Note: this story contains a forced Sk/Sc caused by drugs and a madman with a gun. Please, I beg anyone who uses drugs –stop. Now. This minute. I love to read just about anything, but I’d rather not read your obituary.

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

The day was fairly quiet once the twins were off to their kindergarten class for half the day. Skinner had lunch and left Natti to watch her soaps. He wasn’t in his office for long when the school nurse called asking him to come and get Adam.

"What’s wrong with him?" he asked, already reaching for his jacket.

"He doesn’t seem to be sick, but he won’t stop crying. He’s asking for his father," she said, sounding exasperated. "I tried Mr. Mulder’s cell phone but he isn’t answering and his office said that he is in the field. Whatever that means."

"I’ll be right there." Skinner hung up and rushed out the door. Idiots should have transferred her call to Scully, he thought.

He arrived at the school five minutes later, leaving his car in the unloading zone at the front door. The halls were empty except for the faint muted sounds of talking coming from classes as he walked quickly to the nurse’s office.

Skinner could hear Adam before he got to the door.

"Adam?" Skinner called to him as he opened the door. Adam ran to him, jumping and clinging to Skinner’s torso. Skinner held him tightly, stroking the boy’s hair and back, soothing him.

"What is it? Are you hurt?" he asked. Adam shook his head, sniffling and choking on his tears.

"Daddy!" he yelled. Skinner realized that this was a scared, hysterical crying, not one of pain. The nurse sat at her desk, writing up the report as Adam continued to cry. Skinner was not impressed with her lack of concern as he paced the floor with Adam, trying to calm him down. When Adam began to choke, Skinner could tell that the boy was caught in a loop. He gave Adam a single sharp tap on his rear. More shocked than hurt, Adam immediately stopped crying.

"You need to tell me what the problem is," Skinner said gently in Adam’s ear. Adam sniffled, his face buried on Skinner’s shoulder.

"Daddy’s hurt," Adam whispered. Skinner kept one arm under Adam and reached for his cell phone with the other. He dialed Mulder’s cell only to get an operator recording. He dialed Scully.

"Have you heard from Fox lately?" he asked when she answered.

"No, why?" she asked, immediately suspicious. He told her about Adam. "Hang on a minute," she said, putting him on hold. Skinner waited almost five minutes. "He’s been shot. He’s at Miami General."

Skinner signed Adam out of school and drove home, coming up to the house just as Krycek was getting in. Seeing that something was up, Krycek followed Skinner in. Skinner put Adam to bed with a glass of water and an aspirin and a promise to find his father and to make sure that Mulder was alright. Skinner wasn’t going to say anything to the boy until he could get to Florida and check on Mulder himself.

In the living room, Skinner told Krycek and Natti the problem. Krycek made a phone call as Skinner changed his clothes. They were out the door in just a few minutes. He called Scully and would have her meet them at a private airfield. Krycek had a private plane on standby. Skinner had wondered how Krycek came and went so quickly.

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

The agents stood as Scully, Skinner and Krycek strode into the waiting room. An entire corner was filled with FBI agents. The other people in the OR waiting room were giving them curious looks but keeping a respectable distance. Krycek stopped at the agents waiting and quietly asked a question. None hesitated in answering him.

"Where’s Mulder?" Scully and Skinner demanded. A doctor lifted his head.

"Are you Mrs. Mulder?" he asked Scully.

"No, I’m his boss. Assistant Director Dana Scully," she said, showing her badge.

"I’m Mr. Mulder’s partner, Walter Skinner," Skinner said. He handed the doctor an envelope. "I have his power of attorney." The doctor gave the papers a brief scan.

"The bullet clipped the descending colon on his left side just above his pelvic bone," the doctor said. "His bowel was not perforated, we only removed about 2 inches of colon. He needs to be here for about 5 days and then he can go home." They all breathed a sigh of relief, Mulder’s team clapping each other on the backs. "He is still in post-op, waiting on a room. No one can see him before then due to transmission of infections to the other patients waiting."

"I believe the admitting nurse has forms to be filled out," the doctor said, indicating a woman with a clipboard. Skinner knew his life of paper pushing wasn’t over. Scully turned to the waiting officers.

"People, there is an UNSUB that needs to be caught," she announced. "I want a report first, though," she said. Scully motioned everyone into a quiet room that wasn’t in use and shut the door, cutting off the quiet murmuring from the waiting room. Scully and Skinner sat as one man stepped forward.

"McKnulty?" Scully acknowledged him.

"Ma’am. I was close by ASAC Mulder at the time. The UNSUB was surprised as he came out of his boat. We all were. The UNSUB didn’t even try to play dumb, he just pulled his gun and began shooting. Mulder was in the range of fire. Jacobs jumped to push him out of the way. They were both hit. Jacobs in the chest."

The report was incomplete, but they weren’t in a place for a full report. That would wait until they returned to DC. The agents were all stunned by the death of Jacobs. Scully leaned forward for a moment, her eyes shut.

"Has anyone called his wife?" she asked. The agents all shook their heads. "Two of you stay here. I want Mulder under guard just in case this nut decides that he doesn’t like witnesses. The rest of you –I want that bastard’s ass on a silver platter," she growled. The agents cleared out quickly with determined looks. Scully went to find a private room to make the call to Jacobs’ wife. Skinner remembered Jacobs, an older agent who had spent his entire life at the FBI, who was kind to the boys when Adam was kidnapped, a man who took pride in his work.

"Where did Krycek go?" Skinner asked. No one knew.

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

The dock was off limits as the police inspected every inch of the suspect’s boat. People gathered in crowds, curious watchers debating what was happening. While the crowd watched the police, Krycek watched the crowd. The Horse wanted attention; if Krycek were in that man’s place, he’d be enjoying the bruhaha. Krycek was counting on the Horse to make the mistake of returning to the scene of the crime.

Krycek sat on the grassy hillside above the marina munching a burrito and chugging a soda. The sun was hot on his black leather but he ignored it, unwilling to draw added attention by taking his jacket off and allowing the people to notice his gun.

Children ran after each other, yelling in a mix of Cuban and Puerto Rican accents. Their families were grouped in clusters separated by gender, as were most of the Asian and Black mixes. Since most serial killers were Caucasian males under 50, Krycek appreciated the cultural nuances of the locals. It enabled him to focus on the paler faces in the crowd. He ignored the buddy groups, the Horse would be a loner. That left about 5 percent of the people present.

"Mijo!" he called out to a boy near him. Krycek handed the boy a couple of dollars. "Uno agua, por favor," he asked. The boy ran to a vendor and was back a moment later with a bottle of water. Krycek didn’t ask for his change, believing that free enterprise extended to kids. Especially kids from poor families. As Krycek cleared the burrito from his mouth, his eyes passed over a man lounging on the grass. The man wasn’t doing anything in particular but Krycek felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The man matched the description given by the agents while Skinner and Scully were talking with the doctor.

The man turned his head and caught Krycek’s eyes. He raised his water in salute, one killer acknowledging another. Krycek jerked his head toward the parking lot. The man nodded. Krycek stood and walked through the crowds, past the concession stands and down the stairs to the cars and the park which was empty of kids playing on swings. Everyone was over the hill at the marina. Krycek sat on a picnic table and waited for the man who followed a hundred yards behind him.

The man took out a cigarette and offered one to Krycek who refused.

"Krycek, Alex Krycek," he said, introducing himself. The man’s eyes flickered; he’d heard the name before.

"Rafael Equinus," the man said. Krycek kept his derision to himself. "I’ve heard of you, Mr. Krycek, it’s a pleasure to meet you." Equinus held out his hand. Krycek ignored it.

"You won’t think so in a moment," Krycek said. The man cocked his head in confusion.

"You know those cops you shot today?" The man nodded. "One is dead, but the other one is my brother."

Equinus paled and gulped. "He had no right trespassing on my boat," he sputtered. Krycek spit on the ground, declaring his opinion.

"Bullshit, Horse. You have got to be one of the stupidest killers I’ve ever heard of. You don’t even have a cause, you’re doing it for shits and giggles, just to get attention. Well, you’ve gotten attention. My attention. But never let it be said that Alex Krycek isn’t a fair man; you have one hour before the next hunt begins. Guess which role you’re playing."

Equinus backed away, fear etched on his face.

"And, Horse?" Krycek said. "You’d better pray that my brother lives. If he dies, I’ll be sure to prolong your pain before I’m done with you. RUN!"

The man turned and ran. Krycek looked at his watch and dug out an electronic game from an inner pocket. He was a man of his word, after all.

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

It was two hours before a nurse announced that Mulder was being taken up to a room.

"It’s about damned time," Skinner muttered.

"No shit," Scully echoed. One of the agents that remained behind on guard called the search team with the good news as Skinner and Scully followed the gurney up to the room. They waited in the hall while the nurses prepared Mulder. The two guards took their position outside while Skinner sat next to Mulder and held his hand. Mulder was still too groggy to take notice so Skinner called home to let the boys and Natti know that Mulder was alright. Scully took the side table to study Mulder’s chart and to begin reading the reports from the agents. Skinner smoothed Mulder’s hair back and waited.

Mulder -

Scully looked up from the file and smiled at the two men.

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

Krycek showed up later that evening munching on a chili dog. Scully gave him a suspicious look.

"Wha?" he said with a full mouth. He held out his dog. "Wanna bi..?" Scully rolled her eyes.

"Stop tormenting Scully," Mulder muttered, still a little woozy.

"Well, I’d offer you a bite, but you’re on liquids for a couple of days," Krycek commented.

"Where have you been?" Skinner asked. Krycek gave his innocent Ivan look.

"We’re in Miami and you expect me to forgo the luscious sites of all these beautiful Latin beauties?" Clearly Krycek thought that Skinner was out of his mind. Everyone gave up; Krycek was in one of his moods. "So, Fox, haven’t you learned yet that getting shot isn’t fun?" he asked.

"Remind me to give you the finger when I can move again," Mulder said.

"Fox, the boys need to be reassured," Skinner said, steering the conversation. "Can you talk to them for a couple of minutes?"

Mulder didn’t hesitate to agree. It was their bedtime at home, but they’d be waiting for a call. Adam answered on the first ring. Aware that Adam had been hysterical earlier that morning, Mulder made the extra effort to sound as though nothing was wrong, just a small scratch. It took a while to reassure the boy, but eventually Adam allowed Pavel and Ivan to talk to their uncle.

Mulder spent the following day swearing at the nurse who insisted that he get off his butt and start working on his stomach muscles by walking. He also had to blow into a tube to get his lungs working correctly so that pneumonia didn’t settle. Krycek had stopped by for a few minutes on a lunch break from his vigorous romping around the town. Extremely vigorous, if his exhausted expression was any indication. He wasn’t much help on his visitations.

"Come on, Fox, from the sounds I hear, I know you can blow better than that. Pretend it’s Walter and blow him, baby."

The nurse turned red and fled the room. Skinner wished he had the same option. The guards at the door were doing their best not to snicker.

Four days later, Skinner was helping Mulder into their hotel room. The doctor had forbidden Mulder to go home for another few days. With the help of pain pills, Mulder as able to sit in on the party that his agents threw in one of the hotel’s private conference rooms. Krycek sat at the head table, talking with a few agents who braved to speak two words to him. They seemed to be surprised to find a pleasant man who was as smart and as interesting as Mulder. Skinner hovered like a mother hen, snapping at anyone who seemed to forget that Mulder was still delicate. The women thought it was sweet, the men were positive that it was just weird and stayed at the back of the crowd of the law enforcement officials who had come to celebrate the life of Agent Jacobs. Scully and the rest of the agents would be going home the next day; they had lost the Horse and there was a funeral to attend. Skinner would go with them, representing their family and return the following day.

As Skinner was telling a Mulder and Scully story, the door opened and the sound of small running feet were heard. Adam stopped short of Mulder, his mouth quivering. Mulder held out his arms and Adam fell into them. The twins were satisfied for a one armed hug since Adam refused to let go of his father’s right arm. Ivan jumped, holding his arms out until Skinner picked him up as Pavel dove for Mulder’s shirt.

"Can I see your owie?" he asked, pulling at Mulder’s shirt.

"Ow, wait, Pav, ok, alright," Mulder held the boy off and lifted his shirt. The crowd chuckled at Pavel’s look of disappointment at the sight of the bandage and the strip of clear tape running down the center of Mulder’s stomach, covering the surgical site which was glued together instead of stitched or stapled. Krycek leaned over and hooked an arm around Pavel’s waist, swinging the boy up to his lap.

"Mama’s upset with you," a voice said at Skinner’s side. Expecting to see that Natti had brought the boys, Skinner was surprised to find Dominic.

"What are you doing here? Why is Zia Ginny upset with me?" he asked.

"I’m here for emotional support and Mama’s upset with you because you didn’t call her immediately when this happened," Dom said, pointing at Mulder.

"You know, Dom, for a priest, you have a big mouth," Skinner informed him as he took his cell phone out.

"I know," Dom sympathized. "It’s you, Walt, you bring out the devil in me."

"Mario, it’s Walter, is Zia available?" Skinner asked into the phone. "Don’t start with me, Mario, just put your mother on the phone." Experienced agents winced. Most of the agents were new enough not to have experienced ‘A.D. Skinner’.

"Hi, Zia, I.... yes, ma’am. Yes, ma’am. No, ma’am. Yes, ma’am." He handed the phone to Dom.

"Hi, Mama," Dom said. "Alright." He turned and smacked Skinner on the back of his head before handing the phone back.

"Hey!" Skinner yelped, grabbing his phone. The boys giggled and Mulder was trying not to laugh. Krycek snickered. "That wasn’t nice, Zia. He’s fine, I can take him home in another couple of days. I’m sorry, I’ll call next time. The boys are fine, Adam is getting a little extra emotional support. Yes, love, Zia, he’s getting lots of love. Sure." He handed the phone to Adam.

"Hi, Zia Ginny," Adam said, one ear on Mulder’s shoulder. "Yes. Yes. Daddy’s having a party ‘cause the bad man was caught. Aunt Dana said the bad man won’t hurt anyone anymore ‘cause the agents took him away to someplace he won’t ever come back."

That was the closest thing they could think of to tell the boys without scaring them further. It seemed to work because the boys were all satisfied.

Adam handed the phone to Mulder.

"Hello, Zia Ginny," he said. "No, I’m doing much better. A little pain, nothing that a pill won’t take care of. Walter is taking very good care of me. Yes. Sure, thank you, I can use all the candle lighting that I can get." He handed the phone back to Skinner.

"The Sunrise Hotel," he said, telling Zia Ginny where they were. "I’ll call you as soon as we get home," he promised. He hung up his cell phone after giving the twins each time to talk with Zia Ginny. They demonstrated the few words of Italian that they had learned and glowed from the praise that they received. Skinner noticed some of the looks that Krycek was acquiring and hoped that he wouldn’t have to put out any fires that evening. At least no one would pick a fight with Krycek while he had one of the twins clinging to him and Krycek seemed to be behaving himself.

"Alex, I want to go to the Micky Mouse place," Pavel announced, banging the back of his head against Krycek’s chest. Krycek glared at his family.

"Someone’s been letting them watch the Disney Channel again?" he questioned. Skinner and Mulder denied knowledge of the incident.

"I want Micky ears!" Ivan yelled, leaning out to Krycek. Skinner released the boy and Ivan took over the other knee. Krycek had both boys pulling at him until he gave in. The boys cheered and the locals laughed.

"Me, too, Uncle Alex?" Adam asked from Mulder’s side. More than a few eyebrows arose at Adam’s use of the title.

"Of course," Krycek said. "I need someone to help me keep an eye on these two. Your father and Uncle are no help, the boys have them wrapped around their fingers." Krycek put the twins on the floor and handed them each a cookie from the table. They ran to Scully for belated hugs.

"If you can wait two more weeks, we can spend Adam’s birthday there," Mulder suggested. The men assumed that the vocal demonstration was a unanimous agreement.

Once the boys were assured of Mulder’s health and they were fed, they began to fall asleep, Adam against Mulder’s side, Ivan on Skinner’s lap and Pavel on Krycek’s lap. Skinner took Adam while Krycek and Scully lifted the twins, carrying them upstairs where they undressed the boys and put them down to sleep in the second room in their suite. Skinner sent Krycek and Scully back to the dining room and sat on the couch, his ears protesting the loudness of the sudden quiet. He didn’t hear the door open a short while later but knew the scent and stride of his lover.

"Come to bed, Walter."

In the dark, Mulder winced as he turned onto his side, resting on Skinner’s chest. Skinner twisted strands of dark hair between his fingers, listening to the sound of Mulder breathing.

"If I ask you to stay behind a desk more often, will you get angry at me?" Skinner asked.

"No, I won’t get angry," Mulder said, smoothing Skinner’s fur. "I can’t promise, but I’ll try not to get in the way of bullets anymore." Mulder tilted his head up and accepted a few light kisses. "I knew it was a mistake to go out there," he said. "I could feel it. Jacobs saved my life, he took that bullet for me. I’m able to return home to you, the twins, my son...."

Skinner held Mulder as the shock was released. Mulder had realized that if he died, Adam would be orphaned, Skinner and the twins emotionally scarred. Mulder had more to live for than simply himself. After a while, Mulder relaxed, content with mapping out Skinner’s torso with the tips of his fingers, tracing bones and muscle contours.

"Have you been working out?" Mulder asked, finding new mass. Skinner was pleased that Mulder noticed.

"Yes, just a little." After Mulder left for work in the mornings and the boys were off to school, Skinner had begun jogging before going into work and working out with a punching bag at the office. He was pleased when he pulled his belt in a notch and his shirts had begun to tighten across his chest again. Natti didn’t say anything but gave him salads and fish for lunch. He had lost two inches on his waist, maybe a third during the past couple of weeks due to lack of eating from worry.

"Hmmm," Mulder hummed in appreciation. "Remind me to do a closer inspection when I’m back to normal."

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

Two weeks later, the crowd at the theme park was heavy for an autumn day, kids running and laughing, happy to be out of school for a few days. The three men each took charge of one boy just in case they became separated. All three boys had ID on them with cell phone numbers and the hotel information where they were staying. The boys were positive that their uncles were going overboard in the ‘just in case’ department. Adam kept hold of his father’s hand while Skinner had Ivan and Krycek took Pavel. It was Adam’s birthday and the boys were excited. Skinner thought that he even saw a glimmer of joy on Krycek’s face but he wouldn’t swear to it.

"Admit it, Alex," Skinner said, testing the waters. "You’re enjoying yourself." Krycek snorted, refusing to comment.

The men didn’t ask Krycek how he got a family suite inside the Magic Kingdom. Normally reservations were about a year in advance; Krycek got it within a couple of weeks with just a phone call. Skinner offered to pay for it but Krycek refused the money saying that he was calling in a favor. Natti had declined to join them, she wanted to stay home and enjoy the peace and quiet. Skinner had a feeling that Carlo would be making a visit while they were gone. Another piece of information leaked from Dominic. Skinner thought about it, the unusual pairing, and decided that he was fine with it, Carlo and Natti could be good for each other. Scully would meet with them on the second day, she needed to finish some paperwork. Adam’s godfathers, the Gunmen, were unreachable. Skinner assumed that they were on stake-out somewhere gathering information. So it was just the six of them for a few days of fun in the Florida sun.

To the great disappointment of the boys, they were unable to ride Space Mountain. There was a height limit and they were under it. None of the men went on it either; after what they’ve been through during the past ten years or so, Space Mountain was a wuss ride. To Krycek’s eternal disgust, the twins took one look at Micky Mouse and ran for hugs which Micky was happy to provide.

"This is our cousin Adam, he’s also sort of our brother," Pavel told Micky. "It’s his birthday tomorrow. He’s eight." Micky shook Adam’s hand and gave him a hug also. He took three huge lolly pops out of his bag and gave one to each of the boys. Mulder pouted and received one, too.

"Picture," Skinner said, lifting his camera. The boys gathered in front of Micky. Mulder jumped in, putting a chummy arm around Micky’s shoulder. Skinner could tell that he had four boys on his hands instead of three. Four boys and one teenager with an attitude, he thought, feeling Krycek radiating surliness behind him.

Krycek was barely containing his patience for the sake of the boys. That bastard got away from him in Miami. At least there hadn’t been any new murders; The Horse was probably underground. No one gets away from Alex Krycek, he growled silently. He under-estimated the crazy asshole.

"Who’s for Pirates?!" Mulder yelled. The boys jumped excitedly. They were off to rampage through the Caribbean.

"I refuse to do It’s a Small World," Krycek warned Skinner as they followed close behind the boys.

"And how do you know the names of the rides and what they’re about?" Skinner countered.

Krycek glared. "Remind me to swear at you later," he said.

Mulder grabbed Skinner’s hand to pull him along. "Alex, quit picking on Walter and come on."

The lines were atrocious, at least an hour wait at each of the more popular rides. The men kept the boys occupied by having them give oral reports on various subjects, much to the astonishment of the other people in line. Krycek grilled them in languages, Skinner in math and Mulder in science. When the boys started to become irritable, Skinner leaned into Mulder’s ear.

"Last ride for the night."

Mulder agreed. They had checked into the hotel after noon time and it was almost 4pm by the time they got into the park since the boys didn’t want to wait until the morning to begin their adventure. Skinner wanted to give that huge bathroom a try; the tub and shower were big enough for two to play in. He knew that Mulder’s backend wasn’t ready to be played with but there were other things they could do. He had seen the spark in Mulder’s eyes when he saw the large room and knew that his advances would be welcome. The boys had their own bathroom connecting with Krycek’s room. The guys wouldn’t be bothered.

Skinner felt a pair of arms encircle his waist and a head lean against the back of his shoulder.

"Are you alright? We can go back now," he asked in concern.

"I’m alright," Mulder said. "Just a little tired. Maybe we should have held the boys off until spring and just have had a small party at home. Look, our group should be next."

"How’s your stitches?" Skinner asked. Mulder lifted the edge of his shirt and looked.

"The skin is a little red, though, have you been taking your antibiotics?" he asked.

"Yes, I have and it doesn’t hurt, really," Mulder insisted. Skinner didn’t like it.

"I want the hotel doctor to check you when we get back, or I’ll call Scully."

Mulder gave in. Skinner pulled him in front and rubbed his shoulders and back.

"Does your owie hurt, Uncle Fox?" Ivan asked.

Mulder ruffled Ivan’s hair. "No, I’m just tired. I was in the hospital for a long time and I’m a little out of shape. Sometimes adults need naps, too."

"Really?" Ivan asked in amazement. Adam lifted Mulder’s right arm and snuggled in under it to give comfort. Although he was happy to be at Disney World, Adam had been quiet and moody for a few days. Skinner thought that Adam may be reacting to his father’s recent hospital stay.

The twins had to be held down while on the ride; they were so enthused about seeing everything that they tried to stand up despite their seatbelts. People sitting nearby had begun to include the twins on their ‘need to see’ list as they squealed at each tableau of pirates in various poses, drinking from tankards and pillaging villages. By the time they were ready to go back to the hotel, the twins were ready to be carried.

Upon returning to the hotel, Skinner did as promised and sent for the hotel doctor to check Mulder’s wound site while Krycek dumped the boys into a bath and sent for room service. The doctor declared Mulder fine but to take it easy and get some rest.

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

Skinner woke up in the middle of the night to find himself alone in bed. Hearing nothing from the bathroom, he began to panic. He checked the bathroom, relieved that Mulder wasn’t unconscious in there. He went out into the main room of their suite and stopped, seeing that the couch was occupied.

"What..?" he began. Mulder put a finger to his mouth and stroked Adam’s hair.

"He was crying," Mulder whispered.

Skinner squatted down next to them. "What for?" he asked.

"It’s his first birthday without his mother."

Skinner put a hand to Adam’s head. He should have thought of that himself.

"Why don’t you bring him to our room?" Skinner suggested. "I’ll sleep in his bed with the twins. You take some private time with him." Mulder agreed and waited as Skinner gently lifted Adam so that he could get up. Skinner tucked his guys into bed and turned out the light after giving both pecks on their cheeks.

With the twins curled up together on one bed, Skinner tucked himself into the second bed in the room after checking on the boys. It should have occurred to him that Adam would be feeling out of sorts without his mother around for his birthday. He himself was an adult when his mother died and he spent some time on his own birthday crying for her. He couldn’t imagine the pain that a child felt for a lost parent, especially a mother.

Skinner wondered from time to time if the boys were alright, being raised by two men –three? instead of a mother and a father. The twins didn’t know any different, never having experienced a mother, but they seemed to know that women nurtured differently than men did and they responded to the women in their lives with a definite hunger that could only be quenched from a woman’s arms. They had a great deal of women in their lives, from the women around town, Mrs. Chavez next door, Natti, Scully, to Zia Ginny; plenty of female influences. If they had multiple fathers, why not multiple mothers? He thought about it; neither Pavel nor Ivan were moody, neither had behavioral problems, -well- beyond the usual five year old things; both seemed happy and content. No matter what they did, Adam seemed destined to grow up with at least some of his father’s angst. He didn’t lose a sister but he did lose a mother. Not as dramatically, but still.....

He wasn’t sure what woke him up in the morning. It could have been the fact that he couldn’t move because the twins had discovered his presence and snuggled one on each side of him, corralling him in the center before they fell back asleep. Voices talking quietly. Scully was there, talking with someone in the livingroom. Krycek. Skinner raised an eyebrow; will wonders never cease they were talking peacefully with each other. He’d have to check the forecast, but it was possible that hell was freezing over.

Skinner extracted himself from his cubs.

"Morning," he said upon entering the outer room. Scully and Krycek sat at the table with coffee and muffins.

"Good morning," Scully greeted him.

"Hey," Krycek said. "Did you have a fight with Fox?"

Skinner sat and helped himself. "No," he said, shaking his head. "Adam was missing his mother. I thought that they could use some time alone."

"Poor baby," Scully mourned. "I didn’t even think about it; his birthday without his mother."

Skinner nodded. "It didn’t occur to me, either," he said, breaking open an almond croissant. "Maybe we should have had his birthday at home and saved this trip for next year," he suggested.

"Maybe," Scully said. "but then again, maybe being in a large crowd will help him get through it. Take his mind off of her."

Skinner shrugged. "Could be. When Fox is upset, a crowd or working distracts him." Scully nodded her agreement. Father and son were very much alike.

"If you’d like, I’ll take Pavel and Ivan around the park while you and Fox get Adam’s spirits up," came the surprisingly considerate offer from Krycek.

"We can ask Fox about it," Skinner nodded. "I don’t mind either way." He looked at the clock; 9:37. He got up and went into the bedroom to check on them. The twins were sleeping late, too, having had a busy day the day before. Mulder was awake, watching Adam sleep. Skinner sat on the bed next to Mulder.

"How is he?" Skinner whispered. Mulder reached around and took Skinner’s hand, linking their fingers.

"He was a little restless for a while but he eventually fell asleep," Mulder whispered back.

"Scully’s here," Skinner said. "And Alex actually offered to take the twins around the park if we want to take Adam separately."

Mulder shrugged. "We’ll see," he said. "He just might feel better with the boys. They’re his brothers more than anything else. See what kind of a mood he’s in after breakfast."

"It’s about quarter to 10, do you want to start waking him up?" Skinner asked. Mulder turned his head to look up.

"That late already?" he said. He stroked a finger down Adam’s cheek. "Adam, wake up," he said softly. He smoothed the boy’s hair and put a light peck on his forehead and ran his hand down Adam’s shoulder and arm and over to his chest, waking him with gentle action. Soon, Adam’s breathing began to pick up and his eyes fluttered open. Adam yawned and pushed his head under Mulder’s chin.

Mulder chuckled and rubbed Adam’s back. "No, don’t go back to sleep," he said. "It’s almost 10, day’s a-wastin’. Are you going to make Aunt Dana walk around Disney World by herself?"

"Aunt Dana is here?" Adam murmured in sleepy interest.

"Yep," Mulder said. "She’s in the livingroom with Uncle Alex."

Adam opened one eye. "Are they arguing?" he asked with a dire tone.

Both men held in snickers. "No, actually they’re behaving themselves," Skinner said. "They’re having coffee and muffins."

"Is hell freezing over?" Adam asked. Skinner and Mulder looked at each other.

"Why did you use that phrase?" Mulder asked, keeping his voice neutral. Adam sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"What phrase?" he asked. Mulder repeated the phrase back to him. Adam looked at him in shock. "Daddy, I wouldn’t swear!"

"Then what did you say?" Mulder asked.

"I asked if they were arguing," Adam said with a look of confusion. Mulder ruffled his hair.

"Alright, I guess I misheard you, I’m sorry," he said. "Go wash up and get dressed, get some breakfast." Mulder sat up and hugged Adam. "Happy birthday, son."

Adam smiled and hopped off the bed and over to Skinner who held out his arms for a hug and then ran out of the room.

"What the hell was that?" Mulder asked.

"Fox, I was thinking that just before I got out of bed this morning," Skinner admitted.

Mulder scrubbed at his face. "I’ll test him as soon as we get home," he said. "Scully!" he yelled in Skinner’s ear. "Sorry," he said and kissed Skinner’s cheek. Scully appeared at the door. "Are the twins up yet?" he asked.

Scully nodded. "They’re eating breakfast," she said.

"Would you get Alex in here, please?" he asked. Scully stuck her head out the door and called to Krycek who appeared a second later. Mulder motioned them in.

"Fact," Mulder began. "The Black Oil turned on certain functions in me and a few other abductees. The medication turned them back off, but they’re still there. The Vaccine is made from the Black Oil. Theory: what if the agent that causes the functions to turn on is in the antigen, not the virus?"

Scully sat on the edge of the bed while Krycek paced out his thoughts.

"Wow, Mulder," Scully murmured. "What brought this on?" Skinner gave them a rundown of Adam’s recent verbal surprises.

"A child wouldn’t need as much impetus as an adult," Krycek said. "Their brains are still forming."

Scully slowly nodded. "It’s possible," she admitted. "I don’t think we discovered what the activating agent was, the science community in general just assumed that the agent was in the dead virus."

Krycek held up a finger. "Quick spot test," he said. He closed his eyes for a moment while the others watched him in silence, wondering what he was doing. In a few seconds, Adam appeared at the door.

"Yes, Uncle Alex?" he asked.

Krycek shook his head. "We were just wondering if you were eating your breakfast," he said and shooed Adam back to the table. "Well, Fox, you won’t have to kill your vocal cords calling him for dinner. Gods help you when puberty hits. I think I’ll move back to Russia."

"Would the medication that stopped my functions work on him?" Mulder asked.

"I wouldn’t dare try it," Scully said. "Like Krycek said, his brain is still forming. We don’t know what kind of reaction it would have. It could very well do the opposite of the desired response."

Skinner had a sudden image and began to laugh. The others looked at him.

"Can you picture Reverend Johnson’s reaction to this development?"

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

Mulder sent everyone on ahead of him; he wanted to call the Kurts. It was time to bring in the Big Boys. If Adam’s newly emerging talent was the result of the Vaccine, the world was about to undergo another shock as an entire generation jumped ahead on the evolutionary scale. The twins would have to be introduced, also. They would need to be told about their origins sooner than expected. Far sooner.

As Skinner suspected, Adam clung to Scully’s hand, basking in her maternal attentions. Adam proudly wore his birthday present from her, a t-shirt with the words ‘Future Director FBI’ and an official FBI baseball cap. The rest of his presents he could open at his party later in the evening.

Skinner looked around at the other children in the park. Most seemed normal, excited to be at Disney World with their families. A few kids over 7 seemed preoccupied, as though listening to something.

"The times, they are a-changin’," Skinner sung in a low whisper to Scully with a nod toward the children. Scully looked and nodded. Skinner felt a shiver wash through him.

"The Tea Cup ride!" Ivan yelled, pulling at Krycek’s hand. Adam ran on ahead to secure their place in line while the twins coaxed their adult counter part to hurry.

"Give it up, Alex," Skinner advised him. "You’re having fun so quit being stubborn about it. You’re a cool, macho, big he-man, we admit it, so relax and enjoy yourself."

The look Krycek gave Skinner said volumes.

They got off the ride 45 minutes later and headed to the restrooms where they waited again. Thankfully, there were understanding adults who let the children go first before wet pants became a problem. Skinner took the stall at the end of the room, next to the exit. He washed his hands and left. The sound of a kitten behind the garbage can drew his attention. What was a kitten doing in the middle of the park? he thought. He made kitty noises as he carefully maneuvered to the back of the building. A large form obscured his view and before he could excuse himself, he was struck on his head, blacking out.

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

A slap on his face brought him to consciousness.

"Wake up," a man snarled. Skinner groaned and blinked. His focus remained fuzzy; he was missing his glasses. And his head was killing him. What the hell happened?

"Where’s that fag boyfriend of yours?" the man demanded. "Answer me!" he yelled, slapping Skinner again. Mulder? NO!

Skinner remained silent. "No one sees me and lives!" the man spat. "Krycek! Where is he?! Unbelievable. The idol of all killers and assassins, and he’s a fag! Where is he!" Another slap and Skinner felt blood touch his tongue.

Krycek? he thought. He thinks Krycek is my lover? The man must have been trailing us through the park. Fox hasn’t caught up with us yet. But who is this nut? How did he meet Krycek?

Skinner looked around. They were in a storage room. He couldn’t hear any people so presumably they were either underground or deep behind the scenes of the park.

"Hey, fag, pay attention!" the man yelled. "Why Krycek would want to fuck a bald, old man like you.... I hope he comes after you soon because he’s dead the minute I see him." The man walked away, disappearing behind a stack of boxes. He heard a door open and close.

Skinner tested his arms. They were bound at the wrists as were his ankles. The wrist bonds were low, resting at the edge of his palms. He sat up, pausing for a moment to stop his head from spinning. He drew his knees up and bent forward, grunting as he slid his hands under his butt. His arms protested being pulled almost out of their shoulder sockets but he managed to slide them over the backs of his thighs. He breathed in relief and pulled one leg through at a time until he was able to hold his wrists to his face and use his teeth on the knot. Skinner tossed the rope aside and worked quickly at his ankles. He barely registered the door when a body was thrown to the floor next to him and a gun shoved into his face.

"Very bad boy," the man said. The gun was waved to the side. "Move. And pick her up."

Skinner looked next to him. To his shock, Scully lay on the floor. The man waved his gun again, becoming impatient. Skinner stood, wobbling a little as the circulation was restored to his feet. He made a quick check of Scully as he bent to pick her up. Her head rested against his shoulder as he followed the man’s directions through the warehouse. The man opened a door and motioned Skinner inside. The door was shut behind them and locked.

He placed Scully on a pile of material that looked to be old, worn out costumes.

"Dana," he said, touching her shoulder. He gave her a small shake. "Dana, wake up." He opened her eyelids. Her pupils seemed normal. She moaned. "Come on, Scully, snap out of it," he said urgently.

"Wha..." she croaked and blinked. "Ow," she winced and put a hand to her head. Skinner felt through her hair, finding a good sized knot on her skull.

"Take it slow, Dana," he said. "We’ve been kidnapped."

Scully forced herself to lift her head and look at him. "By who?" she asked in disbelief.

"By someone with a grudge against Krycek."

"That figures," she muttered.

"He thinks Krycek is my lover," Skinner admitted. Scully avoided his gaze which he found interesting.

"Not too observant, this kidnapper, is he?" she asked. She plucked at her t-shirt. "Hot in here. Where are we, do you know?"

Skinner looked around their new home. "I’m not sure, I was knocked out, too. I think it’s a storage room. I couldn’t hear any people, so we’re probably out of the way of traffic, and everything is dusty, unused and untouched for a long time." He wiped the sweat from his forehead. There was very little fresh air getting into the room.

The door opened again and the man reappeared, this time carrying a video camera, a water bottle and a small box in one hand and his gun in the other.

"What are you planning on doing with us?" Skinner asked. "You should be warned, both of us are law enforcement, I’m a sheriff and the lady is with the FBI. She’s an Assistant Director. Once her disappearance is noticed, you’re going to have the entire FBI force looking for you," he warned the man.

"I could give a shit," the man said, putting his items down. He tossed the small box to them and then the water bottle. "One for each of you," he said, nodding toward the box. "Now."

Skinner and Scully looked at the box and each other. Skinner opened the box. There were two round, flat pills. Big pills, about the width of quarters. Scully leaned down and sniffed at them.

"Smells like Ecstasy," she said. Skinner backed up in alarm. The man nodded.

"Very good," he said. "That’s exactly what they are. Alex Krycek humiliated me so before I kill you both, I’m going to humiliate him. His fag lover and his brother’s mistress are going to have sex and I’m going to video tape it."

Skinner debated correcting the man who was obviously out of his mind. Somehow, the man had gotten their roles confused.

The man waved the gun. "Down the hatch," he insisted, cocking the gun. Scully took one of the pills while glaring at the man and Skinner took the other. Seeing no choice, they swallowed the large pills down with the water.

"Very good," the man said. He kept the gun on them while he set up his camera with the other hand. He pulled a crate over and sat down. He looked at his watch. "You should be feeling really good in about 15 minutes."

"Dana..." Skinner said in a low voice. Scully touched his hand.

"Either way, he’s going to kill us," she said. "Just do it, Walter." A thought came to her and she looked at him with a worried expression. "Can you still... with a woman?"

Skinner gave a nod. "Not a problem. Come here, Dana, I want to say something to you." He could feel his heart pounding at the confession that he was about to share with her. Scully moved the inches next to him. He picked up her hand.

"Fox knows this, we’ve talked about it. Either I was still married, you were with Fox or I was your boss. So close I came to asking you out at various times over those years." He flicked a red lock from her stunned eyes.

"Walter??" she questioned, her mouth threatening to drop to the floor.

Skinner gave her a small smile. "It’s the truth, Dana. You’re so beautiful. You’re a warm, generous person, smart, a cutting sense of humor... I need you to know that." He felt a rush move through him. Not that it would be difficult for him to work up a lust for her, but under the pressure of a stranger with a gun, a video camera and an attitude, he knew that it had to be the drugs beginning to hit his system. Ecstasy made a person feel love for everyone before crashing them into a depression which got lower and lower with each dose until death occurred. Sometimes death came with the first dose.

"I have no problem with the thought of making love with you, but this wasn’t the way I imagined it," he said. "We’re being forced into this."

Scully tightened her hand in his. "It’s only forced if we allow it to be." She put a hesitant hand on his cheek. "We can fight it, or we can ignore that asshole and do this on our terms."

His mind was becoming clouded but he understood what she was saying; she was agreeing to make love with him. He bent his head and put his mouth on hers. Her mouth was soft and warm as she kissed him in return. Skinner felt an uncontrollable moan escape him and he lowered her to the pile of material. Scully put her arms around him to caress his back. He felt himself growing hard already and thrust a leg between hers. Scully accepted him and opened her mouth.

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

Krycek stopped at the look on Adam’s face. They had been looking for Skinner and Scully for a couple of hours. Neither was answering their cell phones. Krycek finally reached Mulder and they decided that the two were simply lost. They’d catch up at the hotel room. Adam flushed for no apparent reason.

"What’s your problem?" Krycek asked him. Adam looked away.

"Nothing," he said. He took his father’s hand. Mulder had caught up with them at the candy store. They all found a restaurant and sat down for a late lunch before heading off to Frontier Town.

"Did you hear Uncle Walter or Aunt Dana say where they were going?" Mulder asked him. Adam gave a quick shake of his head. Mulder had a suspicion. He knelt down to eye level with the boy.

"Listen, Adam, I need you to do something for me," he said. "If you have any strange pictures in your mind or if you hear strange words in your mind, I need you to tell me. Nothing you say will make me upset or get you into trouble. It’s very important. Understand?"

Adam nodded, his eyes wide. Krycek kept an eye on the twins who had run to meet one of the Dwarves.

"Did you see a picture of them?" Mulder asked, touching Adam’s head. Adam was still for a moment before nodded. "Tell me what you saw."

"I... I saw lots of different pictures," Adam admitted. "Like a photo album."

"Tell me everything you saw," Mulder encouraged him. "It’s ok, no matter what it is, just say it."

"I saw them kiss," Adam said, wrinkling his nose. "And a man with a gun. A room with lots of old stuff in it. First Uncle Walter’s hands were tied with a rope and in another picture they weren’t. Aunt Dana had her hand on her head like it hurted."

Mulder looked up at Krycek. He gave Adam a hug. "That was very good," he said. Adam relaxed, realizing that he wasn’t in trouble.

"Do you know what that man looked like?" Mulder asked. Adam nodded and shut his eyes.

"He’s got brown hair and freckles on his face. He’s skinny but not like Ringo. He has clothes like a janitor."

Krycek handed the twins over to Mulder.

"I need to go find a bathroom, Fox, keep an eye on the boys for me," he asked. Mulder had seen a brown haired man with freckles in the recent past –the Horse. Krycek would begin a search while Mulder made a gradual route back to the hotel. After almost dying just a few weeks ago, Mulder understood that he needed to be with the boys for this hunt. Especially for Adam’s sake. The best hunter for the job was Krycek. Mulder remembered a meditation class and made a clumsy attempt at erecting a mental shield. Whether he liked it or not, he just might have to work on using a few of his own dormant talents.

"Power to the perimeter fence, Mechanic," Mulder said, looking at Krycek’s head. Krycek understood and gave a nod.

"Already working on it."

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

Skinner cupped Scully’s breast and licked the nipple. She gasped, touching him wherever she could reach as he moved his hand from her breast and wiggling it into her jeans with the impatience of a teenager.

"Oh, yeah," Scully groaned, helping him by struggling with the zipper and pushing her jeans down past her hips. She tossed her shirt and bra aside and pulled at Skinner’s shirt. He reluctantly pulled his hand from her pants in order to throw the shirt aside. He was vaguely aware of the man with the gun and camera but he felt like a horny teenager in the back seat of Dad’s car with the hottest girl on campus. A muffled voice in the back of his mind yelled to stop but his souped up hormones ignored it.

He pulled her jeans off of her and yanked his own down. He moved between her legs and thrust into her. Scully cried out and wrapped her legs around his waist, thrusting up to meet him. The term ‘fucking like rabbits’ came to Skinner’s mind but he couldn’t stop, couldn’t slow down and make it good for her. Both of them were reacting because of the drugs not from true passion. Both of them were beyond caring and wouldn’t care until the drugs left their systems.

***********

Starting at the restrooms where he last saw Skinner, Krycek studied the ground all around the building. Not that he could see much with the concrete. A sparkle of light caught his attention and he reached behind the garbage can. He pulled out a pair of glasses. They belonged to Skinner. Krycek snarled. The Horse would not leave the park alive.

A gardener was nearby working on a flower bed. Krycek went over and asked the woman if she had seen a man, possibly in a janitor’s jumper, with a large cart around the restrooms within the past few hours. The woman nodded and pointed in the direction that he went. Krycek’s nose was twitching as he stalked his prey. Whenever the trail veered off in more than one walkway, Krycek stopped and questioned more park employees. Eventually, he came to a gate that read for employees only. It wasn’t locked so Krycek went in. It was far off the beaten path, away from the tourist exhibits. Inside the gate were old storage buildings.

Krycek began with the first one, trying the door and looking at the locks. One after the other, he went through the yard. At the far side of the yard, he found a new lock on a ramshackle, barn-like building. He dug out his lock-pick and silently worked at the padlock. It took him less than 30 seconds to snap it open and step inside. He pulled his gun from the back of his jeans, holding it up and ready as he quietly investigated the building.

The room was filled with crates and old cars from different rides, costumes and broken toys. At the far end of the building were smaller storage units and what looked to be offices. As he got closer, he heard the unmistakable sound of a woman in orgasm. He had heard that cry in his own ears on more than one occasion. Scully. And it had better be Skinner that was making her come, because God help the Horse if he touched her. Krycek stepped up to the door on silent heels. He heard someone clapping.

"Bravo!" he heard. The voice belonged to the Horse. Krycek slowly readied his gun. There was no way Skinner and Scully could condemn him for this. "Can you picture the faces of your lovers when they receive copies of this on the day of your funerals? HA!"

"Do you really think that our lovers will allow you to live after this?" he heard Skinner counter in a breathless voice. Krycek wrinkled his nose. What were they talking about? Lovers? Did Skinner find out about him and Scully?

"Oh, please," Equinus snorted. "Do you really think that Krycek has the temper to put aside the fact that his faggot lover just fucked his brother’s mistress?"

Krycek lifted his brows. So this was personal, was it? No wonder Horse altered his MO, he thought. And trust this asshole to get the information mixed up.

He found a spot in the wall and put his eye to it. He could see Skinner and Scully, mostly naked, on a pile of some sort of clothing. To his eternal gratitude, the Horse had his back to the door -stupid, stupid, stupid.... And directly in front of the spy hole. Krycek pulled away and put his gun in the hole. He pulled the trigger and heard Scully scream. Krycek yanked the gun from the hole and stormed through the door.

"Oh my God, Alex, it’s you." Skinner put his hands to his chest and fell back in relief next to Scully. Krycek kicked at Equinus’s side, turning him over with the toe of his boot. He kicked the gun away. The Horse’s eyes fluttered, blood speckled the corners of his mouth, his chest scarlet from the hole in the center of it.

"You can’t even get information right, asshole," Krycek informed him. "Just so you can contemplate this for all eternity, he is my brother’s lover, not her. She’s my mistress and I can tell you she cracks a good spanking for bad boys. Not that the four of us care one way or the other, mind you. Believe me, no one is going to be shocked, you wasted this game. We’re a kinky bunch and this was all a bit on the boring side."

"Alex, he drugged us. Ecstasy," Skinner struggled to say. Krycek hauled off and kicked the Horse hard enough to crack ribs and puncture the other lung. Equinus died instantly. Krycek knelt next to Skinner and pulled his eyelids wide open, checking his pupils.

"How much did he give you?" he asked. Skinner moved his head from side to side.

"It looked like average street dosage," Scully said. "I’m not sure, I can’t think clearly."

Krycek felt a hand try to creep into his jacket and caress his chest. He took Skinner’s wrist and put it down. "No, Walter," he said firmly. "Can you walk?" The two attempted to sit up with little luck.

"Alright," Krycek said. "I saw a golf cart just a hundred yards back. I’ll go and get it, you two get dressed."

"Alex," Scully said. Krycek looked at her and saw guilt in her clouded eyes.

"It’s alright, Dana, it wasn’t your fault and we don’t have a permanent arrangement, remember?" he said. "We can talk about it later." He stood up and left the room, taking out his cell phone to call Mulder.

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

Telling the boys that Uncle Walter and Aunt Dana ate something that made them sick, they left early and headed home. Mulder praised Adam for knowing that something was wrong even if it wasn’t like the pictures that he saw in his head. Adam looked to Skinner’s reddened wrists, to the twins and back to his father.

"I understand, Daddy," he said in a voice too mature for his age. Mulder picked him up and hugged him tight.

They left, leaving the body of the Horse in the building that mysteriously caught fire. All that dried timber and old stuff went up fast and hot, leaving nothing but ashes for the fire department to hose down. Krycek had taken the video and used the tape to kindle the fire. None of them said a word to Krycek about killing the man.

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

After fighting the depression from the drugs leaving his body, Skinner and Mulder talked about what happened.

"We can’t leave Scully like this, Walter," Mulder said.

"I know," Skinner said. "I don’t know what to do, though." He wiped his eyes, still feeling a small degree of the side effects along with a great degree of guilt.

Mulder took his face and kissed him. "Yes, you do. She’s a part of us, she always has been. Kids or not, job or not, to hell with the rest of the world."

They arrived on Scully’s doorstep together and rang the bell. Scully answered and invited them in without a word. She had been expecting a call requesting her presence at a summit meeting at their house. Skinner could barely force himself to meet her eyes.

"Enough dancing, Dana," Mulder said. He took her hands and gently pulled her toward them. He took one of her hands and put it into Skinner’s.

End part 17