Disclaimer: Mulder, Krycek, Scully and all other X-Files characters who get thrown into this mix do not belong to me. Chris Carter owns 'em. I'm sure he won't mind if I borrow them for a little fun, though.

Rated NC-17 This is not a story for the kiddies. If naughty words and strong same-sexual images disturb you, run! Go and never come back. There’s tons of angst, a touch of violence, bad words, a whole bunch of sweet moments and even...dare I say it...the "L" word thrown in for good measure. If sugar isn’t in your diet, I’ll give you a second warning. Run!!

Admission XI
Perfect

By Aries

"Hello?"

"Scully, it's me."

The woman sat up, coming fully awake in an instant.

"Alex. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Alex whispered, grinning like a fool. "Sorry, I know it's late."

Scully peered through the darkness at the glowing red numbers on her alarm clock.

"Yeah, Alex, I'd call three twenty-three late. What the hell couldn't wait until a more reasonable hour?"

"I'm gonna do it."

"You're gonna do it."

"Yeah," Alex breathed and said nothing more.

"Okay." Scully closed her eyes and rubbed at the lids. "Good. Wonderful. Alex, you'd better look like giving me a little more information than that if you want to avoid serious injury the next time I see you."

Alex laughed softly. "Sorry, I...God, I'm so excited...I'm going to ask Fox to marry me."

"You...seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Alex, have...you've really given this a lot of thought? You're not just doing it because..."

Alex interrupted Scully's question.

"I've done nothing but think about it since Chuck and Vicki's wedding and no, I'm not just doing it because I think it's what he wants. I want to marry him. God, I really do."

"That's wonderful, Alex," Scully said, genuine joy in her voice. "I'm so happy for you guys. What made you decide to ask him?"

"Everything," Alex laughed. "Nothing."

"Don't confuse me, Krycek. It's too damned early."

"Sorry, it's just that...it wasn't any big bombshell, you know? It's just a combination of all the stuff that's been in front of my face for all these years. How could I have not seen?"

"I don't know. But Mulder's going to be pretty happy."

"Yeah, I think he will be."

"You know, Alex," Scully began, "A few years ago when you gave Mulder that ring, I was really relieved that marriage wasn't on your minds. But now I gotta say that I can't think of anything more natural."

"I'm glad you're happy about it," Alex murmured. "There'll be few enough guests at the ceremony."

"Small and intimate is nice."

"It'll definitely be that."

"So, when are you gonna pop the question?"

"As soon as I can find the right place and words."

"I got an idea."

"Yeah?"

"How about you hang up right now, go wake him, and ask him?"

"Where's the romance in that?"

"I think it's very romantic. Plus I can't wait!"

"You're going to have to."

Scully groaned in protest, and Alex laughed.

"Things sure have changed from a few years ago. I remember the look on your face when you saw Fox's ring like it was yesterday."

"I have to admit that as sure as I was that you really loved Mulder, I was still a little worried that it might not be a forever thing."

"And now?"

Now I'm a thousand percent positive that nothing short of death will separate you."

"That's the truth, Scully," Alex answered earnestly.

"I know. Now, since you won't wake him up, why don't you go get some sleep?"

"I'm too excited to sleep."

"I'm not."

"Oh," Alex laughed. "Sorry. Okay, go back to bed. I'll talk to you sometime tomorrow."

"After you've proposed to Mulder?"

"You're going to be on my back all the time about this now, aren't you?"

"Serves you right for calling me at this hour to tell me." Scully smiled into the phone. "Good night, Alex. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Scully. G'night."

Alex hung up and sat grinning in the dark of the living room for a long while before picking himself up and returning to the bedroom.

Cautiously, he pushed the door open, listening to the soft swish as it glided over the carpeting. Pausing, he turned an attentive ear to his lover, listening for any signs that Fox's sleep had been disturbed.

Soft and steady respiration filled the otherwise still air.

Alex crept quietly into the room and carefully lifted the blanket. He slipped into bed beside the unconscious man and propped his head up in one hand, looking at the dark outline of his lover's form.

His lover. Whoa. Guess that'd change...sort of...

Do you Alex Krycek take Fox Mulder to be your lawfully wedded...

He stopped and closed his eyes and said the word to himself.

Husband.

He opened his eyes and frowned.

Was that even how men referred to each other? Husband and wife, husband and...husband? Was that right?

And what about names?

Would it be expected for one of them to change their last name like het couples did?

Alex Mulder.

He wrinkled his nose.

Fox Krycek.

He snickered silently.

That sounds better.

Though he suspected that Fox wouldn't think so.

Well...guess nobody has to change his name. Anyway, never mind all that. First thing's first. How the hell are you going to do this? Intimate dinner? Candles...music...

Another frown appeared, and Alex emitted a soft breath.

No. Too ordinary. He deserves more.

Sky writer? Ad in the newspaper? Oh, God. Why don't you just hire a carload of clowns and...heyyy!

Oh, jeez. You're losing it, Alex. Get some sleep.

Alex lowered his head to the pillows and snuggled up to Fox. Placing a tender kiss on the sleeping man's bare shoulder, he closed his eyes and eventually fell into a heavy slumber.

Fox opened his eyes halfway and listened for the sound that had roused him out of sleep.

Silence.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, a soft snuffling drew his attention to the side of the bed.

"Can I help you?" he croaked, scratching the broad head of his four-legged alarm clock.

At that Clyde began to whine and stretched forward to wash Fox's face with sloppy kisses.

"All right, I'm up, I'm up."

Fox turned his head to face the empty side of the bed and ran his hand over the rumpled sheets.

Cold.

Frowning slightly, he then looked at the clock.

"Where the heck is he at six-fifteen?" He looked back to the dog, who was now resting his chin on the mattress and displaying his best pathetic look. "And why aren't you wherever he is, aggravating him?"

Groaning, Fox threw the blanket off and rose to his feet, stretching lazily.

"Gimme a couple of minutes, okay?" he asked the dog as he trudged toward the bathroom.

Clyde followed, plunking himself down outside the door as Fox entered the bathroom and closed it behind him. Not moving an inch, the dog waited patiently, staring at the door until some twenty minutes later, Fox emerged. The moment the door swung open, he leapt to his feet, tail swinging wildly, and he started to howl and moan.

"I can't believe you haven't been out," Fox mumbled as he and Clyde moved out of the bedroom and through the house.

All was quiet, there were no smells of breakfast, and Fox had begun to wonder if Alex was even in the house when he passed the den and heard the clacking of keys. Smiling, he figured that Alex's writer's block had lifted early this morning, and he'd wanted to get down whatever he'd thought of before it disappeared from his mind. Opening the door, he entered the room, smiling.

Alex heard the swish of the door and quickly closed the window he had open on the monitor. Spinning around in the chair, he grinned at his lover.

"Hey."

Fox looked from Alex to the monitor and back again.

"Morning. I thought maybe you were up early writing."

"Uh...no. No, I just woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep, so I came in here and started fooling around online."

Fox nodded and approached slowly.

"You could've stayed in bed and fooled around with me if you wanted."

Alex reached out for Fox's hand, capturing it and pulling the older man to him.

"You were sound asleep."

"I wouldn't have minded you waking me up."

Alex gave the older man a soft smile.

"But you were so cute with the pillow half over your face, and your mouth hanging open. "

One corner of Fox's mouth stretched into a grimace.

"Cute, huh?"

Alex nodded and pulled Fox down for a gentle kiss. Before he could even think about turning it into anything more, an impatient Clyde began to bark.

Fox pulled away and straightened his back.

"Yeah, yeah." He looked from the dog to his lover. "Has he been out since you've been up?"

"No. Sorry. He wasn't interested when I got up, and then I got on the computer and...did he go wake you up?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry, lisa. If I hadn't closed the door, he wouldn't have gone and bothered you." Alex rose from his chair and turned to sign off. "I'll go let him out."

"I can do it if you're not done here," Fox argued already heading for the door.

"I'm done," Alex insisted, shutting the computer down and following Fox. "It wasn't anything important."

"Okay, well..." Fox took the younger man's hand and headed for the kitchen with Clyde leading the way. "...how about some breakfast? I'm cooking."

"You sure you wouldn't rather go back to bed?" Alex asked, unlocking the back door and letting the dog bound out into the yard. "You might have still been asleep if it weren't for Clyde."

"Nah, I'm wide awake now." Fox walked over to the refrigerator and rummaged around. "How about eggs Florentine?"

"Man, you're feeling adventurous," Alex laughed. "Do we have spinach?"

"...Yeah."

"And you're actually going to do this."

Fox turned to face the other man, hands on hips, head cocked at a slight angle.

"Okay, okay," Alex chuckled, hands raised in surrender. "You want some help?"

"No, I got it."

"You sure?"

"Alex," Fox said sternly. "Go do something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Write. Vacuum. Watch Rug Rats. Just get out of the kitchen. I'll call you when it's done."

"'Kay." Alex moved slowly toward the door then turned around. "Uh...be sure to use enough spray or the eggs'll stick to the muffin pan, and it'll be a bitch to get off."

"I know."

"And don't forget to stir the sauce frequently."

"Alex..."

"All right, I'm going."

Alex left the kitchen trying not to worry too much about the potential mess. On the bright side, though, he had a little time to go back and check out those web sites. He'd just leave the door open this time so he could hear better...

"Oh, you're good," Fox bragged to himself, removing the baking dish from the oven. The eggs were broiled to perfection, surprising even him. Quickly, he set the dish down on the counter and rushed to find Alex.

Calling his lover's name as he walked through the house, he heard a faint 'uh huh' coming from the direction of the den.

"They're done," he crowed, entering the room just in time to find Alex shutting the computer down. "And they're a damn masterpiece. Let's go."

Grinning broadly, Alex shook his head and followed the older man to the kitchen.

"Smells good," he offered as he came through the door. Looking down at the eggs, he nodded. "They look good."

"That's right. Sit."

Alex took his seat and let Fox serve him. Waiting until the other man had joined him at the table, he dug into the eggs.

"Holy mackerel, Fox, this is good."

"You don't have to sound so surprised."

"Sorry lisa, but," Alex said between mouthfuls, "you gotta admit that aside from scrambled, you and eggs don't really get along."

"So, are you telling me you think this is just dumb luck?"

"Nooo. Of course not," Alex soothed. "You did an excellent job. I'm very proud of you."

There were a few more minutes of silence as a smiling Fox watched Alex eat with real enjoyment, and then he spoke.

"You want to do anything today?"

"Yeah, uh...actually I was thinking that since it looks like such a nice day, it might be a good idea to get started on the yard. You know, clean the leaves out from under the bushes, get the fence ready to be re-stained..."

Fox bounced up and down in his chair.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy."

"Wise ass."

Fox rolled his eyes and went back to his eggs.

"Hey, better we do it now than wait until it gets warmer. Then you'll be complaining about it being too hot."

"All right, so we'll clean the yard," Fox moaned.

"You'll feel a lot better when it's done," Alex promised. "It'll give you a great sense of accomplishment."

"If you say so," the other man mumbled, resting his head in one hand.

"Fox, are you pouting?"

"Is it going to get me out of raking leaves?"

"No. Might get you bent over that chair..."

"Then we'd need a nap," Fox threw back. "A nice long one."

"Forget it, Mulder."

The pout grew more exaggerated.

"Don't even try it." Alex warned, chewing on his bottom lip as Fox used his most effective weapon. "Fox..."

Fox lowered his eyes, playing with the remainder of his breakfast and said nothing.

"God, you are such a pain in my ass," Alex growled, pushing himself out of his chair. Stalking over to where Fox sat, he reached down, grasping the other man's wrist and pulled him to his feet.

"Where are we going?" Fox asked as he was dragged out of the kitchen.

Alex gave no answer except to haul his lover up to the bedroom and shove him down to the still unmade mattress. Tearing off the other man's clothes, he then removed his own and jumped the warm body sprawled in front of him.

"And just so you know," he murmured, grinding his hips against Fox's, "not only are you going to help me clean the yard, but that messy kitchen'll be waiting for you too, and it's all yours."

Fox laughed and engaged Alex in a ravenous kiss, quickly obliterating thoughts of dishwashing and yard raking.

We'll see about that...

"Hello?"

"It's me."

"Are these late night phone calls going to become a habit?"

"It's not that late,"

"It's almost midnight."

"But it's Saturday."

"In four minutes it'll be Sunday," Scully yawned. "And what's your point?"

"My point is," Alex murmured, "it's the weekend. Why would you be in bed early?"

"It's called lack of a life, Alex. Now, what's up? You ask Mulder to marry you yet?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"We spent most of the day cleaning the yard, and I didn't think getting on my knees, all sweaty and grimy, in a pile of leaves was such a great idea."

"Like you haven't done that before?"

"You're a real comedian, Scully."

"Okay, so why are you calling me at this time of night if you haven't asked him?"

"I couldn't talk to you during the day with him around. He's asleep now."

"Glad one of us is."

"Quit yer bitchin'."

"You going to answer my question?"

Alex sighed softly. "I can't think of a good way to ask him."

"I got one."

"Yeah?"

"How about...Fox, will you marry me?"

"Good. Thanks, Scully. Why didn't I think of that?"

"I don't know; it couldn't get much simpler."

"The words are simple, but I need the right time. The right place."

"So take him out to a nice dinner. Maybe some dancing."

"It's been done to death."

"Picnic in the country?"

"Ehh."

"I got it. You hire a skywriter, okay? Then..."

"Okay, now I know it's a crappy idea."

"What d'you mean?

"It's crossed through my mind too."

"So because we both thought of it, that makes it crappy?"

"Too common."

"Oh, for God's sake."

"It's gotta be special, Scully. Something he'll always remember."

"He's got an eidetic memory, Alex," Scully reminded the caller. "He'll remember every last detail...forever."

"I don't mean something he'll keep in his head."

An understanding silence followed then Scully spoke up.

"So, how long are you going to drive yourself crazy with this?"

"Don't know. I realize I can't mull it over forever. But I just want it to be perfect, you know?"

"I know. But Alex, you've got to know that you could propose to Mulder in the middle of a locust infestation, and it'd be perfect to him."

Alex smiled at the assurance and said nothing.

"How's he been, by the way?"

"Ironically enough," Alex answered, "I haven't seen any mood swings since around the same time I realized that I wanted to marry him. Maybe he senses it somehow."

"The way you seem to be able to read each other, I wouldn't doubt it."

"Well, if he's reading me, I wish he'd give me some sort of clue as to how I should do this."

Scully laughed. "I don't think he knows exactly what's going on, Alex. I think if he did, he'd say something about it to you."

Soft sigh. "Yeah, I guess."

"You're starting to sound pretty tired," Scully yawned loudly. "I know I am. Why don't you go get some sleep?"

"Yeah, okay..."

"Don't worry, Alex," Scully reassured the troubled man. "It'll come to you soon."

"I hope so," Alex murmured. "It's getting harder to keep it to myself."

Saying goodnight, Scully hung up and flung an arm across her face, groaning loudly.

Please let him come up with something soon, she thought silently, or I'm never going to get a full night's sleep again.

Fox's eyelashes fluttered briefly then dropped down over his eyes as he awakened.

Morning already?

And good God, what was that? Birds? But he'd only closed his eyes a few minutes ago.

Thank God it was still the weekend, and he didn't have to get up early or he'd have to kill Alex for working him so hard yesterday.

Turning his head, he squinted at his still unconscious lover. An uncontrollable smile formed on his lips as he studied the sleep-softened features of the face he never tired of looking at.

So peaceful. So beautiful.

Alex moaned deeply, and he snuggled down into his pillow, and Fox's cock began to rise.

So damned sexy, even out cold.

Okay, so maybe he'd just fuck him senseless instead...after he got a little more sleep.

Too bad Clyde had other ideas.

The dog entered the bedroom just as Fox closed his eyes, and he promptly dropped his chin onto the mattress and sighed heavily.

Fox kept his eyes closed, hoping that Clyde would just go away at least for a little while, but the persistent Shepherd would not be ignored. He began to whine softly. When Fox still didn't respond, he decided to use another weapon in his considerable arsenal.

Fox's jaw clenched as hot puffs of air fanned his face. He hated it when Clyde began that infernal panting, and the damn dog knew it. He endured it for as long as he could, then he turned his head and looked into a pair of big, soulful brown eyes.

"Why can't you let me sleep just one weekend?"

The barely audible words were enough to spur the dog into action. Placing two paws on the bed, he began to lap excitedly at Fox's face.

"No...Clyde, c'mon...all right. All right."

Fox sat up and looked down at Alex, shocked that the younger man could sleep through the minor commotion. As quietly as Clyde would allow, he slipped out of bed and threw a pair of jeans on, then led the dog out of the room and down to the kitchen. He let Clyde out into the yard then turned to get his breakfast, waiting a few minutes before letting him back in.

"Jeez, run me over why don't you?" he mumbled at Clyde, who romped past him and went straight for the food. While the dog ate, he snuck out of the kitchen and returned to the bedroom, where he found Alex still asleep.

As quietly as he could, he approached the bed, removed his jeans and slipped back under the covers. Seconds later, Alex moaned and wound an arm around him, pulling him close.

"Where you been?"

"Thought you were asleep."

"Was. Woke up a couple of minutes ago. Where were you?"

"Your animal was bugging me to go out."

"Oh," Alex sighed softly.

"Gave him breakfast too, so he should leave us alone for a little while."

Alex draped one leg over Fox's hip and gave him a sleepy smile.

"Leave us alone for what?"

"That's up to you," Fox murmured, kissing his lover's closed eyelids.

"Soooo. You mean if I wanted to get up right now and go outside and clean the gutters, that'd be okay with you?"

"No."

"You said it was up to me," Alex reminded the other man.

"It is," Fox assured, brushing a couple of stray hairs away from Alex's forehead. "As long as I agree to it."

"Uh huh. And you don't think that cleaning the gutters is a good idea?"

"Not right now."

"Okay, so what is a good idea right now?"

Smiling, Fox wrapped his arms around Alex and rolled the younger man on top of him. Pushing upward, he ground his hips against his lover's.

"Guess," he hissed in Alex's ear as he writhed against him.

Following his cock to full wakefulness, Alex inclined his head and closed his teeth over the exposed flesh of his lover's throat.

Fox's eyes rolled upward, and his lashes fluttered closed as he gave himself up to the pleasure of the possessive act.

"We're cleaning those gutters," Alex growled, releasing his grip. "And we're doing it this morning. When we're done, we can spend the whole rest of the day in bed if you want."

Grumbling, Fox let Alex up and followed the younger man into the bathroom for a quick shower and some merciless teasing. By the time they made it down to the kitchen for a light breakfast, he'd stopped pouting. In fact, a tiny smirk curved his mouth, and Alex squinted warily in his direction.

"Okay, what's that all about?"

"What?" Fox asked innocently.

"That look."

"Look?"

"Yeah. The one that tells me you're up to something."

"What could I be up to?" Fox asked around a mouthful of blueberry muffin. "I'm sitting here having breakfast just like you are."

"Mmm hmm, but your mind is working. I can hear it clicking from here."

"So suspicious. I'm just thinking about my reward when we finish cleaning the gutters."

"Uh huh. And that's it."

Fox shrugged. "That's it."

"Okay, Fox," Alex sighed, returning to his own breakfast. Watching his lover's smirk grow broader beneath the curtain of his lashes, Alex began to smile as well, knowing full well that there was more to it than what Fox had just admitted, and he was quite sure he'd find out what it was very soon.

When breakfast was finished, the two removed the ladders from the garage and got to work on opposite sides of the house. Three quarters of the way through his job, Alex heard a soft scratching coming from somewhere above his head. The scratching became louder, and just as he recognized the sound, Fox appeared. He watched the older man slide slowly down to his side of the roof, and he cocked his head, frowning at the smiling man.

"Fox, what are you...are you nuts? Get down from there."

"Why?"

"Because it's dangerous, that's why! I can believe you climbed over here from the other side of the house."

"This is nothing. Remember Skyland Mountain?"

"I'd rather not, thanks. Now, get down!"

"Nope."

"Fox, I'm not kidding."

Fox laughed softly and moved into a sitting position.

"Come and get me."

"I am not getting on the roof."

"No?" Fox asked, leaning back on one elbow and turning his face up to the sun. "Gee, that's too bad. Guess I'll have to do it all by myself."

"Do..." Alex's eyes widened as the other man's free hand slipped down to the waistband of his jeans. "Hey...Fox, cut it out. You're not going to...shit, you are."

Fox undid the button then slid the zipper down and reached in past the denim to caress the bulge hidden in his underwear.

"C'mon, Alex," he cooed, eyes closing. "It's nice up here. Sun's so warm..."

"Your ass is going to be warm when I get my hands on you," Alex warned.

Fox moaned and arched his hips as his hand continued to work over his covered cock.

"Come on up and warm it for me right now."

"I knew that little smirk on your face at breakfast meant trouble."

"You know me well."

"Yeah. Now zip up your pants and get down from there."

Grinning, Fox shook his head and continued to stroke himself.

"You come up."

Groaning softly, Alex knew that it was the only way he'd get the pain in the ass down.

"You're dead meat," he muttered to himself as he carefully made his way up onto the roof and crawled over to where Fox lay. The older man opened his eyes and smiled up at him.

"Hi."

"Is that all you have to say for yourself?"

"Lie down with me."

"I'm not lying down, Fox, and you're getting off this roof right now."

"You're not afraid to be up here, are you Alex?"

"No."

"Then lie down with me. Look at the sky."

"Then will you get down?"

Fox's only answer was another lazy smile.

Sighing loudly, Alex flipped onto his back.

"It's so blue."

"What is?"

"The sky," Fox answered, still idly caressing himself.

"How can I concentrate on the sky when you're lying here on our roof with your hand down your pants?"

"Okay, okay." Fox pulled his hand out and moved it to Alex's jeans. The younger man snapped up into a semi-sitting position and stared down at the other.

"What're you doing?"

"You said you couldn't concentrate with my hand down my pants," Fox reasoned, pushing Alex back down. "You didn't say anything about it being down your pants."

"Fox...ah...Fox..."

Making quick work of the fastenings on Alex's jeans, Fox plunged his hand inside the denim and gripped his lover's swelling cock.

Moaning softly, Alex quickly and completely fell under Fox's spell.

"It's nice up here," Fox murmured, teasing the now rigid length of his lover's cock. "Sunny and warm...quiet...nobody can see us."

"'Cept maybe for bird watchers and the occasional nosy neighbor with a pair of binoculars," Alex rasped.

"No more risky than an alley," Fox answered, reminding Alex of a recent encounter. "Or the back seat of the car, or the men's room of a club..."

A tiny smirk slanted Alex's mouth, and he closed his eyes briefly before opening them and looking at the sky.

"It's a nice clear blue, isn't it?"

Pushing Alex's jeans farther down, Fox shifted and brought his mouth down on the younger man's cock. Flicking his tongue over the velvety surface, he reveled in the sounds of his lover's enjoyment then slowly he opened his mouth and sank down on the hard shaft.

Alex's vision clouded as he was engulfed in wet warmth. "lisa," he whispered, threading his fingers through his lover's hair, "Mmmmm..."

Slowly, Fox worked the thick muscle, doing all the things he knew Alex liked, and the younger man let himself relax, caught between the warmth of the roof and his lover's mouth. The hazy blue of the sky was replaced by a dull reddish-black as his eyes closed, and the faint singing of birds faded into a dull hum as all of his concentration fell on that insistent sucking heat at his groin. Sounds formed in his throat, rolling and gurgling there, but never made it past his lips. His body, limp and boneless just moments ago, began to tighten as Fox showered him in relentless pleasure.

Fox smiled around his mouthful, listening to Alex's increasingly uncontrolled groans and whimpers. The thought crossed his mind to reach up and clamp a hand over the younger man's mouth as he finished him, but just as quickly, it left. So what if the neighbors heard? Who'd ever think to look up?

Using one hand to grip Alex's hip and the other to toy with his balls, Fox quickened his movements, his head now steadily rising and falling on the rigid shaft. Alex bucked upward to meet him, making no efforts to soften his cries as his climax rumbled through him. The explosion that soon followed sent a gushing stream of semen down Fox's throat, and the older man swallowed it all, sucking and lapping at the head to insure that no traces of fluid were left behind.

Completely sapped of his strength, Alex lay motionless, moaning softly. A light flutter of lips along his jaw then across his mouth opened his eyes halfway.

"Think the neighbors've called the police yet?"

Grinning, Fox kissed his lover again.

"Why would they?"

"Wouldn't you if you heard a man screaming? They probably think someone was being killed or something."

Fox looked around below. "Nobody's even outside yet. Know why?" He answered his own question. "'Cause it's Sunday. They're all still in bed, where we should be."

Alex raised an arm, groaning at the effort it took, and looked at his watch.

"Nobody's in bed at this time of day."

"Just because you're up and out at the crack of dawn on Sundays doesn't mean other people don't sleep in."

"I'd hardly call ten-thirty the crack of dawn," Alex droned. "And listen to you. I seem to remember a time not all that long ago when a good night's sleep to you meant no more than five hours."

Fox shrugged and smiled. Alex continued.

"You used to go running at four o'friggin' clock in the morning. Remember that?"

"Obviously you were up too, if you knew what time in the morning I was going running," Fox countered.

"'Course I was. It was my job to know where you were at every minute of the day."

"That's not why you followed me," Fox grinned, helping Alex re-fasten his jeans.

"No?"

The golden-brown head shook back and forth, catching the mid-morning sun.

"Okay, so why'd I follow you?"

"You liked watching my ass."

"Well, yeah, but..."

The grin grew wider. "And you were wildly in love with me even then."

Alex was silent for a moment then reached up to stroke his lover's hair.

"Yeah, I think I was. And I was looking out for you."

Fox's smile faded. "I know." Then it was back. "Now...we gonna hurry up and finish cleaning these gutters? I got a hard-on here the size of all outdoors, and I'd really like to have it taken care of sometime today."

"I can take care of it for you right now," Alex offered, letting a hand drift down over the bulge in Fox's jeans, but the older man shook his head and lifted himself away.

"Later. After we finish this."

Alex sat up, fixing a puzzled gaze on Fox.

"You're going to finish cleaning the gutters with that?" he asked, pointing at his lover's crotch.

"No, I'm going to use my hands," Fox said blandly, leaning in to nuzzle Alex's cheek. "I'll use that when we get back into the house."

"Yeah?" Alex chuckled softly. "What are you going to do with it?"

"I'm going to shove it so far up your ass, you're going to feel it in your throat."

"That's romantic."

"Damn right. Now let's get these stupid gutters finished."

Rising to their feet, the two men carefully picked their way to their respective ladders and completed their job. Less than an hour and a half later, they were writhing naked and damp together in bed, Fox, as promised, driving deep into his lover's ass.

Having pulled the sheets away from the mattress, Alex clawed at the bare cushion as Fox took him violently from behind. Loud growls vibrated past his clenched teeth as he was continuously pummeled, and when Fox began milking his cock, he blew, sobbing and gasping into the pillow he'd buried his face in. Fox came quickly afterward, his hoarse groans filling the air. They collapsed seconds later, Fox's weight pinning him to the mattress. His chest heaved in a strained effort to drag air into his lungs, and he attempted to lift his head, but his strength had left him for the moment at least, and he let it drop again to the pillow.

"Jesus."

Eyes closed, Fox smiled at the breathless whisper.

"You okay?"

"...Almost killed me."

Fox licked the edge of his lover's ear. "That a complaint?"

"Mmm mm. Love it when you're bad."

The grin grew wider. "Enough to let me do it again?"

"Even though I won't be able to sit down tomorrow, yes. I'll let you do it again." Alex squirmed under the older man's weight. "And again."

"I will," Fox whispered, sending a tiny shiver through the younger man's weakened body. "After lunch. I seem to have worked up a hell of an appetite." Rising up, he ignored Alex's whines of protest and hauled the other man up after him. "C'mon. Let's get cleaned up then go get something to eat."

A little more than half an hour later the two were back in bed, Fox having a little Alex with his lunch. And so it went for the rest of the day. Fox only allowed breaks to eat and take care of Clyde, and it wasn't until sometime after nine p.m. when he finally dropped from exhaustion, at last giving Alex a chance to breathe.

From his position beside his unconscious lover, Alex watched the slow rise and fall of the perspiration dotted chest, and he laughed softly, wincing at the discomfort the small action brought. Christ, they were both going to be sore tomorrow.

His attention fell back to Fox.

Damn, but it was worth every kink and every pulled muscle.

Alex leaned in and brushed a soft kiss into the older man's hair.

Animal.

Grimacing, he eased the sheet aside and got out of bed. Checking to make sure that Fox was still asleep, he quickly slipped on a pair of underwear and left the room. He made his way to the den, joined there by Clyde. Not bothering to turn any lights on, he booted up the computer and started to do a little research.

three days later

Ring.

"Mmmmm....."

Ring.

"Ah, shhhhhh...what, Alex?"

"What if it wasn't me?"

"It's always you," Scully grumbled into her phone.

"Scully, if you don't want to be updated, I won't..."

"Updated," Scully interrupted. "You gonna tell me you finally asked him?"

"Uhhh. No."

Long sigh. "So. What is there to update?"

"I've been reading."

"And you felt the burning need to call me at...eleven-ten to tell me this?"

"Yeah. Listen, did you know that Fox and I getting married in Vermont isn't really what we'd be doing?"

"Whaa?"

"No. It's termed as a civil union. And unless I'm reading this wrong, it's only really legal there in Vermont. We wouldn't have any rights as a married couple here in Virginia. What kind of shit is that?"

"You don't remember me saying that at Chuck and Vicki's reception?"

"No..."

"Because as so often happens with you and Mulder, you weren't listening to me. It wouldn't be a traditional marriage."

"Why wouldn't it be?" Alex asked, clearly irritated.

"Don't know. Guess the world just isn't ready to take it that far yet. Legally, a civil union is the closest thing you're going to get right now. And I believe you're right about it probably only being recognized in Vermont."

"Well, this sucks."

"Calm down, Alex. It's just a document. To you and Fox and anyone else there with you, it'll be a marriage."

Alex heaved a heavy sigh. "Yeah. Just not to the state where we live and most of the rest of the United States. Jesus, what's the damn point?"

"The point is you and Mulder, Alex."

Alex expected her to say more, but Scully ended her argument right there. She didn't really need to go any further.

"I gotcha," he said quietly. "Sorry 'bout that. Finding that stuff out just kind of made me mad. I lost focus for a little while."

"It's okay. As long as you're back on track."

"Yeah." Alex smiled into the phone. "We're getting married, Scully."

"Not if you don't hurry the hell up and ask him, you're not."

"I know, I know. I had a thought about that this morning, actually."

"Great. Go with it."

"Don't you even want to hear it?"

"I'm sure it's wonderful and sweet and romantic," Scully assured Alex. "Do it."

"C'mon, Scully," Alex whined softly. "I need an opinion."

"Okay," Scully sighed. "What is it?"

"I want to fly him to Andros for one night. Back to the same house we stayed in before. Have an elaborate dinner set up on the beach. Champagne, an orchestra, candles..."

"Ohhhhhh."

"What? That bad?"

"No, Alex. It's not bad. It's...oh, God, it's beautiful. You'd go through all that just to ask Mulder to marry you?"

"Told you I wanted it to be something he'd remember."

"I think you'll have achieved that. Geez, Alex, that's so perfect. But what if the house is booked? I mean it's so gorgeous. They've probably got a waiting list a mile long for it."

"They're actually very picky about who they rent to..."

"And they rented it to the likes of you?"

"You're funny, Scully. So anyway, it's only occupied a few months out of the year. Right now, it's empty."

"How d'you know?"

"I called this morning after I got the idea."

"Did you book it?"

"No. I said I'd call back if I decided I wanted to do it. The guy remembered me and said it'd be his pleasure to help me out."

"That's great! You gonna call him back?"

"Yeah. I think I will. I just wanted to get your opinion first."

Scully laughed softly. "What if I had told you that I thought it was a crappy idea?"

"I would have ignored you."

"That's what I thought. Okay, Alex. Go get some sleep. It should be easy now that you've got at least this part settled in your mind."

"Not really, but I'll try."

"And you'll book your house tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Great. Okay, goodnight."

"'Night, Scully."

Alex hung up and, grinning broadly, he went in to bed.

Fox pulled into the garage and stepped out of the Lincoln, a half eaten bag of sunflower seeds dangling from his teeth as he tried to balance an armload of files. He made his way to the door that opened up into the house and tried to turn to knob, but the files began to slip from his arms. Regaining control over his armful, he began to kick lightly at the door with his foot. Waiting several seconds, he kicked again.

Nothing.

Dammit.

Dropping the bag from his mouth, he was unable to stop it as it hit the top file and slid right over the edge, scattering seeds all over the floor.

"Shit. Alex.....Aleeex."

No answer. Not even a peep from Clyde.

Maybe they're out for a walk.

Fox squatted, attempting to place the stack neatly on the floor, but several of the polished cardboard folders slipped from his grasp and slid from the top of the pile in a soft whoosh, distributing some of their contents to the cement floor.

"Shit."

Stamping down the urge to kick the remaining folders over, Fox opened the door. He gathered up his scattered files, ignoring the sunflower seeds for the time being and walked into the house. All wasn't as quiet as he would have expected. The muffled sounds of Alex's voice came from the direction of the den, and as he made his way toward that room, his eyes turned toward the glass doors in the living room. Clyde stood on the other side, tail swinging back and forth in silent welcome.

"Hey buddy," he mumbled as he passed through the room. "Thought you were out for a walk."

Fox approached the den, listening to the soft sounds of his lover's voice. The closer he got, the more audible the sounds became.

"...That'd be perfect. Yeah...what's that? It hasn't been easy keeping it from him, no. When you live in the same house as the person whose back you're sneaking around behind...fortunately, though, he's at work all day, so I've got at least eight hours alone to do my thing..."

Fox slumped against the wall as he listened to Alex's end of the conversation. He had to be hearing it wrong, he had to be.

Alex's laughter brought his attention back.

"...You're right. One night isn't nearly enough, but I promise you, there'll be more...no, I don't think he has any idea. I've been really careful..."

Fox's arms lost their strength, and the files tumbled to the floor, startling Alex.

"Listen, I gotta go. I'll call you back when I can."

Alex hung up and hurried to the entrance where he found Fox, pale and shaken, leaning back against the wall.

"Fox, what...how long have you been here?"

Blinking dumbly, Fox stared at the younger man.

"lisa, are you all right?"

Alex reached out to touch Fox, but the stricken man stumbled away, still staring wide-eyed at him.

"I don't...don't under...stand," Fox stammered. "I don't...why? Why are you..."

"Fox, breathe. You're not making any sense. Why am I..."

Shit. He heard. He heard, and he thinks...ah, Christ.

"Fox, I don't know what you think you heard, but listen to me. I think you've got it wrong."

At that, anger began to seep in.

"What've I got wrong?" he asked incredulously. "You're not s-sneaking around behind my back? Y-you're not promising someone more nights together? What're you doing while I'm away?"

"Nothing."

"I want to know what's going on," Fox demanded. "What've you been doing at night in here when you think I'm asleep?"

Alex just stared.

"I knew you thought I was sleeping. But I heard you get up every time. And I know it was hours sometimes before you came back to bed. I told myself you must have been writing all that time, but now..."

"I wasn't doing anything that would hurt you. Baby, listen..."

"I can't believe this," Fox moaned. "How could you...I don't...I..." The pain returned. "I thought...God...oh, God."

"Fox. Stop. I guess that conversation must have sounded bad from this end, but if you'll just listen to me..."

"I don't want to listen." Fox pushed himself away from the wall and staggered away. "I can't. I..."

Alex grabbed Fox by his arm and swung him around.

"Dammit, listen to me. You got it all wrong. I...sonofabitfch! I can't even believe you'd think this of me!"

"What am I supposed to think?" Fox asked, voice cracking.

"You're supposed to think that there's a logical explanation for what you heard!"

"Fine," Fox whispered, not meeting Alex's eyes. "What is it?"

"Give me a few days," Alex pleaded. "Then you'll..."

Shaking his head, Fox turned again to leave.

"Fuck!" Alex roared, not seeing any way out of this rapidly deteriorating situation but one. "I was trying to surprise you!"

"You did that," Fox croaked, still walking.

"I wanted to take you back to Andros! I was going to ask you to marry me, you fucking lunatic!"

The words stopped Fox cold, and he slowly turned around, casting a disbelieving stare at the other man.

"You what?"

Growling loudly, Alex kicked the wall a few times before punching it once. Fox stood his ground, still staring. Alex released a hard, exasperated sigh then turned back to the older man.

"I wanted it to be special. A night you'd always remember," he croaked, a note of defeat in his tone. "Now it's all shot to hell."

"You..." Fox began and stopped, swallowing the lump that was quickly forming in his throat. "...want to...marry me?"

Alex lowered his head, gently massaging his temple.

"I..." Fox stopped, not knowing what to say. In a matter of minutes his universe had been violently shaken, turned upside down and spun around three hundred and sixty degrees. What to say? What the hell to say?

"How could you think that I'd be sneaking around with somebody behind your back?" Alex asked, bringing Fox's attention back to his face. "How...I don't...all the shit we've been through together. How could you doubt even for a second, that I love only you?"

Fox remained silent for a few moments, shaking his head. "I...I didn't, I..." He looked up at the other man, eyes brimming with sorrow. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," Alex whispered. "I'm sorry to find out that after all these years you really don't trust me."

"I trust you with my life. You know that."

"I thought I did. But what just happened here? You heard an odd conversation and immediately jumped to the worst kind of conclusion."

Fox's mouth opened and closed several times but formed no immediate words. Finally, he found his voice.

"I didn't know what else to think. All those times you got up in the middle of the night...that time I walked in while you were on the computer, and you scrambled to close the window. I was curious, but I didn't suspect...I never would have suspected anything like...Alex...you didn't...if the situations were reversed, and it was you out here listening to the same things I heard..."

"I can see how it must have sounded. But I think I would have trusted you enough not to jump to such extreme conclusions."

"I'm sorry, Alex." Fox took a few tentative steps forward and reached out for the younger man. His hand dropped limply to his side as Alex moved away.

"Alex?"

"I can't...I can't talk to you any more right now," Alex murmured. "I got some thinking to do."

Fox's breath caught in his throat. "About what?"

"A lot of stuff."

Gold -flecked eyes lowered to the floor. "Have you changed your mind?"

"About what?"

"W...wanting to get married."

"I don't know," Alex answered softly.

Alex closed his eyes against the expression of absolute pain that washed his lover's face, and he turned away. Jesus, how did something that was supposed to be so beautiful and joyous degenerate to what it just had?

"I'm," he rasped, cleared his throat then continued, "I'm going to go out for a little while. Get some air."

Fox kept his head lowered as the younger man passed him and didn't lift it until he heard the garage door open. The next sound was that of Alex's car roaring to life and backing out into the driveway. It wasn't until the sound faded and disappeared that he picked up his scattered files and moved out of the hall and into the living room, where he sat heavily on the couch and stared blankly at nothing.

Scully groaned as the ringing doorbell interrupted her favorite talk show. She boosted herself to her feet and trudged over to the door to look through the peephole. Rolling her eyes, she unlocked and opened the door and stared blandly at her visitor.

"What's up, Alex? Got something to tell me that just can't wait until midnight?"

The smirk fell from Scully's face when Alex gave no answer, and his gaze dropped to the threshold between them.

"What's wrong?"

"It's all screwed up," Alex answered in a voice almost too quiet to be heard.

"What is?" Scully stepped aside and let him in.

"He overheard me making the arrangements for the house."

"Awww, you mean the surprise is ruined?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"He knows everything?"

"Yep."

"Well geez, Alex, I know you really wanted to wait to get him down to Andros, but is it as bad as all that? I'm sure he was just as surprised."

"You don't get it, Scully. He misunderstood the whole conversation. He thought I was sneaking around with somebody behind his back."

"What? Oh, God. Well, you straightened it out, right?"

"Yeah. That's how he found out what I was really doing."

"So?"

Alex frowned at the woman.

"Scully, he thought I was cheating on him."

"Yeah, I got that. That's terrible. He must have been really upset."

"He was. Really upset."

"I can imagine."

Alex shook his head. "He shouldn't have been. Don't you get it? He doesn't trust me."

"He...Alex, what the hell are you talking about?"

Alex paced over to the sofa and dropped down onto it.

"He should know, Scully. He should know that I would never cheat on him. How can he not know?"

Scully sat down next to the disturbed man.

"I don't know but...Alex, do me a favor and start from the beginning, okay?"

"Okay. Sorry. Uh..."

Several minutes later, Alex finished his story, and Scully stared for a number of seconds before she gave his forehead a hard slap.

"Oww!" Alex rubbed his forehead, frowning at the redhead. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"Because you're an idiot."

"Me?"

"Yes. You sit there, Alex, and tell me that if the situations were reversed you wouldn't have reacted the same way. Say it, and I'll smack you again."

Alex opened his mouth to respond then shut it again. His brow creased, and he stared at Scully in silence.

"Mulder loves you, stupid. And he trusts you. He trusted you in spite of everything that had happened between you. He trusted you enough to make you his whole world. But from what you just told me, the things he heard you saying were fairly incriminating. Pair that with sneaking around on the computer and you leaving your bed in the middle of the night on several occasions...now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't be upset that he'd think what he thought, but he believed you when you told him what was really going on, right?"

"Yeah."

"So what more do you want?"

"I don't know, I..."

"He can't take it back as sure as I am that he's sitting home miserable and wishing that he could." Scully paused then resumed speaking. "Are you using this as an out?"

Alex cocked his head, giving the woman an incredulous stare.

"What?"

"You heard me. Is this like, the perfect excuse not to marry him?"

"No!"

"Then what is it?"

Alex's gaze dropped to the sofa.

"I don't know. I guess I might have overreacted. It was just like...a slap in the face, you know? I mean at first all I wanted to do was explain and make him stop thinking what he was thinking. But then...after everything we've been through together. All he's been to me. Done for me. How could he think I'd turn on him like that? It hurt, Scully."

"Okay," Scully said softly, covering Alex's hand with her own. "I understand that. I really do. And I know that Mulder's hurt too. So, go home. Apologize to him, he'll apologize to you...have the mandatory makeup sex, then you two dopes start making plans for you wedding."

Mournful green eyes looked up at her.

"I shouldn't have walked out on him, huh?"

"It wouldn't have been my first choice, no."

"He looked so sad when I left. God, I feel awful."

"Then go home."

Alex nodded and got to his feet.

"Thanks, Scully, for telling me what a jerk I am."

Scully gave Alex a wide, warm smile as she rose from the sofa.

"That's what I'm here for."

For the first time since he'd entered the apartment, Alex gave Scully a hint of a smile.

"It's a damn good thing Fox and I have you to keep us in line."

"I've been telling you both that for how long now?" Scully gave him a motherly swat on the ass. "Get out of here and let me finish what's left of Oprah."

Obediently, Alex moved toward the door. He stopped once he stepped into the hall and turned. Bending the considerable distance to reach Scully's face, he planted an affectionate kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks again."

Scully shooed him away and shut the door.

"God, they're certifiable."

Shaking her head and smiling, she returned to the sofa to catch the last three minutes of her show.

Clyde's head lifted, and he listened for all of five seconds before scrambling to his feet and trotting out of the room. Without hearing a sound himself, Fox knew that Alex must have been just arriving home. A short while later, he heard the faint rumbling of the Porsche as it pulled into the garage. He sat where he was...where he had been since a short while after Alex had left and continued to slowly and methodically clean his guns. Soon after he heard the motor stop, Alex wandered into the kitchen, followed closely by the dog.

Stopping in the middle of the floor, Alex watched through lowered lashes as Fox stole an uncertain glance at him then returned his attention to what he was doing.

"lisa."

His name was called so softly, Fox could almost have thought he'd imagined it. He stopped polishing the barrel but did not look up.

"I s...I screwed this all up," Alex explained from where he stood.

"You're not the one who leapt to the wrong conclusions," Fox answered in his quiet monotone.

"But my reaction...I handled it all wrong. I was too busy being hurt by what you'd thought to really understand that you were hurt too. And then I went and hurt you some more by taking off on you."

Fox shook his head and spoke.

"You were right to be upset. I don't...I don't know why I reacted that way..."

Alex took a few steps toward the other man.

"Because from your end it sounded pretty bad. But you believed me when I finally explained it to you, and that should have been that."

"If I had trusted you enough to give you the few days you'd asked for," Fox countered, "I wouldn't have made you ruin your plans. I wouldn't have made you so mad."

"I wasn't mad," Alex murmured, moving closer still. "I mean, I was...I was upset. Frustrated, you know? I'd finally come up with the perfect plan and..." He snapped his fingers. "Gone. I just..." He came close enough to squat in front of the seated man. "I wanted you to always remember the night I proposed to you. I wanted it to be perfect. And it...it hurt me to know that you thought that I could hurt you like that."

"I'm sorry," Fox whispered, looking down into the shimmering depths of his lover's eyes. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know, lisa." Alex reached out, taking both of Fox's hands in his own. "And I'm sorrier than I can say for walking out."

Fox nodded without a sound. Alex gave him a tiny smile.

"So...since it's not a surprise anymore..." Alex lowered himself on one knee to the floor and held on to Fox's hands as his eyes held the other man's in a loving stare. "Fox...will you..."

"Wait."

"Huh?"

"Wait a minute," Fox repeated softly. "I wanted to say something. To ask..."

Alex cocked his head, waiting.

"W-where did this come from?"

"What?"

"This. It seems so out of the blue. We've been together for a few years now, and the subject of marriage had never come up. I just want to know. Why?"

"I love you, lisa. And," he sort of lied, "all these recent weddings got me thinking...are you considering turning me down?"

Fox displayed a distant smile. "Two minds."

Alex frowned at the cryptic response.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. I believe you wanted to ask me something."

The frown turned to a smile. "Yeah. Fox..." He brought the older man's hands to his mouth for a gentle kiss. "Will you marry me?"

Mesmerized by the adoration he saw in the deep green of his lover's eyes, Fox nodded and mouthed a silent yes.

Alex closed his eyes for a brief moment then pulled Fox down into a tender kiss. When he released the other man's mouth, Fox remained, winding his arms around Alex's neck and laying his head on his shoulder. Alex hugged the older man to him, holding him in a passionate embrace.

"Thank you, lisa."

Fox pulled back to meet Alex's gaze.

"Why are you thanking me?"

"For more things than I can count, but...at the top of the list? For not letting my stupidity stand in the way of you saying yes."

"You're not stupid." Fox lowered his lashes. "I was afraid that when you came back it would be to tell me that you'd changed your mind."

Alex pulled Fox back into his arms. "M'sorry," he whispered, stroking his lover's back. "It...I just had it really built up, you know? I'd worked myself into such a frenzy plotting and planning, trying to get it perfect. You deserved for it to be perfect."

Fox tightened his hold on the younger man.

"I would have loved it," Fox murmured. "And I love you for going to so much trouble to try and make it memorable. But Alex...all that would have just been pretty packaging. The gift is right here." Fox shifted and pressed his forehead to Alex's. "Nothing could be more perfect."

Alex gave his lover a tiny smile.

"So..."

"So."

"Are we engaged?"

Fox laughed softly. "You gonna pull a diamond ring out of your pocket?"

"Do you need one to be engaged?"

"Don't know," Fox grinned. "Never been betrothed before."

The smile faded but the sparkle in Alex's eyes remained.

"Are you happy, lisa?"

"Am I happy?"

Alex nodded. "Do you really want to marry me?" he asked, recalling how he could detect no sadness or mood swings in the last several weeks.

"I do," Fox whispered, focusing an adoring gaze on the other. "So much."

Alex's smile returned, and he pulled Fox into another embrace.

"Holy shit, we're getting married."

"Guess so."

"I'll tell you something else too," Alex said, kissing the side of Fox's head. "My knees are killing me."

Fox began to laugh, and he rose from his chair, pulling Alex up with him.

"We were supposed to be on the beach when I did this," Alex sighed, wrapping Fox in his arms.

"The beach?"

"Yeah. I was planning a dinner out there."

"Sounds nice," Fox murmured.

"I think it would have been," Alex replied wistfully.

"Can't we still go?" Fox asked. "On our honeymoon?"

Alex chuckled at hearing the word. "Sure we can, if you'd like."

Fox laid his head on the younger man's shoulder. "What else did you have planned?"

"Mmm," Alex breathed before speaking. "Lots of candles. Orchestra...maybe some dancing." He smiled at the sound of his lover's sigh. "Then when that was all done, I was going to send them all away and make love to you there in the sand."

Fox moaned softly.

"Would you like that, lisa?"

"Very much."

"Then that's what we'll do. I should call back though, and let the owner of the house know."

Fox nodded and took Alex's hand as the other man started to move off in the direction of the doorway. Halfway to the den, he stopped, jerking Alex to a halt.

"Wait a minute. Don't we need a date if you're going to book the house?"

"Yeah, I...guess I forgot about that."

The two continued on to the den, and Alex seated himself on the sofa, pulling Fox down beside him.

"Okay, when d'you think is a good date?"

Fox shrugged, grinning happily. "I don't know. Next week?"

"Yeah. Sure thing, Chuck."

Fox laughed at the comment. "Okay, okay, when do you think is a good date?"

"What about early August?"

"You think three months is enough time?" Fox teased.

"Well...I've got a list all typed up. Map of Vermont, ceremony options, hotel and reception sites, guest list, menu, music..."

Fox watched Alex with raised eyebrows as the other man continued on and on. Finally, he interrupted.

"That's a hell of a list you have there."

"Told you I've been planning."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Wanna see it? Maybe we can make some decisions and then start calling around."

"Yeah, I'd love to." Fox rose from the sofa and followed Alex over to the desk, sitting in the chair that his lover had pulled up for him. Alex dropped a quick kiss on his head and took his own seat, booting up the desktop.

"So, why'd you mention Vermont?" Fox asked as they waited.

"It's the only state right now where civil unions are legit."

"Civil unions?"

"Yeah. Closest thing we're going to get to an actual legal marriage."

Alex explained to Fox what he had found out, and when Fox was through grumbling over the revelation, they took a look at the information Alex had gathered so far.

"I think I like this one," Fox announced as they perused the listing of inns. The way the room is arranged, we could have the ceremony and reception all right there."

"Yeah," Alex agreed, "but I was sort of thinking it might be nice to have the whole thing outside. See, this place is situated right on the water. We could have the ceremony right at dusk when the sky is changing color, then have the reception on the patio."

"Doesn't look all that big."

"Well, how many people do you think we're going to have?"

"True. What if it rains?"

"We could reserve the room inside just in case."

"Isn't that a waste of money, though?"

"Not if it rains."

Fox smiled and shook his head. "It would be nice to be outside. I remember..."He paused, a faraway look clouding his eyes. "...that first night we went out for dinner on Andros. We were sitting outside, and the sun was setting. You turned and this ray of orange fell across your face." He looked to Alex and lightly touched the younger man's cheek. "God, you were beautiful."

A tiny smile twitched at Alex's mouth. "Were?"

"You know what I mean."

Alex leaned forward and dusted Fox's mouth with a soft kiss. He pulled back a bit and skimmed the bridge of his lover's nose with one finger.

"August what?"

"Oh, yeah. We didn't set a date. Uhhh...well, let's see. It should be a Saturday, right?"

"I guess so." Alex found his online calendar, and the two men perused possible dates. At the same time, both pointed to the second Saturday of the month.

"The tenth," both said in unison.

"Okay, well, that was easy," Fox chuckled. "Hey, how about the house? You gonna call about the house now?"

"You don't want to look at the rest of this stuff first?"

Fox picked up the phone and handed it to Alex. "I'll look, you call."

"We're not feeling impatient, are we?" Alex asked, dangling the phone by its antenna between his fingers.

"Don't you want to make sure that the date's open?"

"Sure. But do you really think that waiting half an hour or so is going to make a difference?"

"Somebody else could call in that time," Fox reasoned.

"And what do you think the odds of that are?"

Fox began bouncing up and down in his chair.

"Alex, come on."

"All right, all right. Sheesh." Grinning, Alex hit redial. Clicking to the various types of ceremonies he'd listed, he waited for someone to pick up.

"Do you want something really formal or...hi. Phillipe Thibodeaux please. Sure, I'll hold."

Fox checked out the offerings on the monitor while Alex continued to wait.

"I don't know," he said softly. I'm not...I guess I'd sort of lean toward something not so religious."

Alex smiled. "Yeah. Heathens that we are, I don't really think it's necessary to...Phillipe? Hey, it's Alex Krycek again. Listen; there's sort of been a little change in plan that I hope you'll be able to accommodate...uh huh. How're you looking for the eleventh of August through...hang on, Phillipe." He turned to Fox. "One week or two, babe?"

Fox shrugged and gave the younger man a bit of a smile. "I have plenty of time..."

"Through the twenty-fifth. Yeah, I'll wait." Alex covered the mouthpiece and looked over at Fox. "He's checking."

Fox sucked one corner of his lower lip into his mouth while he waited. Alex turned a smoky gaze on him, and he emitted a low growl.

"Don't do that."

"Don't be anxious? What if the date's not open?"

"Don't do that thing with your mouth. And if the date isn't open, we'll pick another."

Just as Alex stroked his fingers across Fox's lips, Phillipe returned to the phone.

"Yeah, I'm here...that's okay...uh huh. All right. Yeah. Why don't you go ahead and do that?" Alex winked at Fox, and the nervous man began to smile. "Thanks, Phillipe. Yeah, we will. Thank you."

Alex hung up and gave Fox a quick peck on the tip of his nose.

"We're all set. Happy now?"

Fox pitched forward and wound his arms around the other man.

"Yeah."

Alex slipped an arm around Fox's waist and buried his face in the lush, golden-brown hair at the back of the older man's head.

"You got the ceremony narrowed down?"

Fox lifted his head and looked at the monitor.

"You know, I was reading here that as long as the JP or whoever says, 'By the authority vested in me by the State of Vermont, I hereby join you in a civil union,' we can have the rest of the ceremony however we want."

"So, what are you thinking?"

Fox shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe we could write our own?"

Alex's nose wrinkled. "Really?"

Fox's shoulders slumped a bit. "We don't have to. It was just a thought."

"It's just that I don't think I'd be very good at that sort of thing," Alex explained gently.

"You write very well," Fox argued just as softly. "All you'd have to do is put your feelings down on paper. You've always been very eloquent at expressing yourself to me."

Alex rolled his eyes and gave his lover an indulgent smile.

"All right," he murmured, kissing the corner of Fox's eye. "I'll give it a shot."

Smiling, Fox went back to the monitor. "This is easy."

"Sure, it is," Alex droned, caressing the older man's back. "As long as I agree with everything you say."

"That's not true," Fox grumbled. "I gave in to the outdoor ceremony and reception. And," he grinned, "by my calculations, since you've agreed to write our own vows, it's your turn to have your way again."

"It is?"

Fox nodded, rubbing his head against Alex's shoulder. "So, what's next? Menu, right?"

"Yeah."

"Any idea what you want?"

"Yep."

"What?"

"Naked Fox on a bed of black satin."

Fox's soft laughter broke and turned into a moan as Alex began to nuzzle his throat.

"I was talking about dinner, not the honeymoon."

"I'm not talking about either."

"Mmmh...no?"

"No," Alex whispered.

"Then what are you talking about?"

"Talking about right now."

"I see. But uh...Alex...there aren't any satin sheets on the bed."

"Cotton, Jersey knit...whatever."

"We're not going to get any work done," Fox warned as Alex began pulling his shirt from the waistband of his pants.

"Yeah, we are," Alex countered, running his hands over his lover's bare flesh. "We can stay right here, and while you work on that," he said, nodding at the monitor, "I'll work on you."

"How d'you expect me to concentrate on anything with you all over me?" Fox asked, groaning as, not bothering with buttons, Alex lifted his shirt over his head and began drawing his tongue over the older man's skin.

"Sounds like a challenge," Alex chuckled, flicking at a stiffening nipple with the tip of his tongue. "You up to it?"

Fox gave no answer as Alex's hand found the hardening bulge in his pants.

"I'd call that a big yes."

Fox's eyelashes fluttered as the younger man slid to his knees and undid his pants. A sly, glittering green gaze flicked in the direction of his face before Alex reached in past his underwear and grasped his thickening cock.

"Do you think you'd prefer a sit down dinner as opposed to buffet?" Alex asked, inclining his head and gently licking the flushed crown.

"Uhhh..." Fox banged on the desk with his hand a few times as he tried to focus. "I think...I uh..."

"Yes?"

"Ah, fuck. Alex, s...damn. C'mon...oh, God...I can't think like this."

"Like what?" Alex asked, letting his tongue skip up and down the lengthy shaft.

"With you licking my cock," Fox grated through clenched teeth.

"Oh," Alex murmured, taking half of his lover's erection into his mouth and sucking as he drew back. "Want me to stop?"

Fox emitted a shuddering sigh and looked down into emerald green eyes, sparkling with mischief.

"What the hell kind of question is that?"

Alex shrugged, still smirking at the seated man.

"You're the one who just said you can't concentrate with me licking your cock."

"You stop now, and I'll kill you."

"You say the sweetest things."

Fox's head fell back against the chair as Alex swallowed his entire length. Okay, so the menu could wait a few minutes...

Alex sighed around the presence in his mouth. His tongue dragged over the velvety surface, mapping every ridge and vein of the rock-solid organ he would know by touch alone. His hands, refusing to stay idle, strayed over his lover's hips and thighs, finally tucking themselves beneath Fox's ass, squeezing and pulling upward to encourage the older man to push deeper into his mouth.

Fox's lips parted to allow a small gasp to escape as the whole of his cock slid down Alex's throat and out. Over and over again his hips lifted and fell, and his breaths came in short pants as the other man urged him to move faster.

"God...God...ah, sh..."

Growling through gritted teeth, Fox bucked erratically as his climax rose up and blasted to the surface. He exploded quickly, shooting several bursts of semen down Alex's throat, and as he slumped in his seat, the younger man gently licked him clean.

Alex smiled, listening to the soft rumbles of satisfaction as he lovingly completed his task then re-fastened Fox's pants. Laying his head on the older man's thigh, he looked up through his lashes into half-closed eyes.

"You look like you're ready for a nap now."

The gravelly statement brought a smile to Fox's lips. He reached down and petted his lover's head, sighing at the pleasure of feeling the silky strands beneath his fingers.

"Got a wedding...s'cuse me, a civil service to plan."

"It's a wedding," Alex corrected softly. "We're getting married, Fox."

The golden brown eyelashes fluttered slowly, and Fox focused an adoring gaze on the man at his feet.

"Can't believe it. After all this time, who would've thought."

Alex nodded. "Feels so right though."

"Yeah." Fox's eyes wandered up to the monitor then back down to Alex. "So let's call that inn."

Alex kissed the older man's knee then picked himself up and sat again in his chair. Reaching for the phone, he checked the number and dialed. As they waited, Clyde trotted into the room and unceremoniously dropped down across Fox's feet.

"Oh, crap," Fox cursed softly and pointed to the dog as Alex began speaking.

"Good afternoon..." Alex nodded as Fox directed his attention to the dog. "My fiancé," he said, grinning at Fox, "and I are looking for someplace to have our wedding and a very small reception. Yes. Yes, we would be spending the night. Maybe two."

"Don't forget about Clyde," Fox whispered, reminding Alex again, this time vocally.

Again Alex nodded and held an index finger up to the other man. "August ninth through the eleventh...right...well, before we go any further, I have to know if you accept pets...a dog...German Shepherd...all right, then. Thank you; I'll call around."

Alex hung up and shook his head at Fox, who slumped in his seat and sighed.

"We haven't even scratched the surface," Alex assured the other man. "Vermont's got to be crawling with inns. I'm sure we'll find at least a couple of pet friendly places."

"That'll still meet our other needs?" Fox asked, a hint of premature defeat creeping into his tone.

"We'll find something," Alex repeated, rubbing the back of his lover's hand before beginning their search.

Two and a half hours and several phone calls later, Alex began to show signs of stress. Fox watched, sucking on his lower lip as the other man ended his eleventh call.

"What the hell's the matter with these yokels?" Alex growled. "Don't they realize they're missing out on a ton of business? Lots of people travel with their pets."

"Maybe we'll have to make it a one-day trip. You know, fly up there then fly back."

"You want to spend your wedding day traveling?" Alex asked.

"Not really, but what are we gonna..."

"We're going to find someplace. The perfect place. If we have to go through every listing here."

And they did. And at the end of it, Fox was limp with exhaustion and disappointment, and Alex was plain pissed.

Lifting his foot against the desk, he violently shoved his chair away and leapt to his feet. Fox watched him stalk back and forth for a few seconds before speaking.

"Let's forget about this for tonight, okay?" he said in his most soothing voice. "We'll think of something else tomorrow."

"This is ridiculous," Alex muttered, and Fox wondered if the younger man had heard anything he'd just said. "Those can't be all the inns in Vermont. There've gotta be more, there've..."

"Alex," Fox called softly, rising to his feet. "Come on, it's getting late, and I'm hungry. Let's have dinner and just spend the rest of the night relaxing. We can worry about this tomorrow."

Alex stopped pacing and looked at his watch.

"Holy shit. Eight?"

Fox nodded.

"Geez. Uh...kinda late to cook anything." Alex scratched the back of his head and frowned at the floor. "Feel like Chinese?"

"Okay."

Alex looked up into weary, gray-green eyes. He sighed softly and approached the other man. "Tired, huh?" he asked, taking Fox into his arms.

"A little."

"Tell you what," Alex murmured, pressing his forehead to Fox's. "You go relax, and I'll pick something up."

"I can go with you."

"No, that's okay. You gotta work tomorrow. Go change. Get comfortable." Alex smiled. "I'll feed you in bed."

Fox returned the smile and planted a soft kiss on Alex's lips before the other man delivered a playful swat to his rear.

"Go on. I'll be back soon."

The two men left the den, separating in the hall. As Fox entered the bedroom slowly removing his clothing, he heard the vague rumbling of Alex's car as it pulled out of the garage. He finished stripping, took a quick shower, then threw on a pair of boxer briefs and t-shirt. Crawling into bed, he fell back against the mound of pillows and closed his eyes.

"God, that feels good," he whispered, not realizing until that exact moment how tired he really was. Amazing how just a few hours stress could do that to a person.

Well, don't get too comfortable. He won't be too long.

Picking up the remote control, Fox began speeding through the channels. Settling on a news program, he lay there watching but not really seeing what was on the screen. His thoughts began to wander almost immediately to the events of the past few hours. A serene smile curved his lips as his mind's eye saw Alex kneeling before him in the kitchen. He laughed softly then sighed.

Poor Alex. On his knees on the hard kitchen floor, proposing marriage. Not at all the way he had planned it. Fox hoped that Alex really did realize that although it wasn't the way he had wanted to do it, it was still the most perfect, sweetest proposal in the world to him.

And the bottom line was, they were getting married. Something that until just today, Fox would never have imagined they'd be doing.

Still smiling, he closed his eyes.

Alex stumbled into the house, practically falling over the dog, who was waiting to maul him. The moment he put the bags down on the counter, Clyde jumped him.

"For the love of...Clyde, get off me! How long was I gone? A month? Three?"

Front paws still planted against Alex's chest, something new caught Clyde's attention.

Food.

The broad head snapped around, and the dog began snuffling in the direction of the counter.

"Oh, no you don't. Off." Alex pushed the dog down then pointed sternly at him. "Don't you touch any of that. I'll be right back." Taking one bag from the pile, he began to walk away then stopped as he saw Clyde out of the corner of his eye, sniffing at the edge of the counter. "Okay, you know what?" he said as he walked over to the back door and opened it. "It's time you went out anyway. Get going."

One last longing glance at the counter, and Clyde trotted out into the yard. Smiling, Alex shut the door and headed out of the room. When he reached the bedroom several seconds later, he found Fox propped against the pillows with his eyes closed. Alex walked to the bed and leaned over the other man. He didn't say a word, but the nearness of him roused Fox from the edges of sleep.

Golden-brown lashes lifted slowly, then the mouth that been turned into a relaxed pout lifted slightly in a welcoming smile.

"Hi honey, I'm home," Alex said softly, brushing Fox's mouth with his own.

"Where's my food?" Fox grumbled sleepily.

"In the kitchen. I'll bring it in, in a minute. While you're waiting, maybe you might want to have a look at this."

Fox blinked to clear his vision then sat up and took the book that his lover offered. His eyes brightened when he looked at the cover, and he gave Alex a toothy grin.

"Where'd you get it?"

"Bookstore about half a block away from the Bamboo Garden. They've got a really big travel section."

"Should find something in here, huh?" Fox asked, thumbing through the large guide to Vermont inns and attractions.

"Hope so." Alex dropped a quick kiss on the tip of his lover's nose. "Gonna go get the food and let Clyde in. Be right back."

Smiling, Fox watched Alex leave the room then turned his attention to the book. Some ten minutes later, Alex re-entered, carrying a tray loaded down with heaping plates and bowls. He extended the legs on the tray and set it down over Fox's thighs then joined his lover on the bed.

"How's it looking?" he asked, dipping a piece of chicken in sweet sauce and bringing it to Fox's mouth.

Fox accepting the offering, licking the excess sauce from his lover's fingers before returning his attention to the listings.

"I've underlined a couple on the second and fifth pages. Haven't got very much farther than that."

Alex continued to feed Fox while the other man scanned the listings, underlining the occasional prospect. Almost halfway through the book, Fox perked up.

"Hey. Hey, this one sounds really good. Listen...rambling farmhouse..."

"Farmhouse."

"Yeah. Listen. April through October. Rambling farmhouse on scenic Echo Lake. Walking paths through sprawling wildflower fields and outdoor garden room suitable for small parties. Twelve lovely, spacious guest bedrooms, five with adjoining baths. Cozy dining and function rooms, Large and varied menu, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Pets welcome."

Alex snatched the book from Fox's hands and read it for himself as the older man dug into the fried rice.

"Even the prices are reasonable." The younger man shook his head. "There's got to be something wrong with the place. Like cows in the bedroom or ghosts wandering the halls at night..."

Fox's eyes lit up.

"Uh..I mean..," Alex stammered, watching Fox's grin grow wider. "God, what the hell was I thinking?"

"Let's call."

"Fox, only you would think that investigating two hundred year old spooks on your wedding night was romantic."

"You don't think it'd be fun?" Fox asked, holding a forkful of rice in front of his lover's mouth

"I can think of better things to do."

"Yeah? Like?"

Alex took the rice and swallowed before speaking. "Like...sneaking away in the middle of our reception and going skinny dipping in scenic Echo Lake, then fucking each other blind on the shore until the sun comes up."

"I do like that idea," Fox agreed as Alex leaned over to nuzzle his neck. "Where's the phone?"

"It's kind of late," Alex answered, nipping his way up to Fox's earlobe. "Don't people up there go to bed with the chickens?"

"Let's try," Fox insisted. "Where's the phone?"

"Your side," Alex murmured, still heavily involved in teasing Fox's ear and now his jaw.

Not wanting to move away from the pleasant sensations, Fox reached over and groped blindly for the phone. Finally finding it, he took the book from Alex and began dialing the number.

"Gimme."

"Hmm?"

Alex held his hand out. "Phone."

"Why, I can't make the arrangements as well as you can?"

"Yes, you can, sweetheart. But I want to do it, okay? Let me handle everything."

Fox's mouth twisted into a curious pout. "Why?"

"I don't know, I...it was just my original plan to take care of everything. " Alex kissed Fox's cheek. "I wanted to make everything perfect for you."

Fox closed his eyes and laid his head on Alex's shoulder.

"I love how sweet you are."

After he finished dialing the number, he handed the phone to Alex. Sitting quietly, he listened to the other man speak. When the conversation was complete, Alex hung up and returned his smile.

"We're booked. I can call back with the exact number of guests when we find out."

"I'd assume that we wouldn't be able to wait too long, though."

"No, they would like to know as soon as possible. But at least you and I and Scully and Clyde are squared away."

The men finished their dinner, and after Alex cleared away the leftovers, he returned to Fox, who looked like he was ready to pass out.

Removing his shirt, Alex moved toward the bed. He reached for the book and began to pull it from the older man's hands, but Fox opened his eyes and tightened his grip.

"What?"

Alex released the book and dropped his shirt on the bed.

"You were almost asleep."

"I'm awake. Wanna talk about who we're going to invite."

Unzipping his jeans, Alex pulled them off and fell into bed beside Fox.

"This should take all of thirty seconds."

Fox frowned at the other man, prompting a soft laugh.

"C'mon, lisa. How many people, family and friends included, could we invite?"

"More than you'd think, I bet."

Alex made himself comfortable. "This I gotta hear."

"Okay, besides Scully, there's her mother."

"Really?"

"Why not?"

"All right, who else?"

"The Gunmen."

"Those geeks?"

"They've always stood behind us."

"Yeah, yeah. Who else?"

"Skinner."

"Skin...are you kidding me? Fox, he won't come. He hates me. "

"I think you're wrong about that."

"Okay, babe. You're right. He thinks I'm a swell guy, and I'm sure there's nothing he'd rather do than take a trip up to Vermont to watch us get married."

Smiling, Fox shook his head.

"C'mon, Fox, seriously. You've invited Skinner over here how many times? And how many times has he accepted?"

Fox shrugged. "None."

"He can't bring himself to set foot in our home, and you expect that he'll come to our wedding?"

"I want to invite him," Fox said softly, smiling at his lover.

Heaving a long sigh, Alex threw up his hands. "I think it's a waste of time but go ahead. Knock yourself out. You got any more names on this huge list of yours?"

"Bobby and Susan."

"Yeah, okay."

"Chuck and Vicki."

"You wanna see if her cousin's free too?"

"Funny."

"Is that it?"

Fox raised a hopeful gaze to Alex.

"You have any names you want to add?"

Alex grunted. "Like who?"

Fox's silence was his answer.

"Fox, I...we've talked about this. I can't, I..."

"Okay," Fox said softly. "I just want you to be sure."

"...I am."

"All right. So, that's how many now?"

Alex counted silently then said, "Twelve, if everyone you just mentioned goes...which'll never happen."

"We'll see."

"Uh huh. Oh. And uh...since you wanted to know about my family, what about yours?"

Fox cocked his head curiously.

"Your mother."

"You know there's no way in hell she'd ever attend. And I'm sure she'd be much happier not knowing."

"You think she won't find out? If we invite your cousin..."

"He won't mention it to anyone if I ask him not to."

"I'm sorry it has to be that way, lisa," Alex murmured, caressing his lover's arm.

"Me too. But she's made her choice. I can live with it if she can."

Alex was quiet for a while, then he spoke.

"So, do you want to call everybody, get their answers so we can call with the reservations, then send them their formal invitations?"

Fox laughed softly. "You don't think it's tacky?"

"Well, ordinarily I wouldn't dream of doing it that way, but this situation is a bit different than most."

Fox smiled and closed his eyes, nestling into the pillows. "So, what else is new?"

Not answering, Alex cleared the bed of all debris and shut the light off. As Fox opened his mouth to speak, he shushed him.

"We can pick this up tomorrow, when we're fresh."

"You mean you don't plan on being fresh tonight?"

"Nope," Alex answered decisively, settling down and pulling Fox against him. "You're tired, I'm tired. We got a lot of work ahead of us, and we need our sleep."

"It's starting already."

"Hmm?"

"Not even married yet," Fox complained, "and you're giving me the too tired excuse."

Alex shook with silent laughter. "Shut up and go to sleep."

Less than half an hour later, both men lay curled around each other, descending deep into slumber.

"Ah! Damn, that's hot."

"Well, thanks."

One corner of Scully's mouth twisted into a grimace as her partner entered the office.

"Where the hell have you been? It's almost eight-thirty."

"Forgot to set the alarm last night, and we overslept."

"You two really ought to learn to control your baser urges on work nights."

"Contrary to what you may believe, Scully, Alex and I were not having hot, animal sex. We were preoccupied with other things."

Scully's mouth curled into a smile.

"Such as?"

Fox cocked his head, studying the woman's grin for all of ten seconds, then a clipped grunt sounded in his throat. "You know!"

"Know? What do I know?"

"You know what you know," Fox accused.

"Mulder, I have no idea what the hell you're jabbering about," Scully insisted, but her Cheshire grin told him another story.

"You know Alex asked me to marry him!"

"He did?"

"You know he did! He must have discussed it with you first!"

"All right, all right, I know." Scully broke into a full smile and rose from her desk. "And I think it's wonderful." Coming to her partner, she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. "Congratulations, Mulder. I really couldn't be happier for you."

Fox mirrored his friend's smile. "Thanks, Scully. I...hey." Fox grasped his partner's upper arms and put a few inches between them. "What makes you think I accepted?"

"Oh Mulder, please."

"No, seriously. What if I had said no? I could've, you know."

Scully broke into laughter. "Yeah, and Skinner could walk in here in the next ten minutes sporting a full head of blonde hair."

Fox folded his arms across his chest and stared down at the redhead.

"It wouldn't have been impossible that I turned him down."

"Mulder, gimme a break! The way you'd been moping around and sulking?"

"Huh?"

"What, you think we hadn't noticed?"

"We?"

"We. As in Alex and me."

"Alex?"

"Yeah, Alex. You know Alex? Tall guy. Dark hair, green eyes. Used to kill people and blow things up for a living. I believe he sleeps next to you."

Fox was silent for a second, then asked, "What did Alex notice?"

Smiling, Scully shook her head.

"Mulder, I love ya. Which is why I know you'll understand when I tell you that you suck at concealing your feelings. We knew something was up; we just didn't put it together until Chuck and Vicki's wedding."

"Sss...so he knew that I'd been thinking about being married."

Scully's eyes narrowed, reading her partner's expression.

Ah, shit.

"Hang on a minute, Mulder. Alex asked you to marry him because he wanted to. Not because you'd been brooding for weeks on end."

Fox stared, blinking several times before lowering his gaze.

"Okay."

"Mulder..."

"What?" Fox asked, removing his jacket and moving toward his desk. "I'm all right."

Scully watched suspiciously as he took his seat.

"Alex wants to marry you, Mulder. You should have seen how excited he was when he told me that he was going to ask you."

"I understand, Scully," Fox said nonchalantly, taking his seat. He eyed his still suspicious partner and gave her a smile. "Quit looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're expecting me to flip out or something."

"I just want to make sure that you do understand."

"I do," Fox insisted softly.

"Okay." Scully relaxed a bit, but the thought remained in the back of her mind that this might not be the end of it. "So did you start planning?"

"A little," Fox answered vaguely. "We uh... found a place where we can do everything."

"Everything?"

"Yeah. Ceremony, reception..."

Fox's voice drifted off, and Scully groaned while he stared down at his desk.

"Mulder? Mulder."

"Yeah. Uh...we uh...made reservations for two nights, for ourselves, and I hope you don't mind, but we took the liberty of booking you in too, with Clyde."

"No, of course I don't mind. What's it like?"

Silence.

"Earth to Mulder."

"What?"

"The place you booked. What's it like?"

"Sounds really nice in the listing. Huge old farmhouse by a lake. Very scenic. Outdoor garden room, lots of acreage."

Scully nodded. "Can't wait to see it. So, have you decided on anything else?"

"Yeah, uh...Alex booked the house that we'd stayed at on Andros for two weeks."

"Ooooh. That'll be nice. That place was gorgeous."

"Yeah. He was going to..." Fox's voice trailed off, and he sat silently. Scully knocked on her desk to get his attention.

"Was going to what?"

"Take me there for one night. That's where he'd planned to ask me to..."

"Oh. Yeah. I know."

Fox looked at the top of his desk showing no surprise.

"He drove me nuts, Mulder, calling me in the middle of the night while you were asleep to talk about it. He wanted so much to make it wonderful."

"So, you know what happened yesterday, too?"

"Yeah. He came to me, and we talked a little while. He felt so awful about walking out on you."

"I'd hurt him," Fox reasoned.

"Yeah, but you were hurt too. God, I can't imagine what it must have felt like to hear what you thought you'd heard."

"I never should have thought that of him."

"It was kind of hard not to think that considering the things he was saying. But he went home, and you got it straightened out, and that's the important thing." Scully gave her partner a warm smile. "He loves you so much."

"I know he does," Fox whispered.

"Then why do you look like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you just lost your best friend."

"I'm fine. Come on, let's get some work done before the whole day passes us by."

Several hours later, Fox said goodbye to Scully and headed for home. Force of habit made him turn the radio on the instant he'd started the engine, but only minutes later he shut it off, preferring the company of his own tortured thoughts.

Stop it. Stop. So what if his reasons for asking you to marry him aren't quite what you thought? He loves you.

Yes, he does. And he'll do anything to make you happy.

''But what about him?" Fox whispered aloud. "How can I let him do this knowing that it probably isn't what he really wants?"

Probably. You're not sure, so don't go making a big thing out of it.

Fox drew a deep breath and let it out.

Leave it alone. If he really didn't want to do this, you'd know. You'd be able to tell.

Fox slowed to a near stop, now stuck in late afternoon traffic. He stared unfocused out at the line of cars.

"Wouldn't I?"

"So, what d'you think of a buffet? I mean yeah, it's nice to just sit down and be served, but I also hate the idea of just one choice for dinner, you know?"

Clyde listened intently, his head tilting from side to side.

Alex checked the roast then shut the over door and leaned against the counter.

"Of course, we don't want to have more food than we know what to do with, either. Let's see...twelve people..." Alex stopped in the middle of that sentence and looked down at the dog. switching gears. "He's nuts, you know. Skinner is never going to go. But, until Fox says different, I'll include him."

The hum of the garage door drew Clyde's attention away from Alex, and the dog spun around and trotted out of the room. Alex turned to pull a couple of plates out of the cupboard then went for the glasses. While he was carrying them to the table, Fox appeared in the doorway. Alex flashed him a wide grin.

"Hey."

"Hey."

As Fox entered the room, Alex met him halfway and laid a long kiss on his mouth. When Fox remained largely unresponsive, Alex pulled back and frowned at him.

"What's the matter?"

"...Nothing."

"Something's wrong, Fox, I can see it...did you talk to Skinner? Did he turn down the invitation?"

"No, I...I didn't get the chance to talk to him."

"Then what is it?"

"It was just a long day," Fox lied. "I'm really tired."

Alex raised one hand to the back of Fox's head and gently massaged his scalp.

"Okay. Are you really hungry, or can dinner wait about an hour?"

"Actually," Fox began as his gaze drifted to the floor, "I haven't got much of an appetite at all...sorry."

"S'okay. Maybe you'll be hungry later." Alex turned the oven to warm and took the older man's hand. "Come with me."

Fox offered no resistance as Alex led him upstairs and into the bedroom.

"Take off your clothes," the younger man ordered softly. "I'll be right back."

Alex walked into the bathroom, and as Fox slowly removed his clothing, he heard the water go on. Now stripped down to his underwear and sitting on the bed, he watched Alex re-enter the room.

"Warm bath'll make you feel better," the other man promised as he climbed up onto the bed behind Fox and began to massage his shoulders.

Fox closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the pleasure of his lover's touch, but thoughts of his earlier conversation with Scully kept him from enjoying the gentle massage.

"Damn you're tight," Alex commented, working at a particularly hard knot in Fox's shoulder. "Relax, babe."

Fox released a quick, heavy sigh and made a conscious effort to obey. Failing miserably, he apologized.

"S-sorry, I..."

"It's okay. C'mon, the tub should be full by now."

Alex led the older man into the bathroom, and as Fox finished undressing, he checked the temperature of the water.

"That should be good," he said, turning to Fox, who now stood naked before him. He motioned for the other man to get into the tub, and Fox did so, sinking up to his neck in the warm, fragrant water. Alex smiled at the long sigh and kneeled down on the plush carpet beside the tub. "How's that?" he asked, reaching for and submerging the soft sponge then drawing it lazily over his lover's body.

"Good," Fox murmured as his eyes drifted shut. "You do too much for me, Alex."

"I could never do too much for you," Alex argued softly. "And whatever I do, I do because I love you."

Fox's eyelids rose slowly, and he stared straight ahead. "I know."

"Don't sound too happy about it," Alex joked, flicking a few drops of water into the other man's face.

"'Course, I'm happy," Fox replied, giving Alex what was supposed to pass for a smile.

Alex stared intently at the older man for a number of seconds then circled the sponge over his chest.

"Sit down dinner or buffet?"

"...What?"

"Our reception dinner. Do you think it should be sit down or buffet?"

"I don't know."

"You don't have any preferences?"

Fox shrugged first then shook his head.

"Okay, I'll tell you what I was thinking. I think I was sort of leaning toward a buffet. I like the idea of a wider variety of food." Alex grinned at Fox. "And you know the way your partner loves to eat."

Fox gave no response, and Alex's grin faded.

"You don't like the idea of a buffet?"

"It's fine."

"Fox, do you...do you not want to talk about this right now? 'Cause you know, if you don't, I can just shut up."

God. Do you really want to start something here?

Answering a silent 'no', Fox reached up and skimmed Alex's jaw with a soapy hand.

"I'm sorry, Alex. Just give me a few minutes to unwind and then we can decide on dinner, okay?"

The smile returned, and Alex happily resumed his task.

"Sorry, lisa. I didn't mean to hit you with wedding plans as soon as you got home. You know how obsessive I can get about stuff."

Stuff he really wants. Yeah. So, he does want this. He does.

Unless the whole thing's just an elaborate act to keep you happy. You know he's capable.

Fox closed his eyes, swallowed down the lump that had formed in his throat, and he let Alex finish washing him. Some twenty minutes later, the younger man finished and coaxed him out of the depths of the cast iron tub. He reached for a towel as Alex pulled the plug from the drain, but the other man was quicker, grabbing the deep burgundy bath sheet and wrapping it around him.

"Feel a little better?" Alex asked, his face only inches from Fox's as he slowly rubbed the towel over his lover's back and shoulders.

Fox nodded and gave Alex a tiny smile. "Thanks."

Alex returned the smile and kissed the tip of Fox's nose.

"I love you, moy lisa."

Shit, he was not supposed to be feeling like hell every time Alex said that.

"I love you," he croaked in return and laid his head on the younger man's shoulder.

That little crease formed between Alex's eyebrows that said among other things, that he was worried. The urge to demand that Fox tell him what was wrong hammered at him, but he resisted. The last thing he wanted was any kind of confrontation. If it were that big a deal, he'd know about it.

How sure are you about that?

The frown remained as Alex finished drying his quiet lover, then he led him into the bedroom to find some clothes.

"Hungry yet?" he asked, forcing a light tone.

Go ahead, tell him no and get him more worried than he already looks.

"Yeah. Actually, I am."

"Good. Okay, well, get dressed, and I'll go get the food on the table."

Fox nodded, and Alex gave him a quick peck on the mouth before slipping out of the room. He dressed slowly, giving himself a mental shake.

What the hell's the matter with you? You sulked for weeks because you wanted to get married, and thought you never would. Now you are getting married, and you're still acting like an idiot. Cut it the fuck out, would you? You should be happier than a pig in shit. Now finished getting dressed, get your ass downstairs, and get some more plans settled.

Pep talk over, Fox pulled the washed-out gray t-shirt over his head, zipped his jeans, and headed down to the kitchen, where he found Alex standing at the table, staring mesmerized into a pitcher of iced tea.

"Smells great," he said, alerting the other man to his presence.

Alex snapped out of his reverie and poured the contents of the pitcher into the two glasses in front of him.

"I tried something a little different this time. Hope you like it."

Fox helped get the food on the table, and the two men sat facing each other, each putting on a show for the other.

"This is good," Fox said around a mouthful of tender beef. "I like it better than the last recipe you tried."

"I thought you might, since you like rosemary so much."

"So," Fox began, taking a quick breath and diving in, "I agree with you about the buffet. I like the idea of a variety too, and since there'd be so few of us, there won't be any long lines."

Alex was quiet for a moment, taken by surprise at Fox's sudden change in attitude, but he shrugged it off, chalking it up to the positive effects of his bath.

"Okay, good. One more decision made.."

Fox nodded in agreement.

"You talk to Scully?"

"...Yeah."

"Sorry," Alex said sheepishly. "I guess you know now that she knew, huh?"

"She tried to act like she didn't know," Fox answered, "but I figured it out." And he left it at that.

"I'm really sorry about that, lisa, but when it hit me, I just...I needed someone to talk to."

Fox nodded. "It's okay. She's your friend as well as mine."

Alex smiled and said nothing.

"So...I told her that we booked her into the inn, and that was fine with her."

"Did you tell her that she was rooming with Clyde?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure she really understood that, though."

Alex laughed softly as he ate.

"Oh, I did forget to ask her for her mother's new phone number."

"She'd have a new phone number just for moving across town?"

"Her new apartment isn't all that far from the other one, but she's still in a new area code, so..."

"Ah. I didn't know she'd crossed over the line. So, who've we got left? Your cousin, the Gunmen..."

"Chuck and Vicki and Skinner."

Alex shook his head and smiled. "I sorry, babe. I just still find that funny. I'd really love to see the look on his face when you tell him...Fox?"

"Hmm?"

"You looked like you were a million miles away just now."

"N-no, I'm here."

Alex's knee began a gentle bounce as he studied his lover.

"You sure? That bath didn't make you sleepy?"

Fox gave Alex what he thought would pass for an apologetic smile. "Maybe I am a little tired."

"Okay, babe. Finish your dinner, then we'll just relax, okay?"

Nearly half an hour later, Fox pushed his mostly empty plate away and again complimented Alex on the meal. Alex insisted that Fox leave the clean up to him and herded him into the living room while he loaded the dishwasher and straightened up the kitchen. When he joined Fox on the sofa, the older man's eyes were almost closed. They snapped open, however, when Fox felt the cushion shift under the other man's weight.

"lisa?" Alex called softly, stroking Fox's hair back away from his face. "Are you all right? Are you feeling sick?"

Fox cleared his throat and croaked a simple 'no'.

"Did you sleep okay last night?"

Fox nodded.

"Something must be wrong. It's early and you're this tired?"

"Why does something have to be wrong? Haven't you even been tired early in the day?"

"I guess." Alex gave Fox a teasing grin. "Maybe you're just getting old."

"Maybe," Fox agreed flatly. "Want to reconsider?"

"Hmm?"

"You don't want to be married to some old man who's ready for bed by seven p.m., do you?"

"That depends," Alex replied, leaning in to nip at Fox's ear. "Would you be going to bed to sleep?"

No reply.

"Your sense of humor goes right into the toilet when you're tired," Alex rumbled, kissing the side of his lover's neck. He stood up and grasped Fox's hand, attempting to tug him into a standing position. "Come on, old man. Let's go to bed...to sleep."

Fox followed his indulgent lover up to bed and did indeed fall into a deep slumber not long afterward.

Alex lay quietly watching the rhythmic rise and fall of Fox's chest, and when he was fairly sure the older man was truly asleep, he slipped out of bed, pulled his jeans on and left the room. First taking Clyde for a brief walk, he then headed straight for the den and picked up the phone. Checking the number, he dialed the inn.

"Good evening. I had called last night and made reservations for August tenth...Krycek...right. Yes. The civil union. I was wondering...can I get a weekend reservation as soon as possible? Really? Great. That's great...yes, for two. Yes, we'd like to see the place, discuss the menu, and hopefully by this weekend we'll have an exact number of guests for you...right. Well, that sounds great. Thanks."

Alex spoke a few more minutes, finalizing his reservation for the coming weekend then called the airport and booked their flight. That done, he let out a long, satisfied sigh. It would have driven him crazy if he hadn't gotten anything accomplished today. At least now it felt as though he done something wedding related.

Drumming his fingers on the desktop, he wondered was else he might be able to do...

"Frohike, answer the phone."

"What d'you mean, answer the phone? You're sitting right next to it."

"I can't break eye contact. If I lose my concentration..."

"You've been staring at that spoon for almost an hour," Frohike complained, reaching for the phone and jerking it to his ear. "Give it up!"

"Is that a new greeting, Frohike?" the low voice on the other end asked, drawing Frohike's attention to the caller.

"Sorry. Uh...who's this?"

"Krycek."

Frohike almost dropped the phone.

What the hell was this? Krycek never called them.

"Krycek?"

"That's what I said."

"What...wh-what can I do for you?"

"What's he want?" Langly asked, still staring at his spoon. Frohike shrugged.

"You guys free one night this week for dinner?"

"Dinner?"

"Dinner?"

"What about dinner?" Byers asked, just coming into the room.

"Yeah, dinner," Alex answered.

"With Mulder...and you?"

"No, Mulder and Skinner."

"They're inviting us to dinner?"

Frohike waved Byers off.

"So...one night this week?"

"Yes, Frohike. Like maybe Thursday?"

"I...I...I don't know. Let me check." Frohike pressed the phone to his chest and looked at the other two. "Krycek wants to know if we're free for dinner this week. Maybe Thursday."

Byers shrugged. "I've got nothing planned."

"How 'bout you, Langly? Will you be done staring at your spoon by Thursday?"

"Yeah, I guess." Langly broke eye contact long enough to cast a wary glance at Frohike. "Mulder is going to be there, right?"

Frohike nodded. "That's what he said."

"Come on, guys, why wouldn't Mulder be there?" Byers asked impatiently.

"I don't know," Langly answered. "But since when does Krycek call to invite us over? It's always Mulder."

"And so what? You think Krycek's up to something?"

"Yeah. Maybe we're the dinner."

Langly gave Frohike a horrified look.

"Oh, for goodness sake." Byers snatched the phone from Frohike. "Alex? Yes, it is. We'd like very much to come to dinner. Thursday would be fine. What time? All right then, see you then...what's that?" He chuckled into the phone. "All right, I'll tell them."

"Tell them what?" Langly asked as Byers hung up.

"He said not to worry. He found a pot big enough to fit the both of you."

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Susan?"

"Yes, it is."

"This is Alex Krycek."

"Alex...oh! Hello, Alex. How are you?"

"I'm well, thanks. You? How's married life?"

"Aww, we're loving it."

"That's great."

"So, what's up? Would you like to speak to Bob?"

"No, I can ask you as well as him. I know this is sort of short notice, but do you think that you and Bob could make it over to our house for a little dinner party on Thursday?"

"This Thursday?"

"Yeah. Told you it was short notice. But it's really kind of important."

"Yeah? Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Oh, yeah, everything's fine. We'd just really like to have you both here this Thursday."

"Hmm. You've got me curious. Hang on, let me check with Bob."

A few minutes went by, and Susan returned to the phone.

"Sorry," Susan giggled. "I had to go talk to him in the shower. He said sure. What time?"

"I figured I'd serve dinner at around seven, so if you could be here for like...sixish?"

"All right, you got it. Uh...Alex?"

"Hmm?"

"Any chance I could get you to give me a little hint?"

"Uhhh...nope."

"Well, fine. If you're going to be that way about it."

"I am."

"I guess I can wait two days."

Alex laughed softly. "Thanks, Susan. We'll look forward to seeing you."

They said their goodbyes, and Alex hung up, drumming his fingers on his thigh.

"Okay, now. Who else? Oh, yeah."

Checking the number, he dialed and waited three rings before a breathless voice answered.

"...Chuck?"

"Yeah. Who's this?"

"Alex Krycek."

"Oh, hey...you behave yourself, now...hey, Alex."

Alex rolled his eyes as a soft feminine giggle sounded in the background.

"Guess I interrupted something there, huh stud?"

"No, no. It's...ooh, you little devil...it's okay, Vicki's just feeling a little frisky."

Alex shuddered at the images that statement conjured.

"Listen, I'll let you get back to your uh...you know. But I have to ask a quick question."

"Okay." Loud giggle. "Shoot."

"You and Vicki free for dinner on Thursday?"

"Yeah, I...wait. Hey, bad girl. Alex wants to know if we're free for dinner on Thursday..."

Eyes closed, teeth gritted, Alex hoped for an immediate answer. Thank God he got one.

"She said we'd love to. Where we going?"

"Here. I'm cooking."

Chuck sounded a loud yelp and a groan, and Alex grimaced on his end.

"Okay, Alex. We'll...oh, God...we'll be there. Wh-what time?"

"Around six."

"All right..."

Alex didn't let the other man say another word. "Okay then, you kids go on with...whatever, and we'll see you on Thursday. Later."

Hanging up quickly, he shuddered again and called Scully.

"I knew it. Dammit."

A foam-covered hand reached over the side of the tub for the ringing phone, and Scully checked the number on caller ID. She groaned softly and answered.

"Hello?"

"Scully, it's me."

God. Well, he sounds okay.

"Hi, Alex. What's up?"

"What're you doing Thursday?"

"Besides working?"

"I mean after work."

"Nothing. Why?"

"Come have dinner with us."

Must be okay. Guess Mulder really didn't flip out.

"You know I'd never turn down one of your dinners without a damn good reason. What're we having?"

"Haven't figured that out yet. Gotta be something that'll serve twelve."

"Twelve?"

"Yeah. I already called the Gunmen, Fox's cousin and his wife, and Chuck and Vicki. I also need your mother's number."

"My mother?"

"Yeah. I want to get everyone together so we can tell them all at once that we're getting married, and ask them if they'll go Vermont in August to attend the wedding. See, I've booked this weekend for Fox and me to go up there and check the place out, and I'd like to be able to give them a definite number of guests."

"Ah. Gotcha. Well, that'll be nice."

"Yeah...hey, Scully, let me ask you a question."

"Hmm?"

"You think Skinner would want to have anything to do with this?"

"I...what makes you ask that?"

"Because, Fox wants to ask him, and I think he's cracked for even considering it. Skinner's not exactly a fan, you know?"

"Yeah, but," Scully began then stopped and started again. "You know, I really have no idea what he'd say."

"You can't think he'd say yes."

"I don't know, Alex. True, he's never socialized with you guys, and I know Mulder has asked him. But he never gives him a hard time about you either. And he did ask how you were doing for a long time after the whole Saint James mess. He might go..."

Alex sighed softly. "Brother. So, you think I should call and ask him to come to dinner...so he can refuse me?"

"At least you would have asked."

Another sigh, this one heavier. "All right. I'll call him."

"The worst he can do is say no."

"Yeah, yeah. Okay...oh, wait. Your mother's number."

Scully gave Alex the number, and when she had the time for dinner, the two hung up. Alex proceeded to call and invite Maggie Scully, and when he received a yes answer, he thanked the woman and disconnected. Now sitting back and staring at the ceiling, he meditated for a few moments then found and dialed Skinner's home number.

"Damn."

The first of eight slices of sausage and onion pizza stopped midway to Walt Skinner's mouth, and he looked at the ringing phone. Denying the urge to let it ring, he dropped the pizza back into the box and picked up the phone.

"Yeah."

"Hello, Skinner."

Familiar voice. Almost sounds like...nah.

"Who's calling?"

"Alex Krycek."

Sonofabitch, it was.

"Krycek, what...is Mulder all right?"

"He's fine."

"Then, what...you've never called me before."

"No, I haven't. I...we'd like to invite you to dinner on Thursday night."

"You what?"

"Fox and I are having a little dinner party on Thursday, and we'd like very much if you could come."

"Umm...why didn't Mulder ask me? He's usually the one to ask..."

"And you always turn him down."

No answer.

"Listen, Skinner, I know how you feel about me. I understand. But this isn't really for me. It's for Fox..." Alex stopped, hearing a soft grunt on the other end. "Something wrong?"

"I...it's just...sorry, but hearing you call him by his first name just...it just..."

"As long as we've been together, don't you think it'd be kind of odd for me to call him Mulder?"

Skinner changed the subject back to the original reason for Krycek's call.

"So what makes you think that you can get a yes out of me when Mulder hasn't been able to?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to try. It's a very important dinner...to us anyway, and we'd like to have you there."

"What's so important about a dinner?"

"You won't know unless you come. Scully will be here as well as a few other friends and relatives."

Nothing.

"Okay. Dinner's at seven. I'll set a place for you. If you decide to show, everyone'll be here for around six. Have a good night."

Alex hung up and sighed softly, relieved that that was over. He'd done all he could do. The rest was up to Skinner.

Returning to bed, he found Fox still soundly asleep. Carefully, he slipped an arm around the older man and snuggled up to his back, pressing a tender kiss to the back of his head. Surprisingly, sleep found him a short time later and, satisfied with his accomplishment, he joined Fox in peaceful oblivion.

Fox pulled a pillow over his head to block out the incessant buzzing of the alarm. Seconds later, the muffled sound stopped completely, and he dragged the pillow away from his face to squint over at the clock. Instead his eyes immediately focused on the smiling face in front of it.

"You really should probably get up now."

Fox blinked at the bright-eyed man and groaned softly.

"This is the third time the alarm's gone off," Alex explained, leaning down to kiss Fox's forehead.

"It is?" the gravely voice asked, prompting another smile.

"Yeah. You were really out the first two times."

Fox closed his eyes and groaned again.

"Didn't you sleep?" Alex asked. "I thought you had."

"I guess. Don't feel like it."

"Maybe you're coming down with something," Alex reasoned, pressing the back of his hand to Fox's forehead, "and it just hasn't really hit you yet."

"Maybe," Fox whispered.

"Damn, I hope not," Alex sighed, moving his hand to Fox's cheek. "We got stuff to do."

"Stuff?"

"Places to go, people to see."

"What people?"

"The people coming here tomorrow night."

Fox gave the other man a curious look.

"I got busy once you fell asleep last night."

"Doing what?"

"Making calls. We're hosting a little dinner party tomorrow."

"For..."

"Scully, her mother, the Gunmen, Chuck and Vicki..." Alex looked upward, thinking. "...Bobby and Susan, and Skinner...if he shows."

"You called all those people?"

"Yep."

"Skinner too?"

Alex nodded. "Everyone's a definite except for him."

"Why'd you..."

"I figured it'd be easier that way. Get 'em all in the same place at the same time, and invite them. That way, when we go up to Vermont this weekend..."

"We're going to Vermont this weekend?"

"Yeah, I'm getting to that...when we go up to Vermont, we'll hopefully have a definite body count. Now. Before I started calling everybody, I called the inn and made reservations for us for the weekend. We can see the place, make sure it's what we want, then talk about the menu, our guests' accommodations...have a little fun..."

Fox lowered his eyes and nodded.

"Is that okay, babe? I know I didn't check with you, but I figured you'd want to check the place out and..."

"It's fine," Fox answered. "It's a good thing to do."

"And won't it be nice to go somewhere?" Alex added softly. "We haven't had a weekend away from home for a while."

"Yeah. It will be nice."

"So, don't you go getting sick," Alex warned in a mock stern voice.

"Yes, sir," Fox droned then looked up and gave Alex a hint of a smile.

Alex deposited a quick kiss on the other man's forehead and got to his feet.

"You going to work or what?"

Fox dragged himself out of bed and trudged into the bathroom while Alex retreated to the kitchen to get breakfast ready. He relieved himself, turned the shower on, adjusting the temperature control, then he stripped and stepped under the cool spray. Shivering, he forced himself to stand there until some of the lethargy he'd felt began to seep away. When he was as awake as he was going to be, he turned the water to warm and washed quickly. As he rinsed off, thoughts of Alex's planned dinner party popped into his head.

He knew Alex would go overboard...probably cook way too much. Do the flowers and candles thing...drag out the Bokhara...God, he hated washing that stuff. He always felt like he was handling live grenades, but Alex absolutely refused to put any of it in the dishwasher...

It'd be an impressive dinner; that much was certain. But he had to wonder how their news would go down afterward...not so much in regards to the reactions of their company but...

Here we have two men, acting their asses off...one acting like there's nothing in the world he wants more than to marry the other man, who's acting like he has no idea that the first man would really, truly in his heart rather that things could stay the way they'd always been.

Would anyone notice that something wasn't quite right? And if they did, who'd be the one to give it all away?

Fox stepped out of the shower and dried off then brushed his teeth and shaved, still thinking.

Who do you think? Your poker face apparently leaves plenty to be desired.

"Better work on it," he whispered to his reflection before moving into the bedroom to get dressed. Long minutes later, he appeared in the kitchen doorway, watching Alex.

Flipping pancakes, whistling softly.

Picture of a happy guy.

"Want coffee?"

Or maybe he just knew you were here.

"Yeah," Fox mumbled, shuffling over to the table and dropping down into his chair. Resting his head in his hand, he watched with weary eyes as Alex fetched the coffee pot.

"So, I was thinking. I don't know what everybody likes to eat, but you can't really go wrong with surf and turf, can you?" Not waiting for an answer, Alex poured one mug of coffee and went on. "Filet mignon and broiled lobster. How's that sound?"

"Sounds great," Fox answered. "And very time consuming. You don't have to go to so much trouble, Alex."

"Well, I figure," Alex began as he served Fox's pancakes, "they won't have the guts to turn down our invitation after they see all the trouble and expense we went through for them."

"You."

"Me?"

"All the trouble you went through. While you're knocking yourself out here, I'll be at work." Fox sighed heavily. "I wish you wouldn't get so elaborate."

"Don't worry about not being able to help, lisa. I can handle it."

"I know you can. I just..."

Fox stopped in mid-sentence.

"You just what, babe?"

Pressing his lips together, Fox shook his head.

"Fox?"

"Nothing." Fox looked up into his lover's eyes, finding mild confusion and concern brewing there. "I just hate to think of you here working your ass off while I'm in the office reading through case files and getting reamed by Skinner for something or another."

"It's okay," Alex insisted, covering one of Fox's hands with his own. "You know I enjoy cooking."

"For that many people?" Fox countered. "I think it's going to be a whole lot of trouble, and you...you've done enough."

"It's fine," Alex swore. "I look forward to the challenge."

Giving up, Fox finished his breakfast and left for work with a kiss and a plea from Alex not to worry about tomorrow night. As he arrived at the Hoover Building he ran into A.D. Skinner, who was also just walking in.

"Morning, sir."

"Morning."

"Are you late or am I early?"

Skinner shook his head. "We're both late. I haven't been late in fifteen years."

"Why today?"

"Spent most of last night thinking...Krycek called me."

"I know. To invite you to dinner tomorrow night." Fox slipped a glance at the other man out of the corner of his eye as they walked. "You gonna come?"

"I never have before."

Fox answered with silence.

"I was surprised when he called me. Krycek's never called me."

"He made all the calls last night while I was asleep."

"...You were asleep at that time?"

"I've been feeling kind of run down lately."

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, just...tired."

Skinner studied his agent for a few seconds longer then resumed their conversation.

"I was considering going."

Fox did a double take. "Really? Why's this time any different than the half dozen times I've asked before?"

"Because Krycek did the asking. Absolutely no offense meant, Mulder, but...when you invited me, I always took it as exactly that. An invitation from you. I knew you'd like to have my company. I was never sure about Krycek. But he called this time. He asked."

"So, you mean," Fox began as the two boarded the elevator, "that all this time, all I had to do to get you to come over was let Alex ask you?"

"I'm not saying I would've jumped at his invitation," Skinner said. "But Krycek would have stood a better chance."

Fox shrugged. "Okay...so when'll you let us know for sure?"

The doors opened up on the basement floor but Fox stayed put, holding the door open, waiting for an answer.

"...I hear it's some important type of dinner." Skinner paused for a moment trying to get a reading.

Nothing.

"Tell Krycek I'll be there."

Fox stared for a moment the stepped into the hall.

"Simple as that. Okay. We'll see you at around...oh. Sorry. I don't know what time."

"Krycek said sixish."

"Okay. We'll see you around six tomorrow, then."

"Have a good day, Mulder."

"You too."

Fox turned and walked down the hall to his office, where Scully was again waiting for him.

"You need a new alarm clock, Mulder," the redhead threw at him by way of a greeting.

"Sorry. Anything going on?"

"No. It's like all the spooks and monster went on an extended vacation."

Fox removed his jacket and dropped into his chair, aimlessly shuffling the papers on his desk around.

"So. What d'you guys want me to bring?"

"...Bring?"

"Tomorrow night. Want me to bring dessert or something?"

"Oh. Uh. I don't know. You should probably check with Alex. If you don't catch him home, try his cell. He'll probably be out food shopping most of the morning."

"Yeah?" Scully grinned. "What's he cooking?"

"Filet Mignon and broiled lobster."

Scully groaned happily. "God, Mulder, if you hadn't wanted him, I might have had to marry him myself."

Fox gave his partner a smile and went back to shuffling.

"Do you know if he called Skinner?"

"He did."

"What'd he say?"

"Well, I uh...ran into him as I was coming in, and we talked a little. He hadn't given Alex a definite answer last night, but just now he said he'd decided to come."

"Wow. This'll be a first, won't it?"

"Yeah."

"What changed his mind after all this time?"

"Alex asked him."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. He said in so many words that now he feels welcome because Alex asked him over."

Scully stared silently at Fox for a number of seconds then gave the man an incredulous shrug. "All righty."

"That's what I said."

Scully chuckled softly then went quiet as a thought came to her.

"...Mulder...if everyone accepts the invitation to the wedding, who'll that be?"

"Didn't Alex tell you?"

"Yeah, he did. But do you realize that everyone there will be either friends or family of yours?"

"You're his friends too. And after...after August, my family will be his...such as it is."

"You know what I mean, Mulder."

"I know. But what can I do? He's not ready to look for them."

"It's such a shame. This is a huge event in his life. It'd be so nice for him to have family there."

"Yeah," Fox whispered, idly flipping the corner of a piece of paper with his thumb.

"Well...anyway...let me give him a call. Hopefully I can catch him before he starts shopping."

Trying their home number first, Scully got no answer.

"Damn."

Fox looked at his watch then over to his partner. "Doesn't mean he's shopping already. He could be walking Clyde."

Nodding, Scully tried Alex's cell. The phone rang only twice before a soft, gruff voice greeted her.

"Alex, it's me."

"Oh, hey Scully. What's up? Aren't you at work?"

"Yeah, I am. But I was just talking with Mulder, and I was saying that I was going to call you and ask if I could bring dessert or something tomorrow night."

"No, Scully, that's okay. I got everything under control."

"I'm capable of making nice desserts you know," Scully groused, earning an amused chuckle from the man on the other end.

"I'm sure you are. I've just got everything all planned out."

"Wine?"

"Covered."

"Fine. Be like that. You know your problem, Krycek? You're too damned efficient."

Another chuckle.

"Well, I got nothing more to say to you...you wanna talk to your fiancé?"

"Sure. He's not busy?"

"Busy moving papers from one side of his desk to the other. Hang on."

Scully put Alex on hold and looked to Fox, nodding at his phone. Fox picked up and spoke softly into the mouthpiece.

"Hi."

"Hey, handsome. How's your day?"

"The whole half hour that I've been here?"

"Seems like hours and hours since you left."

"It does?"

"Always feels like an eternity when you're away from me."

An involuntary ghost of a smile curved Fox's mouth.

"I miss you too," he whispered.

"We didn't make love last night," Alex murmured, hearing the surprised intake of breath, then the softly uttered 'no'. "I need to make love to you, Fox. I'd say tonight, but I don't think I can wait that long."

"Not much choice, is there?" Fox asked, his voice lowering to match his lover's.

"What about lunch?"

"By the time I get home? What time will there be?"

There was a moment of silence, then Alex spoke.

"I'll call you right back."

"What do you..."

"Couple of minutes, okay?"

"All right."

There was an abrupt click, and Fox hung up, a curious frown etching his features.

"He up to something?" Scully asked from the other side of the room.

"Apparently," Fox answered, resting his head in his hand and staring at the phone. When a couple of minutes passed, he shrugged and picked up one of the files that he'd been pushing around on his desk. A few minutes after that, his cell phone rang.

"Mulder."

"Holiday Inn on The Hill. Twelve-thirty. I'll be waiting in the lobby."

"Oh. I...Alex. Alex?"

Fox disconnected and gently set the phone down on his desk.

"He hung up on you again?"

Fox nodded and sat quietly for a few seconds before running his fingers through his hair and diving into the work on his desk.

Taking Fox's silence as unwillingness to discuss what had just passed between him and Alex, Scully swallowed down the half dozen questions she had ready and changed the subject.

"My mother's really looking forward to having dinner with you. She's also very curious about your motives."

"Why's that?"

"I don't know. Mother's intuition? She knows something's up. Alex didn't really give her reason to suspect anything, but I guess just the fact that he was the one who called was enough to get her wondering."

"I hope she doesn't mind finding out like she's going to. She's been pretty tolerant of Alex and me, but having to deal with this news...in front of a bunch of other people...I hope she's not too uncomfortable."

"I don't think she will be. She's had plenty of time to get used to the idea of you and Alex being lovers. I'd say she was more than tolerant. I've seen her watching you and smiling on occasion." Scully gave her partner a conspiratorial grin. "I think she thinks you're cute."

Fox lowered his head and said nothing.

"Well, anyway, don't worry about my mother," Scully concluded.

"Thanks," Fox murmured and changed the subject. "Guess we've shot the shit long enough, huh? Better get some work done."

For the next three hours the two worked in virtual silence, and then Fox looked down at his watch and inhaled deeply. Releasing the breath in a loud whoosh, he rose from his chair and grabbed for his jacket.

"I uh...Scully, I have to go out."

Scully looked up from her desk to her partner then down to her watch.

"Lunch time. This have anything to do with that mysterious call from Alex?"

"Yeah, I..." Fox picked up his keys and moved to the door. "I'm going to meet him."

"God, say no more," Scully said, holding up one hand in warning. "You boys have fun. I'll see you when I see you."

Fox left the office and headed out to the specified hotel, hoping all the way that things would turn out all right.

He should have gotten hard the minute the conversation with Alex had turned sexual. Ordinarily he would have. But not today. Even now with thoughts of rolling around naked with his lover in a hotel bedroom picking at his brain, he couldn't seem to get it up.

Maybe once I get there, he told himself. Yeah. Once I get there, everything'll be fine.

Alex sat patiently waiting, his gaze drifting every now and again from the newspaper he held to the hotel lobby doors to his watch.

Twelve-forty.

Any second. He'll be here any second.

And as soon as he finished the thought, Fox came through the doors. Having zeroed in on him immediately, Fox moved slowly forward, stopping when he reached the seated man. Alex looked up at him through a veil of lashes and let the top of the newspaper flop down over the bottom half.

"Thought I'd been stood up."

"Sorry," Fox croaked. "Traffic tie up."

Alex rose to his feet, letting his body just barely brush Fox's on the way up.

"Speaking of being tied up...come with me."

Okay, well, there was a little twinge.

Fox followed Alex to the elevator for the brief ride up to the second floor, then halfway down the hall until Alex stopped in front of room two twenty-eight. Unlocking the door, he stepped inside and back, allowing Fox to walk by him. Just as the other man passed he reached out, and in one movement grabbed Fox's arm, pulling him back while he pushed the door shut with his foot.

"I've been thinking about this all morning," he growled, pulling Fox against him. "I walked around the market for over an hour with this raging hard-on. Scared a couple of old ladies."

"Was that cashier there? The one that's got a huge crush on you?" Fox asked, trying to work himself into the lustful state he knew he should be in about now.

His face currently buried in the side of Fox's neck, Alex uttered a muffled, "Mmm hmm."

"I'm sure she appreciated your situation."

"Hadn't noticed," Alex breathed, making his way up to Fox's jaw. "All I could think about was getting here and getting my hands on you."

Fox closed his eyes and concentrated on the moist warmth of Alex's mouth as it moved ever closer to his own. He could feel the tempered passion in the tension of his lover's body, and he prayed...pleaded for the reaction that he knew Alex expected from him.

But it wouldn't come. Every time he thought he might be close, thoughts of the two of them standing in front of a clergyman, and Alex saying 'I do' when he really didn't, crowded in and washed the burgeoning pleasure away.

Lost in his own desire Alex took no notice of Fox's un-stimulated state until one hand slid over the curve of his lover's rear and pulled him in closer. Just as Alex was about to suck Fox's lower lip into his mouth, he stopped. Eyes dark with confusion stared hard at the other.

"What's the matter?"

And away we go. Okay, Mulder, make it good.

"Nothing, I..."

Oh, yeah. Just beautiful. He'll never suspect. You done good, buddy boy.

Thanks, daddy-o.

What??

Fox shook himself back into the moment and tried again to provide some plausible explanation for his bewildered lover. He lowered his head, unable to look Alex in the eye.

"I don't...I don't know. Just feeling out of sorts."

"Still?"

Fox shrugged and opened his mouth to speak, but no real sound would come out.

"lisa, why didn't you say so?"

"I...I didn't want to disappoint you."

"Baby, you don't feel well. Why would that disappoint me?"

Again Fox shrugged, this time shaking his head.

"I want you to see a doctor. And I'll call everyone and cancel the dinner."

"Nooo," Fox moaned. "Don't cancel. I don't feel sick. Just not quite...myself."

Alex sighed heavily, looking into dulled eyes.

"Come home with me."

"What? When?"

"Now. We'll call Scully and tell her what's going on. I'm sure she'll agree with me that you should be in bed, resting."

"No, I...I'll be all right."

"Fox, I'm not taking no for an answer. Do this. And if you don't feel any better by tomorrow morning, I'm calling and canceling everything."

Good. Now he could heap guilt on top of all the shit he was already feeling.

"Maybe you're right," he said, giving in. "Maybe a good long rest is what I need." Fox looked up at the other man through his lashes. "M'sorry."

"No need to be. You can't help that you're not feeling well."

"I tried," Fox insisted on explaining. "I thought it'd be okay."

"Stop," Alex commanded softly. "Let's get out of here so I can get you home and into bed."

As they checked out and left, Alex called Scully.

"...Hey, Scully, it's me. Listen, I'm taking Fox home. He's not feeling well, and I really think he should be home in bed."

"You know, I thought he wasn't quite right, but he left here to go fool around with you, so I figured it might just be my imagination."

"He hasn't been himself for a couple of days now. I told him if he isn't feeling better by the morning, I'm canceling dinner and our weekend, and he's seeing a doctor."

"Good. In the meantime, I'll meet you at your house. I want to check him out myself...you know, as much as I can without having him in a hospital."

"That'd be good, Scully. Thanks. See you in a little while."

Alex hung up, and Fox looked curiously to him as they reached Alex's car first.

"Why are we seeing Scully?"

"She's coming over to look you over."

"She doesn't have to do that."

"It'll make her and me feel better. Where's your car?"

"A few rows over."

"You okay to drive?"

"I'm not sick," Fox insisted.

"All right. Go on. I'll wait and follow you."

Emitting a soft sigh, Fox accepted a tender kiss, and he walked off toward his car. Alex opened his own door and dropped in behind the wheel, waiting until he saw Fox drive past, and then he followed the Lincoln out of the lot. They made it home half an hour later, and Alex walked Fox into the house and straight up to the bedroom. Clyde followed, whining all the way, but Alex ignored the dog until he got Fox comfortably settled into bed.

"Relax until Scully gets here. I'm going to go put Clyde out, and I'll be right back."

Fox closed his eyes, letting the weariness flood in. He hoped that Scully would show up soon so he could just pull the sheet up over his head and go to sleep.

Jesus, why did he feel like this?

Too tired to analyze it, he settled back against the pillows and closed his eyes. The next thing he knew, he was being gently shaken awake.

"Mulder. Mulder, come on. Wake up. You can go back to sleep in a few minutes. Just let me check you out."

Fox moaned sluggishly and burrowed beneath the sheet.

"Fox..." Alex sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the sheet back. "Wake up, lisa. Please?"

Fox's head lifted slightly, and he squinted at the man at his side.

"Just a few minutes, sweetheart. Then you can sleep straight through to tomorrow morning if you want."

Fox dragged himself into a sitting position and sat slumped against the pillows.

"Thank you," Alex whispered, brushing the backs of his knuckles over Fox's jaw.

"Okay, Mulder, look at me."

Fox shifted his gaze to Scully, and she turned her penlight on, shining it into his squinting eyes. She checked his ears then asked him to open his mouth.

"That all looks normal." Scully put the penlight down and began to prod at her partner's throat. "No swelling." She put on her stethoscope and held it to his chest. "Take a deep breath...let it out."

Fox followed all of Scully's instructions, and when she finally pronounced him healthy as far as she could determine, Alex breathed a tiny sigh of relief.

"I'm going to take some blood, Mulder," Scully announced. "Run a CBC at the lab and see if I find anything."

"When'll you have the results?" Alex asked, concern creeping back in.

"I'll go back right now and run it. I should have the results for you tomorrow."

"Okay," Alex croaked, reaching out to stroke his lover's hair. "Go back to sleep now, lisa. I'll be downstairs if you need me, okay?"

Fox nodded and settled once again beneath the sheet. Alex leaned in and laid a soft kiss on his forehead then vacated the room with Scully in tow.

"I don't get it," he whispered as they moved into the hall. "He was fine and then all of a sudden a couple of days ago, he started feeling really run down."

"A couple of days?"

"Yeah. Well, maybe three. But that first day, there was good reason for him to be tired. That was the day he misunderstood my phone call, and I walked out. Then after we made up, we spent several hours trying to get some plans ironed out and...it was just an exhausting day."

Scully nodded, listening.

"But these last couple of days...I don't know."

"You know, Alex, I don't really expect to find anything in this blood work. I think it just might be the anxiety he's suffered the last several weeks colliding with the events of the last few days." She shrugged. His body, his mind, his emotions...they're on overload."

Alex looked back toward the bedroom.

"You think?"

"I do. In which case, rest is the best thing for him." She held up the vial. "I'm still going to test this and make sure, but I really don't think you have anything to be concerned about."

Alex smiled for the first time since Scully walked in.

"Thanks, Scully."

"Don't thank me. Just make sure dinner's really good."

"You don't think I should cancel that and the weekend?"

Scully wrinkled her nose. "I think if you do that, you'll just heap more anxiety on him. Keep him in bed for the rest of the day today. Tomorrow too, if you'd feel better doing that. He should be feeling much better by dinner time tomorrow."

Alex's smile grew wider. "Wait till I tell him he's not going to work tomorrow either. He hates staying in bed for any length of time unless he's sleeping or we're...well...you know."

"Guh." Scully spun on her heel and headed for the stairs. Alex followed her to the first floor and over to the front door.

"Call me as soon as you get the blood work results, okay?"

"Yeah, I will. You get going on my dessert. What are you making, by the way?"

"Rum krokant torte."

"Okay, that just sounds like it's loaded with calories."

"It is very rich."

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow, and I'll bring my appetite."

"So what else is new?"

Emitting an indignant grunt, Scully landed a light blow to Alex's chest and headed out the door. Alex stood and watched the woman drive away before shutting the door and heading back up to the bedroom. He paused in the doorway and focused an adoring gaze on the older man.

Lying amidst the rumpled sheets, face half-buried in a pillow, Fox sighed softly as he exhaled. The distinct impression of another presence in the room opened one gold-flecked eye, and he looked over at Alex.

"She gone?"

"Yeah." Alex approached the bed and sat carefully on the edge. Reaching out to pet his lover's head, he continued to speak. "She told me to keep you in bed for the rest of the day, and tomorrow too if I think that I should."

"Tomorrow. Alex, I can't..."

"Yeah, you can. And I think that's just what you're going to do."

"But..."

"She said it was my call."

"I have no say in this?"

"None," Alex murmured, giving Fox a sweet smile. "You need rest. Scully thinks it's just the strain of the last several weeks catching up to you. You need rest, lisa, and I intend to see that you get it."

"What...what about dinner?" Fox asked, lowering his gaze.

"If you behave yourself and stay in bed today and most of tomorrow, she thinks that you'll be fine for dinner and our weekend in Vermont. In fact, a little time in the country might actually do you good. Okay?"

Eyes still cast downward, Fox gave the younger man a slight nod.

Alex moved in, resting lightly against the other.

"I love you, baby."

Fox's eyebrows drew down into a pained frown, but he wound his arms around Alex, hugging him.

"I love you too."

Alex drew back and smiled down at his lover. "All right now, close your eyes." When Fox obeyed, he sat stroking the other man's hair for a few minutes before planting a single, sweet kiss on his mouth. "Call me if you need me," he whispered then exited the room, leaving Fox to sleep.

Fox turned onto his side and watched Alex slip into the hall.

So sweet. So devoted.

Even if he didn't want to get married, Fox could never question his devotion.

Well. There was that whole mess that had happened the other day.

Idiot.

Fox pulled one of Alex's pillows to his chest, hugging it tightly.

You really going to let him go ahead with this? He loves you enough to marry you because it's what you want. Do you love him enough to not let him?

Groaning with the pain that those thoughts caused, Fox buried his face in the pillow and closed his eyes.

"Good morning, sunshine."

"Grayish-green eyes squinted up at the smiling face hovering overhead.

"Morning?"

"Yeah. You slept all the rest of the day and night."

"Jeez," Fox grated and pulled himself up, leaning against the mound of pillows behind him.

"If you slept that long it's because you needed it."

Fox ran his fingers back and forth through his hair, leaving it in a wilder state than it had been.

"I guess."

As he swung his legs off of the bed, Alex stopped him with both hands on his shoulders.

"Whoa, whoa. Where are you going?"

"My bladder has also been asleep for the past..." Fox looked at the clock. "fifteen hours. And I really feel like I could use a shower."

"Okay but after that, back in bed."

"Alex..."

"Fox..."

Sighing in resignation, Fox trudged into the bathroom and re-emerged nearly half an hour later, showered, shaven and naked under the towel wrapped around his waist. Alex was nowhere to be found, but he noticed that the bed had been stripped and re-made with fresh sheets. The top sheet and coverlet were drawn back in invitation, and Fox dropped the towel at the foot of the bed, crawling between the cool, crisp sheets. Stretching luxuriously, he moaned his pleasure. Then the delicious aromas of breakfast hit him through the open door.

"Mmmmm. Food."

Wait. Today was Thursday. The...God, the dinner party. And Alex was taking time to make him breakfast?

Jeez.

"Aww, what a good boy. You got back into bed without me having to nag you there."

Fox looked over at the doorway, watching as Alex entered, carrying a glass of orange juice.

"Here."

Fox took the glass and sipped at the sweet liquid as Alex kissed the side of his head.

"How d'you feel?"

Tell him. Tell him how you feel.

Fox opened his mouth then closed it again.

Tell him.

"Okay."

"What's okay mean? Better than yesterday? The same?"

"N-no." Fucking selfish prick "Better."

Alex cocked his head and studied the other man. "Are you sure?"

Not sure about anything.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure. By tonight I'll be fine."

"Great." Alex kissed his lover's cold lips. "Scully called, and she said your blood work was perfect."

Fox nodded.

"I felt so much better hearing that."

Fox gave his lover a tiny smile and said nothing.

"I gotta get downstairs before your breakfast burns. Be back in a few."

The minute Alex left the room, Fox threw his hands over his eyes and groaned softly.

Good job, Mulder. You're going to have to play the happy host to ten people tonight, announce your upcoming wedding, then take off to Vermont for the weekend to check out the inn where said wedding is supposed to be held...with a man who doesn't even want to get married.

With a man who loves you so much he'd do anything to make you happy.

Christ, how many times are you going to go through all this? Just...

"Here you go," Alex called, walking into the bedroom carrying a heaping tray. He placed it down on the bed over Fox's legs. "Eat up."

"Alex," Fox sighed. "Toast and coffee would have been fine."

"You didn't have any lunch or dinner yesterday," Alex replied. "You must be starving."

Fox looked down at enough food for two people, and his stomach started to turn.

"Yeah," he lied. "Yeah, I am, actually."

"Good," Alex said, grinning. "Eat. I'll be back to get the tray in a little while."

"Alex," Fox called as the younger man headed to the door.

Alex stopped in his tracks, turning around to face his lover.

"Yeah?"

"...I love you."

A bright smile lit the younger man's face. He blew Fox a kiss and made his exit.

Fox looked down at the food again.

Choke it down pal. You don't eat, and he's going to think something's still wrong. He'll cancel the dinner and the Vermont reservations and...

And how is any of that a bad thing? It all should be cancelled anyway, and you know it.

Fox looked back down at breakfast, his appetite completely gone now.

"Wonderful. What am I going to do with this?"

Chewing on his lower lip for a minute, he got an idea. Picking up his fork, he cut the French toast and sausage into tiny pieces and mashed up the scrambled eggs then took the plate into the bathroom, flushing the whole thing. While he felt terrible for wasting all of Alex's time and effort, he just couldn't bring himself to put any of the food in his mouth. Just the thought made him sick.

He replaced the plate on the tray and set the whole thing aside then tunneled beneath the covers. Closing his eyes and his mind to his impossible problem, he drifted back into sleep.

Alex stood in the middle of the kitchen, looking around for the umpteenth time, making sure that there wasn't anything he'd forgotten. Satisfied that he hadn't, he started carrying the dinnerware into the dinning room. On his second trip, he ran into Fox, damp-haired and dressed in midnight blue pants and a deep sky blue shirt.

"Hey! You're up." The younger man smiled, eyeing his lover. "And all pretty."

"You too," Fox replied, admiring Alex in his black pants and moss green shirt. He looked down at the items in Alex's hands. "Can I help?"

"Wait...how do you feel?"

"Like I've slept for a year."

"Is that a good thing?"

Fox nodded. "I'm fine."

Smiling, Alex laid a thorough kiss on the older man's mouth and handed the sugar bowl and salt and pepper shakers to him.

"Take those in? I'll get the crystal."

Fox walked toward the dining room and paused in the doorway.

Damn, the room was beautiful. Alex must have been at work all day in here. Not that it wasn't always spotless, but every stick of wood shone with a lustrous warmth, the windows sparkled in the late afternoon sun, and the...for God's sake, when did he find the time to shampoo the carpet?

Fox placed the items down on the table, briefly fingering the delicate petals of a fragrant Pink Osiana rose before viewing the entire mass of salmon-pink blooms.

Simply, perfectly beautiful.

Fox closed his eyes, trying to contain the rush of emotion that had just suddenly washed over him. They snapped open as Alex bustled back into the room and carefully placed the crystal on the table.

"There's more in the kitchen. You wanna get it while I start arranging all this stuff?"

"...Sure."

Fox left the room but not before Alex landed another kiss on his jaw. The minute he was out the door, his shoulders slumped, and he walked slowly toward the kitchen. Gathering up the last of the crystal, he started toward the door. Before he made it into the next room, one of the water tumblers slipped from his grasp and crashed to the floor.

"Shit."

"Shit!"

His echoed word sounded from the next room, and seconds later, Alex appeared in the kitchen, gazing mournfully down at the shattered remains of one of his treasured Bokhara tumblers.

"Sorry, I...guess I was carrying too many at once."

"It's...it's okay," Alex said in a small voice. "We've still got enough for dinner. I can replace it next week."

"Yeah, but..."

"Don't worry about it," Alex said softly, cupping the back of Fox's head as he dusted the older man's cheek with a kiss. "Can you take the rest of those into the dining room? I'll pick this up."

"No. I broke it, I'll clean it up."

"It's okay, lisa. I got it."

Fox bowed his head, not moving for a few moments, then he turned and started out the door. When he reached the dining room, he looked down at the exquisitely set table, and he felt something inside him break. Kicking a chair away from the table, he dropped down into it, still clutching the tumblers to his chest. He had no idea how long he sat that way, but from the look on Alex's face as he entered the room, it must have been quite a while.

"Fox? What's...what are you doing?"

"Why are we doing this?"

"What?"

"You don't want this."

Alex cocked his head, and that troubled crease formed between his brows. "Don't want what?"

"To marry..." Fox took a shuddering breath and continued. "...marry me."

Alex's mouth dropped open, and he stood speechless for a number of seconds before he gathered his wits and spoke.

"Fox...what the hell are you talking about?"

Fox continued to stare at the table. "You love me."

"Is this news to you?"

"You asked me to marry you because you love me, and you knew it'd make me happy."

Ahhhhh, shit.

"Fox, where did you get this from?"

"Scully."

"Scully. You're telling me that Scully told you that the only reason..."

"She wasn't looking to cause any trouble," Fox interrupted. "It just came up in conversation, and then she did everything she could to make sure that I understood that you weren't just giving me what I wanted as usual."

"God." Alex rubbed his forehead. "But you didn't believe her, did you?"

"You say it. She says it. You spoil me rotten. You give in to me constantly."

"Yes," Alex freely admitted. "I do. But not about this. Baby, not about this."

"It's too much of a coincidence. Marriage was never a consideration all this time. I start thinking about it, and a few weeks later you propose. I know you and Scully put it all together at Chuck's wedding."

"Yeah, but...Fox, let's not do this. We've got a bunch of people coming over in..." Alex checked his watch. "less than half an hour. Please. Let's finish setting the table...we'll have a nice dinner, and then we can talk about this all night if you want. I'll explain to you in every conceivable way that I want this."

Fox was quiet for a moment then shook his head. "How can I sit here...how can we...with our friends and family and announce a wedding that shouldn't happen?"

Alex lost it.

"Are you shittin' me? You pout and sulk about this for how long, and now you're ready to just chuck it all because of what you believe to be true?"

No answer.

"Oh, God, tell me this isn't happening!" Alex railed at the ceiling. He looked at Fox and started to laugh. "It is though, isn't it? We can't do fucking anything without a bunch of bullshit first!"

Fox rose from his seat, dropping the crystal onto the table. Amazingly, nothing broke.

"There'll be no bullshit," he said flatly. "No pouting, no sulking. No anything."

"Wh...where the hell are you going?" Alex demanded to know as Fox walked by him. Receiving no answer, he followed, tailing Fox up the stairs and down the hall.

"Fox...Fox."

Before he could catch up, Fox turned into the bedroom and closed the door. Alex heard the lock click into place just as he reached for the knob.

"Dammit Fox, open this door!"

Silence.

Alex pounded on the door.

"Fox! I'm not playing with you; open this door!"

More silence.

"Don't make me kick it in!"

And...nope.

"Sonofabitch! Come on, Fox, they'll be here any minute!"

When nothing happened, Alex changed his tactics.

"Okay. Look...I'm sorry. We'll talk about it, okay baby? Just open the door. Please?"

Still Fox refused.

And plan B went straight to hell.

"Gaaah! You pain in the ass!" Alex roared. "Fox, you are seriously trying my patience! What the hell am I supposed to do with all those people when they get here?"

"Have dinner with them!" Fox finally shouted from the other side of the door. "Then you can entertain them all with the story about how you just narrowly escaped being married to a sulky, whiny, spoiled pain in the ass!"

Before Alex could scream back, the doorbell sounded.

"Shit! Somebody's here! Now for the last time, are you coming out of there?"

"No!"

"Fox, come out!"

"No!"

The doorbell rang again

"Fuck."

Alex whirled around and stomped down the stairs then stormed over to the front door.

Scully, her mother and Skinner jumped back, startled as the door flew open and a wild-eyed Alex stared out at them.

"Hey, Scully! And Mrs. Scully!" he shouted. "So nice you could make it, Skinner!" Stepping aside, he waved them in. "Welcome to Fox's house of insanity!"

"What?" Scully asked, exchanging confused glances with her companions. "Alex, what's wrong?"

"Wrong? What the hell could be wrong? I mean aside from the fact that Fox has locked himself in the bedroom and won't come out!"

"Huh? Why'd he do that?"

"It's a pretty damn funny story, actually. Oh. Wait. Where are my manners? Would anyone like a drink?"

Skinner drew a deep breath and let it out. "Kinda wishing I'd had a couple before I got here."

"You can start now. Beer in the fridge. If you want anything stronger, Scully can show you were it is." Alex turned away from the dumbfounded man and back to Scully. "See Scully, my sweet, reasonable, level-headed pain in the ass is under the impression that I asked him to marry me..."

Skinner's and Maggie's eyes widened to double their normal size. "Asked him to what??"

"...because I was just giving him what he wanted." Alex looked pointedly at the woman. "Any idea where he got that from?"

Scully tipped her head back and closed her eyes. "Awww, damn."

"Damn? Is that all you have to say?"

"No, I...my God, Alex, I'm so sorry. I thought he was all right with it, I really did! I would have told you if I'd suspected that he wasn't."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Skinner broke in, signaling a time out with his hands. "Is that what this dinner is all about? You wanted to tell us that you're...you're getting married?"

"We were," Alex shouted in the direction of the steps. "Until that maniac went and lost his mind!"

"Holy cow, what's all the yelling about?"

Three pairs of eyes directed their gazes at the door. Chuck and Vicki walked in, followed by the Gunmen.

"Fox," Alex called, stalking to the bottom of the stairs and hollering up in a mocking tone. "Honey...almost all of our guests are here. Are you sure you don't want to come down and greet them?"

The group downstairs heard an upstairs door open.

"Hello!"

The door slammed shut, and Alex roared his frustration, pounding furiously on the railing with both fists.

"What the hell is going on?" Chuck whispered to Scully, who held up one hand and shook her head.

"Lovebirds having a little spat?" Langly grinned, earning a hard glare from Byers.

"I don't think jokes are what's needed here," he murmured to the blonde. "Alex looks pretty uptight."

"Astute observation, Byers my man," Alex answered, slipping his arm around the bearded man's shoulders and leading the way into the living room. "Since most of you are here, why don't you make yourselves comfortable?"

"Is he kidding?" Skinner asked Scully under his breath.

"I gotta go check on dinner, 'cause you know, if it burns," Alex laughed manically, "I'm really gonna be upset. Scully, why don't you see if anyone would like a drink."

"Actually, I thought I'd go up and try to reason with Mulder."

"Forget it. He's beyond reason. If he wants to stay up there, let him."

"But, Alex. The whole purpose of this dinner..."

"I remember well what its purpose was," Alex said, cutting Scully off. His next words were uttered flatly. "Looks like it's just another dinner, now."

The group exchanged amazed glances as Alex excused himself and walked into the kitchen.

"What the hell are they fighting about?" Frohike asked as soon as he thought Alex was out of earshot.

"God, I feel responsible," Scully said, not answering Frohike's question." She turned mournful eyes to her mother. "I swear if I'd known Mulder was going to dwell on it, and it'd cause this much commotion, I never ever would have..."

"You guys always in the habit of leaving your..." Bobby's words were cut off when he and his wife walked through the open door and found a small group containing neither one of their hosts. Scully got up to usher them in.

"Hi. You must be Mulder's cousin Bob. And you must be Susan."

"Yeah. And you must be Scully?"

"Dana. Very few people actually call me by my last name."

"Okay, Dana. Nice to meet you." Bobby looked around. "Where are my cousin and Alex?"

Scully rubbed at her temple with three fingers. "Mulder's upstairs, and Alex is in the kitchen. Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable."

Bob shut the door, and the couple entered. Introductions were done, and just as the last hand was shook, a loud banging sounded in the kitchen.

"Holy crap," Frohike mumbled. "He's going to tear this place apart, and then we'll be next."

"What's all that about?" Bobby asked rising from his seat, but Scully stopped him gently.

"I'll go check on him, then I'll be back to fill you in."

Hurrying off toward the kitchen, Scully found Alex bent over, hands on his knees, and scattered all around him were a variety of unused pots, pans and utensils.

"Alex, what are you doing?"

"Checking on dinner," he rasped from his bent position.

"Come on. Sit down here." Scully pulled on Alex's arm until he yielded and walked over to the kitchen table. She pushed him down into a chair and pulled one up to face it. Lowering herself to the cushioned seat, she gathered her thoughts before she began to speak.

"Again, Alex, I'm sorrier than I can tell you. It was just...a conversation. I never in a million years dreamed he'd do what he's doing. I mean, he looked a little funny when I mentioned it, and I thought there might be a problem, but he swore there wasn't, and everything seemed normal with the both of you after that, so I figured it was nothing to worry about."

Alex nodded, looking down at the floor. "It's okay. If it wasn't that, it'd be something else."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that there'd be something else to throw a monkey wrench into the works. There's always something else."

Scully closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You know...some people, for whatever reason face more trials than others. But few people, I'm willing to bet have faced more than you and Mulder. And you've fought your way through all of it. You've got a love seldom seen, Alex. But I don't have to tell you that, do I?"

Weary, dark eyes looked up into the woman's face. "I'd do anything. Anything for him, Scully."

"I know that. Mulder knows that."

"Which leads us to our current trial. Who the hell ever thought we'd be fighting about how much I love him? Because that's what it amounts to, basically."

"You know, Alex, you might be too upset to see this right now, but in his own weird way, Mulder's expressing his love for you too."

"By locking himself in our bedroom and leaving me twisting in the wind down here?"

"He's not mad, Alex. He's sad. He loves you, and though getting married is what he wants most in the world, he refuses to let you do something you don't really want to do..."

Alex opened his mouth to protest, but Scully held a hand up, shushing him. "...what he feels you don't want to do. He loves you, and he doesn't want you to be trapped. And you know, now that I'm thinking about it, I'll bet that's why he's felt so run down the last couple of days."

Alex cocked his head curiously.

"Depression."

"Oh."

"Uh...s-sorry to interrupt."

Alex and Scully looked to the door and found an uncomfortable looking Chuck standing there.

"S'okay, Chuck," Scully said. "Something you need?"

"No, I..I just thought I should come and tell you that someone else is here."

Scully shot Alex a curious look. "Who else was coming?."

"Nobody. God, what the hell is this now?"

As the two rose from their seats, Chuck stopped Alex before he could exit the room.

"Alex, I don't know exactly what's going on here, but, you and Mulder...is everything...you guys okay?"

"Not at the moment, Chuck, no."

"But you will be?"

Alex released a heavy sigh. "It's hard to see past this at the moment, but yeah. Somehow we will be."

The three entered the living room, and when the new guests came into view, Alex stopped dead in his tracks, staring frozen at the man and woman who now faced him.

"It is you," the woman breathed, and then a wide smile lit her face. "Alex."

Gone positively white, Alex visibly shook where he stood, mute with deep shock.

"Alex?" Scully called, coming up beside the immobile man and placing a hand on his arm.

"What are you," Alex finally gasped. "How..."

"We were given information on where we could find you," the man in the pair spoke, eyeing Alex up and down.

"Information..."

"Yeah. Said he was a friend. Said you were getting married..."

Those who hadn't yet heard looked at each other quickly then turned their attention back to the scene.

"...and that it would mean a lot to you to have some family there."

Family.

Scully looked, really looked at Alex and the other two, and then she could see something of a resemblance.

Oh, God.

The man focused on her and stepped forward.

"We're really sorry for crashing your party, here. You must be Alex's fiancé'. We're his cousins, Victor and Maria."

"Uh. Hi. Nice to meet you, but uh..."Scully tried to smile at the pair. "Would you excuse me for just one minute?" Hating to leave Alex's side but knowing she must, she walked away quickly, immediately followed by Skinner.

"Where are you going?" he asked, trailing her to the stairs.

Scully looked from Skinner to the people in the living room and back again.

"To get Mulder."

Skinner returned to the middle of the living room, where he found Victor grilling his still very stunned cousin.

"Where've you been? Do you know how long we looked for you? It was like you just dropped off the face of the earth. What have you been doing all these years? Why haven't you contacted us?"

Alex had yet to move from the spot he seemed glued to. He looked down, avoiding the washed out green gaze of his cousin and said nothing.

Seeing that Victor's approach was getting them exactly nowhere, Maria touched his arm to get his attention. "Victor, stop." She stepped forward and spoke softly. "Alex...I can see how shocked you are. If you don't want us to be here...if for some reason you really don't want us in your life..."

"What'd we do to him," Victor demanded to know, "that he wouldn't want us in his life?"

Maria shot her cousin a warning glare then looked back to Alex.

Alex, we'd really like to know. Should we go and forget we ever saw you?"

Alex looked up from the spot he'd been staring at on the floor and finally into the kind brown eyes of his cousin.

But still the words wouldn't come.

"Mulder."

Scully rapped softly at the bedroom door.

"Mulder, answer me."

Nothing.

"God. Mulder, I know what happened, and I'm really sorry that you're feeling this way, but you have to knock it off now."

"Why?"

He lives. He breathes.

"You need to come downstairs."

"No, I'm sure I don't. Alex has got it all under control."

"No. No, Mulder, he actually hasn't."

"What happened? Did he overcook the lobster or something?"

Scully closed her eyes and emitted a long sigh.

"You have more company. Company Alex had never expected."

Silence.

"Mulder, Alex's family is downstairs."

There were just a few more seconds of silence, then the door jerked open. Fox met his partner's eyes for only a split second before walking past her and heading for the stairs.

"Alex? Please say something."

"I think his silence is saying a lot," Victor cut in. "Let's go, Maria. I don't know why I let you talk me into this in the first place."

Victor spun around and came face to face with a man he hadn't seen before. The rest of the group stared slack jawed as Fox gazed directly back at the other man.

"Victor Krycek?"

Maria watched quietly, sizing up the new arrival, and she immediately came to the conclusion that this wasn't just another guest.

"Yeah."

Fox held out his hand. "Fox Mulder."

Victor studied the other for a quick minute, before reaching out to shake his hand.

"Please don't leave yet. Give Alex a little time. You can see he's in shock."

Fox stepped around Victor and came to stand directly in front of Alex. The younger man looked up into his lover's eyes and saw none of the turbulence of just an hour ago. Instead, comfort and the quiet strength he had learned to depend on were what he found. Fox reached out, taking his hand and holding it firmly in his own, and Alex's heart swelled with gratitude and love.

The group watched the silent exchange, mesmerized by the intensity of the moment. Alex closed his eyes, still clutching Fox's hand. He took a few good long moments to compose himself, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that Fox was still watching him. The older man nodded, and Alex took a deep breath, drawing on his strength. He looked past Fox to his cousins, cleared his throat and spoke.

"Please s...stay and have dinner with us. Afterward we can...talk."

Clearly fascinated by Alex's interaction with the other man, it took Maria a moment to tear her eyes away and answer.

"Oh. No. No, Alex, you weren't expecting us..."

"There's plenty," Alex said softly then looked to Fox for help.

"We insist," Fox added, coming to Alex's rescue. "Stay and let's talk." He looked to Victor. "How 'bout it?"

The older Krycek pointed back and forth between Fox and Alex. "You...you two are...you're his..."

"Do you have a problem with it?" Fox asked cordially.

"I've got some problems with my cousin here," Victor began, "but his sexual preference isn't one of them. I was just a little surprised there for a minute."

Fox nodded. "Will you stay, and we'll see if we can't try and address some of those problems?"

Before Victor could answer, the oven timer went off.

"Oh. I have to uh..." Alex stammered, pointing toward the kitchen. "Excuse me."

Fox released Alex's hand, and he retreated to the kitchen. When he was out of sight, the older man turned back to their guests.

"If I know Alex, he's got dinner timed to the last second, so Scully, if you'd do me a favor and show everyone into the dining room, I'll go give him a hand."

"Sure, Mulder."

Scully led everyone into the dining room, and Fox made straight for the kitchen, finding Alex rushing to get everything into the serving platters.

"How's it looking?"

"Good," Alex said softly. "Uh...we need to set two more places."

"Oh, yeah. I'll do that."

As Fox was getting out the china and crystal, Scully entered the room. She shot her partner a look, asking silently if Alex was all right. Fox held up a hand, instructing her to be patient. Scully nodded then cleared her throat and spoke up.

"They're all in there. What can I do?"

"Start bringing this stuff in," Alex answered, motioning to the items that were all ready to go.

"Okay."

Scully picked up a bowl and left the room, and Fox walked up behind his lover.

"I know we don't have time to talk about this, but just answer one question for now. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Alex breathed, and Fox could see from the blackness of his eyes that it was just barely true. "Just a little surprised is all. How did they find me? Why?"

"I don't know. What d'you say we go find out?"

Scully returned to the kitchen, and as quickly as possible, the three got everything into the dining room. As Scully put the last bowl on the table, she seated herself between her mother and Skinner.

"Everything looks gorgeous, Alex," she said, finally having a chance to really look around, and all agreed.

"Thanks," Alex answered, and he and Fox took their places at opposite ends of the table.

The meal began silently, everyone afraid to upset the delicate truce that seemed to have been called. Finally Fox spoke up, his curiosity getting the better of him. He turned to Maria, who was seated immediately to his left.

"Have you traveled far to get here?"

"Not real far. We both live in Lancaster."

"...Pennsylvania?"

"Yeah. Both Victor and I wound up staying close to home."

Fox nodded. "Scully and I have been there on a case. Remember, Scully?"

Scully thought for a moment then shook her head. "Actually, no."

"Sure, you do." Fox sought to jog his partner's memory. "The old plantation and museum where people had seen the ghost of the General who had built the place..."

"Ohhh, yeah."

Victor looked back and forth between the two.

"A case? What do you do?"

"We're FBI agents."

"And you were in Pennsylvania investigating a ghost sighting?"

"Yeah."

"But this isn't something you do all the time, right?"

"As a matter of fact, it is."

"You're telling me that my tax money is paying you two to chase ghosts?" Victor asked, disbelieving.

"And aliens," Fox added helpfully.

Scully rolled her eyes.

"Aliens?" Victor turned a sharp stare from Fox to Skinner. "You're his boss, right?"

Skinner rolled his head, letting those closest to him hear his neck crack. "Right," he answered tightly.

"And you know that this is what they do."

"I know it sounds outrageous. And some of it I seriously question. But there are things out there...unexplainable phenomena..."

"And you two are the FBI's resident experts on this crap?" Victor cut Skinner off to ask.

Fox shrugged. "I don't know if I'd call us experts exactly. We've seen an awful lot of strange stuff, though."

Victor shook his head and rested it in his palm.

"I think it's neat," Maria piped up, taking advantage of her cousin's silence.

Fox gave her a wide grin. "You a believer?"

"Yeah. I think it's ridiculous to think that we're all alone in the universe. And I'm sure that there's more going on right here on earth than anyone would think."

Fox lifted shining eyes to Alex's.

"Cool."

Alex returned the smile and lowered his eyes to his plate.

The conversation spurred a spirited debate on the legitimacy of alien abduction claims and hauntings, and when the conversation waned, Fox picked up on his original discussion with Maria.

"You won't be traveling back to Lancaster tonight, will you?"

"Oh, no. We have a hotel room here." Maria glanced quickly at her cousin. "Alex, this is delicious. Did you do all the cooking?"

Alex looked up through his lashes to the woman. "Yeah."

"Fantastic."

"Thanks." Alex looked back down and said nothing more.

"So," Fox persisted. "How long are you in town for?"

"A couple of days."

Fox wanted to ask Alex's cousins to stay with them, but he was fairly sure that Alex wouldn't be entirely thrilled with that idea. Besides, they needed some time alone to sort out this newest stumbling block.

"And could you explain to me how it is you came to find Alex?"

"A very nice man came to see us. He said he was a friend concerned about the fact that Alex had no family to speak of, especially in light of his upcoming wedding."

"Wait," Bobby broke in. "Is that what this dinner is about?"

Alex's head lowered more, and he remained quiet. Fox answered for them both.

"Yeah. Uh...we'll get to that in a little bit, okay Bobby?"

Fox's cousin nodded and traded smiles with his wife.

"I have a card."

Fox gave Maria a curious look.

"Card?"

"Yeah. Sorry, I almost forgot." The woman reached into the purse that she had placed on the floor beside her and withdrew a pale yellow envelope. She handed it to Fox, who pulled it open and withdrew the card. Watercolor flowers covered the front, and across the middle, gold script words read, "Congratulations on your engagement". Frowning, Fox opened the card and read the inside to himself.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me."

Alex watched the older man curiously. "What is it?" he asked, waiting as Fox rose from his seat and carried the card to his end of the table. He took the card and read quickly, moaning as he dropped it to the table and looked up at Fox.

"I'm dying of curiosity here, guys," Scully murmured, hoping that Fox would share the mysterious sentiment with them, and he did.

Lifting the card, he read aloud.

"Family is very important. We thought Alex might like to have his with him on this momentous occasion. Consider this our wedding gift to you."

Fox dropped his hand to the table, still holding the card. Most of the guests waited to hear the identity of the man who had given Maria the card, but some already had their suspicions.

"You think it's Cancerman?" Langly asked.

"Cancerman?" Victor questioned, a crease similar to Alex's forming between his eyebrows.

"What did this man look like? Fox asked, knowing the description Alex's cousins would give.

"About six feet," Victor started. "Wore a suit. Pretty wrinkled...his face, that is. In his seventies, maybe."

"Watery blue eyes," Maria added. "Chain smoker. We actually had to talk to him outside so he could smoke. Oh...Cancerman! I get it. Is that him?"

"Yeah," Fox answered. He sighed heavily and looked over at Scully and Skinner. "We sweep the house on a regular basis, so my guess is something's planted at the office."

"Why do I get the feeling that this man really isn't a friend?" Victor asked.

"Not really, no."

"So, he was actually just trying to cause trouble by bringing us here?"

"I don't think so."

"Okay, I'm confused now."

"I'm sure you are," Fox replied, drawing his hand gently over Alex's shoulders before reclaiming his seat. "We'll try to explain it all later."

Dinner resumed with little more than small talk, and when it was done, most of the guests adjourned to the living room while Alex and Fox started to clear the table. Scully pitched in, and her mother insisted on helping, citing the old adage, many hands made light work.

As the four began moving everything out of the dining room, Maria appeared in the doorway.

"I'd like to help," she offered, giving Alex a hopeful look.

"No, you...you're a guest. Besides, Victor would be left out there with a bunch of people he doesn't know."

"Victor can make himself comfortable anywhere," Maria countered. "He's already involved in conversation with two of your friends. The one with the long blonde hair, and the other one with the leather vest."

Fox began to laugh. "God only knows what baloney Langly and Frohike are feeding him."

"M-maybe you should go rescue him," Alex said, not quite meeting his cousin's eye. "And anyway, you're a guest," he repeated. "You're not here to work."

"Yeah, but I wasn't raised that way. We weren't. It may have been a lot of years since we've seen each other, Alex, but we're family. Family helps."

Grinning broadly, Fox looked down at the woman, who couldn't have been much more than an inch taller than Scully.

"I like you," he said, pointing down at her.

Maria beamed up at the much taller man. "I like you too. I haven't known you for more than about two hours, but I can see how much you love my cousin. I'm so glad we came."

Still smiling, Fox left the room with an armful of plates. When he was gone, Maria turned to Alex, who was gathering up the napkins.

"He's cute too. You'll have to tell me where you found him so I can see about picking one up for myself."

"Sorry," Alex said almost inaudibly. "Fox is one of a kind."

Maria sighed wistfully. "Figures. You're very lucky, I think."

Alex looked down at his armful. "You don't know how lucky."

"Sounds like a story there."

"A really long one."

"Hope I can hear it sometime."

Alex looked up at the woman. "Sometime?"

"Yeah, well...Alex, I don't know what happened to keep you away from us for so long, but...I hope that we can be a family again."

Alex's gaze dropped again. "Tell me that after you hear the whole story."

"Uh oh. Not pretty?"

"No. Pretty ugly, in fact. But uh...better finish getting this cleaned up before the guests think they've been deserted."

Alex watched out of the corner of his eye as Maria got to work, efficiently clearing the table. As if it wasn't bad enough that his dinner hadn't gone down at all well, his heart was now thrashing out an erratic rhythm in his chest.

They were here. The people he had been so adamant about not being ready to see. They'd walked into his home, shocked ten years off of his life, had dinner, and now he was going to have to sit with them, ten other people, and the man with whom he was supposed to have announced his upcoming wedding, and be questioned fifteen ways to Sunday about where he'd been and what he'd been doing the last dozen or so years.

No. Oh no, no, no, no, no. He couldn't do it. Not tonight. Not tonight of all nights. Absolutely nothing had gone right, and...okay, the food was excellent. But that was it. Everything else had gone completely wrong, and he couldn't handle anything else. Not one more thing.

Turning to take the napkins into the laundry room, Alex almost collided with Fox, who was just coming back in to see what else needed to be done.

"Sorry," Fox apologized softly, reaching out to steady the younger man. He looked around the room. "I made Scully and Maggie go into the living room. There isn't that much more here to do."

Alex nodded, his eyes skittering around the room. "You should go too. Some etiquette book somewhere must have something to say about at least one of a dinner party's hosts actually spending time with his guests."

"Scully'll sub for us," Fox informed the other man.

Any other time that remark would have sent them both into a giggling fit.

"I don't...God, I don't know what to talk about first," Fox said. "There's so much."

"But no time," Alex murmured, smoothing the napkins he'd folded over his arm. "We really should get out there as soon as we can...so Victor can tear into me again."

"I'll be there," Fox said simply, and Alex was reassured.

"So will I."

Both men turned to look at the woman who had come back into the room.

"Victor hasn't changed much since we were kids," Maria said with a little smile then directed her next statement to Fox. "Right or wrong, our grandmother always had a soft spot for Alex. It never sat well with Victor. He'd always been jealous of him. Led to some spectacular fights."

Fox thought he saw a hint of a smile twitching at the corners of Alex's mouth. So did Maria, and she continued.

"Alex, remember that time when you'd had enough of Victor tormenting you, and you hid up in the pear tree, waiting for him?"

The smile grew a bit. "Yeah. I dropped on him as he walked by. He fell to the ground like a sack of wet cement. Got in a few really good ones before he managed to throw me off of him." Alex shook his head. "I'd waited up there for two hours for him, and he ended up beating the crap out of me, but it was worth it."

"Plus, when Babushka found out, she really let him have it. He couldn't sit down without wincing for two days."

Alex laughed softly. "He gave me the evil eye for a whole week after that, but he didn't even try to retaliate."

The two fell silent, and Alex ventured a direct gaze at his cousin. "After we get all caught up I'm not sure you'll want to stay."

"Let me be the judge of that."

Alex nodded and again lowered his head.

Watching intently, Fox stepped forward and took the napkins from Alex. "Why don't you two take the rest of what's left into the kitchen, and I'll go put these in the laundry room?"

"'Kay." Alex flashed Fox an appreciative glance. "Thanks. And would you let Clyde out and bring him into the kitchen? He's probably started eating the wallpaper by now."

"He hasn't had dinner?"

"No. I'd been so busy, I forgot to feed him."

"All right."

The small group separated, and Maria followed Alex into the kitchen with the last of the dinnerware.

"Clyde?"

"Yeah. Oh, uh...you still like dogs?"

"Sure. Who doesn't?"

"Victor didn't like them as a kid. Remember the Zajik's little brown and white terrier? That dog wanted a piece of him every time he walked by their fence. He knew Victor was afraid of him."

"Oh, yeah. Come to think of it, he never did get any pets of any kind. I'd have a dog but my apartment building doesn't allow them."

"So, from your earlier comment about Fox, I take it you're not married?"

"I was," Maria answered as the entered the kitchen. "He turned into a real jerk, though. I divorced him less than two years later."

"Oh. Sorry."

Before Maria could tell him not to be, Clyde bounded into the kitchen, followed by Fox.

"He wasn't eating the wallpaper," Fox informed Alex as the dog ran circles around the three then stopped to investigate the newcomer, "but he did chew a nice hole in one of my jeans."

"He's adorable!" Maria squealed, petting the top of the wiggling animal's head.

"You think so?" Fox deadpanned. "Want him?"

"He's kidding," Maria said to Clyde, who had just given her a sloppy welcome kiss. "I'll bet he loves you to death."

"He does," Alex broke in. "He just gets a little grumpy because it's only his stuff that Clyde likes to tear up."

"Why's that?"

"Don't know. It's been that way since he was a pup. Well..." Alex finished rinsing and stacking the dishes, and while Fox fed the dog, he moved toward the coffee pot. "I'll get this going, and then we can go join the rest."

Five minutes later, the coffee was perking, and Maria slipped out of the kitchen followed soon after by Clyde, leaving the two men alone for a moment.

Alex pulled down the coffee cups and dessert plates, setting them on the kitchen table as Fox warily watched him.

"Guess I've farted around long enough," the younger man said with resigned sigh. He gave Fox a pained smile. "Time to go out and face the music."

"Yeah. Alex..." Fox called, but Alex had already started moving to the door, and he'd called the other man's name so softly, he hadn't heard it. Emitting a shuddering sigh, he followed Alex out to the living room.

"Victor, if you'd just relax, you'd see that he really is a nice dog."

The other male Krycek sat rigidly as Clyde carefully checked him out.

"Okay, Clyde. Leave him alone."

Clyde ceased his investigation, and with one last look at the seated man, he trotted over to Fox, tail swinging lazily. The color slowly seeped back into Victor's face, and he started to breathe again.

"It's okay, dude," Frohike confided, nudging Victor's arm. "He looks at me like that, too. Freaks you out, don't it?"

"Stop scaring the guy, Frohike," Langly broke in. "He's a good dog."

Looking over his glasses at Victor, Frohike shook his head, and Langly rolled his eyes.

"Okay, guys," Chuck began, changing the subject. "Forgive my abruptness, but let's get down to it, shall we? Vicki's going to jump right out of her skin if we don't get on this wedding thing soon."

Vicki swatted lightly at her husband. "Chuck..."

Bobby's wife Susan tossed the other woman a smile. "It's okay, I'm dying too." She gave the two men a pleading pout, ignoring her husband's attempts to wave her off. "Okay, so we all know your big news, but...can't we still have a formal announcement?" She looked around at everyone. "We'll all act surprised, right?"

Alex lowered his head, trying to come up with something to tell these people. Before he could, Fox spoke up.

"Susan...everybody...in case you couldn't tell, things haven't exactly gone the way we'd planned," he said softly. "Some unexpected stuff happened, and..."

"I screwed up."

Fox stopped speaking, turning in the direction of the husky voice.

Sitting on the arm of an empty chair, eyes still cast to the floor, Alex continued to speak.

"Right from the beginning. I did some stupid stuff, and this is how it ended up. With the man I love more than life locked in our bedroom, doubting my reasons for asking him to marry me." He lifted his head and looked directly at Fox. "I wish that there was some way I could go back and fix it all...make everything right." Again, he looked at the floor. "I wish I could make him understand that my desire...my need to have him as my husband goes as bone deep as my love for him. But..." Alex shrugged and gave a despondent shake of his head.

Fox stood not more than three feet from his silent lover, just staring. Alex's on the spot eloquence never ceased to amaze him.

Scully moved stealthily amongst the silent guests and came to her partner's side.

"What else do you need?" she asked under her breath, drawing Fox's attention for a precious few seconds. When he turned back to Alex, he found the younger man in the same defeated position. Inching forward, he reached down, gently hooking his index finger around Alex's.

"This was my fault," he whispered. "Not yours. I jumped to conclusions just like I did with the phone call. I'm sorry, Alex."

Alex started to look up and found Fox lowering himself to his knees. He took the younger man's hands in his and bestowed a soft kiss on both.

"You said you wanted to marry me, and I should never have questioned your sincerity. "Please forgive me and..." his hands tightened around his lover's. "...marry me, Alex. Please."

Alex stared long enough to make a few people including Fox uncomfortable, then he spoke.

"How do I know you're not just doing this out of guilt?"

Fox's jaw dropped.

Alex gave the older man a tiny smile. "I'm kidding," he said softly.

Relief flooded Fox's features, then he reached up to smack Alex's forehead with the palm of his hand.

"Jerk. You're gonna pay for that."

"Promise?" Alex asked, standing up and dragging Fox along with him.

"Oh, yeah. So, you gonna answer me?"

Alex turned a hundred-watt grin on the older man as he spoke to their guests.

"Guess what, everybody. We're getting married."

An assortment of sounds and comments followed, and as they drifted into each other's arms and a long, deep kiss, the women started to 'aww' and applaud.

"I love you," Fox breathed against Alex's mouth before taking it again passionately.

Knowing full well how easily the two could get carried away, Scully strolled up behind Fox and tapped him on the shoulder, clearing her throat.

"Okay, kids. We're all tickled pink for you; really we are, but would you mind breaking it up now? The guys are starting to turn a little green around the gills."

The two separated when they were damn good and ready, and Fox focused an apologetic gaze on his lover.

"Sorry for being such a pain in the ass."

Alex smiled and pushed Fox's head down to his shoulder, holding him tightly.

"S'okay," he whispered into the other man's hair. "You're my pain in the ass."

"Thank God," Scully interrupted, "because no one else would have him." She turned around to ask if anyone was ready for dessert and came face to face with Skinner.

"Sorry," he apologized, reaching out to steady Scully as she reared backward. "Didn't mean to startle you. I just uh..." he stepped around the woman and faced the two, who were still clinging to each other. "Offer my congratulations."

Fox lifted his head from Alex's shoulder and turned to face the A.D. A smile tilted his mouth, and he reached out to take the offered hand.

"Thank you."

Skinner nodded and released Fox's hand then offered it to Alex.

"Krycek."

A bit stunned, Alex took the other man's hand.

"When hard proof stares you in the face for as long as this has, it's kind of tough to turn a blind eye to it. Continued happiness."

Alex choked out a weak thanks before falling silent.

Following Skinner's lead, the others crowded around, offering hugs and handshakes.

Last in line, Victor walked up to the couple and stared wordlessly at Alex for a moment. Then he spoke.

"Things seem good for you."

Wary green eyes watched the older man. "I've been very lucky," Alex said, absently stroking Fox's back.

"Well, when you're done celebrating all your good fortune, could you maybe find a little time to explain to Maria and me what the hell you've been doing all these years? I mean besides shacking up in a big house in the Virginia suburbs with the man of your dreams, here."

Alex's expression went from guarded to angry in nothing flat.

"We're not shacked up," he said, a slight growl to his voice. We're living our lives."

"And a pretty good one it is," Victor said, looking around. "While you were busy living your privileged life, did it never occur to you that some people might be concerned about what had become of you?"

"You're not going to tell me you were worried about me, were you?" Alex asked, becoming more ticked off.

"I didn't say that," Victor sniped. "But what about Maria? Your father?"

"What?" Alex laughed bitterly. "Don't bring my father into this. He didn't give a rat's ass about me or what I did."

"How do you know how he felt after you disappeared?"

"The question, Victor, isn't how, it's why. Why didn't he care about me before I left? Why didn't he bother returning any of my calls? Why didn't he attend my graduation from the academy?"

Victor stared in silence.

"What, no answer? Guess not. The next time you want to throw my father in my face, cuz, make sure you know what you're talking about."

"You haven't changed, have you?" Victor huffed. "Still an arrogant wise-ass. There are a couple of things that are different, though." Victor moved closer, invading Alex's space. "We're not kids any more, and Grandmother's not here to defend you."

"Okay, hang on a minute," Fox cut in. "Are you threatening him?"

"Threatening? Nope. I'm simply stating facts."

"Well, here are a few more facts for you. You're a guest in my home. An unexpected, uninvited guest, and despite that, you've been welcomed and treated as well as any other guest here. But my good manners get chucked out the window when a guest starts leveling threats against my fiancé. Even when that guest is a relative."

"I see. Well. My mistake, Alex. Our grandmother might not be here, but you've still got someone to hide behind."

"Hide." Alex stepped forward, now face to face with his cousin. "Let me throw one more little fact at you, Victor. I'm not that little half-pint kid you used to push around," he purred softly, his eyes burning into the other man's. "I'm a big boy, now..."

"Oh, that doesn't look good," Maria said, halting her conversation with Scully and looking over at her cousins.

"No, it doesn't," Scully agreed, recognizing the cold glint in Alex's eyes. She quickly followed Maria over to the men, and they wedged themselves between Alex and Victor.

"What's going on?" Scully asked, looking pointedly at Alex and then Fox. "Is this the evening's entertainment?"

"Everything's fine, Scully," Fox said, fully intending to let Alex take care of Victor any way he saw fit.

"Victor, this is not what we came here for," Maria snapped. "What the heck are you doing?"

"Just trying to get some answers from our long lost cousin," Victor said, refusing to turn away from Alex's gaze.

"Looks like you're trying to get more than that out of him," Scully murmured. "Mulder, why are you letting this go on?" she asked quietly. "Why are you encouraging him?"

"I'm not doing anything," Fox replied, arms folded across his chest.

"Exactly. That's encouragement enough for this lunatic, and you know it."

Sighing heavily, Fox moved toward Alex, sliding his hand over the younger man's back.

"She's right, babe. This really isn't the time or place. We've had enough turmoil for one day, huh?"

Alex stared at Victor for a while longer then backed up and into Fox's arms. The older man wrapped him in a snug embrace and kissed the back of his neck before he turned and lost himself in a soothing ocean of green and blue.

"Come on, let's get the dessert and coffee, and then find out how many of these people are coming to Vermont."

The coldness in Alex's eyes vanished, and he gave his lover a sweet smile.

"'Kay."

Scully watched the two walk away, then she turned and faced Alex's cousins.

"Do yourself a favor," she said, directing her words to the male of the pair. "Don't provoke him."

"No?" Victor asked, amused at the redhead's caution.

"No."

"And why not?"

"He'll hurt you."

Scully walked away, leaving Victor to contemplate her bluntly stated explanation.

"He's still a jerk," Alex said, placing some dessert dishes on one of the trays on the counter and counting out the utensils.

"He's still very jealous," Fox reasoned, getting the coffee. "It's so obvious".

"I'd hoped he would have outgrown that. God. My reasons for not wanting to see them had everything to do with me. With my fear of what their reactions would be to what I'd become. I hadn't even thought of the fact that Victor might be the same asshole he was when we were young."

"Maria's very nice, though."

"She always was sweet. I'm glad to see her. And she's the one I'm worried about now."

"She is?"

"Yeah. After the way he's acted, Victor can kiss my ass. But Maria...what if she freaks out when she hears about all I've done? What if she wants nothing to do with me?"

"Alex..."

"It's entirely possible, Fox. I was about as far from being a boy scout as anyone could get."

"Yeah. But she sees you now. She'd have to be blind not to see that you've changed your life."

"Maybe it won't matter who I am now."

Fox stepped forward and draped his arms over the younger man's shoulders. "I really don't think she's going to tell you to go to hell, Alex. She was so happy to see you. I'm not saying I don't think she'll be shocked. Our history isn't for the faint of heart. But she'll be all right. And you'll have family at our wedding."

Alex smiled and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he exchanged an adoring gaze with his lover.

"I love you so much."

"As crazy as I make you?"

"I'd say we're pretty even in that department," Alex said, slipping his arms around Fox's waist.

Before the two could kiss, Scully appeared in the kitchen.

"Don't you start."

Alex groaned softly and tilted his head to glare at the newcomer.

"Your timing, as usual, Scully, is incredibly bad."

"That depends on who you're talking to," Scully shot back. "Where's the damn dessert?"

"Let's feed them, get a tally and get them the hell out of here," Alex murmured, closing his teeth over Fox's bottom lip and pulling gently.

"Won't help," Fox reminded the younger man. "We still got some 'splainin' to do to your cousins."

Alex emitted a low, frustrated growl.

"We've got a weekend in Vermont, though," Fox purred, rubbing his head against Alex's shoulder. "All alone."

"Yeah. Which reminds me. Scully, will you watch Clyde this weekend? Thanks."

"What? I don't get a chance to answer? What if I've got someplace to go? What if I have a date or something?"

Fox smiled, hiding his face in Alex's chest, and Alex laughed out loud.

"You think it's impossible?"

"Nooo. No, no," Alex answered. Of course not." He fought to keep in another giggle. "Do you?"

Hands planted squarely on her hips, Scully looked from one amused man to the other.

"Fine." She wagged her finger at them. "One day I'm going to surprise you both."

"Yeah," Fox said, wide-eyed and innocent. "Sure. Sure, you will. So. In the meantime, can you watch Clyde?"

Scully looked past her partner to his grinning lover.

"I hate you both." She picked up a dessert tray and moved toward the door. "Get the other tray and the coffee, and let's go."

Still smirking, the men followed Scully into the living room and served dessert. When everyone except Victor was settled down, Alex got to his feet, standing beside the chair where Fox was seated.

"Okay, everybody. Looks like this actually worked out the way we'd planned it." He eyed his cousin, standing by the patio doors then looked back at the group. "Mostly. Anyway...since you already know that Fox and I are getting married, the only thing left to tell you is that you're all invited."

Smiles and murmurs rippled through the guests, and Alex continued.

"You'll get formal invitations in the mail, but Fox and I are going up to Vermont tomorrow for the weekend to scope out the place we think we want to book, and we'd really like to have a number for them to work with. You know, for rooms and dinner and whatnot."

"We'll be there. What's the date?" Bobby asked.

"August tenth," Fox answered before shoving a spoonful of torte into his mouth.

Bobby pulled out his Palm Pilot and entered the date.

"We'd be spending the night, and anyone who would like to attend would stay at the inn as our guests."

"We couldn't let you take all that expense on yourselves," Byers argued. His partners' heads snapped around, and they looked at him as though he'd lost his mind.

"Why the hell not?" Langly asked.

"Yeah," Frohike added. "We're not the ones who want to go all the way to Vermont...hey. Why the hell are we going all the way to Vermont?"

"Same sex marriages are legal there."

"We'd be happy to share your day with you," Byers said before his friends could say anything more. "But only if you allow us to pay for our own rooms."

"He's right," Chuck piped up quickly before Alex or Fox could argue. "That'd be way too much for the two of you to have to take care of yourselves."

"We want to," Fox argued.

"We won't let you," Scully stated in that no nonsense Scully-in-charge voice. "Now shut up about it already."

Receiving no more argument, Scully looked around.

"How about the rest of you? Everybody going to attend?"

Answers were immediate and positive from all but Skinner and the Krycek cousins. Scully tackled Skinner while Fox headed over to Maria.

"Sir?"

Skinner looked up from his coffee into Scully's bright blue eyes.

"You didn't say anything. Are you going to go to the wedding?"

Skinner opened and closed his mouth, not knowing how to answer.

"They'd really like to have you there, you know."

"I appreciate the invitation, Agent Scully," Skinner murmured confidentially, "but..."

"But what?"

"I just..."

"Did you not mean what you said?"

"I don't say what I don't mean. I do wish them every happiness. I just think that it'd be awkward."

"Why?"

"First of all, just about everyone attending is going to be there with someone else, and second, you're all closer to Mulder and Krycek than I am."

"Frankly, sir, no one's keeping you from being more of a friend to them but you. And you wouldn't be at the wedding alone. You'd have a date on each arm."

One eyebrow arched above the wire rim of Skinner's glasses.

"My mother and me."

Skinner lowered his gaze and tapped lightly at his coffee cup.

"Come on," Scully coaxed. "When's the last time you had a date with two women at once?"

When's the last time I had a date with one woman?

"All right," Skinner answered, his tone kept low.

"The guys'll be very happy," Scully smiled, patting her boss's hand. "Mom?" she called to her mother, who was a few feet away, talking to Susan and Vicki. Mrs. Scully excused herself and walked toward the pair, smiling.

"We got ourselves a date for the wedding."

"Oh, you're going," Margaret Scully chirped, smiling at Skinner. "I'm so glad. Those boys deserve all the support they can get."

Scully left her mother talking to Skinner while she went in search of one or both of their hosts. She found Fox first, standing by the patio doors, talking to Maria and Victor.

"I'm not going to beg you to go," she heard Fox saying as she walked up. "I'd love for him to have some family there, but, supportive family."

"I'm not attending anything," Victor, replied, his arms folded stubbornly over his chest, "until I get what I came for. And even then...we'll see."

"Whether Alex tells us anything or not, I'll go," Maria told Fox. "All I really need to know is that he wants his family."

"He does," Fox assured the woman.

"Yeah, he wanted us so much, he never bothered to contact us," Victor reminded them smugly.

"Alex has been through more hell than any twenty people you know," Fox explained none too gently to the other man. "And he just hasn't been ready to face any more trauma."

"Trauma," Victor repeated. "We're trauma, Maria."

"I think you know I'm talking about the situation. The idea of facing his family after such a long absence from their lives was a frightening one to him. Something really awful happened to him last year. Something that left him wide open. Vulnerable. If I had used those words to describe Alex to almost any one of the people here a little over a year ago, they would have laughed their asses off. Now you ask them, and they'll tell you the same thing I have. And although he's much better, he's still recovering from it.

"I found him one night not too long ago looking at pictures of his family. He wanted to contact you, I know he did, but he wasn't ready. Emotionally, he just wasn't there yet."

"What happened to him?" Maria breathed, concern more than evident in her expression.

"It's part of a very long story. One we'll tell you after the guests leave, if you like."

Maria nodded mutely.

Fox looked from her to Victor.

"One word of warning. He doesn't need any crap."

The dark head peppered with the occasional white hair tilted curiously. "You're very protective of him. What is it about my little cousin that inspires people to such devotion?"

"I love him," Fox stated simply. With that, he backed up one step then turned and walked away.

Continue to part 2

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