The Road to Nowheresville

Fandom: The X-Files

Category/Rated: NC17 for M/M interaction...lots of M/M interaction. If you are a child, or easily offended, please leave now before your eyeballs explode.

Year/Length: ~38,000 words

Pairing: Mulder/Krycek

Disclaimer: We don't own them, but we know that they will want us to when they read this.

Summary: Alex is forced to come to a realization he isn't happy with, and Fox is the victim of a savage attack.

Beta: Beta: by Orithain, Paula and Lucy Snowe. Thank you ladies for your insight and care. Any other mistakes must be ours.

A single bead of sweat trickled down Alex Krycek's glistening back. His shirt, long since discarded, lay on the ground next to him. The blazing sun was baking his finely muscled torso a deep golden brown. Where the hell is Mulder, he thought, glancing at his watch. It had been four hours since the car they'd rented had decided to self-destruct, broken down in the New Mexico desert, leaving them stranded and Fox had left for help. Just as Krycek was about to start ranting, he saw the gleam of a car hood in the distance. Jumping up and waving his arms around, he managed to flag down the oncoming vehicle.

Krycek smiled as he walked up to the driver's window. "Thanks for stopping." He shook hands with the driver. "I'm having a little car trouble."

The man inside the car looked past Krycek to the now dead Ford Taurus on the side of the road. "Yeah, I can see that. What happened?"

"I'm not sure. We were driving, and suddenly there was a loud pop and the car just quit. My friend started walking to find help, but that was four hours ago."

"There's nothing around here within walking distance," the man said, looking at Krycek's body appreciatively. "I can give you a ride so we can look for your friend."

The look didn't go unnoticed by Krycek. "That would be great, thanks. Let me get my things out of the car."

He walked back to the car to grab his and Mulder's briefcases. He picked his shirt up and put it back on. Walking back to the car, he noticed the driver was staring at him intently. Alex got into the car and smiled at him. "I really appreciate this. My name's Alex, by the way."

"Jack. Nice to meet you, Alex," he said, returning Krycek's smile. "Now let's look for that friend of yours."

Before too long, they saw a lone figure in the distance, walking along the side of the road.

"Could that be him?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, but I thought he'd have gotten farther than that," Krycek said, squinting into the desert heat.

They pulled up next to him. Mulder didn't look at the car, but instead kept up his steady pace. The car stopped, and Krycek had to get out and yell Mulder's name to make him stop. Mulder turned around slowly, and Krycek held back a gasp when he saw his partner's condition. There was a long, deep gash just over his right eye that had bled profusely but now was covered in caked blood. His lower lip was swollen and there was split on the left side. His right eye was bruised and puffy. It looked like he'd been beaten within an inch of his life, yet somehow he had managed to keep walking.

"Mulder," Krycek finally said, walking over to help his partner. "What happened to you?"

Mulder started to answer then collapsed into Krycek's arms.

The sun’s rays poured down like molten metal, turning the afternoon into a dull red hell. The road shimmered and dust devils flew around them. Mulder stood eyeing the two of them vacantly, and Krycek felt a pang of foreboding run through the pit of his stomach. Mulder appeared to be conscious, but there was obviously something the matter with him. The usually alert, intelligent hazel eyes appeared unfocused, as if there were a film over them. He was bruised and battered and the cut over his right eye that extended up past his hairline, made him look sinister.

Mulder swayed a little, then turned and began to stagger on down the road. Alex was stunned, and lost a few moments watching his progress. Suddenly he realized what Mulder was doing, and pelted up the road after him. As he reached the bruised and bloodied man, Alex grabbed his shoulder to restrain him. Mulder whirled, pulled back his fist and swung clumsily at Alex.

"Mulder, what the fuck...?" Alex found himself ducking as Mulder took another swing at him. The other man had his face set in a bestial snarl that made Alex feel very nervous. Knowing that Mulder's present weakened state would allow him to easily control the older man's violence, Alex stepped in and caught the flailing fist. Twisting to one side and turning the arm into a lock that would prevent Mulder from moving unless he wanted it broken, Krycek tried to get through to him.

"Mulder? What happened? What's going on here?" Mulder still did not seem to be looking at him, or indeed at anything. His eyes remained vague and glassy. Alex twisted the arm and forced Mulder to the car, and at that point the older man rebelled, yelling and screaming incoherently as Alex attempted to settle him in the backseat.

"Mulder, come on Mulder, you're not making any sense!" Alex was still attempting to snap him out of whatever was ailing him. Mulder's shrieks became hoarse, and he finally broke down into whimpers. Alex got him settled in the car and climbed in beside him. As the car pulled away, Mulder shrank into the corner of the vehicle and cowered. Alex shook his head in bafflement as he watched his partner's strange behavior.

Jack put the vehicle into gear, and the car began to move forward through the heat and the glare. Krycek was conscious of the sweat that continued to trickle down his spine, and the shirt plastered to his back. He glanced at Mulder, who was now apparently in some sort of trance, staring into space unblinkingly. Meeting Jack's eyes through the rear view mirror, he noticed that the driver was staring at him. He wriggled uncomfortably.

"How long until we make it to civilization?" Alex felt as if he had to speak, break the silence and give the man some reason to be eyeing him up so intently.

"You won't find civilization in these parts, Buddy!" Jack grinned at him through the mirror. "Best we can hope for is a rest facility in about 35 miles, at Corona. There ain't a whole lot of anything in this area save for military ranges and such. Don't get too many people passing through except for the New Agers.... You don't look like hippies to me." Once again he looked Alex up and down with a long, lascivious stare. Alex began to wish the driver would keep as much of a watch on the road as he did to the rearview mirror.

The car ate up the miles smoothly, and it was only about ten minutes later that they began to see signs of inhabitation. Alex glanced at Mulder, still in his trance and showing no signs of coming out of it. Moments later, they passed the city limits of Corona, and soon pulled in to a small, somewhat faded motel. Alex and Jack climbed out of the car and Alex made his way towards the office through the stifling afternoon heat.

After the glare of the sun, it was gloomy as Alex entered the office to register himself and Mulder. The office was cool after his enforced sojourn in hell. The room was empty, and a door behind the counter stood ajar. As Alex made his way to the desk, a small child suddenly appeared in the doorway, studied him solemnly, then toddled off. Moments later a tall skinny woman appeared with the small child clinging to her leg.

"Can I help you?" she asked, in a surprisingly high, girlish voice. The child giggled, and plonked down on the floor to explore the contents of a waste paper bin. Alex quickly reserved a double for them, working on the principle that Mulder needed supervision. Thanking the proprietor, he grabbed the keys and followed her directions to their unit. Unlocking the door, he threw it wide to reveal a motel room that looked like every other motel room he had ever been in. It was reasonably clean but smelled unused and dusty. The carpet was an indeterminate brown, and the drapes were orange. He rolled his eyes and then went off to fetch Mulder and the luggage.

The car had been moved into the meager shade afforded by the office, and Jack was sitting on the hood, smoking a cigarette and idly pitching small stones at a clump of weeds. As Alex rounded the corner, Jack looked up and smiled.

"Hey Buddy! You all checked in? Wanna go test out the diner?" Alex was hungry, but the prospect of spending any more time with this man was not enticing. He had spent the last few miles feeling like a bug under a glass as the driver had continued to stare. He was also worried about Mulder and wanted to see if he could somehow break him out of his apparent stupor.

"That's OK, Jack. Thanks for the invite, but I'm gonna have to do something about Mulder here. I don't think I'd better make plans." Alex opened the door and attempted to lead Mulder out of the car. Mulder sat limply until Alex pulled on his arm, then came out of the car in an explosion of flying fists, raining blows onto the unprepared Alex. For a few minutes he had his hands full, trying to soothe the disturbed agent, but finally Alex managed to coax Mulder towards their room. Looking over his shoulder, he called his thanks to the driver, who had now finished his smoke and was still checking him out. Alex was used to being stared at. His height, his broad shoulders, slim hips and long legs got their fair share of attention. His face in close up was devastating to the female population, and he had become expert at avoiding passes from the people he came into contact with. He was a little over six feet tall and was currently dressed in a soft white cotton shirt and a pair of faded, battered blue jeans that fit him exactly, displaying the powerful muscles in his legs. A baseball cap bearing the legend, "FBI, prepare to be strip-searched,” covered his dark hair. He had shaved the evening before, but was currently sporting a fair crop of stubble, giving him a piratical look. He had large, green eyes, fringed by impossibly thick, dark lashes, and an expressive mouth, with a slight unevenness to his teeth that detracted from perfection, but actually enhanced his good looks. His nose sported a little tilt at the end that made him look harmless and innocent.

Alex glanced back and realized that Jack was still perched on the car, staring after them with a hungry look. He hoped he wouldn't have to get into an argument before he could unload his benefactor. He really didn't want to pay him back for rescuing them by having to beat him out flat, but what would be, would be.

Mulder, now out of the car, appeared calmer. As Krycek led him over the parking lot towards the unit, he seemed to become a little less dazed, and once they entered the room, he seemed to relax a little. Alex sat him down on an elderly armchair in the corner of the room, turned on the TV, and left to retrieve their bags. He was surprised to see Jack coming towards him carrying the cases.

"Hey, man, thanks! That wasn't necessary, but it's really appreciated." Alex cringed inwardly at the thought that he had still to get rid of this man but continued to smile, holding out his hands to take the cases. Jack ignored his outstretched arms and brushed by him to carry the cases into the room. As Mulder caught sight of him, he gave a loud, hoarse cry. Leaping to his feet, he moved behind the chair and huddled against the wall. Alex was puzzled and turned to Jack.

"Thanks again, man! I'm really grateful, but Mulder seems to be a bit shocked or something. I don't know why, but he seems afraid of you. I'm gonna have to get him to a doctor, so if you wouldn't mind, we'll maybe see you later on?" Holding the door, he stepped aside to allow the other man to leave, and then closed the door thankfully. He breathed a sigh of relief. He was very thirsty and was sure Mulder was, too. But he decided to wait until he was sure Jack had left before going out for something to drink.

Closing the door and locking it firmly against the return of the man who had brought them here, Alex moved to sit on the nearest bed. He made a mental list of the things he needed to do to get them out this mess and back on track.

First, they both needed a shower, a drink and some lunch. It was around 3 o' clock now, and they had not had anything except for a few sips of water since their breakfast first thing this morning. He was hungry.

He was worried about Fox. The man had a lot of bruises, but that was not his main concern. He had been bruised before and survived. It was his strange mental state that was making Alex anxious, and he thought he should contact a doctor about it. It was unlikely that anyone in this part of the world would be able to help, but he could put in a call to Skinner and see what the AD said.

The last thing would be to get the rental car towed and find a replacement for it, and whoknew how long that might take. Having decided on his priorities, he reached for the phone. Mulder was still sitting against the wall but had apparently relaxed again now that the door was locked. Alex urged him back to the chair, and then called Skinner.

The phone was answered almost immediately, and a familiar voice growled "Skinner!"

"Sir, it's Krycek. We have a bit of a situation here...." Alex went on to outline the problems that had beset the day. Walter Skinner swiftly arranged to get the car situation organized. He then suggested that the two of them rest for the remainder of the day before making decisions in the morning about whether or not Mulder needed to return to Washington for treatment. Feeling better, Alex replaced the receiver and turned to sort out his next problem, Mulder.

"Mulder?" Alex approached him softly, trying to get inside the shell his partner had created. "Mulder, are you in there? Come on, man, snap out of it!" Mulder raised his head for a minute and looked at him blankly, then dropped it back down to his chest. Alex took his arm and hauled him upright, pulling him across to the bathroom. May as well get started, he thought to himself, as he led the older man. Dropping the lid on the toilet seat and sitting the senior agent down on it, he got busy with a face cloth and warm water, cleaning up the cuts on Mulder's forehead and gently washing away some of the sweat and grime from his face. Mulder closed his eyes and shuddered, but when he opened them, he appeared to be a little more alert than before. Alex surveyed his dust-caked, sweaty partner, then sighed and began to fill the tub.

He wanted nothing more than to get into the shower himself but supposed he could wait a little while longer. Maybe after a bath Mulder would come out from whatever mental prison he was currently hiding in. It was worth a try. Tugging at the older man's T-shirt, he began to undress him. Mulder complied apathetically, not exactly helping, but cooperating when Alex directed him to move a limb here or there.

The pile of dirty clothing lay in a corner, and Alex turned off the taps, testing the water for temperature. Perfect. He looked longingly at the water but reminded himself he was stuck with a catatonic special agent...a naked, catatonic special agent at that. He sighed and prepared to dump Mulder into the tub, taking a minute to survey his partner appreciatively. He gave a low whistle. Fox by name and fox by nature. He knew that Mulder had a beautiful face and that he wore his clothes with style, but he had not realized just how sensational the body beneath the Armani was.

Mulder was lean and fit. Here in the motel room, Alex noticed things about him that he had not even speculated on prior to today. The man was built. He was tall and slim, with a runner's physique. His long legs had powerful calf muscles while more ropes of muscle swelled his thighs and curved his behind. Unlike many runners, his torso also appeared strong, with flat slabs of powerful muscle sliding across his chest, back and shoulders. Here was a man who not only worked out with weights, but took care to remain supple. Krycek felt a stirring of interest as he surveyed the body in front of him.

"Once you're back with us Mulder you're gonna find me watching that cute butt of yours a bit more carefully than in the past!" Alex grinned to himself. He finally got Mulder to step into the tub, and after a minute or two the other man sat down in the water. Alex placed the soapy washcloth in his hand, but the dazed agent merely sat, solemnly clutching it to himself without making any effort at all to get clean.

"Jeez! You're gonna make me do this, aren't you, Mulder?" Alex gave a snort of laughter as he looked at the quietly waiting man. Sighing, he gripped Mulder's hand, washcloth and all, and began to apply the soap to skin. After a little while, Mulder seemed to get the idea and began soaping himself. Thankfully, Alex withdrew his hand and peeled off his shirt, which was soaked through. Turning to grab some shampoo, Alex poured some into his hand and began working it into Mulder's blood encrusted hair. For the first time Mulder flinched a little at his touch, and a faint whimper signaled that there was some pain involved in the process. Alex grabbed Mulder's chin and forced him to raise his face, studying it intently as he looked for signs that the other man might be coming out of his stupor. There was a faint glint in Mulder's eyes, and Alex suddenly felt hope that this was not going to be a permanent state of affairs.

"Mulder! Hey, come on, Mulder, it's Alex, can you hear me?" The other man focused on Alex's face for a brief second before retreating into his trance. Alex felt a little better and resumed his onslaught of Mulder's hair. Grabbing the showerhead and detaching it from the wall, he trained it on the other man's soapy head. He was almost done, his own shower was only a few minutes away, and he could almost feel the cool water trickling over his back, washing off the grime of the day.

Pulling the plug at last to allow the water to drain away, Alex gestured for Mulder to get up out of the tub. When that didn't work, he pulled on the man's arm until he stood, dripping. Wrapping a large, surprisingly white towel around his partner, Alex got him to step out onto the bathroom floor. With a smaller towel, he began drying the taller man's back and shoulders, and then wrapped his hair in the towel, stepping back to avoid the droplets that were falling from Mulder's newly washed person.

Shoving the damp Mulder in front of him, Alex navigated him towards the suitcases and began to rummage through Mulder's, searching for fresh clothing. He pulled out some underwear and handed it to Mulder. This time, to Alex's relief, Mulder seemed to recognize the garment for what it was, because he started to put it on, dropping his towel in the process. Swiftly picking out a shirt and another pair of lightweight jeans, Alex placed them on the bed beside Mulder and made his way back to the bathroom to take his well-deserved shower.

"Scully, no! Scully....SCULLY!" The yell of sheer panic cut through Alex's dreams and snapped him into instant wakefulness. He reached for the lamp and turned it on. Mulder- for of course it had been Mulder doing all the yelling-was sitting up in bed looking bewildered. He blinked at Alex, showing that he was conscious once more. Mentally giving thanks to whatever entity took care of FBI profilers, Alex grinned at the confused man in the other bed.

"Hey, Mulder. Good to have you back. I was really worried about you for a while there. Whatever happened to you? Can you remember anything?" He hauled himself up onto one elbow and turned to face Mulder. He squinted to see what the time was and groaned when his watch let him know that it was only 3:30

"Krycek, where..." Mulder was tentatively feeling the laceration on his forehead as he spoke.

"If you're gonna say 'where am I,' I have to tell you it's a cliche! You are in a motel in Corona, and you've been behaving very strangely for the past 15 hours or so. I was going to have to ship you back to Washington tomorrow if you hadn't come out of it. What the hell happened?" Alex sat up, sleep forgotten as he pondered the strangeness of the past day.

"I...umm...I don't really know. We were driving and I remember the car stopping. I can recall getting out of the car to go find help, but how I got here is a blank. What happened to me? My head hurts." He dabbed at the cut with his fingers, wincing as he felt the scab that had formed.

"Someone worked you over pretty harshly yesterday, but you weren't behaving as if you were concussed or anything. To tell you the truth, you seemed to have some kind of brain damage from the way you were acting. I was getting really worried." Mulder looked down at himself, and then back to Krycek.

"You put me to bed?" Alex's grin widened at the memory.

"Yeah! I gave you a bath too, and fed you a burger and fries. You don't seem to like ketchup!" He shook his head at the memory of Mulder, lips pressed together tightly, shaking his head in refusal at the french fry covered in tomato ketchup.

"Hmmm? I love ketchup. Why would you think otherwise?" Mulder appeared puzzled.

Alex snorted. "You practically climbed over the back of the seat in the diner trying to get away from the stuff. That was my first clue." He was about to turn out the light once more, when a thought suddenly occurred to him. "We got a ride from a freaky individual named Jack. He drove us here, but you seemed pretty scared of him. Do you remember anything at all about that?" Mulder was shaking his head even before Alex had finished asking his question.

Working his way back down into the bed, Alex snuggled into his pillow and clicked off the light. Damn! He was wide-awake now, and the events of the day before were flickering through his brain like a silent movie. He would be lucky to get back to sleep before dawn at this rate. His mind was drawn to the memory of his partner standing naked and defenseless in the bathtub, permitting Alex to dry him off with the towel. He dwelled on the firm body, and the vulnerability of him as he had stood, passively allowing Alex to do as he pleased.

Good thing I'm the noble type, he thought to himself. I could have done anything. I wonder why I didn't. Picturing how things could have been different, he began to feel very horny and cursed under his breath, knowing the object of his desire was lying, presumably awake, about three feet from his left ear. It was a long time before sleep claimed him once more.

The phone shrilled, and Alex groped with one hand, trying to find it without actually opening his eyes to the daylight. Mulder was up and dressed and picked up the phone seconds before Alex summoned up the strength to raise his eyelids.

"Mulder." There was a pause. "Yes sir! Yes, that's right, we're going to get back on the road just as soon as we can get a car...No sir, my head is a bit tender but otherwise...No sir.... No sir.... Oh, but sir......Yes sir, you too." He replaced the telephone with what Alex felt to be unnecessary force. "Asshole!"

"And good morning to you too." Alex opened one eye, found that the light then admitted was harmful, and possibly contained barbed wire, so he replaced the lid. Mulder, who was obviously a morning person, yanked his pillow out from under his head, leaving him exposed to the sun's rays.

"Mulder! Don't! After all I've done for you!" The voice was plaintive. Mulder prodded Krycek with his toe.

"Come on. It's seven already. I'm starving." He turned away, pulling Alex's blankets with him, then a thought occurred and he turned back. "What do you mean, all you've done for me?"

Alex's grin wasn't so much suggestive as explicit. Mulder didn't speak for a moment, and then a red tide crept up his neck. "Hey, Mulder, you're blushing! It's OK, I didn't take advantage of you, even though I could have. I like my partners to be conscious!" At this, Mulder turned a deeper shade of red and moved away, the blankets trailing behind him. Alex roared "I'll get you for this, see if I don't. No more Mr. Nice Guy. See if I feed you any more fries!"

Alex sighed as he got out of bed and headed to the shower. He was amazed at the change in his partner's demeanor.

While Alex showered, Mulder tried to remember what had happened to him. He got flashes of people's faces, but as soon as he attempted to get a firm grasp on what had taken place, they disappeared like so much smoke. When he heard the water stop, he was suddenly hit by an image of Krycek with him in the bathroom, Mulder naked and Krycek looming over him. As soon as it appeared, it was gone...He tensed, then felt the unmistakable sensation of arousal at the memory.

"This is bullshit," he said to himself. He'd noticed his partner casting adoring gazes at him and found it flattering. But there was no way in hell he'd ever let Krycek.....well, he didn't think he would ever go along with it. Still, there was no mistaking the stirring he felt in his crotch at the sight of Krycek coming out of the bathroom, a towel loosely wrapped around his waist.

"Mulder," Krycek said, tossing his towel carelessly onto the bed to the dismay of the other agent. "Are you sure you don’t remember anyone named Jack?" He pulled on a pair of boxer shorts, then sat on his bed to pull on his socks.

Mulder swallowed, trying to ignore the well-muscled specimen getting dressed a few short feet from him.

"I don't recognize that name in connection to what happened to me, if that's what you're asking."

"Are you sure?" Krycek pulled on a T-shirt, covering his smooth chest and helping Mulder focus a little more.

"Yeah. I don't remember a Jack. Why?"

"Well, when you got a good look at the guy who gave us a ride, you went crazy." Krycek picked up his belt, and as it hung from his hand, the light glinted off the buckle. Mulder screamed.

"Mulder! What is it?" Krycek was at his partner's side in flash after he recovered from his initial shock at the sudden outburst.

"No!" Mulder ran and cowered in the corner of the room. His eyes were riveted on the belt, still in Krycek's hand.

"Is it the belt?" Krycek asked. He tossed it onto his bed and went to try and calm down the frightened man. When he crouched down and touched his arm and Mulder didn't flinch, he started talking softly. "It's okay, Fox."

Suddenly, Mulder grabbed Krycek and pulled him closer, knocking the younger man off balance so he ended up falling against him. Krycek struggled and managed to right himself. He looked at his obviously troubled partner, not knowing what to do to help him.

"What's happening to me?" Mulder's voice was shaking as he came back to his senses.

Krycek touched the side of Mulder's face, expecting the senior agent to slap it away. "I don't know, but we need to get you some help to try and remember. I think we should get something to eat and then get you back to D.C."

"No, we need to investigate the case."

"Mulder, we need to find out what the hell happened to you, and we can't do that here." He stood up and put out a hand. Mulder took it and let Krycek help him to his feet.

***

Mulder and Krycek walked across the parking lot of the hotel to the greasy spoon which provided the nearest thing to breakfast within a twenty mile radius. Walking in, the two agents ignored the stares they received from the local yokels and seated themselves in a relatively private booth toward the back. Mulder picked up one of the stained menus and handed it to Krycek, then took one for himself. "If I were you, I'd order anything that can't have squirrel slipped into it."

Krycek looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He was glad that the earlier incident in the hotel room didn't seem to be having a lasting effect.

"Mulder, you have the strangest sense of the absurd." His comment was met with a cheeky grin.

"You don't know the half of it." He turned his attention to the menu and made a pretense of studying it intently.

Krycek noticed Mulder's sudden concentration. "Mulder, I need to ask you something."

"Can't talk. Looking for food."

Reaching out a hand, Krycek pushed the menu down until he was staring into wide, hazel eyes. "Do you remember anything at all of what happened to you? Are there any flashes of memory? Anything?"

With a sigh, Mulder sat back. "I have no memory of what happened to me. I just lost time. A lot of time."

"You were completely out of control one second and catatonic the next."

"I don't know what happened!" Mulder raised his voice enough to make some of the other patrons turn around.

"Mulder, you were so freaked out. It was disturbing."

"Well, what did you do to me while I was out of it?" Mulder asked, his voice full of accusation.

Krycek looked taken aback. "I told you that I don't take of advantage of people when they're in a state like you were." He tried to smile while he said it, but he didn't like the tone Mulder had used to ask the question.

"Then why am I remembering you undressing me and...and..."

"Helping get you into the bath?" Krycek's face was stony as he tried to hold himself back from saying or doing anything he'd regret later.

Mulder blushed and looked at his menu again. "I'm sorry. I have no idea what's happening to me."

Krycek's face softened and he tentatively reached out a hand to touch his partner's arm.

"Hey, I'm sorry. You can't help it if your memories are sketchy at best." He lowered his voice and said to himself, "Besides, you'd have no trouble remembering if I'd really had my way with you."

Before Mulder could ask what he'd just said, a waitress sauntered over to the table. It was the same woman they'd had the night before. She gave Mulder a look that made him extremely uncomfortable, then spoke to Krycek.

"Is your friend going to make another scene with the ketchup?"

Krycek flashed his most brilliant smile and reassured her that nothing out of the ordinary would happen this morning. She scowled and looked at Mulder suspiciously.

"Hmm. What can I get you two, then?"

Krycek ordered for the both of them. "I'll have the pancake breakfast and he'll have the French toast."

The waitress wrote down their order, shot Mulder one more wary glance and walked away.

"I can order my own breakfast."

Krycek smiled. "Yeah, I wasn't too sure. You could go into helpless mode at any second." He immediately regretted saying that. "I'm sorry."

"No," Mulder replied, tersely. "Why the hell should you have to put up with my shit? Never mind the fact that I'm the one it happened to. I have to make sure I don't make your life any harder." He wished that hadn't come out sounding so whiny.

"Look," Krycek sighed. "I said I was sorry, okay?" There was an edge to the young man's voice.

"Fine, well, I want to ask you what you just said to me."

Krycek furrowed his brow. "What? That I was sorry?"

"No," Mulder said, shaking his head, "what you said before the waitress came over."

"Oh, that. Well, I was kidding." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Fine, but what did you say?"

Krycek cleared his throat. "I, uh, said that if I'd had my...way with you, you, um, would have remembered...it."

Mulder looked at his partner in disbelief.

"It was just a joke." He didn't even believe himself.

The look on Mulder's face told him to drop it.

"Okay, well let's talk about what's going to happen to you once we get back to D.C."

"Nothing's going to happen. I'm fine."

"Bullshit! We need to find out who did this to you, Mulder. Why don't you want to know?"

"I do want to know, but I'm...I'm.."

"Afraid of what you'll find out?"

Mulder looked down at his placemat and was silent. After a few moments, he looked up at Krycek. "Yes. All I know is every time I try to think about what happened, I get scared."

"That's why we need to find out what's going on."

Mulder looked at the earnest young agent sitting across from him. He admired his tenacity as much as he resented his persistence. "Why do you care so much?"

The look on his face was a combination of surprise and hurt, and Mulder wished he hadn't said anything.

"I care because we're partners. I hope you'd do the same for me."

"Yeah, I would. I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that your concern combined with what you said earlier makes me wonder about your motives."

"My motives? What the fuck are you talking about? I don't have any motives. Jesus, Mulder, you think a lot of yourself, don't you?"

Mulder cocked an eyebrow. "And you're getting very defensive, aren't you?"

Krycek grinned. "Don't you try to analyze me. I just don't like to be accused of...of.."

"Accused?" Mulder sounded incredulous. "I wasn't accusing you of anything. I simply asked a question."

"Well, it sounded like an accusation." Krycek sat back and crossed his arms in front of him. Mulder could have sworn he was pouting. He bit back a smile and didn't realize he was staring at the other man's lips until the waitress broke the silence.

"Here you go." She set down plates piled high with food. Tearing off their check and setting it on the table, she smiled at the junior agent. "You need anything else, let me know."

Mulder waited until she walked away. "She likes you," he said, putting a forkful of French toast in his mouth.

Krycek smiled. "Yeah, well, some people do."

"What's that supposed to mean? You know I like you, right?"

Krycek looked at him. He knew what Mulder meant, but the idea that maybe Mulder occasionally thought of him as something other than an annoyance made his heart beat a little faster.

When he didn't get a reply right away, Mulder felt his face turn a little pink. "What I meant was...."

"I know what you meant, Mulder. Don't worry, I'm not taking it as a come on. I don't overreact like certain people do." He looked down and started concentrating on cutting his pancakes. Sneaking a look at the expression on Mulder's face, he grinned and took a bite.

"Well, maybe one day I will say something you could take...." Mulder stopped when he realized what he was saying. That wasn't supposed to have been said out loud.

This time it was Krycek's turn to raise an eyebrow and shoot a look of disbelief in his partner's direction. He shook his head and went back to eating his breakfast. The two men finished their meal in silence, neither wanting to clarify exactly what was going on between them.

Mulder looked out the hotel room window at the blacktop that seemed to be melting under the intense pounding it was getting from the sun. Waves of heat ippled across it, reminding him that they were in the middle of the desert. Not that he'd need that reminder. Even with the air conditioner on full blast, he was sweating. He wanted to fill the bathtub with ice cubes, strip and get in. Then he wanted Krycek to join him. The thought came out of nowhere, and lingered just below his belt.

"I guess there's nothing to do but wait, huh?" Mulder jumped at the sound of Krycek's voice so close to him. He was looking out the window over Mulder's shoulder and smelled like soap and cheap cologne. Mulder found the scent a little annoying, but his dick apparently thought it was wonderful.

"Guess not." He hoped his voice didn't betray the excitement he was feeling at the closeness of his partner. "Want to do some exploring?"

"Yeah, but not the kind you had in mind," he muttered as he walked away to sit on his bed.

"Okay, I heard that." Mulder walked over to him. "What is your problem?"

Alex sighed and stood up. He'd decided that enough was enough. If he put everything out in the open, what was the worst thing that would happen? So what if Mulder freaked out? Bruises and bones would heal. He took a deep breath and forged ahead.

"What do you think is my problem? I'm attracted to you and have been for some time. I think you feel the same way and we're just afraid to admit it to each other." He stopped and almost flinched as he waited for some kind of response, whether it be an indignant denial or a punch to the gut.

Mulder was shocked but not surprised by Krycek's admission. He thought he'd caught the agent looking at him strangely but hadn't figured that this had been the reason. He'd chalked it up to simple hero worship. Now that he knew the truth, he wasn't sure what to think. He couldn't feel the same way, could he? There had never been a time in his life when he'd been attracted to another man, but more and more he found himself watching his partner and thinking about him. It had soon become pretty obvious to him that something was going on here, but he didn't know what. Strike that. He knew exactly what it was but hadn't wanted to address it. What did he do now? Before he could give it another thought, Krycek leaned forward and pressed his lips to Mulder's.

The unfamiliar feel of another man's lips on his own was thrilling to Mulder, as was the more aggressive presence behind it. He parted his lips under the pressure and felt his partner's tongue snake between them, sending an unexpected, but not unwelcome, shot straight to his groin. The blood tingling in his cock increased even more when Alex's tongue began a thorough inspection of his mouth, sweeping over hot, wet flesh and teeth. Mulder began his own exploration and felt another rush of heat to his rapidly hardening penis when Alex moaned into his mouth.

Krycek's hand slowly traveled from Mulder's waistband down to the hard bulge and squeezed gently. The unexpected contact made Mulder buck into the grip, eliciting a chuckle from the younger man.

"Mulder, have you done this before?" He laughed at the raised eyebrow he got in response. "I mean with a man."

Mulder shook his head and licked his lips, his eyes roving over the other man's face. For the first time since they'd become partners, Mulder saw how beautiful Krycek was. He'd always realized that he was attractive, that was obvious, but the man was actually beautiful. He wasn't sure what to make of that thought, but when Krycek pulled down the zipper of his jeans and slid his hand inside, his body knew exactly what to feel. The first touch of skin on skin made both men gasp as one finally realized a hidden longing and the other discovered his.

Krycek planted soft, warm kisses along Mulder's jaw, licking the skin as he went. "I'll make this feel really good, Fox," he whispered and dropped to his knees and gently freed Mulder's erection. He wrapped his hand around the base and started licking the head, lapping up the pearly drops of fluid already collecting there. The salty tang made the growing ache between Krycek's legs almost painful. He ran his tongue over the slit and around the ridge, taking the head between his eager lips.

If Mulder had thought the sight of his partner on his knees excited him, when he felt that mouth go to work, he was ecstatic. He felt the familiar heat of arousal as it spread throughout his belly and continued downward until he thought his balls would explode from the pressure. Whatever he'd been thinking flew out of his head seconds later when Krycek took his entire length into his hot, talented mouth, making him mutter a few choice words.

Krycek smiled around the cock filling his mouth and tried to make out what Mulder was saying. He listened to the string of creatively combined obscenities and started sucking harder. He wanted Mulder to scream his name when he came, but Alex could feel him trying to hold back. Moving his head up and down, he slipped a hand around to Mulder's ass and began rubbing the smooth flesh. Mulder tensed and he eased up. When he felt him relax again, he put his hand back but this time slid a finger down until he found the hot, tight opening. He had just pushed his finger into him when Mulder yelled and pushed him away. Krycek fell back and watched in astonishment as Mulder ran into the bathroom and locked the door. He jumped up and ran after him, pounding on the door.

"Mulder! Are you okay? Open the door!" He kept banging until he thought his and would bleed. Stepping back and getting ready to break the door down, he was relieved when Mulder slowly opened the door and fell into Krycek's arms. His eyes were wide and his voice trembled as he held on.

"I remember what happened, Alex. I remember what they did to me."

Krycek tightened his arms around his partner and gently pushed his head down until it was resting on his shoulder. He started stroking Mulder’s hair, cautiously, wanting to reassure him that he was safe, but wary of sending him into another panic at the touch.

"What happened, Fox? Who are they? What did they do to you?"

Mulder started to speak, but his voice hitched and caught in his throat. Krycek flinched at the sound of his partner attempting to tell him about his attack. He wanted to know what happened so he would know who should pay for whatever had happened. Swallowing his anger for the moment, he waited patiently until Mulder was able to speak.

"There were too many of them and I didn't realize it until they'd gotten me in the van." Mulder's voice was muffled as he rubbed his face against the soft cotton of the younger man's T-shirt, seeking comfort in the warmth and smell of him.

"You have to tell me what happened from the beginning, okay?" Krycek walked him over to his bed and sat him down. Taking a place next to him, Alex put an arm around Mulder’s shoulders and waited for him to continue.

"After I lost sight of you, a van stopped to pick me up. I flashed the driver my badge and told him about the car. I asked him how far it was to the next town and if he could give me a ride."

"Why didn't you come back to get me?"

"I figured I'd get to town and come back in the tow truck to get you and our things. I knew that if I was gone too long, you'd flag someone down and head after me."

"That's pretty much what happened when Jack stopped. We were going in your direction and saw you walking on the side of the road." He paused for a moment. "But if a van was heading to town, I would have seen it before you, wouldn't I?"

Mulder shook his head. "He was going in the opposite direction and pulled a U-turn in order to stop for me."

"Okay, so what happened once you got in the van?"

"Well, I figured I'd be fine. I had my weapon on me, I'm a trained agent. I...." He broke down again. After a few moments he resumed speaking. "I really thought I'd be okay."

Krycek rubbed his back and didn't say anything, but he could imagine what he was about to hear.

"He had a passenger up front with him, so I had to get into the back. I slid the door open and saw that the back had been completely redone. The seats had been taken out and I remember thinking it reminded me of those make-out vans everyone had in the 70s. Anyway, there were about four guys kind of lounging back there. Before I could do anything, a couple of them grabbed me and dragged me into the van. The van took off but it didn't go very far. I guess they pulled over to the side of the road."

Krycek didn't need to hear anymore to know what happened next. "You don't have to say another word."

"I don't know how they overpowered me, Alex! Why did I let my guard down?" He didn't expect an answer and wasn't offered one. "One of them took my gun and held it on me while the others.....While they took turns hitting me and making me..."

"Fox," he whispered, "you don't need to tell me anymore."

Mulder looked at him and kept talking. "One of them had on a belt... I remember it because it had a huge buckle shaped like a UFO. He took off his belt and tied it around my....my neck. They'd cuffed my hands behind my back and had me on my knees...." He glanced down at his hands and seemed surprised that they were shaking. Suddenly, he was fascinated by the lack of control he had over his own body.

Krycek stood up and, running a hand through his hair walked to the window. He exhaled quickly and turned around to face Mulder. "Don't tell me anything else."

As if he were in a trance, Mulder ignored him and started talking again. "One of them was sitting in front of me and had his pants undone. He told me to...he wanted.... I told them to go to hell, and the guy holding onto the belt pulled on it and choked me. He said that if I didn't do what they wanted, he'd kill me. Then he.... shoved my head down and told me to....to..... open my mouth and if I tried anything, I'd be shot.....I had to....do that to.....they all took turns." He looked at his partner. "They ....fucked my mouth, Alex. I had to.....I couldn't spit...." He'd barely said the words before he'd shot off the bed and into the bathroom again. Krycek could hear the sounds of Mulder getting sick and gagging and fought back the urge to burst out the front door and shoot every man in the whole damn town. Before he did anything, he'd need more information.

He went into the bathroom and saw Mulder standing over the sink, splashing water on his face. The color had drained from him, leaving him looking sick and pale. Krycek grabbed a washcloth and ran it under the water then wiped Mulder's face.

"You're going to be okay, Fox." He didn't know whom he was trying harder to convince, his partner or himself. "You're going to get through this."

"Afterwards, they were going to rape me...one guy had pulled down my pants and put his finger in my....in me....but the driver yelled at them to stop.....he didn't want it to look like I'd been sexually assaulted. He said the bruises were enough. I got lucky, I guess." The smile on his face sent a chill down Krycek's spine.

He put a hand on Mulder's back. "Fox, you *were* sexually assaulted. You know that."

"The driver was the guy who picked you up. I'd swear to it," Mulder said, disregarding what Krycek said.

"It couldn't be. He came by later going into town. He'd have had to drive past me in order to double back and make it look like we'd just randomly found you. Besides, he knew you'd recognize him."

Mulder shook his head. "Before they threw me out of the van, they injected me with something. Everything you've told me about what happened when you found me is a complete blank." He closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face. Suddenly, he looked up. "It was him, Alex! You told me that I had another episode when I got a good look at him."

"You did, but maybe Jack just looks like the driver."

"Alex, he could be his goddamned twin! Why don't you believe me?"

"I do believe you, but he would have had to drive away from town, then double back in order to make it look like he picked me up on his way to town. Fox, there was no traffic on that road. Nothing. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Before Krycek could react, Mulder had shoved him away. "I'm not an idiot! You don't want to believe me? Fuck you!"

He stormed out of the bathroom and started looking through his things. Krycek followed him. "What are you doing?" His voice was quiet.

"I'm looking for my gun."

"Fox, you can't just go out there and start shooting." He knew he was being hypocritical, but that was different. He didn't care if he got hurt trying to protect his partner, but he wouldn't let Fox destroy himself. "You need to face what happened first." He walked over to Mulder and put a hand on his arm, stopping the frantic search.

Mulder looked at Krycek's hand and then at his face. He saw concern, fear and anger reflected in the same eyes he'd been mesmerized by only moments ago. He allowed himself to be drawn into a safe embrace. "How the fuck am I supposed to deal with this?" he whispered.

"We'll get you back to D.C. The best in the field will be able to help you." Krycek kept his voice calm.

"I don't want to tell anyone else."

"Why? We have to find these guys and make them pay for what they did to you."

"I know," Mulder said, straightening up, "but I don't want the FBI involved."

Krycek knew what he was saying and was ready to do anything for him. "What do I have to do?"

Mulder gave him another spine-tingling smile and then a shadow crossed his face, darkening his eyes. "I want you to help me find these men and kill them."

Alex paced up and down the seedy motel room. He was trying to work out how he could best help Mulder. He was outraged at the things that had happened to his partner. He wanted to bring the men to justice, but he wondered how best to find them. They would not be sitting, waiting for him to go and arrest them.

He had a further problem due to the fact that Mulder wanted to kill them out of hand. He worried about Mulder's stability in light of the things that had happened to him.

He was also suffering from a case of raging lust.

Watching Mulder as he sat on the bed with his gun, methodically cleaning and re-loading it, Alex sighed. He didn't know how best to help Mulder deal with what had happened. He wanted to avenge the man. He was not averse to violence, and his skills in the area of murder and mayhem were far more finely honed than his partner would have suspected. He had been playing the role of the geeky, worshipful junior agent for so long, and with such skill, that he almost had himself believing it. Almost, but not quite.

It was time to cast aside his mild persona and reveal some traces of the real Alex Krycek. After all, his partner had been injured, raped and drugged, and any recollection of events down the road could easily be blamed on his unstable mental state following his rape. Alex felt quite safe in letting himself go. First, however, he had a job to do. He sat down on the bed next to Mulder and put an arm casually across the other man's shoulders.

"I think we should work out a plan of action. We have to find these suckers, Fox. Once we know where they are, it will be easier to deal with them. It occurs to me that the best way to get them to come out of hiding is to set them up. I don't know how you feel about that." Alex spoke quietly, his husky voice earnest. "But that guy Jack was pretty much undressing me with his eyes all the time we were together yesterday...." He broke off as Mulder gave a snarl and started to his feet. He put his arm out to draw the other man back down onto the bed, and into the shelter of his embrace. "Shush, Fox! It's OK. I won't be unsuspecting the way that you were. I won't be all alone either, I'll have backup. What do you say?"

Mulder's eyes were stony, and his expression was mutinous. Alex stroked his hair gently as he uttered soothing words to the infuriated man. Slowly, Mulder began to calm down. Alex continued to caress Mulder's neck, his hair and his ears, all the while murmuring quietly in his smoky voice. Mulder turned to his partner, and gradually sagged so that his head rested on the other man's shoulder. Alex looked at him narrowly, noting the pinched whiteness around his mouth and the new lines on his forehead. Turning his body towards the other agent, he put both arms around him in an embrace, rocking him slightly. Dropping his head to the back of Mulder's neck, he placed a rain of small kisses on it. Mulder froze for a moment, then sighed and snuggled into Alex's arms.

Alex sat holding his partner, enjoying the contact between the two of them even though it was causing his cock to strain painfully against his pants. He knew that it would be some time before Mulder would be ready for any kind of sexual encounter after what he had been through. So when Mulder raised his head, took hold of Alex's face and glued his lips to him, he was speechless. He sat, unable to move for a fraction of a second. Then he turned his head, permitting the seal between mouths to become complete, groaning with the need he felt within as his tongue found Mulder's, to twine and dart in lascivious play.

For a while they continued to kiss, and then Alex pushed Mulder away.

"Fox, please... " Mulder looked at him in bewilderment.

"I thought you wanted this. I thought it was what you needed." As he listened, Alex smiled at the other man.

"You know I do. I couldn't sleep last night because you were there, in the bed next to me, and I kept thinking about you. I want you very badly indeed, but I know what a horrible experience you just had and there's no way I would want to add insult to injury. If it isn't meant to be, it won't happen. I'd rather help you get the bastards that hurt you than contribute to your problems, Fox."

Mulder's eyes were dark with hunger, and Alex felt a little thrill dance up his spine as Mulder moved in deliberately to place his soft mouth over his once more. He tightened his arms around the senior agent and held on tightly as Mulder dove deeper and deeper into the warm recesses of his mouth.

Slowly, Mulder laid the two of them down so that they were stretched on the bed together, and as they continued to kiss, Mulder rolled to cover Alex's body with his own.

Alex had closed his eyes so he could better concentrate on the feel of Fox's mouth. As they continued to kiss, he ran his hand up over the other man's lean back, until he found the soft hair at the nape of his neck and tangled his fingers there. The other hand slid down around Mulder's waist and onto the small of his back, slipping south over the curve of a buttock to pull his hips tightly up against Alex's aching groin.

As Mulder drew his head back to survey the effects his kisses were having on his partner, Alex managed to get his thoughts together enough to ask the question that worried him. His chest was heaving and his breath was harsh, making his voice even huskier than usual. Mulder gazed down into huge eyes from which almost all vestiges of green had vanished, the pupils dilated with the strength of his desire.

"I thought you were totally disgusted by what happened to you, Fox. What are you doing? You feel so good, too good. If you keep on like this and then stop me, I won't be able to answer for the consequences. Bear in mind that I don't want to hurt you. I want you, but we'd better stop now while I still have some control of myself."

Mulder remained, looking down at him as he idly drew circles on his chest with one long forefinger. Then he raised the finger to trace Alex's lips.

"I've been thinking. Yeah, something bad happened to me, but also, something good. I wouldn't ever have known how you felt about me if it wasn't for the experience I had yesterday, would I? I want to erase the things that those men did to me. The only way I can do that is by replacing the horror with something good. I want to have you prove to me that it's good, not bad. I need to feel it, Alex. Help me." His face was a strange mix of desire and pain, and Alex tightened his hold on him as his stomach flip-flopped with need.

"God, Fox, anything. I'll do anything to make you feel good about yourself. You just don't know how much I want you." Alex's voice was choked and hoarse as he clutched the other man's body. He pulled Mulder's head down to kiss him once again, opening his mouth wide and letting his tongue discover the sweet warmth of the other man. He gazed up at Mulder, his eyes shining as he studied the man who was lying above him. He had spent so many hours and days imagining how Mulder might feel if only he would offer Alex this chance. Alex was almost shaking now with the need to make love to Mulder. He reached up his arms to pull Mulder's mouth down to his, opening his lips as he did so and sliding his tongue forward to explore the boundaries of Fox Mulder.

Slowly, he rolled Mulder over until their positions were reversed. Poised above the older man, Alex slowly unbuttoned the short sleeved shirt that Mulder wore, opening it to slip his hand inside, brushing across the sparse hair to find Mulder's nipple, taking it between finger and thumb to roll and tweak it. As Mulder's breathing deepened and he began to relax into Alex's caresses, Alex slowly moved down from the lush mouth, pausing to nibble his lower lip before sucking and nipping his way over his jaw, and down into the hollow of his neck. Here he stopped for a moment to suck harder, making a red patch that marked Mulder as his, at least temporarily. As Mulder writhed under Alex's knowing touches, Alex lowered his head to suck and lap at his other nipple.

For a while, the two were silent except for muted gasps. Then Alex's hand moved down to Mulder's waistband, as he sought to unbutton the other man's jeans. Mulder moaned slightly and canted his hips upward to permit the removal of his pants. As Alex slid them down his legs, his cock leapt and twitched as he took in the sight of Mulder lying in a sprawl, wantonly thrusting his hips. He moved down to take Mulder's offering between his lips, dragging his tongue over the head of it as he did so, and moaning softly himself as he tasted Mulder's sweet, salty flesh.

For a moment or two he contented himself with lapping at the ridge that ran around the bulbous head, while Mulder, tense and thrusting, had his hands tightly clutching the pillow behind his head. Alex, who had been carefully timing his caresses, waiting to make sure each one was accepted before going on to the next, decided that it was time to get serious. Reaching for a pillow, he raised Mulder's hips and shoved it under the senior agent's behind. Then, going to work in earnest, he took hold of Mulder's stiff cock and plunged himself down on it, swallowing it to the root. His shoulders shook a little as he heard Mulder scream his name, and then as he began to suck and tongue the captive penis, Mulder put his hands down to grab Alex's head. Alex could tell that the other man was resisting the temptation to pull his hair and force that straining dick even further down his throat.

Mulder began to make little grunting sounds as Alex worked busily on his cock, deep throating him steadily. Alex’s busy hands stroked and caressed Mulder’s balls, gently nipping at the puckered flesh. Feeling in his pocket for lube, Alex fumbled open the tube and managed to apply a ribbon of the jelly to his fingers, before dipping his hand down to explore Mulder's ass. He gently stroked his fingers around and around the small opening he could feel, making no attempt yet to force a way in, but applying pressure on the perineum as he did so. He felt for the hard little gland that he knew would add to the pleasure of the other man's experience. Mulder was totally gone now, rigid and gasping as Alex touched and probed. Alex could feel the tension building in the other man's balls, and as they began to rise, he suddenly pulled off, gazing up at Mulder with an ill- suppressed smile.

"Is everything OK? How do you feel?" Alex's spurious concern was a masterpiece of acting. Mulder looked back at him with glazed eyes. He tried to speak, but could only whimper as his tormentor smiled fondly up at him. "I don't want you to get sick to your stomach again, or to feel bad or anything." The growl of sheer anguish that came out of Mulder's mouth at that point made Alex laugh out loud.

"Oh, baby, I want to make you feel good. I really do. I wish I could rub it all out and have us start from scratch, but I can't." As he spoke, he had gently slipped one very well lubricated finger into Mulder's tight asshole, and was slowly rocking it back and forth as he probed to find the other man's prostate. Mulder’s sudden convulsion as Alex finally reached it and stroked it with the tip of his finger made Alex smile. Dropping his head again, he took the other man's penis back into his hot, wet mouth and sucked hard as he gently massaged Mulder's prostate from inside with his finger and from the outside with his thumb. Mulder gasped, and cried out, trying to pull Alex's head away. Alex chuckled faintly and redoubled his efforts to please the other man, knowing what was going through his head. All of a sudden Alex felt him quicken inside his mouth and then Mulder was coming hard, head flung back, mouth open wide in a soundless shriek of ecstasy as he pumped into Alex's greedily sucking mouth.

Alex was so hard, he felt like crying, and knew that he was either going to have to go somewhere and jerk off to relieve himself of the pressure, or else be awake all night again. He pulled away from Mulder's now rapidly diminishing cock, licking it clean and placing small kisses around it as he looked up to see how his new lover was handling things.

Mulder was lying, eyes closed, chest heaving as he tried to recover from the experience he had just gone through. As he felt Alex roll to lie alongside him he turned his head towards him and opened his eyes, his expression full of wonder.

"My God. That was something else. I don't think I've ever... Is it always like that or are you something totally special?" Alex laughed out loud and reached frantically forward to pull Mulder into a kiss, sharing the taste of his orgasm with him as he plunged fiercely into his mouth. As he continued to kiss and explore Mulder's mouth, he was shaking with the intensity of his need. He felt it dawn on Mulder that he was still desperate, and Mulder put his hand under Alex's chin, pulling his face back to stare into his eyes. Alex gazed back at Mulder, pupils dilated and eyes huge and Mulder slowly rolled Alex over to lie on his back.

"Special? Oh, God, Fox, you'd better believe it." Alex's voice was roughened by need and caught in his throat as he spoke.

As Mulder looked down at the man who had just made love to him with such intensity, Alex felt very vulnerable under the careful scrutiny. He looked every inch a slut as he lay writhing under Mulder. His face was flushed and his lips were slightly swollen from their kisses. Alex watched Mulder with a painful certainty that he would be left high and dry. No color showed in his eyes, the pupils had expanded to drown the usual green. He was panting, his chest heaving, and it was plain that Mulder felt a rush of power as he examined him in his obvious state of arousal. He smiled down at Alex as the younger man bit his lip, straining to press his rock hard erection against Mulder.

Alex could see that Mulder was feeling a little strange. He had just given Mulder an orgasm like nothing he had experienced before in his life, and now he was obviously in need of release himself. It was obvious to Alex that Mulder didn't want to think about the way he had just been brought to climax.

Alex suspected Mulder wasn't ready to take the other man's penis in his mouth just yet, but he was unsure what else he could do. He paused, his hand running up and down Alex's chest, as he gathered his courage.

"Fox, it's OK. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. I just wanted to make you feel good." He swallowed, and then smiled as Mulder swooped in to run a contemplative tongue over his lips. "All you need to do is just hold me, I can take care of myself." Alex fumbled with his own fly, finally managing to get his jeans open, and attempting to push them down with shaky hands. He saw Mulder make a sudden decision and turn to assist Alex, removing his jeans and underwear, freeing up his penis as he did so. Alex moaned and closed his eyes, dropping his hand down to take hold of his own cock. Mulder intercepted his hand as he did so, taking hold of it and interlacing their fingers.

"No! You did it for me. Now let me try and take care of you. I want to." Alex's eyes flew open at that point and he gasped. Mulder smiled again and moved to brush his lips over Alex's, making him feel the softness of them against his own. Then he reached down and gently traced the stiffness of his lover's penis, laughing as he evoked a muffled curse from his thoroughly oversensitised partner.

As Alex watched, helpless, Mulder moved down on the bed until his head was level with the other man's groin, stroking his erection gently and obviously enjoying Alex's groans and pleas. Quickly, he found the tube of lubricant that Alex had used, and squirted some onto his hand. Then, grasping Alex's penis in his hand, he coated it with the slippery gel and began to slide it up and down. Alex gasped and bucked into Mulder's busily working hand as he felt bubbles of lust fizz through his middle. Mulder glanced at him and was obviously pleased by what he saw.

"Is that good? Tell me how you like it. Tell me what you want." Mulder's voice reached Alex through the mist of sheer groaning need he was experiencing. He opened his mouth to try and respond, but at that point Mulder slipped a long, clever finger inside him, and his beginning sentence trailed off into an incoherent cry. Mulder nodded to himself in satisfaction. This was easy.

Alex was feeling the steady climb of sensation as needles of sheer tickling ecstasy shook his body. He lay rigid, giving himself up to his lover's ministrations, as Mulder grew more adventurous. He had tangled his hands into the bedcover in his efforts not to grab Mulder, but it was difficult to hold himself back and he could feel himself losing control. He closed his eyes as he savored the feelings Mulder was causing him, and was taken by surprise when he felt the warm wetness of Fox Mulder's mouth suddenly close over him, and his busily dancing tongue flicker the length of his cock. At the same time, Mulder managed to get another finger into Alex, and, aware from his own recent experience that there was something inside that felt really good when it was stroked, felt for and found Alex's prostate.

The sensation as Mulder found his sensitive spot tipped Alex beyond the point of no return. He cried out and tried to get the other man to pull his mouth away. Mulder pulled back a little momentarily, but then plunged down onto him, taking him in as far as he could. Alex felt his whole body flash with white-hot bliss as his balls drew up and the sweet flood of joy pulsed and poured out through him like a torrent. His spine cracked as his muscles locked into spasm and he cried out. Dimly, he was aware of Mulder returning to lie alongside him. He felt the other man slide his arms around him and nestled into Mulder's embrace with a sigh.

Mulder, temporarily elated by the discovery that he could reduce his partner to this quivering mass of jelly, kissed the top of Alex's head and cuddled up to him, allowing the tension to drain from him temporarily.

The diner sat in its pall of dust under the searing light of the afternoon sun. Inside there were a few people, and they sat in small groups, some drinking iced tea, some munching dispiritedly on fries or nachos.

The door swung open and the scattered clientele glanced lazily to see who had made good their retreat from the heat. Tanya, the young woman behind the counter, drew in her breath sharply at the sight of the two men entering. They were both slim, lanky and dark haired and both were dressed economically in cotton shirts and lightweight jeans. They were both beautiful. The man in the lead had shrewd hazel eyes, a prominent nose and a mouth that promised sensuality. He was rangy rather than skinny, with long legs that swelled most satisfactorily at the thigh.

His companion was as wide-eyed as a baby with a small, pointed chin and a tip-tilted nose. He looked young and oddly innocent, but then he smiled. His smile was not innocent at all. It hinted of something moving in dark waters. It spoke of the creature that lurks in the alley at night awaiting strangers. He too was well made, his neat head poised on an elegant neck. Broad shoulders extended to arms that swelled the sleeves of his short sleeved shirt with well-defined muscle. The down on his arms somehow added to his young, tender appearance. He appeared oddly defenseless and vulnerable.

Prowling behind the man in the lead, it became obvious that he was having a disagreement with him. They sat down in a booth at the side of the room, and Tanya scurried over with menus and glasses of ice water. She wondered idly if either of them would be around on Saturday and if they would go to the local dance. She suspected that she would be out of luck.

Depositing the menus on the Formica table, she smiled sweetly at them and asked if they would like a beverage, mentally undressing them as she did so. The baby-faced man gave her a killer grin and thanked her pleasantly, ordering coffee while the older man sulked, his body giving off signals of his irritation as he ignored her.

As she moved away to get the coffee for Alex, she was aware that the two of them had begun to argue again, their tone quiet, but nonetheless heated. Returning with the carafe of coffee she poured Alex his drink and raised her notebook to take their order. Both men placed an order for tacos, and Alex winked at her as she bustled away to give it to the cook, giving her a real boost to her ego and making her think that the Saturday dance might not be out of the question after all.

The two men, who had come into the diner purely for the purposes of staging their quarrel, watched her go, and Alex grinned encouragingly at Fox.

"OK, wait until we're partway through lunch and then really let go. Do you want me to flirt a little with her?" Mulder rolled his eyes at Alex, who wore the kind of shit eating grin that Mulder was beginning to realize presaged mischief on his partner's behalf. He shook his head in amused disbelief.

Through the smoke and muted hubbub of patrons passing their afternoon in gossip, the two agents cautiously checked out the occupants of the room without appearing obvious. Neither man could see anyone they recognized but they continued to keep a close watch on the proceedings as they began to put their plan into practice.

They were starting to argue vehemently as Tanya brought their food out to them. Alex smiled sweetly at her and engaged her in a short conversation that made her glow while Mulder sulked and pouted at her. Tanya finally floated away, and the two of them dug into their lunch.

The food in the diner was surprisingly good and was soon gone. Mulder surveyed a particularly delectable peach pie that an elderly woman at a table nearby was eating and promptly ordered it. As Tanya returned carrying a generous slice, Alex put on his nastiest smile.

"You'll be losing your girlish figure in no time if you eat that stuff. Then what will you do? Who will want you then?" He reached over and fished out a piece of fruit bringing it to his lips and making a production out of sucking it into his mouth, then cleaning his fingers like a cat.

Tanya felt her heart sink as her hopes were dashed. These two sexy guys were obviously together right now even if not for too much longer. As Mulder began to turn purple, she beat a hasty retreat. Mulder half rose in his seat and covertly checked to ensure that he was being watched before launching into a diatribe that took in his partner's antisocial habits, his appearance, his nature and his disposition. Alex, meanwhile, was slowly and methodically demolishing Mulder's pie with his fingers, pausing from time to time to snigger as he listened to the diatribe being directed against him.

Finally Mulder's anger wound itself down, and at that point he became aware that there were only one or two bites left of the dessert he had ordered. Alex was busy licking his fingers as Mulder stared wide-eyed at his plate. Alex snickered meanly and Mulder turned and stomped out of the diner, tossing a bill onto the counter as he went.

Alex, still grinning, lounged back in his seat and finished the pie, gesturing to the uncertain Tanya to refill his cup.

Tanya came across bearing a fresh pot of coffee and topped up Alex's cup. Alex turned on his sincerest face and batted his eyelashes at her, causing her to experience a sudden rush of heat to her nether regions.

"We're new in town, Miss...." Alex allowed his voice to trail away in polite inquiry.

"Tanya." She wet her lips and smiled at him.

"You look as if you should be called Tanya. Pretty hair." Alex gave her another 100-watt smile and she tossed her teased locks, licking her lips again. He was hot. Maybe she had been wrong about the relationship between the two men. He was certainly sending out signals to her now. She met Alex's gaze, tumbled headlong into widely spaced green eyes and was lost. Alex at his most charming was irresistible, and he knew it.

"What's the problem with your friend? He left in a bit of a hurry." She had to know, she just had to.

"Oh, he's just a grouch. He's always like that when he can't get what he wants." The implication was that he wanted Alex. "The man's so cranky I don't think I want to hang around with him today." Alex's eyes rested like butterflies on her cheek, making her shiver slightly.

"Will you be in town for long?" Mentally she was chanting a litany of "oh please, oh please."

"Well, to tell you the truth, we had a breakdown on the road coming through here the other day. A guy called Jack rescued us and I didn't really have time to say thanks. I was kinda hoping to buy the man a beer or something before we left. Our car won't be repaired until tomorrow, so we've got time. I was wondering if he was a regular in here, or if he was passing through. He drives a white Grand Am, and he's a tall guy with sandy hair." Alex was still looking at her, his gaze open and sincere.

Tanya swallowed. "Oh, I think I know Jack; he's up at the camp. He comes into town two or three days a week. You're in luck though, 'cause it's music night over in the bar and he and the rest of his crew always come down for the entertainment. They have a group playing and everything."

"The camp?" Alex's ears pricked up at this. "What's up at the camp, honey?" He began to draw little circles on the back of her hand with his long, tapered forefinger.

"Dunno. It's something experimental. The government, you know." She smiled at him imploringly, and suddenly became quiet as the door opened and Mulder stalked back into the diner. As he approached their table, she snatched her hand away in guilty confusion. Mulder stalked them, petulance written on his features.

"I might have guessed you'd be fooling round, you cheap slut!" Tanya drew her breath in sharply at this, and Alex hastily fumbled for his wallet, mumbling apologies to her as he extended a bill to the young woman with whom he had been chatting.

Alex rose from his seat and hurried out, managing to look sheepish and put upon at the same time. The two of them made their way out of the diner and back to their room, Mulder flouncing and Alex following like a satellite. Once they reached their unit and closed the door, the two of them turned to each other and grinned. Alex gave his partner a high five.

"He's local! He and some others are coming down into town tonight for some honky-tonk performance over in the bar. We'll be able to take our time and check them out. If they are the right ones, we'll be able to pick them off one at a time. Allow me to congratulate you on your impression of a tight-assed queen. Very accurate."

Mulder's grin grew wider and he put out his hand to cup the back of Alex's head, drawing him in to meet his lips. Alex moaned softly, moving in to put his arms around the rangy body of his lover and pressing himself up against the heat of him with a sigh.

His mouth opened under the other man's insistent pressure. Mulder's tongue slid in past his parted lips to run over his teeth, then behind to find his and tease it slyly, caressing the inside of his mouth. For a moment or two the couple continued to kiss. Mulder's arm wound itself around Alex's waist as his other hand came up to cup his chin, holding him steady while he explored his mouth, savoring the taste and inwardly smiling at the faint tang of peaches.

Alex was in heaven. He had wanted Mulder since the day he had leaned across his desk to introduce himself to the senior agent. He had never in a million years imagined that he would be here like this, or that he would ever be so soundly kissed by this man he desired so strongly. He had known that Mulder's lips were built for kissing, but he had not known how very good at it he would be. Mulder was a great kisser! Alex lost himself in the slide of tongue on tongue and the softness of lip sliding over lip.

Mulder put his all into the kiss. Alex's eyes closed and he could feel the tightness in his groin as their embrace continued. He could feel their bodies taking heat one from the other until finally the two of them were gasping for breath.

Alex looked at his partner. The sight of him made him shiver. His chest was heaving, his eyes were half lidded and his face was flushed. The core of him began to fizz, tingle and melt as the hot warmth began to trickle from the back of his neck, down through his navel to ignite a sweet fire in his balls.

"I can't get enough of you. See what you do to me?" Alex's voice was soft but the desire in it was unmistakable as he lifted one hand to lay it along the side of Mulder's face, his thumb moving across to stroke the incredible lower lip.

Mulder extended a pink tongue and licked the thumb before sucking it into his mouth. Alex moaned and pulled Mulder back up against him, gluing his mouth onto Mulder's. His tongue plunged in past the boundary of teeth as Alex gave it all he had, urgent in his need to be close to the other agent. He could feel Mulder's growing erection, and he pulled sharply in on Mulder's behind, forcing their groins into close, intimate contact.

Mulder was running his hands over Alex's body, stroking the back of his neck, his sides, sliding down his back to knead his buttocks as Alex continued to kiss him. Whatever misgivings Mulder had been experiencing earlier appeared to have gone now. He was driving Alex crazy.

Alex slid knowing hands around to unbutton Mulder's shirt, pushing it off his shoulders and stroking the skin he had exposed before zeroing in on first one tight nipple and then the other.

"Are we going to do it again so soon? There's got to be something in the water." Mulder's lazy voice tickled his ears as Alex roamed his mouth down over cheek and jaw to Mulder's throat. He paused to nip and suckle in the hollow of Mulder's neck before moving on to fasten soft lips and sharp teeth onto his nipple, taking the hard button between his teeth and tonguing it until the other man gasped out loud.

"This time," Alex's normally husky voice was tight as he spoke around his catch, "this time we're going to make you feel better than you've ever felt in your life. I guarantee it." He lifted his head and smiled sweetly at Mulder, who was thoroughly aroused by now.

Alex unfastened the button on Fox's jeans, sliding the zipper down before reaching in to find and trace the outlines of his sturdy cock. His fingers slid up and down the length of it, pausing to touch the head and feel the moisture starting there before firmly working it up and down the length of the shaft.

Mulder threw his head back and parted his lips as he gave himself up to the sensations his lover was inducing in him, frowning when Alex stopped for a minute or two to undress him.

"I can't imagine anything better than this morning," he croaked. He vainly thrust his hips in an attempt to gain some pressure from Alex's busy fingers. Alex chuckled deep in his throat as he removed his hand, causing Mulder to choke back a cry at the loss.

Swiftly Alex pushed down his partner's jeans and underwear, kneeling to apply his greedy mouth to Mulder's happily twitching cock. He tongued around the ridge, flicking the small slit from which droplets of moisture were welling up. As Mulder began to gasp and move his hips rhythmically, Alex moved away yet again and stood up, leading his lover over to the bed by the simple expedient of grabbing hold of the man's cock and towing him by it. Mulder stood, undecided for a few seconds and then with a snarl that was worthy of the wildest animal he began to remove Alex's clothes. He tugged at them with little or no regard for the fastenings and apparently without giving too much thought to their functionality afterwards either.

Alex slipped off his shoes and as Mulder threatened to rip open his shirt with suddenly clumsy fingers, he hastily diverted Fox's hands to the button on his pants, unfastening his own shirt quickly in the interests of preserving it.

Finally naked together, Mulder put a hand out to touch Alex's penis and Alex felt it pulse and throb as Mulder squeezed it, sending a jolt through his body that tingled all the way down before curling up his toes. Alex moved in to take both cocks, squeezing them both together and slipping up and down over the velvet skin with a hand he had made wet with saliva.

The older man held on to Alex as sensation washed over him. Alex could see that his partner was close already and he released his grip in favor of moving in for another kiss. As Mulder whimpered in protest, Alex whispered softly.

"Sshh. It's OK. It will be really good this time, trust me. You'll see." He took Mulder's hand and gestured for him to lie down on the bed. Mulder sighed as he stretched to lie sprawled and open, waiting to see what was going to befall him next.

Alex was searching amongst the items he had flung into his bedside table, and finally came up with a small tube of KY Jelly.

"Do you take that everywhere you go?" Fox's voice reached him from the bed.

"You never know when you're going to get lucky." The reply came back with a grin.

"Do you feel lucky now?"

"God, Fox! How can you ask me that? This is like a dream. I've wanted you ever since I first saw you. Even when you ignored me and left me with my hand stuck out like a dork. You are so beautiful and I never believed you would ever be with me like this. Lucky? Lucky doesn't begin to describe how I feel." He had lain down as he was speaking, and as he talked he began to touch him gently, running sure hands delicately over him, circling a nipple before darting down to nip the soft skin of his inner thigh. He cupped his balls and then traced along the vein on the underside of his penis with a single finger. Mulder clutched at Alex. His eyes closed and he gave himself up to the teasing. He stretched out and writhed as Alex continued to caress and stroke him, arching into the touches.

Alex was slowly and surely bringing Mulder to a state of complete, mindless desperation. As Mulder started to moan gently and roll his head from side to side, Alex finally lowered himself until he could lick and nibble at his lover's torso. He paused to dip into Mulder's navel, before moving lower to kiss and lick down the groove where his thigh and pubis joined.

Mulder cried out in disbelief as Alex bypassed his erect cock, making as if to grab his head and pull him into position, but Alex took hold of his hand again, placed a quick kiss in the palm and then placed it on the bed, admonishing him.

"If you hold still for me I'll make you feel incredible, baby, but if you don't, I'll stop," Mulder met green eyes as he looked down.

"Sadist!"

Alex sniggered, and then as Mulder moaned again, Alex pulled his legs apart and raised his knees before kissing and nibbling his way down the inside of the crease. He paused to drag his fingers over Mulder's balls, watching the ridges rise and then licking and nipping at the loose flesh while he worked his way south.

His tongue dragged over Mulder's balls down to his perineum, where he paused to lap and nibble for a moment while Mulder whimpered and spread his legs wider. Alex's hands were stroking and teasing, brushing Mulder's penis repeatedly without ever permitting sufficient contact for him to get going. Mulder began to beg and plead with him and Alex laughed before moving lower still, beginning to lick at his anus, dipping in and out, stiff tongued as the other man cried out, writhing.

Alex laughed again as his lover drew up his knees and pushed his hips towards him in an unspoken plea.

"You like that, baby? If you like that, you're gonna love this." Alex squeezed out a ribbon of the KY and slowly applied it to Mulder's now throbbing dick, still tongue fucking him at the same time. Mulder screamed.

Alex stroked up and down on the length of Mulder's cock as he slowly moved up to kneel over him. Mulder's eyes were closed, his head was back and his teeth were firmly clamped into his lush lower lip as he gave himself over totally to the sensations Alex was causing in him.

Alex straddled him and sat back onto him, lodging the head of the slippery penis into the cleft between his buttocks. Slowly, he sank back, guiding Mulder's cock past the tightness of the muscular ring that clasped him firmly. Mulder's eyes flew open as Alex moved down on him, impaling himself. He felt himself surrounded by heat, silken, pulsing heat.

"Oh, my God!" Mulder could only croak as Alex sank down on him, inching further and further into the wet velvet tightness.

Once Mulder was totally enclosed by Alex's warmth, Alex paused for a moment, glorying in the sensation of being stretched to the bursting point by his lover. Mulder licked suddenly dry lips, his flushed face and heaving chest indications that he was very close to the edge. Alex took hold of his hands, placing them on his own stiff penis, prompting him to move them on him.

He gazed down at Mulder, drinking in the sight of this beautiful man who was now his lover, then he began to move on Mulder, using an up and down twisting motion that made Mulder cry out again. The heat and slide of his cock inside Alex brought the inexorable tide of orgasm rising to overwhelm him.

Mulder strained to push inside his lover for one final tiny fraction of am inch, and Alex could feel the throb and flow as Mulder gave up his seed, shooting it deep inside him. Mulder still clutched and pulled on Alex, jerking his cock frantically as he bucked his own hips. Alex, his fingers digging into Mulder's thighs, finally exploded as his lover filled him.

His orgasm slammed though him. Spirals of sheer sensation began in his balls, radiating outwards, gathering momentum and finally rioting through his body, finally forcing him to scream and spasm as he covered Mulder's belly with glistening white pearls of liquid.

He gave a groan and collapsed forward over Mulder, where he lay for several minutes, totally incapable of any voluntary movement. Eventually, as Mulder softly stroked his back, he gathered up enough energy to turn his head and fasten his lips onto Mulder's. Sliding his arms around him, he held him tightly and subsided again.

"Oh, God, I don't think I've ever felt quite like this before," Alex mumbled, his lips still against Mulder's mouth.

"You're pretty hot stuff, junior. I'm beginning to think you should carry a government health warning." The smile in Mulder's voice was clearly audible, and Alex, who was still busily kissing Mulder along the corners of his mouth, his jaw and his neck, purred like a cat as he tightened his arms around him and squeezed the breath from his body.

They lay for a little longer, holding each other, each with his own private thoughts. To Alex it seemed as if he never wanted to move from here again. He had hoped for a brief seduction with a few days pleasant dalliance before moving on again, but he was finding that with each passing hour he was falling headlong into love with the man in his arms.

This was not a good thing.

This was a very bad thing.

He rolled slightly to lie alongside Mulder, still reluctant to release him from the circle of his arms. He was trying to sort out in his brain how he could possibly keep what he had, knowing why he had been assigned to be Mulder's partner in the first place.

His eyes prickled and he buried his face into Mulder's neck as he tried to lose himself in the closeness of his love.

It didn't work.

Finally, regretfully, he peeled himself away from the other man, dropped one last kiss on his forehead and stumbled off to the shower, eyes misty and throat closed with his sudden realization.

Inside the bathroom he sat forlornly on the edge of the tub, hugging himself as he tried to collect his scattered wits together.

He hadn't meant to fall in love. He had never been in love before and although it was a wonderful thing, something he wanted to keep, he knew it was based on false foundations, and that the day would inevitably come when he would have to stand and watch everything come crashing down around him.

He could see himself alone forever, despised by the one man he loved.

"Way to go, you son of a bitch! You've done some stupid things in your time, but this has to be the dumbest so far. Now what are you going to do?" He stared at his reflection in the mirror, waiting for inspiration, but all he could think of was the look in Fox's - his Fox's - eyes as he came and the feel of his arms around him, holding him so tightly he could not breathe.

He shook his head, turned and wearily climbed under the shower, grabbing for the soap and beginning to wash away the sweat and ejaculate that encrusted his body.

So lost in his own thoughts was he that he didn't notice Mulder push through the steam. Nor was he aware of him until a pair of arms snaked around him from behind and lips descended on his neck, nibbling the angle of neck and collarbone.

He felt his stomach swoop as if he were falling, as if he were on a roller coaster. He was without any possible means of preventing himself as he turned into Mulder's embrace, slid his arms around the other man and buried his face in him.

"What is it, Junior?" The inquiry was gentle, Mulder's expression quizzical.

"I don't know. I just don't know. Oh, God, Fox, I love you and I never meant to.." His voice was torn from him, sounding ragged in his need. Mulder looked deep into stormy green eyes and then stooped to kiss him hard, tightening his arms around the miserable younger man.

"Come on, Junior. We've got to get ready for the party! I'm looking forward to it." Mulder's smile turned hard as he spoke, and Alex could see that he was going to have a wild evening ahead of him.

When Alex entered the dimly lit bar, he had to wait for his eyes to adjust to the darkness after the brightness of the outdoors. Once they had, he almost immediately saw the girl who’d been their waitress earlier that day. Taking a seat at an empty table, he wondered how long it would be until she saw him alone and came over to talk. Only a few seconds had passed before she saw him and made a beeline for his table.

“Hello, stranger,” she said, giggling.

Alex smiled graciously. “Hello, yourself. Are you here alone?”

Even in the darkness of the bar, Alex could see the blush that blossomed on Tanya’s cheeks at the inquiry.

“I’m here with Ben, but he’s just a friend.”

“I see,” Alex grinned. “Well, do you think your friend would mind if maybe later you told me a little more about what there is to do around here?”

“Gosh no,” Tanya said, hurriedly. “What I mean to say is I’d be happy to help you out.”

Before Alex could respond with some witty, suggestive remark, he heard a man's voice behind him.

"Tanya, why don’t you go fetch me a beer from the bar?”

Alex turned around and saw a large man get up from the table behind him. He instantly wondered if this was one of the fuckers who had attacked Mulder.

“I don’t work here. Why don’t you get it yourself?” Tanya asked quietly yet defiantly.

The man put a beefy arm around Tanya’s shoulders. “Because you’re a good little girl and won’t mind doing me a favor. Right, honey?”

Tanya sighed heavily and nodded. “Fine, but you owe me.”

Waving his hand dismissively at the young woman, the stranger put out his hand to Alex.

"The name's Wade. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have about this area."

Alex smiled and shook his hand. "Thanks, Wade. I'm Alex." He made a point of trailing his eyes down the man's lean frame before looking him in the eye again. "I'm sure there would be a few things you could help me with, especially since I find myself alone tonight. I kind of had a falling out with--"

Wade put his hand up to stop Alex in mid-sentence. “No need to explain.” He bent down, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I saw what happened at the diner.”

“You did, huh?”

Wade nodded and smirked. He looked at Tanya. "Run along and get that beer, honey."

Tanya frowned and saw any hopes of pursuing Alex fly out the window. She definitely knew that she didn't stand a chance now.

Wade sat down across from Alex. "So, what kind of questions do you have for me?"

"Well," Alex said, sitting up a little. "To tell you the truth, I'm going a little stir crazy out here. My partner and I were supposed to be working but we've gotten sidetracked."

"Yeah, I heard about him getting attacked. Guess he was beat up pretty good, huh?"

Alex's heart started beating faster, but instead of giving in to his urge to fly across the table and choke the information out of his new friend, he smiled tightly and waited it out.

"What did you hear about that? He doesn't remember a thing."

"Not much really. My friend said he gave you two a ride into town. Found your friend wandering along the side of the road."

"Oh, you mean Jack? Yeah, he was a lifesaver."

"So, what's the FBI doing out here?"

The question sent a chill down Alex's spine. Since he and Fox had gotten into town, neither of them had identified themselves to anyone. The only people who had seen Mulder's ID were the driver of the van and the person who had been in the passenger seat. They'd already established that the driver bore a remarkable resemblance to Jack, so that could only mean Alex was sitting across from the man who'd been sitting in the passenger seat that day.

Clenching his jaw, Alex spoke, his voice not betraying an ounce of the rage he was feeling. It was vital he put his target at ease before he went in for the kill.

"We were sent out here to investigate some killings that took place a few towns over. Of course, we've been relieved of our duties because of what happened to my partner."

Wade nodded his head and smiled at Tanya when she came over with a bottle of beer. He thanked her and waited until she had left before he started talking to Alex again.

"I didn't know the FBI allowed gay agents."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"That scene with your partner earlier. It's obvious you two are together...or that you *were* together. You two do that a lot?" The smile that oozed across his face convinced Alex he'd be able to rip the guy's throat out with his teeth. He had to play it cool if he was going to get the rest of them, though.

"Do what?"

"Fight in public. You guys really mad at each other or is it just a game you're playing?"

Alex's smile froze to his face. There was no way this guy could know what they'd been up to. "Why would you ask that?"

"You know. Pretend to have a little fight. Get the blood flowing.... Go back to your room and fuck each other."

"Not this time," Alex grinned. God, he wanted to take this asshole out right now. "No, Wade, this time I'm outta luck."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, since his 'attack'," Alex made the quotes sign as he said the word, "he hasn't really been in the mood. It's starting to get a little old, you know?"

"I bet. You look like a guy who doesn't like to be put off."

"You got that right." Alex reached across the table and took Wade's drink from him. He took a sip and looked him in the eye, licking the lip of the bottle before handing it back. "Besides, we've kind of been on the outs for a while. I think this might have just sealed the deal."

Without missing a beat, Wade eased forward and leaned over the table. "You interested in making some new friends?"

Alex thought about the opportunity that was presenting itself and this time his smile was genuine. He leaned toward Wade and swore he saw the man start to sweat a little. This was going to be so much fun.

"What kind of friends? They anything like you?"

"You bet." Wade nodded his head in the direction of the door. "Let's go."

"Okay." Alex stood up and walked toward the entrance to the bar, not bothering to wait for Wade. He knew that Fox would be waiting in a car to follow him in case he got taken somewhere. Glancing surreptitiously toward the late model Ford, he imagined he could see Mulder smiling at him.

"You ready?" Wade's voice grated on every nerve in Alex's body, but he forced himself to turn around.

"Whenever you are. This had better be worth my time."

The dark glint in Wade's eyes told Alex more than he needed to know. As he casually moved his hand to his back to feel for the gun he had hidden in his jeans, Alex knew that taking these guys out would be easier with every passing second.

Alex followed Wade to a brand new pick up truck and got in. As they pulled away from the bar and got onto the highway, he glanced in the side view mirror at Mulder. He really wanted to do this for him, but he didn't want him to see it. Mulder had insisted that Alex have back up and Alex had relented, knowing Mulder needed to be in on it as well.

"So, where you taking me?" Alex made a show of relaxing in the seat, putting his arm along the back so his hand was almost touching Wade's shoulder.

"I was planning on meeting some friends at my place."

"Great. I'm up for a party."

Alex wanted to shoot the smile that appeared on Wade's face. "Yeah, I bet you are," Wade said, fixing his eyes on Alex's crotch. Alex moved his hips a little and felt himself getting hard at the thought of making this guy suffer. It was the perfect effect because Alex soon noticed Wade paying more attention to what was in his passenger’s pants than what was on the road. At one point when Alex reached a hand down to adjust himself, making sure to let his fingers linger slightly, he was sure they'd end up in a ditch.

Finally, they pulled into the driveway of a modest looking ranch style house. It looked nothing like Alex had thought it would. The yard was neat and manicured, the house looked as if it had a fresh coat of paint and everything seemed to be in order. There were three other cars pulled up in front of the house. Sitting ducks.

Wade turned off the engine and looked at Alex, who was checking the mirror for any sign of Mulder. He saw the car drive by and knew that he would turn around and head back as soon as he and Wade were in the house and the coast was clear. Alex's heart was racing, and he was sure he'd be able to take all of them on with the adrenaline that was pumping through his veins alone. Being armed and having his lover as back up were only going to make it easier.

Alex started to get out of the truck, when he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at Wade, wondering how much the guy would miss his arm after it was ripped out of the socket.

"Not so fast. I was thinking we could have a little fun before we went in there."

"You mean you don't want to share me with your friends?" Alex's voice sounded so sincere to his own ears, he would have laughed if the situation had been different.

"That's right." Wade's hand moved down from Alex's shoulder to rest on the bulge in his jeans. He started kneading it through the rough material and leaned toward Alex, sucking on his neck. "How's that feel? You like that?"

"Uh huh." Alex bit his lip, ready to do whatever he needed in order to get into the house so he could face the men who'd hurt Fox.

Wade raised his head and looked Alex in the eyes. "You've got a really pretty mouth." He moved in and started kissing Alex, forcing his mouth open, his tongue invading the resistant heat. Alex squeezed his eyes shut and made himself respond to the intrusion as if he were having the time of his life. His own hand moved down to take hold of Wade's and he began moving both of their hands over his crotch. He moaned into Wade's mouth giving every indication that this was the hottest thing that had ever happened to him. He'd been trained well.

He was about to let Wade unzip his pants when he heard the driver's side door open and the familiar snick of a gun being cocked.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Fox leaning into the cab of the truck, his gun to the back of Wade's head. The expression on the shocked man's face made Alex laugh as he took a firmer grasp on the intrusive hand, bending the fingers back painfully.

"What the hell-"

"Shut the fuck up, asshole." Alex hissed into his face. "See, my partner remembers everything that happened to him and now we're going to pay a little visit to the sacks of shit who hurt him."

"Out of the truck." Mulder grabbed the back of Wade's collar and dragged him out and onto the ground, his gun trained on him every second. Alex got out and walked around the truck to join his partner. He knew it wasn't the time or the place, but he quickly kissed Fox's mouth still allowing him to keep his eye on the man on the ground.

"Fox, are you sure you want to do this?" Alex was concerned that if Fox saw the men inside he might have a relapse and wouldn't be able to back him up if things got out of hand.

"Yeah, I'm sure." The words were slow and deadly and sent a chill down Alex's spine. At that moment he loved Fox more than he thought possible.

Alex knelt down next to Wade. "Okay, we're going to go in there like everything's fine. Are any of them armed?"

When he wasn't answered right away, Alex pulled his gun out and shoved the barrel into the sneering face. He spoke softly and methodically. "I could shoot you now and when they come out to see what's going on, my partner and I could catch them all by surprise. Or you can help us and live." He moved in closer until his lips were brushing Wade's ear. "Maybe you could even have a little fun. You get off watching guys get hurt? Work with us and I'll make sure you get a hell of a show."

Mulder crouched down. "I'm going to have you in my sights the whole time. You make any sudden moves and your friends are going to have your brains all over them. As much as I'd like to see that, I really think you should listen to Alex."

Wade nodded and licked his lips and started sputtering. "Okay, fine. They're not armed. They're all in there. The guys who fucked with you, man. Even Ray."

"Who the hell is Ray?" Mulder asked as he stood up.

"The driver. Jack's brother."

Alex and Mulder exchanged a quick look. Grabbing Wade by his shirt, Alex stood up, pulling him up by the collar. "Okay, it's showtime. Let's go." He put the gun back into the back of his jeans and shoved Wade ahead of him. Mulder followed them to the front door and stood guard as they entered the house.

"They're in the back room," Wade said as they walked down a short corridor. "Just don't hurt me, okay?"

Alex grabbed the back of Wade's neck, stopping him in his tracks. "Don't do anything stupid and I'll think about it." He gave a hard squeeze before releasing him. "Go."

Wade opened the door to a room at the end of the hall and walked in with Alex close behind. Mulder had followed them inside and was standing just out of sight, his gun ready if he needed to help Alex.

The room looked like any other den in any other house. There was a couch and a couple of armchairs arranged in front of a television. The TV was off and there were four men sitting down, drinking beer and laughing. Alex clenched his jaw at the sight of them talking and joking and held himself back from going for the throat of the nearest man.

"Hey, you guys." Wade said cheerfully, impressing Alex with his performance. "Sorry it took me so long to get here. I'd like you to meet someone." He gestured toward Alex.

One of the men stood up and walked over to the two of them. "Hi. Name's Dan." He put out his hand for Alex to shake.

Ignoring the outstretched hand, Alex walked past him and sat down in one of the chairs. "I thought you said this was going to be a party, Wade." He put his feet up on the coffee table and made eye contact with each man, making sure to hold each gaze before moving on to the next.

"Yeah, it is," Wade said, going to a small refrigerator in the corner of the room. He took out two beers and walked back to Alex, handing him one. "This is Alex. He's passing through."

"Hey, aren't you here with that FBI guy?" one of the men asked, standing up and walking over to stand closer to Alex.

Alex sat up. "Uh huh. Why?"

"I heard he ran into a little trouble." He laughed and the others soon joined in. Alex looked at all of them and smiled.

"Yeah, he did, the fucking idiot. Can't even remember what happened to him. Isn't that the stupidest thing you've ever heard?" He took a swallow of beer and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You know, I know I'm supposed to watch his back, but I'm almost glad the asshole got hurt."

Dan stepped forward. "Why's that?"

"Shit, if you knew him you wouldn't ask. He's been such a dick to me since we've been partners. It's just nice to see the fucker get his. That must sound pretty shitty to you guys, huh?" Alex took another sip of beer to try and kill the bitter taste he had in his mouth from saying those things about Mulder.

"Not at all." The voice came from the back of the room. Alex hadn't noticed the man who'd been standing in the corner, leaning casually against the wall. He looked exactly like Jack. "In fact," he sauntered across the room until he was standing next to Alex's chair, "you're gonna like what we have to tell you."

He squatted next to the arm of the chair. "But you have to promise not to arrest us." He grinned, and Alex's stomach twisted into a hard knot.

"What is it?" Alex leaned over the arm of the chair, his face inches from Ray's.

"We're the ones who fucked up your partner."

"No shit." Alex sounded incredulous. "Really?"

Ray nodded. "And guess what?"

Alex leaned forward a little more, smiling, waiting for the right moment to make his move. "What?"

Ray put his hand on the back of Alex's head and drew him closer until their lips were almost touching. "Now we're gonna fuck you up." Before Alex could reach back for his weapon, he felt the cold steel of a gun pressed to the base of his skull and a rough hand relieve him of his 9mm. He stared at the doorway, waiting for Mulder to start shooting.

"Your partner's not there, Alex," Ray said, standing up. "I saw what happened in the driveway. Good thing I had to get something out of the kitchen, huh, Wade?"

Wade grinned and nodded his head.

"Yeah," Ray continued, "he was awfully easy to sneak up behind and knock out. I guess the Bureau just doesn't train their agents as well as they used to." He ran his fingers down the side of Alex's face. "We're gonna have a little reunion with him...once we finish with you."

"Fuck you," Alex growled.

In a flash, Ray's hand was around Alex's throat, the fingers digging into the flesh. "No, man. It's all going to be about you, Alex." His fingers continued to tighten around Alex's neck until the agent thought he was going to pass out. Seconds before he lost consciousness, Ray let him go.

Though he wanted to rub his aching throat, Alex refused to show any sign of weakness and kept his hands still. His mind raced as he tried to figure out a way to get out of this situation. He cursed himself for letting Fox down. Dammit! Where the hell did they have him? He couldn't do anything until he knew if his partner and lover was okay.

"Where's Mulder?" His voice was a feeble croak.

Ray shoved Alex back into the chair and leaned over him. "All you need to know is that if you don't cooperate, he's gonna suffer."

"What do you mean?" He swallowed. "Are you going to kill him?"

"Don't act like a dumb fuck, Alex." He brushed his lips against Alex's cheek, his lips coming to rest next to his ear. "If you give us any trouble, we're gonna do things to him to make him wish he was dead. Do you understand what we're telling you?" Alex nodded and thought about the knife he had hidden in his boot. If he could catch one of them unaware, he might be able to take him down, but what the hell would that mean for Fox? Maybe he could cause enough of a distraction to get his gun back.

"Good." Ray straightened up and looked at one of the men still seated on the couch. "Phil, why don't you take Alex to that back bedroom and secure him?"

Phil stood up and seemed to fill the room. Alex didn't quite feel panic setting in, but it was awfully close. When a meaty hand grabbed his arm and practically lifted him out of the chair, he knew he'd have to do something quickly.

In a flash he had his knife in his hand and had buried it in Phil's massive gut. Before he could make another move, he was knocked down to the ground, a knee in his back and the sickeningly unsettling click of a bullet being loaded into a chamber echoing in his ear.

"You stupid shit!" Ray's voice reverberated through the room and Alex felt his head being yanked up by the hair. "God, I'm gonna have fun with you, boy." Ray slammed Alex's head into the floor.

There was a sharp flash of pain and he was aware of the skin on his forehead splitting open. He felt blood begin to trickle down his face when another blow blindsided him. Before he passed out, he heard someone yelling that they needed to get help for the bastard he'd stabbed. He hoped the son of a bitch died.

Alex was awakened by the dull pounding in his head and a steady ache in his shoulders. He could hear the muffled sound of people talking behind a door and willed his mind to orient itself to his surroundings. If he could open his eyes, that would be a brilliant start. His first attempt at casually persuading his eyes to open was hampered by a thin layer of congealed blood gluing his eyelashes together. Wondering for a moment why he had been bleeding, he remembered the scene in the living room and forced his eyes open. He swore he could feel his lashes being ripped out by the action, but knew it was just his imagination.

The room was pitch black and he strained to make out any shapes at all. There was no light source at all, and he realized that if there were any windows, they had probably been blocked off. The mumbling outside the door continued, but Alex couldn't make out what was being said. He tried to move his arms and discovered they were cuffed behind his back and tied to the chair in which he was sitting. At least he wasn't tied down to a bed, he thought wryly. He shifted in the seat and realized his legs had also been tied to the chair.

He grunted as he pulled on his restraints. His arms were pulled back so tightly, they were almost numb.

"Alex?" The voice in the darkness startled him and he was sure he must be hallucinating because it sounded like Fox.

"Alex, are you awake?" This time he was sure it was Mulder.

"Fox," he croaked. His throat was still sore from when Ray had choked him, but he managed to make himself heard.

"Thank god. When they brought you in here...I saw the blood and I didn't know what they'd done to you."

"Fox, where are we?"

"It's just a bedroom. They have me tied to the bed."

Alex immediately felt guilty for the relieved amusement he'd felt at not finding himself in the position Fox was in now.

"Have they said anything to you?" Alex continued to search for any slack anywhere in his bonds, but nothing gave way.

"Just the same shit about having a good time. Alex," for the first time, Fox's voice broke, "I don't know what I'll do if they touch me again."

"I'll kill them, Fox. I'll fucking stick my gun down their throats and kill them."

Fox gave out a choked cry...or laugh. Alex couldn't tell which. "You have to get free first, babe. Good luck." Now he just sounded resigned to the fact that they were up shit creek.

"It'll be okay-"

The door opened and the room was flooded with light as someone flicked the wall switch. Alex had to shut his eyes against the blinding flash but then eased them open, squinting at the glare. His eyes flicked around the room and he saw Fox with both hands above his head, secured with nylon rope to an iron headboard. His legs were bound together, but not to the bed, allowing him to at least relieve some of the pressure on his arms. The bed and the chair he was tied to were the only pieces of furniture in the room.

"Good, you're awake, Alex." Ray's voice dripped with hostile sincerity as he walked into the room. He glanced at Fox before crouching in front of Alex. "Phil's alive."

"Too bad." Alex's head was rocked violently by the sudden, unexpected blow that came from behind him. He heard a gasp from Mulder and wanted to tell him that it was all right.

Ray looked up and shook his head. "Dan, please don't do that unless I tell you to. Okay?" He smiled and looked at Alex. "Phil's his best friend. He's a little upset."

Alex tried to shake off the stars that were still clouding his vision. "Sorry, wouldn't want your fuck buddy to be upset." He looked quickly at Mulder to reassure him that things were fine. Seeing the look of concern in the hazel eyes made a lump rise in his throat. Smiling weakly, he managed a quick wink before looking back at Ray.

"I don't fuck him, but he is my friend. I really think you and your partner owe us for what you've done here today."

"What about what you did to me, you motherfucker?" Mulder's voice surprised Ray and he turned to look at him. He rose slowly to his feet and walked over to the bed. He sighed and took a seat on the edge.

"Agent Mulder, why are you so upset about that?" He gestured toward Alex. "You've probably sucked his cock more times than you can count...what was the big deal about a few more guys?"

Mulder pulled his legs up and kicked out at Ray, knocking him off the bed. In a flash, Ray was on his feet, but he made no move toward either Mulder or Alex. Instead he surprised them both by smiling.

"Well, I think it's about time I let you know what we want."

Krycek looked at Mulder, hoping he didn't look as uneasy as he felt. God knew what these scum would make them do.

"Wade, why don't you lock the door? Dan, do you have the key to the handcuffs?"

Dan walked around from behind Krycek and handed Ray a tiny, silver key. Krycek glared at him.

"Are you letting us go? Good choice because this place'll be swarming with Feds if no one hears from us."

Ray's eyes widened and the smile on his face grew even wider. "Alex, we're not planning on keeping you here. We'll let you go after you do a few things for us. You're not prisoners."

"Could've fooled me, asshole." Ray looked at Mulder, who'd said what Krycek had been thinking. "I've haven't heard that much about Southwestern hospitality, but I never thought it included abducting strangers and tying them up."

"Yeah, Ray," Krycek interjected, "did you and you friends get tired of humping the local livestock? Or do they just all take off when they see you guys heading their way and now you have to find other unwilling--"

Dan's hand flew and Krycek's head rocked back as he felt the cut on his forehead reopen. Blood trickled down the front of his face and his head was reeling from the blow, but Krycek wouldn't stop taunting his captors.

"Hey, Mulder. You're a profiler. You think this guy has a hard time getting it up?" He looked Ray in the eye. "No pun intended, of course."

"Sexual dysfunction could be the underlying cause of his sociopathic tendencies," Mulder said, grimacing as he shifted on the bed in an attempt to find a more comfortable position in which to sit.

"And when he does get it up," Krycek continued, "I bet he can't keep it up for very long, right Ray? Is that why you just watch? You can't fuck anyone, so you have your boys do it for you?"

Without a word, Ray walked over to Krycek. That sickly smile was still pasted to his face, but when he bent down to whisper into Krycek's ear, his voice was pure venom.

"I'm gonna have my boys fuck your partner in front of me, Alex. You get to watch, too."

Alex fought his restraints in a vain attempt to tear off Ray's face, but only succeeded in making his tormentor laugh.

"Easy, fella," Ray said, stroking Alex's hair and laughing. Ray looked at Mulder. "We're gonna leave you two alone for a little while."

Krycek frowned at the sudden turnaround. What the hell was going on? As if sensing his question, Ray turned back to him.

"Thought you'd like to think about it before you see it," he again whispered. "Give you time to get nice and hard thinking about seeing your boy get fucked." Krycek felt Ray's lips press against his ear and the hot rush of air as he sighed made Alex shiver. "Just think how loud he's gonna scream."

Krycek felt sick at hearing the words and fought back the bile he felt rising in his throat. He couldn't panic. He had to keep his head.

Ray noted Krycek's reaction then stood up and looked around the room. "Okay, guys, let's go."

As the men filed out, Ray looked at Mulder and Krycek and winked. "Catch you in a few." He flicked the light switch and the two men were once again plunged into darkness.

"Alex, what did he tell you?"

"Nothing. He was just being an ass. No surprise there."

"Tell me."

Krycek sighed. "Fox, when they come back in here, you need to put up a hell of a fight. Your legs are free, if you can manage to catch them off guard..."

"What? Why? What are they going to do to me?"

When Krycek didn't answer, Mulder was hit with the sudden realization that he knew exactly what they were going to do to him.

"Fox, I'm gonna try and get them to stay away from you, okay?"

"How? If they get it into their head that they want to hurt me, they will. You can't do anything."

"Yeah, I can. I can distract them. I can get them to untie me. They're not going to touch you, Fox. If they do, I'll rip their heads off. Hell, I'll do that anyway." He laughed in what he hoped was a careless manner, but it sounded unsure and almost panicked to his own ears.

"Alex, I don't want you to get hurt. I can handle this."

Krycek didn't say anything in response. He knew that Fox was lying to both of them. He cursed himself for being so damn cocky and sure that he could have handled all of them on his own. Now his mind was racing as he tried to formulate a plan to keep those pieces of shit away from his partner. The only weapons he had were his words and he didn't know if anyone would listen to him if he tried to talk their way to freedom. He ran a dry tongue over his lips and felt the knot of anxiety in his stomach growing as he anticipated their captors' return. A part of his mind was already resigning itself to the fact that he was going to see his new lover raped in front of him, and he was fighting like hell to not just give up. Their situation seemed hopeless. The only thing he could console himself with was the fact that as soon as they let them go, he would kill each and every one of them as painfully as possible. This was assuming they were even allowed to leave there alive.

The sound of the door being opened made Krycek sit up and raised the hairs on the back of his neck. He tried to swallow around the lump in his throat as he stared at the men silhouetted in the doorway.

"You ready, Alex?" Ray's voice. "Turn the light on, Wade."

Once again Krycek had to close his eyes against the onslaught of brightness. His eyes soon adjusted and he saw Ray, Wade and Dan enter the room and lock the door behind them.

"Where're Curly and Moe?" Krycek asked, referring to the two missing men.

"They're both with Phil," Ray answered. "Plus we needed someone to take care of anyone who might come after you two...if you were telling the truth about them looking for you eventually."

"Hey, listen, Ray. I think we got off on the wrong foot." Krycek smiled at the men who were now looking at him with puzzled expressions on their faces. They reminded Krycek of a Doberman he used to have. It was the stupidest creature on the face of the planet but knew how to kill when the time called for it.

"Is that so? And how did you come to this sudden revelation?"

"Look, you let us go and we'll walk out of here as if nothing happened. We won't press charges. Just leave us alone and we'll leave town as soon as possible."

Ray laughed and hit Wade's shoulder. "He's begging us to let him go. What a pussy." He moved to crouch down in front of Krycek. Lowering his voice so no one could hear him, he leaned forward. "You didn't really believe me before, did you? About your little boyfriend, I mean."

Frowning, Krycek tried to read Ray's face but the bastard wasn't giving anything up. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Ray raised up slightly and put an arm on either side of his captive, bringing his face uncomfortably close. For a second, Krycek thought he was going to kiss him. "We're not going to do anything to your boy...you are."

A mixture of relief and confusion swept over Krycek, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As that thought skated across his mind, he added being reduced to a cliche to the long list of things for which he was going to kill this man.

"We've decided that it'd be more fun to watch you two. You up for that, Alex?"

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. Give us what we want and we'll let you go. Don't, and we can kill you right now. You know how many places there are around here to hide the bodies of two federal agents? By the time they find you, you'll be nothing but bleached bones."

Krycek looked over at Mulder, who was straining to hear what was being said. He could do what he had to in order to get them out of there. He'd make sure to put Fox completely at ease...well, as much as he could be under the circumstances. "Okay," he whispered.

"What was that?" Ray asked, putting a hand to his ear.

"I said, okay, you sack of shit."

"Oh, so we're not friends anymore, Alex? I'm hurt." He stood up and clapped his hands together. "Okay. Alex here has agreed to putting on a little show for us." He looked at Mulder, who was trying to catch Krycek's eye. "Your boyfriend agreed to fuck you in front of us, Agent Mulder."

"What? I-Alex?"

Before Krycek could say anything, Dan had moved around behind him and was uncuffing his hands. He then cut away the rope that had been holding his arms back. Krycek winced as the circulation started in his arms and he rubbed his reddened wrists.

"Oh, and if you were thinking of trying anything," Ray said as he pulled Krycek's weapon out from behind his back, "we've got you covered. I'm an excellent shot. Number one at the academy, actually."

Krycek stared at the barrel of his weapon. "You're a cop?" he asked, incredulously.

"Did I say that?" He looked at Wade. "You untie Agent Mulder. We want to make sure they're comfortable."

Wade took out a Bowie knife and walked to the bed. Mulder flinched slightly as he started sawing through his bonds. Once he was freed, he slowly massaged his arms to get the blood flowing and watched as Wade went to kneel down in front of Alex to cut his legs free. He would have made a move then, but as if reading his thoughts, Dan pulled out a gun and snicked off the safety.

"Like I said, we've got you covered, fellas." Ray smiled and gestured with his gun toward Mulder. "Go on, Alex. He's waiting for you."

Krycek stood on shaky legs and walked over to the bed. He sat down on the edge of it and put a comforting arm on Mulder's leg. "This is insane, isn't it?" He tried to smile as he said it, but it looked like a grimace.

"Alex, we can take them," Mulder whispered. "We're both free and have to be in better shape..."

"But we're unarmed. We'd be dead before we even figured out what we were going to do." He raised his hand up and cupped the side of Mulder's face. "It'll be okay. Just close your eyes and imagine we're back in our room. I'll make this really good for you."

"You guys are talking way too much and I have the feeling you're trying to figure out a way to get out of here. It's simple. Either get started or we kill you. Make a choice." Ray sounded impatient, and the two men with him simply laughed.

Krycek turned to look at him. "Hey, I'm trying to set a mood here. Unlike you, I have a willing partner." He wasn't going to mention the fact that the only experience with a man Mulder had was what had happened in their motel room. God knew what Ray would do with that information.

Ray's fist flew and Krycek felt his lip split open and the coppery sweet taste of blood in his mouth.

"Alex, get to it, or I'm gonna change my mind and do it myself."

Krycek touched his lip then looked at his blood-covered fingers. He glared at the three men who were watching him with amused expressions. Turning his attention back to Mulder, he smiled. "Gosh, being forced to have sex at gunpoint. Talk about performance anxiety."

Mulder laughed despite himself and did his best to block out the three pairs of eyes, which were scrutinizing him and his partner. He concentrated on looking into Alex's deep, dark eyes, remembering how it had felt to be touched by him. Remembering the taste of him when he'd taken Alex's penis into his mouth for the first time, the feeling of power he'd had at being able to pleasure his partner in that way. Regardless of their current situation, Mulder felt himself becoming aroused at the memory and wanted to feel Alex's arms around him, that mouth covering his own, making him know everything would be okay.

Krycek sensed the sudden shift in his partner and moved in closer until their lips were barely touching. The sensation of Fox's tongue gently licking away the drying blood on his lip sent a thrill to his groin, and any fear of not being able to do this soon vanished. For that moment, it was just the two of them, and he was going to make sure he got his lover through this.

Krycek moved his hand back down to rest on Mulder's leg and began slowly running it along the inside of his thigh. His mouth opened at the teasing of Mulder's tongue, and the two were soon engaged in a desperate, longing kiss which almost made them forget where they were. As Krycek languidly trailed his tongue along the hot recesses of Mulder's mouth, he sighed and felt Mulder respond to the gentle flow of warm breath. He snaked his hand up to cup the hardness of Mulder's crotch and smiled against his lips at the groan his touch elicited.

"Don't mean to spoil the "mood", Alex, but we don't want to see a make out session." Ray's voice intruded upon them and Krycek broke the kiss."Get on with it."

"Ray," Krycek said, obviously trying to control himself, "if you don't like the way we're doing this, why don't you get your boys to put on a show for you?"

He felt a hand take a hold of his hair and yank backwards until he was looking into Ray's face. "I've had so much patience with you, Alex," he sneered. "I don't know why, but I've let you get away with a lot. Don't fuck with me now."

The cool feeling of steel against his temple silenced any words Krycek was going to say.

"Dan, why don't you strip Agent Mulder while I keep Alex quiet." Ray pressed the gun harder to Alex's head and moved the hand that had been pulling painfully on his hair down to the back of his neck. He started massaging the tense muscle and Krycek bit down on his lip to stop himself from flinching at the touch. "Mulder, you let them do it or I'll kill your little boyfriend, okay?"

Mulder nodded and started to take off his shirt, watching Krycek's face the entire time. Before he could finish removing it, it was yanked violently over his head by Dan.

"Hey, FBI man, you remember how much you liked sucking my cock?" he taunted him. "You want some more?" He laughed as Mulder pursed his lips and closed his eyes.

"Dan, just get his clothes off. Don't be an asshole." Ray sounded as if he were chastising a child. "Can you believe I'm friends with this jerk?" He continued rubbing Krycek's neck and lowered the gun a little. "Alex, why don't you just go ahead and finish what you two were doing. Dan's pissing me off. Wade, can you escort Dan out of the room, please? And make sure to lock the door behind him."

Dan stood face to face with Ray, a stupid grin frozen on his face. "What did I do?"

"I don't know, Dan." Ray's voice mocked Dan's whining tone. "Maybe I'm just sick of you being such a stupid fuck." Before anyone could react to what was happening, Ray fired the gun, and Dan fell against Krycek before slumping to the floor. In the split second that it took for Krycek to realize what had happened, he'd grabbed Ray's wrist and stood up. Wade made a move toward Krycek, his knife at the ready, when another shot rang out and Wade hit the floor. Krycek looked behind him and saw Fox holding Dan's gun. He must have gotten it off the body just in time to save his life. The gun was now pointed at Ray.

"Give Alex your gun, Ray."

Ray looked at him defiantly, his arm still being held in the air by Krycek. "You killed him, you son of a bitch." The words were said as if Ray were making a statement about what a beautiful day it was outside.

"Give Alex your gun or I will shoot you." Mulder tightened his finger on the trigger, anticipating the chance he would have to kill the man in front of him.

With a sigh, Ray let go of the gun. "You're not going to be able to keep me in prison, you know." He smiled sickly. "And when I get out, I'm going to make sure and look you up in Washington. I really liked the way you performed the other day. I bet you liked it too, but you're just afraid your boy'd get jea---"

"Shut the fuck up!" Krycek screamed as he shoved Ray backwards, running him into the wall and slamming him against it hard enough to knock the wind out of him. "You say another word and I'll blow your fucking head off."

"Alex, don't." Mulder walked across the room and put a hand on Alex's shoulder. "Don't do this. Don't shoot him."

Krycek looked at Mulder, stunned. "What? Mulder, he's responsible for what happened to you."

"I know. I just wanted to have a little talk with him first." Mulder brought up his hand and showed Ray the knife he now had in his possession. Trailing the cold blade along Ray's cheek, he managed a slight smile. "How're you doing, Ray?"

For the first time since he had lost control of the situation, Ray looked worried, but it passed quickly. "Are you telling me you're gonna do something illegal with a prisoner in your custody?"

Mulder looked at Krycek, who was still staring at his partner in disbelief.

"Alex, do you see any prisoner? I just see a guy I'm defending myself against."

Krycek nodded and stepped back, keeping his gun trained on Ray. "Me too."

"So you're gonna cut me up a little before you arrest me. Am I supposed to be scared?"

Mulder smiled and shook his head. "Of course not."

"I knew it. So what's the game, Agent Mulder?"

"Something I think you'll like." Mulder moved the knife blade over to Ray's ear and, with a swift movement, sliced through the lobe.

"Son of a bitch!" Ray grabbed his ear, trying to stop the bleeding. "You fucking son of a bitch!"

"Didn't scare you, did I, Ray?"

"Fox," Krycek started to say something but stopped at the look his partner gave him.

"What, Alex?"

"Nothing, you're doing fine." Krycek didn't know what he would've told Mulder. Probably to do the other ear while he was at it, but things were going okay without his input. He settled back to watch what would develop next.

"You know, Ray, I have been thinking about what happened to me and I think you're right. I did like it."

"I knew it." Ray grimaced as he drew his bloody hand away from his ear. The blood trickled down his neck, but he was once again smiling. "Bet Alex doesn't give you what you really want, huh?"

"Right." Mulder trailed the knife under Ray's chin, then quickly sliced into the skin.

"Fuck!" More blood began to seep through the fingers Ray applied to his new wound. "I think you like this, Ray. Otherwise you'd keep you damn mouth shut, wouldn't you?" Mulder eased his hand down until the knife was pointed at Ray's crotch. "Please give me a reason to hurt you some more. Just say one word." He leaned in, until their noses were almost touching. "Please."

Once again, Ray moved his hand as blood continued to drip from his wounds. Looking Mulder in the eye, he lowered his hands to his jeans and undid them. Krycek watched as Ray took out his penis and positioned it directly under the blade. "You won't do it."

"No," Mulder whispered. "I won't do that."

"I knew it. No guts, huh?" Ray started laughing softly as he continued to hold Mulder's gaze. "I knew it. I kn-"

The look on Ray's face as he realized Mulder had just plunged the knife into his stomach was a repulsive combination of shock and admiration. When Mulder pulled the knife out and stabbed him again, twisting the blade as he did, Krycek could see the life drain from Ray's mocking eyes. Mulder stepped back and watched his tormentor fall to the floor. He looked down at his blood-covered hand then turned to Alex.

For a moment there was complete silence, then a gasp as Mulder fought to hold back the anger and fear that was now rushing to the fore. "Alex...."

Krycek dropped the gun he'd been holding and stepped up to him, putting his arm around the trembling shoulders. He stroked Mulder's hair and held onto him tightly, whispering into his ear. "It's okay. It's okay, Fox. We're going to call the local police and have them contact the Bureau. I won't let anything else happen to you."

The two men stood together, each with his own private thoughts, and then Alex patted the other man's shoulder as he led him away towards Wade’s pick up truck.

The two agents were both silent on their way back to town. Mulder had climbed behind the wheel and started up the truck. Neither was able to deal completely with the events that had just occurred. They shied away from what had happened to them.

And what had nearly happened to them.

Alex's brain seemed frozen. He had fucked up, and he knew it. He had been cocky and overconfident, and Fox had almost had to pay for it. He wanted to die. He really wanted to die. The guilt he was feeling was a hard, palpable entity inside his chest, and it gnawed at him with sharp teeth.

Oh, God, what if they had raped Fox again? His Fox! It would have been his fault. How could he have been so stupid? So careless?

How could Fox even bear to be in the same vehicle with him? Surely any minute now he would turn to him and berate him. Maybe he would beat him up. God knows he deserved it. They pulled up at the motel, and Mulder put the car into neutral, killing the engine. Then he turned to Alex, observing that the movement caused him to flinch.

"Are you okay, Junior?" Alex held Mulder's gaze, his own expression carefully blank, and after a minute or two he nodded. Then he looked down at his hands, effectively shutting the other man out as he sat there beside him.

"Alex, do you need a few minutes before we get the authorities involved?" Mulder put out his hand and stroked Alex's hair, but Alex merely shook his head, shrugging Mulder away. Sighing, Mulder climbed out of the truck and turned towards the hotel room. In another heartbeat Alex followed him, and the pair went inside to face the inevitable call from Skinner.

It was late by the time they had finished giving statements to the police and drafting out the framework of their report for Skinner. Alex was tired, but his nerves still jangled, and he knew that sleep was not going to be an option for him tonight. He had stopped expecting Mulder to turn on him and blame him for their recent predicament, but in some ways that made him feel worse. He could not look at Mulder now without seeing him chained to the bed in that room with a lineup of men waiting to force themselves on him. In his mind's eye he could see them tearing into him and hear him calling Alex for help, while Alex, chained and helpless himself, could only watch.

The picture kept replaying itself and finally he could no longer stand it. He ran into the bathroom, where Mulder was currently washing in preparation for bed. He barely made it before vomiting endlessly as his stomach revolted. Kneeling there, dry heaving into the bowl, he knew he had reached rock bottom. Mulder, drying his face, put the towel back on the rail deliberately and then turned to his partner.

"Junior? This isn't like you. What's wrong?" Alex couldn't speak as his body was racked by another bout of retching. Mulder knelt down beside him, holding him as he jittered and heaved, stroking his neck and murmuring encouragement.

Finally, it seemed as if Alex had nothing more to disgorge. He stood shakily and turned to the basin to brush his teeth. Mulder, anxious, continued to pet him as he did so, waiting for him to finish and feel better. Finally he was done. The taste in his mouth had been vanquished by toothpaste and mouthwash, and only the soreness of his stomach muscles remained to tell him about his sickness.

He tried to push past Mulder to go back to the bedroom but his partner would not let him. Eyes dark with misery, he grabbed hold of Alex's shoulder and pulled him round to face him, trying to get through to his companion.

"Alex? Baby, what's the matter? Tell me. I can't help you if I don't know." Alex raised his eyes at that, searching Mulder's face, trying to see the anger he was sure Mulder was hiding.

"Don't you know? What is wrong with you? I fucked up so badly. They could have raped you again. They could have done anything to you and I...and I... " The tears started in his eyes then, hot and angry, barely held in check as he fought to contain his emotions, his fists clenched. Mulder reached for him again and put his arms around him. He stood within the circle of Mulder's embrace, rigid and self-contained.

“Alex, baby, you did okay. You did exactly what we planned. If anyone is to blame, it's me. I'm the asshole who let that bastard cold cock me while you were right in the middle. If I'd been more alert, it wouldn't have happened." He hugged Alex tightly, nuzzling his hair and placing moist, soft kisses into the angle of his jaw. Alex relaxed a little at that, dropping his head onto Mulder's shoulder and putting his arms around him while Mulder rocked him gently from side to side.

Heartbeats sounded incredibly loud as they stood together in the bathroom doorway. When Fox slid a hand over Alex's' shoulders to cup the back of his head, prompting him, Alex raised his face up, and Mulder's mouth captured his.

Mulder kissed Alex, gently, tenderly, lips clinging softly as his tongue slyly teased and tickled the inside of his mouth. Alex clung to Mulder as though he was afraid of drowning. For a moment nothing could be heard except for the soft sighs and gasps as the two of them pressed ever harder, ever closer together.

When finally Mulder broke the kiss, he kept his arm around Alex's shoulders, holding him protectively to his side as he drew him out of the bathroom and over to the bed. Alex, eyes gentle and haunted in his worried face, was still unsure, searching Mulder for clues to his true feelings.

"Fox, are you sure you're okay with this? I don't want you to be hurt again. I don't want to hurt you." He stood, eyes downcast, and Mulder laughed out loud. Then he put his arms around the younger man again and threw him down onto the bed, where he lay in a tumble of limbs, surprise written over features that were beginning to crack into laughter..

"Now listen here, Junior. I was scared. I admit that. You are the one who got me through it. I owe you a lot, baby. I've never felt quite so good about anything. If you start to go noble on me, I'm just going to have to put into practice what I learned from Ray and his cronies." Alex reached out a long arm, snagging the waistband of Fox's jeans and pulling him towards the bed.

"Oh yeah? What might that be? Granddad?" Alex's expression was impish as he fumbled with the buttons of Fox's jeans, allowing his erection to spring free as he listened to Mulder.

"I'll just cuff you to the bed, smartass. You won't have any choice. You won't be able to resist my attentions." His sentence ended in a gasp as Alex moved to swallow his erection down into the back of his throat, his thumbs framing each side of his cock as he slid them down to caress and stroke the balls hanging beneath. Fox bucked sharply into Alex's mouth, back arched, as his lover expertly began to draw the sensations through him, honey and fire, putting his soul into the movement of his tongue and the pressure of his lips.

Fox felt the sweet warm suction of Alex's mouth as if a river of gold were flowing over him, unraveling his aching muscles until he felt like so much silken thread, to be drawn up and wound as tight as his lover willed. He put his hands down to steady the dark, glossy head as he sucked, stroking elegant fingers through the shining fall of hair, pushing it back from the broad, clear brow so he could watch what Alex was doing to him.

Alex, looking at Fox out of limpid green eyes, was focusing his whole attention on this lover of his, offering everything that he knew in atonement for what he perceived to be his mistake. His hands moved over Fox, squeezing and stroking, pressing and skimming as he drove his head up and down. Mulder was captive. All he could do was react as Alex worked on him. He felt as if he were a star, his being compacting timelessly into the core of him, waiting for the moment when he would explode. His body glowed, fizzed, tingled incandescent, and Alex

Stopped.

He pulled his mouth away from him, while Fox rolled his head from side to side in frustration. He moved rapidly from languor to anger born of desperation.

So close, he was so close. So close and Alex was fucking well grinning at him, holding out his arms to him from the bed, voice husking out delicate obscenities and watching him shiver as he raced to strip off his clothes. Standing by the bed, as bare as a promise, skin like ivory and old, dull gold in the lamplight, Alex could see the man's cock ticking away the seconds, glowing, pulsing, ripe.

"Come on, Fox. Lie down with me. Let me show you how much I want you. How much I need you." He was fumbling at his own clothes now. His shirt hung open and his jeans were unfastened. He half sat and half-lay, arms open for Fox, waiting for him. Finally, Fox climbed onto the bed and Alex flung his arms tightly about him, pulling him down to roll him over. Then he was looming over Fox, mouth at his throat, sucking, as he caused red patches to blossom there as he signed him like a canvas on which he had painted the beauty of his desire.

Mulder grunted a little protest, finally managing to divest Alex of his shirt, and began work on jeans removal as Alex flowed over him, sucking in first one nipple and then the other, flicking his tongue against them until Mulder pulled him fierce and close.

"Bite me. You won't hurt. Come on." And Alex did, sharp little teeth stretching the rubbery nubs, tonguing them until Mulder cried out and cried out again, not knowing how to be anything else but in need.

Alex reached for the lube, and with a small snort of laughter, he poured it into Mulder's navel where it lay, a tiny lake in the dimple of his belly. Mulder opened his mouth to protest and Alex covered it with his, driving his voice away, and with it, all conscious thought as he stabbed in with his tongue, stealing his very breath.

Mulder's mouth was greedy on his and Alex reached down to coat his fingers in the slippery stuff, then dipped down to slather his cock. Completing this mission, he returned to the pool for more, and down to coat his balls, back again for a refill and this time he trailed down over his perineum to delve between the cheeks of his ass and into the rosy crinkle of the opening that lay there. Alex's hand achieved a rhythm that was hypnotic. Smear, stroke, press and return until all of Mulder was slippery, open and needing.

Alex finally tore himself away from that mouth and gazed down at his lover's face.

"Are you ready for me, love? I want you so much." Mulder licked his lips and tried to speak, giving up the attempt in the end in favor of spreading his legs wide apart and pulling Alex down to his lips again and sucking Alex's tongue into his mouth in his unspoken plea for action.

Alex, sliding his fingers in and out of Mulder's loosened ass, was beside himself. Transferring the remains of the slick from Mulder's navel to his own prick, he gasped, sensing just how close to coming he was. He pulled away from Fox's lush mouth again, placed a small, precise kiss on the tip of his nose, and eased himself up to kneel between Mulder's thighs. Then he gathered him into his lap placing his slick cock ready to slide home into the dark place that was the center of his lover.

Rocking forward a tiny bit, Alex bit his lip hard to combat the almost overwhelming stab of pleasure that heralded his beginning entry into Fox's tightness. He paused. The head of his cock sent crazy signals to by-pass his brain, hot-wiring into his spine, and

He rocked in again. Slip-sliding, pre-come drooling to ease his way as Fox groaned out his name, eyes dark with passion, fixed on his, as he begged him.

"Please Alex, please... Give it to me. Give it all to me, now." And Alex, all control gone out the window, gave it to him. He thrust hard and helpless to bury himself into tight, oiled silk, so hot and hungry he sobbed once, cried out Fox's name and felt lightning play around the base of his spine as Fox grabbed his ass to pull him inside, tight against him.

Alex took Fox's cock in his hand now, squeezing and sliding, pulling on it from base to tip as he started to move inside him, tiny movements at first, and then as Fox curled his legs around his hips, deeper, more desperate plunging.

And then Fox came. His body spasmed and his muscles clamped down around Alex as the feelings hit. He spurted under Alex's hand, sticky whiteness coating Alex's fingers, flying onto Fox's belly as internal muscles contracted around Alex's cock, drawing his own eruption as he pushed in deep and the honey poured through him, out of him, pushing, screaming "IloveyouFoxIloveyou." And the whole of his world narrowed down to the one bright light that was his cock giving up his seed amidst a tearing, body clenching flow.

And this was heaven. This was wonderful, pouring himself into his lover, and loving, loving him.

He loved him, and that was bad.

Alex Krycek, two-faced future rat-bastard, renegade, turncoat, traitor and all around bad guy lay down at last to cover his lover and fell asleep in his arms.

Many A Mile

There had been a short battle in the end. The aliens had not expected us to be ready for them, but we were. The vaccine had been disseminated through clinics, and most of the population was now immune to the infection, so when they came, they came in vain.

They staged a brief attempt at taking over the Pentagon, the White House and the other government agencies. Yes, they had studied us well. They moved in on the bureaucrats first, and it would have been a good move if not for the vaccine. However, they found themselves out of luck. The President and all of his merry men had been long since inoculated.

Somewhere down the line, they invaded the Hoover Building. When they came through, there weren't many of us there. It was evening. I of course was still in my office, idly tossing my pencils at the ceiling while I pondered how my life had stagnated.

Once, years ago I could have had something, been someone, and maybe I could have found someone to love or who loved me. I don't know where all of that went, but it's a fact that I'm alone. I don't have anyone now, only a memory I don't want. Now, I stay at my desk into the night because I don't want to go home.

People call me Spooky and laugh behind their hands.

So, the evening they invaded, I was at my desk. I wasn't doing much of anything. I just didn't want to go home alone again. Not again.

Home alone. Wasn't that supposed to be funny?

When the first pool of black seeped under the door and collected around my feet, I wasn't really paying attention, and then, as I felt the crawling, obscene sensation of animated oil on my ankles, my first thought was that we needed some Raid for the ants.

I swatted irritably at the itchy sensation, then saw the black ooze on the floor and felt a moment's panic, followed by relief as it as it dripped from my legs and off my shoes, leaving me.

I was immune, you see. I had been one of the first inoculated, back in Tunguska. For heaven's sake, they had used my blood to synthesize the vaccine. I was not in any danger, but I got to my feet to follow this menace as it rolled away, pseudopodia extending to carry it back under the door and out.

I could hear screaming from the corridor, and I drew my gun, running to see if there was any help I could offer to the people in need. A number of the faceless ones were up in the Bullpen, and more were advancing down the corridor. Why they were there I don't know, but they were torching people and there were screams... Oh, God, the screams, and the smell.

I backed away, not knowing what else to do. Everyone was beyond my help here. Turning the corner, I was suddenly face to faceless one and realizing with a sick lurching of my stomach that I might not live forever after all. I raised my gun to shoot it, knowing that it wouldn't work but not wanting to go down without a fight. It advanced on me and raised its 'whatever it was', backing me into a doorway as it reached out to set me on fire, oh God, on fire!

Then came a movement, faintly caught from the corner of one terrified eye, a flickering image of a something, a someone behind the monstrosity that was killing me. It raised a hand to strike the creature in the back of its neck with a wicked, needle-like device, and the monster crumpled.

It fell at my feet, turning green and noxious in an instant, fumes rising to choke me even as I tried to escape them. I heard a curse from my dimly seen savior, and then a tide of sparkling blackness washed away all my thoughts, all my feelings, and I became one with the dark.

~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~

I could hear cursing. Low, rhythmic curses grazed my ears and disturbed my sleep. There was wetness too, spattering my face, drumming on my back, and the smell of something like diesel stuck in my throat and made me cough.

I grunted feebly, unsure where I was or why. The feel of wet hessian scratched my cheek, and beneath it were rungs of some hard material that bruised my face as I was bounced and joggled.

When I opened up my eyes I was no wiser. My face was covered, and when I attempted to move, to straighten up from my uncomfortable crouch, I discovered that I was bound.

I moaned then, and the cursing stopped for a minute or two. My resting-place suddenly ceased its joggling progress, and the cursing voice came low against my ears.

"If you want to live, stay quiet." There was temporary silence, and then I heard screams and gunfire from the distance, and there was gunfire returned from close by that deafened me, sending a sodium glow that bolted though my head.

The sickening, rocking motion resumed, and still I could not move. I could have yelled, but then it all came flooding back to me, the smell of cooking flesh, the screams of the burning and the slick feel of black oil on me, seeking to enter and control me. I stayed quiet and prayed.

Beside, I knew that voice. I knew it well. I could picture its owner now, tousled and flushed on my pillow, that soft, rough voice grating out words of love to me.

Alex. Alex Krycek, who had fucked me and told me he loved me, and then walked away and left me alone for the rest of my life.

And I hated him, didn't I? Oh, sure I wanted him, always wanted him, but his price was too high and there would never be enough of me to pay what he demanded and for that I also hated him.

He had killed the ones I cared about, damaged more, and stolen from me. He had stolen my love, ripped out my heart, filched the soul from out of me while all the while I thought I was giving it to him.

Now he had me tied up, trussed like a fucking tom turkey, and laid out on some sort of dolly, and he was taking me somewhere, expecting my compliance in some kind of lunatic kidnapping.

He had saved my life. He had undoubtedly rescued me just as I was about to become Mulder flambé. I stayed quiet, while out of my past the ghost of his former self rose up in my mind to whisper his wicked, loving falsehoods to me.

After a short time the rattling, lurching progress ended, and I was laid flat for the few minutes it took to do something that made metal shriek and shrill around me. Then, I heard his grunt of effort, and I was moving again, laid flat to listen once again to the squealing and banging of tortured, rusty metal throbbing through my ears, followed by footsteps that walked away.

Moments later, as an engine started up, I realized that I was in the back of some kind of truck, and when he pulled away I became aware that the suspension was totally shot. I jolted and bounced, feeling more and more sick until eventually we went over a huge bump in the terrain and my forehead smacked painfully on the thing to which I was fastened, causing me to see stars. I found myself fighting back waves of nausea that threatened to overwhelm me. Some indeterminate time later I blacked out, sinking thankfully into a place where my cramped limbs and queasy stomach no longer caused me discomfort.

~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~

I became conscious of motion again some time later. This time the movement was quiet and smooth. I was obviously no longer in the truck or whatever it had been, and my legs were cramped from being in the same position for so long. I felt as if I had been beaten all over, and my head hurt. I had no idea where I was, and I desperately needed the bathroom.

I yelled his name, or at least I tried to. What came out was rather more a squeak than a yell, but it served its purpose. Krycek responded, and at least I knew that the aliens didn't have me. I did, didn't I?

"It's okay, Mulder, just another couple of minutes and we'll be safe and I can get you out of there. Hang on." There was a bump and a lurch and then we were descending, it felt as if we were in an elevator, dropping smooth and fast, and leaving my stomach behind on the first floor.

That's when I was sick. Good old fashioned, urgently unwell, the acid tasting vomit on my clothes producing a stench that added to my discomfort and ruined my suit. Misery became my middle name right at that point, and I ceased to think consciously, running purely on autopilot as I dwelt on my discomfort.

The downward motion finally ceased, and there was a sound that must have been the door to the elevator. We moved again, and then the dolly was laid down again. At last, I felt hands fumbling with the stuff that covered my face.

He drew the sacking away from me, and I could see. For a minute I was content merely to gulp down fresh air and try to quell the queasiness that rose over me in waves. As they subsided, I found that I could see without my head swimming. I turned my head and tried to check out my surroundings.

He was kneeling down beside me, traitorous face set in simulated concern. He was leaning over me, dubiously eyeing the mess I was in, and I wanted to stretch my legs so badly I could not stop myself from whimpering in pain. He smiled at me.

"It's okay, baby, you're going to feel fine in a minute. Just hang in there." He disappeared from my field of vision for a minute, and I suddenly felt my legs free up. I stretched them out, moaning as the cramps hit me, but probably more grateful than I've been in my life for the small mercy I'd just been shown.

I felt a sudden sting in my thigh, and then he returned, showing sharp, white teeth in a feral smile.

"That will relax you, baby. It will help the cramps." He grinned. "Stay there. Don't go away." As I opened my lips to toss some barbed and acid comment at him, he sauntered off, permitting me to see that physically he had changed very little. He was still beautiful, slim, strong with an athlete's body and a walk reminiscent of jungle cats. He was sleek, sinuous, and utterly dangerous.

I lay unmoving in my own vomit, a picture of misery, bound by tape to a metal barrow. He left me there on the floor and went away somewhere. I cursed his name. I cursed him from his sleek head to his tight ass. I reviled him with every obscenity I could think of and some that I invented just for him. Towards the end of my monologue he reappeared and stood grinning at me. I discussed his birth, his person, his antecedents and his habits. I did it in English, and then in Hebrew, following it with Spanish. I was just working my way through the very few truly evil phrases of Navajo I knew when the bastard laughed, interrupting my diatribe and my train of thought.

"Come on, Fox, the sooner you finish yakking, the sooner I can get you into a bath, and you sorely need a bath." His tone was mild, and he stood, watching for my response. I shut up, closing my mouth with a snap, hoping, praying that he was going to let me up. A bath sounded like heaven right at that moment, and I really, really wanted it.

He knelt again, and I felt him working away at the tape that bound me to the cart, until finally I was loose. At that point I realized that somewhere along the lime my arms and legs had ceased to belong to me. I tried to stand and would have had as much success getting silly putty to hold a shape.

He looked at me for a minute, chewing his lower lip while he pondered. I grunted and tried to stand again. This time, with much assistance from him, I managed to achieve the vertical, or at least an angle that was somewhat close. I believe I made it with a list to starboard of around 23 degrees. I was leaning heavily on him; his arm was around my waist as I stood, teetering on the feet that somehow no longer seemed to feel they owed me any allegiance.

Together we progressed, he half dragging me as he led me to a bathroom. When he had left earlier, he had gone to fill the bathtub, and bubbles (bubbles? Good lord!) foamed out over the rim of the tub, while steam rose to gladden my heart. I wanted to be in there so badly a tear ran down my cheek.

There was something the matter with me. I'm sometimes prone to anger, I know, but this was different. I seemed to be emotionally labile. What was going on? Then it struck me. That sting in my thigh!

The bastard had drugged me. He had slipped me some kind of tranquilizer, and now I was fucked up. There was nothing I could do until I recovered, if he let me. If he didn't keep on jabbing that old needle into me whenever I started to come out of it. I wondered why I was here and was suddenly frightened.

He sat me down on the toilet seat and started to undress me, stinking and unwholesome as I was. I was unable to offer much in the way of assistance, being as much help to him as a pot of spaghetti, and after a brief attempt to do things correctly had gotten him liberally spattered with my body fluids, he drew his knife and cut my clothing from me.

He was in the act of transferring me to the tub, and I whimpered again, needing to empty my bladder. My cock was heavy and full with the need to piss. I could see him checking it out, but he said nothing as I finally forced my mouth to obey me.

"Pee... have to... " He laughed softly then at my distress and turned me towards the bowl, raising the seat and then holding me so that the stream of urine, when I finally was able to let it go, arced down into the toilet and not on the floor. As my bladder emptied, I got that warm feeling that sometimes travels up between the shoulder blades to the back of one's neck. My scalp tingled and the pleasure of it made me moan even while somewhere inside the further recesses of my psyche, I could hear the voice of reason telling me this was all wrong and a traitor had his hand around my dick.

"Better, baby?" He turned to me again, back towards the tub. I was guided and then sat down on the edge of the bathtub, bubbles tickling my butt as he held onto me. I giggled and he looked down at me, green eyes tender, lying, always lying.

"Oh, Fox, I've missed you so much. I still love you. I never stopped loving you." I could see sadness in his eyes now, but he was still a traitor, and how I felt about him was not at issue.

Escape was the issue. Escape was the only issue here. I needed to get away from this lying bastard who held my cock for me and stroked my hair as he told me he loved me. I needed to get him out of my life, cut away like the cancer he was before he infected me once more and I hurt again. I needed to drive him out of my memory.

I couldn't, wouldn't let him know that I still, after all these years, loved him so much I had never been able to find a way to forget him.

He eased me around so that I was sitting facing the bath with my legs in the water, and then he slowly lowered me down into the water. It stole up my skin, little explosions of sensual pleasure making me shudder as I sat in the deep water with the bubbles all around me. There was a pause as he stepped back, and then I felt myself slipping helplessly under. I must have made a sound, because he was back at my side in a flash and holding onto me to keep me from slipping further.

Then, he let me go while he ripped off his clothing, confronting me with his naked, scarred, beautiful body. In another second he was into the tub behind me, and I was leaning back in his arms as he held me to his chest and nuzzled into my neck. It felt like coming home. It was so perfect I wanted to cry. I wanted to turn my head and kiss him. I wanted to kill him for doing this to me. I did nothing.

"This feels so good, Fox. I remember bathing you once before when you couldn't help yourself. God, baby, I wish we could just go back then. I wish we could do it all differently. I love you so much." His arm was round me, and I felt so safe. Stupid to feel safe when the biggest turncoat in the world was holding me in his treacherous arms.

"No... " I struggled to speak, mouth full of cotton wool as my skin thrilled under his touch. Grabbing the soap, he began to run it over my chest and shoulders, slicking up my skin with soap and removing the foul smelling debris from my earlier bout of illness. He allowed his hand to slide over my skin for a while and then took a face cloth and began rinsing my shoulders, cleaning out my ears and finally washing my face.

All the while he was talking to me. He kept up a slow, gentle monologue about how much he loved me, how much he wanted me, and how he was so glad he'd managed to save me. He kept on returning to how much he loved me.

Yeah, right! I tried to speak again, to tell him to blow it out his ears, but the stuff he had put into my system had by this time really taken hold of me and I couldn't get it together. I felt wonderful, relaxed and floating, but my mouth was full of cotton wool, and every inch of my skin tingled with delight as he kept on touching me, sly, gentle touches as if he didn't know what he was doing.

My chin became an erogenous zone as he passed the washcloth over it. My arms tingled, sending shockwaves clean through to my groin when he stroked them gently, sluicing the soap from them. When he began to run the soap over my chest and belly, all I could do was moan and arch into his touch, leaning backwards to pillow my head on his shoulder.

He turned his head to look at me again, one eyebrow raised and a sardonic smile on his face as his breath puffed onto my cheek making me shudder.

"You're starting to feel pretty good now. I can tell. It's a side effect of the drug I gave you. It doesn't hit everyone, but when it does, it really gets you. I'm sorry, baby. It's okay though, I won't take advantage of you while you're under the influence. It's you I want, not a bunch of chemically induced responses." He placed his hand under my chin and turned his head to kiss me once, lips soft and clinging against mine, but withdrew swiftly when I tried to deepen the kiss.

"No, baby, don't. You'll hate yourself in the morning. Tomorrow, if you kiss me like that again, I'll give you anything you want, but not right now." He drew away from me, pushing me up so I was sitting forward and starting to soap up my back. I could hear that he was breathing harshly, and sitting the way I was had pressed my buttocks back in between his thighs. I could feel how my proximity was affecting him, and I contrived to slip a little, press myself back into him. My body clamored for his touch even as a faint, little, faraway voice kept telling me that I hated him.

My cock was responding to the feel of the water and the touch of his hands on my body. I was desperate for some kind of relief, and I managed to move laboriously until my hand was curled loosely around it. I tried to grip, tried really hard as it throbbed urgently under my hand, but it was to no avail. My fingers would only flex so much, and then they stuck. At that particular moment it seemed to me to be the greatest tragedy in the world. I felt so good, so totally sensual, and I couldn't finish myself off. I couldn't get myself off, and the man who I would have expected to have no qualms at all about taking advantage of my condition was behaving in a peculiarly noble manner, and was refusing even to kiss me.

Tears trickled down from my eyes, and I sobbed out loud as I dwelt on how sorry for myself I felt. I was remembering how he had felt when he used to make love to me. He heard me and leaned forward to put his arm around me once more, pulling me back to lie against him. My head was pillowed on his left shoulder, and his arm circled me, his long, elegant fingers drawing small circles on my chest. He held me close and placed a soft kiss on my right ear, then he lifted the plug out of its socket to allow the bath water to begin running away.

Have you ever lain in a bathtub and allowed the water to drain all around you? I never had before that night, but believe me, I have done since.

It tickled all of my nerve endings. It crept down over every inch of my hypersensitive skin, grazing my erection and down between my thighs until I was so hard and desperate to come that I jerked and twitched in a desperate battle to tighten my hand. He looked down at that point and saw my dilemma. His hand slid down to cover mine, tightening my fingers enough so that I could feel the tide rising inside of me.

It took only four or five quick, squeezing pulls, and the flood of my orgasm shook me, heat radiating out from the center of my body to my extremities as I felt our combined hands, fingers laced, bring me off.

He whispered gently then that he loved me and rose from the tub and quickly used a washcloth to tidy up the signs of my ejaculation. Then he wrapped himself in a towel, quickly covering up the stiff, red, beautiful pole of an erection he was sporting.

Getting out of the tub was not easy. He helped, but I was so floppy and helpless that it took a while before I was out of the tub and dried. He had put his jeans back on but had not yet replaced the shirt I had soiled. My clothes were in such an awful state I didn't think I would be able to wear them again. He had cut them to shreds. Goodbye Armani! He led me past them and out the door to another room in which there was a bed. There, he laid me down and covered me with a duvet before backing off and leaving me alone with my thoughts.

When he returned, he was carrying a bowl of corn chowder and a savory scone. He banked up pillows, bringing me upright enough to swallow safely and then began to spoon the stuff into me.

I was hungry and the food was so good. I finished it all and then looked around for liquid. I was thirsty in a way that you would not believe. Looking at him, I wondered why he was here and why he was nursemaiding me. I had no idea where "here" might be, but it felt to me as if it might be underground.

"Unnnh.. " Licking my lips, I tried by some means to communicate telepathically how much I needed a drink. With a little focus, I found that I could in fact articulate words.

"Please...water... " I lay back, pleased with myself, and he disappeared carrying the empty bowl and plate. He returned with a bottle of water and a cup of something hot that, once the smell reached me, I knew to be coffee. He climbed up alongside me on the bed and got behind me, pillowing my head on his left shoulder while he reached for the water bottle and placed it to my lips.

I drank greedily, and by the time I was done, the bottle was empty. He made no move to release me but lay there, holding me, fingers gently stroking my arm. I could feel him against my ear, lips gently grazing the skin behind it again and again as we lay together. I gathered my facial muscles again, forcing them to shape the words that he must be expecting from me.

"Why?" His hand didn't pause in its gentle movement up and down my limbs, though he turned his head towards me so that the tickle of his breath invaded my ear. When he spoke his voice was low and husky, his words rapid as if he were trying to say it all to me before he regretted it.

"Why are you here? That's an easy one. You're here because I brought you. I love you, Fox. I've never stopped loving you, but time and circumstance have come between us. I've wanted to show you I still love you for so many years, but somehow I've never been in the right place at the right time, and yet another fistfight has always been the easy option. I've never been able to hold my own against you because I can't bring myself to hurt you."

"I got you out of there tonight because I'd rather die myself than lose you. I brought you here because I wanted a few hours to tell you, to show you how much I love you. I do, you know. I really do love you." His voice caught a little, and he fell quiet. From where I lay, I couldn't see his face. I had no way of knowing whether he was smiling his wild smile, pleased that he was making a fool of me.

Again.

But I wasn't going to fall for it this time. He wouldn't bring me down with him. I didn't care any more. I no longer lost sleep over him. I no longer spent my days picturing him the way he used to be once. Before he betrayed me.

I didn't spend any time at all remembering how he used to lie in my arms or call my name or fuck me.

God.

And here I was in his arms again, and fighting for my life.

"No, I don't... " It took me a minute to get my tongue around the words, and he waited patiently while I formed each sound. His patience impressed me momentarily. I had been so convinced that he needed instant gratification that he surprised me. Then, I really thought back on how he used to be. I recalled him on stake-outs, unmoving, focused, and reflected that there was no difference here.

I felt like a mouse in my mousehole waiting for the cat to pounce. I chuckled at the image I had, and he squeezed me a little.

"What, babe?" His voice was everything I remembered and more. He was seductive, tender, a liar and a cheat. It took me an effort and something very close to pain before I slurred out words to answer him.

"Feel like Tom and Jerry." He looked at me, bewildered for the moment, the crease along the top of his nose a testimony to his thought processes.

"You mean the cat and mouse? Yeah, it's been bizarre, hasn't it? Can't we go back and stop hating each other? Can't we stop hurting each other?" His voice brushed quietly over my skin, raising the small hairs on the back of my arms. His hand followed, smoothing them away, and drawing whimpers form me as everything within me began to tense again and my blood sang desire for him, for anyone, anyone who would touch me right now.

I turned my head to look at him. His face was drawn. He really cared, and I had been lonely for so long. I almost did, I almost leaned forward to kiss him, and then I saw an image of my father, lying in his blood on the bathroom floor. There was this between us, and it always would be there. He had killed my father, and how could I possibly forgive or forget? His blood lay between us in a lake so wide I could not cross it. For my father, for Melissa and most of all for Dana Scully who has to live on without the things she values, I would not take him back.

The moment passed. He checked his watch. I could see that it was now 2 am. At last he touched my face gently, laid a small, chaste kiss on my cheekbone and then removed himself, permitting me to lie back on the pillow.

"Fox, in a few hours the drug will wear off, and then we'll be on even terms, you and I. I won't drug you again. I promise. I just wanted you to know how much I love you before we started to do the testosterone tango." At that, he turned and left the room. I felt bereft, but there was no help for it, and I finally fell asleep.

~~~~~oo(O)oo~~~~~

In my dreams I was running through trees and bushes that tore at my skin, snatching at me as I ran. Always just out of reach was someone I knew I had to find, someone who would be able to tell me why everything was as it was. I tossed and turned in my sleep and think that I cried out, until I felt a warm body pressed against me and strong arms holding me close.

"Alex?" My dream was real, perfect, and I seemed to curl into a loving embrace.

"Hush, darling. I'm here. Nobody can hurt you now. I won't let them." Warm and safe, perfectly protected, I drifted down again into sleep.

When I woke, I was alone. Groping around in the darkness I could feel no sign of warmth to indicate that he had been there with me through the night and yet I could still feel him pressed against me. The thought of how safe I had felt in his arms made my hair stand on end.

I was not going to think about this any more. All I wanted or needed I could find without Alex Krycek.

Who was I kidding? I had never been able to leave him behind. I loved him. I had never stopped, and that was why I was still alone now. That was why I was going to be alone forever more.

I sat up, and my body obeyed me. I leaped out of bed, and everything worked once more. After the nightmare of the night before, helpless and unable to move, I was profoundly grateful to find my mobility unimpaired this morning.

I fumbled for the lamp beside the bed and flipped on the light, turning to look at the bed I had rested in. The pillows bore a faint depression as if another head had lain alongside mine.

It was real. He must have been with me through the night. I shuddered, recalling how desperate I had been, and how warm and protected I had felt with his arms around me, and his body warm on mine. I could not, would not think about it.

I looked around for clothing of any kind and contemplated stripping off the bedsheet, but then decided that would be foolish. I went to the door and opened it, hearing an alarm bell sound once somewhere to my right as I did so. I went through to the corridor, trying to orient myself. He appeared a little way down the corridor and greeted me with a smile.

"Fox, come on down here, baby, and I'll get you breakfast. You must be starving." I frowned and shrugged.

"I need clothes. You got any?" He held the door open for me, and I found myself in what was obviously his room. He waved me over to sit on his still unmade bed. I frowned. Was I dreaming still? Had he been with me?

He began opening drawers, passing me a pair of boxers, a T-shirt, and then jeans that were a pretty good fit. I put them on and felt better, as if the clothing were somehow armor to me.

He had left the room while I was dressing, and now I looked around the room, noting books, books on every subject, but many on natural history, wilderness survival and the like. Idly, I flipped up the book he had been reading and checked its title. "War of the Worlds"? Oh, well.

He had music too, tapes and CDs from all kinds of musical genres. Baroque and funk, jazz and metal were mingled. He had catholic tastes.

By the bedside stood a photograph, and I felt a lump in my throat as I looked at it. He and I stood, sunlit and smiling. It had been taken on a trip down to New Mexico during the brief time we had been partners. We were both wearing our sunglasses, and it was astonishing how happy we looked. He and I had not yet become lovers, and my life had still not undergone that wrenching 180-degree twist that would change things completely. A week later I would be brutally raped and beaten, and Alex, my partner, would become my lover.

Our love affair had lasted for only a few brief months before he had betrayed me. He had vanished from my bed, from my life, but not from my heart, never from my heart.

Now here he was, and here I was, six years later, and I still loved him. I just couldn't bear to think about the things that lay between us. I wanted to leave. I wanted to go now and forget him again if I could.

"Would you like breakfast?" He was standing behind me, a tray in his hand, and on the tray were orange juice and coffee. He proffered it to me and I took the juice, gratefully. I was still thirsty, so thirsty. Drinking it made me feel better, and I traded my empty glass for the mug of coffee. Then I faced him deliberately.

"Why am I here? They'll look for me, you know?" He smiled again and shook his head, turning to go back out of the room.

"They'll assume you were burned unless we tell them otherwise, you know that. Come on. Breakfast is this way." We went back into the corridor, and he led me to a kitchen, large enough to feed a hotel full of guests. Places had been set at a table against one wall, and Alex... when did I start thinking of him as Alex again?... indicated that I should go and sit.

He busied himself, and within minutes I was eating an omelet stuffed with cheese and peppers. I was hungry and polished my plate. He cooked well. When he joined me at the table, we ate in silence for a while. Then he began to tell me about the facility we were in.

He told me about the demise of the Syndicate. He told me how he and I together were the only ones left in the world who could defeat the rebels. I thought that the inoculations had done the trick and said so. He shook his head.

"No, babe. The inoculation is fine against the black oil, but the shapeshifters will take us over. It's something we can't wait around to see. We need to act now. There's no time to let them spread, or we’re doomed. The man in the street can't tell who they are. They look like you or I until you pierce their skin. It's only when they bleed that you know. Until now." He gave me a mysterious, conspiratorial look and then waved the coffee carafe at me. Wordlessly I pushed my mug forward. I was beginning to feel as if I were still drugged, still hallucinating. Somehow the world had taken a sudden lurch sideways, and I was now officially nuts, crazy, bananas, insane. Maybe I could do this. Maybe after all I could do whatever I wanted because none of it was real. I was drugged, or I was dead, and this moment was fantasy. "I'll show you everything when we're finished eating."

We finished breakfast, and then I helped him clean up. The place was tidy once more when he took me into an office lined with computers and monitors. He clicked on CNN, and together we watched the electrons as they re-enacted for us the story of the night before.

There was devastation. Many of the buildings in downtown DC had burned, and there were charred bodies still lying in the street. The reporters seemed to be confident that the invasion was contained. Alex was not so sure. He turned to me.

"It isn't contained. It will be but it isn't yet. We can beat them, Fox, only you and I together." He was so serious. His beautiful eyes were hazy, and he was looking at something far beyond this place and time. I was suddenly afraid. The cold clutch of terror thrilled my gut. The truth was no longer out there somewhere, it was in here with me, and its name was Alex Krycek.

I turned to him then and asked him what he meant, and he told me everything. He told me about the rebel ship, and the way it had to be destroyed. He showed me the devices that he had for detecting the presence of the shapeshifters as they walked the streets wearing their borrowed humanity like party outfits. He showed me how to kill them. Then, he told me what he was going to do. He begged for my help, and all I could do was look at him, thoroughly miserable. I was going to lose him again, more finally and dreadfully than I had thought possible.

I turned to him then and put my hand on my shoulder. He lifted his head, and his eyes came back to the here and now. I leaned forward to place my lips on his and surprised a look of utter joy on his face before our mouths touched and my lips found their home. I had come full circle. He had been my lover, and I had lost him, or he had lost me. Now, one more time we would be lovers and then he would go to his death while I went to mine, and hopefully the world would be human at the end of it.

"Alex, I love you. I still love you." He was going to die, and nothing I could do would save him. Why is it that you never realize what you have until it's too late? I slipped my arms around his waist and pulled him in to me, and he covered my mouth with his while his hand wandered over my back. How could I ever have thought that this was not for me? His lips were soft and warm, and clung to mine with despair. I relished the feel of his lips as I held him to me, then I slipped a hand behind his head, holding it steady while I turned my face to deepen the kiss. His lips parted at last, allowing me to drive inside with my tongue, hot and needy, searching out the sweetness of his saliva, finding his own tongue and sucking on it until he began to moan.

Sometimes a kiss is all that's needed. Once in a blue moon we can be certain, and in the mingling of breath with breath we can know the truth.

Alex tasted of truth to me. His mouth seared me, cauterized me, stripped me of poisons and gave me back myself. I could not stop myself from pulling him closer, sucking his tongue into me to tease and stroke. Every little part of me needed to touch him, and my body remembered his gratefully, generating waves of pleased recollection.

I don't know how long it was. I don't know when the kissing ceased to be enough and we began to pull at each other's clothing, trying to feel the silken thrill of skin beneath fingertips.

It was as if we were fighting, and in a way we were. We were fighting time, fighting the past, fighting the sure, bitter knowledge that this would be the only time for all eternity that he and I could have this before we died.

There came a point when we broke apart, gasping for air, and he took me by the hand to lead me back into his bedroom. He turned back to face me and sank to his knees, arm around my waist and face nuzzling into the soft, much washed denim of the jeans I wore. Beneath the denim I was aroused, of course, and my stiff cock was aching, eager for the pressure of his face. I fought with button and zipper, running my fingers through his hair as he raised his head to meet my gaze. I saw tears in his eyes, and a smile, such a sweet smile. At that point all my fear and hatred of him burned away and left me stripped clean and sparkling with need.

I tore off my clothes and pulled him up to treat him the same way. His little cries and gasping breaths were an aphrodisiac so intense that my head spun. Finally naked, I growled and turned him, laying us down on the bed and stretching my body along his so that I could feel the hard, muscled length of him writhing beneath me as his hard penis nuzzled and slid against my own.

I snaked my arms under his armpits, behind his shoulders so that my hands cupped the back of his head and held him captive there while I began to devour him. Systematically I explored every crevice, remembering the hollow and dip of his eye socket, the gentle curve of his cheek, and the pleased flippancy of the little nose, recalling with relish the prickle of his unshaven chin. My mouth knew the exact contours of his lips and came down on them, demanding that they fit, thrilling when they did so.

At last, at last I needed to move lower, and his throat offered itself to my grazing teeth. His nipples stood proud as I pinched and tweaked, tiny peaks that gave themselves gladly to my teeth, and to my tongue, as I catalogued his responses, finding them just as I remembered.

His fingers scampered like mice on my back and through my hair. I could feel the breaths shuddering in and out of him as I slid lower to cushion my head on his belly. I tasted his dimpled navel and rubbed my face into the soft, golden down that began below his navel and traveled south in an increasingly curled, crisp mass to erupt around his genitals like a tangle of silk. His cock stood proud, nudging against my lips, and the tip glistened, jewels of moisture shining as they pearled on it.

I lapped the gleaming surface, and he cried out, fingers burrowed into my hair. I looked up at him, and a lump came to my throat when I saw him arched and splayed, offering himself to me like a sacrifice. And sacrifice he would be, a sacrifice for humanity, soon enough.

I dipped my head to run my tongue over his balls and then lower as he raised his knees for me. I tongued the tightly puckered bud that was his anus, lapping up along his perineum, and upwards to mouth along the shaft of his penis.

He groaned out my name and again when I opened my lips to suck him inside my mouth. He tasted so good, so damned good, and I tilted my head back to take him down into my throat. I swallowed hard against his length as I felt the contractions in his testicles and along the shaft that let me know he was close to letting it all go for me.

I slid my mouth up and down as I sucked on him, pausing at the top of each stroke to slide my tongue around the blunt and begging head of him. It took only a couple more minutes before finally my mouth filled with hot jets of fluid and he thrust hard into me, screaming my name as he came.

I continued to lick and suck him, cleaning each trace of his sperm from him. I bathed his somewhat deflated cock and expanded my range to take in his balls, the inside of his thighs, and the crease at his groin that looked so inviting I wanted to run my tongue the length of it.

He lay recovering, chest heaving and legs flung apart, totally disheveled. I surveyed the wreckage of him with satisfaction. I had never seen him look so abandoned, so wanton, so sexy.

"Baby, I'm fucked, totally fucked." There was a laugh in his voice as he spoke, and his attitude of sensuality belied his protestations of exhaustion. "You're going to have to give me a minute or two to recover, I don't think I could even raise a smile at the moment." I laughed at him and grabbed for the lube that sat on the nightstand, then I took hold of his feet, massaging and kissing them. I took his big toe into my mouth, swirling my tongue around it and trying to hold on as he kicked and yelled. Then I flipped him over and pulled his hips up to meet me as I moved between his thighs and poured the lubricant onto my hand.

He stretched and flexed himself once, for all the world like a cat, and then like a cat, lay down, permitting me to stroke and pet him.

I licked at the little patch of golden down that lay at the base of his spine, just where the swell of his buttocks began. My hand went to caress the length of the groove between his buttocks, slick fingers touching him along the cleft until they found the opening and slipped inside him.

I knelt over him, fucking him with my fingers, slow and easy, adding more and more slick until he was open and whimpering, lifting himself up into my touch. He was pushing himself back onto my fingers as I slipped them in, moaning each time I withdrew them again.

He was mine. He could never belong to anyone else ever again. It was my name torn from his throat as I stroked him and me for whom he was spread out like a feast.

I couldn't wait any longer. I pulled back on his hips until he was kneeling, pert ass in the air, open for me, and I kissed the round, muscled swell of his buttocks before rearing up to add slick to my longing, needy cock.

Slipping home past that tight ring of muscle to drive in, into the depths of him, was easy and wonderful. His body warmed me 'til I wanted to scream, and I bit my lip, tensing myself against the gorgeous veil of sweet sensation that drifted up and down my spine, not daring to give into it yet. I needed to know more of him, wanted everything he could give before I would finally let myself go.

I froze, my cock sending slippery, tingling messages to me, and Alex whimpered as he tried to push back onto me again.

"Don't, Alex. Can't hold it if you do." I could hear my voice from a long way off, and it sounded muted as the blood drummed rhythm into my ears.

I tried to relax, falling inch by tiny inch inside of him until I felt my belly pressed tight to him, and at last I was where I belonged.

I began to rock the tiniest bit, in and out while spun skeins of pleasure drifted, sparking, from the tip of my cock to the root of it and back through between my legs. Alex felt so good, so fucking good, so hot, and slippery, and sweet, and I needed more. I pulled out and slid back, hearing him speaking in some strange language, his voice vibrating through me to pluck at my balls as he growled encouragement to me.

I couldn't stop now. I hunched over him, fucking him hard, slamming myself into him with every ounce of energy I had. He began to keep up a running commentary then, his husky voice harsh as he demanded more from me.

"God, Fox....fuck me! Make me yours...oh, please...more...Do it to me...deeper, let me feel you...oh, God." and this last as I reached to take hold of his cock, jerking his hardness in time with my thrusts. I tried to hold back for him, knowing that any minute, any second I would come, and then it would be over

Forever.

Over forever more but I wanted it. I needed it and his body clenched on me as he strained back while his prick spat sticky liquid. My balls drew in, squeezed impossibly and sent me flying, whirling, incapable of thought as all my nerve endings sang together and I forgot everything in the fusion of love, desire and completion that made the moment perfect.

Arched together for a fleeting instant as the orgasm raced through me, stripping me of muscle tone and thought. I knew that I was the biggest fool in the universe and that there was no longer a choice. I had pissed away my choices, and now I could only give him this very last echo of my love.

Then I pitched forward to lie over him, unable to do more than kiss where my lips touched him and stroke with tender fingers the flesh where my hands found themselves lying.

"I love you."

"I know"

"Who do you think you are? Princess Leia?"

"No, you're Leia, I'm Han Solo."

"The hell you are!"

I think I slept, still linked a little, but finally he groaned and moved out from beneath me, complaining gently about my weight. I rolled to the side and opened my arms to him, welcoming him into them. I wrapped him up and folded him against every part of me while I sought for and found his mouth.

The day passed by in a blur. We rose to eat, though neither of us really cared what we were consuming, and our plates were by no means empty when I finally dropped my fork and moved to kneel beside him, my face pillowed on his shoulder.

"Fox, we have to get going now, lover. We don't have any more time."

Cold ran skittering down from my scalp to my knees at the sound of his words.

Already the love of my life was over and done. In a few more hours he would be gone, and then only an electronic memory in the FBI database would testify to his existence. Nobody would ever know what he had done for us, and nobody would be left to think of him kindly, because I would not outlive him for long. I would follow him as soon as I could.

Together we dressed in dark clothing, stopping often to touch, or kiss, or hug, reaffirming to each other that we cared. He produced the two tiny, watch-like indicators that had been developed to detect the shape shifters, and then gave them to me, along with the gimlet device with which they could be killed. I was to take the two gadgets to Skinner so that he and I could clean up the residual presence of the aliens once Alex, my Alex, had taken out their mother ship and with it their hopes of any successful invasion in the foreseeable future.

He'd armed himself with an explosive device I didn't fully understand, but which would combine with the forces that powered the alien vessel to make an explosion that would destroy it utterly. In order to get it to its destination, Alex would have to go into the alien ship, right to its heart, and introduce his device to the power source. Unfortunately, the effect when this process was complete would be instantaneous. There would be no returning for Alex.

"Alex, let me go instead. I can't make it without you." My eyes were wet, and I could not keep from blinking back the tears as I tried to imagine living on without him.

"Not possible, darling, I'm sorry. They know me. They think I'm helping them. They will let me in if they think I have something to tell them. They would just incinerate you and have done with it." He looked tired, his lips a little swollen from my kisses and his eyes a little bright as he watched me. "Come on love. We have to do it now before they disperse and we lose the chance."

Together we turned our back on the consortium lab facility and headed for the elevator I had only been able to guess at the previous night. I held his hand, and our fingers laced together, twining hopelessly. Out we went into the dying afternoon.

Handfast, we walked to the truck in which he had brought me, and he released my hand only when we were ready to climb in. He leaned me up against the truck and covered my mouth with his, pressing kiss-bruised lips to mine yet again while he held me.

"It was always you, my Fox." His whisper clawed at my heart, sharp as fishhooks, and I felt the lump rising in my throat as I tried to memorize all the feel of him for the time that was to come. I could only stare dumbly at him. He nodded, leaned in to kiss my eyes, and climbed into the truck.

I took the passenger's seat. We had a long way to travel.

The afternoon was drawing to a close. There had been rain, and the sky had cleared to a watery blue with a pale sun seen faded though the gauze of a haze. There was no trace of movement in the air, and it wasn't really cold, though from time to time I shivered.

I slid along the bench seat until my side was pressed to him and I could lay my head on his shoulder, grateful to be able to touch him for a little while longer. As he started the truck and pulled away, it felt as if something had gone forever. I moaned, and he turned to press a kiss onto my hair.

"There's no other way. We have to do it like this." He tuned in the radio, and we managed weak smiles at each other as we sang along with old rock tunes.... Well, he sang, I kinda groaned, but then I never could carry a tune in a bucket. At one point the noise I was making was so awful that he burst into laughter.

God, Fox, if you don't stop that, I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you." I made a face at him, making him giggle. He slowed, pulled over to the side of the road, turned to me and pulled me to him, savagely, mouth avid and tasting of tears.

"I love you so much, darling. I will come back to you one way or another. Count on it." When we started up again, my eyes were red with weeping and we sang no more songs.

He talked then, and I listened, fascinated, while he told me all the things I had never known about him until now. I heard of his childhood, his first love, his reasons for joining the consortium, and his subsequent actions. He left out nothing. There was no more reason for hiding who he was.

Some of the things he told me made me stare. He had been so promising, so brave, and so convenient for the old men who had used him, tried to kill him, and then washed their hands of him, and yet he had outlived them all save for one. I made myself a promise right then that the monster that had ensured Alex would end up here, tonight, heading for his death, would not outlive him by more than a day. I would kill him with my own hands.

It was the only thing I could do for Alex

Another hour and we finally reached the place where Alex was to meet Jeremiah Smith. Smith was a shapeshifter, but Alex felt that he would be helpful in getting him into the alien vessel. He pulled the truck to a stop, and turned to me. No time to cry now, I needed to hang on for him, and if he were giving his life, the least I could give him was my love and a smile.

"Listen, love. This is where you have to trust me. This is where I get out of the truck, and you have approximately half an hour to put as many miles as you can between yourself and the blast. It will probably produce a crater 5 miles wide when it blows, but I want you at least 30 miles away, darling, or you'll be in danger. Promise me that you'll get out of here and not try to second-guess me? We really need that clean up operation starting as soon as possible. Zhelayu uspyehov." I looked at him, my heart still too full for words and he climbed out of the truck, as did I. He strode rapidly to the front of the truck, catching me by the shoulder and pulling me into his embrace for the last time. I saw his eyes wet, and I know that the tears were rolling down my face as we kissed goodbye, then the tell-tale prickle of the warning device on the back of my wrist indicated proximity to a shapeshifter, and I jumped. He cupped my chin in his hand one last time before he turned and moved towards the man that loomed up in the twilight, and I heard Alex greet him as the two of them were swallowed by shadows.

Gone.

He was really gone. Oh, God, I couldn't bear it.

I was functioning on autopilot as I started up the truck and swung it around, gunning the engine and heading off in the direction of DC. The drive was a blur, seen through tears, and I made great progress because I really didn't care whether I lived or died.

I told myself I would know when the spark that was his life went out. I told myself I would feel when the love that bound us together was severed. I drove like a bat out of hell towards Skinner and Scully, wanting to hand them the detectors and the weapons so I could go and kill the Cancerman, and then follow Alex to wherever we might be headed. The blast took longer, much longer than I had imagined. He had underestimated the time it would take to get the bomb to its destination. For a while I thought that he must have been discovered and killed.

I was just crossing the city limits into DC when the blast came. There was a roar, and the road shook. I fought for control of Alex's truck and succeeded barely in keeping it on the road. The sky flashed white, and I knew then that it was all over.

All over for my love.

All over for me.

I headed into Skinner's office as soon as I had parked. He was still there, of course, and so was Scully. They were surprised to see me. They had believed me dead, but both of them seemed to be happy to see me still among the living. They were both inclined to be skeptical of my story, but CNN was already reporting the explosion that had devastated a huge area of Virginia, and they had to accept it as true. I handed my prizes over to Skinner, who insisted that I retain one of the detectors. I told the two of them that I was going to go and get some sleep before embarking with them on the clean up operation the next day, and they seemed to accept my words. I went in search of the lying, calculating, evil bastard who had done this to Alex.

When I found him, I knew that it was my right to kill him. He asked me why I was there. I'd faced him with a gun before, and the bastard didn't believe that I had it in me to kill him. I told him that I was there for Alex, and then I put two bullets into his brain.

It was easy. I pulled the trigger and he fell.

Then I walked away.

I went to a bar and drank until I was reeling, and they threw me out, then I went home. I staggered into my apartment and fell onto the couch. I hadn't bothered to close the door, and I didn't undress. I merely poured myself down into a lying position and lay feeling the room whirl around me. Presently I began to cry, great gulping sobs as the hard knot of misery lay tight in my chest. The phone rang and I left it to ring. Scully wouldn't be able to fix this with a cold compress and a bedside manner. I took out my gun and checked the magazine. I loaded it and cocked it and then placed the barrel in my mouth. The taste was not as nasty as I had thought. I could relate to this.

It was going to be the ultimate blowjob.

The phone rang again, and for a moment I had the thought that even when I wanted to kill myself they wouldn't stop bothering me. I waited for the answering machine to cut in and listened as the sound of my voice told the world that they'd reached Fox Mulder, leave a message.

Alex's voice caused prickles to run down my spine.

"Fox, pick up. Fox, if you're there, please answer the phone. Please, darling." I dropped my gun and ran for the phone, snatching the receiver as if it were a life preserver.

It was.

I was so drunk I wasn't making much sense, and he could tell instantly that I was loaded, because whatever he was going to say remained unsaid. He just said, very distinctly,"Oh, baby, what am I to do with you? Stay there. Don't move. I'll be there as soon as I can." The phone clicked in my hand and went dead. I lurched into my bedroom and passed out on the top of the blankets.

Some time later, I awoke with a raging thirst and staggered off to the bathroom where I washed my face and drank several glasses of cold water in an attempt to re-inflate my shrunken head. I looked at myself in the mirror. Dissolute, brooding, bloodshot eyes and swollen lips made me less than attractive. I stumbled back to bed, wondering if I was condemned to hear Alex forever more and whether I would be able to embrace my gun once more.

Stripping off my...Alex's jeans and T-shirt, I lay down and pulled the covers over me and rolled over, whispering Alex's name to myself.

"Baby, it's nice to hear that someone missed me. Can I come in?" He was real. He was there. It was my lover. He had come home, and I never knew until that moment just how much the phrase 'walking on air' meant. But I was. I was.

He told me about the shapeshifter, Jeremiah Smith, who had knocked my Alex out and bound him, placing him out of range of the blast before going to carry out the plans that Alex had made. He told me about the group of reporters who had found him lying tied up and gagged in a field close to their 'base camp'. He told me, but I don't think I took it in at that moment. I was too busy gazing at the beauty of him that I thought I had lost forever.

My head was aching, and there was a taste in my mouth that made me think of the remains of a long dead animal. I felt, quite frankly, like shit. But Alex was getting into bed beside me and taking me in his arms, and this was heaven after all.

I fell asleep then. My love was home, and I was happy.

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