruth," Scully huffed, looking around. "Now shut up, would you? What if my mother had heard that?" "She'd tell you I was right, I'll bet." "Mulder," Scully called to Fox, who was just passing by. "Come get this pain in the ass of yours before I have to kill him." Smiling curiously, Fox came forward. "What's the matter, Scully?" he asked, clearly amused. "Your face is all red." He looked from the embarrassed woman to his lover. "Alex, what are you up to?" "Nothing," Alex said as innocently as was possible when he was up to no good. "Bullshit. He's harassing me." "About what?" "Never mind." "I'm not harassing her," Alex said, insisting on continuing the conversation. "I simply told her that I think she and Skinner would make a nice couple." Fox chuckled. "Yeah, I'll bet that's how you said it to her." He slipped an arm around the younger man's waist and pulled him away. "Come on, troublemaker. Let's dance." Clearly relieved, Scully turned around and came face to face with Frohike. "How 'bout a dance, big red?" Scully's mouth fell open, a dozen excuses immediately crowding her brain, but when she couldn't pick one plausible one, she sighed softly and let Frohike lead the way to the dance floor. "Sure. What the hell?" Fox slouched as far down in his seat as the small compartment of the Porsche would allow him to, smiling. "That was a nice surprise, wasn't it?" Alex pulled himself out of his thoughts and glanced over at his lover. "Hmm? Oh. Yeah. Tacky decorations and killer mushrooms not withstanding." Fox smiled. "Well, you got her back. She did not appreciate being teased about Skinner." "Maybe I could have been a little more delicate," Alex smirked, "but nothing I said to her was a lie. When's the last time you remember her having a date?" Fox blew out a soft puff of breath. "God. Years ago." "That's not exactly normal, Fox. She's a young, attractive woman. She should have more men than she knows what to do with. Why the hell doesn't she?" Fox shrugged. "She's picky?" "I'm sure she is, but come on." Alex shook his head as he took their exit. "For a few years it was because she was so wrapped up with you and the X-files. Now I think she's just gone so long without a man that she doesn't know how to have a relationship with one. Skinner's just as bad." He grinned over at Fox. "Maybe they can stumble and sputter into a relationship together." Fox chuckled softly. "They'd be fun to watch, wouldn't they?" Alex nodded his agreement then grinned over at the other man. "I know something more fun to watch, though." A soft chuckle reached his ears. "Yeah? What?" Alex cast a lascivious glance his way, sweeping over the relaxed body. "I'll tell you when we get home." August 9 Alex popped the trunk of the Lincoln and began loading the bags in, all the while mumbling to himself. "Fridge stocked, numbers by phone..." He looked up at Fox, who walked up to the car, carrying the last bag. "Did we leave instructions for Scully about Clyde's food?" "Yes, we did." "You sure?" Alex, you typed out explicit instructions...in triplicate. And then you told her what to give him." "Just want to be sure." Alex shut the trunk and pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. "Let's see here..." Fox watched, shaking his head. "How many times have you checked that thing?" "I just don't want to forget anything." "You haven't. I promise." Alex rested his hands on his hips and looked around. "Can't help thinking that we have." Fox's eyes rolled up into his head, and he let out a loud sigh. "Alex. Babe. If we don't get going, we're going to miss the plane. How much are you going to love that?" "Okay, okay." The two men got into the car and pulled out of the driveway. Halfway down the street, the car stopped then backed up. Alex pulled back into the driveway, glaring at Fox, who gave his lover a sheepish grin before sprinting back into the house. Seconds later, he ran out with Clyde in hot pursuit. The two jumped into the car, and Alex peeled back out of the driveway and headed for the airport. "Hello?" "Hi, Maria." "Hi, Dana. How's everything going? The guys get off okay?" "Yeah. They should be landing soon." "Good. We'll be leaving here in about an hour. How are they doing? Everything all set? Well, I guess it'd better be, huh?" "Yes, it had. Your cousin would be catatonic if there was one tiny thing wrong at this late date. So, everybody still going?" "Yep. They're all set." "Victor and Alex's father are still dead set against going, I assume." "Absolutely." "Too bad, but I supposed it's for the best." "Yeah, it is. Hey, whatever. The rest of us will have a much better time without them." "Right. Well, I guess I'd better get moving. My mother, Skinner and the Gunmen are waiting for me." "All right then. I'll give you a call when we get to our hotel." "Good. I'll wait to hear from you." Scully said goodbye then picked up her bag and rushed out to meet the rest of her group. Fox pulled up to the inn and parked. He looked at the house for a few seconds then turned to Alex, who was still staring straight ahead. "We're here." He cocked his head, smiling at the silent man. "Alex?" It was then that Alex turned to Fox, his eyes softly glowing. "Yeah. This time tomorrow, we'll be getting ready to get married." Fox's smile turned into a wide grin. "You still want to go through with it?" Alex let out a soft breath. "C'mere." Fox moved closer, and Alex threaded his fingers through the older man's hair, pulling him in for a tender kiss. Before it could blossom into anything more, a wet nose nudged its way between them. "Clyde..." At the sound of his name, the Shepherd began waving his tail and whining as he attempted to give his masters a thorough tongue bath. "All right. Out." Alex gave Fox another quick peck then got out of the car, spinning to open the back door. The dog bounded out, immediately beginning to sniff around at his new surroundings. "Uh...Alex," Fox called, looking up the path that wound around behind the house. "Maybe you'd better put him on the leash." Alex followed Fox's gaze and saw Cujo lumbering down the path toward them. "Shit. Forgot about him. Clyde, here." Having not yet caught sight of the inn's official greeter, Clyde obeyed the command, and Alex quickly snapped the leather leash on his collar. Keeping the dog on a loose lead, he watched warily as Cujo approached. Clyde was also now aware of the other dog's presence, and he stood his ground, alert and quiet, watching the Saint Bernard's advance. When Cujo reached them, the sniffing began, and tails swung slowly in greeting. "Hmm." Alex looked to Fox, eyebrows raised. "That's a good sign," Fox commented softly. "I guess. "Hi!" Both men looked up to find Joan heading toward them. "Don't worry, he's never met another dog that he didn't like." "How 'bout you, Clyde?" Alex asked his own dog. "He okay with you?" Clyde looked up at Alex for only a second before returning his attention back to the larger dog. "Well, fellas," Joan said as she reached the new arrivals, "this is it, huh?" "Yeah," Fox breathed, popping the trunk and removing one of the four bags. "How's everything here?" "Pretty good. We're all cleaned up from the fire, and we'll start construction in a couple of weeks. There's no smell of smoke anywhere, so don't worry about that. Oh, and the tent is here. Arrived this morning. They've started setting up." "Great," Alex said, relieved at the news. "Thanks, Joan." The woman beamed at her guests. "Come on. Let's get you settled." The men removed their garment bags from the back seat then headed up to the house, Cujo following closely and sniffing after his new friend. Joan stopped him at the front door when they entered. "No, you don't. Let him get settled first, then you can continue the sniff-fest." They continued up to the bedroom, and as Clyde checked things out, the men hung their garment bags in the closet and placed the bag on the bed. "I'll leave you boys alone now," Joan said from the doorway. "Come down when you're ready, and we'll go over the food, and you can check things out at the lake." "Thanks, Joan. We'll be down in a while." As soon as the woman was gone, Alex walked over to Fox, taking him in his arms. Both men stared at each other for long minutes, saying nothing, then Alex leaned forward and took Fox's mouth in a slow, tender kiss. When they parted, he gave his lover a hint of a smile. "Know what?" "What?" Fox asked almost too softly to be heard. Alex reached up and stroked the side of Fox's head. "I love you." Fox lowered his eyes for a moment then lifted a glistening gaze to the other. "I love you." He smiled. "Christ, we're sappy." Alex nodded, happy to agree. "You wanna get this stuff unpacked then go downstairs?" "'Kay." The kitchen was buzzing with activity. Everywhere people were chopping, slicing and kneading. Joan looked up as Fox and Alex wandered into the room, and she grinned. "Well, guys," she said, waving her arm in a semi-circle, "this is all for you. Care to make an inspection?" Unlacing his fingers from Fox's, Alex moved slowly around the kitchen, taking everything in. While he did so, Joan sidled up to Fox, nudging his arm. "Don't you want to check things out?" "That's Alex's bag," Fox said, looking around. "I don't hear any screaming, no pots are boiling over, there's nothing burning." He shrugged, smiling down at the woman. "I'm happy." Joan chuckled and patted Fox's shoulder. "I like your attitude." She turned her attention to the other man, who was very intently observing the preparations. "What d'you think, Alex?" Alex lifted his head long enough to nod then returned his focus to a couple of nervous-looking women, who were rolling pastry crust. "Alex," Fox called, noting the look on the women's faces. "C'mon, babe. Everything seems pretty well under control here. Let's go down to the lake." "'Kay," Alex mumbled without moving. "In a sec." "Stickler for details, isn't he?" Joan asked, genuinely amused at Alex's interest. "I'm amazed he's made it to this day without cracking up," Fox answered. "I thought he was going to lose it for sure when you called to tell us that the arbor got fried." "I still feel so bad about that," Joan said, absently scratching the top of Clyde's head. "You can't control the weather," Fox comforted. "Don't worry about it." "I know, but I still feel terrible. You were both so happy with it." "A tent by the lake will be just as nice, I'm sure. I..." Fox stopped talking as he glanced over at Alex to find the younger man now speaking to the two women, who were eyeing him warily. "Joan, excuse me. I gotta go get him before you start losing kitchen help." Fox left Joan and headed quickly in Alex's direction. Within earshot in seconds, he heard what was mostly a one-way conversation. "...french butter. Otherwise, you have to use a vegetable shortening to..." "Alex..." The look of relief that washed over the women's faces was clear as Fox came to their rescue. "Yeah?" "Are you trying to tell these nice ladies how to do their jobs?" "I'm just explaining the intricacies of puff pastry. It can get too heavy if you don't..." "I'm sure they know that, babe." Fox smiled at the women. "And I'm sure it'll be delicious." He wound his arm through Alex's and towed the younger man away. He mouthed a quick 'sorry' to the women, who each in turn gave him a grateful smile and returned to their work. "You think I was being a pest?" Alex asked as Fox led him out of the house and into the warm August sunshine. "I know you were," Fox answered smirking. "Well, forgive me for wanting our wedding to be perfect." "It will be," Fox promised. "Even with heavy puff pastry." Alex cut the older man a dirty look but only for a moment. A smile replaced it soon enough, and he started to chuckle. "They probably wanted to kill me, huh?" "Probably." Fox slipped an arm around the other man's waist and pulled him close as they walked. "Relax, Alex. We've got nothing more to do but enjoy ourselves." "You're right," Alex admitted. "We made it. Everything's done and...hey!" Fox followed Alex's horrified gaze to the tent, which had now come into their sights. "What? What's wrong?" "It's facing the wrong way!" "It..." Fox looked from Alex to the tent and back again. "You can see that from here?" "It's supposed to be facing the lake, not running parallel to it!" Alex broke from Fox's side and trotted down to the site, Clyde loping along beside him. Groaning softly, Fox looked skyward in silent prayer then followed in the other man's wake. "What the hell are you doing?" Alex yelled more than asked as he approached the work crew, who thought that they were almost finished. "We're putting a tent up," one man said, stepping forward. "No shit." Alex pointed at the huge structure. "It's wrong." "Who're you? Tent inspector?" "I'm the guy who's paying your salary today," Alex rumbled, "and I gave specific instructions that it was supposed to be facing the damn water!" The man looked at his clipboard. "There were no...oh." "Oh? Oh?" "Yeah, okay. We goofed. But only by ninety degrees." "Fix it." "Fix..." The man looked at the tent then back to Alex. "How?" "How do you think?" "Mister, do you know how long it took to put this thing up? If we gotta take it down again, we're gonna be here all freakin' day." "I don't care if you're here all freakin' day and night!" Alex said, stepping into the man's personal space. "Fix. It." "Umm," Fox said softly, stepping forward and placing a gentle hand on Alex's arm. "Look..." He paused, waiting for a name. "Dave." "Dave. Look, Dave. You had written instructions. You messed up. It's your responsibility to fix your mistake, don't you think?" "I don't care if he thinks so or not," Alex broke in. "He's gonna fix it." Dave cut an impatient look at Alex and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. "I gotta call my boss." Alex snatched the phone from the man. "I'm your boss. I'm your boss's boss. Now take the goddamn tent down and put it back up the way I told you to!" "Y'know what?" Dave said, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at Alex. "I don't think I like your attitude." Fox closed his eyes. "Ah, shit." "Oh," Alex said softly. "You don't like my attitude." "No. I don't. The tent's a stinkin' ninety degrees off, and you're gonna come down here yelling and screaming and make my crew take this whole stupid thing down and put it back up again? I don't..." The words died on a tight gasp as Alex caught him around the throat in a one-handed grip. "Alex," Fox whispered, looking around. "Babe, let him go." "You don't what?" Alex asked, getting nothing more than a soft wheeze as an answer. "Alex, come on. They'll take it down, and they'll fix it right." Fox looked at the man, whose eyes were now bulging. "Won't you?" There was a slight nod of agreement. "See? Come on, sweetheart. Let him go." Alex waited a few seconds more then released the man and stood watching as he coughed and struggled to drag the air back into his lungs. "Sorry," Fox mumbled, relieved that the color was now coming back to Dave's face. "He's just really wound up." He reached out and stroked the back of Alex's head. "Nervous groom, you know. No hard feelings?" Dave looked from one man to the other. Nervous groom. Babe...sweetheart. //Ah, Christ.// "No. Uh...n-no. We'll get it fixed." "There," Fox smiled. "See? Everything's cool. Alex," He called, demanding his lover's attention. "Yeah," Alex rasped, glaring at the man. "Just see that it stays cool. I'll be back to check on you later." Without another word, he walked away with Fox and Clyde in tow. Dave stood watching their retreat then looked around to see if anyone had witnessed their exchange. If anyone knew that he'd just got spanked by some gay guy, he'd never live it down. Fortunately the crew seemed to have disappeared. Probably further down the lake stuffing their faces, thinking they were done. Wait until he got down there and told them that they weren't. Fox walked in silence beside Alex for a while, waiting for the younger man to cool off a bit before saying anything to him. Then finally, several minutes later, he softly cleared his throat. "Look at the water. It'll be a beautiful backdrop tomorrow with the sun setting on it." "It'll probably rain." "It will not. We listened to the forecast a zillion times on every local station we could find. Everybody's calling for a gorgeous day." Alex snorted and said nothing. Fox stopped walking and hooked his arm through Alex's, bringing his brooding lover to a halt as well. "What?" "C'mere." Fox drew Alex into his arms and fixed a steady gaze on him. "Are you going to be smiling by tomorrow at least?" "I'd be smiling today if people weren't such incompetents." "Who was incompetent?" Alex raised his eyebrows and gave Fox a disbelieving stare. "Okay, yeah. Dave is no rocket scientist. But those women in the kitchen were fine. You're just too wound up, Alex. I don't know why I keep telling you this because it doesn't do much good for long, but you've got to chill out. Tomorrow is our day, and it's going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons unless you relax and just enjoy it." Alex said nothing. "Please, Alexei?" Fox dropped his head to Alex's shoulder and nuzzled the side of his neck. "For me?" Alex released a long, conciliatory sigh and wrapped his arms around the older man. "I'm sorry, lisa. I know I keep telling you that, but I really am. I love you baby, and I want so much for everything to be perfect. You don't deserve anything less." "We could be standing in a six by eight cubicle in the town hall with Cancerman and my mother as our witnesses, and it'd be perfect," Fox insisted, lifting his head. "Because I'm marrying you." A tiny smile graced Alex's lips. "How sappy was that?" Fox returned the smile, and the two shared a lingering kiss before continuing their walk. The rented minivan pulled up to the inn, and Skinner shifted into park. Scully slouched back in her seat beside the driver's, smiling. "It's beautiful." "Very romantic," Maggie agreed from the first seat behind her daughter. "Yeah. Sweet," Frohike grunted, moving to open the side door. Let's get out of this thing; my back is killing me." Scully rolled her eyes and opened her door, stepping out onto the pebbled driveway. After the air- conditioned interior of the van, the sun felt good on her chilled skin. She waited for everyone to exit the vehicle, then she started to help Skinner and Byers unload. "I wonder where the guys are," she said to Skinner, who had just shoved a bag at Langly. "I'm sure they're around here somewhere. That looks like a rental," he said, pointing at the car they'd pulled up beside. Scully nodded. "I hope Maria and the others make it to their inn okay." "She said she'd call you when they got there, right?" "Yeah." "Well, I'm sure she will." "Hello!" The group turned in the direction of the cheerful voice, and found a woman approaching, followed by a huge Saint Bernard. "Hi!" Scully called, returning the woman's sunny smile. "We're..." "You gotta be part of the Mulder-Krycek wedding party," Joan interrupted. "Welcome. I'm Joan, and this is Cujo." "Crap," Frohike whispered, inching closer to his companions. "We got devil dog, hound of hell, and now friggin' Cujo." Scully ignored the remark and shook the woman's hand. "I'm Dana Scully." She pointed to the others, announcing each in turn. "Walter Skinner, my mother Maggie, John Byers, Melvin Frohike, and Ringo Langly. There are a few more, but they didn't travel with us. They should be here in the next hour or two, though." "Great. Well, if you all will follow me, I'll show you to your rooms." As the group followed Joan, Scully spoke up again. "Are the guys around?" "They checked on things in the kitchen then headed out to see how the tent was coming along. That was ohhh, I'd say...about an hour and a half ago. They haven't been back yet." "If I know them, Scully mumbled to Byers, "they're in some secluded spot, making like bunny rabbits." Byers' face turned a dull red, and he said nothing in response. As they reached the door, Scully's phone rang. "Scully." "Dana? It's Maria." "Hi Maria! Where are you?" "Airport. We're picking up our rental now, and we'll be on our way to our inn." "Excellent. Call me again when you get there, and we'll talk some more, okay? We're just about to go up to our rooms." "All right. Talk to you soon." Maria hung up and smiled down at her daughter. "Okay, kiddo. Let's go." Hiking her doll up closer to her shoulder, Raiza took her mother's hand and followed the others out to the parking lot. Alex stretched then sat up, brushing the leaves and needles from his hair. "Mmmmmmm. I needed that." "I know," Fox murmured, shifting to lie flat on his back. He reached up and slipped his hand up beneath Alex's loosened shirt, stroking the other man's side. "Feel better?" Smiling contentedly, Alex lowered himself to his lover's chest, nuzzling the underside of his jaw. "Yeah," he whispered then chuckled softly. "What a mouth." Fox grinned and closed his eyes. "Much as I'd love to stay for another round," Alex said, looking at his watch, "we should get back. "Scully and her group should be here, and I suppose we really should go greet them." Moaning softly, Fox sat up, taking Alex with him. "I know you're right." He got to his feet and helped Alex up. As he straightened his clothing, he began to laugh. "Something funny?" Alex asked, brushing debris off of the back of his jeans. "Funny? No. I just had a thought. This might have been our last fling as single people." "Fox, we haven't been single for years." "Technically, I mean." "And what makes you think this is our last one today?" Alex finished tucking his shirt in and approached the older man. "It's still early, you know." "Yeah, but..." Smirking, Fox wrapped his arms around his intended. "Don't you think it might be better to wait?" "For what?" Alex asked, genuinely unaware of what Fox was suggesting. "Until our honeymoon." Alex broke into laughter. "What's waiting until then going to do?" Fox shrugged, still smiling. "Let the anticipation build a little." "Lisa, you know damn well that you can drive me crazy less than two hours after making me come so hard that I think the top of my head's going to come off. Do you really think we can stand any more anticipation?" He groaned at the small pout Fox displayed then let out a long sigh. "You really want to wait now until we get to Andros?" The pout remained and Fox gave him a slight shrug. "Wonderful." Alex lifted Fox's chin with one finger. "I should be dead by then, you know." "No, you won't. It'll be so good," Fox promised, pressing himself closer. "It's always so good," Alex whispered, delicately licking at his lover's lips. "Better," Fox sighed then pulled away. "Okay?" Alex shook his head then lowered it. "Okay." He lifted his head and looked into amber-flecked eyes. "You want one of us should bunk in with Scully and her mother tonight? Better yet, how 'bout Skinner?" "I don't think Skinner or Maggie would be any too thrilled about having either of us for a roomie. Guess we'll have to keep sleeping arrangements as they are and just behave ourselves." "Oh. Okay." Alex snapped his fingers. Piece of cake." "I never said it was going to be easy," Fox said, caressing Alex's back. "But we can do it." "You have more faith in our willpower than I do, then." Alex gave the older man a chaste peck on the lips. "Okay, let's get back. Oh, but first...we gotta go back and check on that tent." Rolling his eyes, Fox followed the younger man back toward the lake. "Isn't this lovely?" Aunt Irene walked around the lobby, investigating while Maria checked everyone in. "Very nice," Maria's mother agreed. "I wonder what the other place looks like." "We'll see it tomorrow," her husband reminded her, standing patiently while Raiza ran her fingers the wrong way through his hair. "Raiza," her grandmother clucked. "Look at what you're doing to Grandpa." The little girl giggled, finishing her task then raking the silver strands in another direction. Maria finished checking in then came over to join her family. "Okay. Let's go get settled in our rooms." The small group made their way up to the second floor, each finding their own room and promising to meet back downstairs in two hours for a light dinner. As Raiza helped Natalie unpack, Maria pulled her cell phone out and punched in Scully's number. "Hi, Dana. It's Maria again. We're in our rooms...yeah. Oh, it's very nice. Rustic and comfortable." "That's great," Scully breathed, relieved that Alex's family had arrived safely. "We're just waiting for four more, and then everyone will be here." "I'm so excited. I really hope that this is going to be as wonderful for Alex as it is for us." "It will be," Scully promised, peeking out her bedroom window. "What are you all going to do tonight?" "We're going to have dinner together in a couple of hours then probably just relax for the rest of the night." "Sounds good. I think we're going to do the same thing here." Squinting, Scully stared out at the three figures that had now appeared on the path. "I think I see Mulder and Alex heading this way, so I'd better get downstairs now." "All right. You all have a good night, and we'll see you tomorrow evening." "Very good. Tell your family we're all looking forward to meeting them...yeah. Good night, Maria." Scully hung up then looked back out the window at the men, who were closer now. "Going to go down and meet them?" Maggie asked, storing her underwear in a small drawer. "Yeah." Scully moved away from the window and headed to the door. "I'll be back in a little bit." Trotting down to the first floor, Scully came face to face with the men as they came through the front door. "Scully!" Alex's mouth stretched wide in a huge grin as they met up with their best friend. "When'd you get here?" "Little while ago. Hi, Clyde," Scully grunted as the dog tackled her, practically knocking her against the door. "God...Alex, get this brute off of me." "C'mon, Clyde. Off." The dog dropped down to the floor, and Fox stepped forward, hugging his partner. "You made it." "Did you think I wouldn't?" "No, I..." Fox gave the woman a lopsided grin. "Everybody else here?" "Everybody but Bobby and Susan and..." "We're here." The trio turned and watched the last four of their group entered from the kitchen behind Joan. After a round of greeting, the new arrivals were shown up to their rooms, leaving Fox and Alex alone again with Scully. "So. You guys all ready?" "Yeah," Alex croaked, wrapping his arms around Fox. "It's gonna be a long night." Scully laughed softly. "Rarin' to go, huh? No second thoughts?" she teased. "No cold feet? It's not too late to back out, you know." "Never," Fox answered, pressing closer to Alex. "We should have done this a long, long time ago," Alex murmured, planting a line of soft kisses along his lover's jaw before claiming a tender kiss. "All right, break it up. I don't want to have to explain to anyone why you two are crawling all over each other, half dressed at the foot of the stairs." "Don't worry," Fox said, pulling out of the kiss. "We're going to behave ourselves tonight." "You're..." Scully cocked her head, not sure she understood. "You're going to what?" Alex rolled his eyes. "Your partner's idea. No bonking until we get to Andros." "Are you..." Scully broke into hearty laughter. "Who the hell are you trying to kid? There's no way you two can keep your hands off each other for that long." "Can too," Fox frowned. Scully laughed harder. "Is he serious?" "Yeah, he is," Alex answered in a low, rather exasperated tone. "Let me get this straight. You're going to sleep together tonight and not do anything. Is that possible? Have you ever done that before?" "Jeez, Scully, we're not at it every night." "No," Alex agreed, now smirking. "Sometimes we do it in the morning." He leaned in, moaning in Fox's ear. "Remember how you woke me up yesterday?" Scully smiled, shaking her head. "Oh, yeah. You're going to hold off until you get to Andros. Sure. I believe you." Alex sighed and shrugged. "Hey, I'm not really thrilled about the idea of keeping it in our pants for the next couple of nights, but..." "I know, I know. Anything Fox baby wants... it's disgusting." Fox smiled, resting his head on Alex's shoulder. "Jealous." "Actually, yes," Scully deadpanned. So anyway...we doing dinner together or what?" "Sure," Alex answered, taking the time first to brush a soft kiss into his lover's hair. "Why not? It's probably a good idea that we do." "Less time alone?" Scully asked sweetly. "What's the matter, Krycek? You that weak?" "Never thought I'd be proud to make such an admission, but yes. Yes, I am." "God. Okay, well, what time do you want to eat?" Alex shrugged and turned to Fox. "I don't know. Seven?" "Sounds good." Fox glanced down at his watch. "That gives Alex time to make all his phone calls." Alex turned an innocent stare on Fox. "Phone calls?" Scully asked. "Yeah. To the florist, the band, the..." Alex's chuckle interrupted Fox's list. "What makes you think I'm going to call any of those people?" Fox turned and stared blankly at the younger man. "Admit it, Alex, and move on," Scully advised. "Okay, I might have thought about giving them a quick ring..." "Uh huh." "Just for confirmation." "Right." Fox wound his arm around the younger man's waist and aimed a soft kiss at his cheek. "It's okay, babe. Let's go make your calls." Smirking at Scully, Fox led Alex to the steps. "I'm not going to harass them, you know." "I know." Scully watched the two ascend the stairs, shaking her head. "I just want to make sure everything's okay." "I understand." "I mean, do you think that's such a bad thing?" "Of course not, sweetheart..." The bell rang a second time as the old man made his way to the front door. He swung it open without bothering to ask who was on the other side. When his nephew came into view, he looked at the younger man for all of two seconds before giving a slight nod and turning from the door. Victor followed Iliia into the house, closing the door softly behind him. "How are you, Uncle?" "My wife has deserted me, and I must see to my own meals. How should I be?" Victor tailed the old man into the kitchen and watched as he rummaged in the refrigerator, pulling out a covered dish. He placed his prepared meal in the microwave and squinted at the contraption for so long that Victor stepped forward to help. "Sit down, Uncle. I'll heat it up." Without a word of thanks, Iliia turned and shuffled over to the table. Victor turned the microwave on then leaned against the counter, watching his uncle. "What are you doing here?" "Hmm? Oh. Nothing, really. I...just figured that you and I were on our own this weekend, so maybe we could spend some time together. You know...stag night." His smile faded in the answering silence. The microwave beeped, and he removed the plate from the sparkling white compartment and placed it in front of the older man. The silence continued for a few minutes more, then Iliia spoke. "So, your impression of my son is not as positive as your cousin's." Victor shrugged. "No." "You never have cared much for him." "No..." "You were a jealous bully of a boy." Victor wasn't surprised by his uncle's candor, yet the statement caught him off guard. "What are your reasons now?" "He..." Victor hesitated then shrugged and plunged on. "Alex disappeared without a word. In those years he was gone, he did some terrible things. Now he pops back up, sins washed away, living like a respectable member of society in a beautiful house with a big yard..." "So, you're still jealous." "I'm not jealous, I'm just saying..." "That Alex has everything you want. He's happy and it isn't fair." "It isn't fair that he's done all the things he has and has gotten away virtually scott free." "From what I understand he's paid heavily for all he's done. But you would see him in jail. Or living on the streets. That would be fair. That would make you happy." Victor responded defensively. "You're not too thrilled with him either. That's why you're not in Vermont." "My issues with my son are my own concern." "Well, whatever they are, it's obvious that Aunt Natalie doesn't agree." Dead silence. "For what it's worth, you were right not to go. Why the rest of them would want to attend the wedding of a man who has ignored their existence for the last several years is beyond me." "Thank you for your approval," Iliia murmured. "But I have no need of it." "Of course you don't. I was simply saying that I agree with you." Iliia switched gears. "I know what Maria thinks of this other one, this Fox. What is your opinion of him?" "Aside from the fact that he's obviously some kind of crackpot..." "Crackpot?" "I'm sure Maria's told you that he's an FBI agent. But I'll bet she didn't tell you that he investigates UFO's and ghosts." One silver eyebrow lifted, but the older man said nothing. "Yeah. And...I don't know if this is to his credit or his detriment, but he's...he seems fiercely devoted to Alex. But then Alex has always been able to wrap people around his little finger with very little effort, so..." Victor sighed softly. "He sure was able to charm anything out of Babushka." "Especially her money?" "That wasn't right," Victor murmured. "She had other grandchildren." "As I recall, Alexei tried to share his inheritance with you and Maria." "From Grandmother, it would have been a gift. From Alex, it was charity. I'm no charity case." "You refused his offer," Iliia said. You shouldn't be angry at him for it." "His mother died in an accident. You shouldn't be angry at him for that." Old as he was, Iliia could still make his family back down with nothing more than an icy stare. Victor fell silent and looked down at his shoes. "I've had enough of this conversation. You can go now." Finding no room for argument, Victor straightened up and nodded. "Call me if you need anything." Iliia gave no answer, and Victor made his exit, leaving the old man alone with his thoughts. Barely touching his dinner, he sat at the table, staring down at the plate but seeing his family, smiling and happy, gathered around the one who'd been absent from his life for more years than he remembered, and celebrating his marriage. Iliia shoved his plate away, frowning. Marriage...to another man. What was the boy thinking? He shook his head slowly. Even if he could get past all the rest, how could he accept this? //It doesn't really matter if you accept it or not. Your paths will never cross again.// Slowly, he rose from the table and walked over to the window. Drawing the curtain aside, he stared out into the waning daylight. "What're you looking at?" Alex turned his face from the window and gave Fox a soft smile. "Nothing. Sun's going down." Fox crossed over to where his lover stood and peered out at the horizon. "Mmm hmm. Going to have to go down to dinner soon." "Yeah." Alex reached out and stroked the underside of Fox's chin. "What d'you say? Quick shower and change before we go?" Fox nodded and gave Alex a sly grin. "No funny stuff." Alex groaned and turned Fox in the direction of the bathroom. "Damn. You still on that?" Scully sat looking around the spacious room, smiling. "The guys couldn't have picked a nicer place." "I know," Margaret agreed. It's so cozy and romantic. Don't you think, Mr. Skinner?" "Walter, please." Skinner gave Scully's mother a hint of a smile. "And yes, it's a very nice inn." He looked up and found Bobby and Susan heading toward them. The group exchanged greetings, and the couple took their seats. "Guess we're just waiting for the grooms," Bobby observed, noting that the rest of their party was present. "Scully, if they're not down in about ten minutes, maybe you ought to go knock on their door," Langly suggested. "God knows what they're probably up there doing." "They'll be down soon," Scully assured Langly then laughed at the snort of disbelief. Minutes later, they proved her right. "Howdy boys," Frohike said as Fox then Alex sat down. "Glad to see you remembered your dinner companions were waiting for you." "Why wouldn't we remember...damn." Alex stopped and turned wide eyes to Fox. "Maria. I wonder if she got in okay. I should call her; see how far she is from us. Maybe she could join us." "Oh." Fox looked from Alex to Scully then back again. "Uh...yeah. Yeah, maybe." He whipped out his phone before Alex could reach his, and he hit the speed dial number. "...Maria. Hey, it's Fox. Great, how are you? Uh...Alex was just thinking that we should call and check on you...ask you to join us for dinner if you're close by...oh. Well, that's...yeah, he'll understand." Fox looked at Alex, recognizing the worry in his expression. "Why don't you say hello to him? He's sitting right here." He handed the phone to Alex and gave Scully a relieved look. "Maria? Hi. Did you make it okay? Oh, you are? Good. Yeah, I...no, can't hold dinner up that long, I guess. I feel bad about you spending the night alone, though...yeah. Well, you're right about that. Uh huh. Okay, well, that makes me feel a little better. All right...we'll see you tomorrow, then...okay...uh...Maria?" Alex's tone softened further. "Thank you...we'll try. Goodnight." Fox took his phone and rubbed the younger man's back. "Okay?" "Yeah." "Where is she?" Scully asked as innocently as she could. "She just got to the airport. She's gotta get a car, drive to where she's staying..." Alex turned to Fox. "I wish she would have let us take care of her arrangements. It's not right that she's by herself and we're all here together." "I know, babe," Fox said, leaning over to press a kiss to the other man's jaw. "But she insisted on making her own reservations. We had to respect that, right?" Alex nodded. "Hey." Alex looked up and into an ocean of tranquil green and gold. "She's here. She's coming to our wedding." Fox smiled at the younger man. "You're going to have family at our wedding." Alex returned the smile. "Never thought it'd turn out like this." Fox rested his forehead against the other man's. "You happy, baby?" Alex nodded and closed his eyes as Fox moved in for a tender kiss. "Awww," Vicky cooed, taking Chuck's hand. "They're sooo sweet." "Adorable," Frohike said flatly, watching a young woman approach. "C'mon, kids, someone's here to take our order." Alex broke the kiss only to initiate another brief one, then he looked up at the girl standing to his left. "Hey! Look, Fox, it's our friend Kerry." "Hello," Kerry said, smiling politely down at the couple. "Big day finally here?" "Tomorrow," Alex answered, slipping an arm around Fox and kissing the side of the older man's head. "Wow. Congratulations." "Thanks." "Well...is everybody hungry?" After much hassling and changing of minds, everyone got their orders straight, and Kerry left with another courteous smile. As the chatter came up, Bobby drew Fox and Alex's attention. "Uh...guys?" "Yeah?" "I've been thinking and...I'm very honored that you asked me to stand up with Dana for you, but...Alex, wouldn't you like to have your cousin do it? You know, since you've been estranged for so many years and now she's here..." Alex looked from Bobby to Fox. "I didn't say anything to him, I swear," Fox said, raising his hands in defense. Alex turned back to Fox's cousin. "Bob, I..." "It's okay. Really. I know you'd asked me before you found out that she was coming. Now that she's here, I'm sure you'd love to have her." "We couldn't...we can't..." Bobby interrupted Alex's sputtering. "I insist. Think of it as a wedding gift." "You already gave us a gift," Fox reminded the other man. "You know, after we specifically told all of you not to send gifts." "And you think we'd actually listen to you?" Susan asked. "Go on and ask your cousin, Alex." "But..." "Listen," Susan broke in, "this weekend isn't about any of us. It's about you two and your happiness. Ask your cousin. If she refuses, and I can't imagine that she will, then Bobby is still here." Fox and Alex looked at each other, then Alex lowered his eyes to the table. "I don't know what to say." "Say you'll call her." Alex looked up at the couple, chewing on his lower lip. "Boy, you know you've been together too long when you start picking up each other's habits." Fox gave Scully a curious look. "Hmm?" "He's doing that thing that you do with your mouth," Scully pointed out. Grinning, Fox looked at Alex. "Yeah, you are." "I am? Never even realized." Alex returned the smile and tapped the older man under his chin with two fingers. "I'm sure it's cuter on you." "Look, don't you start again," Scully warned as Alex leaned in to kiss Fox. "Alex, call your cousin." Cutting Scully a dirty look, Alex pulled away from the tempting mouth, thanked Bobby, then pulled out his phone and called Maria. Maria picked up her phone and checked the incoming number. Holding her finger up to her lips to quiet Natalie and Raiza, she answered. "Hello? Hi again, Alex. What's up? ...What's that? You...you want me to...but you must have two people by now." She listened to Alex's explanation then struggled to respond. "I...I don't...you really want me? I mean, is Fox sure that he doesn't mind having me instead of his cousin? Especially since you'd already asked him...uh huh. That's...that's very generous of him. Are you sure he doesn't mind? ...All right, yeah. I'd love to. Uh...is there any rehearsal? Okay. All right, I'll be there. I'm so...Alex, I can't tell you how honored I feel...all right, I'll see you both tomorrow. Goodnight." Maria hung up and stood quietly, hand over her mouth. "What is it, Maria?" Natalie asked, approaching her step-niece. The younger woman smiled and turned sparkling eyes to her. "Alex asked me to stand up for them tomorrow." "Really? Oh, honey, isn't that wonderful?" "Yeah, I sure didn't expect that." Watching from the bed, Raiza rose to her knees and drew the women's attention. "Why do you have to stand up, Mummy?" The little girl frowned. "Why can't you sit down?" "No, Raiza," Maria laughed softly, sitting beside her daughter. "I don't have to...well, actually, I will be standing up, but what it means is that I'll be a witness to their marriage. You know, kind of like a bridesmaid." "Ohhh." And as easily as that, Raiza dropped the subject, finding more interest in brushing her mother's hair with a tiny doll's comb. "So, is there a rehearsal?" "Yeah. I have to be there a couple of hours before the ceremony." Natalie nodded. "I'm so looking forward to tomorrow." "It'll be here soon enough," Maria said, looking down at her watch. "Let's get downstairs and get some food into us so we can turn in early." The women gathered up their purses, Raiza and her doll, and headed down to the dining room. "That was good." Alex fell onto the bed and stretched out groaning as he covered his stomach with one hand. "I ate way too much." "You look like you're ready to pass out," Fox commented, smiling as he found Clyde's leash and attached it to the wiggling dog's collar. "I'll take Clyde down for a quick walk, then I'll be back." "I'll go with you," Alex offered, beginning to rise from the bed, but Fox's voice stopped him. "No, babe, it's okay. You stay here. I won't be long." "You sure?" "Yeah. Get undressed and relax. You'll probably be out before I get back." "Yeah, maybe," Alex said, giving Fox a tantalizing pout. "Since I really don't have anything to stay awake for." "Aww, poor baby." Settling back against the pillows and closing his eyes, Alex flipped Fox off, and the older man chuckled softly as he and Clyde left the room. Once he heard the door shut, Alex opened his eyes and lay there for a couple of minutes before getting up and fishing through his bag. Pulling out a folded sheet of paper, he leaned against the desk and began to read. A pensive look washed his features, and by the time he'd finished reading, it was replaced with a troubled frown. He let the hand holding the paper drop to his side, and his other hand came up to rub and massage the back of his neck. He lifted the paper and read again. Before he got to the end, he quickly crumbled the sheet and tossed it into wastepaper basket beside the desk. //So now what you going to do?// Hands slowly scrubbing at his face, he walked over to the bed and sat down. //I don't know.// //You better know. In case you forgot, this is happening tomorrow.// Groaning, Alex fell back to the mattress and closed his eyes. Fox walked the path slowly, letting Clyde thoroughly investigate his surroundings. Night had fallen, and all was quiet but for the soft chirping of some crickets. Suddenly he wished that he had let Alex come along, even if it was only for a fifteen-minute stroll. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a low, feminine voice. "Shouldn't you and Alex be snuggled up together in your room, purring and cooing at each other?" Fox turned around, grinning at his partner. "What are you doing out here?" "Such a beautiful night, I thought I'd get a little air before I turned in. You?" "Just taking Clyde for his walk." "So, where's Alex?" "In the room. He got sleepy after all the food he ate earlier." "Ah." The two began to walk together. "So. You all ready for tomorrow?" "Yep." "Who knew four years ago that it'd have come to this?" Fox shook his head, looking down at the ground as they walked. "Been through a lot of crazy stuff," Scully said softly. "I'd do most of it again to be where we are now." "Most of it." "I'd do anything to go back and undo what happened to Alex." "I know you would. And I know Alex would do the same if he could go back and keep you from being shot." Scully smirked up at her partner. "But you'd go through the rest of that hellish torment again and again if you had to, just to be marrying your one true love tomorrow," Scully breathed in an exaggerated tone. "That's right, Scarlet," Fox deadpanned, stopping when Clyde stopped. "I don't blame you," Scully conceded as Clyde finished sniffing, and they moved on. "If I had someone who loved me like that, I'd go through hell and high water with them too." "Speaking of which," Fox grinned, "how are things with you and Skinner?" "Not you too," Scully groaned. "Ever since Alex started teasing me about it, my mother's been driving me nuts. There is nothing going on." "Why not?" Fox asked. "You admitted once that you thought he was attractive." "So? There are lots of people I think are attractive. Doesn't mean I have any romantic inclinations toward them." "Come on, Scully. This is different and you know it." "How?" "Because he's interested in you too!" Scully grunted and looked away. "Everybody sees it." "Everybody needs glasses." "Why are you being so stubborn about this?" "I'm not being stubborn, Mulder, I'm just being realistic." "I don't think so." Scully opened her mouth to rebut, but another voice stopped her. "Sorry, am I...am I interrupting?" Fox turned and grinned. "No!" He looked to his glaring partner, still smirking. "Not at all. You out for a little moonlight stroll too?" Skinner shrugged and looked from Fox to Scully then quickly back again. "Yeah, it uh...seemed like a nice night, so..." "It is! It's a beautiful night." Fox inhaled deeply then let it out quickly. "Well, that's enough air for me. Guess I'll get back upstairs and see what Alex is up to. You kids have a nice walk." Before either Scully or Skinner could say a word, Fox was off, whistling as he and Clyde made their way back to the house. Scully stared after her hastily retreating partner, silently plotting her revenge then turned and gave Skinner and uneasy smile. "So. Guess we should walk. You know, since that's what we're both out here for." "If you'd rather be alone," Skinner offered quickly, "I can just..." "No. No," Scully said more softly the second time. " That's fine. You're here. I'm here. No reason we shouldn't walk together, right?" Skinner nodded, and the two started off down the path together. Alex watched the bedroom door swing open, and Fox enter with Clyde. "Thought you'd be asleep by now." Alex gave Fox a lazy smile and shook his head. Fox unsnapped the leash and dropped it down on the chair by the door. "Waiting for me?" "Yeah," Alex breathed, holding out his hand. Fox approached the bed and, taking his lover's hand, sat down on the edge of the mattress. Alex kissed his hand then drew it to his chest, letting it rest over the steady beat of his heart. "This time tomorrow we'll be married." Fox merely smiled at his lover's words. Alex stared up at the older man, thumb traveling slowly, back and forth over the back of the hand in his grasp. "C'mere." Fox lowered himself to the mattress, sighing as he was gently gathered into Alex's arms. "I love you so much," Alex whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Sometimes I still can't believe that this is my life." Remaining silent, Fox wedged his hands beneath Alex's back and hugged the younger man tightly. Alex kissed the crown of Fox's head and lay quietly for a while, stroking his lover's back until his eyes became heavy and slipped shut. Several minutes later he awoke with a soft grunt. Realizing that Fox was asleep, and that he was also still fully dressed, Alex gently roused him. "Fox...lisa." "Hmm?" "We need to get you undressed." Fox lifted his head a fraction from Alex's chest. "What?" "You're asleep, and you've still got all your clothes on." Sighing softly, Fox levered himself up and, eyes still closed, he began to unbutton his shirt. Smiling, Alex sat up and helped his sleepy lover undress. When Fox was stripped down to his underwear, both men sank back into bed, curling around each other, limbs entwined as Alex tenderly petted the golden-brown head nestled against his shoulder. He waited a few minutes then called to the other man. "Fox?" "....Hmm?" "Wanna fool around?" "Married yet?" "Umm...yeah." Eyes still closed, Fox felt around his ring finger with his thumb. "Uh-uh." "Damn," Alex whispered softly. "'Night, Alex...love you," Fox mumbled before drifting into sleep. Alex heaved a defeated sigh and dropped a kiss on Fox's head. "Love you too....you pain in my ass." Alex awoke slowly, emitting a long sigh as he stretched. Head resting in his hand, Fox watched as sinfully luxurious eyelashes fluttered open and hazy green eyes tried to focus on the ceiling. "Thought you were going to sleep the whole morning away." Alex shifted his gaze to his lover's smiling face then to the clock beside the bed. "It's only seven-thirty. How long have you been up?" "'Bout an hour and a half." "How come?" Fox shrugged. "Woke up and couldn't go back to sleep." Alex glanced around the room then looked back to Fox. "Where's Clyde?" "Bugging Scully." Fox grinned mischievously down at the younger man. "I took him out then let him into her room about half an hour ago." "She's gonna kill us before we can say 'I do'." "Nah. She's supposed to be babysitting anyway." "Yeah, but not until tomorrow." Still smiling, Fox shrugged. Alex stared up at the man who, at the end of this day would become his husband. Slowly, he lifted a hand and grazed Fox's cheek with his knuckles. "So anyway...if your partner doesn't kill us first, maybe we can have a nap later. Gonna be a long day." "You really see that happening once we get up and get going, Mr. have to check on everything eight times, show the help how to do it right, control freak?" "I'm not going to do any of that today," Alex insisted in a tone that almost convinced Fox. "I'm just going to relax and enjoy our day." "Mmm hmm." "Don't believe me," Alex muttered, pulling Fox down to him. "I'll show you." "You're gonna have to," Fox grinned before planting a soft kiss on Alex's lips. "Hey. Know what I was thinking?" Alex squinted at the older man suspiciously. "What?" "We never discussed which of us is going to change his last name." "No, we never did." "You want to be Alex Mulder?" The look on Alex's face answered that question. Fox chuckled softly. "So, what? I gotta be Fox Krycek?" "I don't think we have to go so far as to change our names, babe." "Oh, sure," Fox answered. "That way, when you're sick of me, it'll be much easier to break free, right?" "Please," Alex snorted. "I'm chained to you for life, and you know it." "Chained," Fox said, giving his lover a mock frown. "As in 'the old ball and...'?" "Yep," Alex smirked. "All I need now is the black and white striped jumpsuit." The frown deepened. "C'mon, babe," Alex murmured, stroking Fox's back. "You can play the cruel, sadistic chain gang boss...you know, with the mirrored sunglasses...shot gun...and the really big billy club..." Fox began to chuckle softly. "Kinky bastard." He lowered his head to Alex's, brushing his mouth against the younger man's. "I love you." Alex engaged his lover in a long, bone-melting kiss then pushed him up and off. "We gotta get up right now or I'm not going to last until tomorrow." Fox looked down at the erection tenting Alex's underwear then at his own, and he grinned. "I guess showering together is out." "Unless you want to kill me before Scully does, yeah, I'd say that's a pretty bad idea." Fox stuck his lower lip out in an exaggerated pout then leaned in and kissed Alex once before turning and heading toward the bathroom. Groaning softly, Alex turned toward the closet and opened the door. Quietly, he stared at the clothing that he and Fox would be wearing at the ceremony, then he ran his hand down the sleeve of Fox's jacket. He smiled, remembering the day that the older man had walked out of the dressing room wearing the ensemble they'd chosen together. "That's it," he'd murmured, drinking in the stunning image of Fox in the camel Armani and chocolate silk shirt. "Yeah?" Fox had asked, turning toward the mirror, looking for what Alex had obviously seen. Alex had risen from his seat and approached from behind. "Yeah, he'd said softly, skimming Fox's shoulder and arm with one hand. "It brings out the gold in your hair and your eyes." He'd taken a steadying breath and removed his hand, backing up a few steps to again take in the total picture. "You look sexy as hell." Fox had given him that smoky stare that never failed to get his blood racing. "Am I supposed to look sexy while getting married?" "Why not?" Alex had answered in what had amounted to a low rumble. "Works for me." He'd had to fight to keep himself from following Fox into the dressing room, but once they'd arrived back home, he'd chucked every last shred of control and spent the next several hours bringing them both to three screaming orgasms. The last thing he'd remembered before passing out sometime just before two-thirty was hearing Fox's voice, soft and hoarse, saying, well, if that's how he'd felt about him wearing those colors, he'd be sure to do it more often... "Please don't tell me you've decided you don't like the clothes." "Hmm?" Alex looked up at Fox as he entered the room, wearing jeans and a t-shirt and running a towel over his wet head. "No, of course not. I was just looking at them." Fox nodded and draped the used towel over Alex's shoulder. "Bathroom's yours." With a quick kiss aimed at Fox's jaw, Alex headed into the bathroom. Less than three minutes later he was back at the door, a stricken look on his face. "Shit!" Fox spun around, startled. "What?" "Flowers!" "Huh?" "Maria!" "Alex, speak in full sentences, would you?" "We've got flowers for Scully but not for Maria!" "Shit." "Yeah." "Okay. I'm sure that one more little bouquet won't be any big deal. You go get in the shower, and I'll call Harry. Oh. Wait." Fox looked at the clock, noting that it was still early. "He's probably not even in the shop yet. We'll call him at nine, okay?" "Okay. Don't let me forget, all right?" Alex disappeared into the bathroom, and Fox turned toward the window, inhaling the late summer air as he looked out over the sun-drenched field. A beautiful day, just as the various weather reports had predicted. Fox smiled. Perfect. Maybe Alex would finally relax now... Alex tested the water and stepped into the shower, almost tripping over the edge of the tub as he did. "Shit." And it wasn't until just then that he realized that his legs were shaking. "Christ," he breathed, stepping under the warm spray and willing himself to relax. "Cut it out. There's nothing to worry about. Everything's fine," he chanted. "Everything's done." //Well, except for that one little thing...// He closed his eyes and thought about the paper he'd thrown away last night. //You really want to wing it? What if you freeze? What if nothing comes to you?// //Well, then I can fall back on what I'd written. I've got it memorized, so...// //But you don't like what you wrote. In about eleven hours, you're going to have to look Fox in the eye and say some profound, romantic stuff, and what've you got? Jack.// He locked his knees to ward off the increased tremors he felt beginning. //Don't worry about it. Just let it come. How can you look into those beautiful eyes and not be able to tell him what you feel?// //But every detail has been planned and re-planned. Checked and double checked. How can you leave this to chance?// Alex finished washing then stepped out of the shower and dried himself. Slowly, he completed the rest of his bathroom rituals then rejoined Fox in the bedroom. "Ready for breakfast?" Fox asked, wrapping his arms around the other man. "I'm staving." "Sure." Alex gave him only a trace of a smile. "Let's go." As Alex began to move, Fox tightened his hold on him. He studied the younger man intently for a number of seconds then asked, "Are you okay?" "Yeah, I...of course I'm okay. Why would you ask?" "I don't know, it's like...just a feeling I got." "I'm fine," Alex insisted. "Now, don't you start worrying." Fox tilted his head a fraction to the right and stared. "You sure?" "Yes. Let's go have some breakfast." The small group sat at the table reserved for their party, talking quietly. "I wonder how they slept." "They probably didn't. I know I couldn't sleep a wink the night before." "Yeah, well, if they weren't sleeping, I seriously doubt they spent the whole time being nervous." The small ripple of laughter faded into greeting smiles as the men in question approached the table. "Which one of you clowns let that beast into my room this morning?" Scully asked accusingly as Fox and Alex reached them. Alex immediately pointed to Fox, who batted his hand away and grinned down at Scully. "Didn't he behave himself?" "He was a very good boy," Maggie said, interrupting her daughter's coming tirade. "And so sweet." "Isn't he?" Alex purred as he took a seat beside Fox and thanked the young woman, who had just coming to pour some juice for the new arrivals. "I'd shoot you both, but I can't think of any better punishment than to saddle you with each other for the rest of your lives." "Yeah, it's gonna be hell," Fox murmured, watching as Alex reached for his juice with a slightly trembling hand. He chose to ignore it for the time being and looked around the large table. "Where's everybody else?" "We spoke to Chuck and Vicki just before we came down. They should be with us soon," Bobby said. "Don't know about the others." "You hear from anyone else, Scully?" Alex asked, checking his watch. "Nope." "Not even Skinner?" Scully glared at her partner. "Look, Mulder..." "How was your walk last night?" Alex and Mrs. Scully looked to the blushing redhead and said in unison, "Walk?" "Mulder..." "Was it romantic?" Scully looked to Fox's grinning lover. "Shut him up, Alex, or you're going to be marrying an unconscious man tonight." Alex shrugged. "Okay." Threading his fingers through Fox's hair, he pulled the older man forward. "C'mere, big mouth. I gotta shut you up." "Ah, crap!" Langly complained as he and his friends approached the table and found Fox and Alex engaged in a deep kiss. "Do you have to do that before breakfast?" Alex broke the kiss with a soft groan and looked up at Langly. "Would you like to know what we usually do before breakfast?" "No!" Langly and Frohike shouted together, and the three took their seats. "So, that just leaves Mr. Skinner," Maggie said, looking toward the door. "Dana, why don't check on him?" Scully turned quickly toward her mother, giving the woman a shocked look. "Why me? Why can't one of the guys do it?" "Because none of us want to be standing there if he comes to the door in his skivvies," Frohike answered then looked at Fox and Alex. "Well, they might." "And what makes you think that I do?" Scully asked, cutting Fox off as he prepared respond to Frohike's statement. "C'mon, Scully," Langly teased. "You know you'd love to..." "Shut up," Scully hissed as the subject of their discussion strode into the room. "Here he comes." "Good morning Mr. Skinner," Maggie chirped, beaming up at the last of their group. "How was your night?" "Very restful, thank you," Skinner said, taking his chair and murmuring a greeting to everyone else. "I don't see how anyone can help but rest well in this place," Susan observed. "It's so cozy. Although, I suppose if you're a nervous groom, it might not matter." She looked meaningfully at Fox then Alex. "How did you boys sleep?" "Like babies," Alex answered, taking another sip of his juice. "Right, lisa?" "Yep." Fox looked at his watch. "It's after nine, babe." "Oh." Alex whipped out his phone and dialed the florist. Several seconds went by, and he began to get a little anxious, but then someone picked up. "....Harry? It's Alex Krycek...yeah. Good. Great. I have a tiny little problem, though. You know the small bouquet that you did for our female witness? Well, we've got another. It was really last minute...yeah. I was wondering if you think you might be able to...yeah? Okay, great. Thanks a lot, Harry. Just add it to the credit card charge. Thanks. See you this afternoon. Bye." "No problem?" Fox asked as Alex folded up his phone and put it away. "Nope." Fox smiled and kissed his lover's temple. "Now we're all set." Alex smiled and nodded, casting his gaze down to the table. "Well," Chuck said, drumming softly on the table, "in just a few hours you guys are going to be husband and uh...." He frowned. "How exactly does that work?" "When you figure it out, let us know," Fox said, rubbing his hand over Alex's back. "We're gonna be married. The rest is just formality." Alex lifted his eyes to Fox's, and the two shared a tender look before moving together for another kiss. A few groans sounded but the two didn't separate until they were ready. "How long?" Fox whispered, rubbing the tip of his nose against Alex's. The younger man looked down at his watch then back up into sparkling green and gold eyes. "Nine and a half hours," Alex murmured back. Another kiss, and the two turned their attention back to their guests. "How was your walk last night?" Fox asked Skinner, and Scully glared at him. Before Skinner could get more than two words out, Maggie broke in, her voice hopeful. "Were you and Dana out walking together last night?" "Well...she was out, I was out, so..." Skinner looked around the table at a majority of smiling faces then finished helplessly. "It was a nice night." "Well, I guess it was," Susan said, raising an eyebrow at Scully, who was sitting with her forehead resting against her folded hands. Susan decided to come to her rescue. "So, I know where you guys are going on your honeymoon, but how'd you think of it? I mean, it's so out of the way, so...non commercial." "You just said it," Alex answered. "We don't want to really do the tourist thing. There's plenty to do and see if we want to, but..." He took Fox's hand and kissed the back of it. "We want to be alone. And Andros gives us that privacy." "Sounds like you know something about the island." "We spent two months there a few years ago," Fox answered. "I didn't know that," Bobby said, sitting a little straighter in his seat. "A few years ago?" "Yeah. It's a long story, but...I needed a long rest, and Alex took me there. Turned out to be the best thing in the world for me." He squeezed Alex's hand. "For us." He smiled at his cousin. "Alex has arranged for us to stay in the same house he'd booked before." "Oooooh, romantic." Susan moaned. You're going to have a wonderful time." Breakfast arrived, and everyone dug in except for Alex, who only seemed to be picking at his food. "Not hungry?" Fox asked, watching Alex play with his eggs. "No, not really." Fox lifted a hand to the back of his lover's head, stroking his hair. "You feel okay, baby?" "Fine," Alex answered a little too quickly. "Just..." he shrugged. "Not hungry." Fox's brow furrowed as he studied the younger man. "C'mon, eat," Alex encouraged cheerily. "I know you were hungry." "You sure nothing's wrong?" "What could be wrong?" Alex asked, nuzzling Fox's cheek. "Eat." Almost an hour later, breakfast was finished and everyone went their separate ways. Alex checked in once more with the kitchen, and he and Fox headed down to the lake. Hand in hand, the two walked slowly, neither man speaking. Even when they reached the lake, they toured the site where they would be married, in silence. When Alex stopped at the water's edge, looking out over the tranquil surface, Fox stood quietly watching him, trying to see into his thoughts. Finally, he turned his head and stared into the eyes that were already trained on him. "Alex..." Fox stopped, not knowing how to phrase the question he wanted to ask. Alex waited for Fox to give voice to the concern he saw swirling in his lover's eyes. "I...I feel like something's wrong. I know you've told me that there isn't, but..." Fox stopped again, took a quick breath then asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?" Alex blinked, clearly taken aback by the question. "Fox, why would you ask me that?" Fox shrugged and looked down at the ground. "You just...you seem a little...your hand was shaking this morning, and you have no appetite and..." "Lisa." Alex pulled Fox toward him, gathering the older man into his arms. "It's just a...a little bit of nerves...you know? I'm not having any second thoughts." He hugged Fox tightly. "How could I?" Fox laid his head on Alex's shoulder, absorbing his lover's heat. "I didn't know what to think, I...maybe nerves are getting the better of me too, huh?" "Maybe," Alex said, rubbing Fox's back. "You just know that there's nothing I want more than to marry you today." He drew back to look into the other man's eyes. "You got it?" Fox nodded and melted into Alex's kiss, forgetting all but the feel of his lover's lips on his, the tongue that so sweetly invaded his mouth, and the rush of desire that washed over him. Alex pulled Fox more tightly against him, deepening the kiss and letting the older man know the extent of his arousal. Fox writhed against the hardness pressed so firmly against his own growing erection, and just as Alex's hand slipped down over his rear, the sound of approaching voices drew them apart. The crew had arrived to set up inside the tent, and right behind them strolled the photographer, snapping off quick pictures of the area. "Well, my goodness, here they are. The happy couple." The man stopped in front the pair, eyes glued on Fox. "I had some free time, and I thought I'd come down and have a look around...take a few 'before' shots." Fox nodded and tightened his arm around Alex, whose body had stiffened immediately. "That's nice. Thank you." "Sure. Hey. I have a thought. Since I'm here, and you're here, how about we take a few now? I think it'd be fabulous to get some informal shots of you before tonight." Fox shrugged. "I don't know...what d'you think, Alex?" "Why not?" Alex said, holding Fox close to him and eyeing the photographer. "We've got some time." "Great." The man tore his gaze from Fox and smiled at Alex. "Okay, let's get started." Over an hour later, they wrapped up, and photographer packed his equipment. "We got some very special shots here, I think," he said, his gaze sliding over Fox as he threw his bag over his shoulder. "I'm gonna rush these back and see if I can't get some developed before I come back later. See you at the rehearsal." Arm wrapped possessively around Fox, Alex watched the man stroll away. "Have I mentioned that I really don't like that guy?" "Yeah, I believe you have," Fox answered, laying his head on Alex's shoulder. "But the pictures are going to be beautiful, and you know it." "Yeah, yeah." He grinned and walked Fox back toward the inn. "Think he'll manage somehow to cut me out of all of them?" "Ready to go?" Maria picked up her cell phone and garment bag, looking around to make sure she didn't forget anything. "Yeah, I think so." "All right then, we'll see you there at six-thirty," Natalie said, opening the door. "You've got the directions, right?" "You've asked me that three times already, Maria. I've got a copy and your father has a copy." "Good. Okay, then." Maria turned to her daughter, pointing at the little girl. "Raiza, you behave yourself, okay?" "Uh-huh," Raiza answered absently as she dressed her doll. "She'll be fine. Now go." One more check and Maria left for the inn, making the short drive easily. She pulled into the driveway and pulled her belongings out of the back seat. Looking around, she made her way up to the house and entered. There wasn't a soul in sight, and the place was quiet but for the muffled sound of voices coming from what she assumed to be the back of the house. Heading in that direction, the sound became louder until the kitchen door swung open, and a pair of women bustled through it, startling Maria and themselves. "Hi!" one of the women said. "Can I help you?" "Yeah. Uh...my name is Maria Orlov. I'm here for the wedding rehearsal." "Oh! So, you must be Alex's cousin. I'm Joan. This is my place." "Oh," Maria smiled. "Nice to meet you." "I sure am sorry I didn't have the room to put and your family up, but well, you know how it goes." "Yeah. But we're very close by, so it wasn't a problem, really. And this way, Alex will really be surprised. Uh...is he around?" "Upstairs, probably. Miss Scully asked me to take you up to her room when you got here. You can leave your stuff in there." "Great. Thanks." "C'mon, I'll take you up." As Joan led Maria upstairs, a door opened on the second floor, and the sound of male voices drifted down to them. "Sounds like they're beginning to stir," Joan said as they made their way up to the landing. Sure enough, Fox and Alex met them at the top of the stairs, and a smile lit Alex's face. "You're here!" Maria opened her arms wide, and the cousins embraced. "Yeah, here I am. On time, I hope." "Yeah, yeah," Alex breathed as he released the woman. Beaming, he stepped aside so that Fox could get his hug in. "It's great to see you, Maria. I can't tell you how glad we are that you're here." "Thank you," Maria said, releasing Fox and looking at the two men. "You both look so happy." "We are," Fox answered then looked back at Scully's door. "We were just heading downstairs to wait for Scully. Were you going to her room?" "Yeah. I guess that's where I'm going to get ready." Alex nodded. "Okay, well, we won't hold you up." Another hug, and he and Fox slipped past the women and headed down the stairs. "Tell Scully to hurry the hell up, okay?" Scully's door opened just then, and the redhead peeked out. "If you two would stop calling me, I'd be ready!" She grinned at Maria, who had just reached her door. "Hi! Come on in. I'm glad you're here. Now they'll have someone else to harass." Scully thanked Joan for seeing Maria up then waved the other woman in and closed the door. "Are they being that difficult? Hi, Clyde!" "Difficult is a very nice word to use," Scully said as Maria patted the wiggling Shepherd. "They snuck this beast into my room very early this morning, and he's been here ever since. They've called me a million times today for what amounts to no reason, and I'm about to kill them both." Maria laughed as Scully relieved her of her bags. "Sounds like you've been having fun." "I can't tell you," Scully droned. "Well, unless you'd like to freshen up or something, we should get going before they call me again." "I'm ready." "Okay." Scully picked up Clyde's leash, and the dog began bounding around her. "Look, dog, I don't have time to play games with you. Sit." Clyde sat, tail sweeping wildly as Scully reached down to attach his leash. She almost had it clipped when the door opened and Maggie walked in. Immediately, Clyde leapt up to greet her, and Scully cursed softly to herself. "My goodness, Clyde, I was only gone for fifteen minutes." Maggie scratched the top of the dog's head and smiled at the new arrival. "Well, good! Hello, Maria. Nice to see you again." "Hello, Mrs. Scully. Nice to see you too." "I'm so happy you decided to come. And your family too! Alex is going to be so surprised." "That's what we're hoping." "Oh, there's no doubt. I..." Maggie's words were interrupted by Scully's ringing phone. "God, it's them again. Clyde, get over here." The dog came, and Scully quickly clipped the leash on. "We're going to the rehearsal, Mom. We'll be back soon." Maggie waved goodbye as the two women headed for the door, and Scully answered her phone. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" "All right, let's run through it, shall we?" The minister walked to his place and smiled at the two women. "Okay, the music starts, you ladies wait a few beats then start down the path." He motioned to Scully and Maria, and they walked together toward him, Clyde heeling at Scully's side. Separating, each took her place and looked to the place from which they had just come. Seconds later, Fox and Alex started toward them, hands linked. From their point of contact, Fox felt the tremors running through Alex, and he squeezed the younger man's hand gently, receiving an answering squeeze and a smile. They made it to the minister, and he began. "All right. I'll start with dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God and this company, yadda, yadda, yadda. I'll say a few words about when two people come together in love, blah, blah, blah, and then I'll do the if anyone here has any reason bit, and then you two will exchange your vows. You got 'em written down?" "Memorized," Fox answered confidently, and the minister turned to Alex. "Yeah. Uh...all set." "All right then..." As the minister continued with his review of the ceremony, Scully watched Alex closely. While he showed no outward signs, something in his eyes told her that something was odd. She waited until the rehearsal was over then discreetly asked Maria to draw Fox away so that she might talk for a minute with Alex. As Maria linked her arm through Fox's and walked up ahead with him, Scully grabbed the back of Alex's shirt and slowed him down. "What's up?" "Hmm?" "I said, what's up?" Alex took Clyde's leash as the two walked slowly. "Why are you asking me that?" "Mulder isn't the only one who's learned to read you over the last few years, Alex. What's bugging you?" Alex sighed softly. "I don't know what I'm going to say." "Say? Say when?" "Our vows, Scully," Alex whispered. "I had it all written out. Then I went and read it and decided that I hated it. So I threw it away." "And now you've got nothing?" Alex nodded. "Umm...Alex? The ceremony is less than two hours away. What're you gonna do?" Alex gave Scully a nervous smile. "Wing it?" "God." "You're not making me feel any better." "Sorry. I know Mulder says you're very eloquent when you want to be, but, Alex...do you think that this is any time to be taking such a big risk?" "No, I don't. But when I read those vows over, I...they didn't express what I wanted them to." "Okay, but something is better than nothing at all, don't you think?" Silence. "Okay. I'm sorry. I don't mean to make this worse for you. You'll come up with something. I know you will. And...and Mulder will love it." "Now you're trying to pacify me." "Hey, it's one or the other. Which would you prefer?" Alex sighed heavily, and Scully gave him a comforting smile. "It will be fine. I think you're a dope for throwing away what you wrote, but it'll work out. You're gonna come up with some brilliantly, sappy romantic crud, Mulder will eat it up, you'll be married, and you'll go off on your honeymoon...for two weeks...leaving me with this...animal." "He's not that much trouble." "Nooo, he's no trouble...as long as I do everything he wants." It was then that she was hit with a revelation. "God, he's just like Mulder!" The statement got a smile from Alex. "Speaking of trouble," Scully grumbled, making Alex's grin grow wider, "when the hell are you going to get that thing out of my apartment?" "Well, unless you want to move it yourself, I guess it'll have to wait until we get back. Besides, you're staying at our house. It's not like it'll be in your way or anything." "Yeah, but it'd be nice to have it gone when I get back home." "I got an idea," Alex said, his grin turning sly. "Why don't you call Wally over to move it? And maybe you can thank him with a candle lit dinner." "Alex..." "Soft music." "Alex..." "Nice see-through, low cut blouse..." "Alex!" "Poor Scully. We really ought to stop teasing her." "Nah. She loves it." "I don't think so," Fox countered, falling on his back on the bed as Alex shut the door behind them. "She's really touchy about this Skinner thing." "That's only because she's not sure about how he feels. Hey," Alex spun around, smirking. "Maybe we should have a talk with him. Tell him to stop being so wishy-washy." Fox laughed out loud from his position on the bed. "You tell him to stop being wishy-washy." As Alex opened his mouth to speak, Fox held up his hand. "On second thought, don't. He's just starting to get over his aversion to being around us." "Why should our efforts to get a couple of nice kids together be construed as anything but helpful?" "I don't know," Fox smiled, closing his eyes. "But what I want to know is, when did you become Mr. Matchmaker?" Alex shrugged and approached the bed. "I don't know..." He lay down on top of Fox, nuzzling the curve between the older man's neck and shoulder. "Guess I just want everybody to be happy like we are." Fox smiled, hugging Alex to him. "Awww. That's sweet. I still think you just enjoy stirring things up, though." Alex grinned against Fox's skin. "Maybe a little." "Uh huh." All was quiet for a moment, then Alex lifted his head and looked down into Fox's eyes. "We should start getting ready soon." Fox nodded silently and waited for Alex to rise, but instead the other man remained where he was, staring intently at him. Slowly, Alex raised his hand, gently brushing the hair back from his lover's face. Fox stared back, mesmerized, drowning in the forest green depths of his eyes. There were no words, but volumes were said in that shared look. Knowing that a kiss would lead to far more than they'd planned, Alex lifted himself away from Fox and, drawing an unsteady breath, turned and walked into the bathroom. Eyes closed, Fox lay motionless for long minutes later, then he stretched and opened his eyes. Staring up at the ceiling, his thoughts began to wander. It'd been a long journey. A long way from that first day in the bullpen. So many twists and turns. So much pain. So many joys. And it all had come to this. In a very short while, he and Alex would be standing side by side in front of a minister and their friends and family, pledging their lives to each other. And Alex would go from being his lover to his husband. His eyes closed again, and he allowed the blissful tremors to pass through his body. Soon. Very soon. God, not soon enough... "Fox." Golden-brown lashes rose, and eyes that glowed with amber light stared up at the half naked man hovering above. "Were you asleep?" Fox shook his head. "Just thinking." Alex recognized the soft dreamy tone, and he smiled. "What're you thinking about?" he murmured, letting his thumb drift across the swell of Fox's lower lip. "Everything," Fox whispered. "Everything that brought us to today." He lifted a hand to Alex's arm, his hand stroking back and forth over the warm skin. "Been a wild ride." Fox nodded. "Would you do it all again?" "Scully and I talked about this," Fox said. "Just about." He sobered a bit. "But the one thing I absolutely would not do if it was within my power would be to let you go through the hell you went through with Saint James." Fox shook his head. "Never. I'd die myself before letting anything happen to you." "I understand that feeling," Alex said softly. "But do you remember when I came back after you'd been shot? Do you remember saying that you'd rather be shot again than go through the pain you went through after I'd left? I could never allow that, but it's how I feel about what happened to me. I'd go through it again if that was the only way we'd get to this day." Alex smiled down at Fox. "I guess it just means we're a couple of hopeless saps, desperately in love." "Guess so, "Fox murmured, gazing adoringly into his lover's eyes. "So," Alex whispered, kissing the tip of Fox's nose. "Why don't you get up, get ready, and then we'll go get married." Fox rose up far enough to place himself within kissing distance of Alex's mouth. "Yes sir," he said softly, allowing his breath to flow over the younger man's lips, and then he was off into the bathroom, leaving Alex to deal with a quickly rising erection. He looked down at the bulge in his towel then at the bathroom door. "If he thinks this is waiting until tomorrow, he's out of his mind." "This must be the place," Karlo announced, pulling up the inn. "Looks like a postcard," Natalie breathed, opening her door. "What time is it?" "Time to get to where we're supposed to be," Irene said, looking at her watch. Following Scully's directions, they made their way down to the lake, where they found Maria and a redheaded woman talking to an oddball trio of men. "Oh, they're here!" Maria held out her hand to her Raiza, who bounded forward to be with her mother. "Did you have any trouble finding it?" "No, the directions were very good," Karlo answered, smiling at the woman by Maria's side. "Are you the one we have to thank?" Scully nodded. "I'm Dana Scully. I can't tell you how happy I am that you all wanted to be here today." "The pleasure is ours." "Well, let me do the rounds, here," Maria said, starting with the Gunmen. "This is Langly, Byers and Frohike. Dana Scully you just met. This," she said, squeezing her child's hand, "is my daughter Raiza. My aunt and uncle, Ivan and Irene, my parents, Karlo and Georgia, and this is Alex's stepmother, Natalie." Everyone said their hellos, and Scully bent to offer Raiza a special greeting. "Hello, Raiza. You have a very beautiful name." Raiza smiled, instantly taken with Scully. "You have the same color hair as Annie." "Annie?" Raiza held up her doll. "See?" "Ohh. Yes, I see." "And Mummy bought her a new dress, too." "It's very nice." "Is that a new dress?" "It sure is." "Do you know my new uncles?" "Your new uncles?" Scully smiled. "Oh, yes. They're my best friends." "Sandy Truman is my best friend." "Okay, chatterbox, let's save the rest for later, huh? Sorry," Maria said to Scully. "Once she gets going it's hard to stop her." "That's all right," Scully laughed. "Shows she's intelligent. Besides, I adore children." "How 'bout you?" Raiza asked Frohike, who happened to be the one nearest the child. "You like kids?" Frohike peered down over his glasses at the little girl. "Love 'em." Scully and Maria introduced her family to the rest of the group and then showed them to their seats. "Mulder and Alex should be leaving the house at any time." "Mulder?" Ivan asked. "You call your best friend by his last name?" Scully chuckled and nodded. "It's a carryover from work. Now it's like this...term of affection." "I see. Do you call Alex 'Krycek'?" "No. Well...I used to but somehow, somewhere, it changed to Alex." Scully stared off in space. "He calls me Scully, though. Guess it comes from living with Mulder." She smiled sweetly at Alex's family. "I'm so glad he's going to have you all back in his life. Now there'll be more people for him and Mulder to drive insane." Alex checked his appearance again, smoothing the non-existent wrinkles in his jacket then stepped back for a wider view. A stunning picture if he did say so himself. The suit was a few shades lighter than Fox's, and the sage green shirt emphasized the deep green of his eyes. A smug smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. Damn, they were a gorgeous couple. The smirk faded. //Yeah. Gorgeous with no vows.// //Don't start. It'll come to you. You'll look at him, and the words'll just come.// But not right now. Fox walked into the room, adjusting his watch, and Alex froze. "It feels tighter for some reason. I don't know..." Fox looked up, and his words trailed off as he met Alex's eyes. A tiny smile curved his generous lips, and he breathed a soft, "Wow." "That's what I was going to say," Alex murmured, walking toward the older man. "I know I've seen you in this at Armani, but not since before all the tailoring and pressing and..." Fox nodded and looked Alex up and down. "I know. God, you're beautiful. How incredibly lucky can one guy get?" "As incredibly lucky as the other guy," Alex purred, lightly encircling Fox's waist. "So...what d'you say we go get married?" Fox gave him a wide grin. "Sure, what the hell? You know, since we're all dressed up and everything..." Scully stood quietly, watching the rays of the setting sun dance on the gently moving water. It was going to be a beautiful night. Perfect. Good. Mulder and Alex deserved a perfect night. Scully neither heard nor felt Skinner's approach as he came up slowly behind her. "Beautiful scenery." Scully spun quickly, clearly startled. "Sorry. I didn't know you didn't hear me coming." "It's okay. I guess I was pretty far away. Yeah, it is beautiful. Romantic. I can see the guys getting married here." Skinner scanned the water, looking for the nerve to say something more personal than 'nice scenery'. Before he could actually find the words, Byers trotted down to meet them, calling Scully's name. "The minister is here, and Mulder and Krycek are coming." Scully heaved a loud breath. "Okay. Let's get this show on the road." Skinner and Byers took their seats, and Scully walked down to the end of the flower-strewn path to meet Maria. From their places, both women watched, unable to wipe the smiles from their faces as the couple reached them. "You fellas are gorgeous," Maria said, kissing one man then the other. "Thank you," Alex murmured. "And thank you both again for being here with us." "There's no place else I'd be today," Scully said, taking her turn. She hugged Alex then Fox, then stepped back, admiring the pair. "Maria's right. You're gorgeous. Not that we need to tell you that." Alex shrugged and gave Scully a hint of a grin. Scully rolled her eyes and nodded to Bobby, who had gone to get Clyde from his shady spot beneath a group of trees. He stepped forward, handing the leash to Scully, and she spoke softly to the dog as she removed the collar he was wearing and attached the flower-adorned collar she'd been carrying with her bouquet. "You'd better be on your best behavior, you hear me?" Clyde sat, quietly wagging his tail as if he understood exactly what Scully had said to him. "I can't believe you guys wanted to have this beast in your wedding." "He's part of our family. It wouldn't be right without him," Fox said, then stopped speaking when he noticed the direction of Alex's confused stare. "Uh..." Alex began, stopped, then started again, trying to identify the backs of the strange heads. "Fox...does it seem like there are more people here than there should be?" "Oh. Yeah. Well..." The music started and, grinning like fools, Maria and Scully assumed their positions. "Wait a minute," Alex called softly. "Who are those..." "Shut up would you, Alex? It's time for you guys to get married." Fox took the confused man's hand and winked at him, offering a small bit of comfort, and Maria, Scully and Clyde started down the path. As all heads turned to watch their approach, Alex recognized the face of the woman sitting in the fourth chair on the left side. He took a second look at the rest of the people, and his breath caught in his throat. He cast a panicked look at Fox, who squeezed his hand. "Maria talked to them, and they wanted to be here," Fox said softly. "We couldn't resist surprising you." Alex looked from Fox to his family then back again, too shocked to speak. "Close your mouth, babe; we gotta get moving." Scully watched Alex move slowly up the path, clinging to Fox's hand as though his life depended on it. As they passed his family, he blinked dazedly at their smiling faces, and it occurred to her in a flash. //Shit. Ah, shit.// He was already having trouble trying to find something to say to Fox. What if this little surprise of theirs shocked him so much that his mind went completely blank? Before she could dwell on it for too long, the minister began to speak. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and this company to join the hearts and souls of Fox and Alex in the bonds of love. Love is a precious commodity...abused and taken for granted far too often. Sadly, we see it every day. What we don't see every day is love like the love these two men share. Now, I don't know Fox and Alex but for the couple of brief conversations we've had, but I've spoken to their friends to try and get a better feel for who they are, and they've given me an earful..." Raising one eyebrow, Fox glanced at the congregation, hearing a few snickers amongst them. Alex heard nothing except for the minister's words and the dull roar in his own head. When the hell had all this happened? And how? He focused on Fox. However and whenever, Fox was involved. And since he knew that Fox would never do anything to bring him any pain, the presence of his relatives must be a very good, very positive thing. Now all he had to do was convince his quaking body of that... "...and many times the terms nuts and psychopaths came up..." More laughter. "But directly following that, I'd hear words like...fiercely devoted, hopelessly in love, and made for each other. And the sincerity of the people I spoke to warmed my heart. I also know, though in no great detail, that the road to this day has been a long, extremely difficult one for these men. Which, of course, makes their wedding day all the sweeter..." Alex stood facing Fox, still holding the other man's hand, his intense gaze trained on the beautiful sea of green and gold before him, and everything else began to fade into the background. "...And now, all that said, is there anyone here who objects to the union of these two men?" Dead silence. The minister nodded his approval. "Very well, then I leave this next part to Fox and Alex." Fox acknowledged the minister's cue, and he turned his attention back to Alex. "You know," he began, taking both of Alex's hands in his, "I don't remember exactly when, but sometime after I had become a man, I started thinking as most men do, I suppose, about the day I'd settle down...get married..." He looked from Alex to Clyde and Scully and back again. "Have a family. This is not what I'd envisioned back then. Not at all what I'd seen in my mind. Now, several years later, Alex, you're all I can see. You're all I want. "I spent years alone. Wrapped up in hopeless quests, obsessed with pointless pursuits, convincing probably no one but myself that these things were worth me expending every ounce of my energy...my life. It wasn't until that night over four years ago that I'd even had a clue. And even as I was fighting against what my mind tried to tell me was wrong, the rest of me already knew that I had to be with you. From the day I finally admitted that to myself and to you, there was nothing else for me. No other path to follow. I felt then as I feel now. Everything I am, everything I have is yours. My heart, my soul...my life..." Mesmerized by the light in Fox's eyes and the sound of his voice, Alex stood motionless, absorbing every word and basking in the glow of his love's unabashed adoration. "...There were times during these past four years when I was pretty impossible to love. But you managed it. The endless patience you showed me was nothing less than extraordinary. You took care of me and loved me when anyone else would have long since written me off." He shook his head in genuine wonder. "I don't know if I'll ever completely understand why you love me like you do, but this much I get. It's the only one true miracle I'll ever know. And I'll never let it go." Scully blinked back the mist that clouded her eyes, faring far better than a good portion of the rest of the women, who had armed themselves with tissue even before Fox had begun to speak. Her gaze met Maria's, and she found that the other woman, despite a valiant effort had lost her battle with the tears that had just broken loose and were falling for the ends of he lashes to the ground. The two smiled at each other and returned their attention to Fox. "I love you, Alexei." Fox's voice cracked just enough for those closest to hear. "More than any words can ever express." Thirty full seconds passed before Alex had managed to reign in his emotions and get his trembling lower lip under control. And then he spoke. "How do I follow that?" Lowering his gaze, he softly cleared his throat, then he looked back up into Fox's eyes. "Moy lisa..." Scully held her breath, praying that the words would come. "My beautiful, impossible dream. For such a long time, that's what you were." Hands still wrapped around Fox's, he drew them to his chest and held them there. "I still fear that I'm dreaming sometimes." He sighed softly. "I chose a hard life after I graduated from the Academy. It didn't include anything good. No falling in love, no being happy...it wasn't in the deal. "The first time I saw you, I was floored. You'd never spoken a word to me, our paths had never actually crossed, but I couldn't stop thinking about you. The way you looked...the way you moved...every physical detail was automatically burned into my brain. The day we started working together, all bets were off. I wanted you so much, the rush...the implications of it terrified me. But I couldn't stop. I tried, and it was impossible. I didn't think I could be in a worse hell than the one I had already gotten myself into, but I was wrong. Day after day, unable to get you out of my mind, wanting but never being able to have you made that painfully clear. "When lightning struck a couple of years later, and we ended up together, I couldn't believe it. You'd been in my blood for so long. To find out that you wanted me too was...there are no words for how I felt. We've had a few rough times since then. Some of them a direct result of some screw up of mine. Yet, you stayed. And you gave me what someone like me should never have had the right to even hope for. With you I have acceptance. Self-worth. I've got a purpose. And I've got more love than any ten people I know. "I can't for the life of me imagine what good I did to be given my heart's desire, but I've got it. I've got you, and I'll do anything to make sure that you always look at me the way you are right now. I exist for you, Fox. Simply put, without you there is no me." All at once the guests pitched forward, straining to hear as Alex rested his forehead against Fox's and whispered something to him. "Ask me." The two familiar words closed Fox's eyes. He opened them against seconds later, trying to focus on the misty image of his love. "Who do you belong to?" Alex paused for a beat, letting Fox read the answer in his eyes before he spoke it. "...You." Maria sent Scully a curious look, to which the other woman shrugged and shook her head. "What are they saying?" Frohike asked softly. "What the hell are they saying?" "Don't know," Skinner murmured through his teeth. "I'd say it wasn't meant for us to hear." The two men stood quietly for a few seconds before reluctantly parting. Alex drew Fox's hands to his lips for a soft kiss, then both men looked to the smiling minister. "All right then. Who has the rings?" Scully rolled her eyes and bent to take the rings from the ribbons hanging from Clyde's collar. Placing them in the minister's palm, she caught Alex's eye and mouthed the words, 'good job'." He lowered his eyes for a fraction of a second then raised them again to the cleric's face. "A ring is a perfect circle. Without beginning or end. May the union formed here today have no end." The minister prayed softly over the rings then held his hand out to Fox. Taking Alex's ring, Fox slipped it onto his left hand then waited. Alex took the remaining ring and did the same, then the minister continued. "Two hearts. Two souls. One love. May it endure long after this ceremony is nothing more than a fond memory." He cleared his throat and, grinning, he proclaimed, "By the power given to me by the state of Vermont, I do pronounce you partners in life." Chuckling, he leaned in closer to the men. "That means you're married, guys. Have at it." Nudged out of the haze they'd been lost in, both men simultaneously reached for each other, sinking into a deep kiss. A burst of applause erupted from the guests, and they rushed forward to congratulate the newly wed pair. Congratulations had to wait, however, until they decided to end the kiss. Tenderly, Alex fed on Fox's lush mouth, having no intention of rushing their first kiss as a married couple. Fingers buried in Fox's hair, he held the other man to him, refusing to let go. "Oh God," Langly groaned good-naturedly. "All right, already!" "Yeah, come on guys," Chuck added. "You got starving people here who'd like to congratulate you and eat." Breaking the kiss in their own good time, the two shared an adoring gaze, and Alex brushed away the dampness that clung to Fox's lashes. "Guess what?" he whispered, and Fox broke into soft laughter. "What?" "We just got married." Still smiling, Fox nodded and they again fell into each other's arms. Politely, Alex's family hung back, watching as his friends began heckling him and Fox again. "For God's sake, somebody get the hose." "Are you kidding? Getting wet'll probably just turn 'em on." Fox smiled at the comment, and he lifted his head from Alex's shoulder. "Ordinarily that would be true, but these clothes cost us a fortune." He glanced from his cousin to the people standing in the background, and he took Alex's hand, squeezing gently. "We do have some special guests to greet, though." After a quick round of congratulations from their friends, Fox took Alex's hand and coaxed him toward his relatives. When they finally reached the small group, he offered a welcoming smile to them then let go of Alex's hand and took half a step back, standing next to Maria. Natalie was the first to come forward, hands clasped together in front of her. "Hello, Alex." Alex's eyes skittered around the small group then came back to rest on his stepmother. "Hello. I uh..." He moistened suddenly dry lips then shook his head slowly. "I don't know what to say." "We understand that you're shocked. Just tell us that you're happy to see us so that we know we're welcome, and we'll take it from there." Alex opened and closed his mouth several times before he could get his voice to work. "I...I am. I'm happy you're here. It's just that...it's been so long, and I didn't know if...I wanted to contact you but..." "It's all right," Natalie said in the soothing voice that Alex remembered from the short time he'd known her before. "We know how difficult things had been for you. Maria explained all that she knew. We're not here to pass judgment. We're here to support you and to welcome you back into the family if that's what you want." Apprehension was replaced with a wary kind of hope, and Alex nodded slightly. Natalie stepped closer and held her arms out. A wide grin spread across Fox's face as Alex hugged his stepmother. "Welcome back, Alex. And congratulations." "Thank you," Alex whispered. "Thank you so much." Natalie released him, and one by one the rest of the family stepped up to greet him with hugs and kisses and slaps on the back. Just as he greeted Aunt Irene, a small voice called out, demanding to be heard. "What about me?" Alex released the teary-eyed woman and looked down at the little peanut, who was trying to wedge herself between them. Grinning down at the little girl, he asked, "Who're you?" "I'm Raiza!" "Uh, yeah," Maria said, finally leaving her place beside Fox. "Alex, this is my daughter, Raiza." "You didn't tell us you had a daughter," Alex said, surprised. "I know. I needed to wait a while, you know?" Alex nodded his understanding then squatted in front of the little girl. "Hi Raiza. I'm your cousin Alex." "I know. Mummy told me. But I can call you Uncle Alex like I do Uncle Victor, right?" Alex's smile grew wider. "Sure. If you'd like." Eyes shining, Alex looked up at Fox and held out his hand, pulling him forward. "This is Fox." "Hi!" Raiza chirped. "You just got married, so you're my uncle too." Fox burst into laughter. "Absolutely." "That your dog?" she asked, indicating Clyde, standing a few feet away with Scully. "Yep." "He's big." "Yeah, but he's really nice." "Will he like me?" "I'm sure he will." "Matt Robinson has a dog like that. He said he used to be a police dog but nobody believes him." "Okay, Raiza, okay. Sorry," Maria felt obliged to say. "She's a little uh..." "Chatty," her grandfather cut in, casting a doting look on the little girl. "And bossy." "You and Scully'll get along great," Fox observed, still grinning. He squatted beside Alex and looked the child in the eyes. "So. You got a hug for your Uncle Fox?" Without hesitation, Raiza threw her arms around Fox's neck, squeezing as tightly as she could. Beaming, Fox hugged the little girl then released her. She immediately turned to Alex, who scooped her into his arms. Scully sidled up to Maria and watched the scene for a few seconds before turning and giving the other woman a discreet high five. Carrying Raiza with him, Alex rose to his feet, followed by Fox and began formal introductions. "Baby, I'd like you to meet my stepmother Natalie. Natalie, this is Fox." "I've been anxious to meet you," Natalie said, then offered Fox a hug. "Thank you for allowing us to be here." "I've been just as anxious to meet you," Fox said, bending to embrace the woman. "You're Alex's family. We're very happy to have you." "You're very gracious. And every bit as handsome as Maria said you were." Fox threw a grin Maria's way. "She said that? I knew I liked her." "All right, Natalie, you've had him long enough. Let me at him." Laughing, Natalie released Fox, and the stout, gray-haired woman take her place. Fox grunted softly as she wrapped him in an enthusiastic hug. "This is Aunt Georgia and Uncle Karlo," Alex announced as the woman pulled Fox back far enough to kiss him on each cheek. "He is handsome," she said, confirming Natalie's observation, "but too thin." She wagged her finger at Alex. "You too. Do neither of you boys cook?" "Alex feeds me well," Fox promised. "We're just very active." Scully rolled her eyes at the vague comment. "Ignore her," Karlo instructed, shaking Fox's hand. "If you can zip your pants without sucking in your gut first, according to her, you're too thin." "Be happy you guys don't live near us," Maria said. "If you did, my mother'd have you both weighing three-hundred pounds inside of six months." Georgia snorted and stepped aside to allow Alex to introduce Ivan and Irene, who had yet to fully stop crying since the ceremony. "I'm sorry," Irene sniffed, stepping forward to give Fox a hug. "I always cry at weddings. And this is an extra special occasion..." "You don't need to apologize," Fox assured the woman. "We're a little emotional ourselves." Ivan, the only family member yet to greet Alex, tilted his head, studying Fox for a while, then he stuck out his hand. "So. I'm to understand that you turned my nephew's life around?" "I might have provided some motivation," Fox said, shaking the man's hand, "but Alex made all his own decisions." Ivan nodded his understanding then changed the subject. "Well. The family has become very modern over the years but we still do some things in the old way. I don't speak for your father, Alex, as I would never presume to put words in his mouth. But, as Iliia's brother and the next oldest, I stand in his place as the head of the family. I welcome you back to your family, nephew, and I extend that welcome to you, Fox. May your life together be a long and happy one." "Thank you Uncle," Alex murmured hoarsely. Handing Raiza to her grandfather, he stepped toward his uncle and into a heartfelt embrace. "I'm sorry your father didn't come," Ivan whispered to Alex. Alex pulled away, nodding. "It's all right. I didn't expect him to." He smiled. "I didn't expect any of you aside from Maria. This is amazing." "Yeah. Great. Wonderful. Now let's eat!" Everyone turned to find the rest of the guests approaching. "Did you not have lunch, Frohike?" Scully asked. "In fact, did you not have your lunch and most of Susan's?" "She said she was finished..." "It's okay," Fox laughed. "I'm sure no one will mind taking the reunion into the tent. C'mon, babe," he called, reaching for Alex's hand. "Let's go get the party started." Fingers intertwining with Fox's, Alex laid a soft kiss on his temple and started toward the tent. "So," Fox breathed as they walked. "Happy?" Alex sent the older man a brilliant smile. "I can't believe it. In the course of just one hour, I've married the love of my life and regained a good portion of my family. So, how much did you have to do with this?" "Less than you'd think. It was mostly Maria and Scully. I just made some phone calls, kept a few secrets..." "Sneaky," Alex said, the word dripping with affection. He looked back at his family, following at a brief distance. "God, I can't believe they're here. I...damn. Fox..." "What'sa matter, babe?" Fox asked, noting the tone of panic in Alex's voice. "Did Joan know they were coming? What about dinner? Oh, shit..." "What, you think you're the only one with any kind of organizational skills?" Fox laughed. "They've been planned for. Quit worrying." Alex let out a heavy breath and entered with Fox into the tent. "Ohhh," Maggie Scully breathed, looking around as she followed her daughter inside. "It's beautiful!" "Who knew a tent could be so elegant," Vicki said, looking around at the tiny, twinkling lights, silk-covered chairs and exquisitely set tables. "Look at all the flowers!" Raiza shouted, squirming out of her grandfather's arms. "Don't touch anything," Maria called as the child ran to investigate the overflowing arrangements more closely. "If I don't tell her that," she confided in Alex, "she'll have an armful of flowers within the next fifteen minutes." "She's not going to do any harm if she picks a few out," Fox said, reaching over to unclip Clyde's leash. The minute the dog was loose, he trotted over to Raiza, tail swinging happily. "He's okay with kids?" Georgia asked, immediately wary of the dog's proximity to her granddaughter. "He loves kids," Alex promised the nervous woman as he watched Raiza forget the flowers momentarily to pet Clyde. "You're sure?" Georgia cringed as Clyde washed Raiza's face with his tongue. "He's so...big." "Breathe, Mom," Maria instructed. "It's okay." "But they can be unpredictable. You know that. What...oh, my goodness," she gasped. "What's he doing?" All eyes went to the child and the dog, and Alex began to laugh. "He's herding her away from the buffet table. Those chafing dishes are hot." "Seriously?" Karlo asked. "He's that smart?" "Yes, he is," Alex said, turning to give Fox a smug look, to which the other man just shook his head. "Well, I guess he's okay," Georgia said, giving in, then nudged her husband. "Just keep an eye on them." "If you are concerned," Fox said to Maria in confidence, "don't try and be polite. Let us know, and we can put him in a corner." "Absolutely not," Maria answered. "I don't want Raiza growing up with the same fear of dogs that my mother and Victor have." Smiling, Fox nodded then encouraged everyone to visit the buffet. "Okay, all you starving people. Let's eat." The chatter came up as friends and family mingled. Food piled high in front of them, Fox and Alex sat back, watching, happier than they could have imagined. "Remember not all that long ago when you were sure we wouldn't have but four or five people at our wedding?" Fox asked, bumping Alex with his shoulder. "Yeah," Alex said softly. "It's almost a crowd now." He loaded his fork and held it up to Fox's mouth. As the older man's lips parted to take the food, a snapping sound drew their attention. "Candid shots are always best," the photographer said smiling, his eyes lingering on Fox's mouth a little too long for Alex's liking. "This is going to be a nice one." "Yeah. Look here, Flash..." Fox cut in before Alex could finish his sentence. "I'm sure they'll all be nice. Do us a favor and get plenty of shots of the guests too? We want to make sure nobody gets left out." "Of course!" the man said brightly. "Anything you want." "I'll bet," Alex said as the photographer sashayed away. "Aleeex," Fox called in a mock-stern voice. "Behave yourself." "Believe me, I am." Chuckling softly, Fox leaned in for a kiss. Alex's moan vibrated against his lips, and they parted in invitation. Just as Alex's tongue slipped inside his mouth, a clinking glass interrupted them. "Knock it off, you two," Scully commanded sternly. "I got a toast to make." "And you had to pick right now to do it, huh?" Alex huffed, glaring at the redhead. "Just shut up and listen." Scully rose from her seat and picked her wine glass up. "Everybody, I'd like to propose a toast and tell you a little story." She thought a second. "Not necessarily in that order. "I was assigned to work with Fox Mulder many years ago. I remember thinking from the first day I walked into his office that he was a serious nut case, but very soon his enthusiasm and dedication to his work infected me, and I found myself very much involved in his cases and actually listening to his weird, far out ideas. We became best friends, and I came to love him like a brother. So, when he got it into his head a few years later that he had this thing for Alex Krycek of all people, I flipped. To my mind that idea had to be the most insane by far that he'd ever had. He insisted, I dug in my heels, and the war was on. "I didn't like Alex...okay, I hated him. I didn't trust him as far as I could throw him, and I was sure that Mulder was making the biggest mistake in the history of the world." Scully looked down at the couple with unadulterated affection. "Clearly, I was wrong. Alex turned out to be someone who was simply...amazing. He still is. He's the other half of Mulder. His soul mate. His lover, and his protector...his friend and everything else imaginable. They can read each other like no two people I've ever known, and the love they share is nothing less than incredible. No one who spends any amount of time around them can help being caught up in their energy. Together they're..." She paused, looking for the right word. "...dazzling. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not given to fits of exaggeration, but what I just said is no overstatement. And everyone here who knows them knows how true it is." She lifted her arm. "Please, raise your glasses and help me toast the grooms. To Mulder and Alex. May your extraordinary radiance never dim. And may your eternal devotion to each other serve as an example to us all." As everyone raised their glasses and drank, the couple got up to thank Scully. "That was nice," Fox murmured, giving his partner a heartfelt hug. He pulled back, grinning. "You like us. You reeeeally like us." Scully gave Fox and gentle shove then stepped into Alex's embrace. "Thanks, Scully. I guess that makes up for the interruption." "Gosh, thanks." "Really," Alex said, his tone becoming serious. "We can never thank you enough for the friend you've been to us. You've come to our rescue more times than we can count." "He's right," Fox said, slipping his arm around the younger man's waist. "You've been there with us through everything, and there's been plenty. You've kicked our asses whenever we've needed it, and you've kept us in line. He squeezed Alex to him. "Or you try to." "It ain't no easy job, believe me," Scully murmured, her eyes twinkling. The two men simultaneously wrapped an arm around her and the three formed a tight circle. "We might not have made it without you," Fox said "Yeah, you would've," Scully argued softly, hugging both of her friends at once. "It might have been a lot tougher...might have taken a little longer, but you would've done it. You guys can't breathe without each other. There's no way you could live apart. Now let's eat, dammit. I'm starving." "Okay, but," Alex began, "there's one more thing. You had a big hand in helping to bring my family here. I don't know how to thank you for that." "Please," Scully sighed. "The look on your face was thanks enough. I hope the photographer got some good shots of it." "I doubt it," Alex droned. "He was probably too busy taking pictures of Fox's..." "Don't you start that again," Fox cut in, giving Alex's rear an affectionate swat. "Okay, fine. We'll just wait and see how many pictures of you he took." Scully laughed softly. "I did notice him mooning over Mulder earlier." "See?" "Just behave yourself, Alex," she warned. "There's no law against him looking." "Sure there is," Fox murmured, smirking. "Yeah, I forgot," Scully said. "Alex Krycek is a law unto himself." Alex glared as the partners laughed. "I find nothing amusing about a man drooling over my husband, right in front of me, on our wedding day." "Ah, shut up and let's eat," Scully commanded, and the three took their seats. Fox smiled adoringly as Alex as the younger man sat beside him. "Say it again." "Say what again?" Still smiling, Fox laid his head on Alex's shoulder. "The last thing you said to Scully." Alex thought a minute then began to smile as well. "You mean when I was talking about that jerk drooling over my husband?" Fox's grin grew wider. "You like that?" Fox nodded. Alex wrapped his arms around the other man. "Me too." "They're so sweet," Maria sighed, watching Alex and Fox alternately kiss and feed each other. "Alex really lucked out." "I think you're right," Georgia said then turned her attention to her granddaughter, who was busily feeding her new best friend. "Raiza, don't you think you should be eating some of that?" "I am," the little girl said absently. "Look, grandma! I can make him do a trick! Shake hands, Clyde." The dog lifted his paw and dropped it in Raiza's tiny hand, making the child squeal in delight. "Good boy! Can you catch?" Clyde popped up, snatching the morsel out of the air as Raiza tossed it up. "Maria, talk to your child. She's feeding that animal all of her food!" "Raiza," Maria scolded softly. "You had hardly any lunch. Now stop feeding Clyde and eat." Casting an apologetic glance at the dog, Raiza obeyed her mother. "Thank you." "She reminds me of Dana when she was that age. So lively and bright." Maria turned to face Maggie Scully. "I haven't had much of a chance to mingle with you and your family," the older woman said. "May I join you?" "Of course!" Maria answered and showed Maggie to an empty seat. Immediately, Maggie and the women began chatting. "So, your daughter and Fox are partners, right?" Irene asked. "Right. For several years." Maggie displayed a distant smile. "They spent so much time together on cases. Traveling...they became very close. I had my hopes..." "You thought they'd get together?" Natalie asked, looking over at Fox, who was blissfully eating a strawberry from Alex's fingers, and back to Maggie. "As I said, I'd hoped. Dana had kept telling me that they were nothing more than friends, but you know how we mothers are. Anyway, one day Dana came and told me about Alex." Maggie cast her eyes in the direction of the couple and said nothing more. "Were you surprised?" Maggie turned her attention to Irene and laughed. "Shocked is more the word. I never had a clue. I was pretty shook up at first, but Dana kept after me, telling me that I had to meet Alex and spend some time with them, and then I'd understand. I finally gave in. Dana was right. They're as made for each other as any two people can be. They can be a bit quirky, but..." Karlo raised his eyebrows. "Quirky?" "It's the best description I can come up with." Maggie looked back at the couple, her eyes brimming with affection. "It's part of their charm." "We've heard several people describe them in similar ways in the past couple of hours. Just what is it about them that makes them so...quirky?" Karlo pressed curiously. "They're nut jobs." All eyes turned to Frohike as he approached the table and sat down with a heaping plate. "Melvin Frohike. We met earlier." Everyone uttered a second hello, staring warily at the strange little man. "Melvin, they're not nut jobs," Maggie scolded softly. "C'mon, Mrs. S, tell it like it is. Here you got an alien chasing, ghost hunting believer in government conspiracies, not that I don't agree with his agenda, and he's hooked up with an ex- triple-agent assassin who can now give Martha Stewart a run for her money. Some kind of trouble finds 'em at least every six months, and they've got Lucifer's demon dog for a pet." Georgia perked up at that. "Has he ever been vicious?" "Not that I've seen," Frohike said confidentially. "But you should see the way he looks at me. And he can move around real quiet like." Maggie rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to him. He's the only one who says those things about Clyde. He's a big, sweet baby." Frohike grunted. "Anyway, it's good to see that Krycek comes from a nice, normal family. We had our doubts." Natalie cocked her head. "Doubts?" "Yeah. Some of us were sure he wasn't even born to humans..." "All right, Frohike, that's enough." Scully walked up behind Frohike and, hearing his last comment, grabbed the man by the back of his blue plaid jacket and hauled him up out of his chair. "Why don't you go harass the others for a while?" "Ooooh, I like it when you get rough, red," Frohike growled, giving Scully a lascivious grin. She waved the little man off then joined her mother and the Krycek family. "How's the food?" "Excellent," Georgia said immediately. "Did they have an outside caterer or did the inn prepare everything?" "It was the inn." "Very good," Georgia repeated. "Clyde likes it." Scully smiled across the table at Raiza. "Does he?" "Yeah," Maria said apologetically. "Hope that's not a problem." Scully laughed. "Hey, as long as your cousin can't yell at me for feeding him junk, I don't care." "Uh oh. Does he not allow table food?" "Only if he cooks something especially for Clyde. Mainly he's got him on a raw diet." "Oh. Okay, Raiza, no more treats for Clyde. We don't want to get him sick or anything." Maria turned back to Scully. "What a beautiful ceremony. I loved what the guys said to each other. It was so sweet." "Yeah. I knew Mulder had written something romantic and profound, but Alex had me nervous. Between the fact that he'd thrown away what he'd written and his shock at your family being here, I didn't know if he'd be able to speak, let alone come up with something so moving. He came through, though." "Wait. He threw away what he'd written?" "Yeah. Your fruitcake cousin decided when? Last night, that he didn't like it. It didn't say what he wanted it to, so he chucked it." "Good Lord!" Maggie had been listening and couldn't help the exclamation. "Thank goodness he was able to do as well as he did." "I'd say he hit a grand slam," Maria said, amazed. "Were you watching Fox's face? He was completely enraptured." Scully nodded, smiling softly. "I'd sure like to know they were saying to each other at the end, there," Maria sighed. "Whatever it was, it looked to be pretty emotional for both of them." "I know. We'll probably never find out, though," Scully answered. "I loved your toast too, by the way." Georgia heard and concurred. "It was a wonderful toast. Your love for them just shines in your eyes." "They drive me insane at times, and I want to bang their heads together, but it's hard not to love them," Scully said, looking back at her two best friends and smiling. "Things are never dull with them in my life, that's for sure." "Full?" "Mmmm." Fox put his fork down and leaned back, closing his eyes. "I'm so glad we let Joan cater. Everything is delicious." "Everything," Alex murmured, moving close enough to Fox to kiss then lick the corner of the older man's mouth. Laughing softly, Fox turned toward Alex's tongue, meeting it with his own. Drawing back after only a brief caress, he kissed the tip of his complaining husband's nose. "Don't want to get carried away. We've got a little one present." "Frohike's seen us make out before." Fox laughed softly. "I'm talking about Raiza. Plus, you should go spend some time with your family." "What d'you mean. I?" "You," Fox whispered, kissing Alex gently. "Alone. Go take some time to catch up with them. I'll go socialize with the rest of our guests for a while, then we can spend time with everybody together, later." "All right, but not too long, okay? I don't want too much time to miss you." The couple got up from their table and walked hand in hand for a few feet then separated with a lingering kiss. "See you soon," Alex murmured against Fox's mouth then reluctantly released his lover. Taking a cleansing breath, he walked toward his family's table. Stepping up behind Scully, he placed his hands on the woman's shoulders and massaged gently. "How's everybody doing? Dinner okay?" "Wonderful," Irene answered for everyone. "Did you eat well?" Georgia asked, the question making Maria shake her head. "Plenty," Alex answered then leaned down and whispered to Scully. "Thanks for making them feel welcome." "No problem," Scully said, patting one of Alex's hands. "Where's Mulder?" "He's with the others. "He wants me to have some time alone with my family." Scully smiled and nodded. "Well, he's right." She got up and waved to the vacated seat. "Sit down. You all have a nice visit." She looked over at her mother and motioned for Maggie to follow her. Now alone with his family, Alex looked down at the table. "I still can't believe that you're all here." He lifted his head. "I'm so sorry I didn't stay in contact with anyone. But my situation..." "We understand that it wasn't ideal," Natalie said, not wanting Alex to rehash anything upsetting on his wedding day. "All we need to know for the time being is that you really would have liked to communicate with us." "I really would have. I was alone for so long. All the things I was involved in...I had no choice but to stay away. And after Fox and I got together, and I started getting my act together, I..." Alex chewed on the corner of his lip. "...there was no way I could face you. Not with my past. And the more time that passed, the more difficult it became. I'd resigned myself to the fact that I'd never see any of you again." Maria covered Alex's hand with her own. "It's all right cousin. We know that Fox is number one in your life, but we want you to know that we're here for you. And when you're ready to tell us the entire story, we'll still be here. We want to be your family...and Fox's." A light mist covered Alex's eyes, and he leaned forward to take his cousin into his arms. "Thank you. I wish I could tell you how much that means to me." Sniffing, Alex released the younger woman and found Raiza now standing beside him, watching curiously. "Why are you crying?" Maria chuckled softly, dabbing at her eyes with a napkin. "We're just happy, honey. People cry sometimes when they're happy." The child looked from her mother to Alex and then, apparently satisfied with Maria's answer, changed the subject. "Clyde likes to eat." Alex turned a one-eyed squint on the dog, who was sitting a couple of feet behind the little girl. "He sure does. Clyde, what have you been eating?" "He shared my dinner with me." "I'll bet he did." "He ate most of it," Maria corrected. "Sorry. Dana said that you've got him on a natural diet." "It's okay," Alex sighed. "It's a special occasion." "He's not gonna get sick, is he?" Raiza asked. "I didn't mean to get him sick." "No, don't worry about it. He's got a cast iron stomach." Happy that she wasn't in any trouble, Raiza climbed up into Alex's lap. "Raiza..." "It's okay," Alex assured his cousin, shifting the child so that she rested comfortably in the crook of his arm. Clearly smitten, he kissed the crown of the dark head. "Another one bites the dust," Karlo chuckled. "She wraps people around her finger faster than anyone I know." "Gotta be a Krycek trait," Natalie said. "They're all very charming when they want to be. So, Alex," she said, changing the subject, "where's that handsome man of yours?" "He's with the others," Alex replied, taking the doll that Raiza had just shoved into his hand. "He wanted to give us some time alone." "Very thoughtful thing to do on his wedding day." "Fox understands. He's got so little of his own family." "We heard briefly about his mother," Irene said in a hushed voice. "Heartbreaking. How could any mother do that to her child?" Alex shrugged. "How could any father?" he said almost inaudibly. The group fell silent. Alex lifted his chin a fraction and took a fast, deep breath. "This isn't the day to talk about that, though." "Right," Irene brightened. "Tell us more about this man you just married. "Besides being gorgeous and very understanding, what other interesting facts do you have for us?" "I don't know, I..." Alex smiled softly. "He's brilliant...got a memory like an elephant...not much of a cook, but he tries. He's got this really flaky sense of humor...he was a fashion disaster before I got my hands on him." Alex grinned. "I should show you some of his old ties sometime." His eyes took on a dreamy haze, and he took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "He loves me. And he makes me happy. He's my whole world." Irene misted up again. Blotting at her cheeks, she sniffed noisily. "It's so sweet. Alex, I'm so happy for you." "And he chases aliens and ghosts?" Ivan cut in before Alex could speak. "Yeah, uh...long story," Alex said. "We'll have to sit down and talk when we get back from our honeymoon." "I think that's a very good idea," Ivan answered. "The bits and pieces I've heard have got me very curious." "Yeah, well..." Alex scratched the back of his head then smoothed the disturbed strands of hair back down. "Just make sure you set aside plenty of time. It's a really long story." "Come on, Mulder. Why won't you tell us?" "Because it was private, Langly," Fox explained for the third time. "So you're going to leave your wedding guests, people who've traveled over state lines to witness your marriage, eaten up with curiosity." "Yeah." Langly heaved an exasperated sigh and plowed his fork into his third helping. Chuck shook his head and grinned at Fox. "Some people, huh?" Fox nodded in agreement. The other man leaned in and spoke to his friend in confidence. "You're gonna tell me later, right?" "Tell you what?" "What you guys were saying!" "You're worse than the women, you know that?" Fox asked, amazed. "What Alex and I said to each other is going to stay just between us. Live with it." "Speaking of Alex," Susan said, smirking at Fox, who had turned momentarily to watch as the band set up. "How long do you think it'll be before you start going into withdrawal?" Fox cocked his head in question. "You've been apart for how long now? Half an hour or so?" "I know," Fox moaned. "But it's been a lot of years since he's seen his family. After tonight he won't see them again for a few weeks at least, and I wanted him to have some time alone with them." The soft, recorded dinner music faded and the band took over, the leader opening with his congratulations to the newly married couple. He invited the guests to come out and dance, and they started with one of the scores of songs handpicked by Alex. The two married couples at the table got up to dance, and the rest remained seated, talking amongst themselves. "So. Feel any different?" Scully asked. "Different?" "Yeah. Not married. Married. Any difference?" Fox smiled and looked down at his ring. "I look married now." "Uh huh. Anything else?" "I'm so happy I could explode. I...I wish I could explain the feeling to you better than that, but I can't." "Mr. Articulate can't describe something? I'm shocked." Skinner, who had remained quiet until now, spoke up. "It's hard when you feel something so strongly to put it into words." "Do tell, Mr. Skinner," Maggie said, picking up on the man's words right away. Skinner shrugged, immediately looking uncomfortable. "I just meant that I understand what Mulder means." Maggie wasn't letting go. "Have you ever had such strong feelings?" The square jaw worked convulsively for a number of seconds. "I...I'm sure we all have at one time or another." Fox decided to come to the poor man's rescue. "I knew that Alex and I were forever," he said, drawing the attention of those at the table. "There wasn't ever a doubt in my mind. But there's something so...profound about standing up in front of a group of people and saying the words. Bobby and Susan and Chuck and Vicki know what I mean." "I know too, Fox," Maggie said, blinking the gleam from her eye. "People say a marriage certificate is just a piece of paper. And maybe it is. But to the couple it belongs to, it's much more." Fox nodded, taking the woman's hand. "God willing, you'll know someday, sweetheart," Maggie said, casting her glance from Fox to Skinner then over to her daughter. Sparing Scully more embarrassment, the other two couples made their way back to the table and sat down. "Great music," Bobby said, lifting his wife's hand to his lips. "You picked an excellent band." "Yeah, they're good," Scully said, shifting her gaze to the low-rise stage and found Alex talking to the leader. "Alex picked out all the music, right, Mulder?" "He did," Fox answered, not following the direction of his partner's stare. "Is there anything he didn't have complete control over?" Byers asked, swatting at Frohike as the other man tried to swipe some of the food off of his plate. Fox's eyes sparkled with humor. "Not if he could help it." "Well, his penchant for being a control freak obviously paid off," Scully said. "Everything is perfect." "Yeah," Fox whispered, reverently stroking the ring that now rested on his left hand. "Perfect." Would you dance if I asked you to dance? Would you run and never look back? Would you cry if you saw me crying? Would you save my soul, tonight? Would you tremble if I touched your lips? Would you laugh? Oh please tell me this. Now would you die for the one you loved? Hold me in your arms, tonight. I can be your hero, baby. I can kiss away the pain. I will stand by you forever. You can take my breath away. Would you swear that you'll always be mine? Or would you lie? would you run and hide? Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind? I don't care... You're here tonight. I can be your hero, baby. I can kiss away the pain. I will stand by you forever. You can take my breath away. I just want to hold you. I just want to hold you. Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind? I don't care... You're here tonight. I can be your hero, baby. I can kiss away the pain. I will stand by your forever. You can take my breath away. I can be your hero. I can kiss away the pain. And I will stand by you forever. You can take my breath away. You can take my breath away. I can be your hero. ~~~~~~~ Hero Enrique Iglesias "...And then he got Alex to cook the whole meal." "Come on now, Scully. You're going to make my new in-laws think that I'm..." "Spoiled ridiculously rotten?" Scully looked to Karlo and Georgia, who had wandered over to their table with Maria and Raiza. "He is." "Mummy says that Grandma and Grandpa spoil me rotten," Raiza piped up, shifting in Fox's lap to look at him. "I guess you and I got something in common, then," Fox said, holding his hand up so that the little girl could measure hers against it. "Yup. Hi, Uncle Alex." "Hey, kiddo." Fox looked up to the man, who had approached from behind and was now standing over him. The thought to ask Alex where he'd been faded from his mind as their eyes met and held. In the silence that followed, Maria pulled Raiza from Fox's lap and smiled as her cousin held his hand out to the seated man. "Dance with me, lisa." Still staring into Alex's eyes, Fox took the younger man's hand and rose from his seat. As they walked out onto the floor, the few couples there cleared out. Alex nodded to the band, and they stopped the song they'd been playing and started another. Gently, he pulled Fox into his arms and began to move in time to the poignant ballad. The guests gathered together to watch as the two swayed smoothly, wrapped around each other. "God, they're beautiful," Susan sighed, taking her husband's hand. "Yeah, they are," Vicki nodded. "And that's like, the perfect song." "Yeah, I guess they're kinda cute," Langly mumbled then fell silent, trying to hide the beginnings of a smile as he watched his friends drift slowly around the floor. Eyes closed, Alex tenderly petted the head resting on his shoulder. A tiny smile curved his lips as he felt Fox's arms tighten around him. He hadn't blown it, he thought, feeling his Fox's gentle, contented purr. He'd done everything right, and this night would be one that they'd both remember for the rest of their lives... There was no sound except for the music and the soft snap of the photographer's camera. Even Raiza and Clyde seemed to know that now was a time for quiet. A few more minutes passed, and the song ended. The men glided to a stop, and Fox lifted his head from Alex's shoulder, staring into glazed, emerald eyes. "I love you," he whispered, lips brushing Alex's. "I wish I could tell you how much." Alex shook his head slowly then covered Fox's mouth in a deep kiss. "Ooh." Georgia fanned herself with a napkin. "That's passionate." //You have no idea//, Scully thought, watching the couple part finally. Another song began, and Alex motioned to the group. "Come on," he said just loudly enough to be heard. "Join us." All the married couples immediately complied with the request, leaving the rest to watch. "Everybody," Fox called, waving at the stragglers. Skinner looked at Scully, his gaze skittering away when she looked back. "Uh. Dana, would you like to dance?" he asked, not completely sure that she'd say yes. Scully gave the A.D. a brief smile. "Sure," she said, trying to ignore her mother's less than discreet thumbs up. "How 'bout it, Mrs. S?" Langly asked Margaret as she happily watched her daughter move toward the dance floor with Skinner. "You can dance, Ringo?" Mrs. Scully asked, more than a little surprised. "Yes, I can dance," Langly said, a touch of annoyance lacing his tone. "You think 'cause I look like this I can't dance?" "Okay, sorry," Maggie said in her most placating voice. "Let's go." "Cool!" Langly tangoed his way to the floor behind Maggie, leaving Byers, Frohike, Maria and Raiza. "Let's dance, Mummy!" "Whoa, whoa. Hang on just a second there," Frohike said, holding a hand up. "I ain't dancin' with him." He jerked a thumb at Byers. "Let's go, chickie. Byers, you get the kid." Shaking his head as Frohike led a less than willing Maria away, he turned to Raiza and bowed at the waist. "May I have this dance, little lady?" Raiza giggled and took Byer's hand, skipping out onto the dance floor. Over the course of several more songs, everyone changed partners, talking and getting acquainted. Natalie smiled up at Fox as her new step son-in-law waltzed her around the floor. "You're a very good dancer," she commented. "So is Alex. So graceful. His father used to dance beautifully too." "Used to?" "His legs won't allow him to anymore. He even walks very slowly." "Is he not well?" "He's not drastically ill but age is catching up with him," Natalie sighed. "And the older he gets, the crankier he gets." Fox was quiet for a moment then asked. "Natalie?" "Yes, dear?" "Why did he not come?" "I don't know for sure, Fox. I think it may be a combination of things. Fear similar to Alex's. Pride...stubbornness...the Krycek men hate to admit when they're wrong, and they hate even more to apologize." Fox smiled absently. "Alex can get like that sometimes." "I only just met you today, and I know very little about you and Alex, but I can't imagine him giving you a hard time about anything. His looks at you with his heart in his eyes. And when he was talking about you earlier...my goodness." Fox grinned down at the woman. "Well, it depends on the situation. He isn't generally afraid to apologize, and he does usually give in to me, but there are times when I can't budge him." He shrugged. "He's usually right at those times, and I'm the one apologizing." The grin faded. "Do you think there's any chance of Alex's father coming around?" "I don't know," Natalie said. "Iliia created this rift between him and Alex after Alex's mother died. It just grew and grew from there, and somehow he'd convinced himself that Alex's failure to contact him for all those years is the reason why he's angry with his son now." She shook her head. "I use the word angry for lack of a better word. I don't know exactly what his feelings are. Iliia can close himself off to others faster than anyone I know." "Oh boy, Alex is his son all right." "He puts up walls too?" "Yeah. But the last one he put up resulted in near-disaster for us. It was a tough...we fought constantly, but I wouldn't let go. I kept on him...we struggled through it, and I think he learned a very valuable if painful lesson about burying his feelings." "I'm glad Alex came around. I don't think getting locked into an ongoing struggle with Iliia will get us anywhere, though. He's too old and set in his ways." "I'm sorry to hear that. It would be nice for Alex to have a relationship with his father. My relationship with my parents after the age of twelve was strained at best. My father's gone now, and since finding out about Alex and me, my mother has washed her hands of me." "I'm so sorry for that, Fox." Fox shrugged. "It's the way she wants it, and I don't think there's any hope of her changing her mind. But if there's some tiny chance for Alex and his father..." "I'll keep trying," Natalie promised. "But I can't make any guarantees. I'm just so afraid that Iliia is going to go to his grave without ever having reconciled with his only child. It would be a hurtful thing for them both." "I agree," Fox said. "And I don't want Alex to go through any more hurt than he already has." "Well, I'll be sure to keep you updated on any progress." "Thank you, Natalie. I appreciate that." A couple of songs later, Alex rejoined Fox, and the two clung together, almost alone on the dance floor as others wandered off, gathering in small groups for drinks or conversation. "Look who's still here," Alex said to Fox, lifting his head for a moment to look around and finding only one other couple still dancing. "Don't they look cozy," Fox murmured then turned his gaze from Scully and Skinner and smiled at Alex. "If some kind of relationship doesn't come of this, I'll be shocked." "I think they're on their way," Alex said, sneaking a glance back at the other couple. "It'd be nice for Scully to have somebody...and I guess Skinner's not such a bad choice." "No, he's not. I think they'd make a nice couple." Alex nodded in agreement then threaded his fingers through Fox's hair. Pulling him in for a long, tender kiss, he felt Fox's soft moan vibrating against his mouth. He broke the kiss eventually, but the two remained close, lips brushing softly. "Think we can sneak away for a while?" Fox smiled and nipped at Alex's lower lip. "What for?" "You have to ask?" "Alex..." "Whaaaat?" he whined, knowing that tone. "Thought we were going to wait?" Alex pressed his lower body to Fox's. "You feel that?" Fox inhaled sharply, his hips instinctively grinding into Alex's. "You think that can wait?" Fox closed his eyes and said nothing. "I want you, lisa," Alex moaned. "Don't make me wait." "Afraid you're gonna have to, stud." Both men turned in the direction of the amused voice and found Bobby standing there. "Cake's coming out." Alex groaned in frustration then turned back to Fox. "Whose dumb idea was it to have a cake?" "Yours, I believe," Fox said softly, kissing the corner of Alex's mouth. "Damn." Taking Fox's hand, Alex moved toward the table, admiring the elegantly simple, three-tiered cake. "Nice job, huh lisa?" He picked up the knife, and as the guests gathered around and the photographer snapped away, he and Fox cut into the first layer. "Okay suckers, last chance," Langly whispered to the men. "Wanna up the ante?" Chuck eyed the two men and shook his head. "Nope. Ain't gonna happen." "My money's still on Krycek," Frohike mumbled, watching Fox take over, lifting a small slice away from the cake. "I can't believe you people actually bet on this," Skinner said between his teeth. "Believe it," Byers said. "These weasels will bet on anything." Bobby grinned, watching Fox lift the cake to his husband's mouth. "C'mon, cuz," he whispered. "I got twenty ridin' on you..." And...nothing. Alex took a bite then gently fed Fox the remaining piece to a round of female 'awww's'. "Damn," all three men grated at once, handing their money over to Chuck. "Serves you right for betting," Susan said in scolding tone. "What makes you think they'd be so juvenile? " "It's not juvenile," Bobby argued. "It's tradition." "That's the same stupid excuse you handed me at our reception. I didn't buy it then, I'm not buying it now." "Women," Bobby mumbled to Skinner. "No sense of humor." "I don't know that I'd be thrilled about having cake smashed in my face," Skinner responded, gaining an approving glance from Scully. "Never would have taken you for the sensitive type," Bobby said, nudging the A.D.'s arm, then he lowered his voice. "Or are you just trying to impress the lady?" Skinner firmed his jaw and looked away, choosing not to answer. "Here. Stuff some cake in your mouth before you say something else you shouldn't." Shrugging, Bobby took the plate that Susan handed him and dug in. Alex cut the last few pieces and handed them off to the women who'd stepped forward to help, then he picked up his own plate and Fox's, and the two joined his family for a while. "So, where are you boys going on your honeymoon?" Irene asked, blushing pale pink as she said the word. "We're leaving tomorrow for Andros," Fox answered, his hand resting on Alex's knee as the other man slipped an arm around his shoulder. "We're going to spend two weeks there." Karlo shrugged. "Where's that?" "It's one of the smaller islands in the Bahamas," Alex said. "Quiet. Private." "Ever been there?" "Yeah. A few years ago, Fox was in serious need of some rest, and we spent two months there." Karlo grimaced. "Must have cost a fortune." Georgia sighed and rolled her eyes. "What? It must have!" "But you don't talk about it," Georgia scolded. "Sorry, boys. Everything with him is money." "It's okay," Alex laughed. "You know, I just had this memory of Uncle Karlo's old, broken down Buick." He turned to Fox. "He'd had it for fifteen years. There was more rust on it than paint, the horn sounded like a dying moose, and you could hear it coming from six blocks away, but he refused to buy a new car because he didn't want to spend the money." "That's not why," Karlo argued. "It had sentimental meaning." "I understand that," Fox said. "I didn't want to trade my Ford in for the same reason, but somebody," he said, pointing at Alex, "made me." "What meaning did that car have for you?" Alex asked. Fox shrugged. "I just...I'd had it for a long time. That car had seen a lot of wild stuff." "It didn't see anything," Alex argued. "You know what I mean." "And anyway," the younger man went on, "it was dull and clunky and...it didn't match you at all." "Sounds like a compliment," Natalie sang softly, nudging Fox. Fox smiled and returned the focus to Karlo. "So, did you finally get rid of the car?" "About three years ago." "Three years," Alex gasped. "That means it was..." "Around far longer than it should have been," Georgia cut in. "When parts started falling off while he was driving, he gave in and bought a new car. But let's get back to you two. Two months on a tropical island. How wonderful." "It did Fox...us so much good. We thought it'd be nice to go back to the place where our life together really began." "So romantic," Maria sighed. "I know you'll have a fabulous time. Are you staying at a hotel?" "No, we've rented the same house we stayed in before. It was beautiful, and most importantly, it gave us the one thing we really needed." He pulled Fox a little closer and planted a kiss on his temple. "Privacy." "You're going to spend all the time you're there cloistered away?" Natalie asked. "No," Fox answered. "There's a lot to do if we want to, but we do like our..." He stopped speaking as all eyes shifted to the man who had just walked up behind him and Alex. "S'cuse me. Sorry if I interrupted," the photographer said, smiling down at Fox, "but if we're going to take some formal shots..." "Yeah, I guess we should get that done." The couple rose from their seats, and Fox spoke again. "You wanna take the shots with everybody first?" "Sure, babe." Alex laced his fingers with Fox's and drew them up to his lips, all the while giving the photographer an evil glare. They gathered everyone together, and the photographer quickly and professionally snapped off all the pictures he needed. When that was done, the guests wandered away to do more dancing and socializing. "Okay, now. What would you like? Traditional? Casual? Sensuous? All of the above?" Fox grinned at Alex. "Probably some of each. You know, stuff we can show the family, and some shots for just a select few." "Oooh. Gotcha. All righty, let's start off with the sweet stuff. How about one by the trees over there?" He moved the pair over to the indicated area. "Great. Now Fox, why don't you stand like..." he placed one hand on Fox's back and the other on his arm, turning and placing him while Alex growled softly. "And Alfonse, you just..." "Alex." "Hmm? Oh. Sorry. Uh...you stand here behind him and drape your arms around him...yeah. Now let your heads rest together. Just like that." He backed up and began snapping. "Beautiful. Okay, now face to face." Fox turned into Alex's arms and their eyes met. There was no posing to do. "God, don't move. That's perfect." Shot after shot was taken, then the photographer stopped to change lenses. "All right. Now for some of the more personal pictures. Why don't you take your jackets off and...Alex...sit there. Fox in front. And just...put your arms around him. Talk to him. Whisper something in his ear." Alex wrapped Fox in his arms and brought his mouth to the older man's ear. "I hate the way he says your name." Fox closed his eyes and grinned as Alex's voice hummed in his ear. "How does he say it?" "Like he's getting ready to strip you naked." "Well," Fox teased. "He's already got my jacket off." "These pictures are going to be fabulous," The photographer breathed, taking frame after frame. "God, you're gorgeous." Alex raised his head slightly, sending the other man a heated stare. "Oh, that's nice. Hold it." Two more shots. "Why don't you...undo a few buttons on his shirt and just sort of slip your hand inside." "Why do I feel like we're in a porn movie?" Alex asked softly, unbuttoning Fox's shirt the requisite few buttons. Rubbing his head against the underside of Alex's chin, Fox closed his eyes and emitted a low purr. "You're enjoying yourself, aren't you?" he murmured, pressing himself to Fox's back. "You know how hard I am right now?" "I was pretty sure you hadn't stuffed your gun down the front of your pants," Fox answered, moaning softly as Alex slipped his hand inside his shirt and lightly brushed his nipple. "Sizzling! Now look at me." The men ceased conversation for the moment and followed instructions, and the photographer groaned. "Breathtaking." He shifted around, taking the shot from different angles. For more than half an hour they took picture after picture, and by the end of the session both men were ready to tear each other's clothes off. "I can't go back in there and be sociable in this condition," Alex said, biting into the soft flesh of Fox's earlobe as he rubbed against the other man. "C'mon, let's find someplace private and..." "There you are!" "Son of a..." "We saw the photographer come back in," Scully said, grinning as she reached her friends. "Oh. I'm...I'm sorry. Did I interrupt something?" she asked sweetly. "Don't you always?" Alex threw back in an equally syrupy tone. "Look, Krycek, I know what's on your mind. Forget it. You got guests." "Fifteen minutes," Alex said, almost whining. "They'll never miss us." Scully opened her mouth to respond, but Fox cut her off. "She's right, babe. It wouldn't be very polite of us to sneak off to..." "Screw polite," Alex rumbled. "I'm about ready to blow." "I know," Fox whispered. "Me too. I must have been nuts to think we could wait until tomorrow. But we can hold on just a little while longer, can't we?" he asked in his most persuasive tone. "Yes, you were nuts, and no, we can't wait," Alex said stubbornly, pulling Fox against him. "I want you now." Scully rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. "Ahem." Alex's eyes shifted from Fox to the woman. "You still here?" "Yes, and I 'm not leaving. I've played hostess for you two long enough. Now, tie it in a knot and get back into that tent." "Look, woman..." "You've got family in there you haven't seen in ages," Scully broke in. "When this reception is over, you're not going to see them again for a few weeks at least." "I know that," Alex said through his teeth. But I'm only asking for fifteen minutes. You don't understand what it's like to be turned on for hours and hours at a time, do you? It's painful," he whispered harshly through his teeth, thrusting his face to within inches of Scully's. She gave Alex a bland stare and said nothing. "Scully." Blue eyes darted from Alex to Fox. "Hmm?" "Five minutes, okay?" One corner of Scully's mouth slanted upward, and she backed up two steps before turning and heading back toward the tent. "Five..." Fox smothered Alex's coming rant with a hard kiss. He backed the younger man into the shelter of the nearest group of trees, deftly undoing his belt and pants as they moved. Quickly, he yanked Alex's pants and underwear down then squatted in front of the panting man. Without an instant's hesitation, he sucked his lover's cock into his mouth. "Ah, shhhhh." Alex gritted his teeth, his fingers tangling in Fox's hair. The sucking heat increased relentlessly, the vibration of Fox's moans traveling the length of his embedded cock, and he shook with the intensity of the sensation. "Baby," he whispered breathlessly. "Oh, God, lisa..." Fingers curved into the hard muscles of Alex's ass, Fox squeezed gently as his head bobbed up and down on the rigid shaft. Within seconds he felt Alex stiffen, and the younger man made a weak attempt to muffle his cries as he came. Fox swallowed all of the semen being pumped down his throat, taking the utmost care to keep both suits clean. Alex slumped against the tree he was backed into, moaning wearily as Fox licked him clean. "Damn..." When all traces of Alex's orgasm were washed away, Fox pulled his underwear and pants back up, tucking and smoothing, and once he was all straightened up, the older man wrapped him in his arms. "Better?" "Mmmm." Alex lifted his head from Fox's shoulder, giving his husband a dopey grin. "What about you?" "You owe me," Fox rumbled, his tongue swiping the expanse of Alex's lower lip. "But right now, we gotta get back. Can you walk?" "Just barely," Alex breathed, straightening up and moving slowly toward the tent. "My legs feel like spaghetti." They made it to the tent, stopping just inside the entrance and looking around. "Do you believe it?" Alex said almost inaudibly as he watched their friends interacting with his family. All around the tent, people were dancing and eating, talking and laughing. "Everybody's getting along pretty well," Fox observed, encircling Alex's waist with his arms and planting a kiss on his cheek. "This all worked out better than we could have imagined, huh?" Alex nodded, his gaze falling on one of the dancing couples. "Not only for us." Fox followed the line of Alex's stare and smiled. "I think something's really going to happen between them." "Yeah," Alex said. "If Wally ever finds his balls and makes it happen." "I haven't heard this song in ages." The words cut through the silence between the dancing couple. Sharp brown eyes peered down into bright blue, then Skinner looked up as if he could see the lyrics floating over Scully's head. "I don't think I've ever heard it." "Guess it depends on the kind of music you listen to. What do you like?" Skinner thought a minute then shrugged. "I...I don't know. I listen to news, mostly." Scully cocked her head, frowning. "You don't own a stereo?" "I do. But I think the last time I used it, records were still considered high tech." Scully smiled and shook her head. "You need to get out more." "Maybe so." The response hung in the air for a while, suspended by a delicate thread. When there was no answer from Scully one way or the other, Skinner moved to a safer subject. "Krycek's family is very nice." "Yes, they are." "Would you think it unkind of me to say that I was taken by surprise?" "Surprised that his family is nice...or even normal?" Scully asked smiling. "Or that they're human? I've heard that one." "It isn't fair, I know." "I understand, though. You haven't spent much time around them at all. You don't know the Alex I know." "It's true. I've seen bits and pieces of him through the years, and more in the last couple of months. He doesn't seem at all like the man I remember." "Loving Mulder has changed him in so many ways. It's really amazing." Skinner shrugged. "I hear love can work miracles." "Mulder and Alex are proof of that." "You almost sound envious," Skinner said, noting the wistful tone. "I am," Scully answered honestly. "I mean, I'm happier than I can say for them, but..." "But you'd like a life that extends beyond the one you've got now. You'd like someone to come home to. Someone you can love and who'll love you." Scully stared silently up at the A.D., observing the distant expression. He came around seconds later, almost visibly shaking himself, then he squared his jaw and met her eyes. "I think that's a dream most people have. Mulder and Krycek are fortunate enough to be living it." "They are. They've been through holy hell together...fought long, hard and often for it. They deserve it." Skinner fell into a thoughtful silence for a while then spoke again. "You don't have to go through hell to deserve a good life." More innuendo. At least it sounded that way to Scully. She wanted to tell him to spit it the hell out, but what if she was wrong? What if it was simply conversation? What if the spirit of the day had just bowled her over and... The song ended, and Skinner released her, jarring her back into the moment. "Would you like a drink? I'm a bit thirsty." Scully nodded and accompanied Skinner to the bar. Passing within a few feet of Fox and Alex, she glared at the two, who stood waving and making kissy faces at her. "She's gonna kill us," Fox said softly to Alex even as he continued to tease his partner. "I know," Alex chuckled as Scully discreetly waved a fist at them. "Let's hope she gets laid before we come back from Andros. That should soften her up a bit." "God. I just got a picture in my mind of Scully and Skinner between the sheets, getting all hot and sweaty." Alex's nose wrinkled, and he shuddered. "Ah geez, Fox, did you have to?" "You started it," Fox accused, poking Alex's arm. "I'm sorry I did. Gah." Alex shook his head vigorously. "I need something to change this image I've got now." "You didn't dance with me yet, Uncle Alex." "Ask and you shall receive," Fox murmured, looking from Alex to the child, who had just arrived and was staring up at the men, little hands planted on her hips. "I haven't?" Alex asked, grinning down at Raiza. "What was I thinking?" "You either," Raiza said, turning a reproachful eye on Fox. "I'm sorry," Fox said thumping a hand over his chest. "I'll be right here waiting for you when you two are done, okay?" "Okay," the child said, satisfied, then she took Alex's hand, tugging him out onto the dance floor. "I think he's in love," a soft voice said seconds after Alex lifted Raiza into his arms and began moving around the floor. Fox shifted his attention to Maggie Scully, who had come to stand beside him. "Aren't they cute?" he smiled. "I've never seem him interact with a child before. Well, except for the neighborhood kids, but that's not real personal, and it's only a few minutes at a time, you know?" "He looks like he's really enjoying himself." "Yeah." Maggie studied the man beside her. "You look a little smitten yourself." "Hard not to be." He smirked down at the woman. "She's like a little Scully." Maggie laughed at the comment. "It's wonderful, isn't it?" She asked. "In the course of one afternoon you've gained an entire family. You know," she added, bumping Fox's arm with her own. "In addition to the one you've got." Fox slipped an arm around Maggie's shoulders and heaved a satisfied sigh as he returned his attention to Alex and Raiza. The song ended a few minutes later, and Raiza switched Alex for Fox, talking his ear off until the dance was over. They returned to Alex and Maria, who had just joined him, Fox wearing a wide grin. "Never at a loss for things to say, is she?" "Never," Maria confirmed. "And the later it gets, the chattier she gets." She looked at her watch. "Oh, yeah. She should be shifting into high gear any time now." She wasn't kidding. The hour grew later, and Raiza rattled on and on, finally only stopping when she drifted off to sleep on Fox's lap at about midnight. "You want me to take her?" Maria asked. "No, don't disturb her," Fox answered, looking down at the child. "She drools sometimes when she's asleep," Maria cautioned. "Your suit..." "Yeah?" Fox smirked, not concerned in the least for his clothing. "So does Alex!" "I do not," Alex shot back, his tone full of indignation "Do too." "Not." "Too." "Play nice kiddies, or you'll both go to bed with no nookie," Bobby warned, drawing a laugh from the others at the table. "Yeah, that'll happen," Langly snorted. "What do you people think of us?" Fox asked. "Do you think we're a couple of uncontrollable, undisciplined freaks who can't stay out of the sack for more than half a day?" "Yes," the chorus of voices answered emphatically. He turned to Alex. "You believe that?" "We into self-delusion today, babe?" Alex asked blandly, incurring more snickers. "What's that mean?" "Means they're right," he said, smirking as Fox scowled at him. He leaned over, bringing his lips to the other man's ear and began whispering something into it. Only seconds passed before Fox's eyes closed and he began to moan very softly. When Alex finally pulled away, his eyes drifted open, and he focused a cloudy gaze on the other. "Promise?" Alex nodded once, eyes never leaving Fox's face. "Uh...Mulder," Scully called in a low, amused tone. "You were saying?" "I don't know," Fox breathed, moving in to brush his lips against Alex's before submitting to a slow, teasing kiss. The change in his position roused Raiza, and the child shifted and opened her eyes. "Uh...guys." Fox pulled away from Alex's mouth and followed Scully's gaze to the flushed little face. Dark eyes looked around and, seeing the faces she'd become familiar with over the course of the evening, she reached for her doll, which was lying on the table in front of her. Hugging Annie close, she snuggled back against Fox and again closed her eyes. "I should probably think about getting her back and into bed," Maria said, smiling softly as Fox gently rocked her daughter back and forth. Her gaze shifted to Alex, and the smile turned to a knowing smirk. "I'm sure you're thinking about doing the same." Alex reached out and caressed the golden-brown head of the man beside him. "Been thinking about it for a couple of hours now." Fox's eyes met his, and he raised his eyebrows in question. "How 'bout it lisa? Think it's time to make our exit?" Fox looked around, taking in his surroundings, observing the guests, still enjoying themselves, and he smiled. "Think they'll miss us?" "I'm sure they'll understand." Fox turned and stared longingly into luminous green eyes. "Let's say goodnight, then." Smiling, Maria took Raiza from Fox, and he got to his feet, followed by Alex. Hand in hand they walked to the stage, and Alex asked the band to stop playing for a moment. The couple stepped up on the platform, and he took the mike. "Hey, everybody." All conversation ceased, and the guests shifted their attention to Alex. "First of all, Fox and I want to thank each of you for being here to share our day. It means more to us than we can say. But now it's time for us to say goodnight. We've got a plane to catch tomorrow morning. There's still plenty of food and drinks, and the band is here for a while longer, so we hope you'll stay and enjoy yourselves." The guests approached in small groups to say goodbye and wish the couple a wonderful trip. Scully, Skinner and Maggie were first among them. "Everything was beautiful," Maggie said, hugging first Fox then Alex. "And goodness knows you'll have enough pictures to remember the day. I think that photographer's only stopped shooting long enough to change rolls." Alex looked over at the man standing a few feet away, snapping continuously. "Yeah, we will. And we're so glad you enjoyed it. Everything turned out so much better than we thought." "We?" Fox snorted. "I knew everything would be fine. You're the one who thought it was all going to get shot to hell." "All right, all right," Alex said, waving Fox off as Scully stepped forward to hug him. "I'll kill you when you get back. In the meantime, have a great honeymoon." Chuckling, Alex wrapped the petite woman in a bear hug. "I'll start shaking in my boots in two weeks." He released her. "As usual, we have so much to thank you for." "One day I'm going to make you pay up," she said with gruff affection then turned to Fox. "You look so happy," she said, hugging her partner tightly. "Not that you don't usually. It's just...I guess this is a term usually reserved for women, but I don't know how else to say it...you're glowing." "I didn't think I could get any happier," Fox replied. "But this is..." He smiled, his eyes sparkling with amber light. "...I wish I could adequately describe how I feel." "You don't have to," Scully said softly. "I can read it all over your face. You guys have a wonderful time, and don't worry about anything." "We won't." Fox looked at Alex and grinned. "Well, I won't." Ignoring the younger man's sneer, he let Scully go and stooped to pet Clyde. "You behave yourself, you hear?" he asked the Shepherd as the dog wiggled and woofed. "Don't give Scully a hard time, and maybe we'll bring you back something nice." As Alex bent to talk to Clyde, Fox stood up and took Skinner's offered hand. "I'm very glad I came," Skinner said. "Thank you for the invitation." "We need to thank you," Fox answered, shaking and releasing the A.D.'s hand. "If it weren't for you we might not have had this." He looked around at the elegantly decorated tent. "And we're honored to have you here." Saying nothing, Skinner nodded and waited for Alex to rise. "...And don't break anything." Alex kissed the top of the dog's head and straightened up, facing Skinner. "Krycek." He extended his hand. "Congratulations again." He looked from one man to the other and back again. "We've all come a long way." Alex took the offered hand. "I think we have. Thank you for your support. It really does mean a lot to us." Another nod and Skinner backed away, allowing more guests to say their farewells. Alex's family waited until all of the other well-wishers had stepped aside, then they moved in, flocking around the two men. "You boys have a lovely time," Irene said above the sudden riot of voices. "Send us a postcard from the Bahamas if you find the time." "We will," Alex promised, shaking Karlo's hand before being pulled into a hug. "And call when you get home." Fox nodded as Natalie pulled him sideways for a kiss on his cheek. "Yeah, we'll..." "We'd love for you to come up for a visit soon," Georgia added, pulling Fox in the other direction even as Karlo released Alex's hand to grab his. "Uh..." Alex stopped to accept a hug and kiss from Irene. "W...we'll see..." Maria sensed Alex's immediate discomfort and jumped in to save him. "Okay, okay. Let's leave them some skin, huh? Make a break for it guys, or they'll have you here all night." She handed her still sleeping daughter to Karlo and stepped into Fox's arms for a heartfelt hug. "Thank you for everything," Fox murmured. "You put a very big smile on Alex's face today." "I'm glad he's happy about us all being here, Fox," Maria said, "but you're the cause of that very big smile. It's impossible to not know how much he loves you." Alex came up behind Fox, wrapping his arms around the older man's waist. "Actually, he's just sort of a bad habit," he murmured, kissing the back of Fox's neck. "Uh huh. Well, we're gonna let you go now, so you can get your fix." Alex let Fox go and gave his cousin a gentle hug. "Thank you, Maria. For giving me a chance. For bringing everybody with you. I never thought I'd see any of you again, let alone have you at my wedding." "We're every bit as happy as you to have you back in the family." She reached for Fox's hand. "And now we've got two for the price of one." Releasing both men, she inhaled deeply and let it out. "Well. You take off now before I start getting misty. Have fun the next two weeks, and we'll see you soon." Alex nodded and backed away, enfolding Fox's hand in his. Neither man had noticed the sudden appearance of tiny bags until they turned to leave and found themselves pelted with the traditional rice. Laughing, they jogged away, their family and friends following behind for a short distance. When they were finally free, they slowed to a leisurely walk. Hand in hand they headed toward the inn, Fox shaking grains of rice from his hair. "So tell me," he said to Alex, who was busily brushing rice from his suit, "did it really turn out as well as you'd wanted it to?" "God, better," Alex answered, turning glowing eyes up to Fox. "The ceremony went off without a hitch, the tent and the flowers were beautiful, the food was exceptional...Jesus, my family was here..." He stopped a moment then went on in a softer tone. "And even if all of that stuff had been screwed up royally and only Frohike showed up..." He lifted Fox's hand to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on the knuckles. "I just married the one man in the world I'll ever love. It still would have been perfect." Fox gave him a doubtful smirk. "I know how anal I've been about everything," Alex murmured. "But at the end of it all, I knew what really mattered. Us." He squeezed Fox's hand. "Just us." Fox responded with a smile, and the two continued on toward the house. "They were adorable, weren't they?" "Oh, yes. So handsome. And so sweet." "Yeah. And the way they look at each other. It's breathtaking." "All right, aaaaaall right," Frohike moaned, interrupting the women. "They're sweet, they're adorable. We got it. Can we stop with all the sentimental, gooshy stuff now? I'm starting to get a toothache." "Couldn't have anything to do with the four pieces of cake you ate, could it?" Byers asked flatly. Frohike blew the comment off and leaned back in his chair. "So. Now that they're gone, tell us, cuz," he said, directing his gaze at Maria. "What's up with the other one? What's his name? Victor?" Maria looked over her shoulder, making sure that her parents and aunt and uncle were still dancing before answering. "You saw a little of what he was like at dinner that day. He was always very jealous of Alex, even a kids. Apparently a lot of that animosity is still there." "What do his parents think of his attitude?" Scully asked. "Well, obviously they don't agree with it, but he's so stubborn. He doesn't listen much to anything they say, especially if it's in contrast to what he thinks." "Sounds like he and Krycek's father and Mulder's mother could form their own little club," Skinner said, tapping into Scully's thoughts. "Yeah," Maria answered, rocking her sleeping daughter. "It's too bad, but there's nothing anyone can do about them. People like them rarely change their way of thinking, and if they do, it's usually way too late. I hate thinking that Uncle Iliia will go to his grave without ever having made up with his only child, but it looks like that's the way things are headed." She looked to Scully. "How do you think it's affected Alex?" "The honest truth is, Maria, that Alex had closed off that part of his life. He had never talked about his family to me, and rarely even to Mulder, so it was impossible to know what his actual feelings were." "Ah. The Krycek wall." "Right. I mean, I can't imagine that he wouldn't welcome a relationship with his father, but I don't know that he'd ever initiate an attempt." "Probably not. If he feels as unwanted by Uncle Iliia as I'm sure he does, he's not going to chance a second rejection." "That's for sure." "And I sure wouldn't push a meeting," Maria sighed. "It could be a disaster." "No, that wouldn't be good," Scully agreed. "Not at all. I guess there's nothing that can really be done. It's such a shame. Two men with one parent each, and they may as well have none at all." "Good thing they've got you," Maria said. Scully looked across the table at her and smiled. "Good thing they've got us." The house was dark and quiet when the couple entered. Silently they ascended the stairs, Alex never releasing his hold on Fox's hand. When they made it to their room, he leaned against the door and drew the older man into his arms. "It's late," he whispered. Fox nodded in agreement. "So, what d'you think?" Alex asked, lightly teasing Fox's mouth with his own. "Maybe we should just go right to sleep, huh?" Moaning softly, Fox shook his head. "No?" "No." One corner of Alex's mouth slanted slightly upward, and he cupped Fox's ass with one hand, pulling the other man more firmly against him. "You know I couldn't just go to sleep." He reached behind his back, turning the knob and pushing the door open. "Come to bed, lisa, and let me make love to you." One thirty-eight. The old man shifted in his bed and closed his eyes but sleep, it seemed, was beyond his reach. Grunting, Iliia pulled himself into a sitting position and reached for the television remote. If Natalie were there, she would be up now, heating up a glass of milk for him. But she wasn't. She was in Vermont. At the "wedding" of the son he hadn't seen in more years than he could recall. He sat quietly for a few minutes more, staring at the remote then dropped it and got out of bed, shuffling across the room to the closet. Turning on the light, he searched the shelves until he found what he was looking for. He carried the photo album back to the bed and sat down, running his fingers over the binding. Finally, he opened the book and flipped slowly through the pages. He stopped on a picture of a dark haired woman, holding a baby. The black and white picture was starting to degrade just a bit, and he sighed, thinking that maybe he should see if he could have it restored before it got too bad. He studied the picture just a few minutes more, looking on the woman with a soft gaze. She was beautiful. Everyone said that Alex looked like him, but Iliia saw plenty of his mother in him. Finally he turned the page, coming to several more pictures, amongst which was a grade school photo of an eight-year-old Alex. Big green eyes fringed with dark lashes stared out from a lightly freckled face, and the front tooth that he had lost just two weeks before stood out prominently in the wide smile. Alex had been proud of that lost tooth, Iliia recalled. It had been loose for weeks, but not loose enough to be removed. Then, one day, a fight with Victor over a G.I. Joe took care of it. He'd cried and bled and cried some more, but a later look at Victor's bruised and swelled eye filled him with satisfaction, and from that day on, he proudly showed the tooth to all of his friends and told them the story of the first time he'd given his cousin the jerk a black eye. Iliia shook his head and turned a few more pages. Alex as a gangly teenager with two of his friends in front of Karlo's Buick. Iliia squinted as he concentrated on the boy to the left of Alex. That one was dead, he believed. Committed suicide many years ago. No one ever found out why, if he recalled. Too bad. Good kid. Another couple of pages, and he stopped again on a photo of Alex in his cap and gown. Iliia frowned and stared at the picture. For a boy who had graduated with highest honors and would soon be off to college, he should have been smiling and happy, but this picture of him portrayed no such emotion. It was unclear what he was looking at, but the expression in his eyes was one of a sad, troubled young man. Iliia wondered why it wasn't until just now that he'd really noticed that. He stared at the picture for a long while, taking stock of the handsome young face. Wondering how the years and the life Alex had lived had changed it. Maria said he hadn't changed much, but how much was not much? Had he any wrinkles or lines in his face? Any gray hairs? She said he was very happy now, but for how long was he not? How had the recent assault on his body affected his mind? Had it had any permanent effects on him? He knew something about posttraumatic stress. Would this Fox really stand by him should he have any type of emotional breakdown years later? Iliia's hand gently skimmed the picture, then it stiffened and moved away. It wasn't his problem. Not any more. Alex had relieved him of that burden when he chose to remove himself from his life. He closed the book and returned it to its place in the closet then got back into bed, lying awake for what would be many more hours. Fox stood in the pale moonlight, looking out over the field as he slowly undid his shirt. A warm presence at his back brought a soft smile, and Alex's hands gently moved his away, taking over his task. "They're still out there," Fox murmured. "Yeah," Alex agreed, undoing button after button. "I think I still hear music." "They really had a good time, didn't they?" When the last button gave, Alex stroked his hands up Fox's chest to his shoulders, smoothing the edges of the material away. "They did." Fox assisted Alex, shrugging out of the shirt, then the younger man's hands went to work on his pants while his mouth wandered over the back of Fox's neck and shoulders. Golden-brown lashes drifted downward as one hand stole inside the now open zipper and lovingly caressed the growing bulge. "I love you, moy lisa," Alex whispered into his ear, sending delicious shivers down Fox's spine. "I never thought it would be possible to be happier than I was but..." His other hand grasped Fox's, intertwining their fingers, then he held both hands up together before their eyes. "I wish I could describe the feeling I got when the minister said that we were married." "I know," Fox said, rubbing his head against Alex's then looked at the rings, which now adorned their left hands. "I knew I wanted it, but I had no idea that it would feel..." He took a deep breath and let it out. "...like this." Alex nodded, nuzzling Fox's cheek and stroking his cock through his underwear. "I love this feeling." A dreamy sigh was Fox's only response. "Fox," Alex whispered ever so softly. "My beautiful Fox. I'll never get over that you belong to me." Fox shuddered in Alex's arms, rubbing his cheek against the younger man's. "Forever," he whispered back, moaning as the younger man's hand squeezed his cock gently. "Let me show you how much I love you, lisa," Alex pleaded in that low, smoky-sweet voice that turned Fox's insides to hot liquid. "Let me." Eyes closed, breaths coming in shallow pants, Fox could do nothing more than nod. In minutes, his remaining clothing was stripped from him, and Alex was backing him to the bed and laying him back against the pillows. Only then did the younger man begin to remove his own clothing. Fox watched through barely open eyes as Alex slipped out of his jacket then slowly removed his cuff links. He held his breath as button after undone button revealed the familiar, smooth skin of his lover's chest. He ached to touch but remained where Alex had laid him, obeying the unspoken request that he not move. Alex's shirt joined his on the chair, and his gaze dropped to the younger man's waistband, staring intently as if he could will the fastenings apart. Soon enough, Alex's hands were there, pulling an unzipping, and the pants slid to the floor. After he removed his shoes and socks, the pants came all the way off, leaving him clad only in a pair of black silk boxers. The solid outline of his cock was clearly visible behind the soft material, and Fox's own erection jumped at the sight. In one fluid movement, Alex was up on the bed, crawling toward Fox. He stopped beside the other man, bringing his face to within millimeters of Fox's. The older man leaned forward, meeting him the rest of the way, engaging him in a deep kiss. As his tongue thoroughly probed the interior of Fox's mouth, Alex's cock throbbed within the loose confines of his underwear, aching to be buried in the tight heat of his lover's body. Gently, he broke the kiss, for a short while staying close enough for Fox to lick and tease his mouth. When he finally backed away, his hands slipped inside the waistband of his shorts, and he slid them down over his hips. Fox watched as Alex moved into a sitting position, completely ridding himself of the remainder of his clothing. The instant that was done, Alex returned to him, straddling his body and again offering his mouth, which Fox took without hesitation. For long minutes, he remained over the older man, feeding gently on his lips until impatience got the better of Fox. Fingers sliding through Alex's hair, Fox got a good grip with one hand as the other went to his back, attempting to pull him down as he slid fully onto his back. "What is it, lisa?" Alex whispered against his husband's mouth. "What do you want?" "To feel you," Fox whispered back, arching up toward Alex. "Please, Alex." Gently, Alex lowered himself to the other man, covering the warm body with his own. He watched Fox's eyes roll up in his head and the generous lips part on a long sigh, and a shiver tingled its way up and down his spine. "I haven't even really touched you yet," he teased softly, nuzzling Fox's jaw. "You know there's very little you need to do," Fox breathed. "You're so good for my ego," Alex rasped, letting one hand drift down Fox's side to his hip then back up. "Is that all I'm good for?" Fox asked, his palms cupping the rounded muscles of Alex's rear and squeezing gently. Shaking his head, Alex came in for a deep kiss. Fox responded hungrily, his tongue probing the warm interior of Alex's mouth. His cock throbbed at the contact, and his hips bucked slightly, pushing the solid shaft against Alex's thigh. "Mmmmh." Alex pulled away from his lover's insistent mouth, nipping at the full lower lip before licking his way down Fox's throat. "You're so hard," he whispered against the wildly pounding pulse. "So hot. I have to taste you, lisa," he said as he continued to move lower. "Do you want to be in my mouth?" Whimpering softly, Fox nodded. A hard gasp followed as Alex sucked one nipple into his mouth and flicked his tongue quickly across the tip. His hands moved restlessly over the younger man's back and shoulders, finally threading through his hair, stroking and clutching at the sable strands. "Alex..." His words slipped out on an impassioned breath. "Good...s...so...ah, God." Alex's teeth closed around the pebbled flesh and pulled gently, and his cock twitched at the sounds his action elicited. "You like that, baby?" he asked, releasing Fox's nipple then dragging his tongue roughly across the sensitive nub. Fox moaned, unable now to string more than two words together intelligently. The thought of making love with Alex had consumed him for the better part of the day, and when he'd earlier led Alex into the shelter of the trees to take care of his husband's need, his own desire had tripled. He'd held it in check and had done a pretty good job until just a little while ago. He needed Alex desperately now, and every touch, every stroke of the other man's tongue drove him closer to the madness he craved. Just when Fox was sure that he'd pass out from the torturous pleasure, Alex moved on, licking and nipping at the heated skin of his abdomen. Slowly, he followed the downy line of golden hair that extended from his navel on down to darker patch at the juncture of his thighs, and Fox writhed under the mere heat of his breath. "Easy," Alex sighed, stroking one hand over Fox's stomach as his mouth drew nearer to the older man's flushed cock. He tenderly brushed his lips over the velvety surface, and Fox released a choked sob. His tongue followed in a feathery caress, circling the flared head then gently probing the moist slit at the tip, and Fox bucked violently, gasping out a stream of unintelligible words. He knew he couldn't drag it out much longer. Fox was ready to explode, and he wasn't very far behind. But he had to taste...had to feel the full length of his lover's cock sliding down his throat, even if just for a few seconds. Fox arched up off of the bed and groaned loudly from behind clenched teeth. The heat that had just enveloped his cock touched off a cascade of sensation throughout his entire body, and every nerve vibrated with ecstatic intensity. A gentle, sucking pressure joined the heat, and he thought the explosion of painful pleasure would break him in two if it was not relieved soon. A tear of frustration welled up, burning one closed eyelid, and as Alex slowly pulled away, it escaped, making a scalding path down his cheek. "Lisa," Alex whispered, drawing himself up to lie over the other man's trembling body. "You're so beautiful." He licked the tear away then kissed Fox, sharing the salty flavor. Without breaking the kiss, he reached over to the table by the bed and groped for the tube he'd placed there while unpacking. Finding the lubricant, he held the tube in his palm and unscrewed the cap with his thumb and forefinger. There was a small clatter as the cap hit the hardwood floor, but it went unnoticed by the two, who were currently attempting to devour each other whole. Fox felt Alex's hand slip between them, the younger man's knuckles brushing his cock as he applied the lube to himself, and then Alex was pulling away, breaking the kiss. "Open your eyes, sweetheart," Alex pleaded on a soft breath. When Fox obeyed, he gazed down into glittering green eyes splashed with brilliant gold. "Look at me." He lifted Fox's legs, coaxing the other man to wrap them around his waist, then he grasped his cock by the base, working the slick head into the tight opening. Drowning in an ocean of turbulent green, Fox sighed at the gentle invasion and pushed upward, silently asking for more. "Tell me," Alex demanded, his respiration becoming more unsteady. "Tell me, lisa." "Deeper," Fox choked. All of you. Now." "Anything you want, baby." Gritting his teeth, Alex held his breath and drove into Fox. A hard cry rose from both men, and Fox clutched Alex tightly, urging him to move. Obeying his lover's need and the demands of his own body, Alex began to thrust, establishing a slow, teasing rhythm. He knew that the pace he'd just set couldn't last for long, but it felt so good. Being inside his Fox was always such an incredible feeling, he never wanted it to end. It was an unreasonable, impossible desire as the fast coming explosion would prove, but he would hold on for as long as he could, offering Fox as much pleasure as either of them could take. Fox struggled to keep his eyes from closing as Alex pushed him closer and closer to the edge of shattering ecstasy. His hands wandered restlessly over Alex's back, traveling down to stroke the taut muscles of the younger man's ass as low whimpers rolled in his throat. Every nerve in his body tingled; every muscle trembled with anticipation of the sweet explosion that would leave them clinging to each other, exhausted and blissfully content. He wanted that. God, he needed it so much, yet he craved all that came before...the feel of Alex's mouth on him, all over him...his hands, stroking and squeezing. His cock...pushing hard, filling him with its heat. Fox renewed his effort to concentrate on Alex's eyes and found them growing ever darker...a sure sign of his impending orgasm. Shuddering, moaning Alex was a beautiful sight to behold, and the thought of it sent Fox's blood pressure ratcheting up another few notches. An abrupt cry broke past his constricted throat, and he clutched at Alex, moving more restlessly against the younger man. Alex picked up on Fox's increasingly precarious condition and, feeling his own body reach its limits, he began to strengthen his thrusts, uttering broken words of encouragement to his lover. "Soon...yes, lisa...God...oh, God..." Sobbing Alex's name, Fox rose up to meet him, offering all he had to give and begging that Alex take it. "C'mon, baby." Alex panted, pushing harder. Fox arched, yowling loudly as Alex grasped his cock and began to quickly stroke it. "There. Yeah...there it is..." The hot rush of semen filled Fox even as he came in a great torrent over Alex's hand and his own belly. His loud cries joined Alex's and filled the room for long seconds then died away as both men collapsed into each other's arms. Alex lay motionless in his husband's embrace, a soft moan rumbling in his chest. A long while passed, and then he felt Fox's hand moving slowly over his back, traveling through the sheen of perspiration. The movement roused him slightly, and he lifted his head, focusing a moist stare on the man beneath him. Fox's hands stopped their journey, and he stared back at Alex through half-lowered lashes, seeing profound adoration shining in the depths of his love's eyes. Alex raised one hand to his face, drawing a crooked finger down the bridge of his nose before coming in for a tender kiss. As he drew away, Fox cupped his cheek, letting his thumb stroke slowly over the lightly stubbled surface. "And you wanted to wait." Fox laughed softly and pulled Alex in for a kiss. When they parted, Alex lowered his head, resting it against the older man's shoulder. "We need to get to sleep. It's really late." "I know," Fox sighed, gently ruffling Alex's hair. "But you don't think you can, do you?" Alex shook his head. "There are so many things crashing around in my head right now, I don't know what to do with them." Alex hugged the older man tightly. "We're married, babe. And my family was here to see it. They don't hate me...they want me...us in their lives. It's wild how radically things can change in the course of just a few hours." "Yeah, it is." Fox went quiet for a few minutes then asked, "You're not upset that we didn't tell you about them, right?" "No," Alex whispered, pressing a kiss to Fox's throat. "I know you wanted to surprise me." He smiled. "And you did. I was so shocked at first, I didn't know what to do or what to think. But I knew that if they were here it had to be okay. You'd never have allowed it otherwise." "'Course not," Fox croaked, kissing the top of Alex's head. "They like you." Fox chuckled softly. "Wait until they get to know me a little better." "I know you better, and I still like you." "Well, you know what our friends say about us." Alex grinned and snuggled against Fox's chest. "I'd like to say that they're wrong, but...hey. How 'bout Raiza? Isn't she cute?" "Oh, yeah. She's a character. Notice how Clyde rarely left her side?" "I think he was happy to finally have someone to play with who was more at his eye level." "I hope the photographer got plenty of pictures of them." "Yeah, I...you know, I just had a thought. Remember he said this afternoon that he was going to try and rush a few pictures to show us tonight?" "Oh, yeah," Fox said. "He did say that, didn't he? Hmm. Guess he didn't get around to it." "That or he screwed them up," Alex replied, agitation evident in his tone. "Either way, he should have said something to us about it." "Easy, killer," Fox cautioned, clearly amused. "There was a lot going on tonight, and I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for why he didn't say anything to us." "All right," Alex relented. "I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. "But when we get back, he's the first person I call. And he'd better have all of those proofs ready." "I'm sure he will...if he knows what's good for him," Fox finished with a low mumble. Alex emitted a haughty snort but easily settled down as Fox began to stroke his back. "You think you're going to be able to get to sleep sometime tonight?" "Maybe," Alex yawned, concluding it on a soft moan. "That feels good." "If you get some sleep tonight, maybe you won't pass out on the plane tomorrow, and we can play." Fox's hand stroked a little lower. "Remember what you promised me at the reception?" "I remember," Alex mumbled, almost unintelligibly. "Okay, then. Go to sleep." "Mmm hmm." Fox smiled and closed his eyes. A few more minutes, and Alex would be out. He lay quietly, drawing his hand up and down the younger man's back, listening to his breathing even out and slow, and once Alex was indeed asleep, he closed his eyes and, smiling softly, joined his husband in oblivion. The band had packed up, most of the other guests had left, and a very small group sat at one table in the middle of the floor, talking quietly. "Well...they couldn't have asked for a nicer wedding." "You're right. Everything went so well...and Alex's family showing up was the icing on the cake." Skinner sat quietly, only half listening to the conversation. His attention was focused mostly on the younger woman. The way her eyes sparkled in the candlelight. The soft shimmer of her hair...pale, creamy skin... "Mr. Skinner?" Skinner blinked and squinted at Mrs. Scully. "Sorry?" Maggie smiled knowingly. "I was just saying that it was wonderful of you to help out with the tent. You really came to the boys' rescue." "I was happy to help." "They're very grateful," Scully said softly. She looked to her mother and smiled. "Well, I guess we should get out of here. Mom, you look like you're ready to drop." "I am feeling a bit weary, but please," Maggie said, patting her daughter's arm. "Don't turn in on my account. You two stay and talk or...go for a nice walk. I'm sure it's beautiful along the lake." "I can't let you go back to the inn alone," Scully argued. "What alone? I'll take Clyde with me." Maggie got up, and Skinner stood to help her out of her chair. "You kids enjoy the night a little longer." Before Scully could say anything more, Maggie had called to Clyde, and the two started up toward the inn. "You think we should walk her up anyway?" Skinner asked, watching as Maggie disappeared from the tent. "She couldn't have a better escort," Scully answered, paused then spoke again. "Unless you want to go. Are you tired?" "No," Skinner answered a little too quickly. "No, it's...I'm fine. You?" "No. No, I'm okay. It is a beautiful night." Skinner turned his attention to the woman seated across the table. "Yes, it is." He drew in a deep breath then let it out slowly. "Want to take that walk?" A small smile curved Scully's lips, and she picked up her bouquet. Skinner helped her out of her chair, and the two walked out, leaving only the small cleanup crew behind. Fox handed the last bag to the porter and walked over to Alex, who had been speaking with a crewmember of the jet that they were taking to Andros. "Ready to go?" "Yep," Fox murmured, slipping his arms around the other man. "All set." He drew Alex in for a brief but passionate kiss, his hand wandering down over his ass. The crewman discreetly took his leave, giving them as much privacy as was possible in an open area, crawling with airport personnel. "I didn't forget," Alex said, incurring a soft growl. "But by the time we get there, you'd better be ready." Fox chuckled, sliding his hand inside the waistband of Alex's pants and toying lightly with the gold chain. "For what?" "I'll just let you wonder about that," Alex moaned, nipping at Fox's lower lip. "Might I remind you, my love, that you're the one wearing that thing." He pulled sharply on the chain, drawing a loud gasp from Alex. "And I'm the one in control." "For now," Alex breathed, drawing his tongue across the flesh he'd just bitten. "Enjoy yourself." "I will," Fox grinned as he released Alex, and the two walked slowly toward the plane. "And so will you." END MMCUSN@aol.com