North Woods 4 AU version

North Woods 4

Jo B

purplefox@usfamily.net

Rating: NC-17

Minor 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: While on vacation Mulder finds comfort and companionship
in the arms of another man. In typical Mulder fashion, his
vacation soon turns into an X-File.

Authors Notes: Most 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.

Special thanks to my beta-readers. Helen for doing an excellent
job of editing this chapter. Nicole for her support and
encouragement and her insistence for more sex scenes. Dawn for
her suggestions and being extremely helpful.

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

***

Langly cabin Sunday, April 16, 2000 9:30 a.m.

Mulder shivered as he looked out the window at the snow whipping
around on the cold white landscape. They were running only on
auxiliary power. The main power and phone lines had gone out over
an hour ago. Olsen had braved the blizzard to trek outside to
switch on the auxiliary generator, so the lights and the
refrigerator would work. The snow pelted relentlessly against the
windowpanes as the howling wind buffeted the outer walls and
roof. Mulder strained his ears as another type of howl sounded
above the wind.

"Eric, what do you make of that?"

Olsen walked over to him and listened. "It can't be wolves. They
would have sought shelter from the storm and the howl isn't
right."

Skinner came racing down the stairs as a loud thud struck the
roof. He looked up. His grip on the assault rifle tightened. Then
he rechecked the handgun holstered to his belt. "Guys, I think
we're surrounded."

"Sir, did you get a good look at what's outside?" Mulder asked
nervously. He too was holding his gun as the sound of heavy
footfalls sounded from over their heads.

Skinner made his way over to where Olsen and Mulder stood, his
rifle aimed at the ceiling. "Fox, I couldn't make out very much
because of the snow, only a few dark shapes moving around the
cabin grounds. They appeared to be the same shape as the troll
that attacked us earlier, only they seem to be riding some sort
of beasts."

Suddenly the glass on the patio door exploded inward as a troll
riding a fanged beast crashed through it.

"Shit!" Olsen cried out, aiming his rifle and firing without
hesitation.

Mulder and Skinner were only seconds behind him. Both creatures
died in a hail of bullets as the three men filled them with lead.
Acid green blood mixed with dark red blood splashed the walls.
Just as they dropped dead to the floor, another mounted troll
followed it inside, meeting the same fate.

"Get to the center of the room! We need to form a circle!"
Skinner ordered, wanting them away from the windows. The pounding
overhead grew louder. Whatever was up there was trying to tear
through the ceiling.

Snow and wind poured in through the shattered door, dropping the
temperature inside the room, but no other creature attempted to
gain entry there. The smell coming from the dead creatures was
incredibly foul. Mulder breathed through his mouth as he stood
back to back with Skinner and Olsen. The three men covered all
possible points of entry. Mulder stared over at the dead
creatures by the patio door. The trolls were dressed in some type
of leather armor and carried primitive weapons. The beasts they
rode in on resembled wolfhounds, only they were the size of a
small pony and their feet were clawed like those of a large cat
rather than a dog.

Mulder put another clip into his gun. He only had three left.
"How's our ammunition holding up?" he asked.

"I'm down to only a hundred rounds for my rifle and two clips for
my handgun," Skinner said.

Olsen glanced over toward the front door. He was reluctant to
leave his position to retrieve the supply of ammo he had left
there. "Don't worry, Fox. The duffel bag by the door has
additional rounds for the semi-automatic rifles. We should have
enough firepower to hold off further attacks until help arrives."

"Yeah, if we don't freeze to death first," Skinner said
shivering. He had his heavy sweatshirt on, but that was hardly
adequate against the cold air blowing in from outside.

"Let's move closer to the fireplace. We should be able to defend
the room from there. I'm going to retrieve our coats and ammo,"
Olsen said, moving toward the front door. He couldn't see out the
front windows, since he'd taken the time to close the outside
shutters over them. Unfortunately, only the front windows had
shutters.

A loud snapping sound filled the room. Olsen spun, dropping to
one knee as a section of ceiling caved in. The heavy wood beams
hit the floor with a crash! The inside of the cabin looked like a
small blizzard as snow that had been piling up on the roof poured
through the opening followed by an immense winged creature. Olsen
pumped several shots into it, driving it backwards. It shrieked
as one of its wings was blasted off its body, causing it to crash
to the hardwood floor. It hissed at the three men as it regained
its clawed feet. Skinner aimed carefully and shot the nine-foot
tall scaled creature through the left eye. Black blood oozed out
of the empty socket as the beast took three unsteady steps toward
them before collapsing.

They watched as the beast's chest rose up and down as it
struggled to breathe, then it stopped, becoming totally
motionless.

"God!" Mulder muttered, trembling and staring in shock at the
sharp talons on the dead creature. "I don't understand why they
would be after me? I'm not wearing that cologne any longer." He
was no longer enthusiastic about tracking the troll back to the
gateway between their two worlds. All he wanted now was for them
to make it out of this alive. Mulder looked into Walter's love-
filled, brown eyes as the larger man squeezed his shoulder
reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Fox. We'll make it through this together. I'm not
about to let anything stand in the way of our happiness. Not
now."

Olsen dropped the duffel bag on the sofa, then tossed Mulder and
Skinner their coats. He waited for them to pull them on before he
relaxed his guard enough to pull on his own coat. "Fox, throw
some more logs on the fire," he ordered.

Mulder did as ordered. They spent the next two hours waiting
tensely, as the howls from the creatures surrounding the cabin
continued. The winds began to die down and the snow slowed in
intensity. Skinner had been able to get one call out on his cell
phone to their people to say that they were under attack. Now
that the blizzard had eased up, it wouldn't be long before the
first helicopters would arrive. The A.D. hoped that it was in
time. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Mulder. Not now. Not
ever.

When the attack came, it came swiftly from all directions. Two
more winged creatures descended on them through the hole in the
ceiling, while a pack of trolls broke in through the upstairs
windows and the patio door. Mulder emptied his gun into one of
the winged beasts, then realized that he was out of bullets. He
threw his gun at it.

Skinner pushed Mulder behind him as more trolls entered the
cabin. He cried out in pain as one arrow pierced his shoulder and
another his side. The assault rifle slipped from his fingers as
he collapsed to the floor. Mulder snatched up the rifle and shot
the troll responsible, while Olsen dove to the floor, rolling as
several arrows flew in his direction. He came up shooting. Mulder
was amazed by his former lover's agility. He could see the Black
Ops training, permeating every fiber of the large sheriff's body.

Mulder stood protectively over Skinner's body as he returned
fire. He became aware of the fact that none of the trolls were
shooting at him. He had killed several including one of the
winged beasts, but none made any attempt to harm him. The look of
lust in the eyes of one the trolls staring at him disturbed
Mulder deeply. His stomach clenched at the prospect of what would
happen to him if he were captured. Mulder vowed to kill himself
before they could lay their hands on him.

Suddenly, the trolls and the beasts they were riding on
retreated. The sound of helicopters filled the noonday sky. As
the helicopters descended on the cabin's grounds Mulder could
clearly hear gunshots coming from outside. He sank to his knees
at Skinner's side. His lover's breathing was too shallow -- his
pulse rate too weak. Mulder bent and proceeded to give him mouth
to mouth.

"Don't you fucking die on me, Walter! Don't you dare!" he
growled, breathing life into his lover.

Skinner's eyelids fluttered open. "D-don't want to...love you,"
he said weakly, before losing consciousness.

"Sweet holy mother of God!" SAC Hardy swore as he entered the
cabin. He had a hard time breathing through the stench in the
air. His men followed him inside. One gagged and raced back
outside. The other agents' professional training took over as
they cautiously checked the bodies strewn around downstairs and
on the upstairs balcony.

"Two of these creatures are still alive, sir," Agent Selly said.

"Secure them, Selly!" Hardy ordered as he knelt next to A.D.
Skinner and Mulder.

"How is he, Agent Mulder?" Hardy asked, looking at the two wooden
arrow shafts sticking out of the large A.D.'s body.

Mulder looked up at him stricken. "Weak. He needs to get to a
hospital as quickly as possible," he answered shakily. Fear and
anxiety was clearly written on his face.

Hardy got on his walky-talky and ordered the paramedics in with a
stretcher. "Don't worry, Mulder. We'll fly A.D. Skinner directly
to Duluth, an emergency operating team will be standing by."

"I'm going with him," Mulder said, holding onto Skinner's hand.

"Of course, Mulder," Hardy said. Standing he went to assist his
men as the stretcher was carried in.

Olsen knelt down next to Mulder and placed his hand on Mulder's
arm. "Don't worry, Fox. He's a stubborn bastard, he's not about
to die."

Mulder smiled sadly at him. "Welcome to my life, Eric. Anyone I
have ever cared about is usually taken from me."

"Quit feeling sorry for yourself and concentrate your energy on
Skinner! He needs you, Fox!" Olsen snapped. He helped Mulder to
his feet and out of the way, so the paramedics could transfer
Skinner onto a stretcher. "Go on, Fox. He'll want you there when
he wakes up."

Mulder was grateful for Olsen's words. He leaned in and kissed
the larger man softly on the lips. Not caring what any of the
other agents would think. Screw them. "Thanks." He quickly
followed the paramedics and Skinner out of the cabin.

***

Hospital Duluth, MN Sunday, April 16, 2000 9:30 p.m.

"Hey, partner," Scully said quietly, walking into Skinner's
hospital room. Mulder didn't seem to notice her as she picked up
the chart at the foot of Skinner's bed. She studied it before
putting it back. Pulling up a seat next to Mulder's, she took his
hand.

"Scully," Mulder murmured, pulling his eyes off Skinner's face
and looking at her for the first time.

"He was lucky." She noticed that Mulder looked like hell. His
face was pale and drawn. He had almost two days' worth of
stubble. His eyes red-rimmed and his clothes exuded a foul odor.

"Yeah. The doctor said he should make a full recovery, but he
still hasn't regained consciousness."

"They do have him on the good stuff," Scully commented. "He's
going to need some help once he's released. He's right-handed and
that arm is going to have to be immobile while his shoulder
heals."

Mulder smirked. "I still have five weeks of my vacation left and
I think I know where I'm going to be spending it. He'll have to
throw me off his balcony to get rid of me."

"Good for you, Mulder." Scully looked at Skinner's peaceful face,
feeling a twinge of jealousy. She hated sharing Mulder with
anyone. "They've sealed off the whole area around Long Lake and
evacuated the town of Ashburg. Do you want to tell me what
happened?"

"You don't know?" Mulder looked at her baffled. He thought for
sure Scully would have been briefed.

"No. The military has moved in...more precisely the Black Ops
headed by Colonel Henderson. They've taken jurisdiction away from
our guys and classified the whole incident as top secret," Scully
said, watching Mulder's face darken.

"They don't have the jurisdiction! This is a matter for the FBI,
not the military!" Mulder growled.

"Apparently not. They stated that it was a matter of the national
defense and apparently the Executive Branch agreed with them.
They debriefed all of our agents and no one is allowed to speak
of the incident under threat of prosecution." Scully squeezed his
hand. "What happened? Were you attacked by more bigfoots?"

"No. Try trolls, hell hounds and wyverns," Mulder said tiredly,
rubbing his hands over his eyes.

Scully was going to question him further, but the night nurse
came in to check Skinner's vitals.

The nurse looked at the two people sitting by her patient's
bedside and wrinkled her nose at the foul stench coming from the
good-looking male. It was well after visiting hours, but she had
been informed to allow the young man to remain. She raised an
eyebrow at the young woman sitting with him, but decided not to
evict her either. "He's doing really well," she said, jotting
down the information on the chart. She looked compassionately at
Mulder and said gently, "Honey, if you'd like, I'll bring you
back some hospital scrubs to wear, so you can take a shower and
get out of those foul smelling clothes. Then I'll send your
clothes down to our laundry to be cleaned."

"Thanks, I'd appreciate that," Mulder said.

"No problem," the nurse said, leaving the room. She came back a
few minutes later with blue scrubs and a disposable razor.

Mulder reluctantly left Skinner's bedside and went into the
adjacent bathroom to shower. He stuffed the smelly clothes into
the laundry bag the nurse had given him, dropping it on the
floor. He then stepped into the shower stall. The hot water felt
wonderful against his skin. He allowed his emotions to surface
and broke down crying at how close he had come to losing Walter
this day. Mulder realized at that moment that he had finally
discovered what it was to be in love. He freely admitted it to
himself now. He was in love with Walter Skinner. He'd never felt
this way about anyone before. Not Phoebe, not Diana, not even
Scully whom he loved like a sister. This was a totally different
feeling. "God, I'm in love! How the hell did that happen?" he
murmured in awe.

Scully looked up as the bathroom door opened and Mulder finally
came back out. He dropped the laundry bag outside the hospital
room's doorway where the night nurse had told him to leave it.
Scully could tell that he'd been crying and wondered at that as
he sat next to her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Have you ever been in love, Scully?"

"Love, as in I want to spend the rest of my life with you love?
No. Mulder, I love you and my family, but I've never met anyone
with whom I wanted to be with for the rest of my life," Scully
said longingly. There were days that she didn't think she was
capable of that type of love and commitment. Besides, who would
want someone as dedicated to her career as she was? Being in a
committed relationship required sacrifice, and she just wasn't
ready to let anyone get that close.

"I'm in love with him, Scully," Mulder said, taking Skinner's
limp hand tenderly in his. "I want to spend the rest of my life
with him," he said with a tinge of wonder in his voice. "I really
don't know when it happened. I think I might have been in love
with him for years."

Scully smiled and placed her arms around Mulder, pulling him
close. "You always were protective of Skinner, believing in him
when no one else would, so it doesn't surprise me. I'm glad
you've found someone, Mulder. Skinner loves you, and you both
deserve a little happiness in your lives."

"Thanks, Scully."

"Now tell me more about these mythical creatures you mentioned."

Mulder took a deep breath and filled her in. She lifted an
eyebrow when he described what Walter told him about being
awakened by his dead mother. However, she took the rest of the
information in stride.

"So you have no idea why these creatures were after you?" Scully
asked.

"No. I thought at first they wanted to kill me, but they didn't
lift a finger to hurt me even after I killed several of them.
Scully, I don't think they were acting on their own but following
someone else's orders," Mulder said, chewing on his lower lip.

"Whose orders would those be, Agent Mulder?"

They both spun around toward the doorway. Colonel Henderson stood
there with a couple of his soldiers.

Mulder let go of Skinner's hand. His eyes narrowed as he glared
up at Henderson. "How long have you been standing there?" he
growled.

"Long enough to hear you divulging *classified* information to
your partner. I could have you thrown in jail. And believe me,
Mulder, a pretty man like you wouldn't last long in jail."

"Fuck off, Henderson. Your threats are hollow! You have no
authority over me."

Henderson chuckled. "You've always fascinated me, Mulder. I've
always wondered why they didn't just put a bullet through your
brain. At first, I thought it was because of your father's high
position in the State Department and Syndicate. After he was
eliminated and they still had a hands-off policy where you were
concerned, I thought it was the smoker who was protecting you. It
wasn't him though. The English gent did protect you for a while,
but after he died, someone else was still protecting you. That
someone is pulling the strings now." He admired how Mulder met
his eyes calmly with his chin held high. No one in his command
had the courage to do that. Mulder had balls. He'd give the
younger man that much.

"Tell me something I don't already know! Now, if you don't get
the hell out of here right now I'll call the police! And
*believe* me, they'd back up a fellow officer over a military
geek any day!"

Henderson threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, you do have
spunk, Fox!" His eyes narrowed as he became serious. "You're
going to tell me everything you know about this other dimension
eventually, one way or another!" the Colonel growled, turning on
his heals and storming off down the hallway, followed by his men.

"What an asshole," Mulder growled.

"Mulder, be careful! That man's dangerous," Scully said. "What
did he mean that someone is protecting you?"

"I don't know. I've always wondered why I'm still alive." He ran
his fingers through his hair, feeling the scars underneath, on
his scalp. Someone had performed brain surgery on him less than a
year ago. Maybe saving his life, maybe not. He'd never know. He
couldn't remember a thing since he collapsed on the staircase at
American University. Why was he still alive?

"Mulder, I have a hotel room at the Holiday Inn. Why don't you
take my keys and go and grab a few hours sleep. I'll stay with
Skinner until you get back."

"No. I'm not leaving him. Scully, I want to be here when he wakes
up. I don't want him to think for a moment that those creatures
killed or abducted me," he said softly.

"Well then, let me see if I can get the nurse to move a cot into
the room for you." Scully stood and left.

Mulder lifted Skinner's hand to his lips and kissed his fingers.
"I'm here, Walter. Anytime you feel like coming back to me please
do. I need you."

***

Skinner slowly drifted back to consciousness. The roar of many
beasts sounded in his ears as he jerked awake. He stared up at
the white ceiling, wondering briefly where he was. The room was
quiet, except for a gentle snoring coming from his left and the
beeping of equipment. Hospital, he deduced. He removed the nasal
cannon from under his nose and eased himself up enough so he
could see over the edge of the bed to where a low cot had been
set up.

Mulder lay sleeping, his body twisted in the blankets from a
restless sleep. Skinner sighed with relief. They were alive. He
smiled through the pain as he watched his lover toss and turn.
Mulder was so beautiful. He was everything and more than Skinner
had ever wanted in his life. The A.D. lay back, gasping at the
sharp pain in his side and shoulder, and then he thanked God that
they had gotten through it alive. A tear made its way down his
cheek, followed by several more. He had never been happier and
couldn't stop his emotions from getting the better of him.

Mulder opened his eyes. He didn't remember falling asleep. A
muffled sob from the bed had him on his feet in an instant.
"Walter?" he murmured, touching his lover's damp face as his eyes
adjusted to the faint light. "You're crying? Why?"

"Sorry. I'm just so happy that we're alive," Skinner said
faintly, embarrassed.

Mulder leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. "We're more
than alive, Walter. I discovered something through all of this."
He smiled gently at Skinner's questioning look. "I love you. It
nearly killed me when you were wounded. I don't think I could
have gone on without you."

Skinner smiled contently. He reached out with his left hand and
touched Mulder's face. "You'll never know how happy you've just
made me, Fox."

"Oh, we have plenty of time to find out. I'm moving in with you
until you're better. With your right arm in a sling you'll need
someone to help you."

"And after?"

Mulder looked at him puzzled. "After what?"

"After I'm better. Will you still be living with me?"

"It depends," Mulder said softly.

Skinner felt his stomach churn. "Depends on what?"

Mulder shrugged his shoulders and smiled at his lover sheepishly.
"On whether you'd still want me to."

Skinner close his eyes. He was going to kill his lover slowly.
"Of course, I'd still want you to! Dammit, Fox, I love you!"

Mulder chuckled. "That's all I wanted to hear." He caressed his
hand over Skinner's bald scalp, kissing his brow. "Walter, I'm
not used to anyone being in love with me, or me being in love for
that matter. It's all so new...so strange. If you don't kill me
after five weeks then we can discuss our future plans together.
Okay?"

"C'mere!" Skinner growled, pulling Mulder's head down and kissing
him passionately. "God, I love you."

At Skinner's sudden intake of breath, Mulder pulled away.
"Walter, are you all right?"

"Sorry, I tried to move my right arm. I guess...I'm a little
sore."

"A little sore?" Mulder looked at him dubiously. "Is that how you
describe feeling after being shot with two arrows? A little
sore?"

"Okay, it hurts like hell. Does that make you feel better?"

"No. But I want you to be honest with me about how you're
feeling." Mulder clipped the nasal cannon back under Skinner's
nose. "I'm going to find the nurse and see if she can give you
something for the pain. I'll be right back."

Skinner watched with wonder as Mulder quickly departed. It gave
him a warm feeling throughout his body, having someone in his
life who actually cared about him.

***

Viva Tower Crystal City Friday, April 21, 2000 7:30 a.m.

"Hey, you shouldn't be up!" Mulder scolded. Skinner had only been
released from the hospital yesterday afternoon, after spending
four days recuperating from his injuries. Their plane arrived
late the night before and Mulder had put Skinner right to bed.
Then he'd gone to sleep in the guestroom. Skinner's doctor had
advised plenty of bed rest for the next week.

Skinner set the carton of eggs he was holding carefully on the
counter. He winced as he accidentally moved his arm that was
strapped against his chest in a sling. "Fox, you can't expect me
to lay in bed all day."

Mulder leaned in and kissed him. "Yes, I can. Did you take your
pills?"

"No." Skinner breathed in Mulder's freshly showered scent. He'd
give anything to be able to wrap both arms around that wonderful,
warm body.

Mulder chuckled as Skinner's nose nuzzled his neck. "I'm going to
make you a bed on the sofa. Then I want you to take your pills
and lie down while I fix breakfast for you. Is that understood?"

"Yes. If you'd lie with me after breakfast."

Mulder put one arm around Skinner, careful not to touch his
injured side as he gently kissed his lips. "I don't think there's
enough room for both of us to lie comfortably on that sofa. After
breakfast why don't we retire to the bedroom?"

"Hmm, I'm going to enjoy these next five weeks," Skinner purred,
returning the kiss. They separated and went into the living room.

Mulder retrieved sheets, a blanket and a pillow from the
guestroom then made up the sofa for Skinner. "Here, Walter. Let
me help you down!" he said, supporting Skinner's uninjured side
as he lowered him to the sofa.

Skinner grunted as the stitches in his side pulled painfully. His
whole body was aching.

Mulder noticed Skinner's wince of pain. "I'll be right back with
your pills."

Skinner was grateful when Mulder arrived back with the
painkillers and antibiotics. He swallowed them down with a glass
of water then allowed Mulder to help him lie on his back. Skinner
grabbed Mulder's hand before he could leave. "Thanks."

"No problem. I'll be right back with your breakfast. Try to relax
and let the drugs kick in." Mulder watched as Skinner closed his
eyes. He walked back to the kitchen and called Scully as he
started fixing breakfast.

"Hey, Scully. How's it going?" He asked, dumping the can of
corned beef hash into a skillet.

"Mulder, it's all over the Bureau that you kissed Sheriff Olsen
on the lips. I thought you'd be more careful."

Mulder shrugged. "Scully, Eric had just saved my life and frankly
I could give a rat's ass what anyone thinks of me."

"What about Skinner?"

"Scully, I'd rather not discuss Skinner and me over the
telephone." He heard her sigh.

"Okay, fine. How's he doing?"

"He's still in a lot of pain. However, he's being a good patient
with a little coaxing." Mulder used a spatula to stir the hash in
a pan.

"Have you told him about Henderson and the Black Ops?"

"No. Only that the military has taken over jurisdiction." Mulder
cradled the phone against his chin as he buttered Walter's toast.
Then he found a breakfast tray in the lower cabinet.

"You have to tell him, Mulder. Henderson more or less threatened
you."

Mulder spooned the hash onto a plate then scooped the poached egg
out of the boiling water, placing it on top of the hash. "I'll
tell him when he's feeling better. I don't want to worry him."

"He needs to know, Mulder! The sooner the better," Scully
advised.

"Gotta go, Scully. Walter's breakfast is getting cold." Mulder
hung up not allowing her to get in the last word. He carried the
tray into the living room and set it down on the coffee table.
Skinner looked so young without his glasses, lying there sleeping
like a baby. Mulder hated to wake him, but he needed to eat.

"Mm, something smells good," Skinner murmured, opening his eyes.
He hadn't been sleeping only resting.

Mulder grabbed a couple of cushions and propped them behind
Skinner's back as he helped his lover sit with his back against
the arm of the sofa. Then he lay the tray across Skinner's lap,
taking care that the one side wasn't going to fall off the edge
of the sofa. "Do you need any help?"

"No. I should be able to manage left-handed. Would you mind
getting me some ketchup for the hash?"

"Sure, I'll be right back with it."

"When you get back, Fox, you can tell me what you don't want me
to worry about."

Mulder stopped in the kitchen doorway and looked back at Skinner.
"You overheard my phone conversation with Scully?"

"It's a small apartment, and you weren't exactly whispering."

"I thought you were asleep," Mulder muttered, walking into the
kitchen. He grabbed the ketchup from the refrigerator and scooped
himself up a plate of hash. He carried both back to the living
room with some napkins.

"Thanks," Skinner said, as Mulder squirted ketchup over his corn
beef hash.

Mulder sat on the coffee table and ate his own breakfast, while
watching Skinner consume his hungrily.

After four days of hospital food Skinner was starving. He had a
little problem at first eating left-handed. "Mm, so do you want
to tell what's going on?"

"I told you that the military took over jurisdiction of the Long
Lake investigation."

"Yes. It was a wise decision. If more of those gateways exist, it
could be a major threat to this nation's security."

"Walter, it wasn't the a normal branch of the military but the
Black Ops. The public has the right to know about this other
dimension and the possible threat to our world."

"Fox, we can't take a chance of panicking the public. Some people
would use this as an excuse to riot." Skinner frowned, looking at
his lover. "What's really bothering you?"

"The man in charge of the Black Ops is Colonel Calvin Henderson.
He showed up at the hospital while you were still out. He
believes I know more about this other dimension than I'm letting
on and sort of threatened me." Mulder shrugged his shoulders. He
didn't want Skinner to make too much out of it. "I can deal with
him."

Skinner's jaw tightened. "I want to be informed if Henderson or
any of his men approach you again. I'm going to register an
official complaint with his superiors."

"It's not going to do any good, Walter. These men work outside
official channels. Besides, I know about as much as they do about
this other dimension."

"Fox, I've known you for seven years, and whatever *your* theory
about this other dimension is, I'd bank my retirement that it's a
lot closer to what the dimension really is than whatever theory
the military experts have about it at this point."

Skinner put his fork down and picked up the orange juice.

Mulder frowned. Deep down he was glad the Black Ops had taken
over jurisdiction. He wanted nothing to do with the case. It
scared him to think that he had been targeted purely for sexual
reasons. They already knew that that was why the bigfoot had
targeted him. However, he believed this latest attack might be
tied to the goblins that Emily Mora had spoken about.

"Walter, you're right. It is best that the public didn't know. It
doesn't matter to me that the Black Ops have taken over the case.
I'm not going anywhere near Long Lake, Minnesota. I just want to
put the whole incident behind me," Mulder said. Picking up the
tray from Skinner's lap, he carried it into the kitchen.

Skinner was concerned. It wasn't like Mulder to give up on any
paranormal investigation. He needed to find out what was
bothering his lover. Not that he wanted Mulder to pursue this
case, but he wanted to know why he didn't want to pursue it.

***

Ashburg

Friday, April 21, 2000 10:30 a.m.

Sheriff Olsen glared down at Henderson who had commandeered his
office and was sitting behind his desk. "How much longer,
Colonel, before my people can return to their homes?"

"They may never be allowed back," Henderson said, looking up at
his former soldier. Olsen had been an exceptional operative and
assassin. Too bad he'd developed a conscious after being ordered
to kill a child. The man had had a lot of potential. Henderson
admitted that Olsen was too intelligent. He'd easily circumvented
the conditioning program that all of the members of the Black Ops
went through during their training.

"Colonel, you and your team have spent five days searching for
this gateway with no luck. Why don't you do us all a favor? Give
it up and get the hell out of my town! You're not going to find
anything!" Olsen snapped. He had tried to be civil -- as civil as
one could possibly be with someone like Henderson.

Henderson looked at Olsen as if he were nothing more than a small
bug. "Tell me something, Olsen?"

Olsen glared at him but didn't respond.

So Henderson went on. "What was it like to fuck Fox Mulder? What
did it feel like to sink your dick up his tight ass?" His
operatives had discovered that Mulder and Olsen had been lovers
during the agent's brief vacation.

Olsen's face turned red with rage. "Fuck off, bastard!"

"You can't blame a man for being curious. I've only fucked women.
I'm curious what it would feel like to fuck another man up the
ass. More importantly, how it would feel to fuck the lovely Agent
Mulder up the ass. He is one fine looking man don't you think?"
Henderson had felt stirrings of arousal ever since seeing Mulder
at the hospital tenderly holding A.D. Skinner's hand.

"If you go anywhere near Fox Mulder, Henderson, you'll discover
what true pain feels like. You have my personal promise on that!"

"Does Mulder have any idea how many innocent men and women you've
killed?" Henderson watched Olsen's face darken. "I didn't think
so."

"Just stay away from him!" Olsen growled. Spinning on his heels
he stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him. He
prayed that Fox would stay safely in D.C. and wouldn't try to
investigate this case further. Olsen didn't think he would come
back here. Skinner nearly being killed had badly shaken Mulder.

Henderson stared at the closed door for several minutes. He stood
and pulled on his hat. He was heading back out to their base of
operations in the deep woods. They had advanced scanners and
ground radar set up throughout the woods. If there was a gateway,
they'd be able to pinpoint its location the moment it was used.

***

Viva Tower Crystal City Friday, April 21, 2000 9:30 p.m.

Mulder tossed the nylon puff in the tub. He had just finished
giving Skinner a sponge bath. Skinner wasn't supposed to get his
dressings wet, so the large man had stood patiently in the
bathtub allowing Mulder to thoroughly wash him. Mulder grabbed a
bath towel and started drying his lover, being careful of his
injuries. "So, do you want to sleep in your briefs or in the
buff?" he asked, in between drying and kissing the warm flesh.

"That depends. Are you going to be sleeping with me tonight?"
Skinner had been a little miffed that Mulder had refused to sleep
with him last night, after they had flown back to D.C. together
from the hospital in Duluth. Mulder told him that he was afraid
he'd toss in his sleep and injure Walter.

Mulder was going to say no, but the hurt little puppy dog look in
Walter's brown eyes had him saying, "It's against my better
judgment, but yes."

Skinner grinned with satisfaction. "Good. I want to watch the
news before bed. Get naked and join me, Fox," he said, kissing
Mulder sweetly on the lips, then heading into his bedroom.

Mulder pursed his lips appreciatively as he watched Skinner's
firm ass and powerful muscular legs as his lover walked out of
the bathroom. Mine, he thought as he stripped and took a quick
shower. He then retrieved Skinner's pills from the medicine
cabinet and filled a glass with water. He carried them back into
the bedroom. Skinner had pillows propped up behind him as he sat
against the headboard watching TV.



"Anything interesting happening?" Mulder asked, handing Skinner
his pills and waiting for him to take them before passing him the
glass of water.

Skinner swallowed down the pills with half the water in the
glass, then handed it back. "They're speculating about what is
happening in Ashburg and around Long Lake. They're not buying the
military's story that the town was evacuated due to a top secret
military plane crashing in the area during Sunday's blizzard with
radioactive materials on board."

Mulder had been too concerned with Walter over the past five days
that he hadn't been paying too much attention to the news. "God,
they're still using that old story! I'd have thought Henderson
would have come up with something a lot more believable by now."
He walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed under
the covers, scooting over until he was sitting shoulder to
shoulder with Skinner.

"They're having a hard time maintaining that story since so many
people saw the bodies of those creatures before the military
could seal off the area," Skinner said, his fingers laced through
Mulder's. "Maybe you should call your friend Olsen and find out
what's going on."

"I'd rather not. Let someone else uncover the truth for once,"
Mulder said warily. He pulled his hand free from Skinner's and
reached under the covers to lovingly stroke Walter's penis.
"Besides, I have better things to do during my vacation."

Skinner pulled Mulder's hand off his member and held it still
under the covers. "Talk to me, Fox. What's really going on?" he
asked.

Mulder sighed. Skinner wasn't going to let this drop so he might
as well tell his lover what was really bothering him. Picking up
the remote with his free hand, he turned off the television.
"When those creatures were attacking us, they didn't even try to
harm me. Walter, I'm afraid of what might have happened to me if
they had succeeded in getting their hands on me."

"What do you mean? You don't think they were after you for sexual
reasons?" Skinner asked.

"Why not? The bigfoot was. It might have been tied to that goblin
that Mrs. Mora told us about..."

"Fox, we can't trust what Emily Mora told us. It happened almost
sixty years ago, and her memory is bound to be faulty, if she's
not making the whole thing up."

"Why would she do that?"

"I think it's possible that Jonathan Mora never recovered from
his injuries and eventually died. I believe that Emily Mora was
so guilt ridden that she made the story up, instead of accepting
that he was dead. I believe what she originally told her son,
that it was a bigfoot that raped his father. Over the years she
changed the story to be that of a more beautiful, surreal
creature to fit her personal fantasies."

"If a bigfoot did rape Jonathan then why didn't the one who
abducted Congressman Asner rape him?" Mulder argued.

"Fox, I think it would have, but Olsen reached the Congressman in
time. Look at the condition they found him in -- naked, bruised
and filthy. That animal did sexually molest him even if it didn't
succeed in raping him."

"Walter, that would make perfect sense if we were only dealing
with a bigfoot! But we're not! Three unique creatures attacked
us. One of which was clothed, which gives some credence to Mrs.
Mora's story."

Skinner concealed a grin. This was the Mulder he knew and loved.
"So is it your belief that these trolls were after you sexually
or that they are working for the goblins?"

"I'd have to know something about their society's social
structure..." Mulder leaned over and kissed Skinner on the cheek.
"Nice try, Walter, but I don't want to chance finding out one way
or another. Let's just let it go for now."

"Okay, Fox. But if you ever do decide to pursue your own
investigation, I want you to tell me. I don't want you and Scully
investigating this on your own." Skinner was happy that Mulder
wasn't going to pursue the investigation. He knew it wouldn't be
safe for his lover. Not only would he be endangered by the
occupants of this other dimension but also by the Black Ops. He
yawned. The drugs had kicked into his system a while ago and they
were pulling him under.

"C'mon, lay down." Mulder helped Walter scoot down and plumped
the pillows for him. He then climbed out of bed and shut off the
lights. Climbing back into bed he lay on his side so he could
cuddle against Walter's undamaged side. He rested a hand across
Walter's hips just below the bandages in his side.

"Fox?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

A slow smile spread across Mulder's lips. "I love you too,
Walter." He closed his eyes feeling truly happy and at peace. He
had a new purpose in life and it was all wrapped up in his future
with Walter.

***

Mulder was pulled from his deep sleep by a persistent knocking.
He raised his head off Walter's shoulder and peered at the clock.
Midnight. It was only an hour and a half since they had gone to
bed. Walter was in a deep, drug-induced sleep. The pounding came
again and he quickly climbed out of bed, swearing under his
breath as he stubbed his toe. He hobbled over and pulled on
Walter's robe then made his way downstairs. He looked through the
peephole and swore as he unlocked the door.

"Why are you here? Do you know what time it is?"

"Chill, man. It's only midnight. Besides, if you'd called us when
you got back into town we wouldn't have had to break into your
place then stop by Scully's place to find out where you were. By
the way she's pissed at you." Langly walked into the living room
and flipping on a lamp, he plopped down on the sofa.

Frohike was taking in Mulder's lack of attire with an incredulous
expression.

"What?" Mulder growled.

"You're shagging your boss!"

Byers looked mortified. "Frohike! Sorry, Mulder."

Mulder closed the front door as the two men moved out of the
entryway. "It's okay, Byers. Yes, Frohike I'm shagging Skinner.
Do you have a problem with it?"

"Why him and not me?"

Mulder's eyebrows rose. "Fro, you're kidding right?"

"After eleven years of friendship the least you could have done
was given me a chance."

"Frohike, I never even knew you were interested."

"I guess it's a little too late now," Frohike grumbled and joined
Langly in the living room.

Mulder followed Byers into the room. "Why are you guys here?"

"John and Paul are pretty upset about their cabins, Mulder. I
told them I'd find out from you what's really going on?" Langly
said.

"Why don't you tell me what you know first."

"We know about the Congressman and the Bigfoots. Rumors have it
that those weren't the only creatures around Long Lake. The Black
Ops has the whole area sealed off and aren't letting anyone in,"
Byers offered.

"That's all? You don't know anymore than that?"

Frohike turned from pouring himself a whiskey. "That's all we've
heard, Mulder. People are afraid to talk. Even the reason Skinner
was admitted to the hospital is being covered up. We know that it
was from arrow wounds to his shoulder and side, but not who shot
him or why."

"Try *what* shot him," he muttered.

"Then the rumor about monsters are true?"

Mulder sighed, he wasn't sure how secure Skinner's apartment was
and couldn't risk telling his friends anything. "Guys, I can't
talk about it. The Government has classified this investigation
as top secret. I'm sorry, Langly, but your brothers may be out of
the use of their cabins for a while."

"No problemo, Mulder. My bros are going to make a killing from
all the publicity that area is getting. They'll probably be able
to triple their rates."

Frohike tossed back his drink and set the glass on the table.
"Mulder, we're sorry we disturbed you. Why don't you stop over
for dinner next Friday? --you can bring the Skinman, too."

"Thanks, Frohike," Mulder said, showing them to the door. "If
he's feeling up to it, we'll be there."

After they left Mulder headed back upstairs. He dropped the robe
over a chair then climbed back into bed and cuddled against
Skinner's warm, undamaged side.

***

Ashburg

Saturday, May 13, 2000 7:30 a.m.

Sheriff Olsen packed up his truck. It had been almost month since
the military had evacuated his town and it didn't look like
they'd be leaving anytime soon. He had stopped by Henderson's
base camp the other day and it was obvious by the high tech
equipment and structures they had erected that the military and
their scientists were there for the long haul. So, Olsen was
going down to St. Paul to stay with his sister and her family
until he could decide what he wanted to do with his life.

He stood by his truck looking one final time out over the woods.
Olsen had loved it here and he hated leaving. However, he
couldn't remain. No need for a sheriff in a town without any
people. He climbed behind the wheel and drove out onto the main
road. Maybe he'd take a trip to D.C. and see how Fox and Skinner
were doing.

***

Viva Tower Crystal City Saturday, May 13, 2000 8:00 a.m.

Skinner's fingers combed through the silky chestnut hair of his
lover who was underneath the covers giving him an incredible
morning blowjob. God, what a way to wake up! "Ugh!" he cried,
shooting his release into his lover's hot mouth.

A minute later, Mulder crawled out from underneath the blankets
and grinned impishly down at Walter's sated face. "Good morning."

"Morning."

"How are you feeling today?"

"A little stiff, but other than that I'm fine." Skinner had
stopped wearing the sling two weeks ago. He stretched his arms
over his head, wincing slightly. The soreness from his shoulder
wound was still there but mainly in the morning. Skinner was
going back to work on Monday. He regretted that he'd only be
seeing Mulder in the evenings and mornings before work, at least
until Mulder's vacation was over in two weeks. Mulder still
hadn't fully committed to moving in with him.

"I'm going to take a shower. Would you care to join me?" Mulder
asked.

"Try and stop me!" Skinner said. Throwing the covers off, he
climbed out of bed.

Mulder followed him into the bathroom and turned on the shower
while Skinner stood in front of the toilet emptying his bladder.
Mulder took his turn after Skinner was done. Instead of climbing
into the shower, Skinner hugged Mulder from behind, kissing his
neck as the younger man stood urinating. Skinner rubbed his thick
cock up and down between Mulder's buttocks. A shiver of desire
raced up Mulder's spine as the last trickle of urine flowed out
of him. They hadn't had anal sex since that first time at the
cabin a month ago, and he wondered if Skinner would be up to it
yet? God, he wanted Walter inside him again. He wanted to feel
his lover's powerful organ opening him, filling him, and
possessing into him.

As if answering his unspoken question, Skinner's cock thickened
and lengthened. Mulder had spent the last month caring for him,
being solicitous of his health, and now Skinner wanted Mulder to
know that he was an equal partner in their relationship and no
longer needed to be looked after. He whispered lustfully in
Mulder's ear. "I'm going to make love to you, Fox. I'm going to
stuff that tight ass of yours and make you scream with pleasure."
Skinner's hand wrapped around Mulder's penis as he bit the side
of Mulder's throat.

"God. Oooh, please..." Mulder arched his neck back.

Skinner chuckled and pulled Mulder into the shower and under the
hot spray. He proceeded to feast on every delectable inch of the
younger man's body. Mulder was mumbling gibberish by the time
Skinner's fingers entered him and started stretching him. The
shower spray was starting to turn cool by the time Skinner
slammed into Mulder's body from behind, driving him up against
the tiled wall. Mulder spread his legs further apart, trying to
keep his balance as Skinner's arm snaked around his middle to
keep him upright. They stood still, breathing heavily as Skinner
reached and turned off the water.

Mulder closed his eyes, concentrating on the wonderful sensation
of being so tightly filled. The delicious weight of Skinner's
warm body pressed up against his back and thighs, and Skinner's
strong arms holding him securely was nothing less than heavenly.
If he died at that moment, he would die happy.

"Fox, I will love you forever. Never forget that." Skinner held
him tighter then turned his face so he could claim Mulder's lips
in an intense kiss.

Mulder's cock was torturously hard by the time the kiss ended,
standing tall and proud against his belly. "P-prove it to me,
Walter," Mulder murmured in breathless anticipation. "Make me
feel how much you love me." He pushed back wanting Skinner to
move -- to bring them both to completion.

Skinner grinned against the back of Mulder's hair, then held his
lover's hips steady as he slowly started thrusting in and out of
his body. As the thrusts grew stronger, Mulder started babbling
uncontrollably each time the organ slid back inside, bringing him
unbearable pleasure. His body throbbed around the hard shaft
penetrating him, and he clenched his anal muscles, obtaining a
satisfying groan from Skinner as his thrusting slowed.

Skinner's heart soared with love as he held Fox pressed firmly
against his chest and drove relentlessly into him, wanting Mulder
to receive as much pleasure from their coupling as he was
receiving. He started fisting the ridged length of Mulder's cock
in time with each hard thrust.

"Oh God! Ooooh....UUUGGH!" Mulder screamed as his orgasm caught
him by surprise. He saw stars before his eyes as his semen
spurted out against the tiled wall.

Skinner kept his lover from sinking to the floor as he rode out
the contracting muscles of Mulder's orgasm that squeezed his cock
in a loving grip. As the muscles spasms lessened their hold, he
continued his long hard thrusts into Mulder's tight heat.
Mulder's body rocked unsteadily with each forceful thrust as
Skinner propelled himself toward his own completion. It wasn't
long before he felt his balls tighten and his cock swell even
larger as his release pumped out of him in long, powerful spurts.

Mulder felt the force of Skinner's release filling him. It had
been the first time he had anal sex without using a condom. They
had discussed it during Walter's recuperation. Walter didn't want
to use condoms in their relationship. He said since they were
going to be in a monogamous relationship, he saw no need to have
latex separating them. Mulder tried to argue that they should at
least wait since he had one brief moment of unprotected sex with
Olsen when he gave the man a blowjob. Walter wouldn't hear of it
though.

They sank to the tiled floor of the shower still joined together.
"Jesus, Fox. That was incredible."

"Yeah, you were." Mulder sighed, turning his head until he met
Skinner's lips. The large man held him on his lap as their kiss
deepened. They finally broke apart, breathless. "Shall we get
cleaned up, then go out for breakfast?" Mulder asked, pulling
slowly off Skinner's soft cock. Even in its flaccid state it was
still large. Semen dripped down his thighs as he stood and
reached a hand down to help Walter up.

Skinner gasped as a sharp pain shot through his shoulder.

"Walter, are you all right?" Mulder asked. Sinking back to his
knees, he cupped Skinner's face, looking into his pain-filled
eyes.

"I just over did it a little." Skinner eased himself up with
Mulder's help. "It was damn well worth it though!"

"Let's see if we can coax a little hot water from the shower,"
Mulder said. Turning it on, he shivered as the cold water hit him
but it soon turned warm enough so they could wash the semen and
sweat off their bodies and the shower wall.

They stepped out as the water was turning cold again and toweled
each other off.

"Where do you want to go for breakfast?" Skinner asked, pulling
on his briefs.

"How about 'The Egg and I'. They make great omelets and we'd be
less likely to run into someone from the Bureau there than at
Denny's." Mulder buttoned his jeans and pulled a T-shirt.

"Sounds good. Although, I don't personally care one way or
another if we do run into someone from work." Skinner slipped his
wallet into the back pocket of his jeans.

They headed down the stairs and out their front door, then took
the elevator down to the parking garage. As Skinner was unlocking
the door to his Lexus four men in military uniforms approached
them.

"Fox Mulder, we'd like you to come with us!" a man wearing a
captain's uniform ordered, his face impassive and his voice a
bored monotone.

"Fuck off, I'm not going anywhere with you or your goons." Mulder
cursed himself for not wearing his gun, but they had only been
going out for breakfast.

"You can come along peacefully or in handcuffs, the choice is
yours." The captain said without changing the commanding tone of
his voice or his expression.

"He's not going anywhere with you -- " Skinner growled, reading
the man's name on his uniform. "Captain Kaas!"

"Look, mister, we have a warrant to haul him in for
questioning..."

Skinner flipped open his FBI badge. "Assistant Director Walter
Skinner. Captain, I think you're overstepping your authority.
Agent Mulder is not going anywhere with you or your men, warrant
or not. If you want to question him in regards to some military
case, then you'll have to interview him at the FBI headquarters
with the Bureau's lawyers and myself present. If this is in
regards to some non-military matter then you'll need to get the
proper authorities involved. You don't have the authority to
arrest a private citizen."

Captain Kaas cursed under his breath. He had been shown a
photograph of Mulder and ordered to stakeout the vehicles in
these two parking stalls and told that the suspect was inside the
apartment building. They wanted Mulder taken into custody quietly
without a lot of witnesses around. His superiors failed to
mention that he might have to deal with an FBI Assistant
Director.

"Very well, sir, we'll do it your way. Call your lawyers and I'll
contact my superiors. We'll want a meeting convened for Monday.
I'll contact you with the time," Kaas said. Turning smartly on
his heels, he marched off across the garage followed by the other
three soldiers.

Mulder had leaned against the car listening to the exchange. He
was proud at how easily Walter dissuaded those men. "Thanks,
Walter," he said, climbing into the car.

"They had their nerve. I wonder where they were planning on
taking you?" Skinner's gut was twisting at the realization that
if he hadn't been with Mulder there was a slight possibility that
he might never have seen him again.

"Probably the DoD or maybe some old abandoned warehouse. Who
knows?" Mulder noticed the look on Skinner's face as his lover
steered the car out of the parking garage. "Don't worry about it,
Walter. They wouldn't have killed me."

"How do you know? If this had been on the up and up, they would
have come up to the apartment, instead of staking out our cars."

"Henderson told me that there is a no kill order on me. Unless
that has changed, they would more than likely have only roughed
me up. Then when they were done with me, they'd probably wipe my
memory before releasing me. It's happened before."

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel much better. Do you think it's
to find out what you know about that other dimension?" Skinner
asked, navigating his car through the narrow neighborhood
streets.

"What else could it be about? I haven't broken into any top
secret military bases in almost a year and for the past two
months I haven't done anything to piss anyone off."

Skinner shook his head as he parked in front of the neighborhood
restaurant. "Fox, I want to know every time you piss someone
off."

Mulder shrugged his shoulders. "Walter, I really don't think that
would be good for your health."

"Neither is not knowing." Skinner squeezed his knee. "Humor me
Fox."

"Okay, Walter. Let's go eat. I'm starving."

***

DoD Saturday, May 13, 2000 11:00 a.m.

Henderson scowled at Captain Kaas. He should have handled the
assignment himself. He had flown back to Virginia with the
express purpose of having a private and intimate meeting with
Mulder. Now he had to wait to question the reticent agent until
Monday in front of Skinner and the FBI lawyers! So, fucking the
information out of Mulder was definitely out of the question now.
"Captain, it was four armed men against two! You had the drop on
them and you allowed a middle-aged man to intimidate you! Next
time I give you an order I expect it to be followed out to the
letter!"

"Sorry, sir." Kaas knew to keep his disagreements to himself.

"Dismissed, Captain!"

Henderson was angry and frustrated. A whole month had gone by and
they were no closer to finding the gateway to this other
dimension than they had been when they arrived. He needed Mulder
to provide the key piece of information to find the gateway.
Mulder's ability to make intuitive leaps was well known in
certain circles of power. Mulder had been used many times by his
enemies to do their work for them. Mulder knew something and
Henderson was determined to find out what.

***

FBI Hoover Building Monday, May 15, 2000 1:00 p.m..

On one side of the long conference table sat Skinner with Mulder
on his right. The FBI attorneys sat on either side of them.
Directly across the conference table from Mulder sat Colonel
Henderson. With him were two government scientists and four of
his Black Ops officers. They had been here over two hours and
getting nowhere.

Mulder shifted uncomfortably under Henderson's cold gray eyes.
The man was looking at him differently than he had in the past.
Or maybe, after being the romantic interest of two men recently,
Mulder was now more sensitive to noticing when someone was
checking him out. Either way, he didn't like how the man was
staring at his mouth or the lazy way his eyes traveled over his
body.

Mulder glared at Henderson. "For the hundredth time, I don't know
anything about a gateway or where those creatures came from!"

"Don't lie to us, Agent Mulder. You always have a theory and I
want to hear it. I want to know why those creatures attacked you
and A.D. Skinner? Where you think they originated from? How do
you think they got here?" Henderson enunciated slowly.

"I really have no idea why we were attacked or where they came
from." Not in a hundred years was Mulder going to offer the
theory he had given Walter back at his lover's apartment.

"What about this cologne you and Congressman Asner wore? Could it
have played a part in your being attacked? Maybe you didn't do a
thorough job of eliminating its fragrance from your clothes," One
of the military's scientist asked.

Mulder looked him coldly in the eye. "You know that the cologne
wasn't the reason we were attacked. You've already field-tested
it and you haven't had any luck --have you? You weren't able to
attract a bigfoot or any of these other creatures?"

The scientist kept his mouth closed. They had indeed tried the
cologne out in the woods with no luck. They even tried it on the
two captured trolls, but the trolls didn't react to its scent.

"What do you know about this other dimension, Agent Mulder?"
Henderson asked again, impatiently.

Attorney Chandler Ryan interrupted, "Colonel Henderson, we've
been here over two hours and Agent Mulder has more than answered
all of your questions. I see no point in continuing this meeting.
If he had information that was relevant to the U.S. military, he
would have volunteered it."

Henderson looked down his nose at the attorney. "I would like
Agent Mulder and Assistant Director Skinner to accompany us back
to the DoD to get the captive trolls reactions to them."

"You have them at the DoD?" Mulder's face paled. He couldn't
believe that those creatures had been this close to them.

Skinner turned to Mulder as he heard the quiver of fear in the
younger man's voice. "Agent Mulder, we're not obligated to go
anywhere with these men. If you're not feeling up to it, you can
go home." Skinner knew that his lover had developed a deep fear
of trolls. He had been awakened several times over the last three
weeks to find Mulder in the midst of a nightmare. Mulder had
finally confessed that in his nightmare the trolls were gang
raping him.

"I'm fine, sir." Mulder's eyes narrowed as he stared across the
table. "Henderson, I don't see what difference it would make for
us to see these creatures."

"You're afraid of them!" Henderson said surprised.

"Am not!"

"I think you are. Why would that be, Agent Mulder?"

"Enough!" Skinner barked. "This meeting is over! We've provided
you with everything that happened to us at that cabin and all we
know about those creatures. Agent Mulder, thank you for coming in
on your day off. Please go enjoy the rest of your vacation."

"Thank you, sir," Mulder said gratefully. Rising from his seat,
he quickly headed for the door.

Henderson scowled at Skinner as Mulder fled from the room. "You
can't protect him. His curiosity will eventually get the better
of him."

"Not this time, Henderson. I suggest that you and your men stay
away from Agent Mulder." Skinner rose and headed back to his
office.

***

Mulder headed to his apartment. He hadn't been there since last
week when he stopped by to drop another feeding block into his
fish tank. Scully had been feeding his fish while he was on
vacation. Now that he was back, and possibly moving in with
Walter, he needed to figure out what to do with his aquarium. He
noticed that Walter had no room for it at his place. Mulder still
wasn't sure if it would be smart to move in with Walter. He'd
hate for his lover to get sick and tired of his presence.

Mulder walked up the stairs to his floor. He wanted to pack some
books and more clothes on this trip. He went to unlock his
apartment door and found the lock broken. Pulling his gun, he
cautiously entered his apartment. The place looked like a bomb
had gone off. He did a thorough search of the place, stepping
over broken glass and torn clothing. When he determined no one
was there any more, he pulled his cell phone out and dialed
Skinner's office. He stared down in dismay at his shattered
aquarium and the lifeless forms of his fish scattered across the
damp wooden floor as he listened to the phone ring.

"A.D. Skinner."

"Walter, it's me."

"Hey, me."

Mulder smiled at the warmth in Skinner's voice. "I'm at my
apartment...the place has been trashed. Someone smashed my fish
tank and even took a knife and carved up my leather sofa. All my
suits except the one I'm wearing have been cut to shreds."

"Have you called the police?"

"Not yet, I wanted to call you first."

"I'll be right over, Fox."

"Walt..." Mulder was about to tell him not to bother when he
heard the click on the other end as Skinner hung up.

***

Henderson stood staring at the two trolls inside the reinforced
cage. Their heads were huge, the same size as their broad
muscular torsos. The creatures were short --only about five feet,
two inches tall and dressed in black leather armor. The
military's researchers were in the room around the clock
monitoring them. They had been performing intensive language
tests trying to get the creatures to communicate.

The door to the lab opened and Sergeant Williams strolled in. "We
have the item you asked for, Colonel."

The trolls became alert as Henderson took the duffel bag from his
sergeant. "Did you destroy the place as I ordered you to?"

"Yes, sir. He'll have a hard time finding anything to salvage in
his apartment." The sergeant quickly back closer to the door as
the trolls lunged at the bars of the cage.

Henderson was fascinated by the response from the creatures. For
the most part they showed disinterest in what was happening
around them, only becoming alert when food and drink was brought
in for them. Henderson opened the bag and sniffed at the pleasant
musky scent. Mulder. He had asked his men to find something that
the agent had worn that would still have his scent on it. The
trolls were violently shaking the bars now trying to get out.
When one spoke it took everyone by surprise.

"Phox."

Henderson stepped closer to the cage. "So you can talk."

"We learn your tongue, human." The troll's deep gravelly voice
was hard to understand at first.

Henderson and the scientists listened carefully.

"How can you learn our language so quickly?" Henderson asked.

"They teach, we learn." The troll pointed to scientist.

"You know who this belongs to?" Henderson asked, pulling out a T-
shirt and boxers from the bag.

"Phox. Take Phox, go home." The creature reached his hand through
the bars and grabbed the clothing from Henderson. It brought the
T-shirt to its large, melon-sized nose and sniffed it. His
cellmate grabbed the boxers from him and did likewise.

Henderson smiled, he had discovered the key for locating the
gateway. "Why do you want Fox?"

"King wants Phox. We bring."

"Who is this king? Is he like you?"

"King goblin. No troll," the one laughed as if it was a big joke
that someone would think the King would be a troll. The T-shirt
in the creature's hands was now covered with saliva.

"So your King sent you to bring Fox back to him. Why? What does
he want with Fox? Why didn't he come himself?"

"King mate Phox."

Henderson's eyes-widened. "Mate? Do you mean this Goblin King
wanted to have sex with Fox?"

The troll laughed, its large hand grasped the codpiece covering
its groin and seized the hard organ inside. "Sex good. King mate
Phox. You give me Phox."

Henderson wasn't about to give Mulder to these disgusting
creatures, but he might be able to use their information to
locate the gateway. He couldn't chance the trolls warning their
people about him and his military force. At least he knew now why
Mulder had been so frightened at the prospect of seeing these
creatures again. And why he didn't share any information with the
military -- the whole incident had been sexual in nature.

***

The police were already on the scene by the time Skinner parked
his Lexus in front of Mulder's apartment building. He rushed up
the apartment's main staircase and found his lover out in the
hallway talking to one of the officers.

"I didn't notice if anything was missing..." Mulder looked up and
smiled, relieved to see Skinner.

"Agent Mulder," Skinner greeted. He wanted to pull Mulder into
his arms and comfort him.

"Sir, you didn't have to come."

"I'll be the judge of that. What happened?" Skinner asked,
stepping into the ruined apartment. His heart sank as he took in
the extent of the damage. He prayed that his lover didn't hold
any of his possessions too dearly because everything appeared to
be beyond repair.

"I think someone has a grudge against me."

"No kidding, Sherlock."

Mulder pulled Skinner aside as the two police officers made
notes. "It's a good thing that I've been moving some of my things
into your apartment over the pass three weeks. Otherwise I'd be
completely screwed." He pushed a broken chair leg out of his way
with his foot as he leaned up against the kitchen counter. "My
insurance will cover some of the damage."

"Fox, how are you doing really?"

"You'd think I'd be use to people breaking into my apartment by
now." He looked across the room at the damage. "I can't believe
they killed my fish."

"Fox, I want you to move in with me for real. There's no point in
you remaining here any longer. I'll help you go through this mess
and see if there's anything we can rescue. Then we'll hire a
company to clear the rest of it away and clean the apartment. I
doubt you'll get your damage deposit back," Skinner added
lightly.

Mulder smiled sadly. "I sort of gave up hope of getting that back
around six years ago."

"Move in with me," Skinner asked again.

"Walter, if I moved in with you whoever did this might trash your
place too..."

"Fox, we'll hire someone to install a security system for us."
Skinner stopped talking as the police officer entered the
kitchen.

"We're finished here, Agent Mulder. We'll need you to come down
to the station tomorrow to sign the police report," the officer
said, noticing how closely to two men were standing.

"Thanks, Officer Taft."

The man nodded and head toward the door with his partner.

Mulder waited until the police had left. "Okay, Walter, as long
as you know what you're getting yourself into."

Skinner pulled Mulder into his arms and hugged him tightly, his
hands caressing Mulder's buttocks through his expensive trousers.
"Fox, I'm well aware of what I'm getting myself into and I'm
loving every minute of it."

Mulder returned the embrace. If this had happened five weeks ago
he would have called Scully, then gone to crash with the gunmen
until his apartment was back in shape. Walter made everything
easier to bear. "Thanks for being here for me. Now why don't you
go back to work. I'm going to run back to your apartment to
change. I wouldn't want to ruin my only suit."

"Our apartment, Fox." Walter kissed him softly. "I'll meet you
back here after work. Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?"

"I'll be fine. I doubt that they'll be back."

Mulder closed the apartment door but was unable to lock it. It
didn't really matter since nothing in his apartment was worth
stealing. He followed Skinner down the stairs to their cars.

***

Mulder returned to his apartment an hour later with a bucket of
cleaning supplies. He was dressed in blue jeans and his FBI
sweatshirt. He climbed out of his car and walked around back to
open the trunk. Mulder felt a sharp sting on his left buttock and
reaching back, he pulled out a feathered dart. He looked
frantically around as his world started to gray. An unmarked van
screeched to a stop next to him and the side door slid open as
two large men leapt out. One caught him as he slipped into
unconsciousness, scooping him off his feet. He placing Mulder's
limp body in to the back of the van and they climbed in after
him, slamming the door closed.

***

Skinner arrived five hours later, freshly showered and wearing
black jeans and a tight fitting black T-shirt. He parked behind
Mulder's car and hurried up to his lover's apartment. The
apartment door stood open. "Fox..." Skinner stopped in his tracks
when he smelled cigarette smoke. CGB Spender came out of Mulder's
kitchen.

"He's not here. They took him," the old man said.

"Who took him! WHERE THE HELL IS HE!" Skinner growled, slamming
the old man up against the wall.

"Henderson! He's taken Mulder back to Long Lake, Minnesota. He
going to use Mulder as live bait to find the gateway."

"Oh God." Skinner couldn't stop the fearful trembles from racing
through his body. He was afraid he'd never see his lover again.
"Why are you telling me this?" The A.D. let go of the smoker and
stepped back.

"You love my son, A.D. Skinner. You will do what it takes to
bring him back unharmed." Spender straightened his tie. "Take a
team to Long Lake and rescue Fox."

Skinner didn't even react to Spender's comment about being Fox's
father. He was too intent on getting to Fox as he rushed out of
the apartment and back the down staircase.. He used the cell
phone in his car to arrange for a team to meet him at the
airport. Henderson had over a five-hour head start. Skinner
wasn't sure if he'd be able to get to Mulder in time.

***

Mulder regained consciousness to the sound of birds chirping
nearby and the fresh scent of pine filling his senses. His body
felt weird. He realized why as he forced his lids apart. He was
tied spread eagle, standing upright between two posts on a raised
platform. Colonel Henderson stood at the bottom of the platform
staring up at him.

"You really are lovely, Fox. I can see why this Goblin King would
want you."

Mulder swallowed as fear turned his blood cold. Henderson knew
the truth. How did he find out?

"We had to dispose of the clothes you were wearing. You had
gotten sick all over them. However, I think the outfit we dressed
you in is more appropriate, don't you? Sort of like Fay Wray."

Mulder looked down. He had on a black silk shirt, his nipples
were hard nubs against the fabric in the cool air of the forest.
The shirt covered his groin and ass that was encased in tight,
black leather pants. The pants felt like they rode low on his
hips and hugged his ass. His bare feet barely touched the wooden
platform. Something was around his neck but he couldn't get a
good look at it.

"Why are you doing this?" Mulder asked hoarsely. He was still
light-headed from the affects of the drugs on his system.

The colonel retrieved a bottle of water from his backpack. He
walked up the three steps onto the platform and held the bottle
to Mulder's lips. Mulder drank thirstily as Henderson spoke. "The
object you feel around your neck is a tracking device. It's
designed to look ornamental, its sterling silver with emeralds
and diamonds entwined in its mesh. It is impossible to tell that
it has any other function. It looks beautiful against your
throat, Fox." The colonel lightly caressed Mulder's long neck.

"It's Mulder, not Fox! Let me go! You'll never get away with
this!" Mulder pulled uselessly at the silk scarves holding his
wrists firmly to the posts. Silk scarves?

Henderson ignored his outburst and chuckled at his indignant
expression. "Ropes would have cut up your wrists. Fox, when those
creatures come through the gateway and abduct you, we will follow
them back through and conquer their dimension. Don't worry. I
won't let them have enough time to harm you...I have personal
plans for you." Henderson slowly caressed up the taut flesh of
Mulder's stomach and stopped at his nipples. He pinched each one
playfully through the silken fabric. The colonel's cock ached
with desire to claim this beautiful young man. "Very personal
plans."

"DON'T TOUCH ME! FUCK OFF, ASSHOLE... AAUUGH!" Mulder gasped as
Henderson painfully twisted his nipple.

"I know that you like taking it up the ass, Fox. If you can
spread your legs for Olsen and Skinner, you can spread them for
me, too." Henderson looked up at the setting sun. "It's getting
late. My men are stationed throughout the forest. The moment you
are taken, we will be right behind you." He lit the torches on
either side of the platform. They would help to keep Mulder warm.

After Henderson vanished into the forest Mulder craned his neck
to see behind him. The shadows were creeping toward him as the
last light of day vanished. He pulled violently at his bindings.
Trussed up like he was, anything could come out of the night and
attack him. Mulder closed his eyes and said a prayer. He prayed
that if anything happened to him that Walter would be able to
move on with his life and find happiness with someone else.

***

Long Lake, Minnesota Monday, May 15, 2000 11:50 p.m.

Skinner had his gun drawn as he and his people trekked quietly
through the forest. It was a daunting task to find anyone in such
a vast expanse at night. While at the same time trying to stay
out of sight of the military.

He stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes fell on the ghostly
form of Teena Mulder. She pointed off into the distance then
vanished. Skinner signaled for his men to follow him and headed
off in the direction the ghost had directed him toward.

***

Mulder's eyes widened as a faint light filled the night a hundred
feet from where he was bound. To his horror the shape of a
Bigfoot emerged from its center and lumbered its way toward him.
He twisted and yanked more frantically -- the silk binding gave
somewhat. The steps broke under the weight of the Bigfoot trying
to climb on to the platform.

"HELP! STAY AWAY!"

Mulder's scream reached Skinner and he called out, "FOX!"

Mulder was momentarily startled to here his lover's voice.
"WALTER, HELP ME!"

Before Skinner went three feet several dark forms surrounded him
and his agents.

"Don't interfere, Skinner," Henderson growled.

On Mulder's next terror-filled scream, Skinner lost all control
and went into what could best be described as a berserker rage.
It all happened in a matter of seconds. Henderson didn't know
what hit him as Skinner's fist slammed into his jaw shattering
it. Skinner dove for the ground rolling, he came up firing,
killing several of the Black Ops soldiers surrounding them. His
agents took cover from their berserk boss as he didn't seem to
recognize them. Skinner grabbed an assault rifle off a dead
soldier and dashed off in the direction of Mulder's frightened
cries for help.

"Skinner!" Scully shouted. She scrambled after her enraged boss.

Mulder struggled uselessly in the arms of the powerful beast
carrying him. His eyes grew huge as they stepped into the light
of the gateway and he knew at that moment that he would never see
the man he loved again.

Skinner dashed across the uneven ground in the dark, miraculously
keeping his footing. He saw the back of the bigfoot vanishing
into the light with Mulder struggling in its arms. He ran faster
as the light started to shrink. Skinner made one desperate dive
at the gateway and passed through just before it winked out.

Scully stood on the edge of the clearing, panting. She was too
late. She'd witnessed the light wink out and Skinner vanish into
thin air. Skinner and Mulder were gone. It hit her hard suddenly.
She had lost her best friend and boss. Scully gripped the gun
tighter and headed back to get answers from Henderson! She'd find
her partner and boss if it took her the rest of her life.

***

End of North Woods

Coming soon Liamterra