Part 10



Not again.

Walt Skinner sat in the darkness of his living room, staring at what he could see of the skyline from his seat in the middle of the room. Every night since he'd gone to Mulder's apartment and confronted the two assholes who had drugged and sexually assaulted Krycek, he sat here.

Thinking about what he'd seen, what he'd done. What he'd been told...conveniently skipping over what he'd felt...

What the hell was Scully doing? He understood her desire to keep Mulder safe from the man she considered to be evil incarnate, but to go to the lengths she obviously had? To launch such a heinous, premeditated offensive worthy of the demon she was trying to exorcise? It was so unlike the compassionate, principled woman he knew.

He took his glasses off and tossed them onto the table a couple of feet away.

And then there was the matter of the cameras he saw around the neck of the man who had gotten away.

Deductive reasoning told him they weren't playing tourist, snapping shots of the Washington attractions. But he wished like hell that he could believe that rather than the explanation that kept banging away in his head.

That weasel he'd caught had fucked Krycek while his buddy took pictures. And whether it was for their own purposes or Scully's, those pictures couldn't spell anything other than disaster.
Question was, for who?
For Krycek? And if so, was it blackmail or a simple act of hatred?

Or was it a contrived wakeup call for Mulder? If so, then it was Scully's idea for the pictures. But where the fuck was her head? She had to know how much something like that would devastate him.

No. She wouldn't hurt him that way, no matter how much she hated Krycek.

Okay, so he was back to blackmail. She'd show the pictures to Krycek, threaten to send them to Mulder if he didn't get the hell of his life, and Krycek would...

Well, he'd either do what she wanted...which would prove what was becoming more and more of a possibility. It would prove that he really was in love with Mulder, or he'd do what the Alex Krycek Skinner had ever known would do. Eliminate the threat.

//And what are you going to do? Are you going to stand by and watch this thing play out, or are you going to step in and diffuse what could turn out to be an explosive situation?//

Skinner rubbed his hands over his face and cursed softly.

//You know what it'll mean if you interfere. Mulder will know that you'd been there that night. What the hell excuse would you give him for that?//

He imagined the way the conversation would go...

//Yeah Mulder, so I went over to your place to harass and hopefully fuck your boy, and I found that some clowns employed by your partner had gotten to him before me...//

"Son of a bitch."

Okay, he'd wait just a bit longer. Watch the situation closely, then step in only if he really needed to.

Hopefully before someone got hurt.

********************

Scully glanced from her watch to the man who had just entered the office, wearing a well-rested, well-satisfied look on his face. She fought back the overwhelming urge to hit him.

"Morning, Mulder."

//There. That sounded normal.//

"Morning."

"How was your day yesterday?"

"Good. Yours?"

"Fine. Skinner was asking for you."

Fox picked a thin folder up off of his desk and perused its contents. "Uh huh."

"He wanted to know why you didn't put in an appearance yesterday. I didn't know what to tell him."

"That's all right. It's not your responsibility to account for my comings and goings."

"I'm your partner, Mulder. If you're not around to answer for yourself, Skinner looks to me. And when I have no real answer for him..."

"All right, Scully, all right. I'm sorry. I'll go see him." Fox dropped the folder and started for the door, but stopped halfway, snapping his fingers. He spun around and moved to his desk, sitting on its edge as he picked up the phone. Scully watched him punch in several numbers then tensed as she heard his tone turn from cool and flat to honey sweet.

"Hey, babe." He chuckled softly. "Yeah, I miss you already. Mmm hmm..." His lashes drooped halfway over his eyes. "God, yeah. Parts of me are still humming..."
Jesus Christ, did she have to listen to this shit?

"...yeah, that's why I called you. ...The refrigerator?" Fox scratched the back of his head. "How the hell did I..." He began to grin. "Oh no, you can't blame me for that. You started it. ...Yeah, good, I hope you are suffering...don't you dare...nope. Now you're gonna wait till I get home." More laughing. "You'd better! ...Okay, I gotta go. If I'm not busy, maybe I'll take a long lunch and go pick it up...I don't know. How long do you need? ...That's it? You think you're that good, do you? ...Yeah, okay, okay. I'll definitely be home then, about one, to see that you make good on that. Bye, babe."

Fox hung up, grinning broadly. He looked over to Scully, who looked like she had been sucking on a lemon, and the grin turned to a smirk.

"Forgot my cell phone at home."

"And you'll pick it up later...when you take your long lunch."

"Yeah. Well, I'd better get up to Skinner's office. See you in a bit."

"Yeah. Right."

Fox left the office, whistling softly, and the sound went through Scully like a rusty butter knife.

//You'll be whistling a different tune, Mulder, soon enough.//

Unlocking the bottom drawer of her desk, she pulled out the manila envelope and peeked inside at the top picture.

//Oh, yeah, this one ought to really kill him.//

She blinked rapidly and dropped the envelope back into the drawer.

"God," she gasped, "listen to yourself."

//These pictures are only for Krycek. Mulder's never going to see them. You won't do that to him. You can't.//

//But he's so fucking smug. He shouldn't be so smug...//

//Right. Like you wouldn't be. Don't freakin' worry about it. Krycek'll do anything he has to do to make sure that Mulder never sees these.//

//Christ, let's think about that for a minute, shall we? Alex Krycek. Presented with a threat. How do you think he's going to react?//

//Don't start. Don't fucking start. You gotta nitpick every goddamn detail, don't you? Krycek's going to do exactly what you want him to do. He's not going to take the chance of losing Mulder, that's for damn sure.//

"No," she murmured, lightly fingering the edge of the envelope. "He certainly wouldn't do that."

********************

"You can go in, Agent Mulder."

Fox smiled at the pretty redhead and opened the door. He strode into the A.D.'s office and stood in front of the desk, waiting for Skinner to speak first.
"How did the investigation go, Agent?"

"Pretty much like most of my investigations. No one agreed with my opinions, yet no one could come up with a logical explanation for the event."
"Have you started your report?"

"I can't speak for Agent Scully, but I'm going to get on mine as soon as I get back down to my office."

"Oh," Skinner replied flatly. "I figured you'd be through with it, since you spent the day at home yesterday."

"No, I had personal matters to attend to."

Skinner nodded. "Is everything all right?"

Fox drew a deep breath and sat in his usual spot.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Skinner remained silent, waiting.

"What is it with you and Scully? You both hate Alex, you think I'm making the mistake of my life being involved with him, yet you both keep asking me if things are all right. Do you two have some kind of bet going or something? You got money on how long we last?"

"Of course not."

"Then what's with all the curiosity?"

"There was a time, Mulder, when you would get back into D.C. from a case and come straight in to the office. I've seen you walking in here from the airport at seven at night. You get back yesterday morning, and you go home for the day. Then you say you had personal matters to attend to. You can see, can't you, why that might be a matter of concern?"

"I might be able to see it if it wasn't Alex I was going home to. Neither you nor Scully has made a single conciliatory move in regards to my relationship with him."

"Mulder, if you think that we can just turn our suspicion and resentment toward Krycek off as easily as you seem to have..." Skinner shook his head and let his voice trail off.

"Right. Yet you're both so interested to know if everything is all right at home. Just a little odd, you know?" Fox eyed the other man. "Anything else you haven't been able to turn off?"

"What are you talking about?"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Skinner grimaced.

"Let go of it, Mulder. It was one incident. Years ago."

"So? That's supposed to mean that you don't have the itch anymore? This concern of yours would make sense if you did."

Skinner jerked his head away.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Walt, but everything really is fine..."

//Oh, little do you know...//

"...We're together. We're happy. That isn't going to change."

"How can you be so sure, Mulder?" Skinner asked, his voice humming with something that came very close to compassion. "Nothing in this life is ever a sure thing."

"I'm sure because we both want it so much. A good part of Alex's life has been pretty damn shitty. Not any more. I'm going to do everything in my power from here on out to make sure that he's happy."

Skinner's eyes narrowed, and he sent the younger man a curious frown.

"Why? Why are you putting yourself through this? Why did you spend all those weeks chasing down a man who's wreaked such havoc in all our lives?"

"Because I love him," Fox answered with quiet passion. "Because even though you and Scully will never believe it, there's so much more to him than you see."

"I just...I'm sorry, but I do find that very difficult to believe. For years all we've seen is a thug. A double crossing, thieving, lying.."

"He was all that," Fox interrupted. "No doubt about it. But that's not who he is now."

"No," Skinner replied without malice. "Now he's a hooker."

"He's not. Not any more."

"The love of a good man turn his life around?"

"If that's how you want to look at it. But he didn't want the life he had. I merely offered him an out."

"And he jumped on it."

"Actually, no. He fought me a good part of the way. He didn't want my pity. It took a lot to convince him that I could really want him. I'm still working on it."

"Still..." Skinner cocked his head. "I don't understand."

Fox lowered his gaze to the floor then looked up at the older man. "Do you really want to?"

Skinner drew a deep breath and leaned against the edge of his desk. He thought back to that night so very recently, when he'd looked down at the man lying unconscious and unknowingly abused in Mulder's bed. He remembered the feelings that until now he'd fought so hard to forget, and for the first time he could actually look into Mulder's eyes and comprehend the depth of emotion he saw there.

"Yeah. I think I do."

Fox searched the A.D.'s eyes for a moment then decided that he might actually be sincere in his request.

"Alex is very insecure. I know that sounds insane when you put it up against what you know about him, but it is the truth. He was convinced that he wasn't anywhere near good enough to be with me. I think he still believes that to some extent. Anyway, just when I'd thought I'd made some headway with him in California, Scully showed up, and it all went to hell. She'd completely decimated the fragile balance I'd achieved with him, and he ran.

"I had to find him," Fox croaked, hoping that what he was saying was actually sinking in. "By the time Scully had caught up to us, I was so in love with him that there was no way in hell I could just pick up and come back to D.C."

"When you found him again, Mulder, he'd gone back to prostitution."

"Yeah. Scully'd done a real number on him. In his state of mind, it didn't take much to convince him of what he'd already thought was true. He was hurt, and he was confused, and I could've killed Scully for driving him away."

"But you're still partners."

"Because of Alex. Half a dozen times at least, he's stopped me from shutting her out completely."

"Why would he do that? She hates him and has made no bones about it."

"Because Scully and I have been best friends for years, and he doesn't want me to do something that someday I might wish I hadn't done. Alex's first concern is always for me. He never gives himself a thought." He smiled softly. "We take care of each other. We love each other."

"Mulder, I...I have no doubt that you love Krycek," Skinner began. "I can see it all over your face, but...you're absolutely, positively sure that he feels the same about you?"

"More sure than I've ever been about anything in my life."

"Skinner lowered his head and nodded. "I just...I'd hate like hell to see you end up hurt."

"The only hurt I've suffered was when he left me. It was devastating."

"What's to stop him from taking off again if something spooks him? You said yourself that he's very insecure."

"That insecurity is what I'm working to obliterate. It's hard, though, when I'm away from him like I have been the last few days."
"How so?"

Fox shrugged. "He feels most secure when I'm with him. He's okay when I'm at work; I'm only half an hour from home. But when there's more than a state between us like there just was...it's just not an easy thing for him to handle."

"You make him sound like a basket case, Mulder. This description of him is so far from the Krycek that I know, that..."

"He's not a basket case. He just really needs me right now. He'll be fine once it sinks into his head that I love him unconditionally, and that we're not together on a temporary basis."

"Your job takes you away a lot," Skinner reminded the other man. "What are you going to do?"

"I want him to go with me, but he doesn't think it's the best idea because of Scully."

"I think he's right about that."

"But I can't come home and find him the way I just did."

Skinner's heart skipped two beats. "The way you just did?"

"He had some sort of dream the first night I was gone. When he woke up, he was very disoriented. He thought...he felt that I'd been there, yet when he opened his eyes, I wasn't. He called my cell phone, and when I answered and told him that I was still in North Carolina...his reaction...I wanted to come home right then, but I let him talk me out of it. Stupid move on my part, because when I got home, I found him in a state that I swear on my life, I'll never allow again.

"He was packing when I walked in. Since I'd told him that I hadn't been home, he had convinced himself that someone else had been, and that they'd had sex with him, though he could remember none of it. I managed to convince him, I think, that it was just a dream he'd had, and that everything was fine. He seems better now."

Fox stopped talking and studied the older man.

"What?"

Skinner gave himself a mental shake and raised his eyebrows. "Nothing, it's just...Mulder, you must know how improbable this sounds. If it was anyone else, I wouldn't be having nearly as much trouble wrapping my mind around it."

"I understand. Truthfully, I'm shocked that you've given me this much."

"I've come to trust your instincts over the years. Even when it's been damn near impossible to do so. But that doesn't mean I've agreed with everything you've done."

"I know that. But you have always given me the respect of letting me prove my beliefs." Hazel eyes lowered to the floor. "So has Scully. Until now."

Skinner wanted to tell Mulder that Scully was just being extremely overprotective, but he couldn't. In his gut he knew there was something else to it, though he had no idea exactly what.

"Just...do what you have to, Mulder. There's nothing you can do about what Scully thinks or says or does, so you might as well not worry about it."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What about the things you think and say and do?"

Skinner lowered his head for a moment then raised it and looked his agent square in the eye.

"We can't change the things we've done in the past."

"No, but we can examine them and learn about ourselves. Have you ever done that? Do you know why you did what you did to Alex that night?"

"...No. Actually, I haven't. I've sort of just pushed it to the back of my mind."
"Why?"

"Because I didn't want to think about it. It was nothing I could easily explain away, and I just didn't want to deal with it."

"You need to confront it."

"I don't see that I do."

"You do. For yourself, and for Alex."

"And for you? Mulder, you don't have to worry about me, okay? I won't try anything with him."

//Anymore.//

"I'm glad to hear that for your sake, but you should still face what you'd done. Was it an act of hatred? Did you just want to humiliate him? Were you attracted to him, and you didn't know what to do with it?"

"I don't know." Skinner pushed away from the desk and walked over to the window. "Maybe a little of each."

//Maybe a lot of one and two, and a shitload of the other.//

"I know what it's like to want him," Fox replied. "And I know what it's like to hate him because you want him. I felt that way for years."

"Did you ever..."

"No. My frustrations came out in the form of violence."

Skinner nodded and remained silent. Fox continued.

"Alex has this quality about him. He just...he oozes sex. You just want to..." Fox broke off that sentence and started another. "And that's when he's not even trying. When he decides to turn it on..." The younger man smiled to himself. "God help anyone within a five mile radius."

Skinner turned around, feeling the other man's eyes on him.

"I've thought about it, and I do understand." Fox went silent for a moment, keeping his eyes on Skinner. "But he's mine," he said quietly. "I love him more than you could ever imagine, and no man will ever touch him again. I'll kill anyone who tries."

Skinner stared back, forcing himself to meet Fox's eyes.

"I understand."

Satisfied, Fox rose from his chair.

"This meeting took an entirely different turn from what I imagined it would be like."

"That's an understatement."

"I'm glad we talked, though. It's good to have someone who's at least trying to understand how I feel."

Skinner nodded and returned to his desk.

"So, I'll see that report when?"

"By the end of the day."

"All right. I'll see you later then, Agent."

Fox gave the older man a tiny, crooked smile.

"Yes, sir."

The agent closed the door behind him as he left, and Skinner slumped in his chair.

//Holy Christ. Well, you weren't prepared for that one, but you did okay.//

//Okay. Then why do I feel like my lungs have fucking collapsed? He understands. He understands as much as he knows. But how sympathetic would he be if he knew the rest?//

Scully looked up from her medical journal and watched her partner walk into their office.

"You don't look nearly as ticked off as I thought you'd be," Scully commented as her partner entered the office. "In fact, you almost look...pleased."

"It was a good meeting," Fox answered then refused to say any more.

"Really. Well. Good for you." Try though she might, she couldn't mask the saltiness in her tone, and Fox picked up on it.

"What, were you waiting for Skinner to ream me out?"

"No, of course not."

"No? Then why is your voice dripping with disappointment?"

"You're losing it, Mulder, you know that?" Scully hissed, hoping that indignance would mask the truth. "I'm not as obsessed with you and your romance as you'd like to think. I hate to break it to you, but you're not the center of the universe."

"I'm glad you feel that way, Scully, because I was truly beginning to wonder if I shouldn't be just a little frightened."

"Cram it, Mulder."

Fox looked at his watch and grinned. "In a few hours," he murmured to himself, noting that it was a little after ten.

The comment had come out just a tad bit louder than he had intended, and Scully slammed the book down on her desk. Unwilling to temper her reaction, she flung herself out of her chair, sending it crashing against the wall, and she stormed out of the office without another word.
The smile faded from the man's face as he stared at the open door.

Something was going on here, and it wasn't just Scully's overwhelming desire to save him from the clutches of the evil Krycek.
"Yeah, but what?"

Wondering if their friends might have any clue, he decided to pay a visit to the Gunmen.
After he got going on that report.

And after he had Alex for lunch...

********************

Alex sat at the computer, tapping quickly at the keys, his eyes scanning the screen as he worked.

"I got a feeling about you," he said to his newly acquired stock as he completed the transaction and closed the window. He sat back in the chair, displaying a satisfied smile. This online investing was fun. Not to mention convenient.

Just as he opened up the newspaper to the financial section, a knock sounded at the door.

"God, who the hell's that?"

He left his seat and sauntered over to the door, looking through the peephole.

"*Fuck*."

"Open the door, Krycek."

The door inched open, and Alex stood there in the limited space he'd created, blocking Scully's entrance.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"We have a little business to conduct."

"You and I have no business. Go back to work, if that's where you came from."

"Yeah, I came from work. Where Mulder is sitting, smug as a Cheshire cat. But that can change in the blink of an eye."
"What the hell are you talking about?"

Scully held up a large, yellow envelope and sneered at the man in the apartment.

"You might want to have a look at these."

"What's that?"

Scully shoved the envelope at him, the surprise of it backing him up a few steps. She took the opportunity to come in, and she closed the door behind her.

"Go on, open it up."

Alex leveled a hard glare on the woman as he opened the flap and pulled out roughly a dozen and a half photos. The blood drained from his face as he looked down at the first picture.

"You should have gone into porn movies, Alex," Scully purred. "You're very photogenic."

"What the fuck is this?" Alex gasped, shaking hands shuffling through the photos.

"Uh, that would be you and...well, I don't really know who the other guy is, but it would seem that you know him quite well." She shook her head, clucking softly.

"In Mulder's bed, Alex? You didn't even have the common decency to find a motel? I guess you figured what the hell, huh? Since he was away, who'd know?"

"This isn't..." Alex choked, "I don't know where you got these, but I haven't been with anyone since Fox and I got back together. In California, or here!"

"Pictures don't lie, Alex."

"But you do, you fucking bitch. You doctored these. Somehow you took pictures of Fox and me in bed, and then you removed him and added someone else."

"I did no such thing. Those pictures are genuine."

"*Bullshit*."

"Hey, it's not my fault that you can't remember from one fuck to the next. But I assure you that those pictures are the real deal..."

And then he got it.

Before Scully could say another word, the pictures fluttered to the floor, and she found herself slammed up against the wall behind her with an infuriated Alex holding her there by her neck.

"You," he gasped. "You drugged me, didn't you? Somehow you drugged me and sent that fucker in to do that to me! *Why*?" he began to roar. "How could you do something so disgusting?"

"I was in North Carolina, Alex," Scully croaked, the hand around her throat constricting to a frightening degree. "How could I have done what you claim?"

"You did it!" he yelled. "Admit it and cleanse your soul, bitch, before I kill you!"

"There are copies," Scully wheezed. "If anything happens to me, they automatically get sent to Mulder."

Alex's breath left him in a rush, and his grip slackened.

"You wouldn't. You...you wouldn't do that to him."

"I'm doing it *for* him."

"Like hell!" he shouted, quickly rediscovering his rage. "This is about you! This insane desire you have to fuck me! You're so eaten up with it that you can't bring yourself to give a shit about how this would affect Fox!"

"I don't want him to see them," Scully argued. "Even though that attitude of his could be taken down a notch or two." She focused an intense stare on Alex, despite the painful grip he still held her in. "If you take me up on my proposition, he'll never have to know that the man he loves and trusts so deeply had fucked another man in his bed."

"I didn't!" Alex screamed, his voice breaking as he pulled Scully away from the wall and slammed her back into it. "I was drugged, and that son of a bitch raped me! And you made it happen!"

"Whatever, Alex. What difference does it make? The point is you don't want Mulder to see those pictures. I'm here to offer you some insurance against that happening."

"What the fuck do you want?"

As if he couldn't guess.

"You. In my apartment. Tonight. That'll do for a start."

"You're out of your mind," Alex sneered, "if you think that I'd touch you..."

"You will," Scully pressed. "Tonight, and any other night I want you."

"Never. You got that? I will never ever touch you. Now get the fuck over it!"

"Then the consequences of your refusal will be on your head!" the woman screeched, fury twisting what was an attractive face into something ugly.

"Kiss my ass," Alex grated through clenched teeth. "You're not going to do this. If you do, there might be the possibility that he won't be able to handle it, and I'll lose him, but guess what? So will you. You think he's going to thank you for doing this? Your ass'll be gone from his life so fast you won't know what hit you. Not only that, but your career will pretty much be toast. I'll see to that personally. And I'll let you suffer all of that hell for a while. Make sure you get a real good dose, and then..." He leaned in, the warmth of his breath fanning her face. "Then I'll kill you, you scheming cow. Slowly, and painfully, and you know I know how."

Alex let Scully go and backed up a step.
"Now. The ball is in your court. What are you going to do?"

Scully managed a hateful glare, though her heart was thrashing in her chest.

"He won't know they're from me. I'll have them delivered, and it'll be your word against mine."

"And whose word do you think he'll believe? You've done nothing but give Fox grief about me. You've all but shouted your hatred and jealousy from the rooftops. You think he won't believe you capable of this little bit of nastiness?"

Scully blinked up at Alex, the venom fading from her expression, quickly being replaced by uncertainty.

"You made your own bed, Scully. Be prepared to lie in it. Alone."

Scully glared at the victor, shaking with more than one negative emotion.

"Your day'll come, Krycek. And when it does, I'll be there to watch you go down in flames. And I'll be laughing my ass off."

"I'll keep that in mind. Now get the fuck out."

One trembling step at a time, Scully inched toward the door and pulled it open. She drew a long, stuttering breath and, choosing to say nothing more, she left the apartment.

Alex stood stone still, listening for a moment to the deafening silence, then he turned around and looked down at the photos scattered at his feet.

Him. Drugged into unconsciousness. Naked and draped around whoever the hell that bastard was. Being fucked...oh God, fucked in the bed that he and Fox shared.

He sank to the floor, staring at the images before him.

Shaking, he reached for one picture and tore it to bits. Then another. And another as the trembling turned violent, and anguished sobs pushed up from his throat.

When each picture lay in hundreds of tiny bits, he wobbled to his feet and retrieved a plastic grocery bag from the kitchen. He gathered up every piece and staggered into the hall, tossing the bag into the incinerator chute.

Returning to the apartment, he fell onto the sofa and looked around, hands clenching together convulsively.
"What do I do?" he asked himself. "I don't...God, what do I do?"

********************

Twelve-thirty.

//Yesss.//

Fox saved the work he'd done so far and picked up his keys and jacket. He thought vaguely to himself as he blew out of the office that he hadn't seen Scully since she stormed out over two hours ago, but the thought quickly vanished as images of Alex filled his head.

Naked and flushed. Eyes gone black with desire as Fox kneeled in front of him and sucked his cock down his throat...

He chuckled softly as he loosened his tie and headed for his car.

"You're gonna scream so loud, baby," he whispered, "the sound is going to echo until I get back home tonight."

Reaching the burgundy Ford, Fox unlocked the door and fell into the driver's seat even as he shoved the key into the ignition. The engine purred to life, and he pulled out of his parking spot and headed for home and a mouth-watering lunch.

********************

Scully sat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, staring sightlessly at the people passing by.

She should have gone back to work. Had that report to finish up and turn in, but...

Later. In a little while. Right now she just wanted to sit here and do nothing. And that included not thinking about her disastrous meeting with Krycek earlier, but her sadistic, traitorous mind wouldn't leave it alone.

//You failed. You gave it a shot, and you failed. Give up. Those pictures were your last best hope, and he didn't buy into it. You were sure he would, and he didn't. And you can't let Mulder see the fucking pictures, you know you can't. So it all comes down to this. He won. You lost. Get over it and move on.//

But how could she? Goddamn that bastard, he'd bested her again. How could she give in and let him win and still respect herself?

//Just take it easy. Wait and watch, and an opportunity will present itself. Then you act.//

"This isn't over, Krycek," Scully whispered as she rose to her feet and descended the steps. "Your day is coming. I'll see to it."

********************

The door to apartment forty-two unlocked and opened, and Fox walked in, a sly grin plastered to his face.

"Honeeeey." He looked around the room, noting the prepared table "Baby doll," he called, snickering at the sappy term. "Daddy's home."

There was no answer, and for a moment he began to worry. But movement out of the corner of his eye turned him in the direction of the kitchen. His jaw went slack, and his eyes glazed over as Alex leaned against the doorframe.

"Your lunch is ready."

Fox stood there, frozen as the other man approached with feline grace. His eyes took in the barely there, sheerest black g-string, the black leather collar that he recognized as one of the 'toys' he'd brought back from North Carolina, and a whole lot of skin in between, and the older man's cock, which was already hard from the anticipation of this moment, throbbed within the confines of his pants.

Alex reached his destination, sliding his hands over Fox's shoulders, caressing gently, then he removed his jacket and led the older man to the table. He pulled the chair at the head of the table out, beckoning his lover to sit, and he kneeled beside the chair, resting his head on Fox's arm as he reached for an object on the chair to the left.

Fox's fingers curled around the smooth, fine links of the chain of the leash that Alex had pressed into his hand, and his eyes dilated to near blackness. He hooked the clasp to the ring on the collar and pulled gently, as if to test its strength. The younger man lifted his head and, searching Fox's eyes, he began to unbutton his lover's shirt. When he reached the waistband of Fox's pants, he undid the belt. The button and zipper followed, and he pulled both shirts loose, completing the task of undoing all fastenings.

Sweeping his lover's top shirt away from his chest, Alex nuzzled the white cotton beneath while his hands worked their way up under the hem, crawling over the contracting muscles of Fox's abdomen. His mouth brushed over one covered nipple, and a soft groan from his lover encouraged him to continue. Ever so gently, his teeth closed over his target and pulled, and Fox rose slightly from his seat, inhaling heavily.

Golden-brown eyelashes swept upward as the pressure was released, and Fox trained a glittering gaze on the man at his feet. He tugged lightly on the chain to emphasize his words.
"You teasing me?"

Alex merely lowered his head to Fox's lap, brushing his cheek over the tops of the older man's thighs as he stared silently up at him.

"Just curious," Fox whispered, stroking his lover's smooth cheek. "You know, you walked into the room a few minutes ago and completely floored me. Do you know how much restraint it's taking right now not to throw you up on this table and fuck the hell out of you?"

"If you like," Alex purred, letting the fingers of one hand skim over the opening in Fox's pants and brushing the bulge still hidden by his underwear. "But maybe you could have some lunch first?" He reached over to the table, picking up a small bunch of grapes and, plucking one away from the rest, he held it up to Fox's mouth.

Fox accepted the offering, his eyes never leaving his lover's, and when Alex held another grape up to him, he took the small green globe, cradling it with his tongue as he pulled on the chain and brought the younger man closer.

Needing no instruction, Alex leaned forward, his tongue stroking over Fox's as he took the grape from him. As he slowly chewed the bit of fruit, Fox's hand wandered over one shoulder then down his chest, a finger flicking lightly at one nipple. Sable lashes swept down over forest-green eyes and Alex swayed a bit, then steadied himself and resumed his task.

Fox allowed Alex to feed him the contents on the plate, stopping frequently to share his meal with his lover. By the time lunch was finished, both men were about as close to the fringes of insanity as they could be without dropping over the edge. When Alex again reached over to the chair to Fox's left, the older man watched intently, wondering what else he was going to produce. A smile twitched at the corners of his lips as Alex held a square packet up before him.

Balancing the wrapped condom on the arm of Fox's chair, Alex pulled his lover's pants and underwear down, freeing his deeply flushed cock. He snatched the packet up, ripping it in two, and he withdrew the condom, efficiently rolling it down over Fox's erection.

"Did you remember the..."

Before Fox could finish his question, Alex produced a tube of lubrication, and the older man began to laugh softly.

"Forget I asked."

Slowly, Alex applied the lube, smoothing the gel over every inch of his lover's twitching cock, and the second he removed his hand, Fox was out of his chair, pulling him to his feet. The older man shoved everything to the other end of the table then spun Alex around and bent him over the cool wooden surface.

Cheek pressed to the oak, Alex waited, trembling as Fox pulled the g-string aside and positioned himself. A hard gasp tumbled from his lips as his lover surged forward, embedding his cock as deeply inside of him as it could go. His fingers scratched at the surface of the table, looking for something to hold onto, but there was nothing. He lay there whimpering as Fox began to move, lovingly caressing his ass with one hand as the other reached for the leash that dangled over the edge of the table.

Coiling the chain around his hand, Fox applied and held firm tension, lifting Alex's head a few inches off the table, and the hand stroking his rear gripped the younger man's hip as he began to thrust hard and fast. Alex let out a bone-jarring shriek, and Fox smiled, knowing the cause of his agitation.

"Gotcha, don't I?" Fox panted, hitting the same spot again and incurring a similar response. He pulled tighter on the chain, drawing Alex's head farther back, and he leaned forward, licking the side of the younger man's neck and jaw.

"I'm not gonna touch your cock... "

Alex answered with a frenzied whimper, but it was quickly shushed.

"But you're going to come anyway," Fox commanded, rocking against his lover. "Just like yesterday. Understand?"

Eyes closed and gasping frantically, Alex nodded, and then Fox was slamming into him, grunting with every violent thrust. His mouth fell open, and a sound gurgled in his throat, quickly morphing into a loud mewling sob. His orgasm, devastating and sweet, danced just beyond his reach, and he begged Fox to help him meet it, jerking backward as the older man surged forward.

"Please," he sobbed, "please, Fox, let...let me..."

"It's yours, "Fox promised breathlessly, fast approaching his own heaven. "Come on, baby...come on...take it."

Three more hard thrusts, and Alex began to scream. His muscles contracted as he came, squeezing his lover's cock, and taking Fox with him over the edge.

"Ah, God!" Fox roared, jerking erratically then collapsing over his lover's back as the last bit of his energy was spent. How he remained on his feet was a miracle, considering the rubbery condition of his legs, but he managed, unwilling to move just yet. Moaning softly, he nuzzled the younger man's ear and licked away a few drops of perspiration as they ran down from his hair.

"You keep treating me to lunches like this, I'll come home every day," he murmured, gently biting on Alex's earlobe before forcing himself to straighten up. He withdrew his withering cock and peeled the condom off before sliding an arm between his limp lover and the table and pulling him up.

"So," he whispered in Alex's ear as he pulled the younger man back against him, hugging him to his chest. "I see you were nosing around in my little bag of tricks."

Alex rubbed the back of his head against Fox's jaw.

"I didn't think you'd mind."

"Are you kidding?" Fox turned the younger man around and used the chain to pull him forward. "Stand here another five minutes looking like this, and I'll be as hard as I was when I walked in."

Green eyes dropped their gaze to the floor then rose again, slowly, looking at the older man through a veil of thick lashes.

"You have to go back to work," the smoky, honey coated voice reminded Fox, and the older man tipped Alex's face up to his.

"I don't have to."

"You do," Alex argued. "Fox..."

There was something there. A slight, almost unnoticeable catch in his voice that worried Fox.
Gold-flecked eyes narrowed on the other man, and Fox cupped Alex's cheek.
"Something wrong? Alex, did I hurt you?"

"*No*...no. It's...it's just that you didn't go in yesterday. You've only spent a few hours there today. I don't want you to get into any trouble."

"You don't have to worry about that. Skinner and I had a long, unexpected talk today."

Alex eyed his lover warily. "A talk?"

"Yeah. He was a hell of a lot more understanding than I ever would have expected him to be."

"Understanding about what?"

Fox shrugged. "Everything. He respects my feelings, even though he might not totally agree with them. That's something I'll never have from Scully." He stopped speaking for a moment and looked into disturbed eyes.

"We talked a lot about you."

"What...what about me?"

"I told him how very much I love you. We discussed his concerns about that...we also talked about what he did to you."

Alex's eyes widened, but he said nothing.

"I couldn't fault the man for being attracted to you. God knows it's easy enough. And in those days, the actions might have been different but the emotion was the same."
W-what d'you mean?"

"I was attracted to you...my attraction manifested itself in the form of violence. I beat on you...Skinner's attraction took a slightly different path. Anyway, he promised me he'd never even think about touching you like that again." Fox kissed Alex's slack mouth. "Which is good because I promised him that I'd kill him if he did."

Alex lowered his head, shaking it erratically from side to side.

//Liar. Goddamn fucking liar.//

"Babe? What? What is it?"

"N-nothing, I..." Alex picked his head up and met Fox's eyes. "You believe him?"

Fox nodded. "I do. He's feeling guilt. I could see it all over he face. He wanted to bury it, but doing that isn't good. It's got to come out. A person needs to come clean with their own conscience before they can really move on. I...Alex? You don't look very convinced."

"I'm sorry, I...I just don't see Skinner feeling guilt over me."

I don't know that it's so much you personally as it is the fact that he'd exceeded his own moral boundaries, and he had a hard time believing himself capable of losing control like that." Fox stroked the side of his lover's head, focusing a warm, gold-splashed stare on him. "I know what it's like to want you beyond all reason."

Alex's gaze fell away from the older man's face.
"S-so that's it?"

"I don't...we've all done a number on each other in one way or another, babe. You and I have gotten past it. Maybe we could cut Skinner just a little slack? He really does seem like he wants to understand us."

"I'm sorry Fox, I...I just don't think I'm...I'm nowhere near ready to be Skinner's buddy. If ever..."

"I'm not asking that we all get together and go out for a beer," Fox argued softly. "But he's trying to be decent." The older man lowered his eyes, and his tone. "It just would be nice to be able to be on good terms with one of my friends."

//God.//

"I'm sorry," Alex gasped, drawing closer to Fox's warmth. "I'm so sorry, Fox. I didn't mean...Jesus, I didn't mean to alienate you from everyone you care about."

"*You* haven't done that," Fox answered, realizing that Alex was putting all the blame on himself. "Their...Scully's condemnation of our relationship is what's screwed up our friendship. But Skinner's not doing that."

Alex shuddered in the older man's embrace, and he inhaled deeply.
"No," he rasped. "He...he isn't. If you can be on good terms, why shouldn't you be?"

"That's all I'm saying," Fox cooed softly, pulling Alex's head down to his shoulder and nuzzling the dark hair.

"You sh...you should get back to work."

"Yeah, I guess I should. Only if you're okay, though."

"I'm fine."

"You're not upset with me?"

Alex lifted his head and cocked it to one side.

"Why would I be upset with you?"

"For wanting to trust Skinner."

"No, Fox, of course not. I understand; I really do." Alex imparted a soft kiss on his lover's full lips. "Come on, get cleaned up and go to work."

Agreeing, Fox unhooked the chain from the collar and handed it to the younger man before he went into the bathroom.

Alex paused a moment then retreated to the bedroom. He removed the collar and the g-string, pulling on a t-shirt and then a pair of worn jeans. Leaving the pants undone, he walked into the bathroom, where Fox was just tucking and smoothing his shirt. Giving the older man a quick smile, he took a washcloth from the shelves by the sink, and ran it under warm water. Before he could wash himself, Fox was there, pulling the cloth from his hand.

Gently but thoroughly, he washed Alex's cock then lovingly tucked him into his jeans, drawing the zipper up and fastening the button.

"Thanks again for lunch."

Alex nodded but said nothing.

Fox slipped his arm around his lover's waist, and the two walked slowly to the door. They shared a long, soft kiss, then Fox opened the door and stepped into the hall.

"I'll see you later."

As he started to move away, Alex's voice stopped him.

"Fox."

He pivoted and faced the direction from which he had just come, and Alex came to him, winding his arms around his neck.

"I love you," the younger man rasped, holding Fox in a firm embrace and laying his head on his shoulder.

Fox returned the hug and kissed the back of Alex's head.

"I love you too, babe," he chuckled. "That's what you stopped me for?"

Alex nodded, not lifting his head from Fox's shoulder. "You shouldn't ever go to sleep or leave the apartment without hearing it."
"That some old Russian superstition?"

"I don't know if it's Russian. But I was just thinking about my mother this morning, and I remember when I was a kid, asking her one day why every time I walked out of the apartment, or when she tucked me in at night, she'd always tell me she loved me. She said because she did, and it should never be something that we take for granted. I don't ever want you to think that I take you for granted, Fox. I'm grateful every day and every night for you."

Fox tightened his arms, squeezing Alex against him.

"How could I possibly think that? You're so good to me, Alex. Sometimes I swear I'm dreaming all of this." He loosened his hold on Alex and made the younger man look at him. "And I'm every bit as grateful for you. You know, in case you didn't realize it."

Alex sagged against Fox's chest, basking in the warmth of glorious love as Fox rocked him gently.

"If I don't get out here right now," Fox whispered, kissing Alex's ear, I'll never make it back to work."

Alex breathed deeply and forced himself to push away from his lover.

"Go on," he murmured, giving Fox a sweet smile. "I'll see you later."

He moved back toward the apartment then turned to watch Fox walk to the elevator at the other end of the hall. Not until the door had closed did he move, finally walking back into the apartment. He paused at the door for a few brief seconds, then stalked into the bedroom and started ripping the linens off of the mattress.

********************

Sharp, brown eyes perused the report that Skinner held, then they rose to shift back and forth between the two agents.

"So, you've both agreed to stamp this one unsolved?"

"Yes, sir," Scully answered, eyes cast to the floor. "Forensic evidence supports neither Agent Mulder's ideas nor mine. The police are still poking around it, but I doubt very seriously that they're going to turn up anything new."

Skinner nodded. "Very well. Agent Mulder, have you anything to add before we conclude?"

"No, sir, I think Agent Scully covered everything pretty well."

"All right then. Have a good weekend, agents."

"Thank you, sir, you too," Fox answered as he rose and moved toward the door.

Scully muttered a barely audible thanks and followed her partner into the outer office and finally the hall. It was there that Fox chose to speak to her.

"Something wrong, Scully? You haven't looked right since I came back from lunch. Did you eat something that didn't agree with you?"

"I'm fine, Mulder," Scully droned, insincerity oozing from every word. "I suppose you're going home now?"

"Well, yeah. It's..." He looked at his watch. "Christ, it's after six-thirty."

"Yeah, well, when you don't get back to work from lunch till almost *three*-thirty..."

"True." Fox stepped into the open elevator, followed by his partner, and hit the button for the basement. They rode down in silence, and once the doors opened, Fox stepped out into the hall and headed in the direction of the parking garage.

"Goodnight, Scully. Have a good weekend."
"You don't need anything from the office?"

"Nope," Fox called, still moving toward his destination and pulling his cell phone from his pocket.

Scully glared after him as he pressed two buttons then lifted the phone to his ear.

"Hi, babe. I'm on my way home. Listen, why don't I pick something up for dinner along the way..."

"Very domestic, Mulder," she grated as her partner disappeared around the corner. "Enjoy your little fantasy while it lasts."

********************

A single eye peered out at the man on the other side of the door.

"Yeah?"

"Put your glasses on Langly, it's me."

"Oh. Hang on a sec, Mulder."

The rest of the chains were removed, and Langly stepped away from the door as Fox entered.

"What's up?"

"I got a question for you guys. Where are Frohike and Byers?"

It was Byers' turn to do the shopping. Frohike is..."

"Right here, dude."

The third man entered the room, shoving a spoonful of Cheerios into his mouth.

"What're you doin' here at this time on a Friday?" he asked, raising the bowl to his mouth and slurping down some milk. "Shouldn't you be getting home to the wife?"

"I wouldn't let Alex hear you call him that," Fox grinned. "Not if you don't want your lungs pulled out through your nose."

"He doesn't scare me," Frohike snorted. "Anymore..."

"Oh no?" Langly asked, one blonde eyebrow raised above the rim of the glasses he'd just put on. He looked to Fox. "Well, he scares the shit out of me, and I ain't ashamed to say it. So, if you tell him what dead meat here just said, make sure you also tell him that I couldn't disagree more."

"Yeah. Okay. Listen guys, Alex is kind of why I'm here."

Langly sat down at a bench strewn with loose computer parts. "Yeah? God, don't tell me you want to have a little 'getting to know you' type soiree or something."

Fox rolled his eyes at the suggestion. "Would you listen to me please? I have to ask you both something."

"Okay, shoot."

"You spent some time with Scully in Vegas. Was she acting..." Fox's expression assumed a confused quality. "I don't know...weird?"

The two men tossed each other a quick look.
"Weird?"

"Yeah, Frohike. I know she's none too happy about Alex and me. But to say that she's upset would be understating the facts by a mile."

"Yeah, but Mulder," Langly reasoned, "you gotta admit that this came out of virtually nowhere, man. As far as any of us were concerned, Krycek was your worst enemy, and you'd have killed him as soon as looked at him. Even after he helped us and left, your reaction never would have led any of us to believe that you...you know...thought about him in that way."

"Look. Langly. I understand all that. But you guys are okay with it, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Frohike answered. "I mean, if you want to shack up with Attila the Hun, turned The Happy Hooker, turned June Cleaver, who are we to object?"

"Thanks, Frohike. I think."

"No problemo, dude."

"Okay, all that aside," Fox resumed, "you didn't think that she was bent way out of shape about this?"

Fox watched the two men cast their eyes to the floor after exchanging a look.

"You do, don't you?"

"She was a bit..." Langly paused, searching for the right words.

"Livid," Frohike broke in. "Pissed as shit, homicidal..."

"Jesus, Frohike!"

"Hey, he knows how crazy she is about this, that's why he came here."

"Right. I just need to know why."

Frohike shrugged. "Our guess is she's jealous."

"Jealous?"

"Yeah, man," Langly replied. "For a lot of years now, it's just been you and Scully. Now all of a sudden, Krycek of all people is in the picture and...come on, Mulder, is this really not clear to you?"

"I just..." Fox shook his head. "Nothing would have changed."

"Things had already changed, Mulder," Frohike corrected him. "You threw your job aside to go chasing after Krycek. The most important thing in your life suddenly didn't mean jack squat. And, consequently, neither did she."

"I never said she didn't mean anything to me. But guys, she never gave him a chance. She went on the attack the minute she got up to the cabin in California. She drove him away even after I told her how much he meant to me."

"Hey man, you know what they say about a woman scorned."

"Huh?"

Langly emitted a loud sigh. "When we say she was jealous, dude, what do you think we mean?"

Fox's eyebrows drew down into a frown.

"Langly. Aww, come on. You're not saying…" He turned to the other man. "You think that too?"

Frohike shrugged. "Have you ever seen her get involved with anybody? I mean outside of the *very* occasional date?"

"No, but neither had I."

"Uh huh. You were obsessed with your job, and she was obsessed with *you*."

Fox shook his head. "You're wrong, Frohike…you both are. Scully and I are…were like family. We didn't think of each other that way."

"Okay, Mulder. Whatever you say. It's just our opinion anyway. And the most logical explanation you're liable to get for why she's so freaked out."

Fox stood looking at the floor for a while then drew a deep breath and took a step backward.

"Thanks for the talk, guys. I gotta go. I'll see you later."

"Later, dude," Langly answered as he followed Fox to the door and closed it behind him. Leaning against the cool metal, he shook his head at the other man.

"You ever think this'd turn into such a soap opera?"

"Nope." Frohike looked down into his now soggy Cheerios then smirked up at his friend. "Can't wait for the next installment."

********************

Go to Part 11

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