Skinner was so happy to see his apartment complex that he didn't even notice Krycek's feeble attempts to distract him. Krycek had run his tongue over his lips sensuously a dozen times, ran his hand up his chest on occasion, making sure to tweak his nipples on the way down, and had grabbed his crotch repeatedly. Krycek was so frustrated that when Skinner parked in his spot and was about to unbuckle and leave the car, Krycek grabbed him and thrust his tongue down the AD's throat. Skinner felt suspiciously like the poor sap in that breath mint commercial -the one who gets lip-locked by a cop. He now seriously regretted leaving Krycek's vehicle at the Mulder house. It had a flat tire and they chose not to bother with it.
"Can't you control your hormones a little bit, Krycek? I don't want Mulder to see..." He trailed off for a moment as he brushed the younger man away from him with more effort than he cared to admit. "Actually now is the time for you to leave, you have outstayed your welcome!" he decided abruptly.
Krycek just grinned at Skinner and said, "You seduce me and get me with child and now you just want to abandon me? I will not be ignored, Walter."
Walter's eyebrow rose. "That's the sorriest Glenn Close impression I've ever heard, Alex."
Alex snorted. "Got your attention, though."
Walter sighed then said, "Come on. I need to see how Mulder's doing. And he'll want to see you-after all, he did want you to know the truth."
*****
Scully had just finished helping Mulder onto the hospital bed that Frohike had managed to maneuver into Skinner's apartment, no questions asked, when Skinner and Krycek entered the apartment.
"Dana?" inquired Skinner, surprised and a little concerned at the sight of her struggling with the hospital bed, and Mulder.
"Help me lift this, Walter," she demanded, not noticing Krycek, or the look that Skinner and Mulder exchanged.
"All right," he said, thrusting his keys into his pocket.
He grabbed one end of the hospital bed and Scully said, "On three-1, 2, 3..."
They lifted the bed, and as it snapped into place, Mulder lying on it took on the appearance of a beached whale. His T-shirt had ridden up and his bloated belly was exposed to Krycek's widened eyes.
"Shit!" gasped Alex. "I cannot believe I didn't realize it the first time I saw it."
"Alex, I'm pregnant. I have not been reduced to a thing!" growled Mulder.
"No, man, I meant your belly! You need one of those 'Baby On Board' signs."
Mulder groaned and Walter glowered at Alex, then turned his attention to his lover.
"How are you feeling, baby?" he asked, leaning down and brushing his fingers softly over Mulder's cheek, making him sigh, and offer Walter a small, strained smile.
Dana interrupted before Mulder could speak; "He had premature labor signs. But I think he's fine now. I gave him a tocolytic agent. Hopefully he will stabilize but he'll need to remain bed ridden for a while."
"In English, doctor," Alex asked.
"It means a shot to control labor, Alex," Scully informed him with a scowl.
Walter grabbed Alex's collar and was about to strong-arm him to the balcony when Mulder's voice stopped him.
"Walter, stop. He's just curious. Come over and feel the baby, Alex."
A wave of jealousy washed over Walter. 'No way is Alex going to touch Mulder...' he thought, then immediately felt guilty, thinking that there had already been quite a bit more than just inappropriate touching where Krycek was concerned, so he let up his grip on Alex, and held his tongue as the young man approached the hospital bed warily.
Alex's hand reached out and ran over Mulder's swollen abdomen, a soft touch that seemed a little awed and a little fearful. Something stirred under Mulder's taut skin, and Alex was amazed at the feeling of life moving/living in a man's belly-in Mulder's of all people.
"Ok, that's enough!" growled Skinner, pulling Alex's hand away from Mulder.
"Haven't had enough of me, huh, Walter?" Alex whispered huskily, egging him on.
"That's it, onto the balcony with you!" With that Skinner propelled Alex to the glass door and pulled it open, strong-arming Alex through it.
Scully ignored them and attended to Mulder, eyeing his pale nervous face with some concern. "Are you all right? Do you need me to stay here? My mother will be home in the next few hours. I could have her keep Jenny."
He smiled gratefully at her. "Stay, please, at least until your mother gets home."
"Ok," she smiled warmly and gave his hand a little squeeze, then glanced over at the balcony. She noticed movement, but couldn't quite see what was going on, so she moved away from Mulder, giving his hand a reassuring pat, and he closed his eyes. She approached the half-open balcony door, peered out, and was shocked to find Alex kissing Walter...and Walter showing no signs of stopping it.
'God damn it!' she growled to herself. 'Men can't keep it in their pants no matter how noble they supposedly are!'
She was about to step out and give Walter a piece of her mind when Walter pulled away from Alex. He said something to Alex that she couldn't hear, then he looked over to the entrance to the apartment and saw her standing there. His expression was as horrified as hers for a moment, then his gaze turned stony and he gestured for her to come out onto the balcony. She did so, almost automatically, while her mind tried to process just what she had seen, and how it was going to affect them all.
With a glance back at Mulder lying on his bed, she stepped out onto the balcony, waiting to speak until she was close enough to the two men that there was no way Mulder would overhear. Then she growled between clenched teeth, "What the hell is going on here? Walter, your pregnant boyfriend is in the next room!!"
Walter's face fell. "I know Scully and I'm sorry. I will talk to Mulder about this later, on my own time. There is something you need to know, though. Something you need to check out." He looked at Alex nervously, then gave Scully the same worried frown.
By contrast, Alex's grin was positively sunny. "Seems like old Walter boy has been dipping his wick where it don't belong. And that wick is positively lethal."
"What the hell are you talking about, Krycek?"
Krycek winked at her and said, "Ask loverboy here. He's the one with the fertility that would retire a rabbit."
Scully stared at him as if he were insane. Then she looked to Walter and knew from his troubled expression that Alex wasn't lying.
"Those nanobytes are aids to reproduction? I knew it!" She stopped when she finally understood what Alex had said. "Walter, what is wrong with you?!" she cried. "Are you going through some midlife crisis or something??"
"Dana, I know I am not your boss anymore, but really, this isn't any of your business." He tried to sound authoritative, and surly, and wound up sounding contrite and embarrassed.
"Oh? But you want me to play nursemaid to Alex now?"
"Oh no, Scully, he wants you to play abortionist now," supplied Alex smoothly.
Scully shook her head. "That is very responsible of you, Walter!" she muttered sarcastically.
"Scully, it isn't really my decision."
"Damn straight it isn't!" growled Alex.
Scully looked at Alex in a way he never would have thought she would look at him, with sympathy. "Alex, are you sure you really want to do this?"
"Wait a minute," said Walter, "Aren't we jumping the gun a little bit here? We aren't really certain yet. He has to be tested."
Scully glared at Walter as if he were the last man on earth she would rely on ever again, shook her head, then turned to the younger man with more compassion in her eyes.
"Alex?" she asked softly. Alex didn't know whether to laugh or cry over her tender inquiry.
"He's right, Scully. I need to be tested. And if I am pregnant..." Alex snorted and rolled his eyes. "Then I definitely want the spud removed!"
Scully sighed. "Okay, let's assume you're pregnant until tests prove otherwise. I do not want you to do anything dangerous. Then we can decide what to do. I - I just don't think I want to be the first ever male pregnancy gynecologist and abortionist all in the same year!"
Alex sighed. "Dana, I know you mean well, but really, I am a big boy now, and I think I can make my own decisions...especially regarding something as life-altering as carrying a child!"
"Alex, I am not trying to tell you what to do regarding the pregnancy but you're still going to need to watch yourself."
"Wait a second, Dana, could we at least wait until we have determined if he is pregnant or not?" interrupted Skinner. When both Scully and Krycek gave him the exact same 'Who are you trying to kid?' raised eyebrow treatment, he abruptly changed the subject. "I am going to check on Mulder." And with that he walked back into the apartment, tired of the whole conversation.
"Hey," he murmured to Mulder. "You hungry?"
Mulder smiled. "Of course. I have never been more hungry in my entire life!"
While Skinner went to the kitchen to find his lover something to eat, Dana walked back in with an amazingly docile Alex.
"Mulder, I think I should leave now." She paused by the bed while Alex continued towards the door. Squeezing one of his hands, she added, "You're going to be fine with Walter here. Let me go speak to Walter a moment, and then I will be on my way."
"Ok," he sighed tiredly, feeling unable to question anything at this point.
Dana went to Walter and explained to him what to do if Mulder experienced any contractions.
"You can always page me or call anytime, I'm going to take some of the leave time I have coming so I can be available for Mulder should anything happen sooner than we expect."
Skinner sighed. "Thanks so much, Dana, you have been so helpful throughout all this. We really don't deserve you."
"Walter, at this point, you definitely don't deserve my time, but Mulder does! And now poor Alex!"
'Poor Alex??' Skinner thought, 'impossible.'
*****
Mulder was so beautiful to Alex that he couldn't keep away. What he had seen before as a laughable monstrosity disappeared under the knowledge that Mulder was carrying a child inside of him. But, at the same time, he thought, 'No way in hell will I carry a child for anyone, especially not Skinner!' He moved closer to the bed and noticed Mulder's eyes were closed and he seemed to be in a light doze. A thought occurred to him then: 'Would I carry the child if it were Mulder's?' the thought startled him at first, then made him frown, then made him smile as he reached out and lightly touched Mulder's stomach as he had earlier, trying to be soft so as not to wake the obviously overtired man. Mulder's baby...yes, he would definitely have to think on that one.
*****
"Listen, Dana - I - you are so right. I have made an unbelievable mistake; I admit that to you. But in a short while, you will either determine if he is pregnant, which I hope he isn't or he will be and then you will terminate the pregnancy. Either way, Mulder doesn't need to know this. Especially not now."
"I agree, Walter. Mulder doesn't need to know about this right now. His condition is delicate at best and you need to concentrate on him instead of your own foolishness. Got that?"
Skinner nodded contritely.
"And another thing, if Alex isn't pregnant, don't think that let's you off the hook-you WILL tell Mulder."
Skinner nodded again. "Dana, I know you may find it hard to believe, but I have no intention of letting myself out from my responsibility toward our future together. I'm a firm believer in honesty, I am. It may seem absurd coming from me, but I did learn a thing or two from my first marriage."
Dana's eyebrow rose and she snorted, still angry with the man, but starting to come around. "OK, Walter," she said, "I suppose I'll just have to trust you." Then she walked out.
In the living room she took Alex's hand and said, "Come on, Alex. We have somewhere to go."
Mulder heard them leaving and opened his eyes, surprised to see them leave together. Walter entered into the living room and bent to kiss the surprised look off of Mulder's face.
"I missed you," Walter breathed and Mulder smiled.
*****
In Dana's car, Alex put his hand down on his belly then moved it away quickly, hoping the beautiful doctor hadn't seen it. Dana just smiled to herself, it may be easier than she thought to have Alex keep the baby...
[Reviews - 1] [Kudos - 259]
Download story PDF format or ePUB format or MOBI format
Table of Contents
Download story PDF format or ePUB format or MOBI format
Table of Contents
Author's Chapter Notes:
My Goddess can beat your God any day of the week!!