From: Shang Chen <shang@morley-web.com>
Date: Sat, 02 Nov 2002 18:34:45 +0900
Subject: Can I revise 'Name Your Price' ?
Source: revision

Name Your Price
by Shang (shang@morley-web.com)

Website: http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/slashingx/ (under
construction)

Rating:  NC-17 (This story contains m/m sex. You must be 18 years or
older to read the story posted here.)

Category: VRHA

Keywords: Sk/K, Sk/M Slash

Spoilers: After "The Truth", it's the way things going!! 

Summary: The truth IS that the aliens do really exist, they kept
abducting us, and they will INVADE us. The date of the final invasion
will be December 22, 2012.

DISCLAIMER: Walter Skinner, Fox Mulder, Alex Krycek, Dana Scully, and
all the other X-Files characters belong to Chris Carter, 1013
Productions and FOX Broadcasting. The others belong to me.

First Posting: 9/30/02 (DitB, The 2002 Spooky Adwards, ATXC....)

Author's note: It's my first story, hope you like it. And please
forgive me if you find wrong spellings and bad grammar for the sake of
English not being my mother language. And it's kind to send me
feedback.

Special thanks to my beta Bertina. If you still find any wrong
spelling or bad grammar, that was not her fault. It's because I have
an odd sense to use it. ..............................................
....................

Name Your Price
PART ONE: After 'The Truth'

Hilton McLean,VA
Room 707
10:00AM, June 6, 2002

"So...Agent Doggett and Agent Reyes were missing, and Fox Mulder and
Dana Scully were dead--" said a man standing in front of the window in
a hotel room.

"No, I don't believe they're dead. No bodies were found there. And
there are two kinds of tire-prints..." 

"So what ? Your mission is over; I'll arrange your promotion in FBI."

"No! I quit, no more FBI. I'm tired." Skinner glared at him angrily
and his face was full of disgust.

"Stop being emotional! Don't forget what you stand for! We still need
you..." The man lowered his tone," You're CIA's top man..."

"Don't bullshit me, or I'll quit the CIA, too." Skinner knew if he
left the CIA, they wouldn't let him live. But he felt guilty about his
agents' death and he considered it was pointless to continue his life
since everything was going to hell. Maybe death was a better choice.

"Your promotion to Deputy Director will not be hindered, we still need
our men to have access to the FBI."

"Then find somebody else, I'm expecting my retirement." He sat on the
couch with his face buried in his hands, he looked like he had run out
of power.

The room became extremely quiet for a while.

"Name your price," the man said coldly.

"What?" Skinner couldn't believe what he'd just heard.

"Don't say NO again. You know what I mean. On your position, it's an
order. In the meantime, we'll offer what you want."

The CIA agents had sent their men spying on the FBI for a long time,
nobody could reach such a prominent position like Skinner did, and
this made him more valuable.

"What I want...?" His thoughts wandered, "Find them! I want Fox Mulder
and Dana Scully back alive, don't tell me you can't." Standing
immediately, Skinner turned around to face the man challengingly.

"Done. I'll find them." The man put on his sunglasses, was ready to
leave but stopped, "What about Agent Doggett and Agent Reyes?"

"They're still FBI's agents, the bureau will find them." Skinner
didn't really worry about them, Agent Doggett kept in contact with him
once a week secretly.

"Fine. Have a good vacation, you need it." The man stopped beside the
door of the room hesitantly, "Ah..."

"Anything else?" Skinner said annoyingly.

"We'll stop treating him; he'll be transferred to a sanitarium next
week. Poor guy, he WAS our top man, too." With a sigh, he shook his
head and left.

McLean, VA 22101
Commonwealth Psychological Associates
3:00PM ,June 6

Dr. Miller led Skinner to room 622. There're noises, he heard
screaming and fighting at first, then one man escaped from the room,
his head was bleeding.

"Are you all right, Arny? What happened this time?"

"I don't know, since he woke, we thought maybe we should give him a
haircut. But he became angry as soon as he saw the scissors." The man
said rapidly with his hand covering his bleeding wound and frustrated,
" He had no problem with shaving yesterday!"

"Ahhhhh......" A loud scream startled them.

"Krycek!" Skinner murmured guiltily. 

 From the doorway, he saw Krycek bumping his head on the wall,
screaming painfully. There were two other men in the room, they stood
aside breathing heavily and they were going to tie him.

"No!" Skinner entered the room and pulled the men away from Krycek. He
grabbed his upperarms to spin him to the ground.

"Krycek! Can you hear me?" Skinner said more calmly this time, "You
hear me? AGENT. ALEX. KRYCEK."

He could see the scar on Krycek's forehead clearly and immediately
felt sorry. Krycek stopped screaming and stared at Skinner.

"......sss...ss..stupid....hh..haircut......" He said with
difficultly, his hair was soaked with sweat. 

"Stupid haircut? What do you mean? Don't want to cut your hair?"
Skinner sensed something was wrong with Krycek, he didn't seem to
recognize him. "Okay, we won't. Now, would you calm down and sit on
the bed with me?" 

He led Krycek to sit on the bed who embraced himself like a ball
leaning on the wall carelessly. 

"Where's his clothing?" Skinner turned to ask Dr. Miller.

"He won't wear anything." Dr. Miller still stood a little far from
them, he was afraid of the one-armed man. "Would you come to my
office, so I can show you his file ?" He unlocked the door letting the
other men leave first and waited for Skinner.

"I'll see you soon, Krycek ?" Seeing Krycek didn't move, not even to
react, Skinner left with Dr. Miller.

Dr. Miller's Office
3:30PM, June 6

"Tell me his condition." Skinner sat on the couch reading the file but
couldn't understand the report without Dr. Miller's explanation.

"You know it's a miracle that the bullet only wedged in his skull and
didn't damage his brain. We took the fracture from his mid-sagittal
section very perfectly, did a CT, MRI, every kind of tests, but still
we can't find the reason why he had a coma for such a long
year......Anyway, he woke on May 30. According to his special history
in the FBI, and from our observations of him between these days, we
inferred from these few limited symptoms so far, we only can tell you
that he may express the symptoms of PTSD showing from now on. I
believe his conditions are more complicated, he'll probably show more
symptoms besides the lists on the file. Since he refused to take his
medication, we had to sedate him every time we treated him." Dr.
Miller leaned back in his armchair. 

"Oh, I received your notification this morning and I'll deliver the
copy of his file to the sanitarium wherever you choose. I'll give you
the prescription of his medication if you need......Does he have any
family or close friend? With PTSD, it's more important to have someone
really care about him than the help of medication." He passed it to
Skinner.

Skinner didn't speak for a while, he was angry that the CIA had given
up their agent so easily, mercilessly and counterfeited the
notification with his signature AD Walter S. Skinner on it.

"Excuse me." Skinner took out his cell phone from his pocket and
walked to a corner of the office. "It's me, Skinner." His tone was
depressed, "......Yeah, I need a team to guard a safe house......No!
He's my responsibility......you said you'll offer what I......Yes,
I'll take him there myself, tell them to meet me there as soon as
possible." He disconnected the line.

"Dr. Miller, I need your medication advice and have your men prepare
Alex Krycek to leave."

McLean
A safe House
7:00PM, June 6

Skinner pulled Krycek out from the backseat of his car who still was
sleeping by the sedative. He sloped the man wrapped in a white sheet
on his shoulder then followed one of the house's guards entering the
house.

"Where's the bedroom? Agent?" Skinner asked a short man in the room.

"You can call me Bob, sir. Bedroom is here." He opened the door for
Skinner.

Skinner put Krycek on the bed, rolled him out of the sheet, then
covered him with a blanket this time.

"Still refused to wear clothes ?" The man entered the bedroom and
looked down on Krycek.

Skinner didn't expect his appearance, and he didn't like that one of
the four agents showed his interest in Krycek's body.

"Any clothing seems to sting to him." He muttered, then turned his
head to signal everybody out of the bedroom.

He ordered the four agents taking shift duty to guard the house and
keeping an eye on Krycek when he not around here. 

The man sat on a sofa in the living room, watched them coldly while
finished reading Krycek's medical file. Seeing Krycek not in any good
condition to threaten CIA's secrets for now, the man called out to
Skinner with a sneer.

"Keep in touch, Skinner." He left with a glance toward Skinner
meaningfully.

Disgusted, Skinner said "I'll be back within an hour." Skinner left
the house, too.

He drove to a restaurant, finished his dinner, bought a takeout then
shopped for whatever Krycek probably would need. By eight o'clock, he
stopped his car outside the house and already heard fighting inside.
He immediately ran into the house.

Bob embraced his broken arm, leaning on the wall, the other agents
wrestled with Krycek to the floor.

"Stop!" He pulled them apart, and barked, "What's going on, agents?"

"This guy is a nut case! He tried to kill us, sir." One Agent said
angrily, still gasping.

"Take Bob to a hospital and have your dinner. Be back by eleven
thirty. Now get out, all of you," Skinner said quietly, he couldn't
tell them who Krycek once was or that he still could be a dangerous
man.

After they left, Skinner turned to stare at Krycek who held a broken
leg of a chair and glared at him defensively.

"Sit down, Krycek. I'm not going to hurt you." Skinner put the
containers on the table. "Come here and eat." He stood beside the
table with his hands on his hips.

Krycek looked pale with his silky hair which now was long over his
neck, and a little muscular though he had lacked exercise for one
year. He was the same guy with the talent of killing people but looked
vulnerable at the same time. Finally, he dropped the chair-leg and
moved carefully to the table opposite from where Skinner sat.

"I'm sorry, but it's all soft food. Dr. Miller said you can have solid
food next week."

Krycek didn't answer him; he swallowed everything quickly while
keeping an eye on Skinner. After he finished eating, he wiped his
mouth with the back of his only hand.

"......who...arrr..are.....you ?" He frowned.

Skinner couldn't look into his eyes directly and kept quiet for a
while. " Call me Walter. You are safe here, my agents will take care
of you as long as you live here." 

Skinner began to clear the table and the mess from Krycek's fighting
with his agents.

"......wh...why?" 

Skinner stiffened, he turned his back toward Krycek, breathed deeply
and turned around to face him again.

"You don't remember me?"

Krycek shook his head slowly, confused and suddendly screamed
painfully, his hand stroked his hair. He curled on the floor. Skinner
didn't know how to deal with the situation, just kept his hands on
Krycek's shoulder.

"Okay, okay, you don't have to think. Calm down." He pulled Krycek on
his feet then led him to sit on the sofa. 

"I'll tell you." When Krycek caught his breath, Skinner continued,
"You were my agent before, and you were injured badly. You lost part
of your memory, and your speech disorder might be triggered by
extremely stress, so I took you here to a safe house for your
treatment. I hope you won't hurt anyone of my agents who guard here.
Maybe you'll remember everything when you get well if you take the
medication regularly. When you recover completely, you can leave here
any time you like." He still grabbed Krycek's shoulders, helping to
keep him concentrating on his talking.

Krycek nodded his head and smiled for the first time since he awoke
from his coma. He's charming and looked innocent. 

"Ah...Now could you clean yourself in the bathroom and come out to
take your pills before my agents come back here?" He let go of
Krycek.

When three of his agents returned, Krycek was already sound asleep on
the bed by eleven twenty.

What a long day! He's not the kind of man who made a decision without
thinking, having Krycek under his protection might endanger himself,
but he couldn't convince himself to abandon a man who needed help,
especially since he was the transgressor who pulled the trigger. 

Skinner drove home tiredly, without taking off his clothes, he dropped
asleep right away.

McLean
The Safe House
11:00AM, June 7

Two agents guarded outside of the house. In front of the porch,
Skinner told them to go for lunch. He entered the house and, only saw
an agent watching TV.

"Agent, where's Krycek ?" He put down the food. "Did he take pills
this morning ?"

"No, sir. He's still sleeping." The agent moved to open the bedroom
door for Skinner.

"Krycek ?" Skinner shook him, " Wake up, you should have a meal and
take your pills."

"No use, he can't hear you, we tried this morning." The agent
shrugged.

"He took the pills himself last night ?"

"No, he did not even move a little till now......totally zonked."

"Sleeping disorder......" Skinner murmured. He read about PTSD this
morning.

"What ?" asked the agent.

"Nothing. Go, have your lunch. You got two hours."

"Thank you, sir."

After he dismissed all the agents, Skinner entered the kitchen of the
house for the first time, he prepared the food. Ten minutes later,
when he was eating his sandwich, Krycek appeared, he leaned on the
doorframe lazily.

"Come, your food is ready." Skinner smiled warmly. 'Be kind, make
friends with him, he's your responsibility, you owe him.' He told
himself.

Krycek ate his food slowly, fifteen minutes later; he fell asleep on
the table.

"Damn!" Skinner caught him before he slipped on the floor.

He carried him to bed, went to the bathroom and came back with a
washcloth, and cleaned him. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Skinner
brushed Krycek's the bullet scar with the back of his forefinger.

"I'm sorry."

Three days passed, Krycek almost slept the entire day. Besides doing
his business, he hardly heard what Skinner said, just ate his meals
and soon passed out afterwards.

Hoover Building
Deputy Director Office
7:50AM, June 10

Skinner's vacation was over yesterday; Kimberly packed his things and
moved them to the Deputy Director's Office. No body knew where Kersh
was.

He had to assume his office before noon, and there was a party waiting
for him later that night. So he called the agents, told them he won't
go there until tomorrow night. They told Skinner no need to worry that
they would give Krycek a shower tonight. 

McLean
The Safe House
11:50PM, June 10

Skinner had a bad feeling about not going to the safe house that
night. He left the party earlier and hurried over to the safe house. 

When he arrived, he saw that the two agents guarding outside the house
exchanged a strange expression with each other.

"Shit!" He rushed into the living room and when he saw no other agent
there, Skinner broke into the bedroom and stood stunned in
astonishment.

The agent had already lowered his pants and was about to rape Krycek
who was totally unconscious.

Skinner aimed his gun at the agent coolly, "Zip it or I'll rip apart
your dick."

"Come on, sir. He's pretty, don't you think ?" Apparently, the agent
was drunk.

At that moment, Krycek moaned in his dream and this excited the agent
even more, he ignored Skinner's gun and jumped on Krycek. Skinner
moved at the same time, striking him with the gunstock. He dragged him
away from Krycek, and hauled him to the living room. The other agents
came into the house standing aside, speechless.

Skinner tossed the drunken agent on the floor, and said quietly, " Get
out of here, all of you." When they didn't move, he barked, "I said
get the fuck out of here, now !"

They carried the drunken agent out, and Skinner became even more
pissed when he heard one of them say, "What a waste."

He returned to the bedroom, took off his tuxedo to cover Krycek, then
slowly he sank down to the floor, his back sagged against the bed,
face buried in his big hands. "Damn!"

Since MUlder and Scully were gone, everything went to hell.

Several minutes passed and he finally stood up. "Come on, pretty man,
you're going to come home with Walter." He muttered and scooped up
Krycek into his strong arms who continued to sleep like a child.

Crystal City - Viva Tower
Skinner's condo
2:30AM, June 11

Krycek screamed in the upstairs guestroom. He awoke in the dark which
he wasn't familiar with and was terrified. He pulled his hair
forcefully, and cried hysterically.

Ten days ago, he awoke in a room with an IV and catheter plugged up
his body. Next, he found a scar of a bullet hole on his forehead he
couldn't remember why nor what happened to his leftarm. Then a man
called Dr. Miller examined him, treated him and kept asking questions
that almost drove him crazy. 

The last time he lost consciousness in the hospital, he was taken to a
safe house and some CIA men treated him badly. He could always tell
that one of them tried to take advantage of him. Except the boss, the
Walter guy, who said he would be safe in that house and recover......
recover from what? Yeah, he had suspected that he was a psycho. Even
one of the CIA agents actually called him a nut case.

As he thought about the CIA, he worried where are the agents ? Where's
Walter ? Did he abandon him forever 'cause he didn't need him anymore
? Or was all this just a dream ? Then why couldn't he wake up ? Why
did he stay in the dark alone ? Why couldn't he stop crying like a
child ? After a while, he heard footsteps coming. It was terrible, he
was too frightened to breathe.

Suddenly, someone rushed into the dark room and captured him. He knew
the scent!

"Krycek! Calm down, calm down...breathe, can you hear me?" Skinner
spun him on the bed with his entire length pressed on top of him. 

"Yeah, that's it, breathe...slow...breathe...Are you okay ?" Skinner
managed. He opened the lamp on the nightstand, his big bands brushed
Krycek's hair aside which was soaked with sweat and tears.

"Wa...Wal..lter..sir.." Krycek blubbered.

"Walter is fine," he said a bit embarrassed. He was going to bed when
he heard Krycek scream. He didn't get a chance to dress, so he was
half naked now. While lying atop Krycek, bare chest on bare chest, he
could feel Krycek's bodyheat, even smelled his scent. So he pulled
himself up away from Krycek.

"...wh..where..." Krycek glanced around the room, and notice that it
was not the same room as the last one he stayed in.

"My apartment." He sat on the bed with his arms crossed in front of
his chest, with his head bowed  but didn't face Krycek. "I'm sorry to
move you here without telling you first. The agents...ah...they were
not good for you, so they were dismissed. I have to work everyday, so
it's more convenient and safe to have you staying here to take your
medication. You're going to live here with me...I hope it'll be okay
with you." He turned his head to look into a pair of tearful eyes.

To his surprise, Krycek pulled Skinner's arms apart and embraced him
in desperation, whimpering 'please'.


Ten days later
Hoover Building
Deputy Director Office
11:50AM, June 21

Skinner picked up his phone, ready to dial but stopped. Then he fished
out his business card from his wallet to find his own phone number at
home. Of course he couldn't remember what number it was since there
never had been anyone waiting for him to call at his so-called home.
But now the situation was different, Krycek lived there with him,
cleaned the house, did the laundry and even cooked which surprised him
the first time he entered  his condo after work to find the supper
done already.

When he went to work, Krycek spent hours working out to regain his
strength or read part of the books on Skinner's bookshelf. They began
a routine of sharing fine wine after dinner and listening to classical
music which he helped soothe Krycek's mood for his bedtime.

Unfortunately, Krycek's PTSD symptoms had become worse recently, no
matter how much he worked out in the day and seemed tired to death at
night he couldn't even take a nap for an hour. 

He wondered what Alex was doing now. 

Skinner cared for Alex as a friend as he thought he was. He still
struggled with whether or not to tell Alex the truth-that he was the
man who shot him. He would when the right time came. Until that
happened, anyway, he was glad there was someone waiting for him when
he went home everyday and when he did something like help Krycek, he
could focus on something besides his now pointless life.

The phone rang. He forgot Krycek couldn't talk, when the phone was
picked up and a nasal sound let him know that it must be him, Skinner
chuckled, "Okay, I know it's you. Look...ah...it's Friday and I don't
want to catch up on my paperwork to Saturday, so I'll be late coming
home tonight, don't wait up for me." It was half a lie, actually, he
had planned something after work.

"...Ooo...k..." Krycek sounded a little disappointed.

Crystal City - Viva Tower
Skinner's condo
11:15PM, June 21

A key ring jangled softly, Alex knew that must be Walter. But he
couldn't get up, he became drunk during the lonely  night, and laid on
the floor in front of the balcony, still unable to fall asleep.

Keys were dropped, along with his suit on the sofa, Skinner loosed his
tie, and stayed where he could see Krycek. He seemed vulnerable,
sensitive, clever and accommodating these days they lived together,
was that really him ? A real Alex Krycek without the memories of his
killing mission, his spying on any side of adversaries, his betraying
of Mulder?

Yes. But he was one of the best assassins. 

"Krycek. Hey..." Skinner said softly, and helped him to his feet.

"...hmmm...you..."

A wild troubled animal! Just when could he convince Krycek to cut his
hair? Walter notived that without clothing Krycek like Tarzan ......
and pretty.

"Can't sleep?" He put a gift box in front of Krycek. "Go ahead, open
it."

Krycek gave him an uncertain glance and opened the box, then knitted
his eyebrows slightly. Walter was grinning at him, so he took the
present out.

"I...ah...tomorrow is your birthday, thought you needed pajamas. It's
silk, won't hurt you...I think." Skinner blushed a little, it was not
normal to give a man pajamas as a birthday present, but he thought
Krycek really should wear something. "Like the color? You always wear
black, so I picked them." 

Krycek stroked the smooth clothes sheepishly, "th..than..."

"No thanks. Go, take a shower and put it on, maybe you can get to
sleep tonight," Skinner said, friendly.

He threw away the empty bottle of wine and took a shower after Krycek
finished. Lying on his cool gray silk sheets, he fell asleep
peacefully.

Four fifteen in the morning, a bump on his bedroom door startled him
wide-awake. He drew out his gun which he always hid beneath his
pillow, and carefully walked to the door, "Krycek ?" Hearing the same
nasal sound, he lowered his gun and opened the door.

Krycek's eyes were red from crying he could tell, "What's up
?...you...you look great in black." Skinner was glad he wore the
pajamas. "See, it won't hurt."

But Krycek looked into his eyes helplessly, slowly shook his head.

He sighed, "I know, can't sleep." Skinner bowed his head thoughtfully,
"Maybe we should see Dr. Miller again..." While he talked, he watched
as the pajamas were dropped on the floor.

Before he could react, Krycek grasped Skinner's left arm firmly,
"...fff...ff..fuck...meee.." his eyes begging with tears. It was the
last thing he could consider, 'wear me out, fuck me to death,
whatever. It's painful dying to sleep but can't get to.'
"...pleeease..." He leaned against Skinner, sobbing.

"I...I...look, this is not a good idea..." He was going to pull him
apart, but he couldn't decide where to TOUCH him.

Surprised, Krycek tore out a growl in desperation, bursting out his
last energy to shove Skinner straight back onto bed. "...fuckme..." He
cried hoarsely, and snaked up to kiss Skinner in desperation. 

Alex's silky hair brushed Walter's cheeks, sensually.

"Wait...yo..you're...drunk." Skinner struggled between the kisses, and
finally he held Krycek's face with both his hands. Krycek hammered at
Skinner's chest with his fist frantically, spitting FUCK, again and
again.

With that, Skinner barked a sound, rolled over Krycek, pressed him
onto his cool gray silky sheets. When he looked into that pair of deep
green helpless eyes, guilt, pity, memories gushed out with his
heartbeats which he never experienced before during his poor sex life.
He captured those quivering lips with his own for an instant, and
tasted the flavor of wine on Alex's moist hot tender tongue. He became
aroused by Krycek's soft moans in an instant, so he took off his own
sweat pants and briefs in a few seconds, still staring into those now
twinkling eyes covered by half closed long eyelashes, he then prepared
himself with his saliva. 

Shoving into him with one forceful motion caused Krycek to burst out a
cry in pain as, they both panted, staring at each other. There's no
way back, Skinner thought as he bumped into him repeatedly everytime,
making Krycek groan in pleasure and pain.

They both climaxed almost at the same time. Skinner collapsed on top
of him, and said tenderly "Happy birthday...Alex!" 

Oh, God! This was incredible, he thought when he withdrew from Alex,
feeling the stickiness. He kissed Alex's scar fondly. But Krycek had
alredy fallen asleep as soon as he orgasmed. Skinner slid out of bed
to pick up his gun which was dropped on the floor, then the pajamas
which were discarded near the doorframe. he smiled though he didn't
know why. He was happy which he thought he didn't deserve.

Only one fuck let him finally figure out what the tension was between
Mulder and himself in that military facility, now that Mulder was gone
with Scully, he found suddenly he had the ability of loving somebody
in his empty heart. Fucking Krycek relieved both of them, body and
soul.

He cleaned Krycek gently then took a shower, a little worried he had
caused Alex to bleed. Skinner lay down beside him, watching him till
fell asleep.

Crystal City - Viva Tower
Skinner's condo
11:50AM, June 23

Skinner came home with groceries that filled of his hands. He went to
the drugstore to buy some lube, condoms and ointment, when he picked
them up in the store his hand shook a little unsurely. He went
upstairs to check on Krycek, no, Alex. He's slept over thirty hours
and barely moved a bit, must be exhausted. Skinner thought, so he
closed the bedroom door, then went down to the kitchen.

When he finished the cooking, he went upstairs again. Sitting beside
Alex carefully, Walter touched his cheek with his cheese-smelling
palm, and very tenderly said, "Hey..."

Alex struggled to open his eyes; when he saw Skinner's face then
glanced around the bedroom. Surprised, he sat up abruptly, the pain in
his anus made him hiss remembering their fuck all of a sudden. 

"Are you all right?" Skinner brushed his hair lightly, but his hand
was soon slapped away. He frowned.

Alex was ashamed, he grabbed his pajamas from where Skinner had put
them beside him last night, then ran out of the bedroom without
looking at Skinner and hid himself in the guest bathroom.

"Krycek ?" When he didn't respond, Skinner knocked on the door,
"Kry...Alex...come out, you haven't eaten for thirty hours. Would you
have some lunch with me? I'm starving." Still no answer, Skinner bowed
his head and sighed, "I'm sorry IT hurt...I should have known we both
would regret... " he muttered.

Just when Skinner began to leave, the door opened, and Alex came out
wearing his pajamas. He stared at Skinner eyes full of tears, who
couldn't hide his feelings. "...so...sorry..."

Skinner pulled him into his arms, embraced him affectionately,
"...fool..." released a sigh.

They never had sex again after that. Alex still struggled with his
sleep disorders but he would go to Skinner's bed for comfort, being
held would decrease his nightmares of being locked in somewhere, or
was beaten continuously for the truth by somebody or living in danger
constantly, killed or be killed. 

Most of the time when Skinner was home, Alex seemed obedient,
submissive and more relied on him mentally. When he was out of town to
attend some conferences, Alex phoned him just in order to hear a good
night. Alex blushed like a teenager every time Skinner brushed his
hand against him accidently in their daily life, but he resisted
showing his feelings. Alex wasn't sure what he saw Walter as-a
brother, a friend or a lover?

Days, months went by, Alex's headache troubled him more frequently, he
seemed to have some pieces of memories which he couldn't make any
sense of, not certain whether they were delusions or realities.

Crystal City - Viva Tower
Skinner's condo
A summer night, August

After he parked his car, Skinner took the stairway instead of the
elevator. He wanted a little time to calm himself.

He was annoyed by his paperwork and Agent Doggett hadn't been in touch
with him for over a month. 'Where on earth is Mulder !?' He decided to
see Dr. Miller after work, who told Skinner it was just the beginning
of a classic PTSD episode that Alex was suffering now.

He could see that the light was on from the crack under the door, so
he opened it.

Seeing the mess in the living room, he drew out his gun in a second.
His heart throbbed with worry. "Alex..." he called cautiously and
moved to the kitchen first where he heard something. There was a mess,
too. In a glance, he saw a ring being smashed on the dining table,
picking it up he recognized it as the wedding ring he drew from
Sharon's lifeless finger and the jade on it was gone. 

Alex curled on the floor without clothing, trembling. Skinner rolled
him to sit, but burst out his anger as soon as he saw that jade stuck
into his scar which still bleeding. Alex had gotten drunk again, but
still could sense Walter's anger, "...no !"

"Leopard can't change his spots, you thief!" He growled and dragged
Alex out of the kitchen then shoved him onto the balcony. Ignoring his
begging, he handcuffed Alex on the railing right in the same place the
last time he had cuffed him. "It's hot and you don't have to think
warm thoughts this time!" He then locked the sliding door, blocking
Alex's screams of fear and returned to the kitchen, and emptied all
the bottles of wine into the sink.

Unaware of how much time had passed, Skinner could tell that his neck
was numb from sitting on the kitchen floor with his head lying between
his knees. And he remembered Alex.

"Oh, God, what had I done ?!"

He rushed to the balcony and saw Alex paled with shock in the
moonlight, shivering.

"Hold on, Alex. I'm sorry...I'm sorry." Skinner unlocked the cuff then
swung him up into his strong arms. He carried him upstairs to his
bedroom. After he put him on the bed, Skinner  wiped him clean with a
warm wet towel. The blood stains on his forehead reminded him that
Alex had been shot by his own hand.

"...cold...ff..fff...freeze to...death..." he said nearly in
unconsciousness.

Skinner slid behind him onto the bed, wrapped the sheets around both
of them. "Forgive me, Alex. Forgive me," he murmured, kissing Alex's
silky hair.

Alex's shallow and rapid breath finally calmed. He kept quiet for a
few minutes then stirred. Suddenly turning around, he hissed, his deep
green eyes wide and full of hatred, glaring at Skinner. 

"SKINNER! You son of a bitch, fucking bastard !" Krycek jerked
Skinner's collar, fighting him.They both fell onto the floor.

They wrestled with each other. Skinner kicked him against the closet,
he noticed the scar on Krycek's forehead bleeding again.

"What the hell?...You...you can...remember..." Skinner caught his
breath, narrowing his eyes.

"Ya, now I remember, you beat me in this house, handcuffed me on that
fucking railing of the balcony to think warm thoughts, fuck you
Skinner, you left me out there to fucking freeze to death..." He wiped
the blood now streaming down to his lips, "...and it's YOU who shot
me. Sure I remember, WE. ARE. ENEMIES. " he clenched his teeth.

"Yeah? What about how you threatened me with your lovely toy ?"
Skinner asked bitterly. His mind went through all the events in a
rush- thought about the nanotechnology atoms, thought about CIA, FBI
and the fate between Mulder, Alex and him. He sighed, "I knew you just
did your job, I was supposed to be your backup all these years. Thanks
to the God damn CIA !"

"Then how dare you shoot me ?" Alex shouted.

"I couldn't let you kill him, couldn't kill him myself. I had no
choice." His voice was hoarse.

"Kill who ?" Alex confused.

"I thought you remember everything...Apparently not...look, Alex,
we're not enemies. Not now, not before..." Skinner walked toward him
defenselessly, reached over his arms, "...not in the future." With
that, he hugged Alex tightly.

"We...we're...lovers," He said softly, heart breaking. Alex struggled
in his arms like an animal at first, then cried soundlessly, shaking
in his arms.

"Sorry about the ring. My head hurt to death, just wanted to stop
it...must have been out of my mind," Alex whispered on Walter's
chest.

"It's all right. It's yours now, have my ring. Guess we'll stick
together..." He held up Alex's cheeks in his big hands, Skinner
grinned tenderly, "...forever."

They stared into each other, heart to heart.

"Fuck me! Walt." Alex gushed out under the tears.

"No...I'll make love to you...slowly, this time." 

PART TWO: Survive

Commonwealth Psychological Associates
September 3

Walter sedated Alex after they had a wonderful sex and Alex finally
was exhausted enough to fall asleep. He took him to CPA immediately,
let Dr. Miller check the scar which was inflamed with the tissue
swelled around the jade. Of course, he had to explain the reason how
the jade became stuck there.

"No, the jade didn't damage anything but skin if that's what you are
worried about. Do you want me to take it out or keep it there?" Dr.
Miller asked Skinner.

"Keep it. He didn't know I took him here," Skinner said uncomfortably,
his concern toward Alex showed in his nature and the doctor gave him
an understanding smile.

Dr. Miller walked to the sink and began to clean his hands.

"He'll know anyway, I'm gonna clean the pus, maybe cut a little tissue
that will make the scar smoother after it is healed." He winked to
Skinner while putting on his gloves. "It's a simple surgery. Would you
mind wait outside the room ? Oh, if you prefer any cosmetic surgery, I
can arrange..."

"No. No, just do it. I'll wait outside." He left the operating room
and sat on the couch down the hall.

It was finished in about thirty minutes. Walter took Alex home before
his sedative lost efficacy.

Crystal City - Viva Tower
Skinner's condo

He put Alex on the bed; his hand caressed his lover's face. Alex
reached his fourtieth on June 22, his age showed on his sideburns,
they were a beautiful gray. Walter didn't know a man could ever be so
sexy with them.

He remembered their first. It had been two months since they became
lovers. 

"Hey, wake up, Alex. Time to eat." Walter kissed his sideburns.

"Mmm...hey, Walt." Alex reached out his hand to pull Walter onto the
bed, he sealed their lips in a passionate kiss then released him
reluctantly but smiled, "That was wonderful, thank you."

At some point he tried to scratch the itch on his scar and found the
bandage, flying out of bed he rushed to the bathroom to check HIS
jade. Tearing the bandage off, he saw it still buried there safely, he
exhaled in reassurance.

Walter leaned against the doorframe, his face showed his concern.
"Please don't be mad at me. I just want to make sure if you..." 

"No. I'm not. Thought you must have had it dug out, but you didn't,"
Alex said sheepishly and turned to him. 

"I gave it to you, that's my love and I won't take it back. Alex, my
love." Walter hugged him tenderly. He couldn't understand Alex anymore
that he wasn't angry, didn't broke anything or shout. He was so
different from the man he though he knew called Alex Krycek for years.

As Alex remembered everything between the two of them, he began to
have endless nightmares which kept him up so much he barely slept. He
thought a lot, he didn't want to lose the only love he ever had in his
sorry life. He didn't want to be the same man he once was.

How happy he was now in Walter's arms, he didn't want to cry, but he
did.

"Shhh...What's wrong? Alex ?" Walter kissed his hair.

"Don't hate me, don't leave me. Please. I'll be good, really." He
nearly pled.

"I won't. Don't be silly."

"No. There's another man I can feel it, I can't remember who, but you
love him. You've always loved him. You hated me before, you will hate
me again." He sobbed.

Walter didn't answer him for a while, then he said quietly, "No, he's
dead...I thought."

They had their dinner in peace. Alex still preferred not to wear any
clothing, but on Walter's insistence, he wore his silky pajama pants.
Now that his hair was shoulder-length, Walter tied him a ponytail
whenever they had meals. The soft light from the kitchen ceiling shone
on his hair and eyelashes turning into dirty golden, and made his bare
neck seem more submissive. He smiled as he sipped champagne.

Walter melted into the beauty in front of him.

"Lexei..." He reached over to bring Alex's hand to his lips and kissed
it gently.

"You never called me that..." He whispered as his heartbeat
quickened.

"I'm in love with you, Lexei. You don't have to remember anything
anymore; I don't want you to, no more past, no more pain, just you and
me." Walter then kissed his palm. He closed his eyes and prayed
soundlessly, hoped to God to let him keep the last person he loved
with his dear life.

He was afraid someday Alex would remember everything and leave him, he
didn't want Alex to endanger himself like Mulder did. He already lost
Mulder from the beginning he was assigned to keep him in line and lost
him forever in the end. They all did their best to try to save the
world from aliens. Too much sacrifice and no egotism. Enough! He
wouldn't let Alex have the same fate after Mulder. Being a little
selfish wouldn't change the future; the fucking future was when the
aliens would invade this planet after all.

Coming home everyday, having someone waiting for him in his small
condo, that was his only happiness, his only reason to live in the
mess of the world with no future.  
Hoover Building
Deputy Director Office
7:30AM, September 3

As usual, Skinner entered his office earlier than Kimberly; he went to
her desk to look for his documents and letters. But he couldn't get
any, since the deliverers hadn't begun their daily work yet. It was
strange to see a post card lying on his desk with no address on it,
only the most familiar handwriting 'You big, bald, beautiful man'. 

His heart sped up, Skinner sat on the edge of his chair, hands
trembling a little. He would never forgot what Mulder said in that
cell at that moment after he kissed Scully passionately then turned to
him, Mulder's eyes had shined the same emotion to him when he said
those words to him. Skinner regretted everyday for not receiving
Mulder's love motion in the first place. But God, there still was
hope. HE'S NOT DEAD! Thank God!

"Sir ? Are you all right ?" Kimberly brought his documents and letters
to him.

"Oh...Ah, nothing. Bring me coffee, please." He had been so lost in
his thoughts for a long time, he hadn't noticed the time. Skinner
thought as Kimberly closed his office door, it's five after eight.

Five minutes later Kimberly carried a tray with warm coffee and
cookies on it to him.

"Ah...Kim, Did you ever see...no, forget it, never mind." Skinner
pretended to bury himself in his paperwork. He couldn't risk a chance
to let anyone know the news.

He burned the post card in his washroom.

Crystal City - Viva Tower
Skinner's condo
Midnight, September 4

"You're late, Walt," Alex complained, unhappy.

Walter startled at first as he turned on the light, like a husband
coming home late from seeing someone behind his wife's back. Yes, he
stayed in his office till ten o'clock then wandered to the basement,
hoping to get any further contact from Mulder, but nothing happened.
He forgot to call Alex that he would be late.

"I'm sorry, Lexei." Walter put down his briefcase and began to take
off his coat.

Alex rushed him by surprise, he kissed Walter thoroughly. When they
ended the kiss, they both were aroused.

"Lexei ?"

"Nothing, just missed you." The naked Alex walked into kitchen, "Did
you have dinner ? I'm starving."

"Great. I'm hungry, too." Walter followed him into the kitchen. He saw
the food prepared already on the table which looked like it had been
cold for hours, "I'm sorry to have you waiting for me."

"Never mind, I'll reheat the food." He turned to do just that.

Walter watched him, his thoughts wandered between Alex and Mulder.
Alex didn't remember Mulder yet and Mulder didn't know Alex was still
alive. What if they saw each other in this house, would Alex regain
all of his memories or would they try to kill each other?

Should he confess to Alex about Mulder, should he tell Mulder about
Alex before bringing him here if Mulder really came to him?

Alex's hand landed on his upper arm tenderly. "Walt ?"

"Huh?"

"You're not here!" Alex sighed slightly.

"Sorry. I just thought...I...I think we should go out for dinner
sometime, I want to see you in those silk shirt and pants I bought you
last week." Walter decided to drop his worry for now. He ate this meal
Alex put in front of him.

"I'll wear them if you like, but I have no desire to go out," Alex
said emotionlessly.

"You're right. It's not a wisest thing to do; they can get you at any
moment."

"Sorry, Walt...I..I have no idea why I'm so afraid of leaving this
place; I can't feel safe without you around. You must think I'm
weak..." Alex ducked his head, tears formed in his eyes.

"No, no, come here, Lexei." Walter pulled him into his lap, his left
arm wrapped around Alex's waist. "You're not weak, you have a great
body full of the most energy I've ever seen and you're my bravest
lover who deals with his nightmares everyday..." Walter untied his
ponytail, "and my best cook," he kissed his cheek, "...my beautiful
housekeeper, ah, no, heart-keeper! Lexei..." He then captured Alex's
lips passionately as his hands caressed everywhere on his lover's
body.

Walter lifted Alex up with his strong arms clasped around his waist.

"No! Put me down! I'm heavy, might hurt your back..." He squeaked.

"Shut up!" Walter growled out his need, brown eyes darkened with
lust.

He carried Alex upstairs to his room. Putting him on the bed, Walter
tore off every piece of his own clothing revealing all the muscle he
was proud of. He could see the excitement in Alex's shining eyes.

Without a word, he jumped on Alex like he wanted to eat him alive. He
fucked him hard with all his passion and his love. They both climaxed
at the same time, Walter's semen buried deep inside Alex's body like
water cleaned his soul. Alex smiled his thanks to Walter and fell to a
peaceful sleep and for the first time he did not have a nightmare.

Going on their sweet, happy sex life without nightmares, two weeks
passed like a honeymoon to Alex. On the other hand, Walter worried
about Mulder for not giving him his further contact. Was he happy with
Scully ? Were they still in America ? Or would he come to me someday
?

Hoover Building
Deputy Director Office
8:10AM, September 20

Kimberly took a cup of coffee into Skinner's office. It was a routine
for years, her boss liked the coffee hot on the desk no matter how the
weather was. Before she could put it on his desk, she over heard
Skinner talking to someone on the phone, and it wasn't about business.
She perked up and stopped at the doorframe.

"Yeah, I know that's all 'cause of his PTSD...No, he refused to take
any medication anymore since his nightmares stopped two weeks ago..."
Skinner covered his phone and made a sound, "Kim ?"

"Sorry, sir ?"

"You can put it down." Skinner stared at the coffee cup Kimberly held
in her hands.

"Oh, yes, of course."

After she left the office, Skinner finished his conversation with Dr.
Miller as quickly as possible.

"Damn!" He growled to himself soundlessly, he blamed himself for not
being alert when his agents went missing. Things wouldn't be over even
if everybody was dead. This office could be bugged. Always ears out
there. Skinner took his glasses off and stroked his face with his
hands tiredly.

"Morning! DD Skinner." The CIA man entered silently.

"You !" Skinner stood in anger, "You aren't supposed to be here!"

"Don't worry, I'm Dr. Miller now." He tossed his pass ID onto
Skinner's desk.

"You...killed him ?" Skinner quieted his voice and clenched his fists.
He just said goodbye to Dr. Miller minutes ago, and the CIA had
murdered him!

"That's not the point. How's HE doing ?" He smiled cruelly.

"I thought you already knew."

"I want the information-everything he remembered."

"He can't remember anything but pain for God's sake, and he's not the
same man you expected if you want to know." Skinner punched on his
desk.

"Really ? We'll see." He took the pass ID card back from the desk.
"It's a matter of time. WALT."

Shit! He knew! After the CIA man left, Skinner told Kimberly he
wouldn't see anyone before lunch and locked his office; he turned it
upside down in order to find the bug. He felt sorry for Dr. Miller,
another life just gone for nothing but he'd known too much.

If the CIA knew Alex's recent conditions then the others would know
too, sooner or later. They would chase Alex like the others did to
Mulder, he had to hurry.

Skinner left his office for lunch as usual without carrying his
briefcase. Once outside the Hoover Building, he took a cab at the next
block instead of driving his own car stopped in the parking deck, it
might be bugged, too.

Crystal City - Viva Tower
Skinner's condo

"Walt? What's wrong? You're pale." Alex came out of the laundry room.

"Lexei! Hurry!" Walter caught his arm and pulled him upstairs. "Get
yourself ready as soon as possible, we're leaving."

Walter took his camp set and packed some clothing. Seeing the rush,
Alex was alarmed in an instant.

"They know?" Alex stunned there. "How ?"

"Dr. Miller. They killed him this morning. I was bugged." Walter
tossed the bug he found in his office onto the bed. He lowered his
voice, "This place could be bugged, too."

"That's right, bugs everywhere." Alex smirked like he used to.  Walter
hadn't seen it for a long while. He went to Walter's closet and took
several bugs out from a little box then tossed them onto the bed,
too.

"How...?" Walter couldn't find his word.

"Some of them are the cuties I bugged you with years ago, the others
aren't CIA, look at them, so ugly. But none of them worked since I
came here." Alex sat onto the bed and thumbed them, a slight triumph
lit up his face. "Sorry, I didn't trust you at that time."

"Think so. Since when you picked them out ?"

"You're right about me...leopard can't change his spots..."

"I was angry, didn't mean to..." Walter tried to apologize.

"It's Okay. I don't blame you. By the way, I think I didn't lose my
abilities even if I lost my memories. The next day after I woke up in
your guestroom, couldn't stop myself and acted on instinct. I cleaned
them up! How did you think I spent my time when you're at work ?"

"Oh, you are my boy." Walter hugged his shoulder and sat next to Alex
on the bed, he whispered, "So, they didn't hear our lovemaking."

"I don't think that's why we're leaving, Walt." His head leaned on
Walter's shoulder, said quietly.

"HE wants your information. If the CIA wants you back alive, the
others will bury you alive. You're a dead man, Alex. I can't let
anyone lay a hand on you." Walter stood to pack Alex's clothing. "We
should buy you more clothes on the road, or you'll run out of stuff
soon."

"No need. My place first, I'll pack my stuff there and wait for you
till tonight. We both know you can't leave now, if you won't go back
to your office after lunch time, they'll suspect you." Alex quickly
pulled out the silk shirt and pants Walter bought him weeks ago.
Without his artificial arm, Alex couldn't wear them by himself, so he
let Walter dress him.

They left in a hurry.

Survival
A Gay Bar

A cab drove into an ally and stopped there for ten minutes. Nobody
came to the bar that early. They checked the ally, made sure they had
not been followed then paid the cab.

"Why here? It's only a block away from Mulder's apartment." Walter
knew in an instant Alex had not accidently to be Mulder's neighbor.

"Who's Mulder?" Alex frowned.

"No, no, don't THINK now." It's not the time for a headache. 

"I didn't." Alex walked to the bar named Survival, and punched the
buzzer on the wall.

"We're not open for bunisess, come back at midnight, will ya ?" The
owner's voice sounded lazily through the buzzer.

"It's me, Papa."

"Alec? Alec, is that really you? Just a second." He pressed the
release to open the steel door downstairs.

Alex led Walter to the second floor, "Welcome to Survival !"

Walter sat on a stool in front of the bar. He went behind the bar to
fry some potatoes. Walter helped himself to a beer on the bar.

Minutes later, a black man about late forty something came down from
the third floor, wearing white tights and several silver rings on his
right ear.

"Hi, Alec! Where've you been?" He hugged Alex happily, "Look at you,
you're beautiful, where'd you get the jade?"

"Er..." Alex turned to Walter, blushed. "Walter gave it to me."

"Huh, your taste changed, Alec." He walked around Walter and admired
him, "Nice body !"

"Nice to meet you, Mr. ?" Walter was embarrassed, but stayed calm.

"No mister, call me Papa. I own half the bar; Alec has the other half.
So, make yourself at home." Papa turned on the light, so they could
see the whole bar. 

It's a vary nice place. A small stage in the center of the room for
dancing, booths around the wall where lots of nude art hung on. 

"You had a life, Lexei." Walter laughted, he couldn't image Alex
acting pansy like Papa. But he did notice Alex's left ear pierced.

"Eat, baby." Alex played a joke on Walter acting like a sexy woman,
and put French fries on the bar.

"Guess you're a Marine." Papa sat on the stool next to Walter. He
posed his body, trying to flirt with Walter.

Alex smiled, but didn't say anything to his friend.

"You sure ?" Walter relaxed, he found Alex seemed very trusting of
this friend.

"I can smell you," Papa said in a sexy voice.

Alex chuckled, "Papa was a Marine, too."

"Hey, you are no fun. I'm trying to vamp your man."

Walter laughed, "Thanks, BUDDY."

"Not funny. I'm not your buddy." Papa wiggled his ass, went behind the
bar, "Alec, I kept your new arm in your room, it was delivered here a
week late after you left." He wrapped his arms around Alex and they
went upstairs, and left Walter to finish his lunch.

They were gone a long while, Walter helped himself to a cup of tea to
erase the flavor of beer in his mouth.

"Walt." Alex gestured him to come upstairs.

Walter took their stuff upstairs. Alex let him in and closed the
door.

They were in a small studio, and Papa was waiting for him.

"What you up to ?" Walter put down their stuff on a couch. He looked
around the room, a space for photographing, a desk full of piles of
visas, driver's licenses and something else he couldn't tell what it
was.

"Papa will make us some fake IDs, so we need some photos of yours."
Alex took their stuff and turned to leave the room.

After Papa took his photograph, Walter went to Alex's room.

"Nice." The room was so different from his, the color of the wallpaper
was warm, lots of books and CDs piled on the bookshelf. The bed was
covered with soft green cotton sheets and it was a DOUBLE which made
Walter smiled.

"What?" Alex blushed a little. He was shy letting Walter see how he
had been, to see his lifestyle.

"I want to make love to you on your small bed, it's a pity we don't
have time." Walter pushed him onto the mattress and kissed him
lovingly.

Alex embraced him, his eyes closed and tears moistened his long
eyelashes. He whispered, "Go, and come back before midnight, my king."
He could feel nothing more than Walter was the center of his world at
that moment.

Hoover Building
Deputy Director Office
1:25PM

A little late but not enough to let anyone wonder where he had been,
Skinner even bought Kimberly a cup of coffee at the coner of the block
where they usually had takeout. 

He did his paperwork and ran two meetings with his agents. Everything
just went on as usual; Skinner said his goodbye to Kimberly and drove
his own car from the Hoover Building. He took his car to the dealer
for a regular checkup and told him he would pick it up on Monday. The
dealer let him pick a SUV in the garage.

Skinner didn't go back to his condo, he went to Survival directly.

Survival
7:30PM, September 20

Music could be heard from downstairs faintly, Survival began it's
night. Dozens of people crowded in the dim bar, nobody paid  attention
to Skinner when he entered in the shadow and stole to the third
floor.

"Lexei ?" He knocked the door.

Someone opened the door, Walter looked around the room. "Oh, am I got
the wrong place? Where's Alex, lady ?"

"Would you mind closing the door, baby ?" The blonde sat on Alex's bed
seductively.

"You !" Walter exhaled loudly, he locked the door and walked to Alex,
"Amazing...but, I don't like it red; men will follow you like bees."
He thumbed off Alex's red lipstick then kissed him hotly.

Alex had dyed his hair blond and put on a little makeup, dressed in a
simple one-piece with a scarf wearing on his neck, and of course a
pair of fake breasts. He looked like a normal housewife except too
pretty and tall.

"Shall we go ?" Alex put on some lipgloss since Walter didn't like him
to look too pretty.

Papa already prepared cash for Alex, it was a large amount of money;
half of the net profit from last year belonged to Alex. Paying cash on
the road, so that neither FBI nor CIA could trace them.

Walter took his fake ID from Alex, he glanced at his name, "Mitch
Pileggi ? Sounds like a Hollywood star."

"Don't you think you look a little like him ?" Alex laughed.

"Then yours must be Nicholas Lea."

"No. I'm a woman now, remember ? Just call me Lisa !" Alex shrugged.

Lisa? Walter's heartbeat seemed to speed up in a second, Alex once
called this name in his sleep, and he knew that was 'Fox'.

"Your ID." Walter checked it, he sighed after founding the last name
wasn't 'Mulder'.

"Hey, I'm your WIFE, that makes me a Pileggi, too." Alex grinned.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's move, dear."

They took turns driving, eating and sleeping. Thirteen hours later,
they arrived at Quebec. They showered in a hotel room and had a good
breakfast, Alex took a nap when Walter went to shop for everything
they needed.

Laurentian Mountains
An abandoned Cabin

"Wake up, Walt." It was cold on the mountain at night, Alex shivered a
little since he only wore the thin dress, he should have changed his
clothing but Walter insisted that he keep his disguise just in case.

"Where ?" He straightened up.

"Laurentian Mountain. Welcome to the rathole of CGB Spender's cabin."
Alex smirked.

"Spender ? How did you find it here ?" Walter got out of the car
carefully, gun in hand.

"I was sent to bring him back..." He turned off the headlights and
switched on his flashlight. 

"By who ?"

"...can't remember." Alex shrugged.

The last time he came here he was on a mission, he and his comrade
jumped here when snow covered everything. So he wasted a lot of time
on driving to find his way here. A little cabin Spender's bolthole far
from the more popular places of resorts around the area, and it was in
dangerous bear country which was closed to the public. Besides,
Walter's SUV was kind of hard to drive on the mountain.

Walter went to the door first, he touched a hole on the door, "Hey,
it's unlocked and this bullet hole...did he shoot you?" 

"No, he killed another man who was sent with me." Alex came and opened
the door, he tried to switch on the light but failed. The next second
they jumped as a little startled animal rushed through the door then
vanished into the pitch black forest. "Looks like Spender never came
back here again after I found him."

Alex had entered the cabin once, after he cuffed Spender on the
kitchen table waiting to catch their helicopter, he had checked
everywhere quickly. So he knew Spender set sensors around the cabin
for security, and he remembered there was generator in the laundry
room, and a jeep parked outside the door of the laundry room.

They used the generator to turn the electricity on in the cabin, so
they could see the whole place clearly. The place sucked for lack of
use for nearly four years, and they could smell damp and funk. Walter
checked everywhere when Alex went to get their stuff.

"Small...but nice if we clean it up." 

"Yeah." Alex went to the master bedroom tiredly.

Walter began to clean the fridge, putting away the frozen food first,
taking them out from their small cooler. When he was finished there,
he checked doors and windows then went to the master bedroom, too.
Alex had changed the sheets, put on the ones Walter bought them that
afternoon, the old one was discarded on the floor along with the
pillow Spender used, and Alex's dress was cast off outside the
bathroom. Walter picked it up, smiled and he folded it to put on a
chair.

They were too tired to do anything. Walter hugged the naked Alex in
his arms under a wool blanket, they both fell asleep immediately.

Small cabin
5:30AM, September 22 

"Lexei." Walter kissed Alex's sideburns, murmured his name softly.
"Morning, about time. I have to go."

Alex stirred a little then sat up abruptly. "Already ?"

"Have to make it before Monday morning, you'll be all right ?" He
brushed Alex's hair lovingly.

Alex buried his cheek in Walter's palm, his eyes closed; tears flowed
from his eyes silently. He knew he had to be strong, he would live
here on his own like he always used to.

"Shhh, I love you, Lexei. I'll be back, I'll think of an other
way..."

"Walter, make love to me, please."

"My pleasure." He caressed Alex in a tender motion, "Let me remember
your body...your scent...your beauty, so I can think of you while
you're not around. Lexei."

Alex sobbed. He kissed Walter with his life. 

They made love hard 'cause they couldn't be sure whether they would be
together again. Afterwards, they made sandwiches for breakfast and
lunch. Alex drove Walter to Dorval so he could take a flight to
Washington DC. Spender's jeep needed to be fixed, Walter left his SUV
to Alex, and Alex gave him cash to pay the dealer, this way they
wouldn't be traced for a while during the paperwork.

Crystal City - Viva Tower
Skinner's condo
8:05PM, September 22

Walter was really tired. Worried about Alex's safety, three days on
the run and having sex with his younger lover, he was exhausted when
he finally arrived home. He craved a hot shower and a good sleep; he
might have to deal with the CIA man if they found Alex was gone.

He didn't notice someone standing in front of his balcony.

"Where've you been? Walter. You look like hell." 

The soft tone was so familiar, it startled Skinner. For an instant,
his heart seemed to stop, Skinner stood stunned at the frontdoor with
his back leaning against it. He narrowed his eyes, confused to see the
shadow walking toward him. "Mulder!"

"Yeah, it's me." Mulder hugged the stunned man, buried his face in the
joint of Skinner's neck smelling his scent. "You big, bald, beautiful
man. This time, would you let me kiss you ?"

Skinner didn't dare to move a finger, he had Alex already and Mulder
had Scully, but his heart drummed and he flushed to his neck. He said
weakly, "Let go of me, Mulder."

Mulder sighed. He turned on the light, so Skinner saw the mess around
his living room.

"Not me." Mulder held up his hands in the air.

"I know." He slouched in his sofa.

"Two men broke into here three hours ago, they seemed to search
someone and put this." Mulder tossed the bug on the coffee table.

"A cutie." He sneered remembering Alex's word about the bug and
identified it as belonging to the CIA.

"You knew these men? Did they have any connection with this hair..."
Mulder sat next to Skinner and put a long deep brown hair in his palm.
"...and the silk boxers." He fished it out from his pocket of his
leather jacket and tossed it on Skinner's lap.

"Looks like you had fun in my house, too." Skinner smiled, he folded
the boxers and put it on the coffee table.

Mulder watched how Skinner reacted to the hair and boxers. Hair might
belong to a woman, but the boxers belonged to man absolutley and it
was not in Skinner's size evidently. He almost could put a finger on
it, "I came here Friday night, midnight, actually. You seemed to have
left in a hurry, I mean the laundry...I finished it for you. Guess I
shouldn't do it 'cause I found the boxers when I took it from the
dryer." He brushed through his hair then watched his own hand with
several hairs in it. "And it's not difficult to find hairs everywhere,
in the guest room, the shower and...on your bed." 

"It's not the time to discuss my private life." Skinner didn't look at
Mulder, he stood and began walking upstairs.

"That's why you didn't let me kiss you in the cell." Mulder spoke a
little loudly.

"You had Scully for God's sake, Mulder. And I had no idea that I could
touch a man. What the hell did you expect from your male boss ? " He
snapped.

"...Love...I guess. I realized how much I loved you in that moment. I
still do, but now you have someone apparently, I'll understand...if
you ask me to leave." He turned to leave.

Skinner was shocked to hear Mulder's bare confession. He knew
immediately he loved him, too. Alex was right, he had always loved
Mulder but he didn't figured out the tension between them before. 

"No!" Skinner grabbed his arm in a second then crashed him against the
front door firmly, his another hand held the back of Mulder's neck,
and he kissed him deeply and hard till he tasted blood. He thumbed off
the blood bleeding on the corner of Mulder's lower lip then exhaled,
"Stay."

Skinner released him and turned to go upstairs. He stopped in the
middle of the stairs, "It's all I can do...for now, I'm exhausted." He
said quietly and went to his bedroom, closed the door.

"You forgot this, Walter," Mulder murmured to himself, he picked up
the boxers, pitch black, silk, it made him think of Alex Krycek.
"That's impossible, you're a dead man."

Hoover Building
Deputy Director Office
7:45AM, September 23

What a lucky man Skinner quipped to himself. This morning, Mulder did
the laundry and made breakfast for him just like Alex did everyday.
Why a man at his age deserved the love from two pretty men, he knew he
had to pay the price at some point in his life. Thought about his
life, how he had to deal with Spender for Mulder's life when he was an
AD. Now that bastard was gone, Mulder was staying safely in his house,
he never thought he had to deal with his real boss the CIA for Alex's
life when he became DD. This was his life. He had no time to enjoy his
luck, since Mulder picked up the bug; the CIA man might show up in his
office to question him about Alex 'cause they couldn't HEAR him.

Just as he thought, the CIA man already sat in his chair when Skinner
entered his office.

"Morning, Skinner. I'm wondering if you could leave late to work or
ask for leave today."

"If you don't mind, that's my place." He felt an urge to break the
man's neck.

"Well, if you say so." He left and walked to stand in front of
Skinner, face to face. 

"What do you want ?" In this position, he could easily break the short
man's neck by only one hand, crush him to death as he wished to.

"Does he still live in your condo?"

"Is that important? You didn't seem to give a damn about a disordered
agent before." Skinner clenched his teeth.

"Disordered ? He serviced you very well, didn't he ?" He smiled
evilly.

"You son of a bitch." Skinner grabbed the man's shirt collar. "You
promised whatever I want, only because you asked me to sit in this
damn chair, to be your dog. Now listen carefully, I want his safety,
leave him alone."

"I thought you wanted the others." He glanced at Skinner's hands.

"What do you mean ?" Skinner released him.

"Agent Reyes is dead, our men traced her body, she will be sent to you
by tomorrow."

Skinner was shocked, he worried about Scully and Doggett, last night
he had no time to ask Mulder about them.

PART THREE: Happy Together

Crystal City - Viva Tower
Skinner's condo
6:46PM, September 23

Skinner turned on the light of the living room.

"Tell me what happened, Mulder."

"You're early, I don't remember you leaving the office before nine."
Mulder curled on the sofa, before Skinner came home, he had just sat
there and did nothing but think.

"Yeah, without you making trouble, my work has been a lot easier." He
walked to his study area and put down his briefcase on the wooden
desk.

"I guess so." Mulder didn't move at all. "Sorry, I haven't prepared
dinner."

"Well, I'll call for pizza." Skinner called and then he went upstairs
to take a quick shower and put on the T-shirt he slept in and sweat
pants. The white T-shirt fitted him perfectly on his well built body.

Mulder was still curled on the sofa, that worried him.

"You Okay ?" Skinner carefully sat next to Mulder.

Without a word, Mulder turned his body and embraced Skinner, he
nuzzled Skinner's chest and sighed contentedly.

Skinner was surprised by his sudden action. Gently, he pulled Mulder
away from him.

"Mulder, I'm sorry...but it's not like you...what happened ? You know,
Agent Reyes is dead, her body will be sent to the Bureau by tomorrow
morning."

Mulder seemed to not want to let go of Skinner, not looking at him, he
just embraced Skinner again more insistently this time, like a child
burrowing himself into Skinner's arms. And then he began to sob, his
body shaking.

Oh, great! He's the man who should cry, not Mulder. Skinned rubbed the
other man's back impatiently, "You should say something...talk to me,
will you ?"

Maybe he was used to being mad at Mulder, so he lacked the patience of
Mulder's tears, he couldn't tolerate Mulder's weakness.

Skinner sighed, "I wish Scully was here..." At least she would  know
how to comfort an emotional Mulder.

"No, no...don't talk about her, please, Walter." Mulder let go of him,
still not looking at Skinner. He rubbed away his tears.

"Fine," Skinner said quietly, and left him there. He went upstairs,
and closed his bedroom door.

The cabin
10:00PM, September 23

Alex cleaned a rifle, several kinds of guns lay on the dining table
waiting his attention.

He found them hiding under the master bedroom's bed, along with lots
of money--travel tickets, Canadian dollars, American dollars, and a
little diamond, some gold bars. 

Besides the money, Spender's leftovers included winter clothes, shoes,
books...they all had became moldy. Alex packed them up and threw them
out the kitchen door, he intended to use them as firewood in case he
couldn't get enough firewood for the upcoming cold season.

Yesterday morning after he sent Walter to the airport, Alex bought
more clothing, shoes, sheets, food, tools...everything for cabin life
and winter if he would stay that long. Today, he fixed the jeep,
cleaned the cabin, kept himself busy. Everything was fine. So now,
when he put down the rifle, he couldn't help but think of his Walt, he
felt so lonely all of a sudden in the cool air of the isolated cabin.
Outside, sounds could be heard in the wildwood.

Crystal City - Viva Tower
Skinner's condo
10:00PM, September 23

After he showered, Skinner lay on his bed for two hours, but couldn't
force himself to sleep. Heavy rain hit the windows, his thoughts
wandered to his Lexei, what was he doing at this time if it was
raining there, like here. Did his lover think about him?

There was a knock on his door, he knew it was Mulder, but he did not
want to talk to him, not now. He had just left Alex only thirty hours
before. He couldn't prepare himself to accept Mulder's love even
though he already had loved Mulder for a long time.

But the knock was insistent in spite of Skinner's silence.

Annoyed, he put on his robe to cover his naked body then went to open
his door. "What ?" Skinner didn't look at Mulder, he kept his eyes on
the floor but he could smell the clean scent of Mulder.

"Pizza is ready, I know it's late, but you should eat...for your own
good..." Mulder said softly.

"Look, I'm sorry I was rude to you hours ago...you don't have to do
this..." Skinner tried to keep himself reasonable. It was difficult to
deal with Mulder since he was not his subordinate any more. He wanted
to find a balance in this relationship.

"Come on, just eat." Mulder went down the stairs without waiting for
his apology.

He sighed, actually, he was hungry.

Mulder poured vodka for both of them. "I didn't think you drank vodka
before." He set the bottle aside on the dining table.

Skinner just nodded his thanks, but didn't answer.

Dinner was simple; they finished it and continued drinking. None of
them said a word to the other. The distant sound of rain spattering on
the balcony sent chills running through Skinner's whole body, not that
the vodka didn't work, he realized he was running a fever.

"I...I'd better turn in...have to go to the morgue early...Agent
Reyes's body, I think you know." Skinner took their dishes to the sink
and soaked them in water.

"'Night." Skinner swayed a little but refused Mulder's helping hands.

Hearing Skinner's door closed quietly, Mulder put down his vodka,
disappointed with himself that he couldn't get drunk tonight. Why did
Skinner always get mad at him?

Mulder went to the guest room. He looked at the bed which was still
covered with forest green silk sheets then sighed, muttered "...looks
like HE's expensive."

He tossed and tumbled in bed. The thin sheets seemed useless in the
cool raining night. Though his body was warmed by the half bottle of
vodka, the chill ran through his heart and encouraged him to do his
worst. He went to Skinner's door and happy to find that it was
unlocked, he opeden the door. "Lucky me."

"Walter..." Shit, he forgot Skinner's bed was covered in silk too, the
cotton one was folded on the nightstand. Skinner was sound asleep, so
Mulder lifted the cover and slid into it, he snuggled against Skinner,
his hand slowly running over the soft white robe and finally thieving
under the robe, as soon as he touched Walter, all his excitement
stopped, "God, you're running a fever." He tried to get up, wanting to
find some medicine for Walter but was grabbed by the wrist.

"Don't go, my love." Skinner murmured in his sleep.

What? Walter's words sped up his heartbeat again.

"Walter ? Are you talking to me ?" Mulder lowered himself to Walter's
face, couldn't resist his clean scent which was mixed up with the
alcohol, he was hesitant whether or not to kiss Walter on those parted
lips.

Skinner let go of his wrist and then pulled Mulder into his arms, he
sighed contentedly and his mouth searched for his lover's blindly. His
eyes still closed.

Mulder frowned, "Walter, you're drunk...", even so he kissed him,
"...you don't know what you're doing, and you might regret when you
wake up..."

Skinner didn't hear him, just kissed him back and moaned; his hands
kept caressing Mulder's body. His dreamy actions seemed so weak that
Mulder was left to struggle with his lust. He could have took Walter
now, this might be his only chance, "God! What should I do to you,
Walter ?" He began to remove Walter's robe.

Naked. Both of them. 

Mulder sighed, "Guess we just share our warmth." He then took the
cotton sheet from the nightstand to wrap around them. Under the cover,
he embraced the hot torso firmly.

Montreal, QC
7:55AM, September 24

The cabin didn't have any means of communication, so Alex had to leave
the cabin to make a call. This time, when he drove that jeep, he found
it not too bad. 

Though he craved to hear Walter's voice, he didn't dare call him
directly, the CIA would trace the line. So he called another man.

"Shit...this early..." The man lazily sat up from his king sized water
bed, let the phone rang a while and finally decided to answer it,
"Yeah ?"

"Papa ?" 

"Hi, Alec! Are you all right ? You still with him ? You..." Papa
concerned.

"Okay, I'm Okay. Don't worry, Papa. I...He went back to DC, I want to
know if he's all right, would you...would you go to his place ? I
wrote a letter and mailed it to your place, please..."

"I'll check him for you, as soon as I get the letter. Did you write
his address ?"

"Yes. Papa..." Alex blubbered.

"Ooooh, what's wrong ? Don't worry; everything will be all right,
sweet." This was not his Alec, that strong, confident Alec. Papa could
feel his friend in pain. "I wish I could hold you now, my Alec. Be
strong, boy." 

"Thank you, Papa. Just...be careful, don't let anyone see you when you
go to his condo."

"Hey, you are talking to a former Marine !" Papa snorted, "Nobody can
sense me when I'm on a mission! "

"Yeah, you were a pro, I believe you."

"I still am."

"Yeah."

"...Hey, Alec ?"

"Hm ?"

"Take care of yourself." Papa disconnected the phone.

Alex wandered the empty street, still too early in the morning for
shopping, so he entered a cafe.

Crystal City - Viva Tower
Skinner's condo
4:06AM, September 24

A chill ran through Mulder's naked body, he woke up to find he was
dampened with sweat, his whole body almost covering Skinner's. He
quickly rose from there and went to the bathroom to get a dry towel. 

He turned the light on, so he could see Skinner's body and wipe
perspiration off of him. Skinner's body temperature was back to
normal. Mulder pulled the sheet over Skinner's body when he finished,
then he returned to bathroom for a shower.

The sound from the shower woke Skinner from his sleep. He lay there
for a moment thinking who the hell was taking a shower in his bathroom
then he was startled to find himself naked, he sat up in a second, his
body felt sore after having the fever reduced.

"I'll bring you water, need anything else ?" Mulder stood by the
bathroom door, a towel wrapped around his middle.

"What are you doing here ? I don't think I was that drunk." Skinner
frowned, his head ached and his throat hurt, too.

"You didn't...I'll bring you water." With a smile, Mulder left the
room.

A few minutes later, Mulder came back with a cup of water. Skinner
took it and drank up.

"You haven't explained why you took a shower in my bathroom." He
didn't want to know the answer to why he was naked when he woke up.

"Well...I...I was cold, couldn't sleep, and...with the vodka...I...I
thought about you..." Mulder could feel that Skinner was going to lose
 his temper now. "Don't, don't worry, we didn't do anything...yet,
though you kissed me..."

"I kissed you ?" Skinner put down the glass on to the nightstand, and
thought hard when that happened.

"Yeah," Mulder said softly, he went to sit on the edge of the bed
facing Skinner and ran his hand on Skinner's cheek, "I like the way
you touched me, but you were with somebody else in your dream." He
sounded a little bitter.

"What did I say ?" Skinner alerted, his voice was a little tight.

"No, nothing, but I could feel." His eyes wandered Skinner's. "Would
you touch me if you knew that it was me ?" He leaned forward to kiss
Skinner, but Skinner turned his face.

"God, Mulder, don't do anything..." Skinner couldn't dare look at him,
his heart pounded and his statement sounded weak.

Mulder could feel him.

"Okay. I know you're tired. Sleep. Just please let me stay with you."
He began to lift the cover.

"Like this ?" Skinner couldn't help dropping his eyes on the towel
which Mulder still had around his middle.

Mulder laughed, "Won't do anything to you, just share our body warmth,
the night is cold." He took one of the pillows to put in front of his
crotch and then took off the towel under the cover.

Skinner immediately turned his body and lay on his side.

Mulder spooned him from behind. "You should take a shower when you
woke up." His eyes closed and happily inhaled.

"You don't sound too upset." Skinner lay still, aware of the other's
heat.

When they finally slept, the rain stopped and faint traffic noises
started in the street.

Hoover Building
Deputy Director Office
11:10AM, September 24

"Why is your DD not here yet ?" 'Dr. Miller' rose from the armchair,
and asked Kimberly for the third time this morning.

"You're here, too, Dr. Miller. I can ask you the same question." Kim
didn't like this man at all, she noticed that eyerytime he left her
boss's office, Skinner would be upset for a long while.

"Call him." He ordered, threateningly.

His attitude reminded her of that man who always smoked and also made
her boss pissed. She wondered why he never showed again for a long
while, in years ?

Not knowing where she gained the temerity, Kim slowly leaned forward
to stare up at Dr. Miller and said coldly, "Just what kind of doctor
are you ? Does the DD have any kind of health problem ? If there is an
emergency, I'll call."

The man was livid with rage, he snarled, "Fine!" and stormed out of
the room.

Kim picked up the phone and dialed Skinner's cell phone. When no one
answered, she tried his condo.

"Skinner."

"It's Kim. Are you all right, sir ?"

"Yeah ? Oh, I'm...I'm not feeling well this morning, think I won't be
coming in today." Skinner got out of bed and put on his sweat pants.
Mulder had already went downstairs to get his cell phone when it rang
a minute ago. 

"Dr. Miller was here all this morning, he just left, very angry..."

"Why ?"

"He insisted on seeing you, and I refused taking orders from him to
call you...Oh, and Agent Reyes was ..."

Skinner interruptted her, "Tell the morgue don't let anyone touch the
body."

"Sir, I'm sorry about that."

"Me, too. Kim, thanks for your call." He disconnected the line and
hurried to go downstairs. If the CIA man wanted to check him here,
then he would show up shortly since his condo was not far away from
Hoover Building. He'd better find a way to hide Mulder.

He found Mulder in the kitchen who preparing lunch.

"Here, your cell phone." Mulder handed it to Skinner and turned to
open the fridge. "Lunch will be ready in a few minutes, why don't you
go to take a shower..."

The sound of Skinner putting the cell phone on the dining table was
too soft and Mulder could sense Skinner standing right behind him
silently which thrilled him instantly.

Skinner reached out his hand across Mulder's bare waist with his elbow
slightly touching him to shove, the fridge door shut. His voice was
lower, "I'd prefer it if you took a shower first, and I'll join you
there soon." 

Mulder glanced over his shoulder then nodded, he went upstairs
quietly. He was almost there when the door bell rang. Skinner rushed
to the door hiding his footsteps on purpose and looked through the
peep hole. Itwas the CIA man! 

He walked to the stairs, spoke in a soft voice that he was sure only
Mulder could hear, and looked at him meaningfully, "I don't want
anybody to find you here."

Mulder nodded again, closed the bedroom door behind him.

Skinner didn't let the man in, just opened the door and kept the door
chain locked. "What do you want ?"

The man stepped backward, and said in disgust, "You're smelly."

"I got sick, you have a problem with that ?" he raised a sardonic
eyebrow.

"Didn't he treat you well ?" The man sneered.

"None of your business." Skinner began to shut the door.

But the man pushed the door hard and growled, "How dare you! I want to
see him RIGHT NOW !"

Speaking in a neutral voice, "He's gone." Skinner pretended to hide
his hurt to show that he didn't not care for Alex.

"He's what ? How dare you let him go ? " The man shouted.

"You think anyone could stop him any time he wanted to leave, do you
?" Skinner hissed.

The man exhaled slowly, "So you two broke up." His hands left the
door, "Good," then he straightened his clothes and turned to leave.

Skinner shut the door and sighed from relief, for now. Not wanting to
deal with Mulder, he went to use the guest bathroom. When he got out
of there, freshly showered, taking his clothing to the laundry, then
he put on clean sweat pants. Pacing across the living room into the
kitchen, he found the lunch already on the table and Mulder sat there
wearing one of his shirts.

"Hope you don't mind I borrowed your shirt." He grinned.

"Large. I'll buy you new clothing this weekend on my way home. Give me
a list if you need anything else." Skinner sat on the other side of
the table but didn't face Mulder.

They ate their meal in silence, Mulder glanced at Skinner several
times while he ate the lunch, he wanted to say something but gave up
at last. When lunch was over, Skinner soaked the dishes in the sink,
aware that Mulder was waitinf for him to act. He dried his hands.
 
He sighed, turning a little to glance over his shoulder, "Upstairs."

Mulder obeyed, Skinner went behind him. He shut the door, walked to
Mulder and reached out to unbutton his shirt. Mulder stopped him by
grabbing his wrists.

"Stop fighting me," Skinner said quietly, and continued to unbotton
the shirt.

"You don't need to do this. It's just a reaction to what Kim told you
and you knew someone was coming, right ? Why do you keep every
secret..." 

"Shut up." Said in a calm voice and this provoked Mulder.

"I refuse to be just your reaction." Mulder shouted and slapped away
his hands."Who is HE ? And who is that man ?"

Growling, Skinner shoved Mulder down onto the mattress and sat on him,
his left palm pressing on Mulder's chest firmly, his right hand torn
open Mulder's shirt. "I'm not the only one having secrets here."

The strength from Skinner was so powerful; Mulder had to fight the
invading hand with his own hands.

"How dare you get rough with me, I'll call it a rape !" Mulder hissed.
His hair messed in the struggle, his face reddened completely.

Skinner stopped, "People keep threatening me these days, you think I
still have anything else to lose, do you ?" His voice shuddered in
anger.

"Yes! You have me; you won't lose me 'cause I'll never let you go,
Skinner." His voice shuddered, too, he was exhausted emotionally, he
no longer had any strength to struggle against Skinner.

Reading the surrender deep in Mulder's emotional eyes, Skinner shook
him violently, "Say it."

Mulder laughed, and this froze Skinner, he looked deep into Walter's
soul, exhaled every word sincerely, "I love you. I love you, Walter
Sergei Skinner."

Buttons hitting onto the floor sounded like a beautiful song, the
shirt was discarded along with Mulder's pants on the floor. Now
Skinner was taking off his pants, his eyes never stopped staring at
that face, the beautiful face which had haunted him for years...someth
ing strange flashed into his mind.

"Walter, take me." Mulder's passion drowned out Walter's thoughts.

He blanketed them under the sheets. Brushing his hands through the
soft hair, he then grabbed a handful. Walter smelled a fascinating
scent from Mulder's body, lost in the rapture, he took Mulder
completely out of control. The precome of Mulder's tasted sweet and
seemed nonhuman. Walter deep throated him, and swallowed the bursting
force down his stomach.

Mulder was moaning his satisfaction. Walter lubed himself in no time
and drove deep into Mulder fiercely, making Mulder cry in the pain and
pleasure. Panting, thrusting, he brought Mulder to reach a second
climax, Walter growled his own in the same time, his muscles stretched
powerfully, sweat shining beautifully from the daylight through the
window.

'Fox' was his last word before he lost consciousness.

Mulder took a washcloth from the bathroom; he cleaned every inch of
Skinner's body, then dressed him.

Survival
2:10PM, September 27

Papa took the letter from his mailbox, from the stamp he could tell
immediately it was from Alex. Tearing it open, there was a letter for
'Walter', and another piece of paper that had Walter's address and
cell phone number on it. Papa dialed the number.

"Hello."

Papa was almost sure the sound did not belong to the man he met a week
ago, "Mr. Skinner ?"

"No. Who's calling ?"

Why was there another man at Skinner's place ? "Papa. May I speak to
Mr. Skinner ?"

"Well...He can't answer the phone...right now."

The voice on the line was very soft, very attractive, that left Papa a
lot to his imagination.

"What do you mean he can't answer ? Who are you ?" His voice sounded
too sissy to express Papa's anger.

Mulder chuckled lightly. "You want to leave a message for Walter ?"

Papa disconnected abruptly.

"Oh, my God. What should I tell Alec ?" There was no way he would tell
Alec that his boyfriend was with another man.

As he worried, the ring jumped him out of bed where he was sitting.
"No, no, nononono, I'm not ready. Think, think." The ring continued,
insisting on his attention.

"Yeah." Papa finally picked it up.

"Papa ?"

He sighed. "Yes ?"

"Did you got the letter ?"

He could hear the expectation on the other end. "Yeah."

"You went there ?"

This time there was more hope in his voice.

"No...but I...I just called him..."

"What'd he say ? He's all right ?"

"Yes. Yes. Don't worry, Alec. We talked, and I'll go to his place on
Sunday morning, I'll give him your 'love letter'. See, every thing is
all right."

He heard a laughter of reassurance from Alex. Papa exhaled a release
quietly, not daring to let Alex hear him.

"Then I'll call you."

"Okay. You be careful !"

Crystal City - Viva Tower
Skinner's condo
9:16AM, September 28

Since the last time the CIA man visited Skinner, and was being told
that Alex was gone, the CIA had turned the country upside down
searching for their missing, so-called disordered agent Alex Krycek,
but didn't find him of course. And he was informed that Agent Reyes's
body went missing the night before. The situation was getting out of
his control and he didn't it at all. He went to Skinner's office
directly the next morning, and was being treated very badly by the
DD's arrogant secretary who finally told him her boss hadn't showed
since Tuesday.

So he led four of his underlings to Skinner's condo, ready to arrest a
suspicious insurgent Walter Skinner, his longest and best successful
undercover agent.

Instead of buzzing the bell, he struck upon the door with his gun,
causing a racket.

"Open the door, Skinner. I know you're there."

Mulder slept beside Skinner when the noise downstairs woke him. When
he heard the running fire, Mulder slid out of bed right away, grabbed
his clothing and hid in Walter's closet, he could hear as several
people rushed upstairs and entered the room.

"Sir, he's dead. The bed is still warm." One of the CIA's agents
checked Skinner's pulse.

"Damn !" The man snarled, "You win, Skinner."

He turned to leave.

"What do we do with the body, sir ?" One agent stopped his boss and
the question scared Mulder so much he started to sweat.

The man glared and, said coldly, "We can do nothing for a dead man."
They left.

Mulder slouch on to the bottom of the closet, rubbing away the sweat
on his face.

Minutes later, a security guard of Skinner's building examined the
damage and explained to Mulder that he had been shown the badge of the
CIA so he let the men pass. He recognized Mulder as Skinner's
subordinate, and he told Mulder very politely that he would have
someone fix the door on Monday morning.

After the guard left, Mulder went to the kitchen, and made himself a
sandwich. He paced across the living room to stand in front of the
battle-scarred door; drawing a deep sigh on seeing the wrecked
doorknob, he slowly lifted one hand to put the door chain on as his
other hand held the sandwich.

Going upstairs to Walter, Mulder had him cleaned and changed, he did
this once or twice per day. Then he sat on the side of bed, reaching
out a hand to stroke Walter's face and murmur his love to him.

Before sunset, he packed Walter's whole clothing and a few things they
might need on the run, then decided to take a break. He wandered down
to the living room and began channel surfing the TV.

Crystal City - Viva Tower
Skinner's condo
10:00AM, September 29

The door bell rang while Mulder cleaned the dining table. He drew
Walter's gun out of his pocket and went to the door cautiously.

"Who is it ?"

"Papa." Papa remembered Mulder's voice; and wondered why the fuck the
man still stayed there, was he Walter's new lover? "Hey, open the
door; or I'll do it myself...looks like somebody has done it before."

Mulder remembered that sissy voice, too. He unlocked the door chain,
and was surprised to see a tall, well-built black man standing in
front of him with his fists on his hips.

"You !" Papa was surprised to see him, too. Alex showed him the man's
photo many times when he was younger and worked for FBI, and once told
him that he would die for this man if he could have his love.

Mulder cocked his head, grinning. "You know me ? Oh, of course, we
'talked'."

"You're not young." Papa folded his arms in front of his chest, eyes
scanning Mulder from head to toe.

Mulder chuckled, "You aren't either." And this provoked Papa.

"Where's Skinner ?" Bumping the smaller man aside, he entered the
living room, shouted, "Come on, man, I know you're home." 

Mulder frowned, he had done his best to be civilized in case Papa was
Walter's friend, but apparently this man was not buying it.

Putting one hand into the jacket he wore, Papa was going to draw the
letter, when he felt Mulder's gun jabbing in his back and heard the
click of the trigger being pulled open.

"Give it to me, slowly, I don't want to shoot you," Mulder whispered.

"Easy, man. You make me nervous." Papa slightly glanced over his
shoulder to make sure there was no intention to kill in the man's
eyes.

"I said give it to me."

The gun insisted on the lower of his back. "You don't want to see it
if you are Walter's lover." Papa pulled out the letter hesitantly and
gave it to Mulder.

"What's this ? A love letter ?" Curiously, Mulder turned it around but
could see nothing more than a normal envelop bought from a post
office, with a Canadian P.O. ?

"Yeah, you can say that. Give it to Skinner, please ?"

Mulder nodded, "Sorry," he hid the gun in his waistband in the samll
of his back.

Papa gave him a last look and turned to leave, and suddenly stopped in
the doorway, "Are you Walter's lover ?"

"Ask Walter yourself, next time you see him." Mulder grinned then
closed the door.

Survival
2:00PM, September 29

Before Papa began his business, Alex called.

"I knew it must be you," Papa said.

There was no energy in Papa's voice, which alerted Alex that something
was wrong. His heart throbbed in sudden panic.

"Did you meet Walter ?"

"Yes." Liar, Papa cursed himself.

"Did he read my letter ?"

"Hmmm...maybe." Okay, a neutral answer, much better.

"What you mean 'maybe' ? You didn't see him read it or you even didn't
see him ?" The voice was desperate.

Papa sighed loudly, "Yes and no. I went there this morning, the front
door was well-battled, looked like some people were really pissed
off..."

"Is he injured ? He's all right ?"

"I don't know. A man was there, I think he took good care of your
Walter." Oops, he finally got to the point.

"A man ? His friend ?"

"I don't know, God, Alec, he will be fine. Actually, you should take
care of yourself, honey."

"Shit! You always call me honey when things are bad. Tell me the
truth, damn it !"

Another long sigh; and a long silence.

"Papa !"

"Alec, go on with your life like nothing has happened." He couldn't be
so cruel to tell Alex the truth that his Walter was with another man
who he also once loved.

This time there was a long silence on the other end of the line.

"Alec ? Honey ?"

Only a click answered him.

"Shit! Don't do something stupid to yourself, Alec." Papa slowly shook
his head.

The cabin
11:50PM, September 29

It had became suddenly too heavy to hold the receiver after he'd heard
from Papa, 'go on with your life' ? Alex did really understand what
that meant. The rest of what Papa had said had been noise far away
from him, so he had dropped the phone, too tired to feel anything but
anger and sadness. He couldn't believe that Walter betrayed him so
soon, one week ? He couldn't wait any longer than one week to fuck
another man ? What happened to the 'I love you' shit ? Liar! Liar!

He wandered around the Downtown Montreal, wanting to find a place to
get drunk, damn the city full of street cafes, they were too
romantic.

So he started with beer which he easily bought it and gulped down them
as he kept searching the street for a bar. No luck, it was only early
afternoon, Alex returned to his jeep, his mind still clear, then he
cried soundlessly in his car and finally, exhausted, he fell asleep.

A guard tapped on the windshield which woke Alex, and told him they
were ready to close the parking lot at ten o'clock and asked Alex if
he would prefer to keep his jeep here since apparently he could smell
the alcohol. Alex stroked his face, shook head to clear his mind, then
started the engine. The guard shouted after him 'Drive safely.'

Driving along the night street, the air became more familiar to him,
dark, hopeless, lonely, which reminded him that he wanted to get
drunk. Finding a likely close by, he parked his jeep outside of a
dirty building then went down to the basement to a small pub. Before
he could got drunk enough to lose consciousness, the bartender threw
him out and he had no energy to fight the man who called him bad
names. 

Not knowing when and how he managed to drive himself back to the small
cabin, by midnight he was throwing up his guts in bathroom. He cried
loudly like a baby, then hysterically laughed, his life was a joke.

"Why ? Walter, why ?" Alex murmured in his dream, his clothing was
dirtied with his vomit. He spent the night and whole day lying on the
cold floor unconscious.

The chill of the mountain air in autumn was colder than DC, it woke
Alex back to reality, but the dream lingered long enough to make him
think. He was back to the old time, when he was younger, a green agent
in the CIA. He was assigned to spy on the FBI, so he was arranged to
attend the Academy at Quantico first. One day the CIA told him to meet
the Assistant Director Walter S. Skinner who was also 'made in the
CIA'. This man was supposed to be his backup in the FBI.

Walter did back him up on every mission but did so grudgingly, he
always had own sense of morality to struggle with. 

And then, he remembered his partner; Alex seemed to remember
something, but the face was faint in the dream.  
"Must be him !" He abruptly sat up from the position he had kept lying
on the bathroom floor since the night before. "The man Walter always
have loved. Walter thought he was dead...what's his name ?" He stooped
wondering for a moment.

"Good, you are happy together now, Walter. Without me." He looked into
the mirror and saw the silk clothing Walter had bought him, and had
told him that he liked him in black, but it was now covered in dried
vomit on it.

"I don't need it any more." He tore them off of him, and went under
the shower, using the cold water to torture himself.

He stopped when he couldn't endure the chill any longer, he puddled to
the bedroom drawing out the wool blanket and wrapped himself, wanting
to surround himself in blankness.

Alex sat on the love seat in front of the fireplace which had no fire
on because he had no intention of warming himself. It was getting
darker, and he just sat there woodenly. Water droplets from his
shoulder-length hair kept soaking through his blanket in the finally
darkened living room.

Crystal City - Viva Tower
Skinner's condo
4:53AM, September 30

The first sight in front of his eyes was the ceiling of his own
bedroom; he stared at it for a long while, trying to clear his mind.
The last thing he remembered was Mulder's face, he could feel someone
was holding him in his sleep, must be Mulder, Skinner stirred as
something important made itself known in his mind suddenly.

He struggled to get up; his body was stiff like he never moved for a
long time.

Immediately, Mulder's figure came into sight, "Slow down, Walter." He
massaged his shoulders and then his thighs.

Walter seized Mulder by the collar then tore the shirt apart.

"Hey, easy, Walt. You have to get out of the habit of tearing my shirt
every time you want sex." Mulder reached out to touch Walter but was
flipped off.

"What's wrong ?"

Skinner examined Mulder's chest with his fingers, brushing through the
thin body hair where he was sure a scar was where the aliens cut him,
it didn't exist there anymore! That scared him. He soon grabbed his
gun Mulder put on the nightstand that now was within his reach and
aimed at IT.

"Explain," Skinner hissed.

"I will, after you calm down." Mulder took off the shirt and threw it
onto the floor. "Here goes the last one. Think I have to unpack and
get one of yours again."

"Unpack ?"

With that, Skinner glanced around his bedroom, then went to the
hallway to look down his apartment, it was apparent that Mulder had
packed everything. And then he saw the holes in his front door when he
walked downstairs.

"I'll explain everything on the road." Mulder softly spoke behind
Walter.

"What you mean 'on the road' ?"

"You are a dead man now, officially, like me." Mulder raised an
eyebrow.

Skinner didn't say anything; he aimed the gun at Mulder again.

"That man came back, with another four agents. They checked your pulse
and were sure you died." Mulder smiled.

"I can't be here if I already died."

"Yes, you can." Mulder laughed.

The hair on the back of his neck stood, Skinner growled, "What did you
do to me ?" His hands holding the gun were shaking a little.

"I told you I'll explain it on the road. They found you dead, we can't
live here anymore. Why are the CIA interested in you ? I'm sure you
have a lot to explain, too."

"I won't leave with you unless I see you bleeding red." Walter was
going to pull the trigger.

Mulder sighed. "Okay, since we both are dead men, think we may have a
little leisure time to sit and talk."

"Then talk." Walter used his gun to signal Mulder to move. They both
sat on the white sheets that covered sofa on each side.

Mulder didn't seem to care that the gun was still on him. "Remember
that report that explained how Scully went with Spender in order to
get a disc ? That Spender told her it held the cure for all human
disease ?"

"Go on."

"That was the only time he didn't lie."

Skinner raised an eyebrow.

"When I was abducted by the aliens, they did a lot tests on me, not
only me, all the abductees they took from this planet."

"What tests?"

"Their race was going to perish, they traveled the universe to find a
planet to live. When they found one, though, but they failed, their
disease killed the original race on that planet, the race we called
the Rebel Aliens, so they left and traveled again."

"Are you trying to tell me the Earth is the next place they want to
LIVE ?

"Exactly."

"Shit !"

"They just want to survive. During their travels, they found the cure
to their disease, but back then they already lost their ability to
procreat their next generation. By tests, they learned that our
females could save their race, so they created a vaccine which was a
cure to both their and our diseases, and implanted all the abductees
with the vaccine to immunize them, and that means these people can
immunize others, too."

"How ? And don't they have females ?"

Mulder chuckled, "No, they are neutral. But they learned that our
female's egg can breed their species." Mulder stood up to open one box
where he packed the bottles.

"Hey, it's only morning !" Skinner lowered his gun, already forgetting
what he was going to do with it.

"You will need a drink to hear the rest, the TRUTH I searched for
years." He took a small bottle of scotch from the box and gave it to
Skinner.

"Did you absorb all I told you ?"

Skinner nodded.

"After you rescued me, Scully and I went to Spender, I wanted to make
sure what I knew was the final truth, it was. The truth IS that the
aliens do really exist, they kept abducting us, and they will INVADE
us. The date of the final invasion will be December 22, 2012."

Skinner laughed dryly, shaking his head. "Are you drunk, Mulder ?"

"It's you drinking, Walter."

"But I'm not drunk."

"Then you must hear me clearly."

Skinner didn't speak, his hand holding the small bottle was shaking a
little. Not that he feared death, it was just hard to imagine the end
of the world, to think about never seeing your own family.

Mulder moved himself to Skinner's side; taking the gun away then he
held Skinner's head to his chest. "Everything will be fine, I said I
will never let you go, remember ?"

"Are you sure you still bleed red ?" His lips brushed Mulder's bare
chest.

"Yes. And so does Scully."

"You haven't talked about her since you arrived here." Skinner pulled
himself apart from Mulder, and stared at him, examing. "What happened
?"

"She and I had different ideas about Willian. She expected me to play
house with her...until I told her my idea was to come back to you that
she understood it was time to end our life together. Doggett and Reyes
had found us and stayed with us for a while, we told them the TRUTH,
so before I left Scully, Doggett asked me to immunize Monica..."

"That means..."

"That means I had sex with her, in this way by ejaculating into her,
she will SLEEP about one week to let the vaccine run in her system to
become immune. She won't get sick, and in the same time her cells will
mutate and won't get old anymore, that means unless she wants to kill
herself or someone, something kills her, she won't die, won't get
old...just like you, Walter. You will be fifty forever."

All he could see was shock in Skinner's eyes.

"But...I...you...you didn't ejaculate in me...how ?"

"The point is the precome. Over the endless tests, the aliens finally
found only the prostate and the ovary can hold their vaccine to the
mutation and to keep creating it, for some undiscovered reasons the
vaccine only exists in precome. But women didn't have the same
problem, it exists in their body safely after they lose the ability to
ovulate."

"So all the abductees have become immortals ? And their lovers, too
?"

"No, only the abductees, the body can produce the vaccine, that means
he or she is a GIVER. They can heal themselves by the continuing
mutant cells. And a RECEIVER does not have the ability to produce the
vaccine. The vaccine must be implanted by the aliens."

"I see, after 2012 the aliens and the abductees will be the most
richest people on the planet." Walter quipped.

"True. The aliens creat a vaccine, the abductees produce it, and the
others take it, you can see in the chain who's the ruler. When the
ivasion begins, any humans who didn't become immunized before Dec. 22,
2012 will all die, our race will face the fate of extinction, too.
That's why the Rebels searched and burned those victims, by destroying
them prevent us from having the same fate they had and also to take
revenge on the aliens for their extinction." Mulder sighed, the first
problem was how to survive before the invasion, they might be killed
by the enemies first not the aliens. But he could wake from being
dead, not Walter.

"So where's Scully and Doggett ?"

"Scully insisted on taking HER son back, Doggett went with her."

"Wasn't he in love with Agent Reyes ?"

"No! They have long stories like Scully and I. Just friends. Doggett
loves Scully. Don't be surprised when you see a happy couple after the
invasion."

Skinner was silent for a long while.

"Guess I should write my WILL to let my family take care of my
retirement allowance." He dropped the bottle that had warmed within
his grasp into trash can.

"You won't go to them ?"

"No, not now, I have someone to go to first, and I hope you go with
me. He is the explanation of mine. Promise me you won't hurt him, he's
weak and memory disordered." Skinner looked around the living room,
"Where'd you pack my..."

"This ?" Mulder drew out his fake ID from one of the boxes. "Oh! I
forgot to tell you a man called and came to see you during your
SLEEP."

"Who ?"

"A black man, Papa."

"Shit! Did he say something ?" Did Papa see what he shouldn't have ?

"No, just asked me to give you this, LOVE LETTER !" He drew out it
along with Skinner's fake ID from the same box and gave them to
Skinner.

Skinner read over the letter, "God, why didn't you give it to me first
when I woke up ? When did Papa visit here ?"

"Yesterday morning."

"Fuck! Let's move, now !" If Papa had told Alex what he saw here, what
would he think ? Don't do something stupid to yourself, Lexei.

"Now ? What about all these things ?" Mulder gestured around the
apartment.

"I'll let my family take care of it, too. Now, move."

They took all the boxes of clothing and some necessities with them to
the lobby, told the guard to keep the key after the door get fixed
before they called a cab to the airport.

The cabin
6:30PM, September 30

Skinner rented an SUV on the way from the airport to put all their
packages. He barely said a word to Mulder, kept praying that he would
find Alex alive.

When they arrived at the small cabin, the mountain was really cold in
the dark.

"It's too early to turn in." Skinner frowned, six thirty was too early
for a bedtime, not to mention the fact that there was no light on the
cabin. 

Fortunately, he still could hear the sound of the generator running.

Skinner stopped Mulder on the porch and whispered,"Stay here, and
remember your promise." He then opened the door which he was surprised
finding it hadn't been locked, and opened the door, leaving it ajar to
keep Mulder out of sight and switched on the light of the porch and
the living room.

"Oh, my God !" He gasped; Alex was sitting on their love seat,
expressionless. Walter rushed over to him. "Lexei ? Lexei, it's me,
Walt. I'm back." He pulled him into his arms, and held him firmly.

"You're stiff, you cold ?" Walter kept stroking him, "You showered ?
Why didn't dry yourself ?" He pulled off the wet wool blanket and
embraced the younger man to keep him warm.

"Talk to me, Lexei." He shook him and began to kiss him everywhere and
ran his hands on Alex's naked body. "Don't scare me, my love." Those
words seemed to pull Alex back to reality.

"Walt ?" Alex focused his eyes on Walter, and burst into tears,
"You're back for me. Papa lied, he said you...you...God, I don't want
to think about it. I love you so much it hurts."

"Don't worry, I'm here now." Walter tenderly pulled from Alex and
brushed his hair backward. He noticed that Alex must have washed the
color off; his hair color was its usual sable. "You look tired, let me
put you to bed, lover." He affectionately scooped Alex up into his
arms.

"So he's the owner of the silk pants." Mulder stood in the doorway.
"Sorry, it's so cold outside...I couldn't wait..."

"Would you shut the door ?" Walter sighed and put down Alex, now
holding him against his body to hide Alex's naked front.

Mulder narrowed his eyes to take a good look at Alex, eventually he
realized who he was looking at. "Can't be, Alex Krycek !"

He ran to pull him away from Walter to hold Alex's face with both his
hands. "You was dead, I saw you dying."

"Who are you ?" Alex slapped away Mulder's hands, hissed and soon hid
behind Walter.

"Don't act like you don't know me, Alex. Why did you help me at that
military facility ? Why..."

"It was impossible; Alex was in coma at a hospital at that time,"
Walter interrupted.

Mulder stopped with his words. He had seen Krycek and the Gunmen, but
they were all died ?

"Be nice, Mulder. Remember what I told you," Walter warned him.

'Yes, weak and memory disorder.' Mulder didn't answer Walter, only
glared at him.

Walter led Alex to sit on the love seat, he soon went to their bedroom
to get a new blanket, coming back he wrapped the blanket around Alex,
"You are shaking, cold ?" 

He put some firewood into the fireplace, quickly lit the fire, and
soon the living room warmed up.

All the time, Mulder watched Walter softly talking, attending to Alex,
he could feel the love between them, "When did you two get together
?"

Turning, Walter smiled, "It's a long story, we should eat first." He
left Alex's side who now was snoring softly in the loveseat.

"Can you move the packages here while I prepare our dinner ?"

"Sure." Mulder shrugged and turned to go outside, but Walter grabbed
his arm before he opened the door, silently he gave Mulder a kiss on
his cheek and a 'thank you' in his smile.

When Alex woke up, he saw Mulder setting the table; Walter was busy
with the dinner. So he went to the bathroom. His torn clothing was
gone, he stood stunned there.

"I'll buy you new ones, Lexei." Walter's hands snaked up his chest
from behind and laid his chin on Alex's shoulder. "Dinner's ready."

They enjoyed the food, Walter was good at cooking.

"What ?" Alex glared at Mulder who glanced over him for the second
time.

"Why don't you put on some clothes ?" His eyes still keep admiring
Alex's ponytail Walter had tied before dinner. The jade in the gunhole
of his forehead seemed familiar.

"I don't want to, is that a problem with you ?" 

"Uh...Alex felt a stinging after he woke from the coma, his doctor
said..." Walter began to explain.

"I know, PTSD. Psychology is my profession, remember ?" Mulder gave
him a knowing smile, "You said Alex is the explanation, so which one
of you is going to tell me the story ?"

"What story ?" Alex put down his wine, and looked at Walter.

"Ours." Then Walter repeated the TRUTH Mulder told him, Alex didn't
show any fear or shock like him.

"You knew, did you ?" Mulder cocked his head, Alex always knew more
than him.

"Most of it, I knew, long time ago," He said tiredly, eyes focused on
the glass playing in his hand.

"How long ? Why didn't you tell me when you kissed me..."

"Kiss you ?" Both men asked at the same time.

Mulder grinned, "Years ago. You broke into my place and told me
something. I thought it was stupid, so you kissed me to make me
believe."

"Don't remember," Alex said sheepishly.

"Once I thought you were lovers when you two worked together." Walter
laughed.

"Walter, I would remember him if he was my lover." His face reddened
from embarrasment rather than from the wine.

"I think you loved him, Alex. Survival was only a block away from
Mulder's apartment." He then turned to Mulder who sneered his
disagreement. "Hey, everyone doubted you since you didn't fool around
with Scully, Fox Mulder."

"Wait! Fox Mulder and Dana Scully..." Alex shut his eyes firmly. 

"You remember ? Take it slow, Lexei." Walter rushed to kneel in front
of Alex, softly talked.

"See, he remembers that Scully is Dana, but totally forgets me."

Walter didn't mind Mulder; he took Alex to bed, kissed him good night
then shut the door.

"Don't push him, he'll remember since you'll be around here." He came
back to his seat, and sipped his wine.

"Is it Sharon's ring ? The jade ?"

"Yeah. He stuck it there by himself one time his head was killing him,
he was drunk."

Walter began from the start, how a green agent in the CIA made his way
to the FBI, met his backup who had long spied on the FBI who finally
become a DD. How the poor agent ended up in his bed.

"He had enough, he's not that strong as usual, and I want to protect
him." Walter hesitated, "I want you around, too. I know you had some
feelings toward him before you thought he betrayed you."

Mulder chuckled his delight, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking ?"

And Walter blushed, "Can you be with him ?"

"Well, maybe." Mulder joked, "Since he's prettier than me, maybe I
should wait till he gets older..." 

"Mulder," Walter warned, then saw the other man raising an eyebrow to
challenge him. "Okay, okay, name your price."

Mulder leaned forward to rest his chin on his folded hands, eyes
staring into Walter's, his beautiful eyes was shining liquid.

"Happy together, all three of us."

THE END

-- 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 Shang 
  mailto:shang@morley-web.com
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>