INTERROGATION 2/2

Krycek awoke to the sound of footsteps outside the lean-to. He was about to
emerge when he heard voices.

"Someone's over here, in this shelter."

Krycek drew back, afraid. These were American voices. He heard the clap of a clip
being put into a machine gun. Mulder was gone. A wave of anger ran through him as
he thought of these people touching his Mulder.

"Come out, with your hands up."

Krycek remained inside for a few seconds before emerging with his hands up.

"Ne strelyaite!" Outside the lean-to were two American soldiers. They looked
Krycek over, deciding what to do with him. Krycek knew that look; he had worn it
many times before he had executed someone.

"Well, what do we have here?" the first soldier said.

"I dunno, but I don't like it." The second soldier brought his rifle up and
pointed it at Krycek's head.

Inside, Krycek was seething. How dared they treat him this way. He knew, however,
that he had to put on a show if he wanted to live.

"Please..." Krycek said in his best Russian accent. "Please, I escape from camp.
I am alone. We are allies, yes?"

"Are you Russian?"

"Yes."

"I hate Russians."

Suddenly, a shot rang out, and the soldier holding the rifle to Krycek's head
fell to the ground. Then a second shot rang out, and the other soldier collapsed
in a heap. Blood spattered on Krycek and on the ground.

Krycek looked over to where the shots had come from and saw Mulder with the
pistol he had given him earlier. He was stunned. Mulder had never been
aggressive, save for one time in the prison. Mulder ran up to him and gathered a
few things off the soldiers, stuffing them in his bag. He grabbed Krycek's bag
and held it out to him. Krycek took it without a word.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I...I think so."

"Come on, we have to get out of here. They were probably an advance scouting
patrol; there will be more soldiers around here."

Krycek still stood there, not believing Mulder had killed his own countrymen to
protect him.

Mulder shook Krycek by the shoulders, "Hey. We have to get out of here, *now*."

"Yes, we must go."

Together both men ran through the woods, not looking back, hopefully in the right
direction. Krycek stopped once and checked his compass, turning them towards
their destination. About two miles from where the soldiers lay, they reached a
small stream. Both men were sweating from the warm clothes and physical exertion.
The temperature had risen considerably, and the snow was melting in the dappled
sunlight. The stream afforded them some drinking water as well as a place to wash
off the blood.

Sensing Mulder staring at him, Krycek looked over at him as he made sure he'd
gotten all the blood off. "What's wrong, Mulder?"

"You were almost killed back there. I thought you were going to die!" Mulder's
eyes were as wide as he'd ever seen them. The man was almost in shock.

"It's all right, Mulder, it's never easy to kill a man," Krycek attempted to
soothe him.

"Fuck them! I don't give a damn about those men; they got what they deserved. But
I almost lost you!" Mulder reached for Krycek, feeling that instinctive urge to
prove he was still alive that is natural after surviving violence.

Understanding Mulder's need, Krycek let him take the lead, lying almost
submissively under his beautiful lover when Mulder pushed him down after
stripping them both. After a deep, aggressive kiss, Mulder reared back and pushed
inside Krycek with almost no preliminaries. Fortunately, Krycek's blood was up as
well, and he enjoyed the sting of pain that rapidly swelled into pleasure. But
Mulder was beyond reason, operating on sheer brute instinct, and he slammed in
and out of Krycek, intent only on his own pleasure. Soon his entire body arched
into Krycek's, trying to get even deeper inside him as he exploded.

Slowly pushing up on trembling arms a short while later, Mulder carefully
withdrew from his lover, thankful to see no blood. But he did see Krycek's
unsatisfied erection, and he bit his lip, too ashamed to meet Krycek's eyes.

"Look at me, Fox." Alex waited until Mulder obeyed him before continuing. "It's
all right, I understand. I get pleasure from *your* pleasure."

But that wasn't enough for Mulder. Or rather, he didn't think it was enough for
Krycek. In the next instant, Mulder had swooped down on Krycek, swallowing him to
the root. As excited as Krycek had been by Mulder's brutal possession of him, the
sensation of Mulder's tongue fluttering along the length of his cock while he was
engulfed in the heat of his mouth was more than enough for him. He came, groaning
Mulder's name.

Mulder straightened back up, lying along the length of Krycek's body for a brief
instant before they had to get up and continue on their way. It was not safe for
them to stay there. Right now, anyone in either army would probably shoot them as
spies, traitors, or deserters. They shared a quick kiss before continuing on.

They were making good time through the woods; they only had about two miles to go
before they got to Bremerhaven. Krycek walked a little faster, almost running, as
he knew their destination was near. They crested a hill and were greeted by five
German soldiers, who turned and trained their rifles on Krycek and Mulder. Four
of the soldiers were quite young; the fifth was older and was an officer.

"Halt!"

Both men came to a stop and raised their hands.

The older man told the soldiers to put their rifles down and came over to Krycek,
a smirk on his face. He spoke to Krycek in a low voice, out of range of his
colleagues. Mulder wished he could understand German as he heard the whispers
from the man a mere couple of feet away.

"Hello, Krycek."

"Pendrell." Krycek licked his lips.

"Where are you going?"

Silence from Krycek.

"I see you have your little American friend with you. I heard you had taken this
prisoner as a valet. He is nice looking, isn't he?"

Krycek still remained silent.

Pendrell looked Krycek in the eye, "Look. I am not going to stop you; I am merely
doing this for show to my underlings back there. They think we're actually
winning this war." Pendrell smirked, looked over at Mulder then back at Krycek,
"You know, if I had a lover that good looking, I'd hide him from everyone else as
well."

Krycek's jaw almost dropped to the ground.

"I can tell, Krycek. I have known you too long, and too well, not to notice when
you are in love."

Krycek smirked ever so slightly and his eyes softened. Pendrell was a good
friend, someone he had known a long time before the war. They had played together
as children, went to school together. They would torment the young girls in their
class by pulling their braids and taunting them that they could see up their
skirts.

Later, as adults, he had come over to Krycek's house often for dinner. Krycek
knew Pendrell had a penchant for men but said nothing to their superiors. One
thing Krycek did not do was betray a long, true friendship.

"Tell you what," Pendrell said. "Let's give the Hitler youth over there a thrill.
I'll start shouting at you, then you and your companion take off running. If I do
not do anything, they will tell Oberbahnfuehrer Kersh, and I do not need that
hassle.

"Kersh is not as understanding as some of them."

"Aaah, you speak." He smiled at his friend.

"I wish things were different, Pendrell. Remember the fun we used to have?"

"I remember you getting me drunk for the first time and dumping me on the porch
of my parents' house. I had to clean out the stable, alone, for a month as
penance."

Krycek wanted to laugh but couldn't due to the soldiers that faced him. A look of
sorrow came over him as he remembered the good times they had together, times
they could never have again.

"It's okay, Krycek, I forgave you eventually." He stifled a laugh and continued.
"Have you been running long?"

"A day. Skinner may be looking for me."

"I have not seen you since before your prison was destroyed."

"Thank you." Krycek whispered.

Pendrell sighed, "I will miss you, my friend, wherever you are going. If you ever
make it back here, please look me up. I may survive this war, you never know."

Krycek smirked again, just barely. "You will survive."

"If I find a man as good looking as yours, I will."

Krycek nearly blushed; he was proud of how good Mulder looked and the fact that
only he could touch him.

"Take care of him, and take care of yourself."

A twinge of regret ran through Krycek that he could not embrace his childhood
friend a final time.

Pendrell stood back, grinning before a serious look replaced it. He walked back
to his men and stood behind them. "You have exactly ten seconds to get out of
here before we shoot you," he shouted.

The soldiers raised their rifles, aiming to kill.

Pendrell winked. "Go, now!"

Mulder and Krycek turned and ran like they had never run before. Mulder's heart
was beating so fast he thought he was going to have a heart attack.

Finally, after twenty minutes of running, they were on the outskirts of town.
They stopped to catch their breath.

"You knew that man, didn't you?"

"I don't know any of these people, Mulder. It is better if we believe that."
Krycek started walking again.

Mulder followed him down a lane beside a grove of trees. When they cleared the
grove, Mulder could see the port below, with its cranes and large cargo ships.
Large chunks of ice floated inside the breakwater. There were a few German war
ships in port, but the majority of them were floating just off shore, ready to
fight at a moment's notice. The wind was hitting them full-blast off of the
water, cold and unrelenting.

They made their way down to the docks, Krycek leading the way, carefully picking
their way through the variety of cargo that littered the docks. Finally, they got
to their destination, a cargo ship that looked as if it had seen better days.
Paint was peeling off its sides, and barnacles covered a large portion of the
hull. Mulder trusted Krycek; however, something bristled at the back of his neck
upon sight of this ship.

Krycek saw the captain and told Mulder to stay where he was. He did not want him
to know that only one passenger was expected.

Mulder saw the large man shake his head, then Krycek folded his arms across his
chest. Whatever they were talking about had made Krycek very angry.

Mulder huddled inside his coat, trying to find some protection from the biting
wind that whipped across the deck while he watched Krycek argue with the ship's
captain. Krycek had tried to draw the sailor out of earshot, but the captain's
anger made him raise his voice to the point that he was clearly audible to
Mulder.

"You paid for passage for *one* person on my ship. One! Not two! Two increases
the danger of being discovered by patrols, and what is he supposed to eat? You
think I carry extra food for any stray who happens by? No! This is a working
vessel and every bit of space makes a profit. There is no room for him. He goes!"

The conversation made it clear to Mulder that Krycek had not intended to bring
him along. How long ago had he changed his mind? Thinking back to the night they
left Berlin, Mulder remembered that Krycek had been fully dressed and ready to go
when he woke him up. It would have made more sense and saved time for them both
to get up at the same time. So it was only that night, after he was ready to
leave that Krycek decided to bring him. Something must have happened, or Mulder
would have woken up the next morning alone in the middle of the Nazi capital.
He'd have been killed.

The growing anger in Krycek's voice drew his attention. The German was flushed
with rage, faced with opposition for probably the first time since he'd put on
that now- gone SS uniform. He'd forgotten what it was like not to instill fear
and obedience in others. Finally he pulled out some money, giving it to the
captain. It was more than he felt comfortable giving away when he could not
access his other funds and less than the captain wanted. But it served his
purpose. The captain allowed them both to stay and had one of the crewmen take
them down to a hidden area in the hold where they would stay.

Once alone, Krycek eyed Mulder uneasily. He was nearly certain that Mulder had
heard his conversation with the captain - he thought the people in Berlin might
have heard the man's bellows! - and he didn't know how he would react.

"You don't really want me with you, do you?" Mulder asked sadly, his eyes filled
with pain.

Before Krycek could respond, the captain and five of his sailors walked in. Two
men each grabbed hold of Mulder and Krycek, restraining them. In their surprise
they never had a chance to resist.

The captain walked up to stand in front of Krycek, leering at him. Krycek turned
his head away from the powerful aroma of rum and other, less pleasant things on
his breath.

"Since you haven't paid full passage, you two pretty boys are going to have to
work off your debt." The captain laughed when Krycek's green eyes narrowed and
turned to ice. He turned to Mulder, who was looking increasingly nervous.

"Well, you're not as pretty as this one, but you're still a lot better than most
I've seen." Saying that, the captain leaned forward and licked Mulder's jaw and
cheek. The American could not prevent a cry of disgust. Krycek fought his
captors, trying to get to Mulder.

"Leave him alone!" He knew he shouldn't let them know that it bothered him when
they touched Mulder, but he was too enraged to remain silent.

The captain laughed again, nodding to the crewmen holding Mulder. They turned him
around so his back was to the captain and forced him to lean over a barrel. The
captain pulled out his knife and cut through the waistband and back of Mulder's
pants, baring him. He licked his lips when he saw the whip scars on Mulder's back
and buttocks.

Krycek, meanwhile, was going wild. The other sailor had joined his companions in
restraining him, and Krycek was still giving them trouble. One man being enough
to hold the terrified Mulder, the second went over to help with Krycek. Finally
the four men had him under control. The captain looked over, staring into
Krycek's eyes while he pulled out his cock and rubbed it. Krycek snarled at him.
The captain continued to hold Krycek's gaze as he forced his way inside Mulder,
drawing a cry of pain from him. The captain slammed in and out of him only a few
times before he came and pulled out, streaks of Mulder's blood decorating his
softening penis. He stroked himself to try and maintain some stiffness. He wasn't
done with these two yet.

As soon as the captain stepped back from Mulder, one of the other sailors
released his hold on Krycek and took his captain's place behind Mulder. Krycek
now stood in frozen stillness, his eyes never leaving Mulder and what these men
were doing to him. He barely even noticed when one of the men stripped his pants
off him and raped him. One after the other, the sailors changed places until each
had had his turn with one of the two men. By this time, Mulder's sobs of pain,
which degenerated into pitiful whimpers, and the sight of what was happening had
gotten the captain hard again. Now he turned his attention on Krycek.

As he had done with Mulder, the captain slammed into him with no preparation.
Even after the previous three rapes, it hurt, but Krycek didn't make a sound. His
eyes were still fixed on Mulder, and he could see nothing else. Finishing with a
grunt, the captain withdrew and pushed Krycek to the floor, the sailors letting
go of him. The six men rearranged their clothing while laughing at the men on the
floor.

"Now, you've paid your passage," the captain laughed. They turned to leave.

But the captain's words had finally penetrated Krycek's fog of rage, and he leapt
to his feet, ignoring any pain. He pulled a knife from his boot and had cut the
captain's throat before anyone realized what was happening. Then he turned on the
others. Although there were six of them, Krycek was in the grip of a berserker
rage that would have done his ancestors proud, and he didn't even notice what few
wounds they managed to inflict before he killed them all, slashing them into
ribbons, continuing on long after they were dead.

A gagging sound finally drew his attention, and he looked up to meet the
terrified gaze of a young sailor. Krycek stopped mangling the bodies and drew
himself to his feet, covered in blood from head to toe. Looking at the sailor, he
said, "Bring us down some water to wash, and take these bodies away. And tell
everyone on this accursed ship that aside from bringing us food and water, I
don't want to see anyone until this voyage is over." The sailor turned to run.
"Wait! If we don't receive adequate food and water, I'll come looking for it and
for whoever left us without. And I'll do to him what I did to these. Now go!"

Krycek sank to his knees beside Mulder, who was curled into a fetal position at
the base of the barrel, whimpering. Despite the blood covering him, Krycek
reached out to pull Mulder into his arms, gasping when he flinched away from his
touch. But then Mulder's eyes focused on him, and he threw himself into Krycek's
welcoming embrace.

Krycek was so angry with himself for not being able to protect Mulder that he
couldn't speak. He contented himself with stroking the other man's back
comfortingly, ignoring the murmurs in the background when crewmembers came to
bring them water and food, which he hadn't asked for but was grateful to receive,
and to take the bodies away. He reached over for the wash water and rags, pulling
it closer so he could wipe Mulder and himself clean. Mulder lay quietly in his
arms all the while, his sounds of misery reduced to occasional sniffles.

They dozed off eventually, sleeping uneasily. Krycek started awake at every
sound, determined not to be taken unaware a second time. But finally exhaustion
caught up with him, and he sank into a deep sleep. He was woken only a couple of
hours later by Mulder nuzzling his throat and stroking his cock. Startled, he
jumped and flinched away.

Mulder moaned at his reaction, pulling away from him to curl up into a ball of
abject misery. His shoulders shook as he tried to hold in his sobs, but he
couldn't. When Krycek reached to comfort him, it was his turn to flinch away from
the contact, and he scuttled into a corner, staring at Krycek from tear-drenched
hazel eyes.

"Mulder. . . Fox, they won't touch you again. I killed them. You don't have to be
afraid." Krycek tried to find the right words, despite his shame at allowing this
to happen.

"It doesn't matter though, does it? They did touch me, and now I disgust you! You
didn't really want to bring me with you in the first place, and now the only
reason you kept me around is gone! You only wanted me because no other man had
ever touched me. But you won't ever want to touch me again after they did."

Krycek was literally shocked speechless. Mulder thought he disgusted him? It was
he who should disgust Mulder. And what was this idiocy about him not wanting to
touch Mulder? He would sooner give up food or water. "F-f- fox," he stammered,
"how could you ever think that you disgust me?"

"You pulled away when I touched you! You don't want me to touch you," Mulder
accused.

"I was still half asleep, Fox, and after last night, at first I didn't realize it
was you. Then I didn't want to hurt you," Alex tried to explain, but Mulder
wasn't listening. "Mulder! Listen to me. You do not disgust me. I love you, and I
am so sorry that I couldn't stop that from happening to you. I should have been
better prepared."

Mulder had stopped listening again. Instead he was staring at Krycek with a
bedazzled expression in his eyes. He couldn't believe what he had heard. "You
love me?"

Krycek halted his stammering attempts to explain and stared. Had he said that?
Yes, he had. When had that happened? Despite Pendrell's comment, which he had
brushed off as romanticism, he had not been aware of his feelings for Fox, but
they were perfectly clear to him now. He was in love with the other man. He
smiled gently at Fox. "Yes, I love you, my Fox."

Mulder slid over into his arms, clinging to him desperately until Krycek lowered
his head and pressed a tender kiss upon his lips. Mulder stared up at him
hopefully. "Please fuck me, Alex, I need you to."

Krycek was shocked again. "What?! No! You're hurt, Fox, I won't hurt you more!"
He couldn't believe Mulder would even ask that of him. He had to be in pain.
Krycek knew he was. Fortunately, other than the captain, the other men had not
been particularly brutal.

"Alex, please. I need to know that you still want me, that I don't disgust you."
Seeing Krycek's denial in his eyes, he continued, "And I need to feel your touch.
Make me feel you and not them, Alex. I need that."

Alex couldn't deny that appeal. But he still wasn't going to hurt his lover. He
started by removing the remnants of Mulder's clothing, the other man having been
unwilling to let go of him long enough to change clothes the night before. When
Mulder was naked, he quickly stripped off his own bloodstained clothing and
gently urged Mulder to lie flat on the floor, stretching out beside him. He
started from the top, running his fingers through Mulder's hair, gently massaging
his scalp until he could feel him start to relax. He dropped a kiss on each
eyelid and slowly traced each feature with tiny kisses, avoiding his lips till
the end. Finally, he drew that luscious bottom lip between his teeth and nipped
gently before settling his mouth over Fox's. He slowly explored the familiar
cavity, tangling their tongues together for long moments, enjoying this
opportunity to refamiliarize himself with Mulder. Mulder moaned a protest when he
ended the kiss, but his complaints died a quick death when Alex licked his throat
before settling in to suckle on one spot. Mulder arched his throat into the
caress, knowing that Alex was leaving his mark on him in a visible location for
the first time and loving it. Before they had always had to be careful to avoid
suspicions.

Finally Alex released Mulder's throat, smiling in possessive pleasure at the mark
before nibbling his way down Mulder's chest. Both nipples were already hard and
waiting for his touch, so he drew one into his mouth while he stroked and lightly
pinched the other with his fingers. Ordinarily, he'd have teased Mulder for much
longer but he didn't want the slightest hint of pain, even pleasurable pain, to
mar this experience. Not this time. Not after what had been done to him.

Krycek continued his slow exploration of Mulder's body, licking every inch,
finally ending up at his rigid erection. Krycek licked that too, then his balls,
sucking on them and enjoying Mulder's cries of pleasure. He stroked Mulder's ass,
once sliding one finger gently over the anus just to show Mulder that he still
wanted to touch him. He didn't need Mulder's slight wince to know that he was
much too sore to be touched there. Instead he brought his hands around, one
playing with Mulder's balls while the other supported him. He continued to lick
and suck Mulder until his cries told him that it wasn't enough any more, then he
drew Mulder deep into his throat while his tongue continued to flutter along the
shaft.

Mulder groaned in pleasure, clutching Krycek's hair in his fists to hold him to
him while he thrust into that willing mouth. It only took a few more seconds for
him to come, Krycek swallowing to milk him of every last drop of fluid and slowly
releasing him to lick up anything he might have missed. Mulder whimpered as his
tongue stroked over the overly sensitive head of his cock, and Krycek dropped a
last kiss on it before sliding up to lie alongside him.

When Mulder stopped panting, he rolled onto one side to look at Alex, who gazed
back inquisitively. "You didn't come."

Krycek shrugged. He was aroused, certainly, almost painfully so, but that had
been for Mulder.

Mulder stared at Krycek's erection avidly. He could see the beads of pre-cum on
the head and knew that Alex was close. It wouldn't take much. "I want you to
come. I want to see you come, Alex. Please."

Krycek stared back. He'd never done this in front of anyone, not even his wife.
She'd have been shocked and embarrassed even to think of such a thing. He didn't
know if he could. Then he saw Fox's tongue flick over his lips as he stared at
him, and he knew that he wanted to do this. Waiting until Fox looked up and met
his eyes, he reached down and grasped his cock. He gasped when he started to pump
it, and Fox's gaze dropped back down to watch him. It didn't take long before he
groaned loudly and came, his fluid covering his hand and belly. Fox slid down and
licked him clean, suckling on his fingers for long moments. When he came back up,
Alex drew him down, half over him, and wrapped both arms around him.

Mulder tilted his head up to meet Krycek's eyes, smiling. "Thank you." Then he
tucked his head into the hollow of Krycek's shoulder and went to sleep. With a
smile on his own face, and weapons close at hand, Krycek dozed off as well.

~~~~~~~

Krycek awoke to someone lightly shaking him. He opened one eye to see a man
kneeling beside him. He sat up with a start and blocked the man's view of Mulder.

"What are you doing here?" Krycek snarled, "I told everyone to leave us alone!"

The man stood and looked down at him, "I wanted to see who killed the sorriest
sons of bitches on this ship."

Krycek eyed the man warily, his eyes narrowing. He stood to face him.

The man smirked. "You did quite a job on the captain and his friends. Bastards
all of them, I can't quite feel sorry for them at all."

"Who are you?"

"I'm the first mate, Burkholder, and I am now, thanks to you, the new captain of
this ship."

"What do you want?"

"I've come to thank you. I cannot tell you how long I have waited for this
promotion." He looked Krycek up and down for a moment.

Krycek snorted.

"It's true. The captain was a complete - what's that word the Americans like to
use? - asshole. That does not mean that I am happy you killed five crew members;
running this ship is going to be a lot harder thanks to you." Burkholder went
over to the doorway to the small room inside the hold, grabbed a bundle and
tossed it at Krycek. "Here are some clothes and two blankets. I saw how your
clothes were ruined during your altercation."

Krycek said nothing but continued to glare at the other man.

"No one is going to come down here except to feed you twice a day. As we get
farther into our journey, the fresh food supply will diminish. Do not be
surprised if you get canned food for days in a row. Also, when patrols come on
board, the light above your head will flicker on and off. Please hide yourself,
your companion and your belongings inside the wall opposite the door. You will
find the panels slide back quite easily from the outside but are impossible to
open if locked from within. Do not forget to hide the food and water; that is the
first thing they will notice. Do not move the supplies that are kept in here; we
have to say this room is used for something valid, hmm?"

Krycek listened to the man, wanting to tell him to shut up, wanting to tell him
to move them into the Captain's quarters, wanting to take charge and order *him*
around instead. He knew this was foolish thinking. The second he stepped out of
the door to his house two days ago, he became a civilian.

"If we get caught, I will not protect you; my ship comes first. Do you
understand? Do you realize the danger?"

"Yes," Krycek said, clutching the bundle of garments to his chest.

"Good. Now, there is a W/C down the hallway that you may use, but keep it very
clean; do not leave anything in there that will alert patrols to your presence."

Krycek just nodded.

Burkholder nodded at the still sleeping Mulder on the floor. "Is he all right?
He's not dead, is he?"

Krycek shook his head. "No, he is just exhausted."

"Good, I don't need any more bodies to take care of. I will leave you alone now."
Burkholder turned towards the door

Krycek nodded his head again. He hated being talked to as if he was a child.

"Oh yes," Burkholder turned back and threw a small object at Krycek. "Thank you
again for the promotion. See you in Argentina." Burkholder snickered to himself
before going out the door.

Krycek looked at the small object he held in his hand. It was a bar of chocolate.
There was some bread, an apple and some cheese on the plate one of the
crewmembers had left behind before. There was also plenty of water, //a veritable
feast//.

Krycek put a pair of the trousers on. Might as well save his own clothes for when
they got to Argentina. He sat down again and draped one of the blankets over
Mulder, tucking the other one under his head. He was sore from sleeping on the
ground in the woods and then this hard steel floor. He stretched as much as he
could before giving up. He would be stiff for a few more weeks, might as well get
used to it.

He looked at Mulder who was still sleeping. //The trauma of the rapes and the
emotions from the past few days must have caught up with him.// Krycek reached
over and stroked his hair, remarking at the softness of it.

"Mein schoener Fox," he whispered before dropping a kiss on his forehead.

Krycek dozed for awhile, his arm protectively around Mulder. A few hours later,
Mulder stirred and started to wake up. He looked at Krycek and reached out to
him, hugging him fiercely. He broke away as he realized where he was, and his
gaze dropped to the floor.

Krycek tilted Mulder's head up with his hand, "What is it?"

"I thought it was a bad dream, but it's true."

Krycek crushed Mulder to his chest, stroking his hair and naked back. "That will
never happen again, not as long as I am alive. Anyone tries to touch you again, I
will kill them first."

Mulder drew a deep breath and nodded. He knew what Krycek said was the truth,
especially after what happened earlier. They embraced for awhile then pulled
away.

"I promise, Fox." Krycek kissed Mulder on the lips to seal his pledge. Mulder
returned it and wanted more, but Krycek broke away. "You must eat something."

Mulder nodded, he was quite hungry. After eating enough to please Krycek, he put
on the clothes that had been left for him, snuggled up against Krycek and fell
fast asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~

For the next two weeks, their days were spent telling each other bits and pieces
of their life, teaching each other childhood games to keep from boredom. Mulder
was grateful to have someone to talk to. It had been agony imprisoned in his cell
with no company, save for the hour a day Krycek came to see him. While this was
not an actual prison, it felt like it.

Krycek was also grateful Mulder was here. They could hear fighting around them
and feel bombs go off nearby, the ship listing from the blasts. He held on to
Mulder tightly, whispering in his ear not to be scared, yet he was terrified
himself.

Twice they had to hide from patrols, one German, one British. They were never
found but had a close call. One of the British soldiers who had come aboard had
thrust his bayonet through the wall and got it stuck there. He had to snap it off
and leave it there, just inches from Krycek's belly. Afterwards, Krycek had
collapsed, sobbing, into Mulder's arms, not at the brush with death, but the lack
of control he had. Krycek felt very frustrated that he could not provide better
passage for Mulder.

Finally, the guns and bombs grew silent as they started away from Europe and down
Africa. It had taken them a week to make a journey that should have only taken
days.

Once the ship hit rough waters, the two men were tossed around like ping-pong
balls. Afterwards, they counted their scrapes and bruises from the supplies in
the room falling on them and knocking against them. Finally, the sea calmed, and
the two secret passengers felt a little more at ease. There was no window, no
indication where they were or what was happening. Krycek knew that this ship was
used to smuggle many things, he and Mulder only a small part of the illegal
cargo. He just hoped that they did not get caught.

At the beginning of the third week, Krycek decided to teach Mulder how to wield a
knife to kill. He showed him a man's weakest points and how to defend himself
against blows. After a few days, Mulder was as quick as Krycek, jabbing and
dodging to save himself. Krycek demanded Mulder come at him with full force, as
if they were still enemies. Krycek dodged Mulder's advances, dancing around his
lunges.

Their boisterous training, however, had an unfortunate consequence. Mulder cut
Krycek, drawing the blade against his left shoulder, opening a good-sized wound.
When Mulder saw the blood, his face turned white, and he dropped his knife to the
floor.

Krycek looked down at his arm then back at Mulder. "It's only a small wound; it
will heal."

"That's not the point. I hurt you!"

"It is my fault; I was not as quick as I needed to be."

Mulder looked at what he had done in horror, the blood trickling down Krycek's
arm to drip on the floor.

"Fox, it's all right, really, I told you to come at me."

"But..."

"Trust me, it does not hurt." Krycek went to his bag and took a couple strips of
fabric out of it from his old uniform. He wet one with water and started to wash
the cut.

Suddenly, Mulder was beside him. He took the wet strip of fabric and began
cleaning the wound. After he was done, he wrapped the dry strip of fabric around
Krycek's arm as a bandage, then wiped up all the blood.

Krycek noticed the furrow in Mulder's brow, and he was also biting his lower lip.
He reached over and kissed Mulder, his tongue sweeping across his lips. "Are you
still upset?" Krycek asked.

"No. I wish you wouldn't have made me attack you though. I really don't want to
hurt you."

Krycek smiled and caressed Mulder's chin with his hand, bringing his gaze to meet
his own. "Okay, no more lunging at each other with knives, we can use the
sausages the crew bring for us instead."

Mulder smiled back, "They're almost as hard."

Both men were now laughing, grateful for something to laugh at. As if on command,
a small sailor came through the door with their plate of sausage and turnip. He
quickly set this, along with a bucket of fresh water on the floor and left.
Rumours about the *wild men* in the hold ran rampant around the ship. When it was
time to take the food down to the hold, the galley staff drew straws. The short
straw meant the person had to face the *wild men* and deliver their meals.

The hasty retreat of the man, along with the contents of the plate, left both men
rolling on the floor, laughing. Tears welled up in their eyes, and it took them a
good ten minutes to calm down.

"Come, eat before it gets dreadfully cold."

For some reason, this set Mulder off again into a laughing fit that left him
gasping for breath.

Krycek watched his lover writhe on the floor. What pure joy it was to see Mulder
happy. He nibbled on some dinner before Mulder calmed down enough to join him.
After they had eaten, they sat back and shared a cigarette, something they did
once a day.

"You know, Mulder, when I was a young man, Pendrell and I stole two of his
father's cigars. We smoked them in the woods by our houses, showing off for the
girls. We were so sick by the end that my mother had to call the doctor. He gave
her some awful medicine to give me, and I swore I would never touch cigars again.
Cigarettes on the other hand are another story. I never thought twice about
smoking them."

"One of the girls told her mother that we were smoking cigars, and we got in
trouble. I had to help my mother scrub the entire house. It was beautiful and
sunny outside, and I was stuck inside cleaning. Pendrell's mother was not so
lenient. She made him clean the stables every day for a week, change the bedding,
take care of the horses. Then she made him move the entire manure pile from one
end of the stable yard to the other. That woman was a sadist."

Krycek chuckled and took another drag on the cigarette.

"Soon after that incident, Pendrell became teacher's pet, aced all his classes
and behaved himself. He was at the top of our class for years and did very well
in University." Krycek let a smile cross his face, "Well, until he discovered sex
anyway."

"Pendrell sounds like a great friend. You're lucky to have had someone like that
growing up."

"Didn't you?"

"No. My sister Samantha was my best friend. She died of polio when she was
eleven. My parents didn't have any friends that had any children; they socialized
with my father's co-workers. Most of them were single. My parents basically hated
each other, and I was this shy little boy who kept to himself."

Mulder sighed. "No, I didn't make many friends when I was young. I loved
airplanes though; I used to sit out and watch them take off and land from a small
airfield near our house. No one else I knew loved airplanes as much as I did.
It's what kept me going when my parents would fight. I would pretend I was in my
airplane, piloting it to the stars."

"That is very sad, Fox."

Mulder shrugged, "It wasn't so bad. When I grew up, I made my friends." Mulder's
eyes glazed over for a second, then he looked up at Krycek. "That day in the
woods, that was Pendrell, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"You're going to miss him terribly, aren't you?"

Krycek sighed, "He was more than my best friend; he was like my brother. We grew
up together, our houses next to each other. When my family got killed in the war,
Pendrell was the one who comforted me and made sure I was well. He even came with
me to join the army."

Krycek put his head in his hands for a second then looked up at Mulder. "We
killed people together, Pendrell and I. We killed many, side by side." He took
another breath then continued. "There was a man called Reinhard Heydrich. He was
Himmler's deputy and head of the SD, which is the security arm of the SS. He was
ruthless; if anyone was famed for killing, it was him. Well, Hitler decided to
reward Heydrich for his duties and made him Governor of the Czech Republic in
1941. He was assassinated soon after by British- trained Czech agents. Hitler was
not pleased. He sent many troops to the village of Lidice and killed every man,
woman and child in that town as revenge. Pendrell and I were there, killing
people, anyone not in a German uniform. It was brutal, all day, all night,
bodies, blood, screaming. It was awful. At the end, Pendrell and I shared an
entire bottle of whiskey we had found and drank ourselves into oblivion."

Krycek looked down at the floor. "It was a massacre, senseless and brutal.
Pendrell and I, just...just killing people because we were told to do so. I
rationalized what we were doing was okay because Pendrell was doing it with me.
He always protected me and would never let me do anything that would endanger
myself or that was wrong."

Krycek put his head in his hands again, for a moment, before speaking again. "Now
I realize it *was* wrong...but we were just trying to survive and follow
orders..." He looked up at Mulder. "It was just war. You pick a side, or it picks
you, and you do what that side says."

Mulder reached out and took Alex in his arms and just held him, kissing his hair.

Alex held on to Mulder tightly; he loved how he could tell this man anything,
exorcise the demons of his *past life*. Finally, he pulled away, grateful again
that Mulder was here.

"So tell me about your friends."

"What friends?"

"You said that when you got older you made friends. Tell me about them."

"There isn't much to tell, really. There were a few guys in college I played
basketball and socialized with. After that, I went into the Air Force." Mulder
stopped and took a deep breath before continuing. "There is one person that has
been my best friend for six years now. I'm very close...was very close to this
person. But now I'm never going to see this person again, and it's for the best.
I could never be the same person I used to be. I can never go back to America."

"What was this fellow's name?"

"Dana." Mulder swallowed. He knew Alex wouldn't be pleased.

"Dana? But that's a girl's name..." Krycek drifted off for a second before
continuing. "Fox, are you married?"

"No. No, not yet. I'm engaged. Was engaged. Our wedding was to be this spring."

Jealous rage built up inside Alex. "You are engaged, and you did not tell me!
What were you going to do, travel with me to Argentina and leave me there? Go
back to her?"

"No. I...I don't want to go back there. I don't want her; I want *you*."

"How can I be sure you won't be wanting this girl? How can I be sure that you
won't leave me? Do you still love her?" Krycek's face was red with rage.

"I don't..." Mulder stood and paced around the room for a minute before crouching
before Krycek. "I don't *love* her in a way that most men love women. She was my
best friend, so everyone *expected* us to get married. Men and women aren't
friends unless they are involved. I thought...." Mulder raked his hand through
his hair. "I just wanted to make her happy. Then I met you. *You* make me happy."

"You said you loved me, Fox."

"I do love you, Alex."

Krycek stood up in front of Mulder, who also rose to face him. He was seething.
"You are mine, Fox Mulder, never doubt that! You belong to me and no one else!"

Mulder could see the rage and hurt in his eyes. He knew he should have never
mentioned Dana, but he didn't want to keep secrets from Alex. He wanted to be
able to share everything with him. His pulse quickened as Krycek's eyes narrowed
and got that *look* that meant someone was about to be punished. He secretly
hungered for that look because when Alex wore it, it meant that he was
concentrating on Mulder to the exclusion of all else.

Krycek reached over and ripped open Mulder's shirt, the buttons flying
everywhere. "I will show you. I will show you just how much you belong to me. No
one is allowed to touch you or to love you but me!"

Krycek ripped off the remainder of Mulder's clothes, throwing them into a heap on
the floor. He pushed Mulder down on all fours before quickly removing his own
garments.

Mulder was trembling; he knew what was going to happen, and it excited him. His
cock was quite hard, his nipples stiff as he waited for his lover to mount him.
Not only did he love it when Alex was wild, but he was also incredibly
frustrated. Krycek hadn't taken him since before they got to the ship, saying
that Mulder needed time to heal fully from the attack. He was desperate to feel
his lover inside him. This was the longest they had gone without making love
since the first time Krycek took him back in the prison. He arched his back and
thrust his ass back enticingly at Krycek.

Krycek liberally wet two fingers with saliva before pressing one against Mulder's
tight opening. Mulder groaned at the sensation and waited impatiently as Krycek
prepared him, the second finger sliding easily beside the first. Krycek's other
hand ran down Mulder's back and around to his front, pinching his nipples,
playing with his cock and balls.

Mulder sucked in his breath as Krycek's hands skimmed over his balls, making the
pre-cum flow from his cock. He then felt him scoop up the pre-cum and knew he was
lubricating his cock with it. Mulder quivered as he felt Krycek's hand on his hip
and then the large member pressing against his opening. He moaned at the initial
penetration then sighed as he felt his lover start to thrust in and out of him.
It felt so good that Mulder couldn't hold back a cry of pleasure, which brought a
growl from Alex. But it still wasn't enough; he lowered his shoulders to the
floor in a submissive posture that let Alex go even deeper inside him.

Alex rode Mulder hard; he needed to be reminded who was in charge, who was the
one in control. He leaned over his lover, hips still pumping, his hands wandering
over Mulder's body.

"Do you love me, Fox?"

"Yes."

"Will you love another?"

"No." Mulder groaned.

"Of course you won't. You want to come, don't you, Fox?"

"Yes," Mulder wailed, "please, let me come." He bucked against Alex, trying to
force him deeper still.

"Not yet, Fox," Krycek hissed in his ear. "You don't come until I say you can. Do
you understand me?"

Mulder nodded frantically, desperate to come, so close it was torture to try to
hold back. But if that was what Alex wanted, that was what he would do.

Krycek listened to Mulder's near hysterical whimpers, loving the sound and
knowing that Mulder didn't even realize he was making a sound. The smile that
crossed Krycek's face at that moment would have been very familiar to the former
inhabitants of Lidice. "Who do you belong to?"

"You! I belong to you, Alex! I love you!"

Mulder's declaration of love made Alex realize what he was doing to the man he
loved. He could see tear tracks on the cheek visible to him, and Mulder's fists
were clenched as he held back his orgasm by sheer willpower. Krycek groaned in
dismay at how easily he had fallen back into hurting Mulder, and he ran a hand
soothingly over Mulder's back. He nipped at Mulder's shoulder then reached down
and grabbed onto his large cock. "Come for me now, Fox. I want to feel you come,"
he whispered. Pumping in time with his thrusts, he drove harder and harder until
he felt Mulder convulse around him and heard him moan his name. Then Alex came
with a loud cry.

They collapsed, Alex still embedded inside Mulder. He didn't pull out, but rather
fell out of him after he was soft. He arranged the blankets and motioned for
Mulder to come and lie with him. He caressed Mulder's back and shoulders,
noticing the bite mark he had left behind.

"Will you leave me, Fox?"

"No, I'll never leave you, Alex. I love you." Mulder kissed Alex, his tongue
sweeping the inside of the other man's mouth. They lingered for awhile, tasting
each other before Mulder pulled free and put his head back on Alex's chest.

"Go to sleep now," Alex said. An uneasy feeling came over him just then. If they
were going to be together and living a *normal* life, he could not treat Mulder
this way. He kissed Mulder's temple, noticing he was starting to nod off.

No, they needed to act like a normal couple, not as captor and captive. He could
not fly into a jealous rage at the mention of a girl who lived thousands of miles
away. //Didn't Fox pledge his love to me? I should believe his pledge, not
question him. No, I must undo what I have done. I must give him back his
independence.//

Krycek sighed and thought about what he must do most of the night. Finally, he
slept for a few hours before waking and putting his new plan into action.

~~~~~~~~~

Mulder awoke to a fully dressed Alex, smoking a cigarette. He furrowed his brow
at the smell. Alex never had cigarettes, except for after dinner; that was their
custom.

"Good morning," Mulder said hesitantly.

"Actually I'm not sure what time it is, as I do not know where we are," Alex
smiled, "but for the sake of argument, good morning."

Mulder put his clothes on then padded down to the W/C. He came back and sat down
again, letting out a big sigh.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

"It is definitely something. Come, tell me."

Mulder looked at Alex, debating whether he should say what he really wanted to
say, or make something up. He bit his lower lip then shook his head. "It's
nothing; I'm just a little stiff."

Alex took the last drag on his cigarette then stubbed it out. He went over to
Mulder and sat before him, tilting his head up to meet his gaze. "You know,
Mulder, I treated you very harshly yesterday, I'm sorry."

Mulder's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No, no, it's my fault. I should
have told you about Dana earlier; I deserved it."

Alex closed his eyes briefly then looked back down at his lover. His hazel eyes
were so full of trust, of sorrow that he had done wrong. //What have I done to
this man?// "No, Mulder, it was wrong for me to treat you as if you were still my
prisoner. You are now my lover, we are equals, and I should treat you as such."

Mulder looked at Alex uneasily, then nervously licked his lower lip. "But I did
something wrong, I made you angry. If you don't punish me, how am I going to
learn?"

Alex smiled and took Mulder's hands in his own. He could see this was going to be
a long process. "Look, Fox, I don't want to be that way anymore. I want you to be
able to be open with me, to tell me what you are thinking. And when I go too far,
I want you to tell me and not be afraid."

Mulder's eyes looked hurt as he knit his brows together. "You always have sex
with me afterwards, make me feel better."

Alex sighed, still smiling. "Doesn't it hurt you when I do it afterwards? I want
to make love to you all the time, not just fuck you. Can you tell the
difference?"

"But you always make love to me...don't you? Do you...do you love me?"

Alex grabbed Mulder and crushed him to his chest, stroking his hair. "Of course I
love you. I love you with all my heart and soul."

Mulder smiled to himself. He knew Alex loved him; that was why he punished him.
If he didn't love him, he wouldn't try to make him do the right thing.

Alex sighed inwardly. //Yes, it was going to take a very long time to make Mulder
feel like an equal.// "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

Alex pulled back, looked at his lover and ran his thumb across his lower lip.
"Tell me, please," he said softly.

Mulder shifted uneasily, "Well, I was wondering why you were smoking; we usually
have a cigarette after dinner together. It's not like you to break one of your
habits." Mulder licked his lips again and looked at the floor. "And I was
thinking that I was just getting kind of..." he drifted off.

"Yes?"

"I love spending all my time with you. Ever since you took me to live with you in
your home, I never want anything but to be with you."

"But."

"But I'm getting weary of this journey. I...I..."

"You're bored."

"No. You don't bore me at all."

"I'm bored too. It will be another few days before our journey ends. I was hoping
it would have been over by now, but the ship obviously took precautions and
changed their route to avoid patrols."

Mulder looked relieved; he had been expecting Alex to fly off the handle again
for his previous remark.

"As for the cigarette, I felt like having one. You can have one too."

"No. I'll wait until it's time, after dinner."

"If you want one, you can just take one. They are in my bag, in the outside
compartment."

"No. I'll wait."

Alex nodded and sat back against the wall. Mulder was right; this was boring.
They had exhausted all conversation, and after the incident yesterday, he didn't
want to continue their knife training right away. They just sat there, dozing,
leaning against each other. A listless feeling came over them, too lazy to even
have sex.

The man came with their nightly meal, this time just beans. They ate, then Alex
lit their customary cigarette. He passed it to Mulder after taking a drag. Mulder
passed it back.

"No, you have it."

"Don't you want it?"

"No. I don't feel like it right now."

Mulder nervously licked his lower lip.

"Really, Mulder, I don't want it. You have it, it's yours."

Mulder looked at Alex again who gave him a smile. He then sat back and finished
the cigarette on his own.

Then there was a knock on the door. It was the *now* Captain Burkholder.

"Gentlemen, glad to see you are still with us. Thank you for taking precautions
and not doing anything wrong when the patrols were on board." He looked both men
in the eye, an amused look on his face. "We are almost done our journey,
gentlemen; in two days we will be in Argentina. We will land at night to keep
ourselves under cover. I will flick the light on and off when we land, and you
will have ten minutes to gather your belongings and leave. Do you understand?"

Alex nodded his head, "Yes."

"Good. Have a nice life, gentlemen."

Burkholder turned and left, shutting the door behind him.

Alex hugged Mulder. "Two more days and we can start our new life, together."
//Two more days and we can forget about the past, about the war. Two more days
and I can help you realize that you are a man with opinions and feelings. Two
more days and everything will be perfect.//

~~~~~~~

The next day started out as the one before, Mulder waking to see Alex dressed and
waiting for him. He had his bag open and his clothes draped over various barrels
and boxes in the supply room.

"Good morning, my love," Alex said as he dropped a kiss on Mulder's lips.

"Good morning." Mulder looked at the clothes then got dressed, went to the W/C
and came back. He found Alex pacing in front of the small selection of clothing.

"What do you think, Mulder?"

"About what?"

"The clothes. I am undecided on what to wear the night we land. Do you have a
preference?"

"No. Whatever you feel comfortable in."

"I need your help. Please tell me what you think."

Mulder looked at Alex then at the selection before him. He crossed his arms
across his chest and bit his lower lip. "Well, the blue shirt is nice; it goes
well with your grey pants. But then the white shirt goes with the light brown."

"Yes, that's what I thought. But what would look best?"

Mulder thought for a moment before looking at Alex, who gave him a grin. He then
came over to stand beside him and look over the selections again. He grabbed
Mulder's hand and squeezed. "Come on, Fox, what do you think?"

"Um, I...It's summer, right?"

"Yes."

"Then I would go with the white shirt and light brown pants."

Alex squeezed his hand again and smiled. "Excellent choice, I will put them aside
and hang them over the barrels so the wrinkles will have time to leave them. What
about you?" Alex got to work, carefully arranging his garments.

"Me?"

"What are you going to wear?"

"I hadn't thought about it."

"Well you should. This is going to be your new home, you want to make a good
impression, right?"

"I guess so."

"Come, Mulder, this is exciting! Not many people get to start over."

Mulder smiled. Alex was right; he should be happy that Alex chose him to come
along with him and did not leave him behind. He got his own bag out and draped
the contents over the barrels.

Mulder looked at the clothing displayed before him for a moment before turning to
Alex. "What do you suggest?"

"Me? Mulder, you did such a good job choosing for me, you should choose for
yourself."

Mulder looked back at the clothes for a few minutes, mentally putting the
combinations together. "Well, like I said, it's summer."

"Yes."

"So, I think the light blue shirt and the light grey pants would look okay."

"Okay? It would look marvelous." Alex walked over to Mulder and held his chin in
his hands. "We are going to be the best looking men in Buenos Aires, thanks to
you." He kissed Mulder, feeling it down to his knees. No one he ever kissed could
do it like Mulder.

He pulled back and smiled. "Now, we need haircuts."

"Haircuts?"

"Yes and a shave."

"How are we going to get a haircut?"

"I have scissors in my bag; we can do each other's."

"You want me to cut your hair?"

"Yes, and I will cut yours. It is not hard, Mulder; just make it short, but
even."

Mulder busied himself with putting the clothes away that he was not going to wear
and draping the others over the supplies as Alex had.

He finished his task to see Alex holding a pair of scissors and a comb. "Do you
want to be the barber first or second?"

Mulder shrugged.

Alex knew Mulder wasn't going to come out of his shell right away. "Come on, you
can be first. I promise I will be gentle with you."

Mulder smirked and sat on the floor, Alex kneeling behind him. "Take off your
shirt so it does not get full of hair."

Mulder complied.

Alex combed Mulder's hair, remarking at how soft it still was, even with their
limited diet and facilities. He cut the hair along the same line it was cut
already, paying attention to the neckline, trying to shorten, yet not have spots
that were shorter than the other. He trimmed the top and front, careful to leave
the bangs that he adored so much when they flopped onto his forehead. Then he was
finished.

"There. You look very nice, see for yourself." He gave Mulder the very small
hand-mirror that he had managed to tuck away in his bag.

"Looks great."

"My turn," Alex said as he took his own shirt off. He sat before Mulder, back to
him, ready for him to start.

Mulder took the comb and scissors in his hands. "I'm not so sure about this."

"Why?"

"What if I make a mistake? What if you don't like it. What if..."

"Fox, you will do fine."

Mulder bit his lower lip; he was doing that a lot lately. He took a deep breath
and started combing Alex's short hair. He trimmed along the top, around the ears
and finally the neckline. He was sweating and barely breathing, concentrating
heavily on each snip. Finally, he sat back and looked at his work. It wasn't too
bad.

"I'm done."

"Let's have a look." Alex took the mirror and admired Mulder's work. It had taken
him the better part of an hour to do the trim. It was perfect; an actual barber
couldn't have done a better job. "Excellent, Fox. Perhaps a new profession awaits
you?" He grinned at his lover then stood, brushing the hair from him. "Come,
let's shave. I will need you to hold up the mirror for me."

Alex gathered his shaving kit from his bag, filling the soap lid with water.
Mulder held the mirror for him, watching him squint and jog his head around to be
seen in the tiny surface. "It's no good. We're going to have to shave each
other."

Mulder's eyes grew wide. "Really?"

"Yes, I cannot see a thing in that mirror." He held the shaving brush out to
Mulder.

Mulder took the shaving brush and finished coating Alex's face with the soap. He
then took the razor in his hand, feeling the weight of it. He couldn't afford to
make a mistake here; one false move and he would cut his lover, something he
didn't want to do again.

"If you need me to move my head, tell me."

Mulder nodded and moved closer. Alex could feel his breath on his face, smell his
scent. His cock jumped when Mulder touched his face, gently turning it in the dim
light, to see where to shave. He closed his eyes as the first stroke of the razor
slowly swept the stubble away, almost letting out a moan at the sensual feeling
of another man shaving him. He opened his eyes and looked at Mulder, who was
intently focusing on the task at hand. He gasped, then closed his eyes again as
another stroke of the razor ran across his cheek.

He kept his eyes closed the whole time, feeling Mulder's gentle touch upon his
face, tilting it this way and that. The razor scraped over his cheeks, his chin,
his neck. His cock was growing harder and harder with every stroke. He could feel
the devotion, the love radiating from Mulder. It was such a turn-on knowing that
he evoked such adoration and trust.

When Mulder stopped and started to wipe the excess soap away with a small towel,
he regretted it was over. He grabbed Mulder's hand when he was done and brought
it up to feel the smoothness that was now there. Mulder turned his hand around
and caressed Alex's cheek with the back of his hand.

Alex reached across and stroked the stubble Mulder still had. He then brought him
in for a kiss, tender and full of love. Slowly, his hands came to caress Mulder's
back and up to his shoulders, Mulder returning the motions.

His tongue entered his lover's mouth, probing, searching, dancing with the tongue
inside. Then he pulled away and started kissing down Mulder's neck, the stubble
rough on his now smooth skin.

Mulder sighed and leaned back so he was lying on the floor, Alex over him,
licking and sucking his nipples. He moaned as Alex tugged at one with his teeth
then nipped down to his belly. He could feel Alex move back up, licking and
sucking his way to his mouth, hungry kisses devouring his lips. Suddenly, he was
flipped over so he was on top.

"Make love to me, Fox. I need to feel you inside me." Alex caressed his face, his
eyes blazing a bright green.

Mulder smiled and smoothed Alex's hair, caressing down his temple to his cheek
then farther down still until he reached a nipple where he started squeezing.
What a treat it was to be allowed to love this man. He delighted when Alex arched
up into the pinch, moaning, wanting more.

Mulder followed the trail his hand just took with his tongue, sucking and licking
his way down to the hard nub. His mouth came tight around the nipple, sucking and
teasing with his teeth.

Alex grabbed onto Mulder's shoulders, his fingers digging in as his other nipple
was caressed, bitten and teased to hardness.

Mulder moved down lower, snaking a trail with his tongue down his chest and
abdomen until he reached the waistband of Alex's trousers. Quickly, they were
removed, leaving Alex naked before him. He had lost some weight; his ribs were
visible, but just barely. Mulder also noticed his face was a little gaunt; after
he shaved him, his cheekbones prominent. Looking up, as if asking permission, he
met Alex's gaze before removing the remainder of his own clothing.

He kissed Alex on the mouth before going back to his next destination. Spreading
Alex's legs, Mulder looked at the erect cock glistening with pre-cum before
breathing in Alex's scent, his own cock twitching, ready to take action.

He knelt between his lover's legs and started to kiss a trail from Alex's belly
to the dark curls at his groin. He nuzzled his cock with the stubble that still
had to be removed from his chin and teasingly kissed the tip of it, bringing off
a stream of pre-cum which he lapped up hungrily.

Alex felt Mulder bathe his cock with his tongue, lapping over the shaft, sucking
at the head that poked out of the foreskin. He let out a loud moan of pleasure as
Mulder began to take his length into his mouth slowly, swirling his tongue
around.

One hand went down to caress Alex's balls, feeling the hairs that covered the
sac, then down further to his opening. Alex willingly brought his knees up to
allow Mulder better access.

Mulder brought his mouth off of Alex's cock for a brief second to coat two
fingers with his saliva and the pre- cum that was in his mouth. Alex did not
resist as one finger teased, then gained entrance to his body. Mulder could feel
Alex's pulse quicken and pulled his mouth off his cock before he came. He looked
up at the expression of love on his face, his eyes half closed, his lips red with
passion.

Two fingers were inside Alex, stretching him wide, caressing his prostate. He
writhed against those fingers, wanting so much more inside him. He had broken out
into a sweat and was moaning an incoherent stream of German and English.

Mulder smiled down at his lover, he was so beautiful when he was in the throes of
passion. He scooped up the spot of pre-cum that had reappeared on the tip of
Alex's cock and mingled it with his own to slick up his own penis. He added some
saliva, hoping he would not hurt his lover. He brought Alex's legs to rest upon
his shoulders before slowly entering the hot channel.

Alex threw his head back against the small bundle of clothes that made his
pillow. He hissed at the initial invasion but soon relaxed. He saw the love and
devotion in Mulder's eyes as he was slowly penetrated, his thighs caressed, his
chest stroked.

Finally, Mulder was fully embedded inside his lover. He bent down to capture a
kiss before wrapping his arms around him and slowly moving in and out.

Alex moaned and kissed Mulder again and again. How he loved this sensation, how
he relished the gentleness his lover had with him.

"Oh Fox. Yes, my love, you make me feel so good."

Mulder kissed Alex one more time before moving up to pump faster and harder.

"God, yes, Fox." Alex moaned, the feeling almost more than he could bear.

Mulder pumped faster inside his lover, moving one hand down to stroke his cock.
Alex came immediately, with a cry, coating them both with semen. Mulder tightly
wrapped his arms around Alex, grinding his cock between their torsos, making Alex
come again as he came himself, pumping hard, milking his cock of the fluid. He
collapsed on top of Alex, breathing heavily, feeling kisses on his shoulders.

They were joined for what seemed like an eternity until Mulder pulled out of
Alex, grabbing the small towel to clean them up. He spread one of the blankets on
the floor, where they lay, embraced, for a long time, dozing, wrapped in each
other's warmth.

Finally, Alex moved. "We should not sleep all day; we must be ready for
tomorrow." He kissed Mulder on his tired lips, barely gaining a kiss back.

Mulder moaned but sat up just the same.

Alex smirked at the sight of his lover, his eyes tired, still groggy. He smelled
of sex and sweat, which made Alex's cock twitch. He ignored the stirring down
below and moved to put on his clothes.

Alex smirked then kissed his lover again. "Come, it is my turn to shave you." His
eyes glittered. "Then I shall give you a sponge bath."

~~~~~~~~~

The next day was filled with nervous pacing and jumpiness, both men anxious for
this journey to come to an end. They would look at each other with hope and
happiness, hugging each other fiercely, not wanting to make love for fear of
missing their signal. Finally, the lights flickered on and off.

"Come, this is our ten minute warning. Strip out of your clothes, and put the
ones you have laid out on." Alex nearly punched himself for that remark. He was
supposed to let Mulder do things for himself. //The heat of the moment caught me
up. I will not do it again.//

Soon they were dressed in their fresh clothes, bags in their hands, looking each
other over.

"Do we pass?" Alex asked.

"I think we look pretty good. I was thinking, we should just leave the winter
gear here; we won't need it, and it might draw attention to us."

Alex nearly clapped his hands at that remark. "Yes, good idea. Are you ready?"

"Yes, I'm ready."

Alex kissed Mulder quickly and squeezed his hand. "Let's see our new home."

To be continued.

Rating: NC-17 for bad language, violence and m/m sex.

Series/Sequel: Sequel to Interrogation I, II, IIa, III, IV and V Orithain may be
reached at orithain@aol.com Nicole at oscar204@aol.com

Spoilers: None.

Disclaimer: They don't belong to us, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013
Productions and Fox. Please don't sue us.

Summary: The conclusion to Mulder & Krycek's journey, with some bumps along the
way.

Comments: Angst, schmoop and good food - it's all here. Thank you to Sue for the
psychological help. Thanks to Aries for encouragement.

Interrogation VI: A New Beginning

by Nicole S and Orithain

Mulder and Krycek emerged from the ship's hold to breathe in fresh air for the
first time in three weeks. The warm night air greeted them, and a gentle breeze
kissed their cheeks as they walked along the deck. The deck was a bustle of
activity, the ship's hands busy unloading the hold of it's cargo. Not wanting to
prolong their stay, Mulder & Krycek silently walked down the gangplank and off
the ship.

They made their way down the dock, various other ships loading and unloading
cargo. When they had made their way through the cartons and crates, they found
themselves at a street with a church on the corner. Alex stopped under a
streetlight and got a piece of paper out of his bag. This had directions and a
map on it.

"We turn right and walk down this street two kilometres until we get to a square.
We meet our contact at a caf* called El Matador. That should not be hard, hmmm?"
He looked at Mulder who had an uncertain look on his face.

"Hey," Alex grabbed Mulder's hand and squeezed it for a second before letting go.
"We are free. We have just begun a new life, don't be sad."

Mulder took a deep breath and smiled as cheerfully as he could back at Alex. He
didn't feel right, something was wrong. Still, he walked alongside Alex, down the
street to the square. People passed by them, enjoying a walk; couples in love,
basking in the night air. Mulder's head turned this way and that, his heart
racing. He was waiting for someone to stop them, to arrest them for escaping.

Alex looked at his lover, noticing his distress. "Fox, are you well?"

Mulder smiled weakly. //I don't know where I am. This place is so different, so
foreign. What if the Nazis followed us here? What if the Americans find me and
arrest me for being a traitor?// Mulder's breathing began to quicken, and sweat
formed on his brow.

Alex recognized his lover's anxiety, and led Mulder over to a bench situated off
the street. They sat down, and Alex took Mulder's hands in his and turned to face
him.

"Fox. Fox, look at me."

Mulder gulped a breath and looked into his lover's eyes. The light from the
streetlamps made them shine in the semi-darkness. He wanted to go back to their
house in Germany; things were good there; they should have never escaped, they
would have been safe; he was sure of that.

"Fox, I want you to calm down."

Mulder gulped air in again, beginning to hyperventilate.

Alex squeezed Mulder's hands and spoke calmly. "Fox, relax. If you don't relax,
you are going to pass out." Alex was shocked at Mulder's reaction, though he hid
it well. He'd known that he'd totally broken Mulder's confidence as he had done
to so many others over the years that he was in charge of the prison, but this
was the first time he had to face the results of his actions. The fact that it
was the man he loved falling apart just from walking down a public street only
made it harder for him.

Mulder nodded his head, and tried in vain to keep his breathing under control. He
concentrated on his breaths, making them deeper and lasting longer.

"Good, good. Now close your eyes."

Mulder whimpered in panic and shook his head.

"Close your eyes, I won't let go of you." Mulder still hesitated, terrified, and
Alex whispered, "Trust me."

Mulder closed his eyes, but his breathing was still quick. He clenched Alex's
hands in his own, squeezing them so hard that they hurt.

"I want you to imagine a place. A place where only you can go to be safe."

"C-c-can you be there too?"

"No. This is just your place. You can go there, and nothing will hurt you." Alex
had to struggle to keep his voice from breaking when Mulder's question showed
that despite everything he associated safety with him. He vowed to undo what he
had done and only prayed that Mulder would be able to forgive him. He tried not
to think about the possibility that a strong, healthy Mulder might not want
anything to do with him.

Mulder's breathing slowly started to ease.

"Now. You are in your place, your safe place. Do you like it, Fox? Is it a nice
place?"

"Yes. It's...it's warm and it feels good."

"Good. Now, I want you to slow your breathing and relax. Can you do that for me,
Fox?"

"Yes. I think I can." Mulder concentrated on breathing slowly in his safe place.
This was good. After a few minutes, he started to release the deathgrip he had on
Alex's hands.

"Relax, Fox. Relax your head, your neck, your shoulders. That's it. Feel yourself
relaxing. Your lungs are opening up, taking large, healthy breaths of air, your
back muscles are unwinding. Good, that's my Fox. Nothing is going to hurt you. We
are safe now, no one is going to harm you."

Mulder opened his eyes and looked at his lover. "Do you promise?"

"I promise." He squeezed Mulder's hands again before getting out his handkerchief
and wiping Mulder's face of sweat. He had never counted on this, on Mulder being
so afraid. He would have to work on that later.

"I'm...I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. We were walking down the
street, and then I just started feeling funny."

"It's to be expected, Fox. You have not been out in the world for some time."
Alex pushed a lock of hair back that had fallen forward onto Mulder's forehead,
pressing a quick kiss against the skin. "Do you think you can continue? We do not
have far to go. When we get to the caf*, we will have some wine, hmmm?"

Mulder nodded, the sweat on his body starting to dry in the night breeze. Slowly,
they stood and continued their journey down the street. A few minutes later, they
reached the square and the caf*. They sat down, and a waiter came over to their
table. Alex ordered for them in flawless Spanish. Mulder looked at his lover in
awe; this man's talents never ceased to amaze him.

Alex fumbled for a cigarette, then offered one to Mulder.

"No thanks," he whispered.

"Are you sure?"

Mulder nodded his head. He looked around. Argentina looked like a nice place.
Good looking people everywhere, strolling around without a care in the world. It
was hard to believe that war still raged across most of the world. The waiter
came with two glasses of red wine. Alex picked his up right away and sipped it,
his eyes closing for a minute.

"Mmmmmm, I've missed wine. Come, Fox, drink, it's very good."

Mulder reached out and brought the fragile glass to his lips, noticing he was
shaking slightly. He took a small sip of wine, then another.

"Well? Was I right?"

"Yes, it's very good."

"Are you sure you don't want a cigarette?"

"No, thank you."

Alex reached over and grabbed his hand again, stroking it with his thumb. "I
meant it when I said nothing can harm you here. We are an ocean away from what we
left behind."

Mulder wanted to believe Alex, but he still had a nagging suspicion in the back
of his mind that something was not right. They sat there, sipping their wine,
enjoying the night. Mulder was just starting to fully relax when a man came to
their table.

"Alex Krycek."

Alex stood and shook his hand. "Sir, so nice to see you again."

The man looked down at Mulder then back at Alex. "You have brought someone with
you?"

"Yes. I could not leave him behind."

Mulder's pulse began to quicken again as the man sat down and joined them. He
felt dizzy, and his breathing sped up.

"Fox?" Alex tightened his grip on Mulder's hand. "Fox, are you not well?"

"I'm...I'm okay. It must be the wine; it's going to my head."

"Why don't you close your eyes for a moment and regain your composure?"

Mulder nodded and closed his eyes. He thought back to what Alex had said earlier
about his safe place. He imagined himself there, alone, at peace. He felt warm
and started to calm down.

"Is your friend all right, Alex?"

"Yes, he is just a little shaken from our journey, as am I. It was a most --
eventful -- voyage, but he will be fine once he is rested."

"You should have told me you were bringing a companion, I would have prepared
documents for him."

"I am sorry, it was...we left in haste." Alex took a sip of his wine to take the
bitterness out of his mouth. He would never forgive himself for almost leaving
Mulder behind. He looked back up at his friend. "Will it be any trouble to get
him papers?"

"It should not be a problem, but it might take a few weeks."

"That will be more than adequate. Thank you."

The man slid two envelopes across the table to Alex. "One envelope contains
money, the other your papers. Your funds will be transferred from the bank in
Switzerland upon your request. The other envelope contains name of the bank and
the manager there. Do not talk to anyone else about your situation."

Alex nodded his head.

"In the meantime, I have taken the liberty and booked you into a suite at one of
Buenos Aires' finest hotels. I will give you a few days to rest, then I will have
some houses for you to look at."

"Thank you again for all your help, I could have not done this without you."

"That's what friends are for, Alex. I will, however, require a favor next month.
I have someone that will need a place to stay for a few days."

Alex nodded his head, "Yes, anything, just ask."

Mulder opened his eyes. He had missed the entire conversation, but he was glad
both men were smiling at each other.

Alex turned and smiled at his lover. "Ah, he is with us once again." Taking
Mulder's hand in his, Alex motioned from his friend to Mulder and performed the
introductions, "This is my lover, Fox Mulder. Fox, an old friend of my father's,
Malcolm Grey."

"It is an honour to meet you, Mr. Mulder." He reached across and shook his hand.
"I hope you enjoy your new home here in Argentina."

"Thank you," Mulder said, his voice just above a whisper.

"Now, gentlemen, if you would gather your belongings and follow me, I will take
you to your hotel."

They followed the man with the silver hair and smooth voice to a grand hotel. A
red carpet stairway led to golden embossed doors, which were opened by a doorman
dressed in top hat and tails. This led to a large, marble-floored lobby, laid
with Persian rugs and expensive furnishings. The warm red richness of mahogany
was prevalent throughout, from the front desk to the staircase banister. A young
man sat at a grand piano in one corner, playing to entertain the people as they
came and went.

A lady in a fur coat, despite the heat, passed Mulder and Krycek, a man behind
her carrying a small poodle wearing a diamond-studded collar that matched her
bracelet. The other patrons of this establishment were also well dressed, making
Mulder feel like he was a pauper.

They checked in and went up to their suite, the decor was equally grand; marble
floors, Louis XIV furnishings, velvet draperies. If Mulder wasn't in South
America, he could have sworn that he was in one of the finest hotels in Europe.
The silver-haired man tipped the bellhop, who quickly left the room.

"I will leave you now. I shall call for you on Thursday, after you have rested.
Enjoy your stay, gentlemen."

Alex shook the man's hand again, "Thank you again, Uncle Malcolm."

"Again, it was my pleasure, Alex." The man turned and left, shutting the door
behind him.

Mulder stood in the middle of the room, unsure what to do next. He felt Alex come
up behind him and wrap his arms around him.

"We are finally alone." He kissed Mulder's ear. "We can do whatever we want,
whenever we want, and not worry about anyone, or anything." He kissed Mulder's
ear again, feeling the tension melt away from his body with his kisses.

Mulder leaned his head back, nuzzling it into Alex's shoulder. "What time is it?
What day is it, for that matter?"

Alex laughed, "It is 9 in the evening, and it is Monday. Have you made plans,
already? Do you need to be somewhere?"

"No, I...I just wanted to know."

Alex turned Mulder around so he was facing him. He gave him a fierce hug before
letting him go. "I am going to call down for some supper. In the meantime, why
don't we have a bath? Alex's eyes glittered green in the glow from the crystal
chandelier.

Mulder couldn't hide his smile. He missed their nightly bath and what followed
it. His cock started to harden as he thought of their wet bodies pressed against
each other.

"Go start the bath; I will join you momentarily." Alex playfully tapped Mulder on
the ass as he walked by. He called down for supper then joined Mulder, ensuring
to tell the front desk to remind their staff not to disturb him in the bath.

The bathroom was unlike any Mulder had seen in his life. It was as big as a
bedroom. A large, claw-footed bathtub with gold fixtures was in the middle of the
room. There was an ornately carved dressing table with lights around the mirror
nestled in a corner. A large, cushioned stool sat in front of it. Jars of powder
and perfumes sat atop the grand structure. Against a wall, large towels were on a
warming rack which also held robes and pajamas. A crystal chandelier was
overhead, casting a warm glow throughout the room. Sheer draperies covered the
window. Mulder stood there, staring at everything until Alex came in to join him.

"It is nice, isn't it? Come, I have been thinking about a bath for weeks." Alex
strode over and started the taps, filling the large tub with warm water. Soaps
and small bottles of bath oil were held in a golden basket along one side.

Mulder started undoing the buttons on his shirt. Suddenly, Alex's hands joined
his and took over the process.

Alex leaned in and kissed Mulder, his tongue probing inside his mouth. His hands
flew over the buttons on Mulder's shirt, making short work of them. He pulled the
shirt back and practically ripped off the undershirt he was wearing and dove for
the now exposed nipples with his mouth.

Mulder ran his hands down Alex's back and pulled his shirt off up, over his head
then undid Alex's trousers. Alex did the same and soon they were naked, their
heated skin rubbing against each other. Mulder molded his mouth to Alex's, his
hands wandering freely over his body, cupping his ass, teasing his nipples. Soon,
they were writhing against each other, the friction of their bodies threatening
to set the room on fire.

Suddenly, Alex stood back, "Wait, Fox, wait."

Mulder pulled back and stared at his lover as if he was mad.

"Let's get into the tub before the water gets cold."

Mulder smiled and followed Alex into the warm water. He found a sponge alongside
washcloths in a basket beside the tub. He held it under the water for a minute to
soften it, ran soap along it, then began the ritual he loved so much. He washed
his lover from head to toe, pausing to tease his nipples and other sensitive
parts of Alex's body. He paid special attention to his cock, pulling the foreskin
back and rubbing the sponge along the hard shaft.

"Oh, yes, Fox." Alex bit his lip. If he kept that up, he was going to come. As if
he heard his thoughts, Mulder moved the sponge down a leg, cleaning and caressing
all the way.

When Mulder was done, he surrendered the sponge to Alex, who began to do the same
to Mulder. He could see the passion rising in Mulder's eyes from his caressing
and rubbing the sponge along every inch of his body. Alex could feel the pre-cum
start to come up out of his cock just from looking at him.

He leaned forward and started kissing Mulder on the mouth, moving down to his
neck, lingering at his collarbone, marking him as his own. He then moved lower,
to Mulder's nipples again, which were hard and ready to be sucked on. Mulder
moaned and groaned, sloshing the water onto the marble floor as Alex played with
a nipple and sucked on the other.

"Alex...Alex...I..." Mulder let out a moan then a sigh. White fluid began to show
on the surface of the water.

"Are you a little sensitive, tonight, my love?" Alex stood, reaching for his
lover to stand with him.

Mulder stood and faced Alex. They got out of the tub, Alex pulling the drain.

"I'm sorry," Mulder said as Alex handed him a towel.

"Nonsense. I take it as a compliment that I can make you feel so good. Besides, I
will have fun bringing you to the same satisfaction again later. Although it may
take longer. And that will be fun too." Alex grabbed Mulder by the back of the
head and brought him to kiss him once again.

Mulder smiled as he pulled away, but then noticed the state Alex was in.

"What about you?"

"What about me? I am fine."

"No, you're not." Mulder immediately sank to his knees and took Alex's cock into
his mouth. It did not take more than a couple of licks with his tongue until his
lover was shooting a hot stream of creamy fluid down his throat.

"I think we both needed that." Alex brought his love up to kiss him, to taste
himself on his lips. He smiled. "That made me very hungry. Are you hungry, Fox?"

"Yes." Mulder's eyes were full of satisfaction and love; he wanted Alex to throw
him down and make love to him all night long.

"Let's eat."

Each of them toweled off, switching to towel each other off instead. When their
rubbing forced a moan from Mulder, Alex stood back and reached for a robe. "We
have to eat something," he laughed. He then moved closer and kissed Mulder
briefly. "I want to make love to you properly, in a bed, then wake up with you in
my arms." He did up the robe, a towel around his neck to catch the drips from his
hair.

Mulder let out a frustrated sigh but put a robe on just the same. Alex was right,
it would be better in a nice, soft bed. A flutter ran through his stomach as he
thought of waking next to Alex tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that. He
was so lucky he let him come with him to Argentina.

"Fox, are you coming?"

Mulder followed Alex into the livingroom, where a dining area was set up. Candles
glowed in the centre, and a bottle of wine was open, breathing the nighttime air.
Bread was in a basket before them, and an assortment of fruits and cheeses were
laid out. They both sat as the table was set, across from each other.

Mulder lifted the large silver dome that covered his food. When he saw a bowl of
soup in front of him, he frowned, then looked across to see that Alex had the
same meal.

"We have not eaten in two days. The meals that we were provided in the past three
weeks were not that good. As a matter of fact, most of them were quite inedible.
I thought soup would give our stomachs a chance to get used to good food again."

Mulder smiled at Alex. "You're always looking out for me, aren't you?"

"Fox," Alex reached across and grabbed Mulder's hand. "I cannot tell you how much
I want to take care of you, to treat you right. You mean everything to me."

Mulder blushed at the words, and he looked down at his bowl of soup. No one had
ever said that he meant anything to anyone. "I...thank you for bringing me with
you."

"There was never any question," Alex whispered. Perhaps if he told himself that
enough times, he would genuinely believe it. Mulder stared at him, knowing
perfectly well that Alex had intended to leave him behind almost up till the last
minute, but he was so happy to be with Alex that he didn't say anything. "Now,
let's eat our soup, before it gets cold."

They ate their supper and drank the wine, both of them soon yawning. Finally,
Alex stood and offered Mulder his hand. He took it and followed Alex into the
bedroom. This was also full of antiques and elaborate draperies. A window was
open, bringing in the cool night air, the sheer curtains barely moving in the
breeze.

Alex undid the tie on Mulder's robe and motioned for him to lie on the large bed.
When Mulder was lying on his back, naked, Alex doffed his robe and towel, and
climbed up beside him. He rubbed Mulder's feet with his hands, soothing him,
massaging him. He then followed with his lips, kissing up Mulder's legs, first
the left, then the right. He took his time, exploring his lower body with his
hands, caressing the muscles. He lingered at Mulder's knees, bringing giggles
when he licked and kissed the backs of them. When he got to Mulder's crotch, Alex
merely placed a kiss on the tip of Mulder's hardening cock and continued on his
journey up his body.

He kissed the palms of his hands and every finger. He slowly made his way up one
arm, then another, as he had done with his legs, enjoying the fact that Mulder's
elbows were just as ticklish as his knees. He was now at Mulder's chest, kissing
and sucking on his nipples, licking the outline of his ribs and muscles. He
lingered at his neck, marking him yet again at his collarbone. Finally, he got to
his face, kissing each eyelid, his nose, his forehead, his chin. He looked down
at his lover for a second; such bliss showed on his face. He sat back and reached
down with his hands to spread Mulder's legs. He lay between them, holding his
lover, caressing his face. Only then did he kiss his lips.

It was if electricity was passing between them, their lips parted so their
tongues could dance together, searching, exploring now familiar territory. Alex
started to grind himself against Mulder, their erections rubbing together, mixing
their pre-cum in a sticky film across their bellies. He felt Mulder's hands come
down to cup his ass again then move up across his back.

Alex started back down Mulder's body, tracing a trail with his tongue, until he
was at his groin. He nuzzled Mulder's cock with his cheek, breathing in his
intoxicating scent. He licked up the hard shaft, bringing a shudder from his
lover. His tongue lingered at the top, swirling around and around before his
mouth covered the member, sucking and lapping up the essence flowing from the
tip. He then moved down to Mulder's balls, licking and sucking on them, bringing
whimpers of ecstasy from above.

"Please, Alex, please."

"Does this feel good?"

"Yes. I can't stand it, it's so good."

"All in time, Fox."

Another whimper was heard as Alex grabbed Mulder's legs and hauled them up over
his shoulders. His mouth came down on Mulder's balls again, sucking and nipping
at the fragile skin. Lower his mouth went, to the perineum and finally to the
puckered opening. He spread Mulder's ass cheeks with his fingers as his tongue
dipped in and out of the tight hole, teasing and taunting so that Mulder was soon
writhing on the bed.

"Oh, Alex...please, Alex, I'm begging you."

Alex smirked as he left the bed for a moment to retrieve the tin of lubricant
from his bag. He climbed back on the bed and looked at Mulder in the throes of
passion. His cock was purple and weeping large amounts of pre-cum, his nipples
were tight buds, his lips swollen and kiss bruised.

Alex put Mulder's legs over his shoulders again before coating a finger with the
lubricant. He entered it into Mulder's ass, stroking the smooth interior,
spreading the jelly around. Mulder opened up easily in his state and a second
finger easily joined the first. Alex caressed his prostate, watching him jump and
writhe even more. The whimpers grew louder, and Alex could stand it no more. He
slicked up his hard cock and drove home with one push.

Mulder cried out with pleasure as Alex entered him. He had been imagining this
for so long, making love, real love in a bed with pillows and softness. A pair of
lips were at his and he kissed them, his eyes closed, his legs spread wide. He
dug his hands into Alex's shoulders as he started to drive into him strongly and
with purpose.

"Fox, my beautiful Fox," Alex whispered into his ear. He had wanted to make this
last a long time, but the feeling was too much, and he started pumping fast into
his lover. He could feel the tingling low in his abdomen, and he knew it wasn't
going to last long at all. He reached down and grabbed Mulder's cock, stroking in
time with his thrusts. "Come, Fox, come for me."

Mulder let out a cry as his semen coated them both, moaning Alex's name. Alex let
out his own cry, and he collapsed on his lover, his balls releasing his seed deep
within his lover.

They lay there, joined for awhile, until Alex reached over the side of the bed to
retrieve the towel that he dropped before and cleaned them up. Mulder barely felt
Alex kiss him before he fell asleep.

***

The next morning, Mulder was woken by birds singing and sunlight coming through
the window. That had been his first restful sleep since they left Berlin.
Actually, thinking of the bombings, Alex's occasional nightmares and his own, it
was probably the first truly contented sleep he'd had since the night before he
left on the bombing run that led to him becoming Alex's prisoner. Who'd have
thought it would take a war for him to find love? He looked over at Alex, his
face snuggled in his pillow, his naked form visible underneath the sheet.

Mulder pulled the sheet back and looked down at his lover. //So beautiful. Alex
calls me beautiful, but he is the beautiful one.// He bent down and kissed his
shoulder, licking his lips after he did so. The taste of Alex on his lips made
him want more. He straddled his still sleeping lover and kissed his back and
down, his hands caressing the muscles underneath the skin. Alex woke to Mulder's
touch and moaned encouragement.

Mulder moved his mouth further down Alex's back to the base of his spine,
nuzzling the fine hairs that grew there with his stubble-covered chin. He felt
Alex jump as he moved down to his ass, kneading the round globes, his fingers
probing inside the crack, teasing the opening.

Alex moaned when Mulder stroked the puckered opening to his ass. He knew what
Mulder wanted, and he was going to let him do just that. He wondered why he'd
been so hesitant to take that final step years earlier, then he realized that it
wouldn't have been the same with anyone else. It was the love that he and Mulder
shared that made it so pleasurable for him. He could never give up control like
that with anyone else.

Mulder's mouth went down to where Alex's leg met his ass, sucking and biting at
the skin, marking him as he had been marked the night before. When he was pleased
with the large purple bruise, he moved on. He spread Alex's legs and reached for
the tin of lubricant. He coated two fingers liberally, one pressing against the
opening. With a little teasing, he was let in.

"Oh, god, Fox, that feels good."

Mulder only smiled as he lubricated the passage well. When he was satisfied that
he could penetrate Alex with only minor discomfort, he pulled Alex up onto all
fours. He hastily applied the lubricant to his cock and started to push inside.

Alex had been anticipating this, the time when Mulder instigated love making
sessions, and he was not disappointed. He watched as Mulder reached over for the
towel from the night before, positioning it to catch Alex's semen. He quivered as
Mulder's cock inched inside him, his own hard cock dripping onto the towel below.

Mulder fully embedded himself in Alex with one final push, stopping for a second
to catch his breath. He leaned over his lover, caressing his front and pinching
his nipples, gaining whimpers from below.

"Fox...you feel so good inside me."

Mulder began to move in and out of Alex, slowly at first, but then faster and
faster with every stroke. He could feel his balls slap against Alex's; he could
smell his lover underneath him; he could hear the moans and whimpers coming from
him.

Alex's arms gave way as Mulder reached forward to grab his cock. He could not
remember ever being so aroused, so hard, so loved. He rested forward on his
elbows, this angle giving Mulder a better connection with his prostate. He
started to fuck Mulder's hand, driving Mulder's cock in and out of him at a rapid
pace.

"Oh god...oh Fox...my Fox, I love you...oh god!" Alex came with a strangled cry,
long streams of semen shooting out of his cock and onto the towel below.

Mulder continued to slam into Alex's ass, finally letting go, his orgasm making
him shudder and shake. He collapsed to the side, still embedded in Alex. They lay
there, joined together for a few minutes, until Mulder pulled out of Alex and
cleaned them up. He returned to the bed, curling up around his lover before sleep
claimed them yet again.

A few hours later, they woke, still in each other's arms, Alex caressing Mulder's
hair.

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

Alex kissed Mulder on his sleepy lips, a grin replacing the pout. Mulder then
snuggled closer, his head buried in Alex's chest.

"Fox, we should get up."

Mulder only groaned.

"What do you want to do today?"

"I don't know. What do you want to do?"

"No, it's up to you."

Mulder stretched and yawned then propped himself up on his elbow to look at Alex.
He traced the outline of his face with a finger before kissing him again.

"Did you really mean it when you said you loved me?"

"Yes, I did."

Mulder smiled. "I love you too."

Alex returned the smile. "Now, what do you want to do today? You are avoiding the
question."

Mulder sighed. "I think we need some new clothes. The fashions are different
here."

"I agree. We should try to fit in as much as possible. I know a very good tailor
in Plaza San Martin."

"You've been to Buenos Aires before, haven't you?" Mulder asked.

"Yes, I was here a few years ago with my father. He was interested in buying a
hotel here and moving his business out of Germany. He was nervous when Hitler
started to spread his propaganda. Unfortunately, he never realized his dream. He
died in his sleep a few months after our trip. My mother also died a few weeks
after that; I always thought it was of a broken heart." Alex stared off into the
distance for a minute, before continuing. "He did, however, liquidate his assets
and move them to a bank in Switzerland, where they still are."

Mulder caressed Alex's cheek with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry about your
parents, you seem to have been close to them."

"I was. I still miss them terribly, after all these years."

Mulder hugged Alex, knowing the pain of losing someone close. No wonder Alex had
been so harsh when they first met; losing both his parents, his wife and his only
child in such a short period of time must have hurt him so much that he wasn't
willing to let anyone else get close to him and take the chance of losing them
too.

"Come on, Fox, let's get up. Buenos Aires is too beautiful a city to waste all
day in bed." He kissed Mulder on the lips before adding, "Although I want to stay
in bed with you very much." He grinned at Mulder. "But the anticipation will make
it that much better when I get you back here."

Mulder blushed as he watched his lover roll over and get out of bed. This was
their first morning together as real lovers, and it gave him a warm feeling.

Alex called down for some breakfast while they got dressed. After they ate, they
went to the tailors, walking the few blocks to Plaza San Martin. Mulder was doing
fine until they got to the Plaza itself, where the mid-morning bustle was too
much for him. Alex sat them down on a bench while Mulder did his breathing
exercises and tried to calm down.

Alex gazed at his lover who looked miserable. The sweat was pouring off of him,
trickling down the back of his neck and his cheeks. Mulder's face also had this
pale green tinge to it. He had to find a way to get rid of Mulder's paranoia and
get him to regain his trust in himself, his confidence.

"Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine in just a minute." Mulder shook his head. "I...I'm sorry, Alex. I
can't control it, it just happens...in the room, I'm fine, when I get outside,
I...I..." He started to breathe rapidly again. He closed his eyes and tried, in
vain, to relax.

"It is all right, Fox, take your time." He squeezed his hand for reassurance.

About twenty minutes later, Mulder was calm enough to continue to the tailor's.
Alex and Mulder were measured for new wardrobes, picking a few ready-made pieces
to wear until their clothing was ready. It took some prodding, but Alex finally
got the colour and fabric choices out of Mulder that he wanted. He even managed
to get Mulder to express a preference about some of Alex's own clothes, things
that Alex intended to wear to please him. When they were done, it was mid-day and
Alex was hungry.

"What do you say to some lunch? I know a great restaurant across the Plaza from
here."

Mulder looked at the ground and did not say anything.

"What? What is it?" Alex put a finger under Mulder's chin and lifted it so their
eyes met.

"Nothing. Lunch sounds fine," Mulder whispered.

Alex sighed in exasperation. "No, it is not fine. What is bothering you?"

Mulder chewed on his lower lip. While that action would have been sexy under any
other circumstance, it sent off an alarm in Alex's head. He knew something was
wrong. Alex smiled at his lover and kept his voice calm and soothing.

"Fox, if something is bothering you, I would like you to tell me."

"You'll get mad."

"I will not get mad."

"I..." Mulder broke off.

"Yes? Fox, please tell me." Alex wanted to grab him and hug him, instead he
squeezed his upper arm with his hand.

"I'm tired. That...episode I had earlier wore me out. I want to go back to the
hotel and get some sleep."

"Is that all?"

Mulder managed a tiny smile, but his eyes still had worry in them. "You're not
going to punish me?"

"Punish you? For being tired? I want you to realize that you are not my prisoner
anymore, you're my lover. We are free, you are a free man with free thoughts. If
you are tired, I want you to tell me. Same with if you are hungry, or thirsty, or
do not like something. I value your opinion." Alex decided to try a different
tack. "You've told me before that you like to please me, that it makes you
happy." He waited until Fox nodded before continuing, "Well, it makes *me* happy
to please *you* too. Te quiero, mi hermoso Fox."

"Oh." Mulder smiled, his eyes still showing a hint of worry. "What does that
mean?"

"It means I love you, my beautiful Fox."

Mulder smiled for real now.

"Come, let's get you back to bed."

They walked the short distance back to the hotel. Soon, Alex had Mulder dozing in
the bed while he went into the parlor where he made two telephone calls. He then
went back to the bedroom and sat on the side of the bed.

"Fox."

"Hmmmm?"

"Fox, I have some business to attend to. I will be back in a few hours. Will you
be all right by yourself?"

"Hmmm. Yes."

Alex quickly kissed Mulder on the forehead then left the hotel. He walked back to
Plaza San Martin where he joined his silver-haired friend.

"Thank you for meeting me on such short notice, sir."

"My pleasure. I have not been to this restaurant in weeks. How is your friend?"

"He's resting. He is still tired from our journey."

"If I were Fox Mulder, I would be tired as well."

Alex's face showed no expression, "What do you mean?"

"I have been following your notorious military career, Alex. I promised your
father that I would look out for you, and I am fulfilling my duty. He never
warned me, however, that you would turn into a heartless torture monger."

Alex's mouth opened then closed again. His eyes dropped to the linen tablecloth
flapping in the breeze from the open windows.

"Why, Alex? Why did you do those things I read about? Not only Lidice, but
Kharkov, Stalingrad...those poor boys you tortured for days. Not to mention your
interrogation techniques in that prison..."

"I am aware of what I have done." Alex lit a cigarette, the blue smoke swirling
around in the air.

"So many times I wanted to go back to Germany and find out what happened to the
young man I met on that business trip, so full of hope and life."

"You know what happened."

"We all lost people in the war, Alex."

Alex's eyes snapped up to meet the other man's gaze. "You were not there. You did
not see what was happening. You did not see your four year old daughter and wife
get mangled by their own house collapsing on them from a mortar blast."

"Still, we did not all become monsters."

"Is that what I am to you now? A monster? Someone without feelings? When I wore
that uniform, it gave me the power I needed to seek my revenge on the people that
hurt me. I am no longer that man."

"I know what you did to Mulder in your prison. Rescuing him from death will not
make you feel better."

"I did not rescue him to make me feel better." Alex kept his voice calm, but
inside he was enraged. "I love Fox."

"I do not understand. One minute he is your prisoner, the next he is your
servant, then he is your lover."

Alex took a long drag on his cigarette. He knew he was going to have this
conversation with this man sooner or later. It was better to get it all out in
the open at the beginning. His eyes dropped to the tablecloth again.

"The second I laid eyes on him, I wanted him. He did something to me that no
other had, ever. I thought about him all the time. When I was beating him, I
wanted to posses him, to own him. When I would try to sleep at night, I would see
his face and want nothing more than to hold him in my arms. I would get so
frustrated when I could not that I would beat him harder."

Alex's hands were now shaking as he took the final drag from his cigarette, and
his voice fell to a whisper as he continued, "I have no excuse for my behaviour,
other than it was war and a crazy time. Everyone did what they had to do survive,
including me." He stubbed out his cigarette and reached for his glass of water,
taking a healthy gulp. His eyes were still downcast and his voice still low. "I
slowly came to realize that what I was doing to him was wrong, that I wanted to
love him not hurt him. That's when I moved him into my house, so I could protect
him from further harm. Now, I am trying to right my wrongdoing. But believe me
when I tell you that I do love him. I have never felt closer to another human
being since I met my wife." He looked up with a terrible sorrow and fear in his
eyes. "I can only hope that he still wants to be with me when he's himself again.

Grey looked at Alex, expression still blank. "I am glad you can admit your
faults, my friend. Let us hope no one tries to take revenge for your actions."

A shudder ran through Alex; he had not thought of that before.

"As for your American friend, I know you are telling me the truth. And now I know
why you want this." He took a small package from his breast pocket and passed it
over to Alex who put it in his own pocket.

"Thank you," Alex whispered. He looked up at his friend again and smiled.

"Be very careful, Alex."

"I will."

"Good. Now, let's have some lunch."

***

Later that evening, Alex was anxious to try and break Mulder out of his shell.
With the serum that his friend had given him, it would be easier. They were
sitting on a couch, Mulder in his arms, listening to the radio, when Alex broke
the silence.

"Fox, I want to try something."

"Hmmm?"

Alex sat up and looked at Mulder. "I want to try and rid you of your panic
attacks and anxiety, would you like that?"

Mulder nodded, "Very much."

Alex stood and turned the radio off. Then he motioned for Mulder to sit in a
large, overstuffed chair. "Make yourself comfortable."

Mulder sat down and settled into the chair. Alex sat down in front of him.

"Close your eyes and go to your safe place, Fox. I want you to relax."

Mulder closed his eyes. After a few minutes his breathing slowed down, and his
jaw went slack.

"Good." Alex opened the package that his friend had given him earlier, revealing
a vial of brown liquid and a syringe. He opened the vial and filled the syringe
part way with the liquid. He made sure there were no air bubbles in it before he
spoke again.

"Now. I am going to give you something to relax further. If at any time you feel
uncomfortable, I want you to tell me, okay?"

"Yes."

Alex pushed the needle into Mulder's arm and pushed the plunger of the syringe
down. He removed it from his arm and set it aside, then sat back and waited for
the drug to take effect.

A few minutes later, Mulder spoke. "I feel funny."

"Funny, how, Fox?"

"Like I'm floating."

"Are you still in your safe place?"

"Yes."

Alex took a deep breath. "Fox, I want you to tell me how you feel when you have
your panic attacks. What happens to you?"

Mulder swallowed, his voice was calm, his words slow. "It only happens outside. I
feel like the world is closing in on me. My chest starts to tighten and I can't
breathe. There are too many people, too many things going on at once. I am afraid
they are going to catch up to me and take me back to prison."

"Who?"

"The Nazis, the Americans."

"You think they followed you from Germany?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I betrayed my country."

"How did you betray your country?"

"When I went to work for you, when I fell in love with you, an SS officer, when I
killed those American soldiers to protect you. I should have gone to a camp, to
be a prisoner, not bask in luxury as your valet, as your lover. I should have
hated you, killed you myself at the first opportunity, but instead I killed to
save you and deserted to stay with you. It is desertion, you know. I could have
gone back to the Americans; you told me so. But I couldn't leave you."

"I see. Do you feel guilty about leaving your brothers in arms back at the camp?"

"Yes. I was in a camp for two weeks. When they grabbed me and took me to the
prison, they were all sure I was to die. I should have died."

Alex closed his eyes and took another deep breath. He knew this was not going to
be easy. His specialty was breaking people down, making them believe they were
garbage and filling their heads with propaganda. Building someone up and giving
them hope was much harder.

"Do you still feel that you should die?"

"No. Not now. When I was being tortured at the beginning, I wished I was dead.
But not now, now I want to live."

Relief washed over Alex's features at that remark. "Let's get back to the people
you think that are following you. When do you feel like they are around you?"

"When we are in a crowd. Everyone is speaking another language, and I can't
understand them. I know they're talking about me, they're whispering to each
other that the American is here. I know they want to hurt me and take me away."
Tears welled up in Mulder's eyes, "I don't want to be taken away again, please
don't let them take me away."

"No one is going to take you anywhere, Fox. You have got to believe me when I
tell you that nothing can hurt you here. Do you believe me?"

"No."

Alex pursed his lips together, his forehead a knot of concern. "Do you ever feel
safe, Fox?" he asked softly.

"Yes."

"When do you feel safe?"

"When I am inside with you, or in my safe place. When I am being punished."

"You feel safe when you are being punished?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I know that you love me."

"Do you not think that I love you, otherwise?"

"Yes...but when you punish me, you devote all your energy to me."

Alex licked his lips. "Do you miss being punished?"

"Yes. I want you to love me."

"I do love you. Please realize that. I love you no matter what. I don't want to
hurt you anymore. I'm sorry I ever did." He saw the fear cross Mulder's face.
//What have I done to you, my Fox?// "Fox, pain isn't part of love. The war hurt
me so I hurt anyone I could, and unfortunately that included you. But now the war
is no longer our concern; we are lovers, not enemies anymore. Do you believe that
I love you, Fox?"

"Yes, I know you love me." But he still looked unhappy.

Alex was silent for a moment. It was going to take many nights to clear Mulder of
these feelings. He looked at his watch; the drug would be wearing off soon. He
hadn't given Mulder very much on their first run, as he didn't want to cause him
any harm. They would have to leave this for now and go back to it tomorrow.

"Mulder, I want you to relax again. Are you still in your safe place?"

"Yes."

"Good. I want you to remember what we talked about, about you not coming to any
harm, about me loving you. I want you to feel safe and loved when you wake up,
okay?"

"Yes."

"Good. The drug will wear off soon. I am going to be sitting here, right in front
of you the whole time. You may feel slightly ill though. When you can open your
eyes, I want you to look at me and let me know how you feel, okay?"

"Yes."

Alex sat there and watched Mulder as he slowly came out of his trance. Finally,
his eyes opened and he smiled weakly.

"I feel like I've been drinking all night."

Alex reached across and took Mulder's hand in his own. "I think we are making
progress, Fox. We have to keep up these sessions, though. Is that alright with
you?"

"Yes, it's fine."

Alex smiled at him, "Good."

"I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed."

"Good idea, I will join you shortly." He squeezed Mulder's hand before letting go
and watching his lover stand and wobble to the bedroom. Alex took the notepad and
pen that was beside him and jotted a few notes down about this session and a
reminder of what to ask Mulder in their next. He then retired to the bedroom to
join Mulder in sleep.

***

Mulder and Alex were getting tired. They had looked at ten houses today, none of
which seemed particularly interesting to either of them. Finally, they were on
their last house of the day, located in a newer neighbourhood, a few kilometres
from a busy Plaza.

"There are a lot of German couples living on this street," Grey said. "I know you
want to live in a predominately Spanish neighbourhood, that is why I left this
until last."

"Well, we have not had any luck at any of the other houses. Are you too tired to
look at another one, Fox?"

Mulder shrugged, "It doesn't matter to me."

Alex rolled his eyes, out of Mulder's view. He was getting frustrated with
Mulder's meek attitude today. Every time Alex asked him a question, he would
respond with either another question or a noncommittal answer. Visions of his
wife chastising him for not listening to her, or not replying adequately ran
through his mind. //I now know what you meant, Gretchen, and I am sorry.// Alex
offered up a silent prayer to her and Trudi in the back of the car making its way
down the tree-lined street.

They pulled up in front of a large house with large trees out front and a slate
walkway leading up to the front door. The style was clearly Victorian, yet there
were indications that the house was not more than ten years old.

"This house replaced one that burnt down on this very spot. The owner kept the
style of the house to fit in with the neighbourhood."

They departed from the car and walked up to the grand house. They opened the door
and walked inside, touring around the main floor with its large kitchen, parlor
and French doors leading off to a slate patio. A large garden filled with flowers
was at the back of the lot. The second floor held three bedrooms and two baths.
The master bedroom had an en-suite full bath with large bathtub. Alex looked at
Mulder who actually blushed. They were about to go downstairs again, when Mulder
noticed a door leading off the hallway.

"Where does this door lead to?"

"I don't know. It's listed as only a three bedroom."

Mulder turned the knob and swung the door open to a large room with bookshelves
built into the walls. His face shone as he looked at the oak and pine shelves
stained a rich honey colour, matching the hardwood floor throughout the house.
Mulder stood in the middle of the room and looked at the room, the large windows
that faced the backyard let in the setting sun, giving everything a warm, orange
glow. Slowly, a look of joy came over his face.

"Do you like it?"

"I've always wanted a library." Mulder went over and stroked the wood with his
fingers. "But it's your house, not mine. It should be what you want."

Alex felt rage build up within himself. He reminded himself to remain calm as he
turned to his friend, "Could you please give us a few minutes?"

"By all means. I will be downstairs." The silver-haired man turned and left the
room, shutting the door behind him.

Alex walked up to Mulder and held on to his arms, looking into his eyes. "Fox,
don't you realize that whatever house we pick will be your house too?"

"I will work here, of course, but it will ultimately be your house."

Alex closed his eyes and bit his lip to keep from screaming in frustration.
Instead he turned away from Mulder and went to look out the window to the
backyard below. After a moment, he turned around again.

"Look. I don't know how many times I have to tell you this, I love you, Fox. You
and I are together. I do not want you as my prisoner; I do not want you as my
valet. I want you and me to be together forever. You are my mate. Is that clear?"

"Yes." Mulder looked down at the floor.

Alex was frustrated beyond belief. He would have to up the dosage of Sodium
Pentothal for their nightly sessions. For three nights, he had hammered into
Mulder's brain that he was an equal, and it wasn't getting him anywhere. Mulder
just kept telling him whatever he thought he wanted to hear without actually
believing it. //Patience, Alex. You made him this way, now you have to get him
back to normal.//

He took a deep breath to calm himself. "Hey," Alex said softly before walking
over to Mulder and kissing him on the lips. "I love you. Whatever you want, I
want. Do you want this house? Do you like the library?"

"I love this house."

"Then we shall buy this house." Maybe if he just kept finding out and giving Fox
what he really wanted, eventually he'd believe in his love.

They went back downstairs to tell Grey that they would take the house. He
informed them that they could have it by the beginning of the month, a mere two
weeks away. In the meantime, they should shop for furnishings, so when they moved
in, they would have what they needed.

For the next two weeks, Alex and Mulder spent their time looking for items to
outfit their new home, Alex even buying an automobile. He thought about buying
one for Mulder as well but decided to wait until Mulder felt more able to deal
with people. Right now it would be pointless. At night, Alex would hold his
sessions with Mulder, ridding him of his paranoia, convincing him that he was his
equal. They made slow progress, but now Mulder could go to the busy square alone,
without suffering the panic attacks that once plagued him. He spent most of his
time in a small bookstore, specializing in English texts, buying books for his
library at home. In fact, he spent so much time there that Alex started to miss
having him around whenever he wanted him and grew sulky. Though he didn't
appreciate it at first, this led to the first real sign that Mulder was
recovering from his abuse.

The day before they were due to move into their new home, Mulder spent the entire
morning at the bookstore and stayed through lunch as well. When he did come back,
Alex was pouting in the living room and muttered something about hoping he'd
finish buying his damn books soon so they could spend some time together. Mulder
lost his temper.

"Yeah, you were so anxious to spend time with me that you were going to leave me
in the middle of Berlin while you saved your own skin!" he yelled, shocking Alex
into silence. "Now suddenly it bothers you if I find something to do that doesn't
revolve around you for a few hours?! Well, fuck that! And fuck you too!" He threw
his latest bag of books down on the floor and stormed into the bedroom, slamming
the door behind him.

Alex stood frozen, staring at the closed door between them. Slowly, very slowly,
he sank to the floor where he stood, unable even to take the few steps back to
the chair he'd been sitting in when Mulder arrived. Suddenly the door flew open
again, and Mulder reappeared, anger radiating from every pore. Alex pushed
himself to his feet, watching Mulder silently, which only seemed to enrage him
more.

"And while we're on the subject, where the hell do you get off *whipping* me? I'm
a human being, not some animal. Hell, I wouldn't treat any animal the way you
treated me! You deliberately set out to degrade me!"

"Yes." The one soft word was Alex's only response.

Mulder let out a snarl of frustrated rage and punched Alex, knocking him to the
ground.

That was more than Alex could take, guilty conscience or no, and he sprang to his
feet with a bellow of rage. "How dare you!? How *fucking* dare you!?! I was doing
my job, but you! Mr. O-So-Honorable American, what about you? You *raped* me!"

"You raped me first!"

"At least *I* made sure you enjoyed it!"

"I didn't want to enjoy it! I wanted to go home!" Mulder practically spit in
Alex's face with that last yell since they were now standing toe to toe, both
red-faced with anger, yelling at each other like children having a temper
tantrum.

Mulder suddenly realized that he had just punched and was now screaming in the
face of the man that only days before he had practically begged to beat him to
show his love. He started to think about what was going on, remembering
everything from his nightly sessions with Alex and comparing it with how Alex had
treated him in prison at the beginning. He stared in amazement when all the
pieces fell into place.

Alex stared back nervously, not knowing what was going through Mulder's head, but
clearly something was going on.

"You're trying to undo what you did to me." Mulder made the statement with a
degree of shock usually reserved for things like the eruption of Mount Vesuvius,
the sinking of Atlantis, Judgement Day and other things of that magnitude.

Alex looked away guiltily.

"Why?" Mulder placed on hand on Alex's cheek, turning him to meet his eyes. "Why
would you want to do that? I would have done anything you wanted, so why undo
it?"

Alex tried to take courage from the hand still resting against his cheek.
"Because I love you. Because I want a lover, not a slave. Because it hurt me to
see you so afraid and know that it was because of me. Because I'm the only one
who could."

Mulder stared into frightened green eyes, seeing the truth of Alex's words, and
he remembered that despite everything he loved this man. Under all his anger, and
there was a lot of it, that truth was at the core of him. He loved Alex Krycek,
and nothing could ever change that. He closed his eyes and sighed, leaning his
forehead against Alex's.

Opening his eyes again, he took Alex's hand and led him into the bedroom where
they lay together, just holding one another silently. They still had a long way
to go, but for the first time Alex truly believed that Fox was going to be all
right and was still going to love him and stay with him.

***

Finally, the day arrived when they moved in. Everything had been delivered from
their hotel, so they just had to go to the house with the clothes on their backs.
Malcolm dropped them off, grinning at Alex as they left. He was glad that his
friend's son had found happiness despite the horrors he had been through.

They walked in the house, shut the door behind them and embraced.

"Welcome home, Fox. This is your home. We are together forever."

Mulder kissed Alex, tears welling up in his eyes. He had never felt so loved.
Suddenly, the smell of something cooking wafted up to his nostrils.

"Are you cooking something?"

Alex smiled coyly, "No, we have a cook and maid. Her name is Elena, and she comes
highly recommended."

"What am I to do?"

"Do? Anything you want. You can read all day in your library, go for walks,
whatever you please. You might even want to spend some time with me
occasionally." Alex looked at Mulder through his lashes, grinning at his
expression of exasperation. Mulder had to laugh. "There is a garden out back, if
you are so inclined. Elena's brother, Ricardo will come to tend to the gardening
if you have no interest."

"Oh."

"What?"

"I've never had...servants before, I don't know how to treat them."

"You treat them as you treat anyone. With respect. Now, come meet Elena."

They walked into the kitchen where a trim, yet husky woman of about fifty was
bustling around the kitchen, checking an enormous pan that was simmering on the
stove. She smiled and greeted Alex, speaking in rushed Spanish. She then gripped
Mulder's hand and greeted him the same way.

Mulder smiled at her warmly and nodded. Everyone at the hotel had spoken English,
and whenever he needed translation, Alex was there for him. Now, he needed to
assimilate further and learn the language. He couldn't imagine spending the rest
of his life in a country where he didn't speak the language.

"Alex, I don't speak Spanish. I need to learn."

"I've been thinking about that; we should get you a tutor soon."

Elena continued talking, looking back at them and smiling as she opened the oven
and brought out some heavenly-smelling rolls. Alex answered her then led Mulder
upstairs.

"What was that all about?"

Alex laughed, "She said to wash up, dinner is in ten minutes."

"It took her that long to say that?"

''Actually, she was also telling me that she has some nieces that would like to
meet us."

"You mean, she doesn't know that we're..." Mulder laughed.

"No. She will find out soon enough. I do not want our relationship to be a
secret. We are free and should live our lives as such." Deciding to match actions
to words, Alex suddenly grabbed Mulder and kissed him, backing him against the
wall as he made sure he didn't miss a single inch of Mulder's mouth in his
explorations. Both were flushed and panting when they separated to continue up to
their bedroom.

After they washed up, they went back down to the diningroom where they were
treated to paella, loaded with seafood and vegetables. After Elena cleared up the
dishes, she excused herself for the evening and went home. Alex and Mulder
retired to the parlor where they listened to the radio.

"She doesn't live with us?"

"No. Family is very strong here. She comes in the morning to cook us breakfast
and cleans. In the afternoon she leaves for a few hours to spend time having
lunch with her family. She comes back later in the day to cook dinner. Whatever
is left over, she takes home to her family. It is quite common here for them to
do so."

"That's nice, she should spend time with her family."

Alex caressed Mulder's leg from the chair beside the couch Mulder was sitting on.
After Mulder's blow up the previous evening, he'd been trying to give him some
space that day. Otherwise he'd have been in his favorite position, stretched out
on the couch with Mulder against him. "You know, Fox, we are a family now."

Mulder smiled, "I know."

When Mulder raised Alex's hand from his leg to his lips and kissed it, Alex moved
over to sit beside him on the couch, his hand cupping his chin, his thumb
caressing his lower lip. Gently, he kissed him, their lips pressing together
before parting slowly to allow their tongues to pass.

Alex broke the kiss and caressed Mulder's lip with his thumb once more. "Come
upstairs so we can make love in our bed."

Mulder grabbed Alex's hand and followed him up to the bedroom. The four poster
bed was covered with crisp sheets and a duvet. Alex turned off the overhead
light, the light from the moon streaming in the windows providing the only
illumination needed.

Very slowly, they undressed each other, licking and kissing the skin as it was
exposed. The heat radiating from their bodies was incredible, both men sweating
from anticipation alone. Finally, they were naked and moved to the bed, caressing
each other all over.

Alex nestled himself between Mulder's legs, pressing their erections together
while he kissed him. Their tongues danced together, exploring each other's
mouths, as they reacquainted each other with the details of their bodies.

Alex moved down lower, sucking at Mulder's neck, feeling Mulder's hands come down
to caress his back. Lower he moved until he reached a nipple, which he sucked and
teased, pulling it with his teeth.

Mulder was moaning now, his cock throbbing between his legs. He could feel Alex
suck down the line of hair on his belly to where he wanted Alex's mouth to be.

"Alex."

"Hmmmm."

"Alex, I want to taste you as well."

Alex looked at his lover for a second before maneuvering around so he was resting
on his side, his mouth in line with Mulder's cock, his own in line with Mulder's
mouth. He covered Mulder's erection with his mouth, gently sucking, and licking.
He breathed in sharply when he felt Mulder's mouth come around his own, lapping
up the fluid at the head.

Both men sucked and nibbled on each other's cocks, bringing sighs and moans from
each other. Mulder was caressing Alex's balls with his fingers, lightly stroking
the underside of them. Alex had one finger inside Mulder, slowly fucking him in
time with the pulls of his mouth. Both men, as if on cue, started sucking harder
on each other, moaning, their bodies in sync as they came.

They licked each other clean before turning to face each other again. They kissed
for a long time, their tongues mixing each other's essences within their mouths
to create one unique taste. Finally, they broke free and just held on to each
other before drifting off into sleep.

***

Weeks passed, and Alex closed the deal to buy the hotel that he and his father
had looked at years earlier. He spent his days there, sorting out the staffing
and the plans he had for the business. He was making a name for himself in the
business community, turning an obscure little hotel into a palace. The
neighbours, were not so accommodating, however. Their prejudices ran deep,
especially regarding homosexuality. While Alex and Mulder were cordial to their
neighbours, their greetings were returned with fake smiles and disapproving
glances. Alex shielded Mulder from it as much as possible. He needed to get him
well before he dealt with the emotional burden of this new problem. He didn't
want anything to jeopardize Mulder's progress, as slow as it was.

Mulder had been moody in the beginning, not sure how to act or what to do in his
own house. This led to more than a few arguments, Alex glad that Mulder had the
courage to now argue back. When they got started yelling at each other, Elena
usually made sure all the kitchen knives were put away out of sight, crossed
herself with a quick prayer for them and went home out of the war zone. After the
first time in the hotel, they hadn't resorted to fists again, although Alex
thought Mulder might have come close a few times. When he tired of screaming
insults at Alex, Mulder would storm up to his library and slam the door, not
coming out for hours. Once he calmed down enough to stop cursing Mulder, Alex
would go up there once every hour and knock on the door to make sure he was okay.
Mulder would tell him to leave him alone and then remain silent until the next
time he knocked on the door. While he was relieved that Mulder was getting
better, it killed him not to be able to take the pain completely away. It was to
be expected that Mulder wasn't going to go right into acting normal again; the
transition would be hard. Alex knew that, but he still couldn't help getting
upset when Mulder was hurting, and that tension made him more apt to yell back at
Mulder. This too, however, was passing. There had not been an argument or slammed
door in days.

This week was also particularly good for Mulder. He had continued to visit the
small bookstore where he bought most of the volumes in his library almost daily.
The old man that owned it was going to retire soon and had no children to pass
his business on to. Mulder thought about buying the business from him, but he
didn't have any money. He agonized over asking Alex for a loan, and when he
finally did, Alex went to the bank the next day and paid the owner the money for
the store. In two weeks, Mulder would be running the shop, his name over the
door.

He was learning Spanish, too. At the beginning, he had a private tutor come in
every day. This man was not very nice, however, and after a week, Mulder asked
for him to be replaced. The new tutor was also not kind; Alex came home one day
to find him yelling at Mulder for using the wrong tense. He was forcibly removed
from the house by Alex, with a threat on his life if he ever saw him again. Alex
wondered what it was about Mulder that made men want to abuse him.

The best tutor turned out to be their cook, Elena. Mulder walked in the kitchen
one day, just after she had arrived to start the evening dinner. She made Mulder
a cup of coffee and asked him to sit down. From what little Spanish he had
learned from his tutors, he realized that she wanted to learn English. They
struck a deal that they would teach each other their native tongues while Mulder
watched her prepare the evening meal. Alex was surprised at the speed at which
Mulder had learned the language. He supposed Elena's offerings of cake and other
baked delights helped with the lessons. Unfortunately, Mulder's attempts to learn
to cook under Elena's tutelage were far less successful. After she arrived one
morning to find that Mulder had started to boil eggs for breakfast, gotten
engrossed in a book and forgotten all about them, she made him swear on Alex's
life never to attempt to cook again. It took both of them nearly an hour to
scrape and scrub the bits of exploded egg off the kitchen walls.

Elena took to the two easily, treating them as if they were her sons, not seeming
to mind about their relationship. What they did not know, however, was that every
Sunday, she prayed in church for God to take pity on them and grant them a place
in heaven, despite their sins.

One day, Alex and Mulder were listening to the radio when the announcer said that
the war in Europe was over and Hitler was confirmed dead. Before now, reports of
Hitler's death had been denounced as rumours. There had also been reports of
murder/suicides at the Fuhrerbunker in Berlin; apparently, Goebbels had taken his
life as well as the lives of his wife and six children.

Both men stopped what they were doing, Alex reading the newspaper, Mulder a book.
They both looked at each other then embraced, the tears flowing freely from both
men.

"It's over, Fox. It's all over."

It seemed as if a weight had been lifted from Mulder's shoulders. He no longer
had that nagging suspicion in the back of his mind that the Nazis would
eventually find them and take them back to Berlin. The Nazis had been defeated,
and Berlin was now in the hands of the Americans and the Russians.

Both men held on to each other for a long time, remembering those who had died,
who had been left behind, the destruction that had destroyed a large part of
Europe. They ended the evening by curling up, embracing each other in bed,
kissing each other gently before falling asleep.

The next day, the word came from Grey that Alex's favour was due. They would host
an escapee couple for a few weeks while they got settled. Elena prepared the
guestroom at the end of the hallway for their visitors. Alex and Mulder told her
they were old friends from Europe and nothing more.

Alex looked nervous. His friend did not tell him who his guest was to be, only
that they had escaped from Germany and had spent the past month trying to get to
Argentina. They were to arrive tonight.

Mulder and Alex were in the parlor when they heard the car pull up. They both
looked at each other, nervous, yet excited at the same time. Together, they
walked to the door as the knock came. Alex looked at Mulder one more time before
opening the door to their guests.

"Pendrell!"

"Krycek!"

Both men embraced upon seeing each other, tears springing to their eyes.

"I thought you might be dead. When I heard of all the suicides and murders at the
end, I thought the worst."

"I worried about you too, my friend. When I found out which ship you used for
your escape, I feared for your life."

Alex looked away, not wanting to discuss what had happened on that ship.
Recognizing his discomfort, Pendrell didn't press him.

The silver-haired man beamed. He knew this was the right decision. Now his
promise to the senior Krycek had been fulfilled. Alex had a family again.

Alex and Pendrell embraced once more, glad to see each other alive, before
pulling away. Alex gestured to Mulder, "Sean Pendrell, this is Fox Mulder."

"Ah, yes, so nice to meet you, finally. I am sorry that I could not introduce
myself properly when I saw you last."

Mulder smiled and shook his hand, glad that Alex's friend was still alive. He
knew that he meant a lot to Alex.

"This," Pendrell said as his hand moved into the shadows, "is Marita." Pendrell
brought a blonde woman from around the corner, her piercing blue eyes assessing
the situation.

She smiled at both men and held her hand out to them. "Herr Mulder, Herr Krycek,
I am Marita Covarrubias. Thank you for letting us stay with you."

Alex grabbed her hand and squeezed it, "It is our pleasure. And please, it is
Senor, you are in Argentina now."

Marita let go of Alex's hand as if it were on fire and grabbed Mulder's, her
expression not changing. "Yes, how silly of me. I should learn Spanish."

"Come inside, both of you. Have you much luggage?"

"There are a few bags in the car. Fox, would you please help me with them?" Grey
turned towards the car, Mulder following him.

Pendrell, Marita and Alex all went into the parlor to wait for Mulder. When he
came into the room, they had opened a bottle of wine and were relaxing. He
noticed that there was something that didn't feel quite right; there was a
certain electricity running through the room, as if during a thunderstorm.

"Fox, where is Malcolm?"

"He said he could not join us tonight, but we are to meet him for lunch
tomorrow."

"Fine. Come, sit, Fox, let me pour you a glass of wine."

Mulder sat down beside Alex on the couch, taking his glass of wine. Alex and
Pendrell reminisced, laughing out loud at jokes. He looked at Marita, her icy
blue gaze scanning the room. She was seated in one of the wing-backed chairs
across from him, Pendrell in the other. She would occasionally glance at the two
men, smiling and joining in the conversation, but not giving any indication of
who she really was or what she was thinking. Finally, Mulder yawned after hearing
the two other men talk for hours about people they knew. Alex reached over and
put his arm around Mulder and gave him a squeeze. Marita raised her eyebrows and
looked at the two men as if to say, "I knew it."

Alex put his wineglass down, "It's late, you must be tired from your journey. I
will take you to your room."

Mulder bid them goodnight and cleaned up after them before making his way
upstairs to the room he shared with Alex. They settled into bed, Mulder holding
Alex in his arms. He kissed his forehead, "You're pretty happy to see that
Pendrell's safe."

Alex sighed, "I tell you, Fox, it is a weight off my mind. I was so worried about
him. I am so happy to see that he is safe."

Mulder hugged him closer, neither man saying what was really on his mind
regarding Marita. He kissed Alex's hair, his hands caressing his back, moving
down to wander across his buttocks. Alex moved his mouth up to greet Mulder's,
biting on his lower lip, sucking it into his mouth.

Mulder moved his hand down and grasped both of their burgeoning erections,
stroking them both into hardness.

Alex gasped as Mulder's thumb went from the head of one of their cocks to the
other, teasing, spreading the pre-cum around. Alex moved his hand down to join
Mulder's, stroking and caressing each other until they both came with a soft moan
on each other's bellies.

Mulder kissed Alex before cleaning them up, Alex returning to his arms to sleep
the night away.

***

The next day, the four of them toured Buenos Aires, not forgetting to join Grey
for lunch. He was going to take Pendrell and Marita out on Monday to look at some
apartments, neither of them wanting a house.

Later, at dinner, Alex and Pendrell dominated the conversation, gaining steely
glares from Marita. Mulder sensed that Marita didn't like Alex because he was
always stealing Pendrell away to talk to him about something that left both men
giggling uncontrollably. Mulder was genuinely happy that Alex was having a good
time with his friend. He wanted to tell Marita that friendships like that didn't
come along every day and she should be happy for Pendrell, but he did not.
Instead he drank his wine and ate his dinner, watching her fume through the
courses.

When the brandy and dessert came, Mulder rose and went to the kitchen to see
Elena off, making sure that her brother came to pick her up. With her safely on
her way home, he went back to the dining room to find Marita standing before
them, icily stating that she was tired and wanted to go to bed.

Pendrell and Alex both stood, and Pendrell gave her a peck on the cheek,
oblivious of her mood as she stormed out of the room and down the hallway.

Mulder watched Marita leave the dining room and go upstairs. When she left, it
was if the tension had left as well. Sensing Alex and his friend wanted to talk,
he also excused himself and went up to his library, shutting the door behind him.
He opened the window and looked out at the stars, wanting to be flying up there
in his airplane at that particular moment. He didn't like the feeling that was in
this house since she arrived, the underlying tension. He and Alex had been
through so much emotionally these past few months; they didn't need this right
now. Her prima donna attitude would have to change. With Alex and Pendrell living
in the same city, they were bound to be together a lot. Mulder shook his head. He
didn't trust Marita; she was hiding something, and she had a different agenda
than Pendrell. He didn't like her. He breathed in the sweet night air before
settling down in his overstuffed chair with a book.

Alex and Pendrell walked out the French doors to the patio. Cicadas and crickets
sang their night-time tune as they sat in the wicker chairs that faced each
other.

"You have really made a life here for yourself, haven't you, Alex?"

"The house is very nice, isn't it? Fox picked it out. He loves books and wanted
his own library. The neighbourhood isn't too bad, the people are...well, they try
to be nice. They don't approve of me and Fox; they give us dirty looks when they
think we are not looking. There is one particular troublemaker across the street.
That Russian pig is such an asshole; he is trying to drive us out of our home."

"He can't do that."

"Well, he is certainly trying. He does not think two men should live together and
we are immoral and wrong. They had a meeting at his house one night to plan his
strategy. I invited him over to discuss the problem, to see if we could work it
out, but he refused. Later, I heard that he moaned to everyone how he was not
going to set foot in our house, lest he be turned into a homosexual."

"That is quite moronic."

Krycek spat on the ground, "Svoi mat! He is lucky that I have calmed down since
the war. They all are."

Pendrell giggled, trying to make light of the conversation, "Do you still have
that riding crop?"

"No. But if I did, I would not waste it on that filth."

They sat there for a few minutes, not talking. Pendrell was anxious to change the
subject. He did not want his friend angry; this was supposed to be a good time.

"You are lucky to have found happiness for the second time in your life, Alex."

"Fox is a great man, and I love him dearly."

"I can see that."

Pendrell offered a cigar to Alex, who accepted. Soon, they were both puffing on
the cigars, the sweet smoke wafting away on the light breeze.

"What is with Marita?" Alex asked.

"What do you mean?"

"The last time I saw you before the war, you had a young man on each arm and were
leading them away for a night of exploration. Now you show up, at my house, in
Argentina no less, with a woman."

"The last time I saw you before the war, you were married with a child. Then I
see you running through the woods with your lover, who was your prisoner, and
then your servant, and who is a man, no less."

"Touche." Alex puffed on his cigar.

"I like her, she's fun. She also sucks cock like a whore."

"That's nice, Sean, the first thing I do when I start a relationship with a woman
is to compare her to a whore."

"We don't have a relationship, it's just fun."

"Fun? You bring her all this way for fun?"

"Actually, we have a deal. She played my girlfriend for the SS, and I promised to
get her out of Germany."

"So it is business?"

"More or less." Pendrell took a long drag on his cigar, blowing it out slowly.
"She's fine for a friend."

"Is she going to leave you soon?"

Pendrell sighed, "Probably. You know I cannot keep a relationship longer than a
few months."

"True. Are you going back to men?"

Pendrell shrugged, "Man, woman, it does not make a difference to me. As long as I
like them, right?"

Alex shrugged and looked up at the stars.

"Don't worry, Alex, I won't try anything with your Fox. I have to tell you
though, he is a very fine looking man."

"Yes, and he is with me, don't you forget it."

"You have never forgiven me, have you?"

"Forgiven you for what? For making my childhood a living hell?" Alex laughed.

Pendrell snorted, "Need I remind you that you were the one who got me into
trouble all the time? No, I am talking about Berlin and our trip when we were
eighteen. Don't tell me you've forgotten about it? That was the best week of our
lives."

"For you, maybe. You took my date and fucked him right in front of me!"

"Your date? Those two Italian boys? We all left together and were all going to
fuck together, remember?"

"All I got was a handjob! You got to be sandwiched between two Roman gods."

"You passed out! Believe me, we tried to wake you," Pendrell smiled. "I couldn't
let those poor boys go without getting anything, could I? I had to have them both
myself. It was such a hardship."

"Hardship? You loved every second of it."

"Yes, it was a night to remember. For me, anyway. I could hardly wake you the
next morning; you were dead to the world. Finally, you woke up in the afternoon,
all hung over but ready to go out again. The next night you got lucky with that
woman, you shouldn't complain."

"Yes, well, it wasn't the same, was it?"

Pendrell sighed then giggled to himself lightly. "The things we did when we were
young."

"That we will never do again."

"Tell me about Fox, Alex. Is this it? Is he the one?"

"Yes, he is. I cannot tell you how happy he makes me feel. When I am with him, it
is as if nothing else matters. I told our mutual friend that I haven't loved
anyone this much since my wife, but even that's not true. I've never loved
anyone, not even Gretchen, this much."

"I'm glad. It's about time we both had some happiness in our lives."

Mulder sat there in his library, listening to the two men talk below. He knew
Marita could not hear them as the guest bedroom at the end of the hall faced the
other way. While he was glad that he heard Alex admit his love for him to his
friend, he was uneasy about the conversation about Berlin. Were Alex and Pendrell
lovers at one time? He had noticed the glances from the neighbors as well,
deciding not to mention it to Alex, so his temper wouldn't get the better of him.
He sighed and shook his head, it wasn't fair, hadn't they left the fascists
behind in Germany? He decided not to listen to any more, left the library, and
went to bed.

About an hour later, Alex came to bed to find Mulder reading a book.

"I thought you would be asleep by now, it's late."

"No."

Alex got undressed then slipped in beside Mulder. He could sense that something
was not right.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Yes there is, out with it."

Mulder put the book down and looked at Alex. "I could hear you from the library."

Alex's tongue snuck out to moisten his lower lip. "Yes? What are you saying,
Fox?"

"Were you and Pendrell ever lovers?"

"Lovers? No, he is like my brother! We may have shared a few conquests, but I
never had sex with him. He is my best friend, I value his friendship, his
companionship, as much as I value what you and I have. Are you jealous?"

"No, I am not jealous, I've been thinking about a few things, that's all. I am
happy that you have Pendrell back in your life, I really am."

"Then what is the problem?"

"There is no problem. I have been thinking about what friendships mean and what
richness they can bring to your life." Mulder looked up at Alex. "I envy you."

Mulder stood and started to leave the room.

"Fox, where are you going?"

"I need to take care of some things. Don't worry, I won't be long." Mulder kissed
Alex and left the bedroom. He went to his library, shut the door, sat at his
small desk and started writing.

***

The weeks, then months passed, Alex and Mulder fitting in well with their
business operations. Alex had hosted many events at his hotel, winning the hearts
of wealthy travelers. Pendrell had found an apartment of his own, Marita leaving
him for a wealthy Argentinean man soon after they arrived in Buenos Aires.
Pendrell worked for Alex, helping him arrange the banquets and meetings that were
held there. The three men often did things together socially, but Pendrell also
let Alex and Mulder have their space.

Sadly, except for Pendrell and Malcolm Grey, Mulder and Alex had no other
friends. The German community had closed ranks against them as soon as it became
known that the two men were lovers, and Alex was growing more and more frustrated
with each passing day. Finally he decided to confront the leader of the
community, one Anton von Richter, a former confidant of Hitler's.

After his meeting with von Richter, Alex went straight home, knowing he didn't
dare go near the hotel in this mood. He expected Fox to still be at the bookstore
and was unpleasantly surprised to find him at home when he arrived.

"Alex!" Mulder smiled, delighted that they both seemed to be free unexpectedly
for the afternoon. It had been far too long since they were able to just
concentrate on each other. His smile faded when he realized that far from being
pleased to see him, Alex could barely keep a snarl from his face. "What's wrong?
Did something happen?"

"Did something happen?" Alex repeated. "Well, now, that depends, Fox. That
depends on whether being told by a man I greatly respect and admire that I can
never accomplish anything, never be accepted by my peers, by men who cannot even
dream of becoming my equal, so long as *you* are in my bed. Yes," he snarled, "I
think that something happened! And there you are, tripping along happily with
that stupid smile on your face like everything's perfect. Do you care, do you
even realize, that I have given up everything for you?! Of course not, you're
happy so nothing else matters!" he yelled.

Mulder, at first stunned by this unexpected attack, quickly found his anger
outstripping his surprise. "Well, maybe if you stopped treating me like a
not-too-bright child and actually talked to me, I would know what was happening.
And maybe *together* we could do something about the problem. But no, you have to
be in charge, don't you? God forbid I might actually have an idea of my own that
you didn't think of first!"

"That's not true and you know it, Fox! I've treated you as an equal even when you
didn't want me to! But every time I try to talk to you, we end up screaming at
each other. I fail to see how that could possibly be considered in any way
helpful," he sneered.

"You don't talk to me; you either yell at me or talk down to me. I think you like
me being dependent on you," Mulder snapped, totally ignoring the fact that Alex
was the one who had helped build back his self-confidence. "But if my presence
here is the root of all your problems, there's a simple solution!"

"Yes, that's right, run away. I don't need this. I don't need *you*!"

Suddenly realizing what they were saying, what their anger and frustration had
driven them to say, both men fell silent. Alex's last words echoed in the room as
they stared at each other in horror. They reached for each other simultaneously,
clinging to each other as if to prevent anyone or anything from tearing them
apart.

"My god, Fox, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I *do* need you; I love you. I don't
think I could live without you. Please don't leave me; don't ever leave me. I
couldn't bear it if you left me," Alex babbled.

Fox was no more coherent than his lover. "It's not true, Alex, I could never
leave you. I love you so much, please don't send me away."

After a few more seconds of clinging to one another, they slowly separated just
enough to move over to the couch. Alex sprawled in his favorite position, and Fox
nestled into his embrace, still shaken by their argument. Alex stroked Fox's back
continuously, needing the comfort of feeling his lover in his arms. The fear he'd
felt at their words made it clear to him that if it was a choice between having
Fox with him and having the approval of his compatriots, he could very happily
learn to live without other friends.

Eventually Alex calmed enough to wonder why Fox was home in the middle of the
day.

"Oh, the police have cordoned off the street near the store. They found a
prostitute murdered in a nearby alley. Since no one could get to the store anyway
for a while, I decided to just close up and take the afternoon off." He raised
his head to see Alex's face. "But you know the strangest part, Alex? I actually
knew her slightly back home." In response to Alex's clear surprise he continued,
"She worked in the cafeteria at the base where I was stationed. I have no idea
how she ended up here. Her name was Fulton... Fuller...no, Fowley, Diana Fowley.
That's it. The poor woman had been knifed, probably by a customer who didn't want
to pay." He shook his head sadly.

Alex shrugged as best he could with Mulder on top of him. "Strange things happen,
especially during a war. We'll never know how she ended up here." He took one of
Mulder's hands in his, just holding it. The two men lay together, thinking about
the odd twists that fate could take until they dozed off.

***

Alex thought that everything was settled after that last argument, but he didn't
realize how many problems Mulder was having with the neighbors and the other
Germans in Buenos Aires. Alex was snubbed for being homosexual, but Mulder was
homosexual and an American, the enemy. He was constantly being insulted and
denigrated, and they were starting to add physical assaults. He didn't want to
tell Alex, not wanting to make things more difficult for him, but he didn't know
how much longer he could take this.

After the third day of being tripped as he walked up the street, Mulder was ready
to chew nails. He'd been in a bad mood for the last few days because of all this,
and Alex was starting to ask questions. Today, some of the children had thrown
dog turds at him. They'd missed fortunately, but he wasn't thrilled to have shit
thrown at him.

Mulder was thinking about all of this and getting progressively more morose when
Alex came home. Alex was in an absolutely foul mood after a day where everything
seemed to have gone wrong. People quit without notice; those who didn't were
sick; and the few who actually showed up were completely incompetent. He really
needed a drink. After greeting Mulder, he went straight to the bar in the corner
of the parlor.

"You are so lucky, Fox. You don't have to deal with many people, not like at the
hotel. I'd trade places with you in a minute." Alex began to pour himself a
drink.

"What? I'm *lucky*? Are you fucking nuts?! Oh yeah, I'm so lucky. Since the day I
was shot down, I've been thrown into a work camp, sent to a prison, raped,
beaten, sexually tortured, abused, dehumanized, nearly abandoned, raped *again*,
lost my family, friends and home, betrayed my country and had shit thrown at
me!!! Yeah, I'd call that really lucky!! And guess what? Almost every single
thing that's happened to me can be traced back to one cause--you!!" he snarled at
Alex.

Before Alex could say a word, totally shocked by Mulder's unprovoked attack,
Mulder launched himself at him, knocking Alex to the floor and stunning him. The
decanter of whiskey went flying out of his hand and smashed against the wall,
leaving a golden stain to trickle down to the floor. Mulder swung wildly, hitting
Alex again and again. "I hate you! I fucking hate you! I should have let them
kill you, I should have killed you myself!" he sobbed, pounding Alex's head
against the floor. He punched him again, hitting his ribs, his chest, his cheek,
anywhere he could reach.

He rolled to his feet, starting to kick Alex now, hitting him repeatedly in the
ribs, then dropping back down to his knees to punch him some more. His fists were
never still, landing on Alex's chest, his belly, his jaw, his sides; not a single
inch of Alex's body didn't get battered. Mulder looked at him with blind hatred
and started to choke him.

Alex twitched feebly, trying to get away, but too dazed and in too much pain to
move. He clawed at Mulder's hands when they closed around his throat, gasping
Fox's name.

The nearly soundless cry of his name finally penetrated Mulder's fog of rage, and
he released Alex with a cry of anguish. He flung himself away from the other man,
curling into a fetal position in a corner of the room, sobbing and rocking
himself.

Despite the agony pulsing through his entire body, when he regained his breath,
Alex wobbled to his hands and knees and crawled to Fox's side, too disoriented to
stand. He left a trail of blood across the room from the various scrapes caused
by Fox's knuckles and his split lip. His nose was also dripping blood, but he
didn't think it was broken. It didn't hurt quite as much as the rest of him. He
collapsed beside Fox, reaching out to stroke his face.

Mulder cried out, shaking, and raised his head to look at his lover's bloody and
bruised face. He reached out a trembling hand to touch the battered flesh, seeing
the dazed look in Alex's eyes that told him he probably had a concussion. He
couldn't believe that in as much pain as he had to be, Alex had dragged himself
over to comfort him after Mulder caused him that pain. He pulled his hand back,
afraid of hurting Alex more. //Dear God, what did I do?// He couldn't bear to
look at Alex, to see the wounds he'd left on him, to see his marred beauty.

Mulder turned away again, sobbing wildly, feeling completely lost and alone. What
was he doing here? Why was he here with this man who'd hurt him so much instead
of at home? He didn't belong here. He'd come because of Alex, but why? Was he
crazy to want to be with someone like Alex? The people around them were never
going to accept their relationship, so they would never have anyone to depend on
but each other. Mulder didn't know if he could trust Alex that much, enough to
make him the center of his world. He didn't think he could walk away and never
see Alex again though. He didn't know what to do.

Mulder rolled over, meeting Alex's eyes again, seeing the blood dripping down his
face and the pain in the green eyes. He felt an unwilling satisfaction at seeing
the damage he'd inflicted. //Is this what Alex felt when he beat me?//

Alex stared back at him, his eyes wide with fear. Despite the pain of his
severely bruised throat, he had to ask, "Do you mean it, Fox? Do you hate me?
Because if you do, I want you to finish what you started. Kill me. Because one
way or another, I'm not going to live without you."

Mulder ignored that last statement; he wasn't up to dealing with it. " Sometimes
I don't know if I love you or hate you, Alex. I hate what you did to me, but it
hurts to think about living without you." He turned away.

"I love you, Fox," Alex stopped to catch his breath, his voice still a painful
rasp, "and I swear to you that I will never hurt you again. I'd rather die."

Mulder stared at him, seeing the damage he had just inflicted in his rage. And he
knew that he didn't want to do that again, didn't want to hurt Alex. And he
especially never again wanted to feel that guilty pleasure that he'd gotten from
hurting Alex. He could taste bile in the back of his throat at the thought of
what he had just done. They were going to get past this somehow because he wasn't
going to give up on them. The person who had hurt him, who he hated, was another
Alex Krycek, the man who had worn the SS uniform. This Alex would never, could
never, do that to him. Mulder *knew* that this Alex loved him, and he refused to
let his memories of the past ruin their lives. He forced the images of a tiny
prison cell and being beaten with a crop from his mind. Instead he thought of
nights lying together, just holding each other, of Alex's laughter, of Alex
forcing himself to eat something Mulder had cooked. That was the man he loved and
wanted to spend the rest of his life with. "I love you, Alex."

That was enough for Alex, and he lay his head in Mulder's lap, nestling close.
Mulder tentatively placed a hand on his head, gently stroking his hair when Alex
didn't pull away. They remained like that for a long time, Alex drifting in and
out of consciousness while Mulder held him. Mulder kissed the bruises and scrapes
that began to form on his lover's face and neck over and over again, wishing he
could wipe away the marks of his rage. Eventually Mulder woke Alex and urged him
to his feet so he could help him upstairs.

Alex opened a bruised eye and looked at Mulder, wondering if this was all just a
bad dream. Coughs wracked his body as he moved, blood coming out of his mouth.
Mulder put his handkerchief up to Alex's mouth to wipe the blood and spittle off
of his chin. Alex held on to Mulder for a minute until the room stopped spinning.
He could only nod his head slightly to indicate that he was ready to try to move,
and both men slowly walked out of the room and up the stairs.

Mulder was biting his lip, and sweat had broken out all over his body. //What
have I done?// ran through his mind like a mantra as he helped his bruised
partner up the stairs. An eternity later, they made it up to their room, Mulder
gingerly placing Alex on the bed. He ran to get a warm cloth, which he used to
wash Alex's face.

Slowly, he undressed his lover, tears springing to his eyes when he saw the
bruising that covered most of Alex's body. They fell in heavy drops on the bed as
Alex lost consciousness again, leaving his body limp and unmoving. "I'm sorry,
Alex. God, I'm sorry," Mulder whimpered as he removed the remainder of Alex's
clothing. He pulled up the covers and kissed Alex gently on the forehead before
going back into the bathroom.

Mulder sat on the closed lid of the toilet, miserable and crying. He never ever
wanted to feel again like he felt today. The sudden rush of adrenaline and almost
joy at beating another man, his lover no less, to a pulp. His tears dried up and
anger replaced his sadness, "Fox Mulder, you are one stupid asshole."

He stood and washed his face, the anger and self-hatred still welling up inside
him. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, sneering at himself. "Fuck you."
With that, he punched the mirror, breaking it into large shards that shattered in
the sink. The blood flowed red as Mulder relished the pain, pain that would cover
the hurt he felt inside. He stood there and watched the blood drip freely onto
the bits of mirror in the sink. Calmly, he rinsed off his hand and inspected it -
only superficial wounds. He wrapped his hand in a towel, securing it well so it
would not come undone, before returning to the bedroom.

Alex was awake again when he got there, and at his insistence Mulder slid in
beside him, and Alex snuggled against his side, trying to get as much contact as
possible. After Alex fell asleep, Mulder lay watching him all night, never
sleeping. He swore that nothing like this night would ever happen again, that he
would never hurt Alex again.

That blow up seemed to truly signal Mulder's return to himself because after
nursing Alex back to health, he settled down, arguing with Alex when they didn't
agree, showing an incredibly stubborn side, but never again exploding into that
bone-deep rage. They'd weathered the storm, and they were stronger for it.

***

One day, Mulder received a letter. He recognized the handwriting immediately and
tore open the envelope to reveal the letter inside. A smile crossed his face and
a happy sigh left his lips as he read the letter. He looked at his watch; Alex
was at the hotel until late tonight, so he would have to tell him the news later.

Mulder was sitting on the bed, reading, clad in only his robe when Alex entered
the room.

"Hello, my love." Alex bent down and kissed Mulder on the lips, lingering for a
second. "You don't know how good that feels."

"Hard day?"

Alex stood up again, raking his fingers through his hair. "The dignitaries from
Brazil, Chile and Colombia arrived today. I had the staff bend over backwards for
them all, but nothing was good enough. The services they want, they don't want to
pay for, and then when someone does something they actually like, they don't
tip!"

Mulder looked at Alex pace the room, gesturing wildly with his hands. "How long
are they here for?"

"A week!"

Mulder started laughing, "You wanted this hotel so bad."

"Don't remind me." Alex stopped pacing and started to get undressed. "Tell me
about your day, let me hear some good news."

"I sold some books, came home, ate dinner alone, came to bed, nothing special."

"Hmmm, is that all?" Alex padded to the bathroom in his robe to wash his face.
Mulder followed behind him, leaning against the door frame.

"Actually, I got a letter today."

"A letter? From who? Is it good news."

"It's good for me."

Alex finished washing his face and began to towel off. "What do you mean?"

"It was from Dana."

"Dana? Who's...oh, Dana." Alex faced Mulder, his arms crossed in front of his
chest.

"Yes."

"How did she find you?"

"Actually, I wrote her a few months ago. Looking at you and Pendrell reunited
made me miss Dana terribly. I couldn't let her think I was dead or missing in
action. I told her everything that happened in the war, the prison, us escaping
to Argentina."

"Everything?!" Alex exclaimed, sounding horrified.

"Oh. No, not *everything*. I didn't give her any details about when I was in
prison. I didn't want her to hate you. I just wanted to let her know that I was
happy and well. What I didn't count on though, was that she wants to visit."

"Visit, here?"

"Yes, she actually arrives in two days."

"Two days!"

"The post is not as fast as we anticipated it to be."

"I suppose you want her to stay with us?" Alex snapped.

"Yes, I do. Unless you want to put her up in your precious hotel for free."
Mulder snapped back.

"I don't know about this, Fox. I don't know her. How can you let a stranger into
our home?"

"It was fine when Pendrell and Marita stayed here. I didn't know either of them!"

"That's different."

Mulder laughed, "How is it different? I think you're jealous."

"I am *not* jealous."

"Yes you are, you've always been jealous of Dana. How can you be jealous of
someone that I have not seen in over a year?"

Alex sighed and started to pace throughout the bathroom. "How do I know you won't
fall in love with her again when you see her?"

"I keep telling you, Alex, we were best friends. I only asked her to marry me
because her mother told her that men and women can't be friends. She understood
all that. We just wanted to be together; we had no one else, only each other. I
didn't even sleep with her! I barely kissed her!"

Alex snorted and leaned back against the sink.

"Alex, for months you have been telling me that you love me, that you are mine.
Well, have you listened when I have told you that I love you? Don't you believe
me?"

Krycek looked at the tiles on the floor; Mulder was right. He looked back up at
his lover, seeing the sincerity in his face. "Yes, I believe you. You are right,
I'm being silly."

Mulder crossed the small space to where Alex was standing. "I like it when you're
silly. Your eyes get all scrunched up in the middle, and you start to flare your
nostrils."

Alex laughed, "Do I?"

Mulder wrapped his arms around his lover and kissed him. "Yes you do, and I love
it." Mulder kissed Alex again, nibbling on his lower lip. He ground their hips
together, feeling their hardness through their robes. With one swift movement,
Mulder had both of them undone and falling to the floor.

Mulder kissed Alex one more time before spinning him around to brace himself
against the sink. Alex leaned over, anticipating what was going to happen next.
Mulder gently indicated to Alex to spread his legs while he searched in the open
medicine cabinet for the petroleum jelly. He found what he was looking for and
slammed the cabinet shut, suddenly looking into Alex's eyes in the reflection.

Mulder smirked at the reflection in the mirror, only their heads could be seen.
He coated two fingers with the lube and started to caress Alex's opening, teasing
with a few circular movements before plunging a finger into the heat.

Alex moaned at the sensation and bit his lip. He fought in vain not to buck back
to embed the fingers farther into him, losing the battle after a few minutes.

Mulder took Alex's movements as a sign that he was ready and started to enter his
cock into Alex's tight opening. He spread Alex's cheeks apart farther with his
fingers, giving him full access to his ass.

"Yes, Fox, yes."

Mulder slid in to the hilt, not wasting any time. He needed to feel his lover in
his arms, crying, begging for more. He met Alex's gaze in the mirror, the green a
bare rim around the pupil. Mulder began to move in and out of Alex, holding his
gaze while he bent forward to nibble on his earlobe.

Alex held onto the sink, leaning forward some more to give Mulder better access.
He felt Mulder quicken his pace, thrusting into him with need.

Mulder started slamming into Alex, his arms wrapped tightly around him, moaning
into his ear. He moved one hand down to grab on to Alex's cock, stroking it with
his thrusts, using his thumb to rub just under the head.

Alex was the first to go over the edge, his eyes closing as he reached his peak.
He came on the side of the sink, his cum dripping down onto the tile below.

Mulder was not far behind, his balls tightening for a brief second then releasing
his fluid into Alex. He thrust a half dozen times more before stilling himself.
He rested his head upon Alex's shoulder, his arms still holding him tightly.
After a few minutes, he disengaged himself from Alex who turned to kiss him
deeply. They cleaned up the bathroom, then themselves before tumbling into bed.

***

Alex watched Mulder pace in the small guest area on the tarmac at the airport.
They had been here for half an hour, waiting for the airplane that would bring
Dana. He leaned against the wall of the hangar, arms folded, collar turned up
against the wind. Both men were dressed in camel hair coats, leather gloves and
fedoras. A cold snap had hit this July, and it was chilly.

"I hope she brought a coat. I should have told her the seasons are reversed down
here. What if she gets cold?"

"Fox, relax. You didn't know she was coming until two days ago, you could not
have reached her, even if you wanted to. It's only cold to us because it's
usually very hot here, to her it will probably seem very warm. Besides which, she
is presumably an intelligent woman. She will know that the seasons are reversed
in the southern hemisphere."

Mulder stopped pacing for a second to think of what Alex just said but then
continued to move back and forth across the small area.

Alex closed his eyes for a minute, "If she needs anything, we can just buy it for
her."

"Right, you're right. We can buy her a coat." Mulder stopped pacing and turned to
Alex, "Should we get her one now? Do you think there's time?"

Alex grabbed Mulder by the arms and looked him in the eye, "Fox, if you don't
calm down, I'm going to have to do something drastic."

Mulder bit his lower lip. He hoped Scully liked Alex; hell, he hoped Scully still
liked him! Alex was right; he had to calm down, getting nervous wasn't doing him
any good.

Alex released his grip on Mulder, who turned away and immediately started pacing
again. Finally, they could hear a plane overhead, the prop engines droning in the
crisp winter air. They watched as the plane landed, then taxied to the waiting
area. It seemed to take forever for the props to stop turning, enabling the
ground crew to bring the stairs over to the door.

Mulder held back from running right up the stairs and into the plane. His heart
pounded as he watched the door open, and the people started filing out. There
were two women in front of Dana. He recognized her right away, her red hair
glowing in the late afternoon sunshine. She looked up, saw him, and waved her
hand from the stairs. Mulder strode out of the waiting area and walked briskly
across the tarmac. Dana also walked quickly towards Mulder.

Alex's stomach began to turn into a big knot when he saw Mulder grab Dana into
his arms and twirl her around once before putting her down. Alex noticed that she
was much shorter than he was, Mulder had to bend considerably to hold their
embrace. He also noticed that she was an extremely attractive woman, far more so
than he'd expected from Mulder's description of his 'friend.' Then Mulder kissed
her, on the lips, no less, lingering a little longer than Alex thought was
appropriate. They broke the kiss and hugged again.

The passengers getting off the plane stole a look at Mulder and Dana, giving each
other knowing smiles.

Alex held back his emotions as he watched the display, clearing his throat and
adjusting his fedora. He promised himself he wouldn't get jealous and start a
scene, but that kiss did something to him. He closed his eyes and quelled his
inner rage for a few seconds; when he opened them, they were walking towards him.

She was quite attractive in her blonde cashmere coat with matching hat. Alex
noticed her shoes matched her handbag and gloves. //She is at least stylish.//

Mulder was beaming as he held Dana's hand and walked towards Alex. He had been
waiting for the day when the only two people that mattered to him could finally
meet.

"Dana Scully, this is Alex Krycek."

"How do you do, " Scully said, offering her hand.

Alex held her hand and gently shook it, smiling as he did so. "It's an honour to
meet you, Miss Scully. I've heard so much about you."

Dana smiled back, but there was something in her eyes that indicated her guard
was up. Alex told himself that it was to be expected as he let go of her hand.

They enlisted a porter to help them with Dana's luggage, barely fitting it all in
the trunk of Alex's car. Alex tipped the porter and watched him leave with his
cart. Alex closed his eyes for a moment and tried not to think of what he had
just seen: his Fox with his hand in the small of Dana's back, leading her through
the crowded terminal, guiding her as if she was his wife. He could hear them
laughing in the back seat of the car, he to play chauffeur to them for the
journey home. He took a deep breath and finally slammed the trunk then went
around to the driver's side and got in the car.

"Oh, Fox, really. He's not that bad."

"He's an idiot, Dana, I can't believe you let him take you to the movies!"

"What was I supposed to do? Every other man between the ages of seventeen and
fifty was off fighting the war!"

"But, he's so....weird."

"Actually, he's very smart."

Alex pursed his lips together as he eased out of the parking lot and down the
road; this was going to be a long month. All the way home, Mulder and *Scully*,
as he called her when he wanted to annoy her, chatted and droned on about people
Alex didn't know about, laughing about things that he didn't understand. Finally,
they were home, and he was rid of her sing-song laugh for a minute, while he and
Fox lugged her suitcases up to the guest room.

They left her to get freshened up and ready for supper, which would be in about
an hour. Elena had prepared Turkey mole for their guest, a specialty in her
family. Mulder himself watched Elena prepare the mole, grinding the sesame seeds,
almonds and chiles into a delicious paste that would compliment the turkey.

Alex flopped down in one of the wing-backed chairs, watching Mulder fix himself a
drink.

"I'll have a double."

"So, what do you think of her? Isn't she great?"

"Yes, she is very nice, and very attractive. I do think, however, that you two
talk too much. I have no idea what you are saying half the time."

Mulder brought over their drinks and sat across from Alex on the couch. "Do you
feel left out?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."

"Now you know how I felt when Pendrell first arrived." Mulder took a sip of his
drink.

Alex raised the glass to his lips, then put it on the table as what Mulder said
to him hit him full force. He licked his lips and looked up at Mulder who had a
shit eating grin on his face. Alex leaned back and crossed his arms across his
chest. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew that you hadn't seen your friend in a long time, and I didn't
want to ruin it for you." Mulder took another sip of his drink, swallowing before
he started laughing.

Alex tried to be cross with Mulder but failed miserably; he started smirking,
"That is not funny. You should have told me you were uncomfortable."

"And have you call me insecure? No way."

Alex grabbed for his drink again, downing it before standing up to fix himself
another. He pointed at Mulder, "I'm going to get you for that."

"Oh, I'm scared." Mulder finished his drink and handed the glass to Alex for
another. He was still giggling when Scully walked in the room.

"Did I interrupt something?" she said hesitantly.

Mulder stood to greet her, "No." He kissed her on the cheek then sat her down
beside him on the couch.

Alex was still standing at the bar, squeezing the ice tongs in his hand so hard
that his knuckles showed white. //Calm down, Alex.// He took a deep breath then
smiled, "Drink?"

"Yes, please, whatever you're having."

Alex brought their drinks over to the coffee table, sitting across from them in
the wing-backed chair. They had started giggling and talking about people he
didn't know again. They asked each other a million questions, Scully fascinated
that Mulder spoke Spanish. She made him promise to teach her all that he knew.
All night this went on, Alex smiling at them, nodding at their laughter. He
admitted their friendship was purely platonic, Mulder not holding back his
language or bad jokes just because she was a woman. Still, he felt the jealousy
well up inside him like a sickness.

He excused himself early and went to bed, having an early start the next morning.
Later, he felt Mulder come to bed and lie beside him, snuggling next to him,
spreading kisses along the back of his neck. He sighed and snuggled back, sleep
claiming him once again.

The next day, Alex was out of the house before Mulder or Scully got up. He had to
prepare for a breakfast meeting of some of Buenos Aires' most prominent
businessmen, of which he was one despite the problems he was still experiencing
with some of them because of his relationship with Mulder. He kissed Mulder on
the head, wanting so much to get back under the warm covers and nibble on
Mulder's pouty lower lip. Instead, he left the room, got on his hat and coat and
went off to work.

Mulder had his assistant Henri running the shop for the remaining two days of the
week, giving him and Scully time to catch up. He met her in the kitchen for
breakfast, Elena cooking Huevos Rancheros, a treat that he loved so much.

"She is so skinny, Senor Mulder, are all American girls so skinny?"

"Most of them."

Elena clucked her tongue against the top of her mouth and muttered something
about bearing children and needing hips.

Mulder nearly rolled his eyes but did not for fear that Elena would catch him.
She had scolded him and Alex many times for being rude in her presence. She even
cuffed Alex upside the head once for a rude remark made at the dinner table. He
watched her bustle around the kitchen; she was beaming that they finally had a
woman living in the house with them. He knew what she was thinking, but she was
going to get an awful surprise when Scully went back to America.

Elena offered up a small prayer to God to help turn Senor Mulder around and marry
this woman, even if her hips were small.

After breakfast, Scully went upstairs to freshen up, while Mulder waited for her
in the parlor. She came downstairs soon after.

"What do you want to do today?"

"I was hoping you would quit stalling and tell me what's going on here."

"What do you mean, Scully?" Mulder tried to play innocent, but she wouldn't have
any of it.

"We need to talk about what happened to you and why you are here, living with
this man. And don't call me Scully."

Mulder sighed and motioned for them to sit outside on the patio. It had warmed up
considerably from yesterday, and he suddenly could use some fresh air. They sat
in the wicker chairs, facing each other.

"You know, it's such a long story, Dana, I'm not sure you want to hear it all."

She sat back, folded her arms across her chest and raised one of her eyebrows.
"I'm here for a month, I have the time."

Mulder sighed, "You want me to tell you everything?"

"Everything." Scully looked at her watch "You'd better get going, you've already
wasted 30 seconds."

"C'mon, Dana, it's not for the faint of heart." He looked at her, trying to use
his best downfallen expression.

"Fox, when have you ever known me to be faint of heart? I tell you everything. I
even told you about Frohike."

"True." Mulder chewed on his lower lip for a second while he thought about the
gravity of what he was about to reveal to her. "I want you to promise to remain
calm until I'm finished the whole story, okay?"

"I promise." She looked at her watch again, "One minute and counting."

"Okay, but you asked for it."

Mulder licked his lips and began from when he was shipped overseas. He told her
about the bombing runs that were no more than routine flights for him, returning
to England afterwards for beer and pats on the back. The mood in England was
high, almost jovial. No one doubted they would win the war, and every man who
fought was a hero. Then the awful day came when his plane was shot down, and he
had to jump out of his burning bomber with a parachute strapped to his back, and
little else for survival. Her eyes grew wide as he told her of his attempts to
reach France, the cold and rain hampering his efforts. He almost made it, but was
captured by the Germans instead.

They were interrupted once by Elena who brought them a pot of tea and a plate of
baked goods, before returning to her home to cook the mid-day meal for her
family.

Mulder poured the tea and continued to tell his tale. His descriptions of the
camps and the conditions made her reel in horror and wonder aloud how human
beings could treat each other this way. Then came the prison. Mulder hesitated,
chewing on his lower lip for a minute before he told her what tortures he was
subjected to and who did it to him. He tried to make it clear that Alex had just
been doing his job, but he knew she probably wouldn't be able to understand that.

Mulder watched as Scully turned a paler shade of white with each description of
what Alex had done to him. Her mouth was open and he swore she was trembling when
he explained about the deals he had made with Alex for food, cigarettes and
water. She shook her head when he described how he was turned into his servant,
and the tenderness that followed. He noticed she was now getting angry, the
initial shock over. He related how he shot the two American soldiers to defend
his lover and how Alex's friend, Pendrell, helped them escape. Two spots of red
showed high on her cheeks as he described the horrors on the ship and their
subsequent arrival here in Argentina.

His tone changed and his voice softened as he spoke of Alex trying to help him
with his anxieties, his fears. How the nightly deprogramming sessions had made
him a stronger man. He did not leave out the arguments, or the fights that they
had as their relationship progressed. He ended his tale by telling Scully how
much he loved Alex, and how they planned to spend the rest of their lives
together.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Scully took a deep breath and began
to speak. "Fox, while I am happy that you are alive and well after such an
ordeal, I have to ask you with complete sincerity if you are out of your mind!"

Mulder looked down at the small table between them, his heart sinking when he
heard those words. While he didn't expect her to embrace what he had just told
her, he didn't want her to be so angry.

Scully collected her thoughts and calmed down before speaking again. "When you
told me in your letter that you had fallen in love with another man, I was
against the idea. I was taught that men don't lie together, that it is a sin. I
didn't know who I could talk to about this, about what had happened to you. I
finally decided to consult my priest who also said it was a sin. He told me to
pray for you and to feel sorry for you, because you have fallen. I didn't dare
tell my mother; she is still grieving for Melissa who had been killed in France
working as a nurse just before you left for Europe. She was heartbroken when you
were put on the MIA list; she sobbed for days that there would be no wedding. For
weeks, I wondered what would lead you to this decision to be with another man. I
wondered if it was something I did, something to drive you away. Then one night,
I had a dream. I dreamt that Missy came to see me, and she said that you were
safe and in love and I should be happy for you. That's when I decided to write
you the letter and come to see you. I needed to see for myself that you are
genuinely happy, that this is not some sort of temporary phase."

Scully stopped talking for a minute and traced the rim of her tea cup with her
finger. "My mother, by the way, thinks that you are in a hospital with amnesia.
It would kill her if she knew the truth. Thank god she has a house full of
grandchildren and a daughter-in-law to take care of while Bill is at sea to keep
her mind off of this."

Mulder winced when Scully told him that she had lied for him. She never lied for
anyone.

She took another deep breath. "Slowly, I came to realize that your happiness
means more to me than the prejudices I may have inside. I can accept your
relationship with a man, but not this man. Fox, you are living with the man who
raped you and beat you and kept you as a pet for his own pleasure; have you gone
mad?"

"Dana, it's...it's not like that anymore, Alex is different now." He saw her face
change from composed anger to rage.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this. Fox, he tortured people for a living!"

"It was war, Dana. If you get right down to it, the bombs I dropped probably
killed hundreds, maybe thousands, more people than he did. So which of us is
worse?"

"You were a soldier doing your duty. He looked into people's eyes and killed
them!" Like so many people, Dana apparently believed that killing from a distance
was somehow cleaner, more humane, than up close. "But even aside from that, you
fell in love with your captor; it's not right. He forced you into this
relationship."

"He didn't force me into anything; as a matter of fact, he made it well known
that I could leave at any time. I know it sounds strange, but Alex really does
care for me. Why do you think he worked so hard to get me out of prison?"

"So he could have you when he wanted you and not have his superiors looking over
his shoulder! Why do *you* think that he moved you into his house?"

"So he could protect me."

Scully snorted, "Bullshit."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, bullshit!"

Mulder was too shocked to say anything. Whereas she was used to hearing
profanity, she rarely let those words pass her lips. He knew he should not have
told her; he knew she wouldn't understand. He also knew that Alex was not going
to be happy about this. He put his head in his hands and looked down at his shoes
for a good five minutes before speaking again.

"Look, Dana, I really want you to understand. I really want you to see that Alex
is a good man. We went over everything that happened together and agreed that the
past is the past. Yes, agreed, he was a bastard, but he is *not* a bastard
anymore. He loves me, Dana, and I love him. Unfortunately, whatever you say isn't
going to change my mind. I am dedicated to him."

Scully got out of her chair and went back inside the house.

Mulder sat there for a minute until he heard the front door slam. He ran through
the house and out the front door, catching up with her as she put on her coat and
hat. She was walking quickly down the street, ignoring Mulder's presence beside
her.

"Where are you going?"

"Leave me alone."

"Dana, don't leave, don't be this way, let's talk." He grabbed her arm.

She stopped and looked down at his hand on her arm, then back at him. "Fox, if
you want to keep your male anatomy intact, I suggest you let go of my arm. Now!"

Mulder quickly let go of her, shocked again that words of that nature would pass
her lips. He watched her storm off down the street for a few minutes, until he
put his hands in his pockets and turned towards his house, noticing the curtains
in various windows along the street ruffling shut. //Great, more rumours and
gossip for them to spread.//

Two hours later, Elena returned to cook the evening meal, finding Mulder sitting
by himself in the parlor. She made him a cup of coffee and patted him on the
head, not wanting to know what happened between him and his lady friend. She
sighed to herself and offered another silent prayer before starting the
preparations.

Mulder was getting worried. Alex would be home soon, and he didn't want to have
to explain what had happened. Finally, she came back and went up to her room,
shutting the door behind her. Mulder knocked on her door.

"Dana? Are you alright?"

"Fox, I need to think about what is going on here. I want to be alone."

Mulder bit his lower lip again and cursed silently. "Okay. Do you want anything?"

"No. I can't eat. Please, just leave me alone."

"Okay. If you need anything, just ask..."

Silence.

Mulder turned and went downstairs to pour himself a stiff shot of scotch. What
the hell was he going to tell Alex? Might as well start with the truth. He sat
Alex down when he got home from work and confessed what he told Scully. He was
not pleased.

"What ever possessed you to tell her such things!" Alex hissed at him. "Pendrell
doesn't even know those things!"

"I wanted to come clean, to tell her the truth. I've never lied to her before,
and I wasn't going to start now."

"This is different. That was a crazy...fucked up time that no one will understand
except those that were there."

Mulder sat on the couch, his head in his hands. Alex paced for a minute, his
hands clenching and unclenching before sitting down beside Mulder and rubbing his
back. While he understood Mulder's need to tell the truth, he was still angry at
him for revealing their private secrets. They decided that now that it was out in
the open, there was nothing they could do about it.

They hardly ate their dinner, gaining disapproving looks from Elena, then went to
bed early, the events turning over and over in Mulder's mind, keeping him awake.
Finally, he got up and went to his library to read, falling asleep in the
overstuffed chair.

Alex woke up alone in the middle of the night. He felt the sheets beside him;
they were cold. He struggled on with his robe and padded down the hallway to
where he knew Mulder would be. He shook his shoulder, "Fox. Fox, wake up."

Mulder looked up at Alex, reaching up to grab the hand that was at his shoulder.

Alex sunk down beside Mulder's chair and put his head on his lap. "Come to bed; I
cannot sleep without you beside me."

Mulder stroked Alex's hair, tracing his fingers along the outline of his ear. He
loved Alex's ears; they were small and tapered at the ends, and they fit his face
so perfectly. "I keep thinking about Dana. She hates me."

"I'm sure she does not hate you. Don't punish yourself for my wrongdoings, Fox;
she is mad at me, not you."

"She is mad at me for loving you."

Alex squeezed Mulder's legs as he spoke into Mulder's lap. "I can see why she
would question our relationship; it did not start out in a normal way. Nothing
about us seems to be normal in other people's eyes."

"I think we're normal."

"As do I, but you know how people let their prejudices, hatred and
misunderstandings blind them."

Mulder sighed, heavy tears about to fall any minute. "I want her to accept me, to
accept us."

"Fox, you are not going to change people's attitude's overnight, we have
witnessed that first hand. Unfortunately, all you can do is wait and hope that
eventually she accepts you for who you are."

Mulder was weeping now, the tears falling on Alex's head. "All I ever wanted was
my friend back. I wanted what you and Pendrell have; you got reacquainted and
slid right back into the routines that you had before the war. I missed Dana so
much; I wanted to share our happiness with her. And now...now I fear that I've
lost her forever."

Alex moved up to sit in Mulder's lap, his arms around him, rocking him gently. He
kissed his hair and squeezed him tight. "Ssssshhh, don't cry, my love." He was
silent for a moment, "I wish I could do something, Fox. I wish I could take your
pain away." Tears sprang to Alex's eyes as he listened to his lover sob.

He rocked Mulder some more and kissed his forehead, "You know, Fox, Pendrell
understands because he was there. He does not question our actions, because he
had to face the horrors of war as well. Dana, however, is just experiencing it
now, as many other people are. For the first time, people are coming home from
the war and telling their families and loved ones first hand what really
happened. It is shocking to the person who has not seen it for themselves. We
should never forget what happened, yet at the same time, we should not let what
happened control our lives. We have understood that and moved on. You need to
give her time, Fox, time to analyze what happened to you and what you have
become. I am sorry to say though that she may never accept you, or me for that
matter; it's up to her."

Mulder sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"Tell you what, Fox. If she wants to stay, she is more than welcome to stay in
our home; I will never turn her away. But if she wants to go, you should let her
go. And, alternatively, if she wants to stay in Argentina, but not in this house,
I have a suite at the hotel she may use."

"Thank you."

"Nonsense, anything to make my love happy again. Look at you, your beautiful eyes
are so red and sullen. I cannot bear to see you unhappy. My beautiful Fox, I love
you so much." He kissed Mulder, his face swollen from his crying. "I will talk to
Dana, if you like."

"No," Mulder sniffed. "No, don't. I want to work this out with her myself.
Tomorrow I'll ask her if she wants to go home."

Alex kissed Mulder's lips again, "I hope she stays. I know how much she means to
you."

They sat together, embraced until Alex stood up. "Come, Fox, let's go to bed.
Maybe things will be better in the morning." Alex took Mulder's hand and led him
down the hallway to their bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

Dana Scully hid in the shadows in the hallway, tear tracks staining her face. She
too wanted Mulder to be happy, but she couldn't let Alex into her heart. Those
things Mulder told her were just too much to bear. She silently walked back to
her bedroom and shut the door, lying on her bed until morning.

***

Alex had left for work early again, wanting to give Fox and Dana some space. He
hid in his office, not wanting to talk to anyone until Pendrell came in. When he
finally did, he took one look at his friend and started to worry. Alex's eyes
were red-rimmed, his face was puffy, and it looked like he didn't sleep a wink
last night, which was the truth.

"Alex, are you okay?" Pendrell sat down in the chair across from him, concern in
his eyes.

Alex put his head in his hands and sighed miserably, "No."

"What's the matter? Did something happen to Fox?"

"No, not exactly. He told his friend Dana everything about our life in Germany,
which she is not pleased about. Now, she is angry with him for staying with me,
and very angry with me for doing those things to her friend. She does not
understand."

"He told her everything? The camps, the prison, the escape?"

"Everything. Including how we met and every single thing that happened between us
while he was my prisoner. He wanted to be honest with his friend."

Pendrell let out a whistle and sat there looking at his miserable friend. While
they never shared the intimate details of what they did to whom, Pendrell knew
Alex was ruthless with Mulder. He had heard that he had done terrible things to
him in exchange for food and cigarettes. When he found out that they were lovers,
he was shocked, but that wore off quickly. He had known Alex all of his life and
knew that once he had made up his mind to do something, nothing was going to stop
him. He also knew that if he loved someone, he loved them with an intense
fierceness and passion.

Pendrell let out his breath, "It does take some getting used to, seeing you two
together after what happened."

Alex sighed again, "I told Fox to give her some time, maybe she will come
around."

They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Pendrell spoke, "Tell you
what? Why don't I come over for dinner tonight, to break the ice, maybe I can
lighten the burden of you having to talk to her."

"You just want a free meal."

"I *am* getting sick of restaurant food."

Alex grinned. He felt so lucky to have such a good friend, "Okay, come distract
us all from our problems, even if it will only be for a couple of hours."

***

Mulder came downstairs to find Scully in the kitchen drinking coffee. He had
actually gotten some rest, falling asleep just before Alex got up to go to work.
He poured himself a mug of coffee and sat down across from her at the table,
sunlight streaming through the window, making her hair glow in a red halo around
her head.

"Where's Elena?"

"She said she was going to start on the laundry. There are muffins if you want
one for breakfast."

"Thank you." Mulder took a few sips of coffee before he decided to speak, "Look,
Dana, if you want to leave, I'll understand..."

"Fox, wait," she cut him off. "I did some thinking last night. When you told me
all the terrible things Alex had done to you, I was so angry. I was angry at him
for doing them to you, I was angry at you for being with him, I was angry there
was ever a war. I'm not pleased that you are living with Alex, but if it is what
you want, then I can't stop you."

Mulder looked up at her with tears in his eyes, "Thank you."

"Fox, I want you to do something for me, I want you to look me in the eye and
tell me you love him."

Mulder looked across into Dana's eyes, "I love him with all my heart."

Scully knew he was telling the truth. She reached across and squeezed his hand
for a moment, then let go. "It's almost noon, why don't you get dressed and take
me somewhere nice for lunch?"

"Gee, Scully, you're getting a little pushy. Shouldn't you let the man ask you
out to lunch?"

"Hmph, if I did that, I'd probably starve to death, and don't call me Scully. By
the way, I'm not going anywhere until you show me every inch of this city."

Mulder snickered to himself as he finished his coffee. He then went upstairs to
change. He was glad Scully had thought about things. That was the great thing
about her, she was very analytical; she thought things through and looked at them
from every angle before making a decision. He just hoped she wouldn't hate Alex
for the rest of her life.

They went for lunch and shopped the rest of the day, slowly winding their way
down the streets, taking their time. He wanted to stop in and say hi to Alex, but
Mulder thought better of it. He didn't want to ruin the mood.

They were in the parlor when Alex came home from work. He greeted them, telling
them and Elena that Pendrell would be joining them for dinner. Mulder followed
him when he went upstairs to change.

"How was your day? You look terrible."

"Thank you, I love you too." Alex gave Mulder a kiss. "I'm just tired. How was
your day?"

"Interesting."

"I see you both are talking to each other."

"She's still mad at you, but she wants me to be happy, so she has called a
truce."

"Thank god for that. I don't care if she hates me, but I don't want you to suffer
because of it."

"I don't want her to hate you, though."

"Like I said last night, she will need time."

Alex hugged Mulder, grateful that he and Dana had worked things out. Earlier
today, he had been debating whether to start working late nights to avoid
confrontation. He was glad that it wasn't going to come to that since he didn't
want to give up his time with Mulder. "Look, I have an hour before Pendrell gets
here, I am going to lie down until then. Please give my regards to Dana and wake
me when he gets here, okay?"

Mulder kissed Alex and left him in their room to rest while he went back
downstairs. Pendrell arrived an hour later with a bottle of wine. Mulder led him
into the parlor, where he stopped still in his tracks.

"Dana Scully, meet Sean Pendrell."

Scully held out her hand, "It's nice to meet you."

Pendrell grabbed Scully's hand and kissed it, causing her to raise her eyebrow.
He held her hand for some time before dropping it. Mulder noticed that Pendrell
was sweating and was unusually quiet. Finally, Pendrell found his voice, "It is a
great pleasure to meet you."

Pendrell shoved the bottle of wine at Mulder and sat down beside Scully on the
couch. Mulder put the bottle of wine on the bar and went to fetch Alex, leaving
Pendrell and Scully to get acquainted, making small talk. Soon the four of them
were around the dinner table, Pendrell being quite the gentleman, pouring wine
for Scully, holding out her chair for her when they sat down. He was practically
ignoring Mulder and Alex as he chatted with Dana.

Mulder and Alex traded glances over the dinner table, watching Pendrell trying to
woo Scully.

"Sean, that's not very German, is it?" she asked.

"My mother is Irish."

"His mother isn't Irish, she's a sadist," Alex said.

"What do you mean?" Scully asked.

"She would make life miserable for poor Sean, making him do all sorts of chores
as punishment for the smallest of infractions."

"She was very strict."

"Strict! She made Ghengis Kahn look like a choirboy!"

Pendrell looked at Alex, his eyes narrowing into a glare. He knew he was trying
to throw him off his plans to charm Scully.

"My mother was from Ireland. She met my father when he was working there as a
farm hand. When they got married, they went back to his native Germany to live.
She was a very angry woman..."

"That's an understatement."

Pendrell threw Alex a look that could have killed him. Alex took a sip of wine
and let his friend continue, his eyes mocking him.

"She was very angry for many reasons. She missed her home in Ireland, she
produced seven girls then waited five years after the last girl before I came
along. They wanted a boy so badly, they just kept trying until they got one. My
father died when I was young, leaving her with eight children to raise by
herself. She had a lot to be bitter about."

"Seven girls?" Scully asked.

"Yes, and they all took after their father, large boned, strong. That combined
with inheriting their mother's temper made life a living hell for us. Ours were
the only two houses at the end of a country road on the outskirts of Danzig. They
had nothing to do but chase us and torment us, until they got married off, one by
one." Alex smirked at the memory.

"It wasn't *that* bad, Alex."

"Hmph, I was black and blue until I was twelve years old!"

"Where is your mother now?"

"She went back to Ireland when the war started."

"And she is probably still unhappy."

Pendrell rolled his eyes and continued the tales of Alex and him when they were
young. Mulder was happy everyone was getting along so well. When it was time for
Pendrell to leave, he got nervous and stumbled out the door to his car, his feet
seeming to fail him. Alex shook his head as he shut the door.

Later, in their room, they laughed over Pendrell's obvious attraction to Scully.
Mulder felt uneasy, however. Pendrell had been around, had loved many men and
women. What was to say that he wouldn't love and leave Scully in the same way. He
confessed his fear to Alex, who held him for a moment before speaking.

"Fox, Dana is a strong woman, she won't let him do that to her."

"If he does, I swear, I'll kill him."

"I think she'd beat you to it." Alex kissed Mulder on the forehead. "You know,
that's how she feels about me."

Mulder thought about it for a minute, "I guess you're right. I realize now that
she wants to protect me."

"Exactly. Now, we should get some sleep, as we will have him tagging along
tomorrow for our drive in the country, we are going to need energy for that."

Mulder chuckled, nuzzling against Alex's throat. "Just how tired are you?"

"That depends on what you have in mind," Alex gasped, rolling onto his back to
give Mulder better access.

"I thought I'd like to make love to the man I love," Mulder murmured around his
mouthful of Alex's throat. "I want to show you how much I love you so you can
never doubt it."

Alex moaned.

Mulder raised his head to grin evilly at him. "But don't forget Dana's just down
the hall, so you have to be quiet."

Alex groaned. "You are a truly evil man, Fox, a torturer in fact."

"I learned from the best," Mulder replied, surprising Alex with his ability to
make jokes about the subject. Alex took that as a sign that Mulder was truly
healed now. That was his last coherent thought for some time since Fox decided to
move on by swallowing his cock to the root in one motion. He nearly screamed at
the sensation, only Fox's hand over his mouth preventing him.

Alex jerked uncontrollably under Fox's ministrations, already on the brink after
only a few moments of his Fox's mouth. Fox suckled on him, his tongue never still
as he drove Alex into a frenzy. When he could tell that Alex was about to come,
he pulled off, grinning at Alex's groan and curses.

"Shh, lover," he soothed, "trust me. Hold on a little while longer until I'm deep
inside you, until we can come together. Just imagine how it'll feel if you can
wait for me."

Alex shuddered at Fox's words, breathed directly into his ear, and he spread his
legs wide for his lover. Mulder hastily applied lubrication to Alex and to
himself, then pressed again his entrance. He stared into Alex's eyes as he
thrust, seeing the flare of pleasure as Alex shoved a fist into his own mouth to
prevent a scream of pleasure from escaping.

They moved together, Fox driving deeper with every stroke and Alex trying to get
closer still. Fox reached for Alex's hand, intertwining their fingers, and he
leaned down to kiss him, his tongue plunging into Alex's mouth in time with his
cock in his ass. No matter how much they wanted to prolong the pleasure, soon it
overwhelmed them, and they came together, Fox driving so deep that he thought
they might merge forever.

After a few minutes Mulder forced himself up just long enough to clean them up,
then snuggled down beside Alex, his warmth and caresses soon soothing him into
sleep.

***

For the rest of Scully's visit, they toured around, showing her the sights and
the shops. She met their friend Mr. Grey, and he tried to charm her as much as
Pendrell did. During the week, she would go for walks, often visiting Mulder in
his shop and staying throughout the afternoon. Pendrell heard about this and
would often come over to take her out for lunch. Mulder was amazed at Pendrell's
restraint and gentleman-like manner; he hadn't even tried to kiss Scully yet. He
knew this because she had grumbled to Mulder by the third week that even Frohike
gave her a kiss after the fourth date. Mulder tried to hide his relief with a
laugh; he didn't want him touching her until the fortieth date!

One morning, Alex went downstairs late, to get a coffee and read the newspaper.
He had worked very late the night before and told his staff he wouldn't be in
until noon. He saw Scully on the patio, reading a book, enjoying the mid-morning
sunshine. He hesitated for a minute before opening the French doors and stepping
outside to join her.

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

Alex sat down and opened his newspaper. He sat there, staring at the page, not
reading the words, //This is stupid.// He put the newspaper down on the table.

"Dana, why don't you stay?"

Scully put down her book and looked at him, her blue eyes like chunks of cold
ice. "Stay?"

"Yes, stay. Fox is already dreading your leaving. Not to mention that Pendrell's
heart would be broken if you left."

Scully raised her eyebrow, "And you?"

"Me? Whatever you decide is fine with me." He looked away, then back up at her.
"I'm not going to lie to you, Dana. You and I are not friends and may never be,
but you are important to Fox and that makes you important to me. I want him to be
happy, even if that means accepting your disapproving presence."

"Fox told me what happened over in Germany."

"I know."

"I hated you. I wanted to kill you for what you did to him. The only thing that
held me back was that I didn't want to hurt him any more than he had been hurt
already."

Alex swallowed; Dana Scully was definitely a force to be reckoned with. "And
now?"

"Now, I am starting to like you...slightly. I see how happy you two are together,
and I don't want to take that away from Fox; he deserves it." Scully then leaned
over the small table that separated them, "I'll tell you this, though. If you
*ever* hurt him again, I *will* kill you."

Alex's eyes widened. No woman had ever talked this way to him before, but he
didn't doubt her threat. He watched as she sat back and crossed her arms across
her chest, as calm as if she told him the weather forecast for today.

"I am never going to hurt him again, Dana; I can promise you that. I love him
more than I have ever loved anyone." Scully's gaze cut right down to his core,
and he felt a shiver go up his back.

"Good. I have actually been thinking of staying in Argentina for over a week now.
My mother is happy that Fox is well, and she does not have any qualms about me
being here with him. She will never, ever know the truth, however, not if I have
anything to do with it. Yes, I'll stay, but I'm not staying here. Not only do I
not want to overstay my welcome, but I like being on my own. I will need my own
apartment."

"Yes, of course, I'll call Grey, he can help us find you something quite
suitable, I'm sure." Alex rose to use the telephone.

"Alex?"

Alex turned to face Scully, "Yes?"

"Thank you."

"You are quite welcome." He stepped inside and visibly shook for a second before
picking up the telephone.

Mulder was ecstatic that Scully was staying. He tried to help her choose an
apartment, but Pendrell beat him to the punch, guiding her around, leading her
with his hand in the small of her back. A twinge of jealousy rose up inside
Mulder, she was his friend, not Pendrell's. But then he saw them together and
understood the bond that had formed between them. Soon, she was moved into her
apartment and started working for the United States Embassy.

The day after she moved, Mulder walked around the house; it felt so empty without
Scully. She had only been here a month, but her presence had been powerful. He
returned downstairs to Alex, who was listening to the radio and reading a book.
Mulder had ordered some books in German for him, giving them to him for his
birthday. He settled down across from Alex in one of the wing-backed chairs and
started to read the newspaper.

Soon after, Alex reached over and stroked Mulder's arm, "I'm going to bed. I
think I will have a bath first."

Mulder grunted, engrossed in the newspaper.

Alex frowned, reached forward and tore the newspaper out of Mulder's hands, "I
said I am going to bed and I am having a bath."

Mulder's eyes widened. "Oh!"

Alex swiftly stood and grabbed Mulder's hand, leading him upstairs. With their
guest in the house, they had not had a bath together in over a month. Quickly,
they arrived in the bedroom, both men flushed at the anticipation of what was to
happen next.

Mulder's hand went up to cup Alex's face, his thumb dragging along the stubble
that had grown there since this morning. He smiled at him before leaning in and
kissing him gently, making the kiss last for a long time. Hands moved across
backs and down to untuck dress shirts and up to unbutton them. Ties were undone
and flung over a chair and trouser buttons were popped with one hand, while the
other undid zippers, soon leaving each man clad only in their tented boxers.
Slowly, these were removed as well, heated skin pressing up against heated skin,
erections rubbing together.

Alex finally broke the kiss, his pupils dilated, his breathing quick. He once
again took his lover's hand and led him into their bathroom. He turned the taps,
located in the middle of the tub, ensuring the water was warm before they stepped
in. While they waited for the tub to fill, they explored each other's bodies with
their hands and mouths, moaning when it was time to submerge themselves in the
warm water.

They washed each other, as always paying special attention to the sensitive
parts, moaning and sighing until they were clean. Then each man sat back at
opposite ends of the tub, legs down the length, crossed over each other's to give
them room.

Mulder and Alex sat there, facing each other, teasing each other with their feet.
Mulder had one foot under Alex's ass, rubbing the back of his scrotum with his
big toe. Alex had his foot in Mulder's crotch, stroking his cock with his foot,
making him bite his lower lip and close his eyes. One look was all that was
needed to tell each man that they were ready to leave the sanctuary of the water.

They got out of the tub and proceeded to dry each other off, rubbing each other
briskly with the towels, until they could stand it no longer and fell into bed.
There they began their explorations again with their mouths and tongues, taking
nipples between teeth, teasing them into hard buds, stroking erections harder,
marking each other, claiming each other as their own.

"Love me, Fox."

Mulder leaned over for the lubricant and prepared him and his lover. When he was
ready, Mulder plunged into Alex and felt his legs come to wrap around his back.
Together they rocked their way into bliss, moans of contentment leaving each
mouth. Then they were at rest, kissing each other, wanting to taste more of each
other. Finally, the kisses lessened in intensity and became less frequent, both
men smiling at each other. Strong arms wrapped around each other and legs
entwined as they settled down and into sleep, grateful they had each other to
wake up to in the morning.

THE END OF INTERROGATION