Admission VIII:
The Best Laid Plans - part 2

By Aries

"I can’t believe we’re in here, Mulder," Scully whispered. "What if this isn’t even the man we’re looking for? We would have broken into a completely innocent man’s office and computer system."

"I’ll just add him to the list of people I’m going to have to apologize to after all this." He checked his watch as he pulled out the chair and motioned for Langly to sit. "I hope Frohike remembers to let Clyde out."

Twenty minutes later, Langly was in.

"Yes! Okay baby, give daddy what he needs..."

Fox leaned over the desk, trembling with anticipation. "Come on, come on..."

"Look," Scully pointed to the screen. "Picture files."

Langly opened the first one, revealing a group of men that Fox didn’t recognize. The second, a smaller group of men. Again, none of them recognizable.

A furious gasp fell from Fox’s lips as Langly opened the third picture.

"That’s him. That’s him. I knew it." He whirled around and began to pace in a short line. "Find his address, Langly."

"Mulder," Scully called, following her partner with her eyes. "Mulder, calm down. We have no concrete proof that this man took Alex..."

Fox stopped in his tracks, giving the redhead an incredulous stare. "Are you kidding? He bought the house next door to us... cash...at twice the price...he only came at night...he rented a carpeting van that just happened to be outside of my house on the day that Alex disappeared."

"I know, Mulder. I know all of that, but the fact is, no one actually saw him take Alex. We can’t go storming into the man’s house to look for him."

"The fuck we can’t."

"Mulder..."

"Look, Scully...you don’t want to come with me, you don’t have to. But I am going to his house. And I’m not leaving there until I find Alex. Langly, you got that address?"

Langly threw up his hands momentarily, then went back to typing. "I’m looking, but...I can’t...I don’t see it anywhere."

"It has to be there." Fox turned and started throwing drawers open, tearing through the contents of each.

"Mulder!" Scully’s eyes darted between her increasingly unmanageable partner and the mess he was making of the office. "Mulder, you can’t do this..."

"I can’t?" Fox pulled out another drawer and inverted it. "Whoops. Too late."

"Oh, my God...God..." Scully threw up her hands and joined the man pawing through the mountain of papers. "Ah hell, we can only be fired once, right?"

"You see, Matthew?" Justin took a sip of his wine, then placed the glass back on the table. "I told you that you’d be able to communicate with him."

Matthew picked at the food in his plate. "He’s so..."

"So what?"

"He’s so unhappy."

Justin remained silent.

Matthew glanced up at the benign expression on the older man’s face, then continued. "He won’t eat. I got him to drink a little water, but he needs to eat."

"He will."

"I don’t know. He doesn’t want to be here..."

Justin drummed his fingers on the table. "I heard."

"He wants to go home...to Fox."

The crash of the china frightened Matthew out of his chair. He shrank into a corner of the room, watching wide-eyed as Justin stalked back and forth.

"You’re on my side, Matthew, not his!"

"I...I’m not...I’m just...I’m... I’m just telling you..."

"You feel sorry for him. You are such a weakling, do you know that?" Justin approached, stopping when they were face to face. "He’s mine. As are you. Remember your place Matthew, or I’ll have to remind you." He lifted a hand to the shaking man’s face, and gently drew his fingertips down his cheek. "And I promise you," he purred, "it will not be pleasant. Understood?"

Matthew closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. "Yes...yes, Justin."

The older man gave him a dazzling smile. "That’s my good Matthew. Now, come. Let’s finish dinner, shall we?"

Matthew followed Justin back to the table on wobbly legs. Justin slid the chair in while he sat, then planted a light kiss in his hair, before returning to his own seat.

"Now..." Justin picked up his napkin and smoothed it over his lap. "Let me tell you about this little plan I’ve concocted to encourage our Alexei’s...acquiescence..."

"What the hell took you so long?" Byers asked as the three piled into the car he’d been waiting in." He looked to Fox, who rested his elbow against the door and had his face buried in his hand. "Didn’t find anything?"

"Yes," Scully answered, "we did find out that we’re definitely on the right track. We found some pictures of him, but no address."

"You’re kidding. That’s impossible."

"Not necessarily. If the man wants to insure the anonymity of his residence, it wouldn’t be so unusual for him to keep it out any office records..."

"But somebody knows. Somebody who works there."

"But tomorrow is Saturday...correction," he said, looking at his watch, "today is Saturday. Offices aren’t generally open on Saturdays, so..."

"So we got a few addresses of the employees."

Byers shook his head. "What makes you think that any of them are going to tell you where he lives?"

"Somebody’s going to tell me," Fox vowed. "Let’s find this first address."

"Mulder," Scully pleaded softly, knowing it would do her no good, "it’s after one o’clock. Why don’t we go back to the motel and try to get a few hours sleep? We’ll start out early..."

"And waste another few hours?"

"You’ve had no sleep, Mulder."

"And I won’t sleep until Alex is back home." If you three want to go back to the motel, go. I’ll do this alone."

"Mulder, listen to me," Scully leaned over the seat and drew her partner’s head back against hers. She spoke softly into his ear, while stroking her thumb across the three-day growth of beard. "I love Alex. I do..." Fox grunted and tried to twist away, but she wouldn’t let him. "How could I not love someone who makes my best friend so happy? You’ve got to know how much I want to find him. But Mulder, you’re operating on sheer adrenaline. I’ve got to think for the both of us, and I really think that you need some rest. You’re starting to scare me."

"Not until I find him."

"Mulder..."

"No... I...I can’t, Scully." The look in Fox’s eyes almost brought his partner to tears. He brought a hand up to his chest, clenching his fingers in the material. "I’ve only felt an ache like this one other time in my life. I hope...I hope you never find out first hand what it feels like."

Scully’s eyes dropped shut, and she brought her lips to the side of Fox’s face. "Okay, Mulder. I’m with you to the end of this." She turned to the two men who sat quietly watching. "We can drop you guys off at the motel..."

"No way," Langly spoke up. "I didn’t come this far to crash in a motel room."

"Me either," Byers agreed. He looked into the exhausted, red-rimmed eyes of his friend. "We go together."

Byers started the car and pulled away from the curb. Seconds later, another car quietly followed.

"Justin, please. It’s not right, it’s not...don’t make me do this."

"Go on, Matthew. It’s all right, he’s been injected with a light sedative."

"It’ll devastate him."

"You know this from one afternoon with the man, hmm?"

"I don’t need a month with him to know that he’s absolutely devoted to..."

"Don’t say it." Justin caressed the back of Matthew’s head. "Don’t you understand, darling, that our lovely Alexei needs to be taken down a few pegs? And as he is so faithful to... him, this will be a very good way to accomplish that. It’s only been a few days, and while I have no doubt that he will learn, I fear he may not do so within the two months time that Morgan and I set for our bet."

"Bet?"

"Yes, darling, ten thousand dollars is not an outrageous amount of money, but nonetheless, you know how I do hate to lose. So...in you go."

The tone in Justin’s voice told Matthew that he meant business. He slowly walked into the room and paused while Justin unlocked the barred entrance to the cage. The door closed and locked behind him, and he turned to try one more time, to change Justin’s mind.

"Please, Justin. Isn’t there any other way?"

Justin seated himself and turned on a single lamp, casting a faint glow around the room. He smiled sweetly at the young man. "Make it good, Matthew."

Matthew blinked back the sudden sting of tears as he moved to the bed and looked down at the unconscious man. He’d been turned onto his back and his wrists and ankles cuffed to the four points of the bed. Matthew hoped that the sedative had taken effect quickly, or he feared Alex would have been in a moderate amount of pain, lying on his wounds like this.

He kneeled beside the bed and bowed his head. "Please, forgive me," he whispered too softly for Justin to hear. Then he did as he’d been commanded.

Alex drifted in the silent blackness, aware of nothing.

But now...a gentle warmth seemed to be invading his body. Lovely little tingles, radiating from the vicinity of his groin, spreading to his extremities, growing slowly in intensity. He floated upward, toward consciousness, but it seemed just beyond his grasp. The moist heat enveloping his cock was now recognizable as a mouth, but he couldn’t open his eyes. Couldn’t sigh or gasp...nothing to let his Fox know how good it felt.

He struggled with the dark fog that gripped him, gaining a bit of ground with every stroke of the tongue over his rigid length. And every little piece of consciousness that came back to him brought with it a slice of reality, until he had enough to realize.

Finally, a sound escaped his throat, but not one of pleasure.

"No..." He fought to open his eyes. "No... no! S-stop...no, please!"

Matthew paused, Alex’s frantic pleas ripping into his gut.

"Don’t stop, Matthew," the soft, slightly out of breath voice sounded from outside the cage. "Remember, he’s restrained... I am not."

Matthew squeezed his eyes shut, and continued working Alex’s cock with his mouth, sucking and swallowing, trying desperately to block out the anguished cries that sounded above his head.

Alex screamed his rage, knowing that he was too far gone to stop the inevitable climax, but still, he tried. When he felt the familiar tightening of his body, he gritted his teeth, pressing his lips together over them, and came silently down Matthew’s throat. When it was done, the tears came. They rolled freely down his cheeks, leaving a scalding path of dampness in their wake. Cool air replaced the warm mouth, and his emotions came crashing down on him. His chest heaved as loud sobs wracked his body.

Matthew fell back against the bars, crying quietly into his hands.

"Lovely." The voice came closer, and Alex choked back his cries. "How do you feel, Alexei? Matthew isn’t bad, is he? Oh, not as good as you’ve been used to, I suppose...he doesn’t throw his whole heart and soul into it, but I believe you can teach him how, and he could be just as good as your... Fox. Hmmm... Fox. Fox, Fox, Fox, Fox, Fox...do you think he’d enjoy a copy of this?"

Alex suppressed another sob.

"I know you realize that I observe you. Surely you know I’ve got you videotaped. I think the lovely Fox would so appreciate knowing that you were all right. This would be a good way to let him know, don’t you think?"

No answer.

"Oh, but where is my head? You must be tired, darling. Matthew and I will leave you alone now. Matthew? Come, love. Let’s allow Alexei to get some rest."

The young man rose unsteadily to his feet and stumbled from the cage and out of the room. Justin locked the door and pressed his face against the bars. "I’ll see about getting a copy of that tape off to Fox by Monday, all right?"

An infuriated roar sounded from Alex’s throat, and he thrashed wildly against his restraints. "You fucking bastard! You’re going to die, I swear to God! You goddamn fucking faggot!"

Justin heaved a disbelieving sigh. If Alex continued to thrash like that, those restraints would begin to cut into his wrists and ankles. He unlocked the door an advanced toward the bed. He pulled a syringe from his pocket, cooing softly to irritated man.

"Now now, darling, keep still..." He managed to jab Alex with the needle, then watched satisfied, as the younger man’s wild movements slowed. "That’s better," he stroked the sweaty forehead. "You were going to wear yourself out, and we can’t have that."

Alex’s head rolled back and forth across the flat pillow, as he began to whimper and sob. Soon, all sounds faded, and he was asleep.

Justin inspected his wrists, then his ankles. Bruises were already starting to form. If swelling occurred, the restraints would become extremely painful. He reached into his pocket for the key and unlocked the cuffs. Dropping the key back into its place, he checked his watch. Almost three o’clock. He’d have someone come in at eight and put them back on. By then, any swelling would have happened already, and the restraints could be adjusted accordingly.

Justin leaned over and drew his tongue along the line of Alex’s jaw. "Sleep well, darling. I hope you wake up with a better outlook on things." He stifled a yawn as he moved out of the enclosure, and then the room.

"I still can’t believe the look on that guy’s face when you threw him against his kitchen counter and drew your gun on him," Langly snickered at Fox, as he drove toward Darien. A glare from Scully put him in check.

Fox glanced over at his partner, then back to the early morning sky. "I got the answers I wanted, didn’t I?"

Scully dropped her head into her hand and closed her eyes. "Yes, Mulder. Yes, you did. God, I hope you’re right about this."

Fox gave no answer. He sat with his eyes now closed, praying silently, and trying to connect with Alex. He’d felt him so strongly on Thursday morning. It was no dream. He heard him. He knew he did...

"We should be coming to the exit, soon."

Langly’s comment startled him out of his thoughts. He nodded, then looked back at Scully and Byers. Both gave him an encouraging smile. He turned back to the front, and again closed his eyes.

Alex’s eyes fluttered and he groaned softly.

Something wrapped around him.

Arms...his own.

Realizing that he was no longer restrained, he struggled to sit up, but could not call up the strength. Instead, he pulled himself to the edge of the bed and let himself drop to the floor. He made it about a foot and a half from the bed, then again lapsed into unconsciousness.

The car hadn’t even rolled to a complete stop, and Fox was throwing the door open. He ejected the clip from his gun, checked it, and slammed it back in, as he approached the guardhouse. Scully ran after him, motioning for Langly and Byers to keep back.

"Can I help you?" The rather large man asked, as he exited the structure.

Fox whipped his badge out, shoving it in the man’s face. "Special Agent Mulder. FBI. This is the residence of Justin Saint James." It was an accusation, not a question.

"Yeah. So?"

"He’s wanted on suspicion of kidnapping. Let us in."

"You got a warrant?"

"Yeah." Faster than anyone could blink, Fox hurled the man against the house and pointed his Sig between his eyes. "Can you read that?"

"Hey...come on, man. You can’t shoot me. You’re a federal agent."

"And?" Fox rumbled close to his face.

The man drew a shaky breath and said nothing else.

"You got him, Scully?"

"Yeah." Scully fixed her weapon on the guard, while Fox spun him around and dragged him over to the controls.

"Open the gate. One wrong move and I swear to God, I’ll splatter your fucking brains."

The gate slid open, and Langly drove the car in. Fox pulled the man over to a section of the gate where he could reach nothing, and cuffed him to it. "Are there any more obstacles between here and the house?"

"No... no. None."

"There’d better not be."

"No. I swear."

Fox nodded. "If I find him and he’s all right, I’ll think about not coming back here to kill you." He tapped the guard’s cheek twice...hard, then fell in behind the wheel of the car. The other three were just about inside, when the tires spun on the pavement, and the car sped forward, toward the house.

A minute later, the car was screeching to a stop in front of the doors. Fox leapt from the car, encountering two unfortunate, early risers. They’d heard the squeal of the tires, and came running from around the side of the house, guns drawn. Fox took one, Scully, the other.

"FBI! Drop it!"

One man aimed to shoot, and Fox dropped him with a clean shot to the head.

With his companion dead, the other man quickly dropped his weapon. Fox grabbed him and slammed him face first into the stone wall of the house. "Where is he?"

"Who?"

"The man Saint James kidnapped and brought here!"

"Hey, man, I don’t know what the fuck..." Fox pulled him back and slammed him harder into the wall. Shit! Look...I’m...I’m not house help, okay? I cover the grounds. I heard...I heard something about it, but I swear to Christ, I never actually seen him, okay?"

"So, he is here."

"Yeah...yeah, that’s what I heard."

"And it’s just fine with you that your employer is a heartless bastard who snatches people from their homes against their will..." Fox smashed the man’s head into the wall once more, and letting him drop into a senseless heap on the ground. "Piece of shit."

"Mulder...Mulder, come on. You’re losing it, here..."

Fox gave no indication that he’d heard his partner. He whirled around and headed for the front door, jumping back in surprise, when the heavy wood yielded to his push. He stormed into the house, gun drawn, and began to shout Alex’s name.

Scully cast a frightened look in the direction of their two companions. "God, if no one was awake before, they soon will be."

The three followed Fox through the house, encountering no resistance until the second floor.

"Hey. Hey! A man ran toward them, preparing to draw a gun from the waistband of his pants. Fox turned and met him the rest of the way, inflicting on the man, a fast and merciless beating. Scully shot the second man who’d appeared from down the hall and had taken a wild shot at her partner. Fox merely stepped over both men and resumed his search.

"Alex!"

"Mulder..."

"Aleeeex!"

"Mulder!" Scully caught up to him. "You’re going to get yourself, and maybe us, killed, doing it this way." She grabbed his arm, trying to bring him to a halt. "Mulder, are you listening?"

He wasn’t. He wrenched her hand away and continued on, searching room after room, roaring Alex’s name. Fifteen minutes and two more dead guards later, they came to a locked door in the northeast corner of the third floor. Fox backed off a couple of steps, then kicked the door in. He froze for a split second, taking in the sight of the steel cage, then his gaze fell to the motionless figure on the floor. The sight of the angry red marks on the back, which was turned to him, hit him with the force of an oncoming train.

"Alex."

Half sobbed, half whispered.

Fox moved to the bars, calling to his unconscious lover. When Alex still showed no sign of movement, he went wild, throwing himself against the door, and shaking the bars with all his strength. When the steel did not give, he began to pick up objects...anything he could lift, smashing them against the bars while Scully, Byers and Langly turned the room upside down, looking for a key.

Another presence in the room stopped them cold. Justin Saint James stood in the doorway, shock registering on his face. By the time it occurred to him to turn and flee, Fox had him by the throat, against the door. "Open the door," he ground softly from between clenched teeth.

Justin coughed, then regained some of his composure. "Well...if it isn’t the lovely Fox. I suppose I should have taken Alexei’s faith in you more to heart. My mistake."

"One of many, you dirty, fucking son of a bitch. Open the goddamn door."

"I heard that there were intruders in the house. Naturally, I didn’t quite believe it, but just to be cautious, I left the key in a safe place."

"Where is it?"

"You think I’d tell you?" Justin began to laugh. "Not likely. You know, Fox, you had your chance. Two years ago, remember? We could have all three been a happy family by now."

"You’re out of your mind."

"Well..." Justin coughed, "...be that as it may, Alexei is mine. And I will not give him up."

Fox went berserk. He slammed his fist into the older man’s face, landing a crunching blow to his cheek. He drew his fist back and connected again and again. Scully came up from behind and tried to pull him off of the man who had now slumped to the floor, back against the doorframe. He spun around, shoving his partner away, then turned his attention back to the severely beaten man, punching him a few more times, then tearing at his clothing, looking for the key. When nothing turned up, he released an enraged cry, and attempted to resume his assault. Langly and Byers jumped into action, and with Scully’s help, dragged Fox away.

"He hasn’t got the key," Scully screamed at him, trying to reason through his fury. "Beating him to death is not going to help you find it!"

Fox wrenched himself away and made it back to the man, knocking his limp body over onto its side with a vicious kick. A sickening crack could be heard throughout the room with the second kick to the man’s ribs.

"Mulder!" Scully placed herself between her crazed partner and the battered body. "Mulder, please!"

The manic gleam faded a bit from his eyes, and he turned, staggering toward the cage. Alex still lay in the same position they’d found him in, unmoving.

"Alex..."

No response.

"Baby...please...please wake up..."

Scully stooped to check on the man at her feet. She bowed her head, took a deep breath, then rose up. "He’s dead," she said softly, to no one in particular. She turned her head just in time to watch her partner sink to the floor, reaching as far as he could into the cage, trying in vain to touch his lover. She turned to Langly and Byers, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "We have to find that key, guys. I don’t care..."

"Agent Mulder...Agent Scully?"

"Who the hell is that?"

Scully stalked out of the room and almost collided with two other agents.

"Walker! Ashcroft? What the hell are you doing here?"

"A.D. Skinner had us follow Agent Mulder out of D.C."

"Why?"

"I don’t know. He didn’t give us any explanations. We were just supposed to follow Mulder and keep him apprised of whatever situation he thought might be developing. We lost you on the exit, that’s what took us so long to get here." Ashcroft looked beyond Scully to the body in the doorway, and into the room. "What the bloody hell is going on, here?"

"Look, I don’t have time to explain. I need to get that cage door open. Get some steel cutters up here...now."

Ashcroft nodded. "Will do."

As he went off to call for help, Scully came into the room and squatted beside her partner.

"Mulder...Mulder, listen to me. The cavalry is here, okay? We’re going to get some cutters and get Alex out of there."

Fox sat quietly, his head leaning against the bars. His hand rested on the floor inside the cage, just inches from Alex’s shoulder. "I can’t touch him, Scully," he whispered hoarsely. "I need..." he inhaled a sob. "I need to touch him..."

"You will, Mulder. Just hang on a few minutes more, okay?"

"He’s so still. So quiet. I can’t see..." he began to panic, "I can’t see him breathing..."

"Yes he is. I can see. Focus about mid point on his upper arm. You’ll be able to see it moving up and down...you see?" Scully rubbed his back. "He’s alive, Mulder. Talk to him. Keep talking to him. Let him know you’re here."

The touch of a hand on her shoulder, snapped Scully’s head around. Walker stood behind her, casting confused glances from man to man.

"Can I uh...can I talk to you a minute?"

Scully nodded and spoke again to her partner. "I’ll be right back, Mulder." She stood up and moved away, leaving Byers and Langly to keep an eye on Fox. "What is it, Walker?"

"There were three other men we found before we got up here. Two of them, I believe are staff, but the third...he’s...he’s just a kid. Mid twenties at the most. We found him hiding in a bedroom, scared to death. When we showed him our badges, he started to cry. He kept saying he was sorry. That he didn’t want to do it, whatever the hell it was. He begged us to help Alex and directed us up to this room." He threw a glance over in the direction of the cage. "That Alex?"

Scully nodded.

Walker looked back at the man sitting on the other side of the cage, murmuring and whispering to the unconscious figure. "What’s the deal with Mulder?"

Scully shook her head and opened her mouth to answer, but Ashcroft interrupted her before she could form a word.

"We’ll have help in ten minutes."

Scully acknowledged Walker, then went back to Fox. "Mulder...Mulder."

Fox turned his head a fraction to the left.

"Ten minutes, okay?"

He nodded once, and returned his attention to his lover. "Baby," he called softly to Alex. "Just a few minutes more. Just a few...please, Alex...stay with me...don’t leave me. A few minutes more and I’ll be there."

Fox stayed where he was, refusing to move away from Alex until the men came with the steel cutters. Then, Scully coaxed him away from the bars while they went to work. An eternity later, the door was opened and Fox flew into the cage, falling to the floor beside Alex.

"I’m here," he whispered, peppering his lover’s warm face with kisses, and tenderly stroking his hair. "I’m here, baby. We’re going to get you out of here and into a hospital, okay?"

Scully kneeled beside the two men, checking Alex’s vitals. "His pulse is just a little weak, Mulder..." she gently lifted one eyelid, then the other. "I think he may be sedated."

"But his back, Scully. The son of a bitch whipped him," Fox muttered against Alex’s forehead.

"I know," Scully answered, thinking to herself that the bastard got what he deserved. She studied the marks, most of which were severe welts. "He’ll be okay. A few scars maybe, but none the worse for wear." She felt his arms and legs, and ran her hands over his chest and back. "Nothing seems to be broken. Of course, we’ll know all this for sure when we get him checked into a hospital."

Minutes later, the EMTs arrived, and Alex was taken out to the ambulance, with Fox right by his side. Scully sent Byers and Langly on to the hospital, while she stayed behind to help clear up the mess.

Fox sat quietly in the ambulance, Alex’s hand enfolded in his, held gently to his cheek. So focused on his lover was he, that he took no notice of the looks passed between the EMTs.

As soon as they reached the hospital, Alex was wheeled into the emergency room. Fox paced outside for over an hour and a half, clearly agitated at having to be separated from his lover for so long. Langly and Byers watched him stalk back and forth, too afraid to utter a peep.

As soon as the doctor emerged, he cornered the man.

"Well? How is he?"

"He’ll be all right. He was dehydrated, and running a slight temp. His blood sugar is pretty low, and those wounds on his back are going to be a bit uncomfortable for a while. We found traces of a sedative in his blood. He should be coming out of it pretty soon. I don’t anticipate any ill effects. I would like to admit him for a couple of days. Get him back to normal, then he can go home."

Fox closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "Okay. Thank you."

"He’s being taken up to his room now. Fourth floor, room four twenty-eight."

Fox nodded. "Thank you."

The doctor gave him a smile. "You’re very welcome."

Fox turned and started toward the signs pointing to the elevators. Langly and Byers followed. The three men boarded the lift, and Fox turned to his friends.

"Guys...thank you..."

"Not a problem, man," Langly patted his shoulder. "I’m just glad we got him out of there before you turned on us."

Fox hung his head. "I’m...God, I’m sorry."

"It’s okay," Byers reassured him. "If someone had done that to someone I love, I might have reacted the same way. Well...you know...sort of."

The elevator door opened, and the three men swept down the hall, and toward Alex’s room. The nurse and orderly were just leaving as Fox came through the door. She gave him a polite if unnoticed smile, then left him alone with his still unconscious lover.

Langly and Byers stood by the door, watching as Fox pulled a chair up to the bed and lowered himself into it. He looked at Alex for a moment, noting how the nurse had him turned onto his side, then checked out the I.V. in his left hand. He lifted the limp right hand to his lips, and placed a gentle kiss into the palm.

"Baby." Another kiss. "Alexei, wake up. It’s me. He’s gone, he’ll never hurt you again." Fox waited. Seeing no reaction, he continued to speak. "Alex, talk to me." He rubbed the hand he held between his own. "I’m here, baby. Please open your eyes."

Still receiving no response, Fox lowered his head to the mattress alongside Alex’s, and closed his eyes.

The damned fog was lifting again. Soon, his protection would be gone and he’d have to face another day of God only knew what.

But he was waking, and as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t stop it.

He rose a little closer to the surface, and it was...different.

Warm. Safe.

Fox.

God, it even smelled like him.

He wasn’t waking, just passing into a dream. But his eyes were opening...unless he was dreaming this, too...

Fox heard the soft sigh and picked his head up.

Frightened, uncertain green eyes blinked sluggishly and found exhausted, glittering hazel.

Alex still wasn’t sure that he wasn’t dreaming. Not until the eyes welled up and spilled over, and he heard his Fox’s hoarse voice, saying his name.

"Fox?"

"Yeah, baby. It’s me. Everything’s fine."

Alex raised a hand to Fox’s cheek, sliding his knuckles through the dampness there. "Where am I?"

"Hospital in Connecticut."

"You found me?"

Fox nodded. "With a little help."

"I knew you would...what about Saint James?"

"He’s not a problem any more."

Alex searched his eyes, and knew. "I told him if I didn’t get him, then you would. He didn’t believe me."

Fox gave no answer. He simply lowered his head and covered Alex’s lips in a long, tender kiss.

Alex threaded a hand through Fox’s hair, losing himself in the comfort of his lover’s kiss. God, it felt so good. How did he know? How did he know this was exactly what he needed right now...the reassurance...the reality...

The reality.

Alex pulled away, gasping and trembling.

"Alex?" Fox cupped his heavily-stubbled cheek. "Baby, what is it?"

"N-nothing. Nothing, I’m just...I’m just a little shaky."

Fox knew better than that. "What did he do to you?"

Alex shook his head.

"Alex?"

"I just...I want to forget about it right now...all of it. I don’t want to think about it, okay?"

"You’ll tell me soon?"

"Yeah...yeah. Soon." Alex moved to the edge of the bed, trying to get closer to Fox’s warmth. Hoping it would act as a shield between him and the memory that he knew would plague him still, when all the others faded.

Fox lifted his arm over Alex, resting it on the other side, effectively tenting his lover’s upper body. He rested his forehead lightly against Alex’s temple, and kissed his cheek. "Tired?"

Alex nodded, eyes already closed.

"Okay. Go to sleep."

Alex reached blindly for his hand, clasping it tightly when he did. "I thought I was dreaming when I first woke up. I thought..." His eyes opened and he glanced down at their entwined fingers, remembering.

Fox felt his body go slack, and saw his eyes glaze over.

"What?"

"My watch..." he swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat, "...my ring. He took them," he said, voice crackling with restrained anguish.

"Baby...I hadn’t even noticed. God. I’ll have the house turned upside down."

"What if they’re not there? He might have just gotten rid of them."

"Then I’ll replace them."

"It isn’t the same," Alex said barely above a whisper.

"I know." Fox kissed him gently. "But the love is."

Alex pressed their hands against his chest, and closed his eyes.

"You’ll be here when I wake up?"

"Of course." Fox kissed the roughened cheek once more, then whispered softly into Alex’s ear, "I love you, baby." He lowered his head to the bed, and closed his eyes. The hand that was not enclosed in Alex’s, moved rhythmically along the length of the younger man’s arm.

Minutes later, the movement slowed, then stopped. Both men were now, asleep.

An agitated baritone startled Fox awake.

"What...what the hell is going on, here?"

Fox lifted his head, first checking on Alex, hoping that the commotion wouldn’t wake him. Unfortunately, he was beginning to stir. Fox looked up at the red faced A.D.

"Mulder," Skinner growled through a clenched jaw, "would you care to tell me what this is all about?"

Fox looked from his boss to his two friends.

"Sorry, Mulder," Byers said softly. "We couldn’t stop him from coming in."

"S’okay."

"Fox?" Alex’s sleepy voice immediately drew his attention.

"I’m here, baby."

Skinner’s eyes widened in disbelief. "This is the ‘personal matter’?"

Fox kissed the side of Alex’s head and rose from his seat. "Yes."

Alex recognized the voice, and struggled onto his back, wincing. "Fox..."

"It’s okay," Fox reassured him softly. I was going to tell him about us anyway, after this was over."

"Are you out of your mind?"

"No, sir. For the first time in my life, I’m truly sane."

"You’re a federal agent. And this son of a bitch is..."

"My lover. For the last three years."

"What?"

"Three years..." Fox’s eyes flicked down to Alex, who still on his back, looking up into his face. His expression softened immediately as he bent over the younger man. "You’re supposed to be on your side," he said gently, helping his lover change position.

"But, Fox..."

"Stop. The only thing I want you worrying about is feeling better."

"Oh, he’s going to worry about a lot more than that..."

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Yeah. There are no charges against him, of any kind. And you know as well as I do, there’s nothing you can charge him with."

Skinner grimaced. He was right. He had absolutely nothing on this man. Sheer hatred was not grounds for arrest.

"I can’t believe this. I cannot believe this. You’re a federal agent."

"You already said that."

"Apparently, you need reminding...for all the difference it’ll make, now."

"Are you telling me that I’m in danger of losing my job?"

"Because of your involvement with this scum? Who happens to be a man? Yes, yes I believe it would be, but that’s not the only reason your ass is in a sling."

"Well...I’ll tell you what." Fox reached into his holster, removing gun. "I’ll save you the trouble of all that paperwork." He removed the clip, and handed the weapon over.

Alex watched the proceedings, horrified. "Fox...Fox, don’t..."

"And..." he pulled his badge out of its enclosure, and slammed it down on the tray at the foot of the bed. "There you go."

Scully came through the door, just in time to catch the last part of the exchange.

"Sir?" She placed a small overnight bag down by the door. "What are you...Mulder..."

Fox stood straight and tall, red eyes staring defiantly at his superior. "Take it. I quit."

"What? Mulder, what the hell are you doing?"

"I don’t have the time or the inclination to go through a bunch of shit with him. I’ve got much more important things to deal with." Fox reclaimed his seat beside Alex.

"Fox...Fox, don’t quit. You’ll regret it. Don’t do this because of me.."

"Shh, shh, shh." Fox petted the sable head. "I came much too damn close to losing you. You are what’s important in my life. None of the rest of it means a goddamn thing if I don’t have you. Baby, you know that."

"Sir...Sir?"

Skinner glanced from the shocking sight of his agent kissing Alex Krycek, to his partner.

"Sir, can I talk to you in the hall, please?"

Skinner strode into the hall, followed by Scully.

"What is it?"

"Sir, are you really going to allow him to quit?"

The A.D turned his face away.

"Don’t think he’s bluffing, sir. I know he’s not."

"How...why...how the hell did this get started?"

"It’s really not important, sir. What matters here is that Mulder is serious. He loves Alex with his whole heart and soul, and if you push him to choose, he will quit."

"He has quit."

"You haven’t accepted his badge." "If he wants out, who am I stop him? Although, this may all be pointless. I heard the initial report on what went down at that house. Agent Mulder could be in a world of shit if those reports are true. And you’re not exactly free and clear, either."

"Well, sir, that’s another matter..."

Skinner’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"The bodies, sir...all the wounded guards...they’re gone."

"What do you mean, gone?"

"That’s why I’m so late getting here. None of them ever made it to their destinations."

"That’s impossible."

"That’s my response as well. But they’ve disappeared, sir, without a trace. I’ve checked it out."

"Well," Skinner grated. "No bodies, no case." He shook his head. "You know, when Agent Mulder is involved, nothing should surprise me."

"Besides Alex, only one person made it out of that house, and I think that’s only because he was with me."

"Who?"

A young man. He seems to have been another captive of sorts. They’d found him hiding in a bedroom, scared to death. They tried to question him, but he shut down. When I showed up and started to question him, he just kind of took to me. He has healed marks on his back, very similar to Alex’s..."

"Marks?"

"You didn’t notice?"

"I guess not. I was concentrated on other matters."

"He’s been beaten, sir. Both of them."

"Why? What did this man want with them?"

"That, sir, is a very long, very complicated story."

Skinner folded his arms across the expanse of his chest. "I’ve got plenty of time."

"All right...over coffee? I’m dying."

The A.D. nodded.

"Just let me say hello to Alex..."

"Is this," he waved a hand back and forth at the door, "all part of the explanation?"

"Yes, it is."

Scully pushed the door open and walked back inside. Skinner slipped in after her, standing by the door, locking eyes with Fox.

"Hey! Sorry I didn’t get to say something to you the first time I was in here," Scully perched on the edge of Alex’s bed, and planted a light kiss on his jaw. "How do you feel?"

"Tired. Kinda weak."

"That’s normal for the things that were wrong with you when you were brought in, but you’ll be fine. How about your back?"

At the sound of the question, Skinner’s eyes left Fox’s and dropped down to Alex’s back, and registering for the first time, what had been done to the man.

Alex shrugged. "Hurts. Nothing I can’t deal with. When can I go home?"

"The doctor wants to keep you a day or two. Get your fluids and blood sugar back where they belong," Fox answered softly.

"Mulder? Can I see you outside for second?’

Fox nodded at his partner. He grasped Alex’s hand, and brushed his lips across the knuckles. "Be right back."

Before Scully left the room, she dropped another kiss on Alex’s head. "I’ll see you a little later, okay?"

Alex nodded, glancing over at the man glaring at him from the corner. "Thanks, Scully."

She gave him a reassuring pat, and preceded Fox, then Skinner out of the room.

Once in the hall, Fox glanced quickly at the A.D., then looked to Scully. "What did you want to see me about?"

"A few things, actually."

"Yeah?"

"Every member of the Saint James household is gone...well... almost every member..."

"What do you mean, gone?"

"I mean, gone. Disappeared. Dead, alive or otherwise... all of them."

"Except for one."

"Right."

"Scully, how can all those people just disappear?"

"I’m sure I have no idea."

Fox ran his fingers through his hair. "This doesn’t make any sense, it doesn’t...who is the one?"

"A young man. Another unwilling companion

"Kidnapped?"

"No. Tempted. Lured. Once he had him, Saint James just broke him down to the point where he couldn’t leave. Mulder, this kid is a mess. It’s going to take some doing to de-program him."

"Family?"

"We did manage to get that information out of him. We’re trying to contact them, now. He uh...he’s asked about Alex several times. He seems very concerned about him. I’ve had him admitted so he can be checked out. If you’d like to talk to him, he’s on this floor. Room four-ten."

Fox nodded. "Thanks. Anything else?"

"Yep. One more thing." Scully reached into her purse and produced two silver objects. "I believe these belong to Alex."

A wide smile spread over Fox’s face as he took the watch and ring from her. "Where were they?"

"The detectives found them in Saint James’ desk drawer. I happened to be in the room when they did."

"Thank you, Scully. He was so upset about it."

Skinner stared at the jewelry, concentrating on the simple silver band, and suddenly realizing the significance of the gold band that Fox wore on his right hand. He grimaced and turned away.

"Mulder...one more thing." Scully looked from her partner to her boss, then back again. "Don’t quit."

"It’s not something I want to do, Scully. But if I can’t have Alex and my work..."

Scully threw Skinner an ‘I told you so’ look. He turned away and said nothing.

Fox glanced from Skinner to Scully and shrugged. "I’m going back to Alex. I’ll see you later. Thanks again, Scully."

Scully nodded, then casting a long glare in the A.D.’s direction, walked off toward the elevators.

Skinner rubbed his hand over the top of his head, then followed Scully.

Fox re-entered the room, moving silently to the bed. He smiled softly, watching his lover sleep.

Langly crept to his side and whispered in his ear.

"Listen, bud, Byers and I are going to head back to the motel. If you don’t need us anymore, we’ll probably hop a flight back to D.C."

"Yeah, uh...good idea. Thanks, guys. If it weren’t for you, I might not have him back, now."

"No problem, man. You know we’re always here for ya."

The two men left, leaving Fox alone with Alex for the first time since they’d found him. He took his place by the bed and watched as the thick fringe of sable lashes fluttered and rose. Alex’s hand slid over the mattress, seeking and finding his lover’s.

"What woke you up?"

Small shrug.

"Well...since you’re awake...guess what I’ve got?"

Sleepy green eyes blinked up at him. "What?"

Fox produced Alex’s watch and ring from his pocket and held them in front of his face. "You happen to know who these belong to?"

Alex’s eyes lit up. "Where..."

"Scully. The detectives found them at the house and she brought them here."

Not waiting for a response, Fox pulled Alex’s hand forward, and slipped the ring back onto his finger. "There," he smiled into his lover’s watery gaze. "Right back where it belongs."

Alex looked down at his hand, now curled into a loose fist. His eyes dropped shut and the fist tightened, as unwanted memories pushed their way to the fore.

"Alex...Alex!" Fox moved from the chair to the edge of the bed, stroking Alex’s forehead. "What is it? Come on, baby, talk to me."

Alex took a sudden, shuddering breath, held it, then let it out in the same manner. He tried again, but the second attempt was worse than the first.

"Take it easy, babe. Easy. Relax..." Fox kept his voice low and even, for Alex’s sake, masking the panic that had risen in his own chest. "Breathe, Alex...deep, slow breaths..." Fox reached for the call button and pressed it several times. A nurse appeared quickly in the doorway.

"Can I get you something, honey?"

"He’s having some kind of panic attack."

"I’m...all right," Alex said, between breaths.

"All right, huh? The nurse bustled into the room. "You’re as white as a sheet. Give me your arm, hon. Let’s check your pressure." Seconds later, she removed the cuff from his arm. "Well, darlin’, you’re definitely worked up about something." She turned to Fox. "The doctor approved a mild sedative for him, should he need it..."

"No!" Alex struggled into a sitting position. "No drugs!"

"Alex..." Fox cupped his cheek. "It’s just to help you relax."

"No, Fox," Alex pleaded. "Don’t let them knock me out."

"Okay, baby, okay. But you have to calm down, all right?"

Alex nodded, fighting to control his erratic breathing. A few minutes later, he was calm enough that Fox was able to dismiss the nurse.

"Better, now?" Fox rubbed the hand he’d enclosed in his own.

"Yeah." Alex took a slow, deep breath, and released it. "I’m okay."

"Can you slide forward a little?"

Alex did as he was asked, and Fox moved behind him, leaning back against the pillows, legs straddling his body. He held his arms out, and Alex pushed back, turning sideways to lie against his chest.

Fox wrapped one arm around Alex’s shoulders, and other came up to rest gently on his hip. Alex lay rigidly against him for a few moments, then slowly, he worked his arms around Fox’s waist, and buried his face in his chest.

Fox wanted desperately to ask Alex again to tell him about what had happened to him, but he was afraid of bringing on another anxiety attack. So instead, he sat gently caressing his hip, and scattering tiny kisses in the wild, sable hair.

Alex clung silently to the man he loved more than life...sickened, terrified, and completely at a loss as to how it was he was supposed to tell him about what had happened. The beatings would be easy enough to talk about. The physical wounds would heal and he’d get past it...it wasn’t any worse than anything he’d ever been through in his life, but... this. Saint James, that bastard...he knew what he was doing. In another time and another place, he could have almost admired the man’s brilliantly warped mind, but...

"I love you, sweetheart."

The four words, whispered so tenderly above his head, brought a sting of tears to his eyes. He blinked rapidly, holding them back. His arms tightened around Fox, as he tried to get closer.

"I love you...lisa..."

He was good.

No one would have noticed the grief in his voice...

No one but Fox.

The prospect of Alex finally answering that question was beginning to scare the hell out of him...more and more. The arm around Alex’s shoulder, pulled him in closer.

"Go to sleep, baby."

"Don’t let me go, Fox."

"I won’t. I promise, I won’t let you go."

Close to half an hour later, Alex was asleep. And Fox sat wide awake, terrified that if he closed his eyes, someone would come and tear his love away. He was still sane enough to realize that the fear was completely irrational, yet he couldn’t help it.

A long while later, Scully slipped back into the room, smiling at the sight of the two men wrapped in each other’s arms. The smile faded a bit, as her partner’s eyelids lifted, and he turned bloodshot eyes to her.

"I thought maybe you were asleep."

Fox shook his head, and lay his cheek on the top of Alex’s head.

"The nurse’ll have a fit if she finds you in his bed," she warned as softly as she could.

"She’s already been in."

"And she didn’t say anything?"

"Just checked his IV, smiled, and left."

"Wow."

"Anything else on the disappearances?"

"Nothing. It’s like they never existed."

"Makes no sense."

"I know. But you know, in this case, it might not be such a bad thing. You and I were in hot water up to our necks...you especially."

Another tiny nod. "Thank you, Scully, for your help."

"You’d have done the same for me...have you re-thought your decision to quit?"

"I haven’t really thought about anything but Alex."

"I talked to Skinner. Explained it to him from beginning to end."

"And?"

"He’s not happy, Mulder. You knew he wouldn’t be. But he’s a fair man. I think I was able to make him understand the extenuating circumstances here."

"You think?"

"He said he didn’t want to see you leave the Bureau. I take that to mean that anything he’s learned today will be kept off the record." Scully took a seat by the bed. "He went out to the scene to see what was going on. You’ll probably see him a little later."

"Can’t wait. Scully...is that Matthew kid still here?"

"Yeah, he’ll be here till tomorrow at least. You going to go see him?"

"I’d like to, yeah. What room was it? Four-ten?"

"Right."

"I’d like to go with you, if you don’t mind."

"Actually, I’d appreciate it if you’d stay with Alex while I’m gone."

"Mulder...he’s safe here."

"I know, I just...it’d make me feel better, okay?"

"Okay. When are you going to go see him?"

"After Alex wakes up."

Already awake, Alex listened to the conversation, trying hard to keep his body from quaking.

He was here.

Matthew.

The spineless little son of a bitch who helped to ruin his life.

Room four-ten.

Fox shifted, ducking his head to look down at the open, glazed eyes of his lover.

"Hey. I thought I heard a sound."

Alex’s eyes darted up to his, then back down.

"Babe? You okay?"

"Yeah...yeah, fine. I uh...my arm is asleep, I gotta move." He pulled away from the circle of Fox’s arms, allowing the older man to move off of the bed. Shifting onto his right side, he came face to face with Scully.

"Hi, Alex. Feeling any better?"

"Um...y-yeah, I guess." He turned his eyes up to Fox, who was still hovering nearby. "I really am better, Fox. Why don’t you go find a motel room and get some sleep?"

"I’m not leaving this hospital, Alex. Not until you do."

"Then at least go get something to eat. Scully, take him to the cafeteria and put some food in him."

"He’s right, Mulder. You need to eat... and sleep."

Mulder looked from his lover to his partner. "How about this? Scully, you stay here for a minute, and I’ll go get us something and bring it back."

"God, Mulder you really are a pain in the ass. Listen, you stay here, and I’ll go down." Scully rose from her chair and had a quick look at Alex’s chart. "Alex, I can get you some soup or something light like that."

Alex shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Some soup would be fine."

"Okay. I’ll be back in little bit."

Fox sat on the edge of the bed, watching Scully retreat from the room. When she was gone, he reached over and took Alex’s hand in his, bringing it to his lips.

"Be back in a couple of minutes, okay? I gotta take some of this off. It’s driving me crazy," he said, rubbing the heavy stubble. "I’ll shave you too afterward, if you like." Receiving only a tiny smile as an answer, he rose from the bed, picked up the small bag Scully had carried in for him earlier, and disappeared into the bathroom.

The moment he was gone, Alex yanked the IV out of his arm, and slipped out of bed. He held on to the nearby table, taking a few seconds to steady himself, then donned the robe at the end of the bed, and quietly left the room.

Matthew lay awake in his bed...alone in the empty room, thinking. Wondering if what he’d heard was true.

Was Justin really dead?

If it was true, he didn’t know what to feel about that. Relief should have been tops on the list, but he wasn’t sure. Jesus, why should he be? He should be relieved, and thrilled, and happy as hell that the sadistic bastard was gone, and that’s all he should be, but he wasn’t.

His thoughts turned to the man in the cage.

Alex.

His closed his eyes and brought his hands up to them, as the man’s anguished screams filled his brain.

He hoped that Alex would be okay. He hoped that if he hadn’t been already, he would soon be reunited with his lover, and he could forget the terrible thing he’d done to him.

The quiet swish of the door startled him, and as he took his hands away from his face, there in front of him was a pair of hard, glittering green eyes.

"Why?"

Matthew shrank back against the pillows. "I’m...I’m..."

Before he could say anything more, Alex was on him, hands wrapped around his neck. "Why did you do that to me?" he screamed with rage. "You fucking son of a bitch! I’ll kill you, you goddamn shit!"

Matthew’s arms swung wildly in the air, and he gasped for breath. Through the high pitched ringing in his ears, he could hear more sound. A nurse had heard the screaming, and came to see what the problem was. As soon as she came through the door, she stared wide-eyed at the scene, then raced back out, shouting for help.

Back in Alex’s room, Fox turned the water off and listened.

He cleaned his face, and pushed the door open. "Alex, do you..." His eyes fell on the empty bed. "Shit!" He ran out of the room, and out toward the commotion at the end of the hall. He pushed his way through the small crowd outside of room four-ten, and found two orderlies trying to pull Alex off of the young man in the bed. "Alex!" He leapt between the men and his lover. "Let go of him!"

"Are you nuts? He’s gonna kill this kid!"

"I’ll get him off of him, now back off!"

The two men backed away, and Fox came up behind Alex, wrapping his arms around him. "Alex, stop! Let go of him! Come on, baby, you can’t do this..."

Alex’s grip loosened a bit as he began to sob. "You bastard...you little fucking shit..."

Fox took the opportunity to pry Alex’s hands away. "Let him go, baby. Whatever he did to you, we’ll work through it, okay? Let him go."

Matthew coughed and sputtered, trying to drag air back into his lungs, as Fox pulled Alex away from him.

Alex collapsed into Fox’s arms, clinging tightly to him. "I’m sorry, Fox, I’m...I didn’t want...I didn’t...God...oh, God..."

"Easy, Alex. It’s okay." He looked to the young, terrified man. "Are you all right?"

He nodded, coughing some more. "I’m so sorry," he whispered to Fox, then to Alex. "Please believe me."

Fox studied him, wondering what the hell was going on. He rose from the bed, pulling Alex up after him. "Come on, baby. Let’s get you back to your room."

Alex’s nurse and the two orderlies followed them back, and once Fox had Alex settled into his bed, the nurse suggested restraining him.

Fox shook his head. "No. He’ll be fine. He won’t leave his room again."

"Mr. Mulder, we can’t be sure of that."

"Yes we can," he snapped. "Whatever he’s been through the last few days has got him a little bent out of shape, but he doesn’t need to be restrained."

"A little bent out of shape...he tried to strangle that boy."

"Something terrible was done to him, and that boy was a part of it."

Well, hon, I sympathize, I really do, but please understand that I’ve got to report this episode to his doctor."

"I understand. Just get him up here, and I’ll talk to him."

"All right. I’ll find him and send him up as soon as possible."

When she had fixed Alex’s IV and the room was cleared, Fox turned his full attention back to Alex. "Baby," he whispered, stroking his lover’s perspiration dampened hair, "you gotta tell me what happened. Who is that man and why did you want to hurt him?"

Alex grasped his hand and turned tormented eyes up to his. "I love you, Fox. I didn’t...I...I..." He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away.

"Alex...Alex, please."

Scully walked in, and placed the food down on the bed tray. "What’s going on?"

"I don’t know," Fox answered flatly. "But I’m going to find out. Stay with him." He gently pulled his hand out of Alex’s grip. "Baby, I’ll be back. Scully is going to stay with you while I’m gone okay?"

No answer.

Fox kissed him once, and left the room.

All was quiet now, as he walked down the hall to room four-ten. He pushed the door open and stood in the doorway looking at the still very shaken young man in the bed. Remorseful aqua eyes gazed up at him as he approached.

"Is..." he swallowed painfully, "is he all right?"

Fox studied the beginning bruises on the man’s throat. "No. No, he isn’t all right. That’s why I’m here. I want to know what happened to him, and I want to know what you had to do with it."

Matthew shook his head. His eyes filled with tears, and he tried to speak. "I’m so, so sorry. You have to know that. I begged Justin. I pleaded with him, but he wouldn’t listen to me. His mind was made up. I was so scared...he...is he dead?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"How?"

Fox paused for a moment, then answered simply, "I killed him."

Matthew closed his eyes and nodded. "Alex said you’d find him."

Fox moved closer to the bed. "Tell me what happened."

"J-Justin...he was a man who always had things his way. Always. He decided he wanted Alex...so he took him. He said he knew it would be difficult, but he was determined to break Alex down. But Alex," Matthew shook his head, almost smiling, "he proved to be a much bigger challenge than Justin ever expected. He killed and wounded a lot of Justin’s men. He fought Justin at every turn, and Justin could see that he was beginning to lose ground, so he really decided to play dirty."

"What did he do?"

"Well...the beatings didn’t work...Alex just became harder to handle. So he...he..."

"He what?"

"He...he knew you were Alex’s weakness as well as his strength. And he thought of a way to use it against him..."

Fox took a deep breath and waited.

"He uh...he sedated Alex...had him shackled to the bed, and he made...oh, God, you have to believe that I wanted no part of this..."

"Tell me."

"He made me go into the cage and I had to...he made me perform..." Matthew buried his face in his hands. "...oral sex. I didn’t want to, I swear I didn’t."

Fox pitched forward, grasping the edge of a nearby table for support, as the room did an abrupt spin.

"I’m sorry," Matthew whined, "I’m sorry..."

Fox straightened up and inhaled deeply. "Finish, he hissed between gritted teeth.

Matthew hesitated a few seconds, then continued. "Like I said, Alex had been lightly sedated. It took a little while, but he started to...to respond. He was still pretty much out of it, but I could...Jesus, I’m sorry. I could feel him getting hard."

Fox’s hands clenched into fists.

"He start-started to moan...he was out of it...I know he thought it was you. I know that because as he woke up, he started to struggle. He screamed and he threatened and he begged for it to stop, and I wanted to, I swear, but Justin was right outside. And he threatened me and told me not to stop. Please, please understand...I was afraid. The beatings were bad enough when he wasn’t angry. If I stopped, he probably would have killed me."

Fox stood quietly, eyes closed, fighting to maintain a steady breath.

"Anyway...uh...by the time he’d come around, it had gone too far for him to stop it, if you know what I mean. He...he...he came and then he...he cried. God, he cried so hard. I cried too. Then Justin started to taunt him. Told him he was going to take a copy of the video tape he’d made of it, and send it to you. Alex went crazy. He thrashed and fought against the restraints so much that Justin had to sedate him again. That was the last...last time I saw him till today. I can’t stop saying how sorry I am...it sickened me to do that to him." Matthew turned watery eyes to the man who stood over him, fighting against every instinct that screamed for him to beat this man to death. "He loves you so much and Justin used it to destroy him." Matthew suddenly found his anger. "He’s dead, but if Alex doesn’t come through this...he still wins. Don’t let the son of a bitch win. Please."

Fox listened to the words spoken so sincerely.

"He won’t win. Alex will get through this. I’ll see to it."

"I know." Tears pooled, then flowed over. "Because you love him."

"That’s right."

Fox turned and left the young man alone with his misery.

Scully looked up as her partner came through the door. His tortured expression spoke volumes.

"Mulder?"

Fox walked by her, all his concentration focused on the man who lay almost catatonic in the bed. He sat on the edge of the mattress, and leaned over Alex’s still body. He stroked his lover’s hair gently, staring silently down at him. Slowly, Alex’s eyes shifted up to his.

"I talk...I talked to Matthew," Fox said softly. "Baby, I know what happened to you."

Alex buried his face into the pillow.

"Alex..." Fox slipped a hand under his cheek and turned his face back up so that their eyes met. "We’ll get through it, okay? You and me."

Alex’s lips moved, but no sound would come past them.

"What, Alex? What is it?"

"I...I didn’t want it...I tried, I...tried...I wanted to kill him...I wanted...I wanted to die..."

Fox lowered himself to the mattress, gathering Alex into his arms. "It’s all right. It’ll be all right..."

Alex lay passively in Fox’s arms, staring over his shoulder, up at the ceiling. "I didn’t want to," he whispered almost inaudibly.

"I know you didn’t. I know..."

"I came...came in his m...mouth, Fox..."

"I know..."

"He wouldn’t stop...but I wanted him to, I swear...swear to you I wanted him to..."

"Alex...I know that. Come on, babe, stop this. Don’t torture yourself. It isn’t worth it. When all of this is done, it’ll still be just me and you."

"You could...could still touch me after..."

Fox drew away far enough to meet Alex’s eyes. "Listen to me. What happened to you changes nothing between us. I love you, Alexei..."

Alex shuddered and looked away. "He called me that. It sounded so...obscene."

"Baby, look at me."

Weary green eyes turned up to Fox’s face.

"He’s gone. You never have to see his face, you never have to hear his voice again. I know you won’t ever forget what happened, and neither will I. If I could kill him over and over again for what he did to you, I would. But wanting and wishing won’t change anything. As impossible as it sounds at this precise moment, we will pick up and go on. In a day or two, we’re going to go home..." Fox cupped Alex’s face, rubbing his thumb across the stubbled cheekbone. "I’ll take care of you...those wounds on your back will heal. We’ll have dinner in our dining room...we’ll go for walks around the neighborhood...Clyde misses you...we’ll go to sleep in our bed..." He kissed the outside curve of Alex’s ear, then whispered into it, "I’ll hold you all night long...I’ll do the laundry...I’ll turn the whites a nice shade of purple just for you..."

A tiny smile formed at the corner’s of Alex’s mouth. "God, no. That’s all right, I think I can manage to do the laundry, thank you."

Fox laughed softly, his tired eyes beginning to shine. "There he is."

"There who is?"

"My Alex. I saw him for just a second, there."

Alex raised a slightly shaking hand to Fox’s cheek. "I love you, lisa."

Fox lowered his head, taking Alex’s mouth in a long, sweet kiss. When he pulled away, he frowned, licking at the edges of his lips. "Oh man, we gotta do something about this beard. How ‘bout it? You ready for that shave?"

"Sure."

Fox gave him a heart melting smile. "Be right back."

Alex watched his lover retreat into the bathroom, then looked over at Scully. "I don’t know how it is this happened. I’ve never done anything good enough in my life to deserve him."

Scully walked over to the bed, and sat down. She covered Alex’s hand with her own, squeezing it gently. "You fell in love with him, didn’t you?"

"Yeah..."

She smiled, shaking her head. "You could never have done anything better than that. Alex, your love has saved him a hundred times over."

A knock sounded at the door, and it inched open. "S’cuse me, four twenty-eight, right?"

Scully answered. "That’s what it says on the door..."

The door swung open and the man walked in, carrying in each arm, a vase arrangement of two dozen Sterling Silver roses. Alex watched, surprised and a bit confused, as the man set the vases down and started for the door.

"Uh...hey...you sure those are for me?"

"You Alex Krycek?"

"Yeah..."

"Then these are for you. Be right back."

The man disappeared for a moment, then returned, carrying two more arrangements; mixed flowers, both in baskets. "You’re one popular guy."

Alex looked from the man to Scully, then back again. He remained silent, not knowing what to say.

"That ain’t all, friend, you got one more..."

Fox walked out of the bathroom, carrying a basin of warm water and the shaving equipment. His eyes met Alex’s and saw the confusion. "Hey, he grinned. They’re not all from me..."

The man walked in with one more large, mixed vase arrangement and cleared a spot on a table in the corner for it. "Okay, that’s it. You got it all."

Fox stopped him at the door and handed him a bill. He thanked the man, then moved over to the bed, looking down into questioning green eyes. "I’m telling you, I don’t know where some of these flowers came from."

Scully rose from her chair. "Well, let’s see...there’s no card on one of these rose arrangements, so I’ll assume they’re from the same sender." She handed the card to Alex, who gingerly pulled the flap up on the envelope, and read. His eyes closed for a moment, then rose to meet those of his lover. He mouthed the words ‘I love you’, and Fox sent him a soft smile and a wink.

Scully handed him the card from one of the baskets.

Alex’s eyebrows rose into his hairline. "The Gunmen?"

Fox chuckled softly. "Told you they liked you."

Alex read the card from the next basket, and reached out to take Scully’s hand. "Thanks, Scully."

Scully rubbed the back of his hand. "It’s such a relief to have you back." She released his hand and moved to the last arrangement. "Here you go."

Alex looked up to Fox. "I don’t...there’s nobody else."

Fox motioned to the envelope. "There’s obviously somebody else...hey...you don’t think it’s from Skinner, do you?"

Scully snorted. "Yeah, right, Mulder."

Fox shrugged, smiling, then waited for Alex to open the envelope.

The younger man’s brows knitted into a distinct frown. He shook his head, not knowing what to make of the cryptic message.

"What is it, babe?"

Alex handed the card up to Fox, who read it aloud.

"Feel better soon. No thanks necessary. From your friends."

Fox turned to his petite partner. "Scully..."

She shook her head in confusion for a moment, then understanding dawned. "Oh, you don’t think..."

"What else could it mean?"

Alex looked from one to the other. "What could what mean? Fox, do you understand that?"

"Yeah, I uh...I think so. The night you went missing, I went to Skinner and asked for contact with Cancerman. I thought he might know something. It was a shot in the dark, but I didn’t know what else to do. He promised me that he had no idea and reminded me of your arrangement with him. Before I hung up, he offered his assistance should I need it."

"And?"

"Alex..." Scully took over. "We racked up quite a body count on our way to you. And those who weren’t dead, Mulder did a pretty good number on. On their way to their assorted destinations, they all disappeared. Every one of them. There’s no evidence. No witnesses. Nothing. It’s all gone. We had no idea why or how...till now."

"It makes sense," Fox added. "Who else has the resources to pull something like that off?"

"But...why?"

"Because," Alex rasped, "keeping Fox and me alive and healthy and together is in their best interests." He looked up to his lover, and grasped his hand. "I hate the idea of him being involved in our life, but in this case, I have to say that I’m glad. Fox..." he squeezed the older man’s hand. "...you could have been in so much trouble..."

Fox kissed Alex’s hand, and sat at the edge of the bed. "Forget about that. Everything’s okay. I don’t want to think about how or who...come on, now. You got a date here with Mr. Razor."

Carefully, Fox lathered and scraped away the thick whiskers, revealing the soft skin that hid underneath. When he was through, Alex raised a hand to his face, rubbing along his cheek and throat.

"Thank you...better?"

Fox cocked his head to one side. "Looks better. Now for the real test..." He leaned across the short distance, and covered Alex’s mouth with his own.

Alex pulled a fraction away from his lips, and mumbled against them, "Okay?"

"Can’t decide." Fox wove his fingers through Alex’s hair, and pulled him back against his mouth.

Alex sighed into Fox’s open mouth, for the first time in days, feeling almost normal. His tongue inched forward, tangling with the other. His hands came up to Fox’s shoulders then around his back. He closed his fingers in the material of Fox’s shirt, clinging to him as they kissed with growing passion.

"Oh, God," Scully grinned, checking her watch and speaking to no one in particular, "didn’t take them very long, did it?"

Fox shifted, trying to accommodate the growing bulge in his pants. God, it felt so good to have Alex’s mouth on his...

A day or two.

Shit, it was too long. He wanted to take him home now. He wanted to put him into his own bed. Hold him close. Make love to him...

Alex tilted his head from side to side, sucking on Fox’s lips. His tongue. Voraciously feeding on him...drowning himself in his lover’s taste and texture, trying desperately to blot out the images and sounds that continually danced in his mind.

But they were there.

Justin.

Smiling at him.

Touching him.

The unbearable pain of that belt.

The feel of Matthew’s mouth around him, sucking and swallowing, even as he begged him to stop...

The sound of his own anguished cries after he came...

"Alex? Hey...come on, breathe.."

Scully leapt from her chair, joining the men on the bed. "Alex? Listen to me. Calm down, okay? Take a deep, slow breath...Mulder what happened?"

"I don’t know. All of a sudden, he just started to hyperventilate. Alex, it’s all right. Easy, baby." Fox cupped Alex’s face in his hands. "Look at me. See? It’s me. I’m here." He stroked his lover’s cheeks with his thumbs. "Breathe, baby..."

Alex’s respiration slowed a bit, as he concentrated on the beautiful sea of amber in front of him. The soft, soothing voice of his lover drifted through the noise in his head.

"That’s it. That’s better." He moved a hand to the back to Alex’s head, massaging lightly. "Tell me what happened, Alex. What brought this on?"

"I’m...it won’t...I’m sorry, Fox."

"Don’t be sorry...lie back."

Alex shifted onto his side, against the pillows.

"Try to rest, okay?"

A deep, shuddering breath. "Okay...Fox?"

"Hmm?"

"You...you rest too."

"I will."

"Go."

"Where?"

"To a motel room or...wherever..."

"I told you, Alex, I’m not leaving here till you do."

Scully spoke up. "Mulder, you’re exhausted. You need sleep as much as he does."

"Who says I’m not going to sleep?"

"Where? In that chair?"

"A pillow and a blanket, and it’ll be just fine."

"Fox, please...go sleep in a bed. I’ll be all right."

"I’m not leaving."

"Forget it, Alex. He won’t budge." She directed her next statement to her partner. "I’ll go see what I can do about making you a little more comfortable...and while I’m gone, how about I get us some more food?" She looked to the long-cold food on the tray. "That stuff must be long past edible by now."

"Okay, Scully. Thanks."

When she was gone, Fox pulled a chair up to the bed, and sat, resting his arms and chin on the bed. He and Alex stared at each other for a few moments before he spoke.

"There was no way you could stop it," he murmured softly. "I know you would have if you could."

Alex’s eyes fell away from Fox’s face. "When...when I was a kid...and those guys raped me...it was bad, but...not like this. Not...I don’t...as far as actual, physical pain went, it was much worse, but... I’d rather go back and live that night a dozen times over, than go through this again. I feel so..." He broke off his words and closed his eyes.

"I know what you feel," Fox whispered. "There’s no need for you to feel that way. I know those aren’t some magic words that’ll take it all away, Alex, but...you’ve done nothing wrong. Nothing that’s happened has hurt us. How could it?"

"I don’t know, I...I tried so hard...I fought it, but..."

"Alex, Matthew told me that you were sedated when Saint James sent him in there. You could feel long before you’d regained the ability to reason. You were being stimulated and it was only natural for your body to respond. By the time you’d become conscious, it had gone too far. Baby, you know that there’s a point that you reach where there’s just no stopping it. It doesn’t mean you enjoyed it, and it in no way means that you’ve somehow betrayed me. There’s no reason for you to feel guilty."

Alex lay quietly, taking in what his lover had just said to him. Sometime later, his hand inched across the sheet, the backs of his fingers tentatively brushing Fox’s.

Fox watched almost hypnotized, as Alex’s fingers moved over his. Slowly he responded, arching his fingers, letting them whisper over his lover’s knuckles, tracing disjointed little designs across the skin. His eyes rose to Alex’s face, and found himself the focus of a glassy green stare. His hand lifted slightly, covering the other’s, lacing their fingers together, and bringing the hand to his lips for a gentle kiss. As he pulled their hands away from his mouth, his head moved closer to Alex’s, nuzzling first his jaw, then his cheek.

Alex closed his eyes and breathed deeply. His head began to move fraction by fraction, now imitating his lover’s motions. He shifted toward Fox, seeking greater contact; rubbing his freshly-shaven cheek against the one beside it. The soft hiss of breath close to his ear, sent a hard shudder through his body. All at once, raw need overpowered everything else he’d been feeling, coursing through him so strongly, that his entire body ached with it. His fingers untangled from the ones that had still held them, and plunged into Fox’s hair, holding his head still for an all-out assault on his mouth.

Alex’s sudden aggression startled Fox at first, but he quickly gave himself up to it, allowing the younger man free rein. He had no idea how long the passion would last...if at all, but he’d be damned if he was going to do anything to rock the boat.

Just as he was working up to a good solid erection, Alex pulled away.

"Fox... "

"Hmm? "

Alex’s eyes opened and Fox knew this wasn’t the beginning of any anxiety attack.

"I need you."

Whispered softly, but plainly heard by the man for whom it was intended.

"Alex..." Fox licked at his lower lip. "We’ll be home tomorrow...Tuesday at the latest..."

Alex bit down gently on Fox’s lower lip and tugged. He let it go, licking the spot where his teeth had just been. "Don’t make me wait until Tuesday."

"Baby, we’re in a hospital."

Alex turned his head, rubbing the sable silk against Fox’s face. "Please."

"God...listen..." Fox pulled Alex’s head back up. "Scully’ll be back soon. When she leaves...I’ll take care of you. Okay?"

Alex nodded silently as he moved in again for another kiss. That kiss led to another. And another still, until the two were so completely immersed in each other, that neither noticed Scully enter the room.

"A-hem...I said, a-hem."

Fox tore himself away from his lover’s mouth and looked up in the direction of the door. "Oh...hi."

"Yeah. Hi." Scully glanced from Fox to Alex, who had turned partially onto his back. "Feeling better, Alex?"

"A little."

"A little," Scully repeated, her voice dripping with good-natured sarcasm. "Well, come on, I brought more food. What do you say we actually eat it this time?"

Fox moved up to the bed, sitting side by side with Alex against the pillows, and Scully took his chair. They stuck to light discussion while eating and when they were through, Scully gathered up the empty containers and disposed of them. While she did that, Alex wiggled closer to Fox, dropping his head down onto his shoulder. Fox kissed his temple.

"Tired?"

Alex’s hand slid up and down his thigh. "No."

If Scully was aware of the rise in temperature in the room, she gave no indication. She walked back to the chair, standing beside it. "Well," she said, looking at her watch, "I guess Skinner isn’t coming back tonight. Mulder, your pillow and blanket are over there," she nodded toward the wooden chair in the corner. "Promise me you’ll get some rest."

"I will, I promise," Fox answered, absently petting the head tucked against his throat.

"Goodnight, Scully," Alex called softly. "Thanks again."

"No problem. See you tomorrow."

As soon as she was gone, Fox slipped a hand under Alex’s chin, tilting his face up. His thumb rasped over the swell of his lover’s lips, stroking the tip of his tongue as it inched out to meet him. He lowered his head, his own tongue taking the place of his thumb, caressing, tasting...giving teasing hints of the pleasure that was yet to come.

Alex moaned softly into his Fox’s mouth, desperately grateful for the love he hadn’t been sure he’d ever know again; needing to drown himself in his lover’s touch and smell. He leaned into the kiss, wrapping an arm around Fox’s waist, then dragging one leg over his thighs. As he raised himself up, preparing to straddle Fox’s hips, the other man’s hands came up to push him back.

"Uh-uh."

"But you said..."

"I know what I said." Fox kissed the tip of his nose. "This is for you."

Fox slipped off of the bed and motioned to Alex to move closer. Just as he was about to lean over him, the door swung open and the on-call doctor walked in.

"Mr...." he looked at the chart, "...Krycek. I’m Dr. Harrison. I see here that you’re a kidnap and beating victim? Quite an ordeal I’m sure, yet I get on the floor and hear that you’ve been roaming the halls, strangling other patients. Not exactly what I’d expect from a man who’d just been through what you supposedly have..."

"Is that how you greet all your patients, doctor?"

Alex and the doctor looked up at Fox, who stood beside the bed, jaw clenching.

"When they may prove to be a danger to other patients and my staff, yes."

Fox slowly approached the man, stopping only inches away, forcing him to look up. "Before you breeze into someone’s room, giving off attitude all over the place, do that person the courtesy of first getting all the facts...Doctor..."

Alex’s eyes glowed softly as he watched Fox let the man have it in his own quiet, inimitable way.

"This man is a patient in your hospital. And as such, he should expect no less courtesy than any other patient. Now if sarcasm and verbal abuse is part of your standard practice, sir, I suggest you re-evaluate your bedside manner."

The doctor shrank back from the sharp amber stare. "Who...who are you?"

"My name is Fox Mulder..."

"Is there a problem here, Agent Mulder?"

Three pairs of eyes followed the sound of the voice. Skinner stood in the doorway, looking at the two who were standing by the foot of the bed.

Fox stared at the AD for a moment, then cut his eyes back to the man in front of him. "Nothing that can’t be remedied. Correct, Doctor?"

Harrison inhaled deeply, then moved around Fox and over to the bed. "Mr. Krycek...I am sorry. My behavior may have been a bit harsh..."

Alex nodded his acknowledgment.

"But I uh..." he looked to Fox, then back again, "I do have to get to the bottom of what went on. Did you...did you try to strangle Mr. Owens in room four-ten?"

From the corner of his eye, Fox saw Skinner’s head snap toward him.

"Yeah."

"May I ask why?"

"He..." Alex took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "He was part of...it. He had nothing to do with the actual kidnapping, but he..."

Fox moved forward, taking his place by Alex’s side. "He was an accessory to the abuse that was inflicted on Mr. Krycek. Under the circumstances, I’m sure you can understand how the stress he’s endured over the last few days could have manifested itself in such an act."

"Yes, I...I suppose. But if he’s suffering from post-traumatic stress, what’s to say he won’t act out again?"

"Doctor..." Skinner stepped forward. "I’m Assistant Director Skinner with the FBI. This is Special Agent Mulder. You have my personal guarantee that he will keep a close watch on Mr....Krycek, and no further problems will arise."

"Well...all right. Mr. Owens did say that he had no intention to press charges, so..." The doctor turned his attention to the examination, then looked to Fox. "A nurse will be in soon to take a couple of samples. Depending on how they turn out, he may be able to go home tomorrow."

"Thank you."

"You uh...you mentioned that Mr. Owens was an accessory..."

Alex spoke up. "He’s no danger to anyone. He’s a scared kid who was forced into a very bad situation. He means no harm to anyone."

"That’s very generous of you, considering what Agent Mulder just told me... and taking into account the fact that not more than a few hours ago, you tried to kill him."

"I can think a little more clearly now than I could this afternoon. All I want is to go home and erase him and everything that’s happened, from my life."

Fox reached out, stroking his fingertips over the surface of Alex’s hair. Skinner grimaced, turning his face away, even as the doctor stared in surprise.

"Well...uh...I’ll see you in the morning before I go off duty. Again, I apologize for my earlier abruptness. Goodnight."

And then there were three.

"Scully said you may be back, but I didn’t think you would come at this hour."

"I hadn’t planned to, but I want this settled." Skinner threw a quick glance in Alex’s direction. "I don’t accept your resignation." He reached behind his back and pulled Fox’s Sig out of the waistband of his pants. "Take your weapon back."

Fox looked down at the offering, but his hand continued to pet Alex’s hair.

"There’s no room for bargaining. I stay with the Bureau on my terms or not at all."

"Fox," Alex murmured, "listen to him before you close the door..."

Fox took a seat at the edge of the bed, and leaned forward, kissing Alex’s forehead. "Okay." He turned back to Skinner, who was standing quietly, with his head down; the muscle in his jaw twitching a mile a minute. "All right, what are your terms?"

"They’re simple. I don’t like this," he said plainly. "I don’t like him. I don’t know that I ever will. But Scully gave me the rundown on what’s gone on between you, and I can’t deny that it looks as though he may be sincere in his feelings. Scully certainly is convinced. And as I have the utmost respect for her opinion, and knowing that she’d never approve of anything that she thought would hurt you, I don’t see where I’ve got any choice in this. Everything I know involving the two of you stays off the record." He fell silent, and re-issued his offer of the gun.

Fox looked to Alex, who smiled and nodded, then took the gun back.

"Good. I never took your badge. Where is it?"

"Where I left it, I suppose." Fox left the bed and checked the tray. "Yeah, it’s here." He replaced the badge in its enclosure, and shoved it into his back pocket.

Satisfied, Skinner headed for the door. Fox followed, stopping just inside the doorway. Skinner studied him from the hall.

"What happened to him?"

"I thought Scully told you everything."

"She told me who the man was that took Krycek. She told me why he took him. I know he was at least whipped while he was in the man’s house, but is that all that happened to him?"

"Does it matter to you?"

Skinner opened and closed his mouth. He composed his thoughts and started again. "I just get the feeling that there’s more." He observed the cold glint in Fox’s eyes as he whispered his answer.

"Let me just say that the sadistic son of a bitch got off too easy. He needed to die slowly and painfully for what he did."

Skinner nodded, sure that somehow, he was better off not knowing the details. "I’ll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, sir...sir?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Another curt nod, and Skinner was gone.

Fox closed the door and returned to Alex, who’d tuned onto his side, head propped up in his hand.

"Are you as shocked as I am?"

"Yeah."

"Well..." he moved toward the bed, grinning, "where were we?"

"I believe you were just about..."

"Hi, hon."

Alex’s head dropped into his pillow, and he groaned softly.

"I got orders to get some samples from you."

Fox stumbled over to the chair and sat heavily into it, while the nurse went about her business. When she finally finished, he ushered her to the door. "He’s very tired," Fox explained as he opened the door. "All that excitement...you know...uh...will anyone be bothering him again tonight?"

"Nope. He’ll be able to sleep right through to about six-thirty."

"That’s great. That’s wonderful. Thank you."

He nearly shoved the woman into the hall, and closed the door.

"Now..."

Alex squirmed in anticipation as his lover slowly approached. Fox leaned over, releasing a flurry of soft kisses all over his face. The kisses moved lower, trailing down Alex’s throat, and across the expanse of his bare chest. He smiled, listening to the sharp intake of breath, as his tongue flicked across one rapidly hardening nipple.

"Shhhh. You want them to kick me out of here?"

Alex gritted his teeth as Fox closed his lips around the nipple, sucking lightly, while still teasing the tip with his tongue. Not wishing to ignore its twin, he brushed his fingers lightly back and forth over it, sending tiny ripples of pleasure through Alex’s body.

Alex couldn’t control the soft whimpers as they fell from his lips. It was so good, so...sweet...

Not able to think of a better way to silence him, Fox slid his hand up to Alex’s mouth, slipping two fingers inside. The younger man closed his lips around the welcome intruders, and began to suck hungrily on them. Satisfied, Fox went back to work, licking and nipping ever so gently at the sensitive peaks.

Fox’s tactic had worked for a short while, but as soon as Alex felt his teeth close around his nipple, the sounds started again. But this time they were louder and more desperate. Fox pulled away, and moved up to face Alex. He pulled his fingers out of the younger man’s mouth, incurring a loud groan of protest.

"Baby...shhh. You have to be quiet."

"You know...you know how hard that is for me."

Fox stroked his jaw. "I know. But unless you want to have the nurse in here, you have to try, okay?"

Alex nodded impatiently, pushing Fox’s head back to where it had been.

Fox teased for a bit longer, then moved on south, lapping and sucking, leaving gentle little marks of ownership along the way. As Alex fought to remain silent, Fox pulled the loose pajama bottoms down, and licked a path down the inside of his thigh, then back up, stopping halfway, and inflicting another small wound.

Alex shuddered, clenching his hands in his pillow. His cock throbbed in anticipation of that first touch, that...outrageously beautiful mouth surrounding him in wet heat...taking him to the place that only together, they knew existed.

Fox moved higher, feeling the tremors increase, the closer he got to Alex’s cock. His tongue slithered along the fuzzy surface of the sac that hung heavily beneath, then up to the base of his lover’s engorged shaft.

Alex twisted and writhed, trying for all he was worth to remain silent, but the feel of his Fox licking up and down the length of his cock was just too much to take. Soft, unintelligible sounds squeezed past his constricted throat, and his fingers tightened in the pillow, as if doing so would give him the strength to keep from screaming.

Fox lapped his way up to the velvety smooth head, and flicked at the drop of fluid at the tip. Before Alex could utter the plea that he knew would be coming, Fox opened his mouth, and swallowed him to the root.

Alex’s hips bucked off the bed, and a loud gasp pierced the air.

Fox felt Alex stiffen suddenly, and he pulled away, stroking his distressed lover’s hip.

"Alex...baby, open your eyes."

Alex took a number of steadying breaths, then did as he was asked. Fox had moved higher, so that they were face to face.

"It’s me," he said softly. "No one will ever touch you again. No one but me." He kissed Alex tenderly. "It’s my mouth." Another kiss. "Watch me. Don’t close your eyes. Watch, and see that it’s me loving you..."

Fox descended again, gently taking Alex’s cock back into his mouth. Alex looked down at the golden brown head moving so slowly over him.

Fox.

It was his Fox...his lisa doing this to him. The pleasure, the unbearable pleasure...it was good...it was wonderful, and so, so right.

Fox listened to the blissful moans, and knew that Alex understood. He increased the pressure, sucking harder, and now bobbing his head up and down on the long shaft.

Alex folded his pillow over his face, biting into it to keep from crying out. He was ready. Oh God, was he ready.

Fox increased the pace, moving from quick to frenetic, driving Alex to the brink in a matter of seconds. The younger man screamed into the pillow as he came, emptying a seemingly endless river of fluid down his lover’s throat.

Not until Alex had stopped thrashing, did Fox let him go. His body went slack, and his eyes dropped shut, showing no signs of life, other than the heavy rise and fall of his chest. Fox kissed and licked his spent cock, now satisfied that his lover had been reclaimed. He moved up and onto the bed, stretching out alongside Alex, resting his head against his chest, and wrapping one arm around his waist. They lay quietly together for a time, until Fox thought Alex was asleep. He kissed the damp chest, then carefully attempted to move off of the bed. As he did so, Alex’s arms wound around him, and held him in place.

"Don’t," the soft, hoarse voice pleaded.

"Baby, this bed isn’t big enough for the two of us to sleep in all night."

Alex held him tighter. "Yes it is." He shifted around, turning Fox onto his back, then draped himself over the older man’s chest. "Please stay here."

"I’ll only be three feet away..."

Alex shook his head, giving Fox a most irresistible pout. "Too far."

"You know, whether you’re ready or not, they’re gonna kick us the hell out of here tomorrow."

Alex snuggled against Fox’s warmth. "Fine with me. I can’t wait to get out of here."

Fox pressed a kiss into his hair. "You okay?"

"Yeah...now."

"It’s over, Alex. It’s all over..."

"He said you wouldn’t come looking for me."

"...What?"

"He didn’t think you’d risk your career for me."

"Well, he was fucking idiot, wasn’t he?"

Alex nodded. "I told him that if that’s what he thought, he was crazy. I knew you’d find me, and I told him when you did, he’d be in a world of shit. He laughed it off."

"Yeah, well he’s not laughing any more...I’d never have stopped, Alex. I’d have found you or died looking."

"I know...what was your first lead?"

Fox smiled into Alex’s hair. "Mitchell."

"Mitchell?"

"Yeah. We gotta buy him a bike or a Playstation or something."

"What did he know?"

"He saw some men carrying a carpet out of our yard. He didn’t see that they had you in it, he just thought that we were having a carpet removed or something. He couldn’t remember the name on the side of the van, but he told me it was dark green. So, Scully, the Gunmen and I split up and checked every carpet store in town. The guys found the right place, and I went over there and uh...convinced the owner that he needed to give me all the information he had. He said that some guy walked in a couple of days before, threw down a wad of cash, and asked to rent the van for a few hours. Fortunately, he had surveillance video of the guy and I recognized him right away. I thought I’d seen him when Scully and I were in New York, but I hadn’t been sure up until that point. One of the employees at the carpet place had heard someone call the asshole Mr. Saint James, the day he was there. So we took the tape and the name, did a little deductive reasoning, and started to search."

"Didn’t take you too long."

"Didn’t take too long? Are you kidding? Every second you were missing was an eternity."

"I know...God knows it felt that way for me too, but you know, in reality, you found me very quickly. You know how long some kidnappings can drag on before the missing person is found...if ever..."

"I know. I couldn’t think about that, though. It wasn’t an option...you know...I thought I heard you. The next morning. I’d been up all night, and Scully insisted I lie down until I could go to the neighbors. At one point my eyes did close, but I heard you calling me, and I sat up. It was so clear. Did you call my name?"

Alex kissed Fox’s chin, then tucked his head under it. "So many times, I lost count."

Fox heard the fatigue in his lover’s tone. He kissed the top of Alex’s head, and lightly massaged his temple. "Go to sleep."

"Okay." Alex’s arms tightened around Fox. "You too."

Fox nodded and closed his eyes. Moments later, both men were asleep.

"Mr. Mulder."

Fox jumped, startling himself and Alex awake.

"I’m sorry," the nurse whispered. "I hated to wake you, but..."

"I know," Fox interrupted her. "It’s okay."

"The doctor does rounds very early, so I have to take his temp, blood pressure, and so forth."

Alex shifted, then lifted himself away from Fox’s chest. He stretched, grimaced, then smiled sleepily down at his lover. "Morning."

Fox moved off of the bed, and helped Alex sit back against the pillows. He kissed the tip of the younger man’s nose, then sat at the edge of the bed beside him. "How do you feel?"

"Okay. A little sore. I want to go home."

The nurse stepped forward with the thermometer. "Well, love, let’s get this stuff out of the way then we’ll see what the doctor has to say, hmm?" When she was through, she smiled and patted Alex’s hand. "So far, so good. The doc should be in within a half hour or so, okay?"

"Okay."

After the door swished shut, Fox grasped Alex’s hand, and brought it up to his lips. "Sleep okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Mmm hmm. Felt good."

"It’ll feel better in our own bed. I’m serious, Fox, I want to go home today. If they don’t release me, I’m going to sign myself out..."

Before Fox could answer, the door opened and Doctor Harrison walked in. "No need for that. Your admitting doctor is on in a few minutes, and I’m going recommend to him that you be released. Everything checks out fine, and I see no reason to keep you."

"Good."

"Take care, Mr. Krycek, and again, I apologize for last night. I’m just coming off of a double shift, and while I know it’s no excuse, it is my reason."

"It’s okay."

The doctor nodded to Fox, then exited the room.

Alex squeezed Fox’s hand, and breathed deeply. He released the breath, and grinned at his lover. "Home."

"Yep." Fox pulled his cell phone out and hit two. "...Scully. Yeah...he’s good. Yes, I slept. We both did. Listen, he’s going to be released today, so could you...yeah. Thanks. Okay, see you soon." Fox disconnected and tucked the phone back into his pocket. "She’s going to get us a flight."

"Okay. God, I can’t wait. I just want to get it all behind me."

Fox smiled softly. "Soon, baby."

‘Soon’ came a few hours later, when Alex was wheeled, griping and moaning, out of his room.

"I don’t need a wheelchair."

"Yes, you do," the orderly countered. "Hospital rules."

"I feel like an idiot!"

Fox leaned over, pressing a kiss into Alex’s hair. "I know, babe. I’ve ridden in plenty of these things, and I hate ‘em too."

"Then tell them to let me walk out of here," Alex begged.

"I can’t. It is the rule."

Scully smirked at her partner. "Now you know what I go through."

Fox smiled back. "Sorry, I’ll never give you a hard time again."

"Oh, sure you won’t."

Fox turned his attention back to Alex. "It’s just down to the doors, babe. Two minutes, and we’ll be on our way."

"All right, all right." Alex looked up at the orderly. "Hurry the hell up, would you?"

"Hey, man, what do you..."

"Al-Alex?"

Four heads turned in the direction of the frightened voice. Matthew sat in an identical chair, not more than eight feet away. Two women stood beside him, observing warily. The tiny shudder that passed through Alex’s body, vibrated against the hand that Fox had laid on his shoulder. He stared at the young man, saying nothing.

"How...how are you?"

Alex’s fingers tightened around the stems of the two roses that he’d pulled from one of the vases before they left. The muscle flexed in his jaw, but he said nothing.

"He’s okay," Scully answered. "How about you? I see you’re leaving too."

"Yeah...uh...this is my mother," he motioned to the older woman, then to the younger, "and this is my sister."

Scully nodded to the two women. "Glad to see that you’ve got family to go home to."

"Yeah. Well...um...Alex, I...I know you hate me and I don’t blame you a bit." He looked to Fox. "Either of you...but I swear, I didn’t mean to hurt you, Alex."

Alex glared at him, but remained in his chair. "Yeah...well...too little, too late, wouldn’t you say? If you’d had any kind of backbone, you little wuss..."

"I know. I can’t tell you how I wish I was like you. I really thought that sooner or later he’d break you." Matthew shook his head. "It was stupid to think that. You never would have given in. I admire you so much."

"Don’t, okay? Don’t admire me, don’t think of me, just...don’t."

"Listen, he just wants to apologize, for Christ’s sake," the younger woman finally spoke up in defense of her brother.

"Look, sister..."

"Okay, hold on." Fox held his hand up, stepping between his group and Matthew’s. "You’ve apologized. Whether or not Alex chooses to accept it, is his call. Just go home now, and try to put your life back together, and we’ll do the same." He turned back to Alex who’d begun to brood again. "Come on, baby. Let’s go home." Fox motioned to the orderly with a flick of his head and they moved on, leaving the next to the last tangible remnants of Alex’s ordeal behind.

The ride to the airport was a relatively quiet one. Alex sat close to Fox in the back seat, head nestled against his lover’s shoulder, allowing himself to be stroked and comforted. Fox murmured softly to him, occasionally receiving a one or two word response.

By the time they’d made it to the airport, things were pretty much the same. Alex’s mood remained pensive, and until Fox could get him home where he could focus solely on him, it wasn’t likely to change. All he could do was stick close and keep up as much physical contact as possible.

As they waited for their flight, Scully spoke softly to Fox.

"I didn’t have time to tell you earlier, Mulder, but Skinner is also booked on this flight. He should be here any minute..."

"He’s already here." The deep baritone turned two of the three heads to the right. "I was getting a magazine." Skinner observed the two men sitting side by side, one obviously in his own world. "He okay?"

Fox nodded, stroking the other’s back. "Just a bit of a setback."

The corner of the A.D.’s mouth crinkled, and he took a seat beside Scully. He wasn’t seated any longer than two minutes when the flight was called, and the four boarded the plane.

Fox and Alex sat together, two rows up and across the aisle from Scully and Skinner. Alex slumped into his seat and stared out the window, seemingly a thousand miles away. A gentle hand at his cheek turned his face toward his concerned lover’s.

"We’ll be home very soon."

Alex’s eyes dropped to the space between them.

"Aren’t you happy about that?"

The younger man nodded.

"Alex..." Fox caressed his cheek tenderly, waiting for a response. When none was forthcoming, he eased Alex’s head down onto his shoulder, and kissed the top of his head. "Rest, baby."

Alex closed his eyes and relaxed against his lover.

Home.

God, he wished he was there right now, in bed, burrowed under the covers...safe in Fox’s arms...

Skinner’s eyes kept wandering from his magazine to the couple in front. The sound of Scully’s voice startled him, bringing him back to himself.

"Inconceivable, isn’t it?"

"Good word for it."

"It may be impossible to believe right now, but you will get used to it. I never thought I would but now, it does my heart good to see them together." Scully regarded the two men huddled together. "They truly love each other, and really, sir, how can that be bad?"

"I don’t know, Scully. This isn’t just any man. This is Alex Krycek we’re talking about, here."

"Yes, I know that. The same Alex Krycek who took care of Mulder when he was so sick...took him away for two months to recuperate...the same man who faced Mulder’s mother down when she beat him into the ground over the news of their relationship...the man who makes him smile every day...turned him into a real person...this is the same man who went out and got Mulder a puppy, because he’d mentioned that he’d always wanted one as a boy. Sir...you only know Alex as one person, but to a very, very large extent, that man doesn’t exist any more."

"What about the small extent?"

"Alex is fiercely protective of Mulder. He only reacts violently out of that sense of protectiveness...or self defense. He’s a thoughtful, loving man, sir. And he’s very good for Mulder. They’re good for each other."

Skinner listened to her words, studying the men intently. "It’s like a car accident, you know? It’s grisly, but you just can’t look away."

"Grisly, sir?"

"Sorry, that may be a bit harsh, but it was the best comparison I could come up with." He turned his face to her. "You’re really sold on them, aren’t you?"

Bright blue eyes zeroed in on deep brown. "One hundred and ten percent sold."

Skinner studied the sober face, then looked up ahead and said nothing more.

Langly stood at the terminal-length window, looking into the sky. "Plane should be landing soon."

"Uh-huh."

"Man, Frohike, you should’ve seen Mulder. He was like... crazed. Even Scully couldn’t hold him back."

"Unfreakinbelievable. Three years later, man, I gotta say it still amazes me how tight they are. After all this time, it’s gotta be more than good sex..."

The flight they’d been waiting for was called, and Frohike breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God. I was glad to help but you know, I really don’t like the way that dog looks at me..."

"Clyde? He’s a great dog!"

Frohike shook his head. "Yeah...when there are other people around. When we’re alone, it’s a different story. He just sits there at night...staring at me. You ever see that movie...Devil Dog Hound of Hell? That’s him."

"You’re crazy."

"Think what you want. One night, you should watch him. I bet you’ll say the same thing."

"Yeah...okay, Frohike...whatever...hey." Langly tapped his companion’s arm. "Here they come."

Fox and Alex approached first, followed by Scully and Skinner.

"Hey, guys," Fox smiled at them. "Thanks for picking us up."

"No problem, man." Frohike eyed Alex cautiously. "Uh...hey, Krycek. How are you?"

"Okay...thanks for the flowers, guys. It was nice of you."

"No problemo."

"And thanks for helping..."

Frohike shrugged. "We’re glad you’re safe."

Alex gave a slight nod of his head, and looked down at the floor.

"Come on, babe," Fox nuzzled the side of Alex’s head. "Let’s go home."

The group walked out to the parking lot, then split up.

"Scully, I’ll give you a lift if you like," Skinner spoke up as they approached Frohike’s car. "I left my car here in the lot."

"Thank you, I’d appreciate that." Scully turned to her partner and his lover. "You two get some rest, okay?"

"We will. Scully, thank you again. And I apologize if I got out of line..."

"If?" Scully laughed softly. "It’s okay, Mulder. I understand completely." She turned to the man who stood by his side. "Alex, I’ll see you later, okay?"

"Okay."

Scully stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him and planting a soft kiss on the lightly stubbled jaw. "Welcome home," she whispered.

"Thank you," Alex croaked, returning her embrace.

Skinner stepped forward, quickly glancing at Alex, then away. "Agent Mulder, I think a few days off would do you good."

"Yes, sir. I appreciate that."

"I don’t want to see you until next Monday."

Fox nodded, then looked quickly to Scully. "Jeez, Scully, I just remembered."

"What?"

"You’re leaving tomorrow to go to your brother’s. You’re going to be exhausted. One more reason for him to hate me..."

"I’m not going."

"Why not?"

"I just think I should hang out here..."

"Scully...I don't want to be the cause of you missing yet another family get together."

"You’re not..." Scully gave him an affectionate scowl. "Alex is." The other man gave her a quizzical stare. "I just wouldn’t feel right, leaving so soon after he got home."

"Scully," Alex argued softly. "Don’t stay here because of me. I’m fine..."

"Forget it, Krycek. I’m staying, and I don’t want to hear another word about it."

Both men fell silent, knowing that once Dana Scully had her mind made up about something, it was damn near impossible to change it.

"Now, don’t worry, I don’t intend to hang around your house, I just want to be here in case you might need me. Now, go on. Get out of here."

The group split up, Scully leaving with the AD, and Fox and Alex with Langly and Frohike.

The two men slid into the back seat of Frohike's car, sitting close together. Fox kissed the side of his lover’s head, and stroked his arm.

"How’re you doing?"

"A little tired. Little sore."

"We’ll be home in about twenty minutes."

Alex nodded, allowing himself to be pulled against Fox’s chest. There he stayed, not speaking, not moving, until the car pulled up into their driveway.

"Baby...we’re home."

Alex raised his head, staring silently up at the house. He moved slowly away from Fox, opening the door, and exiting the car. The older man swung his legs out onto the driveway, and levered himself up behind Alex.

"Sometimes," Alex began softly, "I was afraid..."

"Afraid of what?"

"Of never seeing this house again. Never seeing you pulls up into the driveway after work...never taking Clyde for another walk..."

Fox wrapped an arm around Alex’s waist and pulled him back into his warmth. "But you’re here. You’re home and it’s all over. Come on. Let’s go in."

"Alex! Hey, Alex!" The small boy ran up into the driveway. "I told my mother it was you. You’re back!"

Alex managed a smile for his neighbor. "Yeah, Mitchell. I’m back. Thanks to you, I hear."

The boy looked hopefully up at Fox. "Really?"

"Really. If you hadn’t seen that van, Mitchell, Alex might not be here right now. We both owe you a really big thank you."

"Wow."

"Listen, buddy, Alex is really tired. I need to get him into the house right now, so he can get some rest, okay?"

"Oh, yeah, sure! You go rest, Alex. I’m really glad you’re back."

"Thanks, Mitchell. We’ll see you later."

As soon as the boy was gone, Frohike tapped Fox’s shoulder. "Listen, we’re gonna take off now."

"Thanks, guys. I’ll be in touch."

Their friends left, and Fox slipped an arm around Alex’s waist, leading him up to the door. As he put the key in the lock, the sound of excited whines could be heard on the other side of the door.

"He knows it’s you," Fox smiled as he turned the knob and pushed the door open.

Before Alex could take two steps inside, the dog was on him, washing his face with sloppy kisses.

"Clyde..."

"its okay, Fox." Alex pushed the dog off, then squatted before he could leap up again. Clyde dropped to the floor in front of him, wiggling and howling with joy. Alex scratched the dog’s chest and head. "I missed you too, pal. I promise, from now on I’ll listen to anything you have to say."

Finally, he stood up and looked around. Fox watched as he began to drift about, followed closely by Clyde, occasionally straightening this and re-adjusting that. When he was satisfied that everything was again how he’d left it, he stopped. Feeling Fox’s gaze on him, he turned around. Their eyes met and held for several seconds before Alex broke contact.

"I uh...I think I’ll go take a shower...get out of these clothes.

Fox gave him an amused grin. "Don’t care for Scully’s choice of attire?"

Alex shrugged. "It’s...they’re not mine..."

Fox nodded, understanding that what Alex needed most right now was familiarity.

"Don’t say anything to Scully, okay? I really appreciate that she took the time to go clothes shopping for me."

"She’d understand, but I won’t tell her, okay?" Fox held his hand out to his lover. "Come on."

Alex took the outstretched hand and let Fox lead him through the bedroom and into the bathroom. "Want any help?" he asked, turning on the shower.

"No. Thanks, I’m okay."

"All right. Umm...I’ll just...I’ll leave you alone."

As Fox walked to the door, Alex’s soft voice stopped him.

"Lisa..."

"Yeah?"

Alex walked to the older man and wrapped his arms around his waist, dropping his head onto his shoulder. Fox hugged Alex to him, and brushed his lips across the back of his neck.

"Go ahead. Go take your shower."

Alex pulled reluctantly from the warmth of his lover’s arms, allowing him to leave the bathroom. Once Fox was gone, he undressed, tossing every scrap of clothing into a pile on the floor, then stepped under the spray, sighing as the water pounded into his flesh. He turned around, gritting his teeth as the spray stung his back. Enduring the discomfort, he washed as quickly as he could, then stepped out of the tub. He pulled the bath towel off of the counter and began to dry himself. When he got to his back, he attempted to dry himself in the usual manner, but the pain of the cotton rubbing back and forth across the wounds stopped him. He finished drying the rest of his body, then inched the door open.

"Fox?"

No answer.

He called a little louder.

"Fox?"

Seconds later, Fox appeared in the hall. "Yeah? You okay?"

"Yeah, but...can you help me for a second?"

Fox moved into the room, backing Alex into the middle of the floor. "Sure. What do you need?"

"I can’t dry my back right. The friction of the towel..."

Fox moved closer, kissing the damp head. He took the towel from Alex’s hands, and began to gently pat his back dry. That accomplished, he gathered up the clothes and the towel, and tossed them into the laundry basket.

"Thank you," Alex said quietly, wrapping another towel around his waist, and moving to the sink.

Fox stood behind him while he brushed his teeth, making small talk.

"Mrs. Mitchell was here a few minutes ago. She just came over to say that she was glad that you’re back and you’re okay."

Alex finished up, then turned to face his lover. "That was nice of her."

"Yeah, I thought so." Fox fell silent, observing the younger man. "What’s the matter, baby?"

"Nothing, I’m just...I don’t know why I’m so tired all the time."

"I do. You’ve been under a tremendous amount of stress. You know how exhausting that is."

"But it seems like all I’ve done lately is sleep."

"You can sleep, Alex, and not be at rest." Fox took his hand and led him into the bedroom. He pulled the light blanket and sheet back, then turned to face Alex. His hands rose to the towel, working it loose, then pulled the cotton sheet away.

Alex stood silently, allowing himself to be stripped of his only covering. He accepted a gentle kiss, then crawled into bed. He settled back against the mound of pillows, emitting an audible sigh as Fox drew the sheet up over his chest. The older man sat at the edge of the bed, tenderly caressing his forehead.

"Go to sleep, baby."

Alex’s eyes drifted shut, then opened again. "Fox?"

"Hmm?"

"S...nothing."

"What?"

Alex shook his head. "It’s stupid."

"What is?"

No response.

"Alex...tell me."

"Stay with me a while?"

"Of course I’ll stay with you. What’s so stupid about that?"

"I’m a big boy. I should be able to go to sleep by myself."

"But you don’t have to. I’m here, and I’ll stay here for as long as you want me to." Fox lifted Alex’s hand to his lips. "You want me to be here when you wake up? I won’t move."

Alex curled his fingers around Fox’s hand and squeezed. "No... unless you’re planning on taking a nap with me."

"That’s sounds good, baby, but there are a few things that I need to take care of."

Alex nodded. "Just stay then until I fall asleep?"

Fox dropped a kiss on his lover’s mouth. "Okay. Now, come on. Close your eyes."

Alex did as he was told, arching into his Fox’s comforting touch...luxuriating in loving warmth until sleep came to take him.

Fox watched Alex’s respiration slow, and even out. Saw the periodic flutter of his lashes cease, and knew he was finally asleep. He sat for long minutes afterward, listening to the soft exchange of air, contenting himself with the feel of his love’s warm skin beneath his wandering fingertips. Reluctantly, he withdrew his hand, and rose to his feet. A wave of emotion crashed over him as he looked down at the man he so dearly loved.

So much pain in one brief lifetime.

Only over the last three years had Alex begun to feel like a real person worthy of a normal life, and now this.

Stalked and trapped. Beaten and caged like an animal. Having things done to his body so completely against his will...

It wasn’t fair that the peace he’d finally found should be so cruelly torn from him.

Fox shook as rage crept in, mingling with the hurt. He needed something more to do. Someone to hurt as they’d hurt Alex, but that someone was dead. Beaten to death by his own hand, yet it wasn’t enough. The son of a bitch died too easily. He needed to suffer. To be tortured...to have his heart torn out the way he’d tried to tear away Alex’s soul...

Fox brushed his fingers through Alex’s hair, needing to touch him one more time, before quietly leaving the room.

Alex’s eyes snapped open and darted around the room. His heart pounded in his chest as confusion clouded his first waking moments. But reality began to take hold, and the fear faded and fell away.

Home.

He turned his face into his pillow, inhaling the familiar scent.

"I’m home," he whispered to himself, needing to say the words. To make it real. He shifted, pulling one of Fox’s pillows to him, and lay his head on it. His eyes closed, and he listened to the chatter of the sparrows that always came around in the very late afternoon, looking for their last meal of the evening...

Alex sat up and threw the sheet off. At the sound, a pair of ears rose above the mattress on the other side of the bed. Clyde pulled himself up on his haunches and watched as his master got out of bed and pulled some clothing out of his drawer and closet. Once dressed in his favorite faded jeans and a soft, comfortable t-shirt, Alex whistled softly to the dog, and walked out toward the kitchen.

As he got closer, the smell of something cooking reached his nose.

Couldn’t be.

Best Fox could manage was scrambled eggs and the occasional steak.

Alex wondered for a brief moment if Fox might not have had something delivered, but as he came through the door, the sights accompanying the smells told him that he was bearing witness to some sort of miracle. There Fox stood, amongst a plethora of pots and pans, cookbooks and mixing bowls, and he was...cooking.

Food.

And it smelled good.

Okay, the kitchen looked like a bomb went off in it, but...

Fox turned, sensing Alex’s presence. He smiled at the younger man, and laughed softly, noting the look of confusion.

"Dinner’ll be ready in about half an hour."

"You...you’re cooking."

"Yeah..."

"You don’t cook."

Fox shrugged. "No better time to learn. Sorry, but you’re my guinea pig."

"Oh, boy."

"How’d you sleep?"

"Fine, I guess."

"I checked in on you a couple of times, and you seemed to be pretty well out of it...shit!" He spun quickly back to the stove, turning the flame down on a boiling kettle.

"Let me help you, lisa..." Alex moved toward the stove, but Fox caught him by the shoulders and turned him around.

"No, you don’t. Go do...something...I’ll be fine."

"You sure?" Alex asked, eyebrows drawn together, prematurely mourning the destruction of his kitchen.

"Positive. Now get out of here. You’re distracting me." Fox kissed the back of Alex’s head and returned to work.

"Okay, well, I was going to go out and fill the feeders, anyway."

"Oh yeah, they must be wondering what the hell happened to the food."

Alex picked up the bucket he kept the seed mix in, and opened up the back door. He allowed Clyde to bound out ahead of him, then he turned, meeting Fox’s gaze. He offered a crooked smile, immediately receiving a similar response. He closed the door behind him, and walked out into the yard.

The sun hung very low in the sky, painting the clouds with several different shades of burgundy and pink. Alex stood at the door, drinking in the beauty of the moment. He thought to call Fox out to see, but considered the consequences of him leaving things cooking on the stove, and decided against it.

When he’d seen enough, Alex set about the task of filling the four feeders. Clyde wandered the span of the large yard sniffing under bushes, yapping at the occasional low-flying bird, but always vigilant, watching Alex’s every move.

Alex filled the last feeder, then looked around the yard. He turned in a slow arc, looking at the fences, searching...

Done.

Damn, and it looked good.

Unbelievable.

Fox opened the door and looked out into the yard. He scanned the area, becoming a bit worried when he didn’t see Alex right away. But he remembered that Clyde was with him, and relaxed. He stepped outside and began walking to the far end of the yard.

"Alex...hey...Alex?"

Alex emerged from a large group of hydrangeas, violently shoving the branches aside as he did.

"What the heck are you doing?" Fox’s smiled faded when he saw the look in Alex’s eyes. "Baby...what is it? What’s wrong?"

Alex’s head snapped from left to right, then front, focusing on the other man. "I don’t...how did they get in here without me knowing? Where did they come from?"

Before Fox could answer, Alex was striding toward the other end of the yard. The older man followed at a safe distance, allowing his lover much headway. Alex opened and closed the wooden gate, checking for squeaks.

"Why didn’t I hear them? Yeah, I had the hose on, but still..."

"I don’t know, Alex," Fox said calmly. "It doesn’t matter any more. It’s over."

"It does matter. I let some fucking amateurs get the drop on me. How the hell did that happen? What’s happened to me?" He answered his own question. "My instincts...my senses have gone to hell. This never would have happened three years ago."

"No, probably not. But your life is much different now than it was then. You’ve got no reason to be so defensive. Your guard has come down..."

"Yeah, and look what it got me. The rewards of soft living...beautiful..."

Fox’s eyes fell away from Alex’s face.

The anger was coming out. He knew it would. He didn’t know how or what, he only knew that it would happen, and that it wouldn’t be pretty.

"...I was... caged, for Christ’s sake..." He began to pace. "...and restrained...he... touched me, that fucking son of a bitch...and his words...the things he said made me sicker than his touch. And I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t...I killed a lot of them...I used every opportunity I had, but it was him...it was him I wanted and I couldn’t...he drugged me, did you know that?"

"I know..."

"And all this shit happened, why? Because I’ve gone fucking soft."

"Alex..." Fox approached slowly. "You haven’t gone soft. It’s just that...your lifestyle has changed...for the better, I thought..."

"Oh, yeah, better," Alex ranted blindly, "being beaten and shackled to a bed for a few days is definitely better." He laughed harshly. "Well, hey...at least I got my cock sucked, right? That’s something. The kid wasn’t great, but apparently he was good enough to make me come down his throat, so it wasn’t a total loss, I guess..."

Fox flinched and closed his eyes.

Alex turned around and fell onto the ground. He sat with his back to his lover, his fingers raking again and again through his hair. A few minutes went by before his hand stopped and his body began to rock back and forth.

"Jesus...oh, Jesus...Fox..."

No answer.

Alex pivoted, looking around the yard. Only Clyde remained, lying a few feet away, looking anxiously from Alex to the kitchen door. Alex turned back, burying his face in trembling hands. He sat that way until the sun had completely disappeared, then rose and walked into the house.

All was quiet.

Alex walked through the kitchen, noting that all the pans and bowls were covered and the room was semi-clean. He made his way through the house, finally finding Fox sitting in the dining room, staring down into an empty glass. He stood silently in the doorway, not knowing what to say. The table had been completely set. Flowers, taper candles now burned to half their original length. China...silver...wine...

Alex spoke Fox’s name, barely above a hoarse whisper.

Fox rose from the table and walked toward the door. "Are you hungry now? I’ll reheat everything. I don’t know how good it’s going to be..."

"Lisa...I’m sorry."

"Don’t be. You needed to get it out."

"I hurt you...I didn’t mean to."

"It’s all right, Alex. Don’t worry about it." Fox tried to move past Alex, but he wouldn’t allow it.

"I love you, Fox, and I love our life. I wouldn’t trade my life with you for anything in the world. I was just...I was lashing out." His eyes glazed over with unshed tears. "I owe you my life, and look what I’m doing to you..."

"You don’t owe me anything," Fox said, eyes downcast.

"Lisa," Alex choked. "Please...I love you. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to be home. Every minute of every day, I prayed for this." He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his lover’s neck, and burying his face in his shoulder "Please believe me..."

Fox felt Alex struggling to hold himself together. The warm dampness spreading down the front of his shirt told him that the distraught man had quickly lost that battle. He wound his arms around Alex and cried with him.

When the quiet sobs had finished, they remained clinging to each other.

"I believe you," Fox whispered into Alex’s hair. "It was a terrible thing that happened to you, and no matter how I reacted a little while ago, I do understand. Promise me you’ll say and do whatever you feel, okay? You need to get it all out. It’s important that you do."

"I can’t feel better if I hurt you."

"This isn’t about me."

"It happened to you too. I know you, Fox, and I know how crazy this made you. You’re probably every bit as stressed as I am, even if it’s in a little different way. At least I’ve slept. You’ve had no real rest to speak of. Yet here you are taking care of me, cooking for me...and look what I’m doing."

"Alex, it would have been far worse if you’d kept it inside and let it fester. I should...I should have been better prepared. By turning away, I made you feel that it was wrong for you to let it out, and I’m sorry. You did exactly the right thing. Please don’t feel bad about that. Let go of the guilt. If you hold on to it, it’s going to be much harder for you to heal."

"I can’t not think about your feelings, lisa."

I know that. But I’ll be all right. In my heart I knew that you didn’t really mean what you were saying. I knew you just needed to blow off some steam. I shouldn’t have let it get to me. Guess my emotions are still pretty raw, too."

Alex rested his cheek against the other man’s shoulder. "I know how wild I would have been if our situations were reversed and it was you who were missing. And I think I’d be pretty exhausted right now. Why don’t you sit down and relax, and let me go see if dinner can be saved..."

"No. No, no. Listen, baby. You said you couldn’t not worry about my feelings, right? Well right now, nothing would make me feel better than taking care of you. As determined as I was to find you, and though I’d never say it, the thought that I may never see you again was always in the back of my mind, and it terrified me." Fox hugged the younger man gently, ever-mindful of the sensitivity of his back. "I’ve got you back, and all I want to do is touch you and kiss you and show you how much I love you."

Alex tightened his arms around Fox, pressing himself closer. Fox scattered a number of tiny kisses in his hair.

"Let me baby you for just a little while, okay?"

Alex raised his head, meeting his lover’s eye. Fox smiled softly at him, brushing at the dampness on his cheek with the back of his hand. Alex covered the hand with his own, holding it against his skin.

"I love you."

"Was that a yes?"

"Can I ever say no to you?"

Fox leaned in and kissed the side of Alex’s mouth. He drew back slightly, then moved in again, planting another soft kiss on his chin. Then his cheek...

Alex’s eyes drifted shut and he took in a deep breath. His lips parted slightly to release it, and found Fox’s tongue slipping between them. He groaned softly, opening his mouth, allowing his lover further exploration.

Fox immediately took Alex up on his offer, stroking his tongue over the smooth, hard surface of his teeth, and the soft walls of his mouth, before making contact with its mate.

Alex’s hands wandered over Fox’s back and shoulders as the older man’s fingers tangled in his hair, holding his head still, and their tongues slithered and twisted around each other in blissful reunion. Alex’s jeans became more and more uncomfortable as his cock swelled within the denim, begging for release. He writhed against Fox, whimpering into his mouth, but the older man pulled away. Alex stood in silent frustration as Fox took both of his hands and raised them to his lips.

"Sit down and relax," he said softly. "I’m going to go see what I can do about salvaging our dinner."

Alex kept his thoughts to himself, and sat at the table, shifting several times before he found a not-so-uncomfortable position.

Fox smiled down at him. "Be back in a few."

When he was gone, Alex bowed his head.

"God."

He raised his head and looked over at the wine bottle. He pulled it out of the ice bucket, wiped the water away, and held the icy coolness against his crotch. A few minutes later, the cold had saturated through the worn material enough to bring him some relief. He replaced the bottle, then leaned his head back against the chair and closed his eyes. Sometime later, a soft tickling sensation on his lips brought him to full consciousness. His eyes opened to find Fox tracing the outline of his mouth with the tip of his tongue. He moaned as his cock leapt to attention.

"Dinner is served."

Alex pulled himself upright, his frustration temporarily put aside as his stomach rumbled in response to the aromas wafting up from the table.

"Smells as good as it did earlier." He smirked at his lover. "Of course, I’m starving now..."

"Try it, wiseass." Fox took his place across from Alex and waited for him to have the first taste. "Well?" The pleasantly surprised expression told him what he wanted to know.

Alex swallowed the first bite and dug in for another. "You got no more excuses, baby. This is great."

"Do you really think so? Or are you just saying that to make me feel good?"

"Would I lie to you and purposely open myself up to more culinary torture? Of course, not. It really is good." Alex glanced down into his plate. "Sorry we didn’t get to eat it when it was hot the first time."

Fox shrugged. "Sometimes stuff tastes better reheated."

The two men ate in silence, genuinely enjoying the meal. When they were finished, Fox slumped against the back of his chair, staring at Alex. The younger man immediately felt that familiar warmth spread through his body, and his gaze fell away from his lover’s face.

"So...dessert?"

Alex shook his head. "I’m stuffed."

"Okay, well..." Fox pushed away from the table. "...I’ll just clean this up..."

Alex rose as well, beginning to gather the dishes.

"What are you doing?"

"Helping you clear the table?"

"Didn’t we settle this?"

"Fox, come on..."

"Out."

"But it’ll be done faster if I help you."

Fox suppressed a smirk. "What’s the big rush?"

Alex approached, rubbing his head against Fox’s cheek. "We haven’t really spent any time together since we got home."

"Oh. Well...be that as it may, I want you to turn around and take your pretty ass into the living room..." he tapped the underside of Alex’s chin with one finger, "...or the bedroom...and I’ll be with you soon."

Alex let out an audible sigh. "Just hurry up, okay?"

Fox pressed a hand to his ass and pulled him forward, then rocked their hips back and forth. His mouth swept down for a long, thorough kiss. When he pulled away, they were both breathing a little heavier. "I will. Now go on."

Alex trudged out of the dining room and into the bedroom where he flopped down on the bed, reaching for the remote, and gathering a couple of pillows under his chest. He turned the television on, restlessly flipping through channel after channel. Three times around, he gave up and settled on yet another in an endless stream of ‘buddy’ comedies, laden with tired jokes, sexual innuendo and canned laughter.

"Jesus, who keeps thinking this crap up?"

Fifteen minutes into the program, Alex’s eyes began to close. He shook his head, trying to ward off his body’s attempt at shutting down, but to no avail. Minutes later, he was sound asleep.

"Hmm?"

"Shh."

Alex shifted, still more than half asleep. He lay limply while his t-shirt was gently pulled from his body. He felt the pressure of the button on his jeans being pulled at, then felt the soft grind of the zipper being pulled down. From somewhere above his head, his love’s soft monotone sounded.

"Help me out here, baby."

He lifted his hips just far enough off the mattress so that Fox could work them down and off. When he’d been stripped naked, he turned onto his side, again drifting toward sleep. A brief time later, he felt the warmth of Fox’s body pressed against his back. Instinctively, he pushed back, wedging the solid length of Fox’s erection against his ass. The whispering moan that came from behind encouraged a small, teasing wiggle, and then Fox’s arms were wrapping around him.

Gently, Fox caressed his lover’s chest and arms, kissing the sensitive skin at the back of his neck, and tickling the fine hairs there with the tip of his tongue.

"Mmmmm." Alex’s left hand rose to stroke the leg that had draped itself over his hip, but it was stopped by Fox’s hand and returned to its resting place on the mattress in front of his chest. His head turned and his eyes began to open. Before he could question or protest, Fox’s lips grazed his ear, and he whispered into it.

"Relax, baby. Just lie still, close your eyes, and let me take care of you."

The sable lashes swept downward again, and Alex turned his head back into the pillow.

"That’s good..." Fox’s tongue passed once over his ear before he moved to his shoulder, dropping tender kisses along the way. His hand crept up and down Alex’s chest, stopping to play for a moment in the light scattering of dark hairs before moving to one already tight nipple. He circled it gently with the tips of his fingers, and heard the soft gasp. He nuzzled the back of Alex’s head, then kissed his neck and shoulders while still teasing the nipple.

Pretty well awake now, Alex whimpered into the pillow.

Maybe it was the joy of being back home. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn’t actually made love with Fox for almost five days. Could have been the relief of Fox still wanting him like this after what had happened. He didn’t know. But Jesus, the sensations were incredible. The hospital was wonderful. God knows he really needed that, but this was different. They were home. Naked together in their own bed, Fox wrapped around him, loving him so sweetly. Life was good again.

Alex twisted and groaned as Fox’s tongue flattened against the skin on the back of his neck, and he gently licked the entire area. He knew that patch of skin was sensitive to his touch, and he milked it for all it was worth, reveling in his lover’s soft sounds of pleasure. His hand left Alex’s nipple and traveled downward, lightly skimming the heated surface of skin and contracting muscle. As his hand approached the twitching cock, it veered left, stroking down Alex’s thigh, then back up. He felt the younger man’s body tighten, and he ceased movement.

"Are you okay?"

The concerned tone in Fox’s voice filtered through the fog in Alex’s brain, and he responded, nodding slowly. "Okay...please, Fox," he sighed into the pillow, "please...touch... touch me."

Fox moved his hand downward, covering and lightly caressing Alex’s cock with the palm of his hand. "Like this?"

"Yes. Oh God, Fox, like that." Alex tried to open his eyes. He wanted to look at Fox...to get lost in his eyes, but it felt as though someone had weighted his eyelids. "I love you so much. So...much..."

Fox wrapped his hand around Alex’s cock, loving the feel of velvet-sheathed steel in his palm. Alex’s head fell back against his shoulder and a long gasp tumbled from his lips. Fox merely held him, refusing to move his hand, even as Alex begged him to proceed.

"Soon, baby, but not yet. Just relax and enjoy the feel of my hand around you." Fox’s thumb moved ever so slightly in an up and down motion. He teased the interior of Alex’s ear with the tip of his tongue. "Doesn’t that feel good?"

Alex whimpered and nodded his head.

"Yeah...who do you belong to, Alexei?"

A choked cry escaped Alex’s throat, then he answered.

"You."

"That’s right," Fox rasped into his ear, and gently squeezed his cock for emphasis. "All of you." Fox released the throbbing shaft and wrapped his arm around Alex’s chest. "Mine. This body belongs to me...your mind...every thought, every idea revolves around me..."

In another time and place, Alex would have given him a hard time about that statement, citing an ego as big as all outdoors, but he was in no condition, and besides, fuck it all, it was true.

"...your heart and your soul..."

"Yours."

Fox rolled away from Alex briefly, leaving the younger man drowning in frustration until he returned only seconds later. He worked his arm under Alex, wrapping it around his chest and pulling him securely against his body. He then slipped the lubed fingers of his free hand between the muscles of Alex’s ass, stroking and gently probing the tightly clenched ring of muscle.

"Don’t you want me inside you, baby?"

"You know...know I do..."

Fox kissed his shoulder. "But you’re so tight."

"I’m sorry. I can’t...can’t relax."

"Why not?"

"Your fault."

"Mine?"

Alex nodded. "You did...did this to...me..."

"What did I do?"

"Drove me crazy...can’t stop...stop shaking..."

"But baby," Fox nipped at the skin on the side of Alex’s neck, "don’t you want to feel my cock deep inside you?"

"Oh, God, yes. Please, Fox, please... right now."

"You’re too tight. I don’t want to hurt you."

"You won’t hurt me. Please... please."

"Jesus Christ, Alex, you’re so beautiful when you’re desperate." Unable to wait any more, Fox grasped his cock by the base and worked it slowly to the constricting opening. "Tell me if it hurts too much."

Inch by painstaking inch Fox thrust inside, pausing often to allow them both a little time before continuing. When he was finally, completely buried inside his lover, he stopped again, gasping for breath. "Don’t move," he whispered urgently, "don’t...God, don’t move."

Alex lay perfectly still, afraid to speak or even breathe. His mind and his body were screaming for release, but at the same time, he wanted to...he needed to feel his Fox thrusting into him; possessing him. He needed to be shown that even after all the talking, all the assurances, Fox truly wanted him.

Fox struggled to regulate his breathing, and calm the erratic pounding of his heart. As he began to settle down, he nuzzled the back of Alex’s head, then slipped his hand under the younger man’s cheek.

"Baby."

Alex fought to open his eyes as Fox turned his face away from the pillow.

Fox stroked the stubbled cheek, waiting. When the sea of glittering green focused on his face, he moved in for a long, tender kiss. As his tongue explored the dark recesses of Alex’s mouth, his hand dropped down to his lover’s cock, stroking and teasing him back to that state of insanity he’d just brought him down from. In response, Alex began to rock frantically against him, but was immediately stopped by a simple ‘no’ mumbled against his mouth.

"Fox..."

"Are you ready?" Fox circled the flared head with his thumb.

"Yes. Please, lisa."

"All right. Easy, now. Relax, and I’ll do it all." His mouth covered Alex’s once more, and he began to move, using long, agonizingly slow strokes.

Alex lay still, moaning into Fox’s mouth, allowing himself to be made love to. The pressure mounted slowly, rising to an intolerable level, as Fox picked up the pace just a bit. He refused to move any faster, though both bodies begged him to bring them to a quick, and furious finish.

Not this time. Not tonight.

"My beautiful, beautiful baby," he moaned against Alex’s mouth, "you feel so good, so...let it go, Alexei. Come for me..."

An electrical surge shot through Alex. Fox’s words always had as much of an effect on him as what he was doing to him physically.

"God...oh, sh... Fox..."

"That’s it," Fox panted, pumping Alex’s cock in time to his thrusts. "I want to hear you. Let me know how good it feels..."

The moment took Alex over, not in a blinding, violent crash of thunder and lightning, but rather in a slow but very intense rumble that rolled through him again and again, shaking his body to its very core. His body tightened around Fox, forcing him to join him in the abyss.

Through his own blinding pleasure, Fox tried to give Alex every bit of satisfaction he could. He worked the twitching man’s cock steadily, even as his body began to give out and, he collapsed against Alex’s back. When the cries of both men faded into soft whimpers, Fox ceased the movement of his hand, and released his lover’s now depleted cock. He started to move away, but Alex’s soft plea stopped him.

"Please don’t," the younger man breathed softly. "Don’t move. I want to fall asleep with you inside me."

Fox wrapped both arms around him, and kissed his neck and face. He pressed closer, pushing his softening cock deeper into his exhausted lover.

"So good," he whispered into Alex’s ear.

The other man virtually purred with contentment and curled into Fox’s warmth. He murmured something into the pillow that sounded like it might have been ‘I love you’, but Fox was too far gone to hear or respond. Minutes later, the room was silent except for the soft sounds made by two deeply satisfied men, asleep.

Alex burrowed into the pillows, listening to the crash of the rain on the roof and windows. He blinked sluggishly and opened his eyes.

Dark, but not nighttime dark.

Faint rumble of thunder.

He loved rainstorms. Nothing he enjoyed more than cuddling safe and warm in bed with Fox, while the elements raged outside.

Fox.

Alex hadn’t yet turned around, but he knew that his lover wasn’t in bed with him.

He pulled himself up, and glanced down at the clock, frowning.

Eleven-twelve.

Damn, he’d slept a long time. Fox should have been sleeping, too. Just as he was about to go off in search of him, the door opened and Fox entered. He gave Alex a brilliant smile.

"I was beginning to think you were going to sleep all afternoon, too."

"How long have you been up?"

"Little while."

"What’s a little while?"

"Two hours, maybe."

Alex tossed a hurt pout his way. "Why didn’t you stay in bed with me?"

"Because," Fox explained, approaching the bed and dropping down beside his lover, "I thought it might be nice to have some breakfast when you got up. And since I didn’t know when that was..."

"I can’t believe I slept so long."

"You needed it. How do you feel?"

Alex smiled in his direction. "Pretty good."

Fox inched closer, murmuring, "Can you still feel me?"

The thick eyelashes drooped at the question. "Yeah," he whispered.

"I woke up for a few minutes at around two, and we were still in the exact same position."

Alex laughed softly. "Did you pull out?"

"Hell no. I just went back to sleep. We must have separated sometime after that."

Alex’s hand slid across the short distance, his index and middle fingers skimming across Fox’s lower lip. "You weren’t uncomfortable after all that time?"

With a flick of his head, Fox caught the fingers between his lips, stroking his tongue over them. He released them, giving Alex one of those patented smoldering stares that turned the younger man’s insides to hot liquid. "How could I be uncomfortable?" He crept closer, working a hand under the sheet. "There’s no more comfortable place in the world for me to be than in this sweet ass." Fox stroked the firm muscle.

Alex squirmed under his touch. "Uh...didn’t you say something about breakfast?"

"Mmm hmm. I’m about to have mine..."

"What are you...oh, God..." Alex’s hands clenched in the pillow, as Fox slipped beneath the sheet and unceremoniously sucked his hardening cock into his mouth. "Fox," his head rolled restlessly from side to side, "oh, my...oh, shit."

Fox cupped Alex’s ass gently, sucking and lapping at the rigid shaft, his head moving forward and back, driving his lover quickly toward a violent eruption.

Alex turned his face into the pillow then away, letting his hoarse cries echo through the room ad he emptied himself into his lover’s mouth.

When Fox had milked Alex of every last drop, he released his cock then slid up to kiss him. "Best breakfast I’ve had in ages...uh...your French toast not withstanding..."

Alex laughed weakly. "Gee, thanks."

"You getting up, now?"

"After what you just did to me? I know I’ve got some pretty amazing recuperative powers, but..."

"I meant, are you getting out of bed?"

"Oh." Alex smirked at him. "I guess so." He moaned into Fox’s mouth as the older man kissed him again, and yet again.

Fox pulled away and looked down at the younger man, eyes sparkling. "Now. About breakfast...if you want to stay here, I’ll bring it to you."

"Ah. I’m still being pampered?"

"Yes, you are. Any objections?"

"No, but you might have some soon. Keep this up and you’re liable to turn me into a spoiled monster."

"I’ll risk it."

Alex smiled at his lover. "That’s sweet, but..." he sat up and stretched. "I really gotta get up."

"Okay. Well, let me go get it going." Fox swung off the bed and headed for the door. "Call when you want me to come dry your back."

Before Alex could answer, he was gone. The man left behind rolled to his feet and wandered into the bathroom, wearing a soft, satisfied smile.

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