North Woods 3

North Woods 3

Jo B. purplefox@usfamily.net

Rating: NC-17

Slight spoilers: Sein Und Zeit and Closer

Keywords: M/O M/Sk SLASH

Disclaimer: The X-Files characters are the property Chris Carter,
1013 productions and Fox Broadcasting. No money is being made
from their use.

Summary: Mulder finds comfort in the arms of another man.

Authors Notes: I'm a Minnesotan. However, all of the Minnesota
locations in this story are purely fictional. I started this
story a few days after watching the episode Closure. It doesn't
reflect anything that comes after that episode.

Feedback is always welcome. Any constructive suggestions are
appreciated.

WARNING! This story contains explicit Sex/Romance between two
men. Turn back now, if the subject matter offends you.

Okay to Archive: MTA, DitB, Slashing Mulder all others please ask
first.

Web site: http://www.parkers-
place.net/roundXFslash/lfta/LFTAHome.htm

***

Mulder's cabin Saturday, April 16, 2000 7:30 a.m.

Mulder came instantly awake at the sound of rapping on the French
door leading into his bedroom. He lifted his head cautiously off
the pillow and peered over at the door. For some reason, he half
expected to see a large hairy face staring back at him through
the glass. He was relieved when he only saw a ruggedly handsome,
uniformed man. He slid out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans
then padded in his bare feet over to door, and opened it.

"Can I help you?" He shivered as the cool morning air came in
through the open doorway.

"Agent Mulder, I'm Ernest Brenner from the DNR. Sheriff Olsen
sent me over to collect the carcass from your deck," the man
said, holding out his hand.

Mulder noticed that the deer was gone as he shook the man's hand.
"Thank you, Mr. Brenner."

"I've already hauled it out to my truck. I just wanted to let you
know what happened to it. Wouldn't want you thinking that the
Bigfoot came back for it, now would I?" he joked, then went on as
his eyes caressed Mulder's bare chest. "That was something wasn't
it? Who'd have thought there were Bigfoots in the area? You were
there when they killed the second one weren't you?"

"Yes. Look it's really is early and..."

"What did it look like?" Brenner asked, stepping closer to
Mulder.

"Ah, it was big and hairy. Now, Mr. Brenner, if you don't..."

"I heard it stunk to high heaven. Boy, I wish I could have seen
it. Olsen, that lucky bastard, killing one Bigfoot and
discovering their lair and rescuing the Congressman...he's going
to be famous." Brenner looked Mulder up and down as he spoke.

Mulder suddenly felt naked under the man's stare and wished he
had more on than just a pair of jeans. "Mr. Brenner, it's early
and..."

"He's gay you know?" Brenner said.

"What?"

"Sheriff Olsen. He's a homosexual. You're close friends with him
aren't you?" Brenner licked his lips as he looked at Mulder's
nipples that were hard pebbles from the cool early morning air.
He raised his eyes and stared at Mulder's full plump lips.

"I really don't think that is any of your business. I think you
should..."

The man took a step closer. "You're a damn fine looking man, what
say we..."

"Fox darling, are you going to sleep all..." Scully paused in the
doorway and feigned surprise. "Oh, I thought I heard voices, but
I assumed it was the radio," she said sweetly, walking across the
bedroom to Mulder, she wrapped her arms around his waist.
Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed him. Scully had heard the two
men talking outside the bedroom door and figured the DNR man
needed rescuing before her partner decked him.

Brenner's eyes widened and he blushed. The town's gossip said
that Mulder and Olsen were a couple, but it looked like that was
false. "Excuse me, ma'am, I better get going. Ah, it was nice
meeting you, Agent Mulder."

Mulder shut the French door and started chuckling. "Thank you,
Scully, your timing couldn't have been better. I owe you one."

"I'll hold you to that, Partner." Scully grinned. "I'm going to
make some coffee. Why don't you get dressed?" she said, heading
out the bedroom door.

Mulder stared longingly at his bed. He didn't know how Scully
could be this chipper so early in the morning after they had both
gotten only a few hours of sleep. He was usually the morning
person and he was still beat from last night.

***

Ashburg Saturday, April 16, 2000 9:30 a.m.

Sheriff Olsen had his deputies out handling crowd control. Main
Street looked like a virtual parking lot, there was traffic
coming into town from both directions. He had several news teams
waiting outside to interview him. Damn he hated the press. Why
did this have to happen to him? Olsen picked up the phone and
dialed his lover. He hoped that Fox was up.

"Mulder."

"Hi, Fox, how is your morning?"

"Hi, Eric." Mulder smiled across the sofa at Scully. They were
watching the morning news shows. "My morning is nice and
peaceful. However, I can see from the news that yours must be
anything but."

"Tell me about it! I can't believe the number of people already
in town. It seems like everyone in a two hundred mile radius just
jumped in their cars and headed up here," Olsen grumbled.

"So when's the dashing hero going in front of the cameras?"
Mulder chuckled.

"Ah jeez, Fox, couldn't you come down and do the interviews for
me? After all, it was your theory all along that we were dealing
with a Bigfoot."

"Sorry. You're the hero, Eric. Don't forget you single handedly
took down a seven foot enraged Bigfoot, then rescued Congressman
Asner. You're famous. They're already flashing your photo across
all the networks." Mulder smirked over at Scully.

"Don't remind me," Olsen groaned. "Fox, I'm going to have to
cancel lunch with you today. Maybe I'll be able to get away for
dinner later." Olsen hated that he had to cancel. He didn't want
to leave Mulder alone for too long with Skinner. Maybe now that
the case was over the A.D. would be heading back to Washington.

"That's okay, Eric." Mulder was slightly relieved; he didn't want
any conflicts between Olsen and Skinner. "Don't keep the press
waiting...I'll talk to you later," Mulder said.

"Yeah. Bye, Fox."

Scully shut the television off and stood. "Let's go sit on the
deck."

Mulder followed her outside. The sun was up and felt pleasantly
warm despite the temperature only being in the mid-fifties. They
sat on a couple of cedar deck chairs. "It's hard to believe that
they are predicting snow flurries by morning."

"Yeah, but it is still only the middle of April. Mulder, you seem
to be getting really close to Sheriff Olsen...what are you going
to do in six weeks when your vacation is over?" Scully asked.

"Scully, I don't know what I'm going to do next week, let alone
six weeks from now. Eric makes me happy."

"Would you quit your job to stay here with him?"

Mulder frowned and looked out at the lake. "I don't know,
Scully."

"How do you feel about Skinner?"

Mulder was surprised by her question. "What do you mean?"

"Skinner told me how he feels about you last night."

"He did? I'm surprise he told anyone how he felt. That doesn't
sound like him."

"Mulder, he's in love with you...and seeing you with Olsen last
night must have been painful for him. He just needed someone he
could talk to," Scully said.

"That must have been hard for him to do. I'm beginning to believe
he really must have some sort of feelings for me," Mulder mused.

"He's in love with you." Scully shook her head sadly, Mulder had
such low self-esteem that it was hard for him to imagine that
someone would actually care deeply for him. She leaned back and
looked at him. "How do you feel about Skinner?"

Mulder grinned sheepishly at her. "Skinner's been my number one
fantasy for the past six years. I respect him more than any man
I've ever known." Mulder stood and walked over to the railing.
"Scully, I'm afraid that I could sabotage our work relationship
by getting involved with him. You know I haven't had the best
luck with relationships."

"Mulder, I don't think you should get involved sexually with our
boss."

Mulder turned back and faced her with a look of surprise on his
face. "You don't?"

"No, I don't. First, it's against Bureau policy for Skinner to be
sexually involved with a subordinate; he could be reprimanded or
worse, fired. Secondly, our enemies could use this information to
blackmail you or Skinner. Finally, if it doesn't work out it will
be almost impossible for you to continue working for him," Scully
said.

"Scully, I think it would be worth the risk. If we're careful, no
one will ever find out. If it doesn't work out I'm sure we'd both
be very adult about it," Mulder argued.

Scully smiled. "How did I know that would be your response?"

"You did that on purpose didn't you?"

"Yes. I still don't believe it is a good idea, but I think you
should follow your heart. And Mulder, I really believe that he
does love you."

Mulder's lips curled up in a sheepish smile. "Thanks, Scully. I'm
going back inside for some more coffee would you like another
cup?"

"Sure, Mulder."

Mulder went inside and came back out carrying two mugs. They
continued sitting on the deck enjoying the peaceful tranquility
of the late morning, while staring out at the lake with the
warmth of the sun shining on their faces.

"Good morning," Skinner said, stepping out on the deck and
carrying his own mug of coffee. He was more rested than he had
been in two weeks. He couldn't believe that he had slept so late.
Before coming downstairs, he had taken the time to check on the
status of Congressman Asner and his daughter, and then he called
the Deputy Director.

Mulder looked Skinner up and down. He looked incredible dressed
in jeans and a FBI sweatshirt; it emphasized his narrow waist and
broad, muscular chest. "You're looking good. I take it you slept
well."

"Remarkably well. Thank you." Skinner sat on the deck chair next
to Mulder.

"I was waiting for you to get up before making breakfast. I hope
you and Scully are hungry," Mulder said, standing.

"Mulder, you're going to cook for us?" Scully asked, somewhat
surprised.

"I thought you were having lunch with Sheriff Olsen," Skinner
said.

"Eric called earlier, he's too busy handling crowd control and
the press. They've been pouring into town since the news about
the Bigfoots was released last night," Mulder said.

"Do you need any help?" Skinner asked.

"No. You two just relax and enjoy the scenery." Mulder walked
back inside, he had some onions and green peppers that he had
diced a couple of days ago and placed in Tupperware containers in
the freezer. He pulled those out along with a package of sliced
mushrooms from the refrigerator, then a thick slice of ham. He
figured Scully and Skinner both would enjoy an omelet. He diced
the ham into small cubes then threw it in the sauté pan with the
vegetables. As the vegetables and ham were sautéing, he pulled
out a loaf of bread from the breadbox and started a couple of
slices toasting. Then he started scrambling the eggs. Mulder had
noticed that Skinner looked like he could use a good meal.

Scully looked out toward the dark woods for several minutes.
"Sir, I don't understand why after so many centuries of hiding, a
Bigfoot would risk discovery for the sheer purpose of abducting a
human male. Why Congressman Asner and not his aide? Why him?"

Skinner was worried. "I don't know, Agent Scully. I'm worried
that one of those creatures might have left the deer carcasses on
Mulder's deck. I don't think that Asner was the only one it was
interested in."

"Do you think Mulder might still be at risk?"

"Yes. We can't be sure that there aren't more Bigfoots in the
area."

Scully looked back out at the dense woods. "What can we do to
protect him?"

"I think we need to figure out why the Bigfoot was attracted to
Asner and Mulder. They must have something in common that drew it
to them," Skinner said.

Mulder opened the window over the sink and heard the last part of
their conversation. "It was our Eastern accents. Breakfast is
ready. Do you want to eat inside or out?"

"Inside," Scully said, still glancing toward the woods. Mulder
and Asner were good-looking men; she wondered if that was what
drew the Bigfoot to them.

Mulder carried the plates to the dining room table. Then he went
back for condiments and the pitcher of orange juice.

Skinner eyes widened with surprise, the breakfast really looked
and smelled heavenly. He realized suddenly that he was starving.
"Country hash browns, a ham omelet, toast, and fresh fruit.
Mulder, this looks delicious. I didn't know that you could cook."

"Anyone can cook breakfast, but I do know how to cook other
things. I'm not totally inept in the kitchen," Mulder grinned.

Skinner took a seat at the table and dug into the omelet. It was
loaded with cheese, green peppers, mushrooms, ham, and onions
just the way he liked it. He closed his eyes as he relished on
the first bite.

Mulder watched with satisfaction as Skinner ate. He'd never felt
this way about anyone enjoying his cooking before. When he cooked
for Phoebe, then Diana, it had become a chore instead of
something he enjoyed doing. He had to watch the amount of
saturated fat and salt he used or they would blame him for every
pound they gained. For some reason, he ended up doing all of the
cooking during their relationships. He frowned and picked at his
omelet. Sometimes he hated his eidetic memory; most of his
memories weren't worth remembering.

"Are you going to finish that or play with it?" Skinner asked.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm not very hungry." Mulder noticed that Skinner's
plate was clean. "Would you like it?"

Skinner reached his hand out and Mulder passed him his plate.
"You really are a good cook, Fox," he said shoveling more eggs
into his mouth. "Has he ever cooked for you, Agent Scully?" he
asked between bites.

"No. He did bake me a cake for my birthday last year; at least he
claimed he baked it. At the time, I thought he was joking, but
now I'm not so sure." Scully spread some raspberry jam on her
toast. She was getting almost as much enjoyment as Mulder was
watching Skinner eat. She and Kimberly had been worried about the
A.D.'s health the past week, it was good to see him eating and
sleeping again. She thought that Skinner must be pretty confident
that he would succeed in winning her partner's heart.

"So are you still planning to talk to Doctor Mora today?" Skinner
asked.

"Yeah."

"I'll go with you. If you don't mind?"

"No. I don't mind."

"Who's Doctor Mora?" Scully asked.

"The town's veterinarian. He acted suspiciously when I showed him
the hair sample I took from the railing of my deck the other
day."

"Well, you two are on your own. I'm going back to D.C. this
afternoon. I want to be there when they do the autopsies on those
two Bigfoots." Scully looked at her watch. "My flight leaves from
Duluth in five hours. So I'll be leaving here in a half hour."

The doorbell rang and Mulder unfolded himself from his chair and
walked over and opened it. "Colton," Mulder said as the other man
pushed passed him and entered the cabin. Two other agents
followed him inside and smiled apologetically at Mulder.

Colton made a beeline for Skinner as he jealously glanced around
the opulent log home, wondering how Mulder could afford to stay
there. "A.D. Skinner, the men and I were wondering if we are
through here? Now that the Congressman has been recovered and
the...animals responsible killed." Colton looked hungrily at the
remaining food on Skinner's plate. The diner had been too crowded
and they couldn't get a table.

"No. I need you men here. We're not sure if there are any other
Bigfoot in the area. Either one of the two that were killed
yesterday or a third yet to be captured left a deer carcass on
Agent Mulder's deck yesterday. We're not leaving here until I'm
one hundred percent assured that Agent Mulder is no longer in any
danger," Skinner growled. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and
pushed away from the table.

Agent Thomas cleared his throat, he was starving. "Agent Mulder,
we couldn't get anything to eat in town because of the crowd. Do
you suppose we could impose on you for a bite to eat? Maybe a
bowl of cereal?"

Mulder couldn't allow them to go hungry especially since Skinner
was going to have them patrol the cabin grounds. "Sure. Why don't
you take a seat at the counter and I'll fix you each an omelet
and some country hash browns."

Scully and Skinner cleared the table and did the dishes while
Mulder started on three more omelets. Scully poured the three
agents some coffee then looked at her watch. "Mulder, I better
get going if I'm going to get to Duluth in time to catch my
plane. I'll call you tonight."

"Sure, Scully, with any luck we won't see each other again for
six weeks." Mulder dumped an omelet on a plate then scooped up
some hash browns.

"Agent Scully, keep me abreast of your findings," Skinner said as
he set the butter and jam on the counter in front of his men.

"Hey, if Agent Scully is leaving can I have her room?" Colton
asked.

"NO!" Skinner and Mulder both responded simultaneously.

The other two agents could barely keep the smiles from their
faces.

"Thanks, Mulder, this is delicious," Agent Thomas said. If he was
going to be stuck here, at least he wasn't going to starve. He
might be able to catch some rays out back while on patrol.

"Sir, can we get going to see Doctor Mora?" Mulder asked, setting
the last plate of food in front of Colton.

"Okay, Agent Mulder, let me change first." Skinner wouldn't dream
of interviewing anyone without his FBI regulation suit and tie.
He passed Scully on the stairs as she came down carrying her
bags. "Have a safe trip, Agent Scully," he said, then added
quietly, "and thank you for last night."

Scully smiled and nodded. "You're welcome, sir. I hope it works
out."

Skinner was determined to make it work. He had one thing in his
favor, when Mulder's vacation was over, he would be coming home
to D.C. Skinner saw it in Mulder's eyes yesterday as the younger
man worked with Scully, Mulder loved his job too much to just up
and leave it. Skinner still had the immense task of convincing
Mulder that a relationship with him could work, but he felt up to
the task. He quickly stripped out of his jeans and sweat shirt,
folding them neatly over the back of a chair he walked over to
the closet and pulled on a fresh linen shirt and his gray Brook's
Brother's suit.

When he returned downstairs he heard a commotion coming from
outside.

Agent Thomas looked up from putting his dish in the dishwasher.
"The press is outside. It seems they discovered that it was
Mulder's theory that we were dealing with a Bigfoot and they're
trying to get an interview with him."

Skinner grunted and headed for the front door. He stepped outside
and watched as Mulder tried to tactfully handle the press.

"Sorry, I have no statement to give you. I wasn't assigned to the
case...I'm only here on vacation. Now if you want to interview me
about my vacation I'd be more than happy to answer your
questions," Mulder said smiling charmingly.

The reporters weren't going to be put off so easily. "Can you at
least confirm Sheriff Olsen's statement that it was your theory
that a Bigfoot was responsible for the murders and the
Congressman's abduction? He said that if it weren't for your
insistence he might have been too surprised to defend himself
when the Bigfoot attacked him. What made you suspect that you
were dealing with a Bigfoot, Agent Mulder?"

Skinner realized that Mulder's charm wasn't working. "Agent
Mulder is done answering your questions. Any questions you have
can be addressed to Mr. Adam Johnson in the FBI public relations
department." He indicated to Mulder that they should be leaving
with a nod of his head toward his car.

"Excuse me, sir, who are you?" a reporter asked, walking
backwards in Skinner's path.

"Assistant Director Walter Skinner," he growled.

"Were you surprised to find out that you were dealing with a
Bigfoot, sir?"

Skinner glanced over at Mulder then looked back at the reporter.
"No." He unlocked the car doors and climbed in before they could
ask any more questions.

Mulder climbed in the passenger side and buckled his seat belt;
he sat watching Skinner as the larger man drove onto the main
road.

"Is there something you want to say, Agent Mulder?"

"You weren't even a little surprised?"

"Nope."

"You looked surprised when you saw its body."

"That wasn't surprise."

"It wasn't?" Mulder arched an eyebrow.

"No. I was just amazed by its size. Not that it was a Bigfoot. I
would have been more surprised if you were wrong."

"Really?" Mulder asked skeptically.

"Fox, I learned my lesson during the Pincus case. You were almost
killed because I didn't believe you and had you committed for
observation. I'll never make that mistake again. I'm sorry."
Skinner felt contentment talking honestly to Mulder; he had
wanted to apologize for that Pincus case for the longest time.

"So are you saying that you will always believe me?"

"No. I won't believe you on April fools day," Skinner quipped.
"Fox, I will do my best to suspend my disbelief to hear you out.
If you can convince me that there is a slight chance that you
might have a valid theory, then I will back you up." The pleasant
fragrance of the cologne the younger man was wearing filled his
senses, he wanted to pull the car over and take Mulder into his
arms and make love to him on the side of the road.

Mulder was speechless. No one had ever shown almost blanket faith
in him before. It felt surreal. He sat silently beside Skinner
and watched the scenery pass outside the window. He turned and
watched Skinner's strong profile as the A.D. slowed the car
coming upon a traffic jam. "Walter, if we started a relationship
you have a lot more to lose than I do. You could be fired for
sleeping with a subordinate..."

"Fox, I'd quit the FBI in a heart beat if it meant that I'd have
you as my lover. My career doesn't mean as much to me as you do."
Skinner rolled down the window, they were in standstill traffic,
and he looked over at Mulder. "I've been offered positions
outside of the FBI for a lot more pay than I'm making now."

Mulder shook his head. "I don't want you to quit. I-I need
someone who believes in me, my work...Scully is wonderful but she
refuses to look beyond her science." Mulder was so tired of her
scoffing at all of his theories, not even willing to give them
any consideration. He thought by now that he'd have earned a
little of her faith.

"I can do that whether or not I'm your boss. Fox, you earned my
respect long ago. You stood by me when no one else would."
Skinner reached over and squeezed his hand. "I will always be
there for you if you'll let me."

Mulder smiled weakly. "Walter, I'm not the easiest person to live
with. I'm moody as hell and tend to be messy and annoying at
times."

Skinner threw back his head and laughed when he calmed down he
turned to Mulder. "I've been your boss for over six years, Fox.
Do you think for a moment that I don't know just the type of man
you are? You're moody and annoying at times, but you're also
honorable, trustworthy, and have a good heart." The traffic
started moving slowly again.

Mulder smiled softly. "Can I have that in writing? I want to pull
it out when we have our first fight."

Skinner nearly beamed with delight. "Then you'll have a
relationship with me?" He wanted more, but he didn't think Mulder
was ready to move in with him yet.

"Yeah, as soon as I'm back from my vacation." Mulder sighed,
touching Skinner gently on the shoulder. "I want to break it off
with Eric gently, I owe him that much. Eric knows that as soon as
my vacation is over I'll be going back to D.C. He's a good man,
Walter." Mulder was unable to say more, he cared too deeply for
Olsen and he knew Skinner would never understand.

"I know he is, Fox. I'm sorry that I've put you in such a
position..." Skinner trailed off sadly.

Mulder quickly looked around then leaned over and kissed Skinner
on the cheek. "Don't worry about it, Walter, it's my problem."

Skinner sighed and turned into the veterinarian's clinic.

Mulder felt guilty about Eric. Although, he was overjoyed about
what his brief conversation with Walter had revealed. Maybe he
should investigate spring as an X-File. It certainly was the time
for lovers.

Skinner pulled into a parking space next to the building. They
both climbed out of the car and headed for the door.

Doctor Mora was in the reception area talking to his assistant
when they entered. "Agent Mulder, this is a surprise," he said.

"Doctor Mora, this is my boss Assistant Director Walter Skinner.
We'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Is there something wrong, Agent Mulder?" The elderly doctor
glanced at the two men larger men.

"I think it would be better if we spoke in your office. Don't
you, Doctor?"

Mora looked between the two men nervously then he turned back to
his assistant. "Tammy, hold all of my calls. Right this way,
gentlemen." The doctor led them back into his office.

Mulder walked over and stared out the window. "Doctor, how long
have you known about the Bigfoot in the woods around Long Lake?"

Mora sighed and took a seat behind his desk; he started fiddling
nervously with a paperclip. "They never killed before. Usually
they keep to themselves, even during mating season. We've only
had one incident where someone has gotten hurt and that was
almost sixty years ago," the doctor said.

"What happened back then, Doctor?" Skinner asked, taking a seat
in front of his desk.

"A young man was raped while hunting. He shouldn't have been in
those woods during the springtime. Only a few people ever knew
what happened."

"How did you find out about it, Doctor Mora?" Skinner asked.

"The young man was my father, Mr. Skinner. People up here used to
hunt for food back then, we weren't that large of a community at
the time only a couple dozen families. Farmers mostly. Venison
was a staple source of protein. Even so, most hunters avoided the
area around Long Lake. The year my father was attacked, we were
just recovering from one harshest winters in memory. The deer
population had been diminished and my father had to hunt areas
that he'd normally would avoid, especially in the spring." Mora
rose and got himself a cup of coffee; he turned back to Skinner
and Mulder holding up the coffeepot. "Do you gentlemen care for a
cup?"

"No, thank you. What happened to your father, Doctor?" Mulder
asked.

"I don't know the whole story...I hadn't been born yet. My mother
was pregnant with me when the incident happened. I just know what
she told me over the years. If you want the whole story you'd
have to ask her, she might be willing to talk about it." Mora sat
back behind his desk.

"I would like to talk to her as long as it is all right with you.
But first, we would like to hear what you know about what
happened." Mulder stood by the window with his arms crossed
across his chest.

"Agent Mulder, it isn't up to me whether my mother talks to you,
it is up to her. What I know is very little. My father had been
missing for several weeks; then he came stumbling out of the
woods one day naked and collapsed on the porch to our house. My
grandfather and mother carried him inside. He was filthy and his
body was covered with cuts and bruises. Mother never went into
details, but she said that a Bigfoot had its way with him. My
father never recovered. He wouldn't leave the house and spent
most of his time in bed. Then the following spring he simply
vanished. One of the local farmers said they saw him walking in
the direction of Long Lake. My mother and grandfather went out
looking for him, but they found no trace of him," the Doctor said
sadly.

"Doctor, why were you trying to protect these creatures, if they
were responsible for hurting your father?" Mulder asked.

"My mother raised me to respect all of God's creatures, even the
Bigfoots. Agent Mulder, just because one hurt my father, that
doesn't make them all bad. I've spent my whole life studying the
Bigfoots around Long Lake. For the most part, they are gentle,
timid creatures, except during the spring mating season, but even
then, they tend to avoid people. My father must have accidentally
stumbled upon their lair," Mora said.

Skinner was fascinated. "How many of these creatures live around
Long Lake?"

"I'm not really sure. They are not the easiest creatures to
track, at times, they seem to appear as if from thin air. Their
ability to hide is what has kept them a mystery for so many
years. In all the decades I've been studying them, I've only seen
them four times."

"What about the dead deer carcass left on Agent Mulder's deck?
Why would it do that?"

"When my father was recovering from his attack, deer carcasses
started showing up on our porch throughout the year. After my
father disappeared, the deer carcasses were no longer left on our
porch. My mother thought it was the Bigfoot trying to make amends
for hurting her husband. I don't think that's why they were left,
I think it was a form of courtship." Mora looked up at Mulder as
he spoke.

"If they are as gentle and timid as you describe them, then why
would one break into the Congressman Asner's cabin and kill his
wife and aide then abduct him?" Skinner growled.

"Mr. Skinner, I don't know. It doesn't make sense. Congressman
Asner must have done something to attract the one to him..."

"What about Agent Mulder? Is he still in any danger?"

"No. I'm positive that he's not."

"Well, I'd rather not take your word for it!" Skinner didn't like
the fact that the doctor hadn't told Mulder about the Bigfoots in
the first place.

"Sir, I'm sure the doctor is right, there isn't any danger..."

"I'll determine that, Agent!" Skinner's look dared Mulder to
challenge him. Most agents would crumble under his glare, but not
Mulder.

"Sir, I'll remind you that I'm on vacation..."

"You're still my agent and involved in a homicide investigation.
I'll decide if you need to be protected!" Skinner snapped.

Mulder glared at him. "Does that mean you're going to tuck me in
at night?"

"If that is the only way I can be assured of your safety, Agent
Mulder, then yes."

Mulder wondered if Skinner's feelings for him was causing his
boss to become overly protective? He decided to imagine another
agent in his place and what Skinner's reaction would be. Mulder
was almost disappointed when he visualized that Skinner would
have treated Colton in the same fashion, if their positions were
reversed. Sighing, he turned back to the doctor. "Doctor Mora,
can you tell us how to find your mother?"

Doctor Mora was temporarily startled by the question. He had been
watching the two men argue. "My mother and I live south of town.
She usually comes into town to eat breakfast at the diner with a
group of her friends and spends the day in town, but because of
the crowds she decided to stay home today." Doctor Mora wrote the
directions to his home as he was speaking. He handed Mulder the
slip of paper. Mulder studied it and passed it to Skinner.

"Thank you, Doctor Mora. We'll keep in touch if we have any more
questions," Mulder said, turning and heading for the door.

Skinner stood and shook the doctor's hand then followed Mulder
out of the office. After they climbed into the car Skinner paused
before starting it. "Fox, I hope you know that I was acting as
your boss in there. I'm trying not to allow our relationship to
interfere with work."

"I know. I thought you were at first, but then I realized that
you were only doing your job." Mulder squeezed his knee
reassuringly. "This is going to take some getting use to for both
of us."

Skinner took a hold of Mulder's hand, entwining their fingers
together. "Fox, I am going to try damn hard not to treat you
differently at work, but I can't promise you that I won't be
worried or concerned about you."

Mulder smiled. "Let's go talk to Mrs. Mora."

Skinner grinned and started the car.

***

The Mora Home Saturday, April 16, 2000 2:30 p.m.

Mulder sipped the coffee Emily Mora had brought him. The elderly
lady was in her eighties and seemed as sharp as a tack. Her story
was unusual to say the least, but he found it convincing.
However, he could tell that Skinner was having a difficult time
with it.

"Mrs. Mora, how can you be sure that the Bigfoot didn't rape your
husband? Your son seems to think that it did, and even you said
that he had been raped." The old woman baffled Skinner, he wasn't
sure if she had all of her wits.

"Most of the time my Jonathan was delirious, but he told me
during one of his more lucid moments that it wasn't the Bigfoot
that touched him."

"Why haven't you ever told your son this, Mrs. Mora?" Skinner was
having a really hard time believing her story.

"I have, but Henry has gotten it in his mind that it was a
Bigfoot. The boy spends so much of his time in the woods
searching for them that I never pressed the issue with him."
Emily held a plate out to Skinner. "Would you like a
snickerdoodle, Mr. Skinner?"

"Thanks, Mrs. Mora," Skinner said, taking a cookie off the plate.

"Please call me, Emma."

Mulder took a cookie then asked, "Tell me again about where
Jonathan said he was for three weeks?" He knew she wasn't telling
them everything -- she was being too evasive.

"He said that he awoke in a strange land...he thought the Bigfoot
must have taken him there. He said there were plants and animals
that he'd never seen before, but every time he'd tried to tell me
more he'd just start shaking uncontrollably. He couldn't even
remember how he got home." Emily sat on the sofa sadly, nervously
wringing her hands together in her lap; she had a distant look on
her face. "He went back to him...to that land," she muttered.

"To him, Emma?" Skinner asked.

Mrs. Mora didn't mean to let that slip out, but maybe it was time
to tell everything she knew. She was an old woman and no longer
needed the tributes she'd received over the past fifty-seven
years.

"Mrs. Mora, why would Jonathan go back to someone who had hurt
him?" Mulder asked.

Emily looked at them sadly. "His heart was back in that land,
with the creature who took it and wouldn't give it back." Mrs.
Mora rose and took a photograph down from the mantle and handed
it to Skinner. "My Jonathan was a good looking man...don't you
think so, Mr. Skinner."

The photograph was an old black and white, in it was a handsome
dark-haired young man standing on the front porch of a house. He
passed the photograph to Mulder. "Emma, what creature?"

"A goblin prince...it sends me a yearly tribute for Jonathan,"
she said quietly.

"You mean your husband is still alive? What sort of tribute?"
Mulder asked excitedly.

Skinner sighed. He figured the old woman was senile -- goblin
prince indeed. What sort of nonsense was that?

"Gold nuggets. At first he would have the Bigfoot leave
deer...later he paid in vegetables and grain. He would always
have the Bigfoots leave it on the fall equinox. Every year like
clockwork. Then he started leaving gold nuggets in a pouch on my
front porch. I couldn't sell it locally, people would talk. I had
to make a yearly trip down to St. Paul. Henry never knew, he
thought we were living off money that my father left me."

"Why haven't you ever told anyone about this before?" Mulder
asked, kneeling next to her chair.

"At the time I had a child and my sick father to feed, Agent
Mulder. I needed the money I made from selling the gold, if I
told; he might have stopped sending it. Later, I did it to
protect Henry...I didn't want him finding out that his father had
left us for another man. Human or not, it would have been hard
for him to accept."

Skinner frowned; he could see that Mulder believed every word of
this absurd tale. "Emma, I'll admit that I'm having a difficult
time believing your story. How do you know it was a goblin and
for that matter a goblin prince who took your husband?"

"I met him. He came to our home on a midwinter's eve. He wanted
to purchase Jonathan from me." Mrs. Mora had a lost look on her
face. "He was so beautiful...I'd always thought goblins were
suppose to be ugly. He was tall and regal, his skin was like fine
porcelain and he had pointed ears and flowing white hair. I told
him to leave, that my husband was not for sale. He laughed at me,
and told me he already owned Jonathan's heart and he wanted to
own all of him. He left without seeing my husband...a couple
months later Jonathan went to him." Tears dampened the old
woman's cheeks. "If you gentlemen don't mind I'd like to be alone
now."

"Mrs. Mora, thank you for your time. May I come and talk to you
again?" Mulder asked.

"No. I told you everything that I know...I don't want to talk
about it again."

Skinner stood and took Mulder's arm. "Thank you, Emma. Come
along, Agent Mulder."

Once back in the car Skinner turned to Mulder. "I take it you
believe her tale?"

Mulder had been deep in thought and was brought back to the
present by Skinner's question. "Some of it makes sense. There
have been theories that the Bigfoot came from an alternative
dimension. I always found that theory plausible. It would explain
why no one has ever captured one until now. Throughout history
there have been legends of goblins and other mystical creatures,
why would it be so odd that the legends were based on fact and
not fantasy?"

"So, what do you think we're looking for here, some sort of a
dimensional gateway between our two worlds? If one existed why
hasn't anyone discovered it before?" Skinner questioned, driving
back toward the cabin.

"Maybe it has been discovered, but no one ever made it back to
tell anyone. Walter, consider all the ships and planes that have
disappeared without a trace in the Bermuda triangle. Where did
they go? Or the countless unsolved disappearances throughout the
world."

"Okay, you've made your point, but I still would like some solid
proof that such a dimension actually exists." Skinner hid a
smile. He always got a secret pleasure in seeing Mulder enthused
and his mind leaping from theory to theory. Mulder was driving
him to distraction, sitting there chewing on his lower lip with a
distant look in his eyes. Skinner wanted him so badly.

Mulder worried his lower lip as he contemplated how he could
possibly do that, his expression turned from thoughtful to one of
puzzlement as Skinner turned off the main road and parked.
"Sir..." was all he got out before he was pulled into a
passionate kiss.

Skinner's side was pressed against the steering wheel as he
leaned across the seat and kissed Mulder. He was overcome with a
deep need to claim as much of Mulder as he could possess, his
hands caressed up and down Mulder's back as the younger man
melted into the kiss.

Mulder's fingers smoothed over Skinner's bald head, and then they
brushed through the remaining hairs above his neck. He felt
light-headed by the time the kiss ended. "Wow. I thought the
first time might have been a fluke, but you really are a great
kisser."

Skinner's fingers traced over Mulder's full bottom lip and
smiled. "Has anyone ever told you, that you have the perfect
mouth for kissing?"

Mulder felt a moment of déjà vu. He wasn't about to tell Skinner
that Olsen had said almost those exact words to him. "Not
recently," he lied.

Skinner's smile grew broader. It was as if he'd discovered
something no one else knew. "I can't wait 'til we're back in D.C.
where I can show you privately just how much I love your mouth."

It was Mulder's turn to smile and he now longed to get back to
D.C. Maybe he should cut his vacation short?

"What are you thinking, Fox?" Skinner's fingers caressed over the
two-day stubble of beard on Mulder's cheek.

"Going home with you as soon as this case is over." Mulder
figured that the Langlys wouldn't have a problem with him
breaking his two-month lease. Not since his life had been
threatened. Besides, they should be able to rent the cabin again
easily after all the publicity.

"It's officially over. The only thing keeping me and the other
agents here is concern over your safety."

Mulder sighed. "I still want to check into Mrs. Mora's story. Do
you know what it would mean if we can discover a gateway to
another dimension?"

"Fox, we have enough problems in our own world without delving
into another universe. Besides, I don't think it's a good idea
for you to go traipsing around the woods. I'll remind you that
those Bigfoot were attracted to you and we still don't know why."

***

Ashburg Saturday, April 16, 2000 4:30 p.m.

All day Olsen had been puzzling over why the Bigfoot had shown an
attraction to both Asner and Fox, when it suddenly occurred to
him. He grabbed his phone and dialed Mulder's number.

"Skinner."

"This is Olsen, I'd like to speak to Fox."

"He's not available right now, can I take a message?"

"Where is he?" Olsen asked, annoyed.

Skinner was equally annoyed. "He ran into town for groceries."

"How long ago did he leave?" Olsen was wondering if he'd be able
to catch Mulder in town.

"Look, Olsen, as soon as this case is over Mulder will be going
back to D.C. with me. It's over, so do yourself a favor and just
let him go."

"Look here, Skinner, you have absolutely no business interfering
with our relationship! Only Fox can tell me when it's over!"
Olsen barked. He was tired and stressed and wanted nothing more
at the moment than to punch that arrogant FBI bastard in the
nose.

"Stay away from him, Olsen!"

"Make me, Baldy! I don't see your ring on his finger...he's free
to make up his own mind."

Skinner was steaming, he wanted to deck that conceited prick. He
suddenly realized that he was talking a bit too loudly. Agents
Colton and Thomas were out on the deck, it was cold outside so
all the windows and doors were closed. Agent Adams had gone into
town with Mulder. "Fine..." Skinner was about to slam the phone
down when the sheriff's voice stopped him.

"Wait! It's the cologne. Fox and Asner use the same cologne. I
think that might be what attracted the Bigfoot to them," Olsen
said quickly.

"Cologne?"

"I saw a bottle of it in Asner's bathroom when I was searching
the residence."

Skinner's mind processed that bit of information; it made perfect
sense to him. "Okay, I'll see that Agent Mulder takes a shower as
soon as he gets back," he said, ending the call. If it was
something as simple as a scent attracting the Bigfoot, then there
shouldn't be any danger once that scent was removed. But how
could he prove that it was the cologne? Skinner walked into the
bathroom and retrieved the bottle of cologne; he then pulled a
towel off the rack. He pulled his long coat on and carried the
towel outside. Colton and Thomas watched as he walked cross the
yard and into the woods. He stopped, making sure he could see his
agents on the deck through the trees, he hung the towel on a tree
limb then liberally splashed the cologne on it. He was careful
not to get any of it on him.

"What do you think he's doing?" Thomas asked.

"He's the boss not me. How the hell should I know?" Colton
grumbled, rubbing his hands together to warm them as he watched
the A.D. walk back across the yard and climb up on the deck.

Skinner looked back toward the woods, he could see the white
towel through the trees where he hung it. "I want one of us to
keep an eye on that towel at all times. Sheriff Olsen discovered
that Congressman Asner uses the same cologne that Mulder uses. So
we believe it might be what attracted the Bigfoot to both of
them."

"So you think the Bigfoot will come for that towel?" Thomas
asked.

"That's what I'm hoping. If it does, it will prove that it was
the cologne that attracted it."

"And if it is, then Agent Mulder should be safe as long as he
doesn't wear that cologne," Colton said, nodding his head. "That
is excellent reasoning, sir. Does that mean we're going to be
spending the night here?"

Skinner had decided already that he needed them here to help
protect Mulder. "Yes. Until I'm assured that he isn't in any
further danger. We'll take shifts keeping that..." Skinner
stopped speaking and quickly pulled his gun from its holster. The
wind shifted and carried the smell their way.

Colton and Thomas both whipped out their guns and aimed them
toward the woods as an unreasonable fear washed over them. Only
their FBI training kept them from fleeing.

"There!" Skinner shouted as he spotted the lumbering figure
moving toward the towel and sniffing it. It snatched it off the
branch then moved off into the dense woods with it clenched
tightly in its fist.

"W-what do you want us to d-do, sir," Colton asked, his hand was
shaking so badly that he could barely hold his gun straight.

"Nothing. I think we've just proved it was the cologne."

"Do you think it is still safe for Agent Mulder to be staying
here even without the cologne, sir?" Thomas asked, unnerved by
the sight of the Bigfoot.

"Leave it to Spooky, to pick this place for a vacation," Colton
sneered.

Skinner glared at him. "These creatures have never attacked
humans before now. So I'm almost a hundred percent sure that
Mulder will be fine." Skinner wasn't really worried, now that the
reason for Congressman Asner being attacked was confirmed, they'd
be heading back to D.C. together. He only had to convince Mulder
to forget this rubbish about an alternate dimension.

"We're back," Mulder shouted, through the open patio door.
Shivering, he closed it. He didn't know why they'd leave it open
when the temperature had dropped into the forties. He went about
putting the groceries away with Agent Adams. He pulled out a
roasting pan for the sirloin roast that he was making for dinner.
The town was still crowded so he doubted that his fellow agents
would be able to eat at the diner.

Skinner looked at the closed door. "Excuse me, Agents," he said,
heading into the cabin. "Agent Mulder, I think it is advisable
that you take a shower immediately. Then wash all of your
clothes."

"Why?" Mulder asked as he self-consciously sniffed underneath his
armpit, wondering if he reeked.

"We discovered that it's the cologne you're wearing that is
attracting the Bigfoot."

"How did you discover that?"

"Sheriff Olsen called, he somehow recalled that Asner and you
used the same cologne," Skinner answered. "I splashed your
cologne on a towel and hung it out in the woods. It didn't take
long for a Bigfoot to appear and grab the towel. It must have
been the same one that has been leaving you the dead deer."

"Oh." Mulder was relieved. If it were something as simple as
scent then that would be easy enough to fix. "I'll go and take
that shower now. Sir, can you and Adams cut up the potatoes,
onions, and carrots, and put them in the pan with the roast?"

"Sure, Mulder. Don't forget to wash your clothes, too."

Mulder went straight into his bathroom and stripped out of his
clothes. He turned on the shower, while waiting for the water to
heat up; he opened the drapes and looked outside. Mulder wondered
how good a Bigfoot's sense of smell was? He thought he saw
movement out in the woods so he quickly rushed over to the shower
and stepped in. He spent twenty-minutes scrubbing his skin raw,
until he was sure that all of the fragrance was gone. When he
came out, he pulled on a freshly laundered pair of boxers, jeans,
and a T-shirt. He threw all of his dirty clothes into a laundry
bag and carried them out of the bedroom.

Skinner had been keeping an eye on the bedroom door as he was
helping with dinner. He had just put the roast in the oven when
Mulder stepped out. Skinner's eyes roved up and down Mulder's
body stopping at his perfect-shaped feet. He wondered if there
was any part of Mulder that wasn't perfect? Even the scars from
bullets, knives, and an assortment of other weapons didn't mar
his looks; they only enhanced the total package. "Would you like
a beer, Mulder?"

"Yeah." Mulder eyed Agent Adams wearily, wishing he were alone
with Skinner. Mulder hated that he couldn't touch Skinner. He
wanted to run his hands underneath Skinner's sweatshirt and comb
his fingers through the larger man's chest hairs, and feel his
hard muscles. Mulder had wanted to do that since seeing his boss
without his shirt the time he'd taken Krycek over Skinner's to
apartment several years ago. Sighing, he started fixing the rest
of the night's dinner.

Agents Colton and Thomas came in from outside and took a seat at
the counter. They watched Mulder work in the kitchen.

"You'd make someone a fine little woman, Mulder," Colton quipped.

Mulder gave him the finger. The doorbell rang and he threw down
the dishtowel and walked over to answer it. "Eric, I thought
you'd be working late again."

"Did your boss tell you about the cologne?" Olsen asked
anxiously, stepping into the cabin. He saw the other three agents
standing around the kitchen counter, so he was unable to pull
Mulder into his arms.

"Yes, he was able to prove that the Bigfoot was attracted to its
scent by hanging a towel in the woods drenched with it. Skinner
said the Bigfoot showed up and snatched the towel," Mulder said.
"Would you like to stay for dinner? I just put a sirloin roast in
the oven."

"No, thanks. I'm going home to grab a few hours of sleep then I
have to get back to Ashburg. Can I talk to you outside for a
second, Fox?" Olsen didn't like it that all the FBI agents were
staring at him. Particularly Skinner, his face was set in a stony
mask.

"Sure, let me get my shoes on first."

Mulder headed back to his bedroom while Olsen stepped out on the
porch. He paced back and forth until Mulder stepped outside.

"Fox, is it true that you're going back to D.C. with Skinner,
instead of spending the rest of your vacation here?"

Mulder frowned. He was peeved that Skinner had told Eric that.
"Eric, I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you myself. We both knew that
I'd be going back to my job and life in D.C. eventually, and our
relationship would be over. I just decided that I needed to leave
a little sooner."

"To be with him?" Olsen asked bitterly.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Eric..."

Olsen was moved by the sadness in Mulder's eyes. "Don't be, Fox.
Like you said, once your vacation was over, so would our
relationship. If I ever get to D.C. do you mind if I look you
up?"

"I'd insist on it. I do want to continue to be friends."

Olsen leaned in and kissed Mulder gently on the lips. "If you
ever come to your senses and dump baldy and the FBI, I'll be here
for you, Fox."

Mulder chuckled. "It's more likely that he'll be the one that
comes to his senses."

"Stop selling yourself short! Fox, you're a remarkable
man...Skinner realizes it and so do I."

Mulder blushed. "Eric, I really enjoyed our time together. I
never had a more considerate lover. Thank you, for everything."
Mulder squeezed his hand then let go and opened the door to the
cabin.

"Bye, Fox. You have my email address write if you need someone to
talk to," Olsen said, and then quickly headed down the steps to
his car. He doubted that he'd ever get over Fox Mulder, he was
the one man that Olsen had truly loved and letting him go was the
hardest thing he had ever done in his life.

"Eric, I'll email you my report on the Bigfoot!" Mulder called.

"You do that, Fox. Take care," Olsen said, trying to keep the
sound of misery from his voice as he climbed into his patrol car.

Skinner kept an eye on Mulder's face as the agent stepped back
inside the cabin. He looked unhappy. The A.D. wished that the
other agents weren't there; he wanted a moment alone with Mulder.

Mulder wasn't sure what he wanted to do. Did he want to go back
with Skinner or stay? Now that they'd discovered why the Bigfoot
had been attracted to him, he could use that knowledge to capture
one alive or track it back to its lair, and hopefully to the
gateway between their two worlds. His stomach fluttered when he
looked over at Skinner, six years of wanting the man made his
decision an easy one. He'd spend the remainder of his vacation in
D.C. with Walter, then request to investigate this case later as
an X-File...might as well have all the expenses paid for by the
Bureau.

Dinner passed quickly with each man making small talk and
discussing the Bigfoot. After dinner, Skinner made arrangements
for the other agents to take the first available flight out of
Duluth in the morning.

"Sir, we'd have to leave here at three o'clock in the morning in
order to make that fli..." Colton grumbled.

Skinner's glare silenced the agent. "Well then, you should get
back to the hotel and turn in early, shouldn't you?" With the
Bigfoot situation cleared up, Skinner didn't see any reason for
his agents staying at the cabin.

"Yes, sir." Colton's face was red with embarrassment. "Sir, are
you flying back with us?"

"No. I'm staying a couple more days," Skinner said.

"Sir, are you sure Agent Mulder and yourself will be fine out
here alone?" Agent Thomas asked.

"Yes. Without that scent to attract them, we should be perfectly
safe."

"Okay, then we'll be heading back into town. Goodnight, sir.
Goodnight, Mulder," Thomas said, as he and the other agents
headed for the door.

Mulder nodded goodnight, he was in the process of loading the
dishwasher. He watched as Skinner followed the agents outside. He
finished loading and starting the dishwasher when Skinner came
back inside.

"BURRR...it's gotten colder out," Skinner said.

"Welcome to Minnesota in April, sixty-five one day and below
freezing the next. The weather report from this morning said that
we might have snow flurries tonight. We might need to snuggle up
to keep warm," Mulder said, grinning.

Skinner kept a straight face as he walked into the kitchen. "I've
heard there isn't a better way to stay warm than bare flesh
against bare flesh." He then wrapped his arms around Mulder's
body from behind and nuzzled his neck.

Mulder moaned softly, "We'll have to test that theory, sir."

Skinner nipped his earlobe. "Walter. No more sirs when we're
alone."

"Hmm, does that mean you're not interested in playing any B&D
games?" Mulder purred, turning around in his arms.

"No. Fox, I'm not into any games that require me to hurt you..."

"Who says you'd be the master?" Mulder asked, quirking an eyebrow
and kneading Skinner's buttocks.

Skinner chuckled and dove in and claimed Mulder's lips in a
searing kiss. He licked into the kiss, drinking in the younger
man's essence. The scrap of stubble against stubble sounded loud
to both men's ears. "We're going to have whisker burn if we're
not careful," Skinner murmured.

"It's a good thing that the three stooges left then, isn't it?"

"Be nice, Fox," Skinner said, pinching his ass.

"Ouch, I thought you said something about not hurting..."

"Shut up, Fox," Skinner growled and reclaimed his mouth, making
sure he'd obey at least one order.

When they came up for air several minutes later...Mulder pinched
Skinner back.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"Walter, in this relationship it's going to be fifty-fifty."
Mulder smirked, pulling out of his arms. "There's a bottle of
brandy in the cabinet, why don't you start a fire in the hearth
and I'll fix us a couple of drinks?"

"Fifty-fifty," Skinner said, rubbing his ass and heading over to
the fireplace. "Fox, I wouldn't have it any other way."

Mulder pulled the bottle out of the cabinet and splashed the
brandy into two snifters. "While we're having this discussion. I
really want to make sure you don't over step the bounds of our
relationship."

"Such as?"

"For one thing, telling Eric that I was going back to D.C. with
you." Mulder carried the glasses over to the hearth and started
warming them. "I wanted to tell him myself..."

"Fox, I'm sorry...I let jealousy interfere with my common
sense...it won't happen again." Skinner relaxed back on the sofa,
and watched Mulder warm the brandy. "I think we should talk about
what we each want from this relationship -- don't you?"

"I couldn't agree more," Mulder said, handing him one of the
brandy snifters then sat down as close as possible to Skinner, he
looped one of his long legs over the top Skinner's and an arm
around the larger man's back. Skinner switch the snifter to his
left hand and used his right to pull Mulder even closer. "Besides
sex what else do you want, Walter?"

Skinner chuckled. "Sex isn't even in my top three. Fox, more than
anything I want you to learn to love me as much as I love you. I
want your companionship, your friendship, and your trust...and I
want us to have a committed, monogamous relationship."

"You already have my friendship and trust. I'm willing to commit
to a monogamous relationship, heaven knows I'm not about to find
someone else." Mulder grinned and took a sip of brandy. "I'm
willing to work at the companionship...I'm generally a loner by
nature. I'm not used to having someone there for me or visa
versa. As for love...I'm not sure what that emotion is, so I
can't promise you that I'd ever feel it or recognize it for that
matter."

"All I ask is that you don't shut me out of your heart, Fox. As
for recognizing love, you'll know." Skinner hugged him tighter
then kissed the side of his head. "Tell me what you want?"

"First and foremost your respect. Then to know that you won't let
our relationship interfere with our jobs. I don't want any
special favors and I don't want you not to assign me a case
because you're afraid for my safety." Mulder looked at Skinner
then smiled saucily. "Oh and have I mentioned sex?"

"Fox, I promise that I won't allow our relationship to get in the
way of our jobs. However, I won't promise you that I won't worry
about you or be overly protective at times. That is part of what
it is like to love someone." Skinner set his brandy snifter on
the coffee table; he couldn't control his desire any longer.
"Let's go to bed, I want to make love to you," he said, standing
and holding out his hand to Mulder.

Mulder took it and allowed Skinner to pull him up. "Now you're
talking," he said playfully as they headed for his bedroom. He
stopped suddenly in the doorway and Skinner slammed into him.

"What's wrong?"

"Let's use your bedroom instead. I know it shouldn't be a problem
without the cologne, but I don't think I want to have sex in
front of the French doors."

Skinner looked over at the French doors and out in to the night
beyond. He reached out and took Mulder's hand pulling him out of
the room. "You're right. Let's go upstairs."

Mulder had to chuckle at the absurdity of two grown men afraid to
stay in his bedroom, and Skinner practically dragging him up the
steps. He had a sudden image of his burly boss turning around and
throwing him over his shoulder and carrying him the rest of the
way.

"What?"

"Nothing. Hold on a sec, Walter, I need to get something from my
room." Mulder dashed back downstairs and into his bedroom. He
rummaged through the nightstand then ran back upstairs to where
Skinner was waiting in the doorway to his room. Mulder held the
two items up for Skinner to see.

Skinner took the KY and condoms from Mulder. "Are you sure about
this?"

Mulder smiled and kissed him softly then eased past him into the
bedroom. "I want the whole thing. I've fantasized about you
fucking me into oblivion for years." He reached for his
sweatshirt and quickly pulled it over his head, tossing it on a
chair.

"Slowly, Fox," Skinner said, tilting the lampshade so the light
reflected on the younger man's body. "I want to watch you
undress."

"Why? You've already seen me naked," Mulder said as he slowly
unbuttoned his jeans revealing that he wasn't wearing any
underwear. His penis was only at half-mast, but it quickly filled
with blood as Skinner's eyes lustfully caressed up and down his
body.

"Yeah, but I couldn't touch then. Now I want explore every inch
of your body...every scar...every crevice... every erogenous
zone."

"Hmm, keep talking you're making me hot," Mulder purred, stepping
out of his sneakers and jeans at the same time.

When Mulder was standing completely naked before him, Skinner
slowly walked around him. Not touching just looking. When he was
facing Mulder again, he leaned in and kissed him, lightly
touching the small scar just under his hairline. Skinner
squelched the anger that aroused in him over that self-inflicted
wound. He ran a finger around the bullet scar on Mulder's
shoulder. "Scully," he said simply, then kissed the scar. Mulder
stood still allowing him to explore his body. Skinner's fingers
grazed over the scar on Mulder's abdomen and looked at him
questioningly.

"The Jersey Devil case, a beast woman tried to remove my lung,"
Mulder answered.

Skinner took his arm and looked at the scar there, he could tell
a knife caused it. It was another wound that he couldn't remember
Mulder receiving.

Mulder shrugged his shoulders. "Another woman."

Skinner kissed it then moved on. The worst scar was on Mulder's
thigh. He hadn't been Mulder's boss at the time, but he did hear
about how close the agent had come to losing his life, after
being shot by Lucas Henry. Skinner knew there were other scars on
Mulder's scalp hidden beneath his thick head of hair. Scars from
numerous times of being knocked unconscious, and the worst, from
brain surgery performed by persons unknown. This man had gone
through hell during his short lifetime, and during his years in
the FBI, more so than any other agent working for the Bureau, and
surprisingly he had survived them all intact, with very little
emotional and mental trauma. Most men would have been gone crazy
experiencing half of what Mulder had experienced. Skinner held
Mulder's face between his two large hands and leaned back in and
kissed him soundly.

As the kiss grew more passionate, Mulder slowly humped against
Skinner's jean covered groin, he enjoyed the feel of the fabric
against his penis and the large erection the older man was
sporting. He was dying to see Skinner naked. "My turn, G-man, now
strip," he murmured, nipping at Skinner's lips then pulled away.

"With pleasure." Skinner toed off his running shoes, then
unzipped his jeans and pushed them down his long legs along with
his white briefs. He noticed Mulder smirking at his underwear.
"What, not flamboyant enough for you, Agent?"

"No. I figured you for flannel, plaid boxers...not tighty
whities," he chuckled. "I'll have to work on making you more
flamboyant."

"Don't work too hard, Fox. Just remember I'm an Assistant
Director in the FBI, it wouldn't do for me to be wearing silk
boxers covered with glowing aliens," Skinner said glibly as he
pulled his shirt over his head.

"Who'd know?" Mulder licked his lips as he stared at Skinner's
impressive erection. The head looked almost too large for him to
get his lips around.

"See something you like?"

"I feel like I just won the lottery," Mulder said, his fingers
caressing Skinner's broad, muscular chest and combing through the
larger man's chest hairs. "You are built like a Greek God." He
smiled, thinking that he already knew what a Nordic God tasted
like. Now he was going to sample some Greek cuisine. Without
another word, he sank to his knees and brought his lips to the
large plum-sized head of Skinner's cock. He licked the pre-cum
from it and swirled his tongue around the crown.

Skinner moaned with pleasure as he looked down at Mulder kneeling
at his feet. The younger man was licking his penis as if it were
a Popsicle. Not in his wildest dreams did he ever think that this
would be happening. His hips moved involuntarily as Mulder lips
wrapped around his cockhead and started sucking. It had been a
long time since he had a blowjob. Sharon was never able to handle
his size, and Mulder seemed to be handling him easily. Skinner's
fingers laced through Mulder's hair holding him in place as he
slowly thrust in and out of that hot space.

Mulder had a little trouble at first with Skinner's size, the
large organ nudged at the back of his throat briefly cutting off
his supply of air. He thought he might suffocate as Skinner
pushed even further down his throat with each thrust. It took him
a few seconds to find the rhythm, breathing through his nose as
Skinner pulled out then pushed back in. Mulder relaxed his throat
muscles and took almost all of the large man's length as Skinner
rocked his hips thrusting in.

"Oh, so good," Skinner moaned. He closed his eyes and after
several minutes had passed, he felt himself about to come, so he
pulled out of Mulder's mouth. "No. Not yet. I want to be inside
you when I come for the first time. May I?"

Mulder grinned up at him. He wanted to feel Skinner's cock
filling him. He'd never had a lover who was as large as Skinner.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. How do you want me?"

Skinner smiled at that. "I want you every way possible, but for
now I'll settle for you on your back." His eyes were looking
intently at Mulder's nipples. He was going to make Mulder scream.
Skinner took his glasses off and set them on the nightstand.

Mulder walked over to the bed and laid seductively in the center
on his back, spreading his thighs invitingly. His hand reached
down and stroked his cock as Skinner tossed the lube and condoms
on the bed next to his hip. Skinner's eyes burned into his as he
climbed onto the bed and settled between Mulder's thighs and
watched the younger man stroke himself.

Skinner's hand grabbed Mulder's wrist pulling it off his cock.
"Don't touch that, it's mine," he growled. "Now put your hands
over your head and grab the posts on the headboard."

Mulder's stomach fluttered and his cock grew harder at the husky
growl in Skinner's voice and the look of wanton desire in his
eyes. "Yes, sir," he said, grabbing the posts behind his head.

Skinner placed his hands on either side of Mulder's body then
bent down and took his nipple in his mouth. He sucked on it for
several moments, then he teased it with his teeth. Mulder's body
arched up and he moaned, "Ooh, yeaah..." He started making
unrestrained sounds of pleasure as Skinner continued to tease his
nipple with his mouth, while playfully pinching the other between
his fingertips.

"Like that, do you?" Skinner chuckled as Mulder became more
vocal, then he moved on to the other nipple and gave it the
similar treatment until it was a hard nub. From there, Skinner
licked his way up to Mulder's throat and nipped the tender flesh
between collarbone and throat. One hand supported most of his
weight while the other caressed lovingly up and down Mulder's
ribs.

Mulder's legs looped around the back of Skinner's thighs as he
rocked, trying for closer contact. The heat of Skinner's flesh
pressed against his was sending waves of uncontrollable desire
throughout his body. He never wanted anyone so badly in his life
and as Skinner started chewing on his earlobe, he couldn't take
any more. "Oh...God, Walter! Fuck me already!" His cock felt
harder than the bedposts that his fingers were tightly wrapped
around, his knuckles were white.

Skinner chuckled, "Oh, I can feel that you're ready, Fox." He
eased a little of his weight down on Mulder's hard cock, getting
a squeak out of the younger man. "Do you really want me to fuck
you?"

"YES! Ooh, please..."

Skinner's mouth covered Mulder's before he could get another word
out. He kissed Mulder harder and with more passion than he'd ever
kissed anyone before in his life. Skinner was overjoyed that
Mulder was giving himself totally to him. He had never felt this
much desire for another person before.

Mulder's mind was having a hard time processing all the
sensations racing through his body. Even with Eric, the pleasure
wasn't all consuming, like it was now. Love? Could he be
experiencing that elusive emotion?

Skinner pulled away and smiled down at Mulder's sweaty face then
tenderly kissed his forehead, nose, and lips. He couldn't hold
back any longer. His cock ached it was so hard. Skinner grabbed
the tube of KY lying beside Mulder's hip as he eased off the
smaller man and knelt between his thighs. He squeezed the lube
onto his fingers, then lifted one of Mulder's legs on to his
shoulder and generously spread the lubricant along his crease. He
squeezed more of the lube on his finger and gently inserted it
into Mulder's anus. The muscles clenched tightly around it,
trying to expel the intruder. Skinner groaned, Mulder was so
tight and hot, he could only imagine what that tight heat would
feel like around his cock. He became suddenly worried that maybe
Mulder was too tight and wouldn't be able to handle his size.
"Fox, maybe we should wait until you're better able to handle my
girth. I'm worried that I might hurt you."

"Shut up, Walter. I want this...just go slowly." Mulder bit his
lip as he forced his body to relax accepting another of Skinner's
fingers.

"You're in pain and I only have two fingers in you. How can you
possible expect to handle my cock?" Skinner only had one other
experience with having anal sex with another man, and that was
almost thirty-years ago in Nam. His lover at the time had several
other lovers before they teamed up, so he didn't have a problem
with Skinner's size.

"I-it always hurts a little at first. You haven't done this very
often have you?" Mulder was beginning to have his own doubts
whether he'd be able to handle Skinner's girth. Eric's cock
wasn't nearly as wide as Skinner's.

"It's been a long time," Skinner confessed as he continued to
scissor his fingers in and out, feeling the muscles relax he
added a little more lube and pushed a third finger inside. He
turned his head and kissed the side of Mulder's leg. "No man has
ever interested me since then...that is until now."

Mulder closed his eyes and delighted in the sensation of
Skinner's fingers opening him. It was several minutes and a lot
more lube before Skinner withdrew his fingers and Mulder heard
the sound of a condom wrapper opening. He kept his eyes closed as
Skinner lifted his other leg on to his shoulder. Then he felt the
hard shape of Skinner's cockhead spreading his cheeks apart and
press against his anus. He'd never felt anything so large and he
shivered with fear and anticipation.

"Open your eyes, Fox. I want to be able to tell if I'm hurting
you." Skinner's heart skipped a beat when Mulder slowly opened
his eyes, and he found himself gazing into the greenest orbs he
had ever seen. He wondered if he could read Mulder's emotions by
his changeable eyes. Green would definitely be for passion.

Mulder took a deep breath and relaxed all of his muscles as he
stared into Skinner's warm brown eyes. It was an effort to keep
his expression passive as Skinner started to push inside him.
There was an intense burn as the mushroom shaped head popped past
the resisting sphincter muscle.

"Are you okay?" Skinner asked huskily. He was feeling tremendous
pleasure as the muscles contacted and molded around the sensitive
head of his cock. Be okay, Skinner prayed, not wanting this
pleasure to end.

After several moments, Mulder blurted out breathlessly, "Fine. G-
go ahead." The pain was incredible as Skinner slowly pushed in,
but the initial burning was diminishing as his body started to
adjust to the intrusion. By the time Skinner was fully sheathed
inside him, Mulder was feeling a warm pleasure radiating from his
ass. He had never been more fully filled in his life.

"T-tell me when you're ready?" Skinner moaned.

"Ooh, God, it feels so good," Mulder purred, he rocked a little
making the cock move inside him, it was tightly pressed against
his prostate. Even the smallest movements sent waves of pleasure
throughout his body.

"I take it that's a yes." Skinner leaned back slightly so he
could watch as he pulled his cock a few inches out of Mulder's
stretched anus. He was amazed that Mulder had been able to handle
his size. He pushed slowly inside. He kept up the slow in and out
thrusts for several minutes, until Mulder started to beg him to
go faster.

"Oooh, God! Yes! Faster!" Mulder's legs slipped off Skinner's
broad shoulders and wrapped around his waist as he started to
meet Skinner's thrusts. The bedsprings creaked and the headboard
pounded against the wall under the force of their coupling.
Mulder could feel Skinner's heavy sacs slapping his ass with each
downward thrust. He watched with dreamlike fascination as a bead
of sweat slowly dripped off Skinner's brow, landing on his hip.
In and out, in and out, the sensation of being stuffed tightly
was unbelievable. His fingers clenched the bedposts in an iron-
grip as his orgasm hit and his body arched off the mattress.
Semen spurted across his chest, followed by another, and another
spurt. "AAUUGGHH!" he screamed, his anal muscles clenched around
the hard object filling him.

Skinner had never felt anything more incredible than the tight
muscles squeezing his cock. He strained to hold off his pending
orgasm for a few more minutes. He didn't want this moment to end
--ever. Skinner continued to thrust in and out for several more
minutes before he too went over the precipice and exploded deep
inside Mulder. He slumped over the younger man in blissful
exhaustion. Skinner lifted off Mulder's body just enough to lick
some of the milky come off his chest.

Mulder pried his stiff fingers off the bedpost. He watched as
Skinner licked his chest clean. The larger man's softening cock
was still deeply buried inside him. Mulder contracted his anal
muscles and received a groan from Skinner.

Skinner looked up into Mulder's amused, sated eyes, he leaned up
and kissed him. "God, I really do love you."

Mulder yawned against his lips. "Hmm, sorry."

"No need to be," Skinner said, easing off Mulder's body. He held
the end of the condom as he withdrew. Skinner peeled the condom
off then knotted its end and climbed off the bed, disposing of it
in the wastebasket in the bathroom. He splashed water on his face
and washed his chest. Then he soaped up a washcloth and dampened
another one, carrying both back to the bedroom. Mulder was
sprawled out on the bed still too tired to move. Skinner started
by washing his chest and then the lubricant off his buttocks and
carefully examined him for any tears, he then used the damp
washcloth to clean off the soap.

"Thanks," Mulder murmured.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah, much better."

"Good, now get under the covers I'll be right back."

Mulder wondered if it was worth the effort, he shivered as the
cool air in the bedroom dried his flesh and decided it was. "Hey,
Walter, what side do you usually sleep on?" he shouted as he
slipped under the covers.

"The left hand side, if that's okay with you," Skinner said,
coming out of the bathroom.

"I really don't have a preference." Mulder moved over as Skinner
turned off the light and climbed into bed.

Skinner pulled him back to the middle of the bed and into his
arms. "Where do you think you're going?"

Mulder chuckled and nuzzled closer, resting his head on Skinner's
shoulder; his hand was splayed across the larger man's chest. "I
never figured you for a cuddler, Walter."

"I am, so get used to it," Skinner growled affectionately and
kissed the top of Mulder's head. "Night, Fox."

"Mm, night," Mulder purred contentedly, closing his eyes, he was
soon asleep.

***

Skinner couldn't say what woke him. Mulder was comfortably
nestled in his arms, snoring softly. His eyes were drawn toward
the doorway, and to a strange light. His heart nearly stopped as
his eyes fell on the ghostly figure of Teena Mulder. She stood
there staring back at him, her lips were moving as if she was
trying to tell him something. He strained his ears to hear
her...and finally made out three words 'your gun quickly'. He
reacted instantly, leaping out of bed and grabbing his gun off
the nightstand. He had it out of its holster and aimed at the
door as a dark form charged into the room.

Mulder had awakened the moment Skinner pushed him aside. He
watched in stunned terror as the A.D. emptied his weapon into a
broad squat form, it let out a wail of agony and retreated from
the room. They both caught a glimpse of the creature's hideous
face as it passed in front of the moonlight streaming in from the
window.

Skinner flipped on the lights and rushed over to his suitcase and
pulled out a couple of more clips and a box of ammunition. He
replaced the empty clip in his gun with a fresh one. "Fox, get
dressed! We don't know if there are any more of those creatures
around."

Mulder was already pulling on his clothes; he nervously looked at
the green fluid burning holes into the hardwood floor. He briefly
feared the retrovirus, but they would have succumbed by now. He
had his clothes and shoes on in less than two minutes. "Give me
the gun, Walter. You need to get dressed, too."

Skinner passed him the weapon and started pulling on his own
clothes. "What was that thing?"

"I've never seen anything like it before in my life." Mulder's
mind flashed suddenly to a book of fairytales he had read as a
child. The creature did sort of resembled a few of the pictures
in the book, he wondered if he should tell Skinner as he kept his
eyes focused on the two doors coming into the room. "What did it
want?"

"My guess, it was after you." Skinner put on his glasses then
pulled on his socks and stepped into his running shoes.

"Me? Why would you think that?" Mulder gave him the gun back as
they both advanced toward the door.

Skinner shoved Mulder behind him. "Why else would your mom warn
me? She was afraid for your life," he said, turning on the lights
as they headed downstairs careful not to step on any of the
caustic green blood. Skinner kept the gun out in front of him,
ready to shoot anything that moved.

"My mom was here?"

"Yeah. Where's your gun?" Skinner asked.

"The closet in my bedroom."

Their eyes followed the trail of blood going into the darkened
bedroom. They stood perfectly still listening, when they were
sure it was relatively safe Skinner advanced. He lunged through
the door arching his gun around the room searching for a target.
Mulder was right behind him and flipped on the light switch. The
French doors stood open and the room was freezing. The rug in
front of the doors was covered with snow that was blowing in from
outside. Mulder went quickly to the closet to retrieve his gun.

"Wait!" Skinner barked, moving to stand in front of the closet
with his gun leveled at the closed door. "On three.
One...two...three..."

Mulder pulled the door opened and jumped back.

"Okay," Skinner voice held a tinge of relief at finding the
closet empty. The trail of blood led outside, but he wasn't about
to get sloppy, not with Mulder's life at stake.

"We need to call Eric," Mulder said.

Skinner glanced at the clock on the nightstand it was close to
four o'clock in the morning. His agents would be halfway to
Duluth by now. "Okay. Let's check the rest of the cabin first."
He closed the French doors, one pane of glass was broken and so
was the lock.

They did a thorough search of the rest of the cabin then Mulder
called Eric. Mulder felt guilty hearing the exhaustion in his ex-
lover's voice.

"Fox, what's wrong?" Olsen asked.

"Something broke into my cabin, Eric."

"What do you mean something? Was it a Bigfoot?" Olsen asked,
coming instantly awake.

"No. We're not sure what it was...I ah...I think it might have
been a troll," he mumbled.

"A troll?"

"Ah, yeah. It fit a few descriptions of trolls that I've read in
fairytales." Mulder looked sheepishly over at Skinner who was
listening to his phone conversation.

"I'll be right over, Fox," Olsen said, hanging up.

"Trolls, Fox?" Skinner questioned as Mulder hung up.

Mulder shrugged his shoulders. "Do you have a better name for the
creature we both saw?"

"No."

Mulder wandered around the cabin looking at all the damage caused
by that creature's blood. "I hope the Langlys have this place
insured," he said, coming back downstairs.

Skinner had made a pot of coffee and he looked sternly at Mulder.
"You're leaving for D.C. first thing in the morning, Fox."

"No way! Walter, we need to track down that creature."

"Fox, it's not safe for you here. I'm bringing in the FBI Special
Forces to investigate. I want you back in D.C."

"Sir, I'll remind you that this is my job! I've handled more
dangerous X-Files in the past!"

"This thing was after you for some unknown reason, and I don't
want you within a hundred miles of it! Is that clear, Agent
Mulder?" Skinner barked.

"Sir, that's more the reason for me to stay! I can help flush
that thing out..."

"No."

Olsen was standing in the front doorway and heard the last part
of their conversation. He shook the snow off his coat and stepped
into the room. "Fox, if this...ah, troll is really after you, I
think your boss is right, you should go back to D.C. as soon as
possible."

"Eric, it's my job. This is what I do for the FBI..."

"Fox, if it was a human perp after you, I doubt you'd be allowed
to remain on the case. Am I right?" Olsen felt his temper rise as
he got a close look at Fox and noticed the stubble burns on his
cheeks and his kiss-swollen lips. He had a hard time containing
his feelings.

Skinner nodded, and looked sternly at Mulder. "You're right,
Sheriff. If the situation was serious enough, he'd also be sent
to a safe house until the perp was caught."

Mulder was flabbergasted that they were both ganging up on him.
"It's not human, so the same rules don't apply! I'm staying!"

Skinner was getting visibly annoyed. "Agent Mulder, you're out of
line!"

"Sir, I'll remind you that I'm still on vacation...you can't
force me to go back! You're only treating me this way because
we've had sex!" Mulder snapped, running his fingers through his
hair in agitation.

"Agent Mulder, don't challenge my authority! If I have to, I'll
have this whole area cordoned off and you won't be allowed within
fifty miles from here!" Skinner barked. Mulder visibly cringed,
and Skinner felt guilty and softened his voice, "Fox, it's too
dangerous for you here--" "Don't call me Fox, it's Mulder!"

Skinner's heart lurched into his throat...Mulder was telling him
that it was over. "Fox...look, we both agreed not to let our
personal relationship interfere with our jobs. I'm not, and I
would like the same consideration from you--"

Mulder glared at him angrily. "Dammit, sir! How can you take me
off this case? You know how much these types of cases mean to
me."

"I have no intention of taking you off this case. I'm only asking
that you go back to D.C. until we can uncover why this new
creature was after you, and if there are anymore like it in the
area." Skinner walked over to him and placed a comforting hand on
his arm. "Mulder, first Bigfoot and now a...troll, it isn't safe
for you here. Go back to D.C., please."

Olsen had been watching the exchange and noticed the look that
passed between the two men. Mulder seemed to reluctantly accept
Skinner's order.

"Okay, but I'm coming back as soon as it is determined that I'm
no longer in any danger. In addition, I want a daily progress
report from the agents working on the case," Mulder said.

"I'll see that you get one." Skinner was relieved that Mulder had
agreed to go back, but he was still worried about their
relationship. "Are we still all right?"

"Yeah, I guess." Mulder sighed, "Walter, this is going to be
harder than I thought. How can I tell when you're doing your job,
and when you're being overly protective?"

"We just have to promise to keep our tempers in check and talk
things out." Skinner lovingly touched the side of Mulder's
stubble jaw. "So, does this mean I can still call you Fox?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry, Walter," Mulder said. He wanted to embrace
Skinner, but he couldn't, not with Eric in the same room. So
instead, he stepped away from Skinner's touch.

"Well, I'm glad you've both settled that. Can we get on with it?"
Olsen grumbled as he studied the strange green fluid on the
wooden floor. "What did you spill on the floor? Battery acid?"
The wood underneath the fluid appeared to be burnt.

Mulder and walked over to where Olsen was standing. "That's the
troll's blood. Walter emptied his gun into it." Mulder was still
feeling slightly perturbed. "It came in through the master
bedroom. The creature was short, only around five foot four
inches, but it was very broad, almost as broad as it was tall,
and it had an enormous head. It appeared to be clothed, but it
was too dark to make out what it was wearing."

"And it bled acid green blood?"

"Yeah."

While Mulder and Olsen were talking, Skinner called the Bureau
and arranged to have a special team sent to Minnesota
immediately. He wanted to keep this incident under wraps. No use
worrying the public or alerting the media. The team would come
dressed as tourists. Even at this early hour, Skinner could hear
the excitement in SAC Hardy's voice at the prospect of tracking
down an unknown creature in the woods of northern Minnesota.
Since the bodies of Bigfoot arrived at the Bureau, they had
stirred quite a bit of excitement among the agents. By the time
Skinner had gotten off the phone, he noticed that he was alone in
the room.

Skinner found Mulder in front of the fireplace staring into the
flames. "Where's Olsen?"

"He's gone to his cabin to get a couple of sheets of plywood to
board up the French doors in the bedroom," Mulder said, not
looking at Skinner.

Skinner started to reach a hand out to touch Mulder, but he
stopped short. "I'm going take another look around the cabin."

Mulder nodded, "Yeah, that's a good idea."

Skinner sighed as he headed toward the bedroom...Mulder was still
upset with him.

Olsen drove his pickup truck back to the cabin and wrestled the
two sheets of plywood up the steps to the door. He had a hard
time holding them due to the heavy winds. Olsen pushed open the
cabin door and Mulder rushed over to help him with the boards. He
was boarding up the door while Skinner completed a circuit
through the cabin checking all the doors and windows.

Earlier, Skinner had turned all the outside lights on, he peered
out at the snow coming down in one big white blanket. It was
really starting to get deep outside. The wind blew drifts against
the patio door. The weather report yesterday had only predicted
snow flurries, he wondered when it had changed and how much snow
was predicted.

Mulder walked up beside him, and hesitated briefly, before
looping an arm around Skinner's waist. "I'm sorry...about
earlier...I was out of line," he said, staring out at the
snowstorm. "I just checked the weather report on the radio.
They're predicting we could have a full blown blizzard by mid-
morning."

Skinner wrapped his arm around Mulder's waist and pulled him
closer, looking at his lover's face reflected in the glass,
Mulder seemed almost jubilant. Of course, with the way the snow
was coming down, they were going to be snowed in. He doubted the
team would get here before the blizzard closed down the airport
and roads. "Then it was a good thing you went grocery shopping
yesterday, isn't it?" he said accusingly.

"Walter, I didn't plan this."

Skinner heaved a sigh. "No...if you were able to control the
weather then that would be an X-File." Skinner turned Mulder's
face toward his and kissed his lips sweetly, before resting his
forehead against Mulder's. "I'm scared to death for your safety,
Fox. One of us is going to have to stand guard at all times,
until I can get you out of here."

Olsen's voice interrupted the two men. "Well, I'm not leaving
until Fox is safe. I have a couple of semi-automatic rifles and
ammo out in my truck. We should be able to keep this cabin secure
until the blizzard ends, and help arrives."

Mulder pushed away from Skinner blushing, he had briefly
forgotten that Eric was there. "Eric...thanks." He couldn't think
of what else to say -- here was a man he'd just broken up with
willing to risk his life protecting him.

"Fox, we're still friends regardless that we're no longer lovers.
Even if I hated you, I'd still have to protect you, that's my
job." Olsen paused on his way to the door, looking at both men.
"Just do me a favor...don't make out in front of me." He pulled
on his coat and headed back outside into the snowstorm.

***

End of Chapter 3