From: shang@morley-web.com
Date: 7 May 2003 06:55:28 -0700
Subject: [atxc-pi] NEW: MESS series-part 4 -R-
Source: atxc

Title: MESS series-part 4 
Author: Shang 
Feedback Email: shang@morley-web.com 
Author's Website: http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/slashingx/ 
Archive at Gossamer: Yes to Gossamer 
Status: NEW - Series 
Size: 36k 
Category: Story, Romance, Relationship, Adventure, Hurt/Comfort, AU (Alternate Universe) 
Pairings: Mulder/Skinner , K/O, Sc/D 
Rating: R 
Gossamer Category: Adventure ~ Romance ~ Slash, Alternate universe 
Summary: The invasion has began. The first wave of the alien virus has
been released. Jeffery Spender has returned to the lab; Richy will
take care of Alex and Vic. And Scully finally found a father for her
son.

MESS series--part 4
by Shang (shang@morley-web.com)

Website: http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/slashingx/

Rating: R for violence

Pairing: Sk/M, K/R, Sc/D

Category: AU, Adventure, Story, H/C.

Summary: The invasion has began. The first wave of the alien virus has
been released. Jeffery Spender has returned to the lab; Richy will take
care of Alex and Vic. And Scully finally found a father for her son.

DISCLAIMER: Walter Skinner, Fox Mulder, Alex Krycek and all the other
X-Files characters belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and FOX
Broadcasting. The others belong to me.Archive: 2003 Spooky Awards,
Slashing Mulder, the Basement...

Beta: This story has been delayed so long but finally it's near the end.
I'll try to end it at part 5 or 6. Thanks a lot to Bertina who has great
patience to beta my bad writing. And she said that it's not bad writing
it's courageous writing for being in a second language not native to me.
That really means something to me, thank you.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 4: The invasion

Laurentian Mountains, Canada
Chief Richy White's log
January 02.2004, daylight


The New Year's holiday was one of the busiest open seasons every year on
the mountain. There were lot of school camps, foreign tour groups, sport
groups around this area.


Chief Richy White was off his shift duty by the afternoon. He hung out
with the camp students after lunch since no one waited for him at home.
Then the weather report showed the snow would get heavy this afternoon,
so he said goodbye to those students and left. He was already on his way
home when he saw the helicopter flying towards his lodge. The wind was
picking up and the falling snow became heavier after he left the ranger
station minutes ago.

Richy could hear the very faint sound of the propellers coming from the
chopper. It was hovering over his lodge. Something was not right, he ran
quickly.

About ten minutes later, he heard a baby crying and could see someone
was lying on the ground near his lodge. He rushed over to the sound.

" You alright, lady-?"

Judging from the crying baby wrapped under the black parka and the long
silky hair covering the face, Richy thought it was a woman lying there.
He knelt beside the body and reached out to brush the hair aside from
the pale face.

" Oh...God !" He murmured. He could hear his own pulse speeding up the
minute he saw the jade on the forehead of Alex Krycek. "Hold on, can you
hear me-?"

No reaction. Richy checked his pulse, a little fast but steady, he
unzipped Alex's parka and used his own knife to cut the bundle in order
to release the baby. The empty milk bottle rolled out of it and onto the
snow. He quickly picked it up and took it with the baby into his cabin.
Turning on the heater to warm his bedroom where he put the baby, he then
went back to Alex.

" Alex-?" Still no reaction. Richy began to check his limbs, "No broken
bones..."

Carefully, he lifted Alex's head and touched the back, murmuring,
"Didn't hit your head..."

He decided to carry Alex back to his place. But Alex grunted painfully
in his unconsciousness when Richy scooped him up a little. The gun
slipped from under the belt of Alex's lower back and dropped to the snow.

It was how Alex had hurt his ribs. The moment Alex decided to jump out
of the chopper; he could only choose to land on his back. Unfortunately,
the spot he fell onto was the rocky driveway of the log cabin. Though
the snow had already gathered thickly, it was not thick enough to
decrease the impact of the fall. The gun Alex hid in his lower back hit
his ribs when he hit the rocks.

Richy guessed it right.


He lowered Alex again and returned to his cabin to get his surf board to
use as a stretcher. Then he hauled the man back inside.

Vic already cried to sleep. Richy made sure the baby was fine, no fever
and the diaper was dry. So he concentrated on attending Alex.

He put Alex on his bed next to Vic, murmuring softly, "Excuse me...here
we go..." he peeled off Alex's wet clothes. Covering him with a blanket,
Richy went to get his first aid kit. He checked the bruise where Alex
fell then bandaged it. Fortunately, the ribs showed no fractures, he
wasn't certain if they had been cracked but they weren't broken.

The baby began to cry again, "Damn." Richy took the bottle to his
kitchen, then took the milk from his refrigerator, heated it and poured
it into the bottle.

" Alright, alright...drink it." Richy cradled the baby and fed him.

Vic sucked the bottle hungrily and soon finished it. Seconds later, he
wet his diaper. Richy found one of his old shirts and tore it into
pieces to wrap the baby's butt. Vic seemed to be content, he was fast
asleep. He put Vic onto a wing chair and hauled it next to the bed, this
way the baby wouldn't wet his bed by accident.

He went to the fireplace in his bedroom and lit the fire. The room was
very warm now, so he could switch off the heater. The windows were
shaking noisily by the wind. Snow was falling heavily, it was dark
outside though it was only three in the afternoon.


Just when Richy didn't know what to do next, Alex groaned in pain. He
went to take a glass of water and a painkiller for the bruises. Richy
tried to wake him up, but failed and found Alex was running a fever now.

" Walter..." Alex turned his face into Richy's checking hand, searching
for comfort.

But Richy mistook it as 'water'. He dipped a cotton ball into a cup of
warm water, then used it to wet Alex's lips. Soon he changed his mind;
he thumbed Alex's mouth open. Popping in the painkiller, Richy drunk a
mouthful water and sealed his lips with Alex's. The feeling of whisker
scratching surprised him; it wasn't unpleasant in fact it was lovely.

Choking a little, Alex swallowed it then said 'cold' in his delirium.
His face turned blindly, looking for comfort from his absent lover.
Richy, hand shaking slightly, lifted the blanket and stared at the nude
on his bed. Hesitating for a few seconds, he took off his clothing then
slid under the blanket to carefully wrap his arms around Alex.

" Walter," Alex sighed.

Now Richy understood that Alex was calling for his lover not asking for
water a moment ago. He felt his cheeks heat and his heart thumped as he
recalled mouth feeding Alex. Not that he hadn't performed mouth-to-mouth
on a male, he performed CPR on many people in his career. But none of
them had anything to do with the desire he felt, a desire he never
thought he would feel for a man.


But this was Alex Krycek, the man showed up in his dreams constantly. It
had been confusing at first, when the dreams caused him to have a hard
on recently. Richy now was holding him in his arms. Naked.

He exhaled cautiously, and closed his eyes.

Usually, he wouldn't fast asleep in the daylight. But it had been a long
time since he slept with someone in the same bed, and it really felt
good. Alex's scent filled his nostrils and it was very pleasurable. With
the solid fresh and blood in his arms, Richy nearly had a wet dream
about Alex.

Vic began crying for milk and diaper change. Richy stirred from his nap,
he reluctantly opened his eyes.

Alex's body was still burning. Richy checked his wrist watch, then moved
out of the bed, "Almost three hours."

He fed Vic again and cleaned him up.

" Well, we must find something for your little butt." Richy cradled Vic
in the crook of one arm while his other hand went through the closet
hurriedly. He smiled when found a worn out T-shirt. Richy used it as
Vic's diaper.

" You eat, you shit, you sleep. Good boy, aren't you ?" Richy whispered
softly to Vic. He put him back on the sofa then went to cook dinner for
himself.

Alex slept through the night.

Human Clone R&P Center Lab
January 02, 2004

After the terrible night, Kersh arrived before dawn. He frowned at the
damages, the security camera in the gate was destroyed, all the dogs
were dead, the garden was also a mess and the front door of the house
was broken into pieces.

" Uncle Kersh!" The clone little Jeffery rushed down from upstairs, and
went to hug one of Kersh's strong legs.

" Jeff, why aren't you sleeping-?" Kersh lifted him up, holdin him
securely. "You must be scared."

" They took Monica and her baby." Jeffery began to sob.

" I know, uncle Walter told me. We'll find them, don't worry."

Anne came out of the storage room. She didn't say anything to Kersh, but
relief could be seen in her eyes. Kersh handed Jeff over to her who
carried him upstairs back to his room.

" They are down in the basement," Anne informed Kersh on the stairs.

Kersh found them in the small room of the basement, still sleeping. So
he went to switch on the main power. Soon, the basement was warmed up.
Skinner and Mulder woke from the sounds from Kersh, they dressed quickly
and came out of the room.

" How long do you think we can repair this place-?" Mulder joked, "Or
should we move-?" Swiftly, he glanced at his lover's AD face and he knew
to keep his mouth closed.

Kersh briefed them. The three of them, after discussing the security
problem, came up with a decision. They decided to use all the clone
agents and the two Alex clones as a 24/7 security team.

The relized that no one had called the police when everything happened
hours ago. No one heard them 'cause the nearest neighbors were at least
one mile away from them. When they chose to live here in order to keep
their secret lab and all their clones, they knew there would be a price
to pay by defending themselves on their own. From now on, all the clones
would take turns guarding their large estate.

Skinner would be the leader to the clone agents. That led to the
decision to cancel the lovers' plan of moving out. Mulder was a little
disappointed about not moving out, but he also worried about Alex and
Vic. A personal need seemed unimportant to him at this moment. At least,
remaining here they may learn any information about Alex first hand.

They spent the day cleaning the house. The kids seemed to forget the
previous night's terror; they were having fun bouncing around the mess
in the house. Little Jeff and another boy helped to bury the dog
corpses. After a simple dinner, Anne finally tugged them to bed at nine
and she slept in the youngest boy's room. The five months old boy was
running a fever and so did three other kids.

The guys were exhausted, too. They went to bed early and woke up around
dawn to begin the rest of the day cleaning.

" Oh...oh, my God!"

They heard Anne's scream. The next moment Anne was running down the
stairs, horror filled her wrinkled face. And then they all heard the
kids' crying as horribly as the night before.

" Ca...call an ambulance, hurry," She grabbed Mulder's forearm and shook
violently, some blood stained on her hands marked Mulder's clothes.

Kersh rushed up the stairs to check on the kids.

Skinner picked up the phone and remembered it was broken. He cursed Hank
again. That psycho destroyed everything in the living room.

" I don't think the ambulance will arrive in time." Kersh looked down on
them from upstairs, he held a three year old kid in his arms. "Skinner,
give me a hand. We've four kids need to be in an ER." Then he glanced at
the broken TV set and turned to Mulder, "Check the net, I think IT is
coming."

Yes. The alien's invasion had begun.

The first wave of alien virus was released stealthily, quietly by the
aliens. But the humans bagan to cry for help loudly, desperately.

Kersh drove Skinner and three kids in the back seat; the one year old
was belted on the passenger seat, already dead. Just like Kersh said,
they wouldn't have gotten an ambulance in time, there were many on the
road to DC. At this time, dawn in the city, it was already noisy with a
siren ringing everywhere.

Mulder called Kersh from their lab, telling him what was on the online
news. An unknown virus had been reported from several countries all over
the world, it took the lives of the weak, the old and the new born.
Until now, the victims all showed high fever, the mucous layer
destroyed, and 100 percent mortality rate.

Clicking off his phone, Kersh glanced at the rearview mirror, informing
Skinner of the news.
" Vic..." Skinner immediately thought of his son. "I need to find him."

" What are you planning-?" Kersh was pulled up at the corner of a
hospital. Soon the ER staff came to help them ease the kids on stretchers.

" I'll call you later." He then left Kersh alone at the ER entrance.

Alexandria, VA
Survival
January 03, 2004

" Open the damn door," Skinner muttered, buzzing the door bell.

" Not opening today," Papa answered on the other side of the door.

" It's me, Walter Skinner. Need to talk to you," Skinner said impatiently.

The security lock clicked open. Skinner rushed upstairs. Still sniffing
from cry, Papa hugged Skinner the minute he saw the older man.

All Skinner could think about was Alex and Vic. He leveled Papa with a
glare straight into those red eyes, hissing, "Are they alright-?"

" Yes...no, I...I mean I'm not sure anymore, did you see the news ?"

" I heard it." Skinner loosed his grip on Papa's arms.

" So this is IT-?" Fear filled of his eyes.

" Alex told you ?"

Papa nodded.

" Where is he now ?"

" Laurentian Mountain."

" Richy White..." Skinner remembered the tall, well built Chief. "Did
Alex say anything ?"

" No... uh, the car keys. Here." Papa returned the key. And grabbed
Skinner to stop him from leaving, his hand trembled slightly. "What
should I do ? We'll all die in the invasion..."

Skinner stared at Papa for a second, then just simply give him a soft
blessing kiss on his forehead. He loosened Papa's grip on him.

He left.

Human Clone R&P Center Lab
January 03, 2004

Skinner drove Anne's car back to their house. He nodded to Anne who
rested on the broken sofa; she was very tired and didn't have the energy
to take care of the kids. He could hear them playing in the study upstairs.

Going down to the basement, he was startled seeing Mulder curled on the
floor.

" What's wrong ?" He pulled his lover into his arms, heart beating fast
from worry.

" Not you..." Mulder grimaced in pain.

" What are you talking about ?" He kissed his lover's temple and prayed
soundlessly the instant he remembered the last time he's seen Mulder
lying in a coma and had telepathy.

" I...I FEEL something. I thought I sensed you coming back, I was wrong.
You are here, but I still feel something...someone is coming...to me,
Walter."

" Come on. Lie down," Walter never felt so frightened that he might lose
Mulder again. He helped his lover back to the bed where they made love
yesterday morning. "You'll feel better if you lie down." He hoped so.

" I'm not...going anywhere without...you, Walter." Mulder hissed in pain.

" You read me ?"

Mulder gave him a forced smile, "You think too loud."

Minutes later, Skinner could tell that Mulder's headache subsided. He
was going to cover his lover with the blanket when he thought Mulder
relaxed into sleep but Mulder exhaled.

" The link is broken," He sat up and massaged his temples. "So, you went
to Papa."

Skinner laughed, "You saw that, superman ?"

" Of course not, you're just easy to read."

" Well, I guess I don't have to talk to you anymore."

" No..." Mulder stood and pulled Walter to him. "I'll try not to read
you or anybody unless it's necessary, it won't do me any good
anyway-causes a terrible headache."

They left the basement lab. Walter volunteered to prepare the lunch to
let Anne have some rest. Since living here, he rarely had the time to do
a real meal like back when he and Alex lived together. Not that he would
be good at doing all the food for eleven kids and three adults, but
keeping busy would calm him down-stopping the impulse of going to Alex
and his son. This place and people needed him and he thought he'd better
keep Mulder in his eyesight. He was not going to lose him to the aliens
again.

Mulder found an old wool blanket in the storage room. Not good at DIY,
he used lots of tacks to pin it on the wrecked front door frame.

" Well...I did my best." He grinned to the kids surrounding him,
laughing. "At least the wind won't blow into our house, right ?"

Suddenly, they all heard a motorcycle approaching. Anne sat upright from
the broken sofa, very jumpy.

" Go back to your rooms." She ordered those kids, and went with them.

Mulder went to the kitchen to warn Skinner. They both found guns and
returned to the living room. Each leaned on either side of the walls
beside the front door.

A soft footstep could be heard moving closer to the door. It paused. And
they heard a gun clicked. Next, someone kicked the door open.

The edge of the door scratched and pulled the wool blanket off which
Mulder just pinned on the door frame minutes ago, and the poor guy was
trapped in it.

Mulder crouched beside the man and turned him over, "Jeffery ?"

" Mulder ?" He was as surprised as Mulder at seeing him here, then he
saw Skinner, "...where's Agent Scully ?"

" Not with us." Mulder helped Jeffery on his foot, "Uh, your face..."

Jeffery smiled bitterly, though his face was a lot better than the last
time everybody saw him at Mulder's hearing.

" HE sent my body to be the alien's lab, remember ?" That meant he was
also immunized from the alien virus and could self-heal.

" So you're an immortal like me, brother." Mulder was a little
embarrassed to call him brother. They never had a time to worked out the
complicated feelings about being half brothers. He observed Jeffery, the
leather jacket and boots suited him more naturally than the federal
suit, "You seem different, where've you been ?"

" With the rebels...lots of them died in the virus this morning."
Jeffery looked around the battled room then turned to Skinner,
worriedly, "What happened ? Where's Kersh ? And my...my..."

Skinner nodded then looked up at the little Jeffery who was lying on his
stomach with another kids on the floor upstairs looking down at the adults.

" Okay, Jeff, you can come down here. I want you to meet someone."

The name 'Jeff' Skinner used to call his clone gave Jeffery a warm feeling.

The kid rushed down the stairs and asked his uncle Walter to pick him
up. Skinner did as he asked. Jeff stared at his 'prototype'; he looked
very clever with those big eyes.

" Remember me ?" Jeffery reached out, wanting to touch the kid. Little
Jeff was only two years and six months old when Jeffery left him to Kersh.

Jeff flinched, shook his head.

" I'm...I'm..." Jeffery seemed awkward, "...do you want a...a father or
a brother, Jeff ?"

Jeff looked at his uncle Walter and held on to Skinner's neck, "Father.
I want a father."

" Then I'm your father."

Laurentian Mountains, Canada
Chief Richy White's log
January 03.2004

At dawn, Richy was mouth feeding Alex the painkiller again.

" Damn, my rib..." Alex woke up, chocking on the water, he winced at the
pain and tried to get up.

" No, don't move." Gently, Richy pushed him back to lie down. "Your ribs
are cracked."

For a few seconds, Alex didn't understand-where was he and what happened
to him? Even turning his head to look around the room was painful, then
he realized he was naked when Richy took a towel to dampen his body.

" And you had a fever." Richy stared at Alex, his hand stayed on Alex's
body a little too long. He put the towel away, and kept their distance
carefully.

" Happy New Year, Chief." Looking into the pair of ocean blue eyes, Alex
finally relaxed knowing he and his son was safe now, "Where's my son ?"

" YOUR son ? I thought you were with...with..."

" Walter and Fox. Yes. I'll explain the miracle to you later, I want to
hold my son, now."

Richy put another pillow under Alex's head, then he put Vic to Alex's
side. The baby immediately woke up but didn't cry, he kicked.

Alex peeled off the bundle and saw the shirt wrapped on his son's butt.
He lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

" What's this ?"

" My shirt." Richy shrugged.

" How many shirts do you have ?" He laughed. "You know, he'll pee and
shit every two or three hours. Then you'll run out of all your clothes.
Where's my bag ? There're a pack of diapers and baby milk powder in it."

" Must be somewhere under the snow. I'll get it."

A moment later, Richy came back with the bag. He replaced the diaper and
prepared the milk. During that time, Alex used the bathroom . He put his
travel kit there, brushed his teeth, shaved and went back to bad. He
soon drifted to sleep as the painkiller began to work.

When he woke up, it was already afternoon. Richy held Vic in his arms,
sitting on the sofa at the end of the bed, they both were sleeping. So
he got up quietly, closed the bedroom door behind him. Finding some
sandwich Richy left on the kitchen counter, he reheated it along with a
cup of milk in the microwave oven.

" You should wake me up, so I can do it for you." Richy showed up at the
kitchen door frame.
" I'm alright. Just craked some ribs. And I feel better now that the
fever has gone."

Richy went to stand in front of Alex, and was going to check his fever
by touching his forehead. He forgot Alex once told him that Mulder
immunized him, that he wouldn't be sick anymore. So the fever wouldn't
last too long in his self-healing system. Alex grabbed the hand when
Richy touched the jade on his forehead.

" Would you do something for me ?" His green eyes seemed to absorb Richy.

" Anything." That reply earned Richy another eyebrow arching from Alex.

" Cut it off." Alex released Richy's hand than grabbed a handful of his
long hair.

" Why ? It's...beautiful." He saw Alex smiling at his choice of the word.

" Chief, we'll probably stay here for a while. My hair will occupy too
much time. I can't keep it if I have to take care of my son. And I can't
take care of it myself." He lifted his left arm.

" I'll do it for you," He said it too soon without thinking.

Alex snorted. "You're kidding. Even Fox wanted to cut it from time to
time. It's inconvenient. Only Walter was willing to spend plenty time to
keep it clean and neat."

" Then I'm wi..." The beeping from his oven stopped him.

Alex ignored it, said determinedly, "Cut. it. off."

Richy exhaled in defeat, "All right. After you finish eating."

Faintly, they heard the sound of Richy's ham radio which was set in the
living room. Richy went to turn it off.

His log cabin only had a bedroom and a full bathroom. The living room
combined dining area and kitchen. But it had a small loft as a spare for
visiting.

He stood at the living room arms crossing in front of his chest and
looked up at his loft, considering whether to make a bed and sleep over
there. There was no way he would sleep in the same bed with Alex again.
Yesterday's afternoon, sleeping with Alex in his arms, was much better
than any of his recent dreams. And he KISSED him, twice! He didn't dare
take advantage of Alex while he was conscious, even though Richy was
much taller and well built.

" Well..." Alex stepped beside Richy who jumped at his voice. "I hope
you have spare bedding to let me sleep up there, Chief."

" No, I'll sleep there. You sleep in my bedroom with your son, what's
his name ?"

" Victor K. Skinner."

" If I don't have a spare, would you let me sleep with you ?"

Richy said without looking at Alex who stood beside him, if he turned he
could easily capture his lips-he knew that would be in his dreams.

" I thought you don't TOUCH men." Alex laughed, he walked away to sit on
the sofa, not taking Richy's word seriously.

He grunted in pain when his back contacted the back set of the sofa.
Immediately, Richy was in front of him. His left hand was behind the
back of Alex's neck, pulling him slightly forward; the other hand
secured a cushion behind Alex's back.

Then he let Alex lie backward on the cushion, but didn't let go of his
neck. Richy knelt down so he could get closer to Alex, his right hand
easily slipped under the big sweater he lent to Alex. His palm set on
the bandage.

" I'll change the bandage; it's soaked with your sweat." He lied.

" Liar," Alex whispered. His eyes were deep and unfathomable.

They stared at each other for a moment. If not for Alex's cracked ribs,
Richy might crush the beautiful man into his arms in an impulse.

" Any man would fall for you, straight or not." Unconsciously, his thumb
rubbed the tender skin and soft fine hair of Alex's neck.

Alex giggled, "I'm flattered, Chief...but..."

" Richy. Call me Richy." Alex's giggling made him nervous and he
couldn't stand it any more without really kissing the man. He leaned in
to capture the sweet lips forcefully.

Richy finally separated reluctantly from Alex, panting, "I'm sorry."

" Well, it's not like you haven't kissed me," Alex muttered and turned
his face away.

" You knew." Now that he couldn't hide his feeling for Alex, he pulled
Alex into his arms gently and firmly. "Please, let me take care of you.
You wouldn't come here without your lovers. Someone was chasing you,
right ?"

" Let go of me, Richy, or one of us will die," Alex said softly but
certainly.

Richy did as he'd been told and smiled. "You're sexier when looking
dangerous, but I'm not ready to die...guess I have to sleep on the loft,
alone."

Someone banged on the front door, startling them.

" You haven't see me here, Richy." Alex let Richy shift him to lie down.

Richy pulled a blanket to cover Alex, then went to answer the door with
his gun ready in hand. He opened the door knowing it was one of his
subordinates.

" Why'd you turn off the radio, Chief ? Damn, lots of people died this
morning. We need you now."

" What happened ?" Richy took his coat, but looking back, hesitated to
leave Alex unprotected.
From another angle outside the front door, his subordinate saw the long
hair poking out of the blanket, "Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you,
Chief. Turn on the radio, you'll know the situation. And come to the
station as soon as possible, please."

His subordinate left quickly. Richy turned on the radio; he and Alex
were both shocked at the news.

" Too soon...IT's beginning." Alex murmured.

" You mean the invasion ?" Richy paled.

" God," Alex clenched on the pain coming from his ribs, he rushed to the
bedroom to make sure his son was alright. Richy was behind him closely.
Vic slept well; his cheeks were a lovely pink not reddening from fever.

Theoretically, according to their lab scientists, Vic should be
immunized 'cause his DNA was cloned from his fathers. But they hadn't
had the time to run the test and prove it.

Now in fact, Vic was fine.

Richy embraced Alex from behind tenderly, whispering, "Your guns are
sealed under the floor of the kitchen sink. I have to go now...forgive
me, just let me do this once."

He kissed Alex's cheek. Then he was gone.

Washington DC
A hotel room
January 03, 2004
23:05

" He's sleeping," Scully whispered to Doggett who lied down on the other
bed in the hotel room, "Finally."

Doggett had a fever this morning and now the temperature had gone up to
one hundred and four degrees. Early this morning they arrived in DC,
they saw all the ambulances and heard the news reports wherever they
passed by the medias. People were shocked by the unknown virus, only
they knew it was the alien virus and the invasion began. Scully assumed
the worst that Doggett might be infected by it, too.

" I think we're very close to Mulder now," Doggett said tiredly, his
eyes were closed.

They were aware of William's power of telepathy and assumed that he
might be able to sense Mulder's whereabouts if they were in a certain range.

William was almost two years and eight months now. He didn't start
speaking until two weeks ago. When he said the first word 'Daddy' to
Doggett, Scully was embarrassed and awkward so she took her son from
Doggett's lap. But William patted Doggett on the chest and said 'John'
then pointed his little finger in the other way and said 'Daddys'.

It was the 'Daddys' that confused them.

Scully was afraid to admit that after all she was the alien's lab rat
like all the other abductees...
Sitting on the bed beside Doggett, Scully starred at him for a while and
began to take off her clothes.

" What are you doing ?" Doggett opened his eyes in shock at what Scully
was doing and he lifted his hand to stop Scully from opening the last
button of her shirt.

" This is the only way to save you, John."

" No. I just caught a cold, not what you think..." Doggett struggled to
sit up, though his muscles were sore from the fever.

He stared into Scully's watering eyes, "I'm not going to die." And he
wiped the tears that finally fell down Scully's face.

" We can't know it for sure. And I won't let you die on me." She shed
the shirt. "You should know what to do..."

Doggett laughed bitterly. "You know, I would die happy if you were
willing to make love with me in another situation..."

" John..."

" I know. I know you still love Mulder. So I never push you, I'm willing
to wait. You don't have to feel guilty about not returning my feelings
for you. I'm happy just being with you and your son."

Scully brushed away her tears and said calmly, "Mulder and I had been
through a lot all these years. We love each other, that's for sure, but
nothing beyond a partnership or a family-type love, that's it."

" That's bullshit. We've been looking for Mulder long enough. And you're
longing to see him again, to go back to his side like you've always
been. You love him so much, or you would accept me already." Doggett put
the shirt back on her, "Dana, don't do things you'll regret."

" You aren't my mom to tell me what things I should or shouldn't do,
Agent Doggett."

" Yeah, right." His hand left her skin immediately.

" I'm sorry. It's complicated...we...I spent so many years struggling
with my feelings towards him. I couldn't believe it when he confessed
that he fell in love with Skinner the moment he saw him in the cell.
He...he kissed me right in front of Skinner; I thought we finally
admitted our feelings for each other. And I keep hoping that he only
lied to me so I'd let him go and the consortium wouldn't be on our tail..."

" He didn't lie, Dana. Before he left you, he told me something."

Scully looked at him questioningly.

" He once liked someone...but he didn't dare take the chance."

" Someone, who ? He didn't have a personal life..."

" Krycek."

" Oh..." She looked hurt. "That explains...a lot."

" He hated himself for Krycek's death. He said he lost so many people he
loved; he's not going to lose the last one. So, when he was free outside
the cell, on the run, and finally seeing you happy with William...he
decided it was time to go." Mulder had left them the moment Scully ran
towards the farm where the old couple lived with her son.

They both became silent. Scully leaned forward to turn off the lamp on
the night-stand. Now the only light in the room was coming from the side
of William's bed. She leaned up, not looking at Doggett, to shed her
shirt again.

" Dana..."

" I want to do this. I'm not a woman who can't feel your passion, John.
What you did for us since we were on the run this past year ..."

" You don't need to pay me."

" No, you deserve this, and you need it now...you're dying. I won't let
it happen." She took off her bra like she was on a mission, with no
shame of exposing her body to Doggett. "And it's a perfect time for me
to let it go. I want to give us a try; I want to have a real life, to
touch a human being, to feel, to love..."

She was stopped by Doggett who hold her slightly trembling hands firmly
in his warm, strong hands.

" I'm sorry it's a bad time, a bad situation for our first time." But he
had definitely been waiting for this day to come along.

Scully smiled tightly. "The timing's just fine. I wouldn't know how
important you are to me and I'm not going to lose you. Touch me, John.
You know what to do." She flushed.

Every abductee's genes were mutated by the alien vaccine, and they
became immune. The body could then produce a vaccine to immunize people.

They both knew one way was to swallow the 'essence'.

Doggett reddened beyond the fever taking over him; he felt his blood was
boiling. "Forgive me if my actions aren't good." He took off his
clothing gingerly, his sore muscles protested.

Scully burst into soft chuckles. "I believe you'll be good the next time."

Human Clone R&P Center Lab
January 04, 2004

Scully asked the hotel clerk to help her put Doggett into the back seat
of her car. The man said he was sorry because he thought Scully just
lost her husband since a lot of people died during the past few hours.
So he didn't bother to call the police when Scully said she'd deal with
it herself. He buckled William in the child's seat and patted his head,
mercifully saying a blessing to Scully.

" Will, which way ?" Her car had already left the DC area and she knew
they were really close to Mulder 'cause William was having a headache
like Mulder had before.

" Hurt, mummy." He screamed.

" You'll be fine, very soon, Will."

They were on the road almost two miles, except a few abandoned
warehouses along the quiet road; Scully finally saw the only house
located at the end of it.

She drove past the gate cautiously, since it had apparently been
destroyed recently.

Someone rushed out of the large house.

" Mulder," she murmured and turned off the engine. "William, it's daddy."

And she was surprised the next second seeing Skinner on the heels right
after Mulder, she straightened up on her seat.

Mulder came to gathered William into his arms, smiled at her. "So you
finally find William."

" Sir." Scully ignored Mulder and nodded to Skinner, she wasn't sure
about Mulder and him.

" You look good, Dana." He found Scully looking a little younger than he
remembered. "Fox kept saying that someone's coming to him and his
headache was killing him moments ago."

'Fox ? So Mulder did convinced Skinner.' She nodded uneasily. "Could you
help me move John to a more comfortable place, SIR ?"

Mulder laughed at her, "What took you so long, Scully ? Doggett is a
good man and he loves you..."

Scully glared at him.

" Sorry." Mulder shut up and walked to Skinner's side.

" Daddy." William reached out his hands and began to grab Skinner.

" No, he's Uncle Walter, son." Mulder kissed his lovely son on the head
and suddenly almost dropped him when he took a closer look of William.

" What's wrong ?" Skinner took over the boy.

" How old is he now, Scully ?"

" Two years, seven months and two weeks."

" I only saw him when he was a baby..."

Skinner chuckled, "I even imagined he must have your nose and Dana's
hair, but look at him, your sweetie looks like our Ale..."

Skinner froze at his own word.

" You see ?" Mulder said softly.

" Daddy," William patted Skinner on the chest.

" He only got your lips, and Dana's cheekbones." Skinner said.

" His eyes are green and his nose just as cute as our..." Mulder glanced
at Scully, he didn't dare to say Alex's name. "But why is he a blond ?"

" My hair WAS blond." Skinner coughed.

Standing by them and hearing all the conversation, chills crept all over
Scully's body.

" You think I gave birth to a gene cooked...cooked..." She didn't want
to say a bad name about HER son.

" Hybrid." William read her.

They both glared at each other.

" I think we should run a test, all of us," William yawned and fell
asleep in Skinner's arms, so Walter went back to their house to let
Mulder have time with Scully.

Mulder backed Scully's car into the garage, then they eased Doggett out
of the back seat. Skinner then came to help them.

Mulder grinned. "Where's William ?"

" Vic's crib."

" Where should we put John?"

" Monica's room."

They talked to each other softly. Scully followed behind them, feeling
completely out of it.

" Lunch is ready," Jeffery said to them when they passed the kitchen's
back door which connected the garage. "You look good, Agent Scully."

Being startled from her thinking, Scully was surprised at seeing Jeffery
and the little boy standing by him that looked like his clone. She
nodded stupidly. "You look...better, too."

Then she went down to the basement lab with Mulder and Skinner, but
gasped and stopped in the hallway. They left her there; put John in the
small room that Monica once used. When they went back to Scully,
standing by her, she seemed unaware of them.

" We'll explain it to you later," Mulder said softly.

" William does looks like him." She was staring at the two Alex clones,
admitting the truth in defeat.

" Come on, lunch is getting cold." Skinner led them out of there.

Once again, Scully was surprised at what she saw in the kitchen.

" You look..." It was Kersh.

" Good, I know." It's the third time today that someone had said she
looked good. "I don't have any wrinkles; I'm an immortal, alright ? But
please somebody tell me what this all about ? FBI's new headquarters ?"