by Claire Dobbin
Alex's almost tuneful tenor voice greeted Walter when he opened the front door.
"Up to the man, up to the man who's the leader of the band... "
Alexander's pipe-like voice, true to each note, picked up the next line.
"Humph," Walter muttered to himself, but already the happy singing was dispelling his 'bad day at the office' grouchiness.
"And if you wanna hear that Swanee played in ragtime," Alex sang out with gusto.
"Come on along, come on along, Alexander's rag time band... " Walter's baritone boomed out as he joined his lover and son in the kitchen.
"Dada!" Alexander yelled, throwing himself at the big man.
"How's my little jazz man?" Walter asked, his gaze drawn to immediately to Alexander's peculiar, Mohican hairstyle.
He glanced up at Alex for an explanation and snorted in surprise to find that he had a similar hairstyle and was looking even more peculiar.
"Oooo-kay," Walter drawled, sweeping a hand across his bald head, "I'll try not to take this too personally if someone tells me what's going on."
"It's gel, Dada," Alexander said, lifting his father's hand up to feel the stiff spikes of hair. "Daddy bought it in the drugstore. He knows all about it."
Walter snorted again as he remembered the 'brand new out of the showroom' Krycek look. "Trust me Alex," he grinned over at his lover, "it still isn't a good look."
"Hey, it got me noticed, even then," Alex teased. "Don't try denying it, Walter."
"Guilty," Walter said, holding his hands up, "but it wasn't the gel, believe me."
To emphasize the point he walked over to Alex and pulled him in for a hug and a quick kiss, while unseen behind the breakfast bar his hand slid down to fondle a temptingly rounded ass cheek.
Alex leaned back into the caress. "I'll want you to elaborate on that later, in the meantime how does prime rib sound?" he asked.
"Sounds pretty good," Walter told him enthusiastically, "but I've got to ask." He began checking off on his fingers. "My favourite dinner, a date, and a spectacularly bad hair day." He looked inquiringly from one too innocent face to the other. "So who's gonna spill the beans?"
Alex cracked first.
"It was my fault," he began. "I shouldn't have left the kitchen scissors out on the table."
Walter's expression became anxious and Alex rushed to explain. "Alexander decided to cut out some shapes and the scissors slipped."
"Come here, baby," Alex coaxed and Alexander trailed over to them reluctantly so that Dada could view the three clumps of missing hair.
"The scissors slipped?" Walter asked, looking askance at his lover. "Never become a defence attorney, Alex," he advised.
Gently he tipped up the little face with its down-turned mouth and watery eyes.
"You were very naughty, Alexander," he told the child firmly. "You know the rule about sharp things, don't you?"
"Yes, Dada, I'm not allowed to touch them. I could get cut."
"That's why we bought you the special scissors with the plastic blades." He glanced up at Alex before continuing. "And this is not Daddy's fault. Even if the scissors or the knives are left out, we need to be able to trust you not to go near them."
"I'm sorry, Dada," he sniffed, reaching up for a hug. "I won't touch them ever again."
Walter picked him up and gave him a cuddle. "Okay then, that's a lesson well learned." He put the child back down on his feet. "How long till dinner?"
"Right now," Alex told him, "You two wash up."
"Shoe walk, shoe walk!" the little boy pleaded.
Smiling indulgently, Walter caught Alexander's hands and swung him up to stand with his feet on top of Walter's highly polished black leather shoes. He then headed off to the downstairs bathroom, taking big steps that made Alexander giggle as he tried to match them.
By the time they got back, Alex had the serving plates on the table and they settled down to enjoy the meal and the family chitchat.
Walter picked it up. "Yes?"
He listened to the response and glanced over at Alex.
"We're all fine," he told the caller. "I hope everything's fine with you."
'Who is it?' Alex mouthed over to him.
"That's good," Walter said into the phone while he held up his hand to Alex.
Walter listened silently for a little while.
"I think that would be best," he said. "When would you like to get together?"
Walter made a note on the pad beside the phone.
"That will be fine. We can get a sitter no problem."
Another wait while the caller responded.
"Okay, we'll see you tomorrow night."
He hung up the phone and looked down at the child, busily occupied in making faces with his vegetables. 'Later' he mouthed to Alex and sat down in his chair again.
"What is it?" Alex asked before the screen door slotted back into place.
"It was Sarah. She doesn't want to wait any longer. She's had an offer from another couple and she needs our decision. We have to talk."
Both were so caught up in their own thoughts that they didn't find it that difficult to wait until the dishes were done and Alexander was bathed and tucked up asleep in bed before they settled down together on the couch to talk.
"I knew this was coming," Walter began, "but it still threw me."
Alex pulled the older man down into his arms and rocked him against his chest, remembering the conversation on this very couch that had brought Sarah into their lives.
'I want a child, Walter.' Boldly he'd said it, prepared to deal with the consequences. But Walter's reaction, after the initial shock, had been unexpected. He'd listened to Alex's lightly veiled longings and rationalisations and had gone away to think about it for several weeks and had come back to say 'yes'.
In their safety deposit box, along with the legal papers making the baby theirs, was a letter from Sarah addressed to Alexander. It was a long letter, telling about her and her family and explaining why she'd agreed to become his mother. She'd it left to Walter and Alex to decide when to give Alexander the letter. Accompanying the letter was a full medical history. Most importantly, in the contract was a clause stating that Sarah would be happy to meet with Alexander should he desire it.
Walter and Alex had fulfilled their side of the contract with a generosity that made it possible for Sarah to give up work during the pregnancy and for several months after the birth. They had arranged for the best medical care available and had been sensitive to the way the new mother felt about parting from her baby. She'd spent several days with them in their home watching how they were with the baby. It had put her mind fully at rest.
Sarah had fulfilled her side of the contract by giving them the most beautiful baby on the face of the planet.
Alex was startled out of his reverie by Walter's voice.
"...so what are we going to do?"
Alex kissed the top of Walter's head. "You already know what I think. I want another baby."
Walter turned to look up at him. "You know how much I love Alexander. He's... everything. The two of you are my whole world. We did the right thing. I'd do it again. But Alex, I'm four years older "
"They'll keep... us... young," Alex interrupted. "Alexander has the two of us, but he doesn't have a mother. Nor does he have a brother or sister. I know what that feels like, Walter, he needs someone else."
Walter lay back down. It was hard to argue with experience.
"Besides, Mom thinks we should have another baby."
"What?" Walter asked incredulous, remembering Vera's reaction to the news that Alexander was due.
"She's been dropping hints about a brother or sister for Alexander for about two years now. I asked her not to bother you about it."
"How come?"
"I pushed you into it the first time. I want you to want it this time. I think we should and I've told you why, but it's your decision. If you decide no, we'll find another way to make it okay for Alexander. We could move closer to his cousins or—"
"Alex," Walter interrupted, "I want it."
Alex whooped for joy and pulled his lover into a kiss that left them gasping.
Ending it, he looked deep into Walter's eyes. "Are you sure?" he asked.
"I'm sure," Walter told him. "I may not be so sure when I'm walking the floor with a teething baby again, but it feels right now. If Sarah is going to make Alexander a brother or sister it should be with us."
Alex hugged him ferociously, then hauled him to his feet.
"Let's go to bed," he suggested, leading the way into the hall. "You promised me a 'hands on' demonstration of what got me noticed. Remember?"
"I remember everything," the older man said, groping his lover as they dallied on their way upstairs. "The coy looks, the fluttering eyelashes, the pouting mouth, the way that ass moved... "
Alex looked at him outraged.
"And that was just Mulder," he deadpanned.
Alex thumped him. Hard.
"That is not the way to go about getting yourself laid, Alex," Walter advised him, rubbing absently at his upper arm.
"How about this?" Alex asked, huskily, as he unzipped Walter's fly and slid a hand inside.
Walter's groan answered his question, as the older man responded to the dexterous stimulation. Several minutes of ecstasy and then the hand was swiftly withdrawn and he found himself chasing his lover the rest of the way to their bedroom, like an eighteen year old.
"It was your eyes," Walter said into the easy silence.
"Mmm?"
Alex rolled over onto his lover's broad chest. Walter looked up at him and... burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"What's so funny?" Alex demanded indignantly.
"The hair... the hair... " Walter roared.
Alex kneeled up and turned to look at his reflection in the dresser mirror. He joined his lover in the laughter. His crazily gelled hair stuck out in all directions as if he'd jammed his finger in a power outlet.
"You were right," Walter said. "You and Alexander keep me young. I felt older than this when I was thirty-five. I'd have turned into my father by now, if it hadn't been for you two."
"Then just think what the another baby will do for us," Alex said in a voice full of anticipation.
"A new baby," Walter said, trying the words out. "At least this time we won't be scared shitless."
"Nah, this time... it'll be a piece of cake," Alex remarked.
"Yeah, right," Walter said sarcastically.
But they settled down in each other's arms, talking and planning long into the night.
ome on along, come on along, let me take you by the hand... "
The phone rang, interrupting the nightly ritual.
When Alexander had eaten enough to keep his parents happy, they allowed him to excuse himself and watched as he disappeared off into the yard on some important mission.
That was when the real problems started. They searched long and hard to find a surrogate, but the moment they met Sarah Longstreet, they knew they had found the right person. She was a widow in her early thirties. Her husband had died after a lengthy illness that had used up the family's savings and she found herself with two young children to raise in very difficult financial circumstances. Becoming a surrogate was the only way she could make good on the promise she'd made her husband that their children would receive a college education.
Walter had major reservations. He felt what they were doing was exploitative. It was Sarah herself who put his mind at rest. She made it plain that she had several offers, and if he and Alex decided not to proceed she would sign a contract with one of the other couples. She also told him that their offer was by far the best and that she'd be happy knowing the baby would be a part of their family. Much to Alex's delight, he'd agreed immediately and they'd spent a long time working out all the details.
Alex's doting mother had gone ballistic; leaving them in no doubt that what they had done was morally repugnant to her. The relationship between mother and son had become strained and distant. It was at Walter's insistence that as soon as it was safe for Alexander to travel they'd turned up unannounced on Vera's doorstep. Of course, baby and 'grandmother' had immediately bonded for life. Something that didn't at all surprise Walter, no one could resist Alexander.
Their lovemaking was intense and slow paced, as they moved together towards blissful completion. With it they reaffirmed their connection and readied themselves for the new commitment. Afterwards they lay contentedly together, soaking up each other's strength.
"They were what got you noticed," Walter explained. "They still take my breath away."
