Life from the Ashes Book 1 - A New Beginning
Chapter 3
Thanksgivingby Jo B.
purplefox@usfamily.net***
Viva Tower
Wednesday, November 25,
5:30 a.m.Walter Skinner made it down to the exercise room in record time. He quickly glanced around the empty room for any sign of his lover, and noticed a small white cloth lying beside a still revolving treadmill. He removed a handkerchief from his pocket, hit the stop button with it, then stooped down and picked up the small white cloth. As he lifted near his face, he could smell the sickly-sweet smell of chloroform wafting off of it.
Agent Boutotte rushed into the room seconds later. His condo was right next door to Walter Skinner's. When he heard the door to Skinner's condo slam up against the wall and the heavy pounding feet run past his door, he instantly raced out of his condo and followed him. He made it to the staircase just before the door closed, and raced after the speeding A.D. down the many flights of stairs as fast as he could.
When he rushed into the exercise room, he found the A.D. standing in front of a treadmill staring down at a piece of white fabric. He walked over to him breathless, "Sir, what's wrong?"
Skinner appeared to be in shock.
"Sir?"
Skinner quickly pulled himself together. "Mulder came down to use the treadmill . . . " The AD looked around and noticed the emergency exit and headed over to it. Boutotte followed closely behind.
Using the handkerchief, Skinner turned the doorknob being careful not to disturb any fingerprints. They saw the body crumpled against the side of the building and the pool of blood that had seeped into the freshly fallen snow.
"Bob . . . the caretaker," Skinner informed Boutotte. He noticed the tire tracks leading out of the alley, knowing instantly they were from a humvee; it had a very unique set of tracks. Snow was beginning to cover the tracks, in another half-hour they would no longer be visible.
"I'll call the police and get the FBI crime lab down here, sir." Boutotte quickly headed back into the building. He didn't like leaving the A.D. alone in his current state, but he knew time was critical.
***
Warehouse
Wednesday, November 25,
6:00 a.m.Henderson carried Mulder's limp body up the steep, concrete staircase leading to his loft apartment in the abandoned warehouse. He walked across the hardwood floors over to the large four-poster oak bed and delicately laid Mulder down, staring lovingly at the sleeping figure. Then with the uttermost care, he removed Mulder's clothing, peeling off the T-shirt, shorts, boxers, and running shoes. He carried the discarded clothing over to the closet and placed it on the top shelf.
He walked back to the bed and studied his soon-to-be-lover's naked body. Henderson ran a hand down the long, lean body, savoring the softness and warmth, stopping at his groin he briefly fondling him. Sitting down at the end of the bed, he placed the agent's leg in his lap and gently caressed it, before fastening the leg-cuff around the ankle.
The colonel quickly removed his own clothing and laid down next to Mulder, pulling the warm body into his arms. He buried his nose in Mulder's hair and breathed in his clean scent; he thought he heard the agent stir and looked closely at his face. He was still deeply asleep. The chloroform would have worn off by now if he hadn't stopped along the way to give the agent a general anesthetic. He didn't want Fox regaining consciousness until he had returned from killing Babcock.
Fox Mulder drifted in and out of his drug-induced slumber. A sharp raunchy smell assaulted his senses when he surfaced briefly; he felt something large and hairy rubbing against him. He tried desperately to open his eyes, but was pulled back under as he felt the soft surface he was lying on spinning around and spiraling him back into blissful darkness.
Henderson reluctantly pulled away, standing he started dressing. He bent over and kissed Mulder tenderly on the lips before heading out the door. "I'll be back soon, babe, then we'll have all the time in the world to be together."
***
Viva Tower
Wednesday, November 25,
6:00 a.m.Alex Krycek parked in front of Viva Towers just as the first police cars arrived. His gut twisted as if someone had stuck a hot knife into him. He wasn't able to make mental contact with Mulder and feared the worst as he followed the officers around to the back of the building.
He noticed the body covered by snow. A few men were milling around it, blocking it from his view. He shoved his way through, needing to get a closer look and felt his stomach unknot when he saw it wasn't Mulder.
"KRYCEK!"
Krycek turned around to face the man who had barked his name.
"Skinner." Krycek noticed the visible signs of anxiety on the A.D.'s usually unflappable exterior.
"Why are you here, Krycek?"
"For the same reason you are . . . Mulder. Where is he?" He walked up to Skinner staring him straight in the eye. "Something happened to him, I felt his terror . . . then nothing."
Skinner grabbed Krycek's right hand and studied it. "We tattoo clairvoyants in this country," he said, letting go of the hand. It never occurred to Skinner to question how he, too, was able to hear Mulder's cry for help.
"Yes, they're doing that in Russia, too. However, I'm not a clairvoyant."
"Then what was that *bullshit* about feeling Mulder's terror?" Skinner snarled. He didn't have time to play twenty questions with Alex (rat bastard) Krycek -- he had to find Fox.
"That's irrelevant, the important thing is finding Mulder. I want to know what happened here."
Skinner glared angrily at the handsome ex-agent. "Krycek, you may have been given a full pardon by the President, but to me you're still a traitor and a murderer. So, I'm not telling you a fucking thing! Now, get your rat's ass out of here, you're impeding the investigation!"
"Okay! Fine! Whatever! I'll find him on my own, without any help from you, and don't talk to me about being a traitor . . . we both know the role you played." Krycek stormed off toward his car; he had picked up enough information from several of the other agents' minds to know what happened. For some reason, he couldn't read Skinner's thoughts, which worried him, he'd never run into anyone he couldn't read before.
Whoever had taken Mulder had also chloroformed him, which would explain why he couldn't read him. He'd have to drive around waiting for Mulder to regain consciousness and hope that he was close enough to pick up his brainwaves. He knew once he was awake it would be easy to follow them straight back to Mulder.
Skinner watched apprehensively as Krycek stormed off. Fuck! Why did he have to come back . . . if Mulder ever found out what the ex-agent knew, he'd lose him. He thought he'd covered all of his tracks to prevent Fox from ever finding out, but with Krycek in town . . . Maybe he should sit down and have a long talk with his lover, explain his part in the conspiracy and beg his forgiveness, but he had to find him first.
***
Warehouse
Wednesday, November 25
10:00 a.m.Mulder slowly opened his eyes, squinting against the glaring bright light coming in from the large window on the other side of the room. He wished the bed he found himself on would stop spinning, his stomach was churning and he felt bile rising in his throat. He slowly turned his head, noticed the bathroom a few feet from the bed, and very cautiously tried to make it there before losing the contents of his stomach.
He was aware of the chain scraping against the hardwood floor and the feel of the heavy cuff around his ankle as he made his way slowly into the bathroom. Staggering over to the toilet, he vomited, emptying his stomach of its contents. After sliding down onto his knees, he rested his throbbing head against the cool porcelain of the bowl and tried to regain control over his heaving stomach.
Colonel Henderson let himself back into his loft hideaway through the heavy sliding iron door. He had removed the easy gliding wheels so it would require sheer strength to open it. He had just killed Sergeant Babcock, which he found pleasantly enjoyable. The look of sheer terror on the sergeant's face just before he snapped his neck was priceless, almost as good as sex *almost* if one didn't have a Fox chained to one's bed.
Henderson glanced over at the bed upon entering his dwelling, Fox wasn't there; he saw the chain trailing into the bathroom. He walked into the bathroom, finding the agent on his knees draped over the toilet and moaning into the bowl. He took a long moment to admire the view of Mulder's long, lean, naked body, before he walked over and flushed the toilet, startling Mulder who looked up through sweat dampened bangs into the colonel's grinning face.
//Fuck, what an ugly sight to see on a queasy stomach,// Mulder thought.
The colonel knelt down next to him and brushed the damp bangs away from his eyes. "I think I'll give you a bath. It should make you feel better."
"Letting me go would make me feel a hell of a lot better," Mulder muttered, jerking away from Henderson's caressing hand.
The colonel stared him in the eye. "I don't think so. You'd better accept your new position in life, Fox. You're my property now and I'm not letting you go, ever!" He ran a rough, possessive hand down the graceful curve of Mulder's back to his butt, squeezing and pinching each cheek then he slid a finger between them and circled the small puckered opening.
"Stop! Don't! Get your fucking hands off me!" Mulder struggled to pull away, but he was wedged between the toilet and the sink. He gasped in pain as Henderson forced a thick, dry, callused finger into him.
The n'thral used his other hand to pull Mulder's naked body up against his. Grabbing his thick brown hair and forcing his head back, he locked their mouths together. Henderson forced his tongue into the agent's mouth and down his throat, while he forced his large finger in deeper.
Mulder felt nauseated. If he hadn't already lost all the contents of his stomach, he would have puked into that invading mouth. He'd never experienced anything so vile or putrid tasting as the colonel's thick, wet, rancid tongue. He groaned in pain as the n'thral's bumpy callused finger plunged deeper into his body, twisting and bending, it felt like sandpaper scrapping his insides raw. Mulder started to feel dizzy and light headed from the lack air reaching his lungs; he sagged against Henderson's body.
Henderson pulled back and roughly yanked his finger out. "Okay, babe, let's get you into the tub." He undid the leg-cuff from the slumping agent's ankle and lifted him effortlessly off the floor, setting him gently into the empty bathtub. He then closed the drain and turned on the water. He tested the temperature and reached for the perfumed bath oils he had purchased just for Fox, pouring it under the running water. He watched happily as the foamy bubbles started filling the small bathtub.
He was enjoying the look of fear on the agent's beautiful face. He loved the way Mulder would cringe as his large hand swirled the soapy water around next to him.
The colonel stood up and took off his shirt; he retrieved a washcloth from the linen cabinet then knelt in front of the tub and proceeded to thoroughly wash the lithe body before him. Mulder wanted to back away, but it was impossible in the small confines of the bathtub. He dreaded what was going to come next. Henderson just hummed happily as he gently scrubbed the body he now considered his.
Mulder bit his tongue; he didn't want to say anything that would set the deranged colonel off. He was searching for a way he could outwit or disable the bastard.
The colonel finished bathing the agent, pulling the plug to drain the water from the tub. He grabbed a large bath towel and jerked Mulder up to his feet and out of the tub. He proceeded to dry Mulder's silky smooth skin that now smelled pleasantly of lavender, he lowered his nose to sniff him. Mulder was beginning to worry, Skinner had given him a shot of the anti-pheromone drug early this morning, and it only lasted sixteen hours. When it wore off, he would have one very horny n'thral on his hands that wouldn't be content to dry and sniff him.
When Henderson bent down to dry his legs, Mulder saw his chance, he quickly grabbed the heavy lid off the tank behind the toilet and slammed it down hard over the colonel's large head. The lid broke in two upon impacting Henderson's skull; the giant slumped down on the floor. The agent dashed around him and out of the bathroom, heading for the large iron door. He strained against it, but was only able to budge it a couple of inches. He looked around for something he could use to pry it open, spotting a two-by-four, grabbing it and put it into the small gap.
He had managed to pry the door open enough for him to slip through when a large hand yanked him back in. He was spun around and slammed hard against the cold, iron door, knocking the air out of him. Mulder looked up in dread at a very angry n'thral who had blood dripping into his eyes from the head wound. The colonel slapped him across the face making his ears ring and blood flow from the side of his mouth. Henderson reached behind him and effortlessly pulled the heavy iron door closed with one hand.
"That wasn't very nice, Foxy, and here I was going to be extra gentle with you knowing you're still a virgin and all. Now, I'll just take my pleasure from your lovely body and teach you what I like and how I like it the hard way." Henderson jerked Mulder up throwing him over his hairy shoulder he carried the struggling agent over to the bed and dumped him on it. He reattached the leg-cuff, and made sure Fox was watching as he stripped off the rest of his clothing.
Mulder watched in horror as the rest of the enormous hairy body was revealed. He shuddered when he saw the massive erect penis jutting out from beneath thick pubic hair. Henderson climbed onto the bed and reached out his hand, forcefully flipping the agent onto his stomach. "I'm tempted to do you dry, but you're going to be in enough pain when I ram my thirteen inches into you."
"Please . . . stop . . . don't do this," Mulder whimpered, uselessly struggling to rise or to roll off the bed, but Henderson's large hand was pressed in the center of his back holding him in place.
"But I want to do this. Now, you just lay there quietly while I grease up that sweet little ass of yours." The colonel slapped Mulder's butt hard, leaving a red handprint on his smooth ivory skin. He pulled out a tube of lubricant, squirting it out onto his fingers and applied the lube between Mulder's butt cheeks. He then probed the tight opening and inserted his thick finger, pushing the lube deep into the agent's body. He bent over to nip and suck the side of Mulder's neck as he finger-fucked him. Mulder jerked as the heavy body bent over his back as the n'thral started marking his body with his mouth.
Mulder tried to close his mind to the degradation he was going through as the colonel inserted another large finger into him. Twisting and scissoring them in and out of him, the pain was unbearable, he felt pulled and stretched beyond his endurance when yet another finger made its way into his body.
"You are so fucking tight, babe, your ass is really going to feel good around my large cock, you're going to clench it nice and tight. I can't wait to drive it all the way into you until my balls are up against your tight little ass."
Henderson pulled his fingers out forcing Mulder up onto his knees in front of him. He roughly grabbed the agent's slim hips and forced his legs as far apart as possible, placing his massive organ against the incredibly small hole. He was about to ram into him . . . when there was a loud crash behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see a very angry young man dressed in black, then an invisible force jerked him off the bed throwing him through the air and out a plate glass window on the other side of the room.
Mulder felt the cool air on his back as he collapsed onto the bed. He curled himself into a tight ball and lay shaking. The bed sank as another weight settled on it and a soft, tender hand rubbed his back in a soothing circular motion. "Don't worry, Fox, I have you. I won't let anyone harm you."
Mulder stared up with pain-filled eyes into the beautiful, caring face of Alex Krycek. He reached out and wrapped his arms around Krycek's waist, burying his face in his lap. He released all the pent-up anxiety he had been holding in for the last two hours. Krycek held and rocked Mulder's trembling body, rubbing his back trying to soothe him. "Ssh . . . I'm here now, everything is going to be all right."
"I-I'm okay . . . now. T-Thanks, Alex." Mulder pulled himself away and rose to his knees still shaking.
Krycek gently caressed his tear stained cheeks and ran a gentle thumb over the large purple bruise forming on the side of his face. He reached down and touched a finger to the leg-cuff making the latch spring open. "I'll find your clothes," he murmured, getting up to look around. He didn't want to leave Mulder's side, but he knew it would be best if he allowed him a moment of privacy to pull himself back together.
Krycek opened the closet door and noticed the clothes and shoes on the top shelf. He brought them back to Mulder who quickly dressed. "Here put this on." Krycek pulled off his long, leather coat, handing it to Mulder who was only dressed in shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt.
Mulder accepted it gratefully, shivering from the cold air pouring in through the shattered window. "Thanks, Alex. How did you find me?" His curiosity was starting to kick in as he wondered why Krycek was there. He no longer hated Alex Krycek, after he had reviewed all of the official and secret government files on the triple agent, he knew Krycek wasn't the traitor or murderer he had thought him to be.
"I zeroed in on your brainwave patterns. Fox, I came back to this country to see you again because there are some things I need to tell you. But, not here . . . later. Right now, I'm going to take you back home. Skinner was going out of his mind with worry." Krycek hugged and kissed Mulder on the cheek, pulling him toward the iron door that lay broken on the hardwood floor. They climbed over it and made their way down the steep staircase.
"Brainwave patterns? You're right, Alex, you do have a lot to tell me. Including, how you knocked down that heavy iron door." Shivering, Mulder pulled the coat tighter around his body as the cold wind whipped snow against his bare legs. He cautiously slid into the front seat. He was still painfully sore from the colonel's rough treatment, but the car was pleasantly warm and helped him to relax.
As the car pulled away, a large figure stirred from the waste receptacle it had fallen into.
***
Viva Tower
Wednesday, November 25,
1:00 p.m."Alex, please pull around to the parking garage, I don't want to go in through the front lobby. I want to avoid people right now," Mulder directed, as he stooped down low in the car seat not wanting to face anyone yet.
"Sure, Fox. Do you want me to come up with you?"
"Yes, would you? I really don't want to be alone. Besides, I still have your coat." Mulder grinned at him sheepishly, running his hand over the expensive leather coat.
They made it up to the condo without running into any of the other building residents. Mulder shrugged out of the coat. "I'm going to call Walter. There are beverages in the refrigerator, help yourself, Alex." Mulder hung up the coat in the hall closet and walked over to the phone.
***
Hoover Building
Wednesday, November 25,
1:00 p.m.The large office was alive with activity as A.D. Walter S. Skinner coordinated the search effort for Special Agent Fox Mulder. He had assigned agents to different portions of the city to start canvassing neighborhoods. The D.C. police had issued a four-point bulletin for the apprehension of Colonel Henderson who was the only suspect in the case.
The ringing phone annoyed Walter Skinner; he was just in the middle of widening the search parameters. He pulled out his cell phone, "Skinner!" he barked, while studying the map that lay open on the table.
"Walter, that's not a very civil way to answer the phone."
"Fox! Where are you? Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?" As Skinner shouted into the phone, all activity in the room came to a complete stop.
"I'm fine, thanks to Alex Krycek." Mulder smiled over at Krycek who was drinking a beer and leaning up against the kitchen door listening to their conversation. "I'm back at the condo."
"I'll be right there." Skinner hung up and quickly headed toward the door. "Mulder's okay, he's back at Viva Tower," he informed the other men in the room assembled for the search effort.
***
"Skinner's on his way home. Alex, would you mind staying to explain to him what happened? I'm not up to talking about it just yet."
"Sure, if you want me to. But Skinner hates my guts." The feeling was mutual, but he didn't voice those thoughts.
"He hasn't accepted the truth about you, yet. I'm going up to take a shower, make yourself at home, I won't be long." Mulder headed for the stairs. Krycek watched as his lanky form moved with cat like gracefulness up the steps.
Krycek really wanted to join him, but knew he had to play this carefully in order to sway his ex-partner over to him. He was happy that Mulder no longer hated him. That alone caused him to change his previous plans of abducting Mulder. The problem was that not hating him was still a long way from loving him and he hadn't known Skinner would be in the picture. Krycek knew things would be different if Mulder knew just how deep Skinner once was in the whole damn conspiracy before the younger agent had changed the older man's heart.
Twenty minutes later, the front door crashed open and Walter Skinner rushed in. He noticed Krycek standing by the patio door looking out. "Where is he?" he asked breathlessly, glancing around for any sign of his lover.
"He's upstairs taking a shower."
"Thanks." Skinner turned and dashed up the stairs taking them two at a time.
Mulder thought he would never get the smell or feel of the colonel's touch off his body as he scrubbed himself raw. The water was starting to turn cold, and he knew he should be getting out when the shower door swung open and a fully clothed Walter Skinner stepped in. Skinner pulled him into his arms hugging and kissing him. He rained kisses over Mulder's face, kissing his eyelids, nose, and cheeks before claiming his mouth for a long, deep kiss. "God, Fox, I was so afraid I'd never see you again," he sobbed, holding him in a tight embrace.
"Ssh . . . I'm fine. C'mon, Walter, let's get out of here before you ruin your clothes." Mulder led the trembling and exhausted man back into the bedroom. Grabbing a towel, he quickly dried himself, then helped Skinner out of his thoroughly wet clothing.
Skinner gently touched the large, purple bruise on the side of his lover's face, then trailed a hand down to the red hickey and bite marks on his shoulder, taking in the hand-sized bruises covering his lover's body. "We figured out it was Henderson who took you, but he wasn't at his previous address. We started canvassing the neighborhoods hoping someone had seen the ugly bastard. I'm sorry, Fox. I should have prevented this . . . he didn't . . . " Skinner choked back a sob.
Mulder had never seen Skinner with so little control over his emotions. He felt a tightening in his throat and chest over the pain his lover was feeling. "Walter, I'm fine . . . really . . . and no, he didn't . . . thanks to Krycek. If he hadn't shown up when he did, I would have been in major trouble."
"I . . . I told him to fuck-off when he came by wanting to help find you. Damn, I owe him more than an apology. There is no way I can possibly repay him." Skinner reached out and hugged Mulder against his bare chest.
"Let's get some clothes on, I'm sure Alex is wondering where we are." Mulder pulled out an old soft pair of sweats from the dresser. He smiled recalling only a few days ago how Walter had emptied several of the dresser drawers for his exclusive use.
"Tomorrow's Thanksgiving, I want to start preparing some of the recipes ahead."
"Fox, are you sure you're up to it? Everyone will understand if we called it off."
"Walter, I'm fine. Damn, I'm starting to sound like Scully," Mulder quipped, wrapping his arms around Skinner's neck and kissing him gently. "I need this . . . really . . . it will help me take my mind off of things."
They went back downstairs together; Krycek was sitting patiently on the sofa waiting for them.
"Alex, where have you been staying since you arrived in town?" Mulder questioned as Skinner sat in the chair across from the sofa.
"I stopped by your old place to see you, and have been decking out on your old leather sofa. I've been trying to get up the nerve to talk to you, Fox. Like I told you, there is a lot I need to say to you." Krycek looked dejectedly down at his hands. "Fox, you asked me to stay and talk to the A.D. about that n'thral bastard, I'll do that and leave you alone for now, but I want to set up a time when I can talk to you, alone." Mulder felt himself melting at the look of misery in Krycek's deep-green eyes. He felt his heart skip a beat at the lust he was feeling for his gorgeous ex-partner. He quickly clamped down on his feelings, not wanting Walter to notice.
"You're welcome to stay in our guest room, Alex, besides tomorrow's Thanksgiving, please stay and celebrate it with us," Mulder pleaded, not liking the thought of Krycek being alone tomorrow, although, that was how he'd spent many a Thanksgiving himself.
Skinner didn't like the idea of Alex Krycek under his roof, but he had saved Mulder's life, so he owed him one. "Krycek, you're welcome to use the guestroom tonight and both of us would like you to stay for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow."
"Okay, since both of you asked me. I do miss sleeping in a real bed. I'll be right back. I'm going to get my stuff from the car."
"I really hope I don't regret this," Skinner muttered, watching Krycek head out the door.
Mulder wandered into the kitchen.
***
When Krycek returned Skinner showed him to the guest bedroom where he issued a warning. "If you breathe a word to Mulder about my initial involvement with the consortium it will be the last breath you ever take!" He hissed in a low voice.
"Don't worry, Skinner, I have no intention of saying anything to Mulder. I wouldn't want to cause him anymore pain. I suggest that we call a temporary truce for his sake. Mulder wanted me to explain to you what went down with that n'thral bastard."
"Okay, Krycek, for Mulder's sake. Let's go back into the living room, because I want Henderson apprehended more than I want to throw your butt off the balcony at the moment."
***
Mulder pulled out the ingredients for the two different types of stuffing that he had planned on making. After talking to the sons of some of the agents coming over tomorrow, he found the boys had completely different tastes in stuffing. He decided to compromise by making two different types, a cornbread stuffing and spiced ground beef stuffing.
He couldn't believe that Skinner would buy a place with such an elaborate kitchen, considering he was single and not much of a cook. Mulder walked over to the far side of the kitchen and opened the door to a walk-in pantry. It was wall to wall with shelves and pullout bins for potatoes, onions, and apples. The small room even had a built-in climate control.
They both had a field day at the grocery store on Monday evening, buying enough to stock the pantry for over a month. Although he really enjoyed cooking, when he lived alone there hadn't been much of a point. Most of the enjoyment came from cooking for other people, but occasionally he would have a craving for something and go to the store for the ingredients.
He looked around the well-stocked pantry; he was going to have to make pies for tomorrow. They tried to buy ready-made pies, but all the stores they went to were sold out. So, they picked up the ingredients for two pumpkin pies and two pecan pies. He already made the pie crust dough and had it chilling in the refrigerator. He then set about rolling it out and placing it into greased and floured pie plates.
Three hours later he had four perfect pies setting on the counter to cool, and two different stuffing were in large casserole dishes. Additional stuffing sat in one bowl in the refrigerator, they were cooking one twenty-three pound turkey tomorrow and he planned on stuffing it with the rest of the spiced ground beef stuffing.
While he worked his mind didn't dwell on his ordeal from this morning, but when he came out of the kitchen Skinner and Krycek looked at him with concern. "What's wrong?"
"Colonel Henderson's body was no longer at the warehouse when the police arrived. He must have survived the fall from the window. I'm sorry, Mulder, I should have checked to make sure that he was dead." Krycek noticed that Mulder had turned a light shade of green before he rushed out of the room.
Mulder leaned over the toilet in the downstairs bathroom and threw up everything he had eaten over the last two hours. The anxiety he had been trying to keep in check all afternoon came back with a vengeance at the thought of Henderson still being alive.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right, Fox?"
How could he tell Walter about his fears without making him feel guilty or having him become even more protective of him? "I'm fine, Walter . . . really . . . it was just the shock of finding out he was still alive." Mulder went over to the sink and rinsed out his mouth, then splashed cold water on his face. "C'mon, we have twenty-two people coming over for dinner tomorrow and we still haven't figured out where we're going to seat everyone." He tried desperately to get his mind off of the colonel.
They reentered the living room together. Krycek was pacing back-and-forth in front of the patio door when he saw Mulder; he immediately went over to him. "Fox, are you right?"
"I'm fine, Alex."
Skinner didn't like Krycek using Mulder's first name. He thought it was a privilege only he had been allowed. He really wanted to set Krycek straight, but Fox didn't correct him and he appeared comforted by his presence. Mulder's wellbeing was Skinner's main concern at the moment and if having Krycek here helped him, then he was willing to hold his tongue.
They spent the next several hours discussing Russia and the new alliances being formed between the countries that had come through attack in the best shape. Skinner glanced at the clock and noted it was after 10:00 p.m. and they needed to get up early tomorrow. "I think it's time we called it a night, Fox."
"Okay, Walter. Good night, Alex, we'll finish our discussion tomorrow." Mulder rose and headed for the stairs as Skinner followed him; he noted the jealous look Krycek threw at him.
Once in the bedroom, they stripped out of their clothing. Skinner was about to remove his briefs, but stopped when he noticed Mulder had left on his boxers. "Would you please just hold me tonight, Walter?"
"Sure, Fox, whatever you need." Skinner climbed onto his side of the bed and scooted over to the center he pulled Mulder into his arms. Mulder snuggled into the older man's embrace and rested his head on Skinner's shoulder; he breathed in his lover's soothing scent. He felt completely safe and knew he wouldn't have any nightmares while he was shielded within Skinner's protective arms. He fell immediately asleep.
***
Viva Tower
Thanksgiving Day
11:00 a.m.The mouth-watering smell of turkey roasting in the oven permeated the large condominium. Some of the guests arrived early to help set up the folding tables and chairs. With the leaves put in Skinner's large oak dining room table there was enough room to seat all twelve adults. The folding tables were pushed together and covered with a large tablecloth for the ten children.
Krycek stayed in the kitchen helping Mulder he was enjoying the intimacy of being near him. He noticed the bruise on the side of Mulder's face from yesterday was completely gone, he wondered about the bites and bruises over the rest of his lanky body. Krycek was amazed at how relaxed Mulder was; he didn't show any anxiety from yesterday's assault.
Krycek marveled at the physical changes the mutation caused on Mulder, the smooth flawless skin, his hair was thicker and several shades of brown hair, and his hazel eyes were more vivid. He had been physically attracted to Fox Mulder since the first day they met, but now he had to mentally restrain himself from throwing Mulder down on the kitchen floor and ravishing him. Damn, he had to stop those thoughts. He wanted to have Mulder come with him willingly . . . if that didn't work he would take him back to Russia by force, but he had time and was willing to wait, for now.
"Fox! Fox! Look what I made for you." Nicky rushed into the kitchen handing Mulder a piece of paper with a stick figure drawing of a four-legged animal on it. Nicky was Agent Pipino's four-year-old son.
"Thank you, Nicky, this is very good --- you're quite the artist. It's the first time I've ever seen a blue fox, let's hang it up on the refrigerator." Mulder patted Nicky's head. The small boy beamed up at him, happy that he had liked his drawing, and was hanging it up.
Krycek watched their interplay. He had never seen Mulder around children before. Mulder's face glowed as he talked to Nicky and he completely lost the haunted look that was always in his eyes. He found himself getting lost in a daydream of Mulder and him starting a family. With the advancements the consortium had made in combining DNA and cloning, they could have kids with both of their genetic makeup . . .
"Alex . . . Alex." Mulder waved a hand in front of Krycek's smiling face, snapping him out of his daydream.
"Sorry, Mulder, I was thinking about something and zoned out."
"A penny for your thoughts?"
Krycek blushed for the first time in years at the thought of telling Fox that he was daydreaming about them having kids together. Now, that probably wouldn't go over really well, but it just might be worth seeing the expression on his face. "It was nothing really important. I've finished peeling the potatoes. What else do you want me to do?"
Mulder hadn't missed the embarrassed blush that covered Krycek's handsome face, he gazed into Krycek's beautiful, green eyes that were covered by long, thick eyelashes. He could get lost in those eyes . . . he shifted uncomfortably and was glad he was wearing an apron, it covered his growing arousal. He'd always found Alex sexually appealing, but he wanted to remain faithful to Walter and didn't want to do anything that would damage their relationship. He shook himself realizing Alex had asked him a question and he was just standing there practically drooling over him.
"We need to put together a relish tray, there are olives, cranberry sauce, and spiced apple rings in the pantry. Also, there's celery and cheese spread in the refrigerator." Mulder had consciously stepped away from him while matching Krycek's blush.
Krycek smiled and headed over to the pantry, he didn't need to read Mulder's mind he saw desire in his beautiful, hazel eyes. He grabbed the cans and jars from the shelves and as he was carrying them out, he heard a man's voice greeting Mulder then saw a little troll hugging him.
"Mulder, it's good to see you again, thanks for inviting me," Frohike blurted out happily and embraced his long-time friend, while holding a large bag in one hand. "Where can I put this?" He held up the paper bag.
Mulder smiled at his friend, then cautiously looked at the bag in his hand. "What is it?" he asked worried, knowing Frohike's strange tastes in food.
"Don't worry, Mulder, I didn't bring anything weird, it's not pickled octopus. You said there were going to be kids here, so I made a Jell-O mold with little marshmallows and fruit cocktail."
Nicky, who had taken a seat at the kitchen table, and was in the process of making another crayon masterpiece, looked up at the mention of Jell-O and marshmallows. "Yippee, can I have some?" He shouted excitedly, looking pleadingly at Mulder with puppy dog eyes.
"Thanks, Frohike, I completely forgot that kids love Jell-O. Nicky, you can have as much as you want, but you have to eat the other foods, too."
"Who's your little friend?" Frohike asked, taking the Jell-O mold out of the bag and putting it in the full refrigerator, shuffling a few items around to get it to fit.
"Nicky, this is Melvin Frohike." Frohike took a seat at the small breakfast table across from Nicky.
"Melvin is a funny name," Nicky informed him seriously and went back to coloring.
"Blunt, isn't he?" Frohike muttered dejectedly. He wasn't really upset just wanted to put on a show for sympathy for Mulder.
"All kids are honest at his age . . . and he's right, Melvin is a funny name." Mulder chuckled at the sour look on his friend's face.
"And Fox isn't?" he replied, grinning back.
"Fox is a cool name," Nicky told him.
"Yeah, Fox is a real cool name," Krycek purred, as he came back into the room after standing in the pantry doorway absorbing their conversation. He put the cans and jars down on the counter and walked over to join the group at the small table.
"What's your name?" Nicky asked.
"Alex." Krycek smiled down at him.
"Alex is an okay name." Nicky smiled back at him.
"You're Alex Krycek?" Frohike looked him over closely after hearing all about him through the years. "You're hot," he said finally giving him a lecherous look thinking, not as hot as Fox, but still quite tasty.
"He used the same line on Scully when he first met her, Alex."
"Speaking of the lovely Agent Scully, have you heard how she's doing?" Frohike asked seriously.
"I've been trying to get permission to visit her in Colorado, but they're only allowing her brothers in. They won't let any non-family members in to see any of the women. I have spoken with her on the phone three days ago, and she didn't sound very happy." A miserable look appeared on his face; at least he had finally been able to talk to her.
Krycek decided to change the subject. He didn't want Fox to fall into a blue funk. "Where do you keep the relish trays, Fox?"
They worked in peaceful silence with Frohike occasionally giving Nicky advice on his drawing.
In the living room, the kids that arrived early with their dads were sitting watching the college bowl game. The men were sitting at the table drinking beer and discussing the changes going on throughout the world.
The other guests started to arrive around one, and several little boys joined Nicky coloring at the kitchen table. Frohike relinquished his seat to them. Mulder poured each of them some apple juice, he felt thirsty himself but not for juice.
"Hey, do you guys want to share a bottle of wine?" Mulder asked, grabbing a bottle from the refrigerator and putting another one in its place from the wine rack. Skinner was chilling three bottles of white wine to go with the meal. Mulder estimated his replacement bottle should be chilled enough by the time the meal was ready.
Half an hour later Byers and Langly showed up, and Skinner answered the door. "Hello, we're Mulder's friends. I'm John Byers and this is Ringo Langly." John held out his hand to Walter Skinner who looked them over very carefully before shaking each of their hands.
"Mulder mentioned you were coming, it's a nice to meet you. Please come in, Mulder and Melvin are in the kitchen." Skinner showed them to the kitchen, he wanted to find out more about Mulder's strange friends. He always assumed Mulder was a loner without any friends outside of the few he had in the bureau.
When they entered the kitchen Mulder, Krycek, and Frohike had a bottle of wine open and were standing at the center-island drinking and laughing uproariously. Krycek was leaning up against Mulder far too intimately for Skinner's liking, but what made him envious was hearing Fox laugh. He couldn't remember ever hearing him laugh before, at least not the deep belly laugh he was doing. "Fox, your other friends are here."
Mulder looked up and beamed. "Byers! Langly!" Going over, he hugged each of them. "I'm so glad you both could make it. It's been too long since we last saw each other."
"It good to see you too, Mulder. Thanks for the invite. If you hadn't invited us, we would be suffering through Frohike's version of a Thanksgiving meal." Langly cringed, he had on a plain black T-shirt and black jeans it was his idea of formal wear. Byers dressed as usual in a stylish suit and tie.
Mulder glanced over at Skinner who was standing out of the way of their reunion. "Walter, the turkey should be done any minute. I thought we could start setting the other dishes on the buffet table."
"Sure, Fox, what do you want me to do?" Skinner was glad Mulder was including him, he was starting to feel like a third wheel.
"You can take out and open the wine, we'll start bringing out the food."
An hour later the turkey was done and carved. All the kids had been served, and the adults sat after filling their plates to the brim at the buffet table. Everyone was eating and chatting amicably. Skinner sat at the head of the table and Mulder sat at the other end with his friends and Krycek. Mulder didn't notice Skinner's look of displeasure at him for not sitting next to him.
Twenty minutes later, Skinner finally had his mind off Mulder and was having a deep discussion with Underwood and Boutotte about some of the new legislation going through congress.
Mulder was on his fifth glass of wine and felt a bit tipsy. He seldom drank, and when he did the alcohol had a strong effect on him. Krycek noticed that Mulder had slurred a few words, but at least he was a happy drunk.
After everyone was done eating, the Lone Gunmen offered to do the dishes, and a couple of the agents stood up to help them clear the table. The smaller kids were starting to get cranky from overeating and being tired. Skinner suggested putting all four of them down for a nap in the upstairs bedroom on his king-sized bed. He just hoped none of the little rug rats were bed-wetters.
He didn't notice that Mulder and Krycek were gone, he was too busy entertaining and assumed they were in the kitchen helping out.
Krycek noticed how unsteady Mulder was on his feet and thought it would be a good idea for him to lay down for a while. He saw Skinner helping take the smaller children upstairs for a nap, leaving him no other choice but to put Mulder in the guest bedroom.
Mulder felt warm and happy, he really didn't want to take a nap. The alcohol had fogged his thinking and all the rational reasons behind why he shouldn't get sexually involved with Krycek flew from his mind. When Krycek tried to have him lay down Mulder wrapped his arms around Krycek's neck and pulled him down on top of him, kissing him passionately. He had always wanted to kiss his ex-partner. Krycek broke the kiss panting; looking down at Mulder's beautifully aroused face.
"You taste really good, Alex," Mulder murmured, trying to pull him back down.
"Fox, I want more than anything to make love to you, but not like this. I want you totally sober so there won't be any doubts in either of our minds that this *is* what you want. I hope you can understand. Please, say you understand?" Krycek thought it would be so easy to give in to Mulder and make love to him, but he knew Mulder would feel guilty once he sobered up, and he didn't want Mulder to regret being with him.
Mulder stared lustfully up at him. "I . . .I've always wanted you . . . Alex, it h . . . hurt so much when I thought you'd betrayed me. I know now that you never did th . . . that you'd been set up, and used for a scapegoat. I haven't found out the name of the inside man who really was behind Scully's abduction and my father's murder. I've gone through all of that smoking bastard's papers, and his name wasn't in them. If you know, please, tell me." Mulder looked into Krycek's eyes and saw him flinch.
He couldn't tell Fox the name without seriously hurting him. How could he tell him the name he was looking for was Walter Skinner? He could let Fox find it out on his own, though. Then, he would make sure he was there to whisk Fox away and to prevent Skinner from convincing him not to leave. Krycek leaned down and kissed him tenderly before getting off the bed. "Get some sleep, we'll talk later."
***