Commander Gnaye stood before the portal watching the shimmering blue planet. The experiments on the population had finally come to fruition. After more than fifty years, their attempts to alter the human female in order to make her compatible as a breeder for their race had proven unsuccessful. It was only by accident that they had discovered the human male was the one best suited for their purpose.
He turned on the viewer and studied the recorded image of their first successful specimen. The human would be considered a classic beauty on his world, one of the reasons the leptans chose him. Not until after the human had been released was the success of their experiment revealed to them through the chip implanted in the man's testicles. They had since successfully repeated the procedure on five other human males, using the information provided from the implant.
Four of the five men were successfully impregnated. The fifth had escaped before he could be impregnated and a chip implanted in his body.
Once the invasion began, they would collect the first altered male. The emperor had expressed an interest in using this human as his personal breeder.
Gnaye turned as a leptan entered the room. He glared at the large-headed creature. They had their uses, but he found them physically repulsive from their sickly hairless gray skin to the large black eyes, small nose, and tiny mouth. If it weren't for their ability to morph into any form, he'd have no use from them.
The humans, on the other hand, he found beautiful and close in appearance to his own race in their unchanged form. The only difference was in the shape of their ears and sexual organs, also his race was hermaphroditic they didn't have two separate sexes.
~x~X~x~
The Fox
Blue Ridge Mountain
Thursday, September 20, 2001
The leaves rustled overhead as a strong wind blew through branches, and lightning flashed in the distance as storm clouds formed to the northwest.
A loud crack sounded as the log splintered in two as Mulder drove the axe through it. Sweat ran down his shirtless body emphasizing the muscles on his arms, chest, and back. He bent and retrieved the sections of wood, tossing them onto a growing pile. Mulder paused to wipe the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief he kept in the back pocket of his jeans. He'd spent the day collecting deadfall from the surrounding forest and had been chopping it up for over two hours. The sun was just beginning to set, so he decided to call it a day. He carried the ax to the woodshed and placed it inside, collected the wood he had chopped, and then added it to the ridiculously huge pile behind the log cabin, next to the small barn.
Chopping wood was how he had spent most of his free time over the summer. The hard physical activity allowed him to relieve his pent up anger, in a useful way, over the state that his life had become. His log cabin was heated by wood. It had a woodstove in the kitchen, a pot-bellied stove in the main living space, and a fireplace in the only bedroom. The pump house out back had a wood-heated water heater that supplied the cabin with hot water. The bathroom had a deep, old, claw-foot bathtub and a pull-chain toilet. It was the only update made to the inside of the cabin in over sixty years and that was installed forty years ago. There was even an outhouse on the property, along with a small barn, a chicken coop, and an equipment shed.
Mulder had bought the property for its solitude. No roads led to the cabin. The previous owner had cherished his privacy, too, when he had built the place countless decades ago.
Living in isolation required that Mulder park his car at the ranger station eight miles away and hike up to his home over the steep rocky terrain. The nearest town was twenty miles down the mountain, past the ranger station. A mountain stream ran through the back of his property, and a lake was within walking distance down a winding path. The cabin was hidden by a grove of pines and raspberry bushes. Other than the ranger and a few of the area's residents, the only person who knew where he now lived was Frohike. Frohike had been the one who had found this place for him. His uncle had owned a cabin six miles from this cabin.
The roar of thunder in the distance made Mulder look up at the sky. He chewed on his lower lip as he watched the storm move in. Tonight he'd finally be free of them.
Mulder walked through the front door of the log cabin and was greeted by its other inhabitant who affectionately rubbed up against his leg purring loudly. He kneeled and petted the orange-striped tabby, smiling softly at his only companion.
"Hi, Tiger. What have you been doing all day? Did you catch yourself any fat mice for dinner?"
The cat meowed loudly and ran over to the cabinet where her food was kept and stared up at him.
"I take that as a no." Mulder opened the cabinet and pulled out the bag of dried cat food and filled her bowl. Then he filled the other bowl with fresh water from the kitchen sink. The cat had shown up at his door months ago and just made herself at home.
After Tiger was eating contently, Mulder pulled out a jug of corn whiskey. He had found it and four dozen others, in the root cellar along with some homemade wine. The old man who had previously owned this cabin had a still hidden out in the woods. According to Sean, the ranger, Old Man Peterson had actually been very good at making bootleg whiskey and blackberry wine. Not being much of a drinker, Mulder wasn't much of a judge on whether it was good or not. He had sampled it only a couple of times when the loneliness of living here had become too unbearable.
Tonight he needed a drink to help him through what he had to do. Setting the jug on the hard, oak table, he lit an oil lamp before going into the bathroom and coming back with the first aid kit. He pulled out the items he needed and set them on a clean white cloth he had laid out on the table. Then he undressed, draping his clothes over one of the hard oak dining room chairs and sat on another one.
He draped a clean white cloth over his thigh and under his testicles, then opened a sterile bag containing latex surgical gloves and pulled them on. Mulder felt his balls until he found the hard object just below the skin. He had discovered it several weeks ago and had slowly worked it up to the surface. He then poured himself some whiskey and took a long drink, choking as it burned its way down his throat. Picking up the bottle of antiseptic, he swabbed it on his hairless testicle. Next, he picked up a syringe filled with Novocain as he clenched his teeth against the pain he injected himself. Mulder wondered for the umpteenth time about the wisdom of what he was about to do as tears of pain ran down his cheeks. Maybe he should have asked Scully to help him. Only he didn't want her to suspect what he had become.
Thunder shook the windows of the cabin as Mulder wiped the tears from his eyes. After his sac was numb, he picked up the scalpel and took a deep breath. He used two fingers to pull the skin over the chip taut then made the incision into the flesh with the sharp blade. Blood poured from the wound as he used the point of the scalpel to extract the chip. He set it on the table then blotted the wound with the white towel. When the flow of blood slowed, he applied antiseptic gel to it, placed a butterfly bandage over it to hold it closed, and then taped gauze over it.
Mulder closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that it was going to hurt like a bitch later, but at least he no longer had the offending object inside him. Now he just needed to get rid of it. He thought about smashing it to bits, but that might not be enough to prevent them from tracking him. As he stood, he prayed that Sean would be at the ranger station.
Thunder boomed outside as he pulled his clothes back on and grabbed his rain slicker off the hook by the front door, along with his flashlight and the jug of whiskey. It was pouring rain and pitched black outside as he ran to the barn and saddled his horse. He groaned as his groin made contact with the hard leather saddle. Thankfully his sac was still numb from the Novocain. After making the eight-mile ride to the ranger's station, Mulder breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the light glowing from the windows. Mulder dismounted and led his horse to the stable to get it out of the rain. He ran back to the station and knocked on the door, which was answered by a stocky bear-like man around his own age.
"Mulder, what in the hell are you doing out in this weather?" the ranger asked, letting him inside.
"Sean, I need a favor from you." He walked across the room and placed the jug on the table.
"What do you need?"
"I need you to fly me to the ocean in your helicopter."
"Now?"
"It has to be now."
"In case you haven't noticed there's a severe thunderstorm passing over our area and up along the whole eastern seaboard."
"That's why it has to be now." Mulder held up the plastic bag with chip inside still coated with his blood. "As soon as the storm is over they'll know that I removed this and come for me. The electrical interference from the storm is the only thing blocking its signal. If I can dispose of the chip far enough away, then they won't be able to trace me back here."
Sean looked at the object then walked over and pulled on his jacket. "We better hurry then, hadn't we?"
Mulder let out the breath he'd been holding and followed the ranger out the door. They raced across the muddy ground to the helicopter.
Sean was a UFO enthusiast. After seeing a UFO when he was a teenager, he had read every book available on the subject. So when Mulder moved into Old Man Peterson's cabin, Sean knew instantly who he was because Mulder was a legend in the UFO community.
"I'm going to fly low. Hopefully we won't be hit by lightning," Sean said as the helicopter lifted off the ground.
"Thanks for doing this for me," Mulder said as he watched the ground vanish below.
"No problem man. I do expect you to tell me how you got that chip out when we get back."
"I'll tell you over a cup of corn whiskey. I think I'll need a drink by the time we get back." Mulder looked out at the storm and marveled at how much control Sean had over the copter as it was buffeted by wind and rain. It would take them a couple of hours to reach the ocean, so he relaxed back in his seat and tried to ignore the throbbing pain in his groin.
~x~X~x~
The Bear
Crystal City, Virginia
Thursday, September 20, 2001
Walter Skinner stood in front of his balcony doors looking out at the storm. He took a long sip from a tumbler of scotch as the lightning flashed outside. His life had become pointless. Nothing he did seemed to amount to anything that he could be proud of any longer. He used to enjoy his job and the challenges he faced each day. At one time, Skinner felt like he was making a difference and contributing something back to society. Now he felt dirty, like nothing more than a tool, used by various groups, each with their own agendas. When had he stopped fighting the good fight and start protecting his own ass?
He slapped his hand hard against the window in frustration, causing the glass to quiver and come close to breaking. This wasn't who he was! Why had he allowed himself to come to this? After all, he had stood up to CGB Spender! Put his career and life on the line for Mulder and Scully. Not just for them, but to help uncover the lies and conspiracy that were threatening his country. Then Krycek, that rat bastard, poisoned his blood with those nanocytes and forced him to spy on Mulder and Scully, betraying their trust. When Mulder had been returned after being abducted, Krycek tried to use him again. In the end Krycek had a change of heart and gave Skinner the palm pilot, setting him free. Skinner still puzzled over why Krycek hadn't just killed him. He frowned, for all the good it did him, he still wasn't free, Kersh now held his leash and that bastard's agenda was tied too closely with CGB Spender's and the conspirators for his comfort.
It was time to get out. Skinner couldn't fight the shadowy figures alone and he wouldn't risk his agents. Although he respected Agent Doggett and considered him to be a friend and an outstanding agent, the man lacked the intuitive brilliance of Fox Mulder. Skinner couldn't see him ever coming close to cracking the conspiracy, not unless Doggett developed more of an open mind to the paranormal and the existence of aliens. It was too bad that Mulder and Doggett couldn't have been partnered together, he had a feeling the two men would have been an unstoppable force. Tomorrow, Skinner would turn in his resignation. He had enough years in for a nice pension, and he was still young enough that he could find another job.
Decision made, Skinner downed the rest of his drink in one swallow. He gazed back out the window and wondered what Mulder was doing at this moment. It'd been months since he'd heard from him. Scully never mentioned Mulder or where he'd gone. Then she didn't really know. The only person who knew Mulder's whereabouts was Frohike and he wasn't talking.
Maybe Skinner would use his time away from the bureau to track Mulder down and get some answers as to why he had gone into hiding. The last thing Skinner had ever pictured Mulder being was a quitter.
~x~X~x~
The Rat
Alexandria, Virginia
Thursday, September 20, 2001
A lone man shivered and pulled his leather jacket tighter around his body as he ran across the puddle-filled street, trying to protect himself from the cold, biting rain. He ducked into an alley, checking the doors before finally breaking into a warehouse on the outskirts of Alexandria. Krycek had first stopped at Mulder's apartment, but it had a new tenant who didn't know what had happened to its former occupant.
He shivered again, not from the cold but from fear, burying his hands deeper into his jacket pockets as he looked around.
"God, just my luck to choose a warehouse storing auto parts and not food," he muttered as he read the label on the crates. He couldn't even find a vending machine in the large space.
Krycek froze and listened as a car drove by in the alley. He was sure he'd lost the alien bounty hunter. The alien had tracked him to Mulder's apartment building. It was only through share cunning that he had eluded it.
As he searched the warehouse, Krycek thought about how lucky he had been to escape from the alien spaceship before they had implanted a chip inside his body. Unfortunately they had altered him. He swore at how careless he'd been months ago when agreeing to go with the alien bounty hunter. The promise of a new arm and answers to what they'd done to Mulder had been more than he could resist. Krycek flexed his new hand. He feared for Earth, Mulder, and himself at the answers they had given him.
Colonization would begin soon. He had to find Mulder and warn him, then confess the truth to him. He'd do anything to look into those bright hazel eyes again, even if Mulder killed him. Neither of them had won, now it was time to pay the piper.
Krycek made a bed out of bubble wrap in a dark corner of the warehouse. He needed a few hours of sleep. Then he'd find Scully. If anyone would know how to get in touch with Mulder, she would. He snickered as he laid his wet body on the nest he'd made. He really had become a rat. Running his hand through his long wet hair, he sighed, "A drowned rat."
His stomach growled and he wrapped his arms around his body, trying to ignore the gnawing emptiness in his belly. He concentrated on Mulder. The last image on his mind before sleep took him was of gentle hazel eyes and a sinfully lush mouth kissing him.
~x~X~x~
The Dog
The FBI
Hoover Building
Friday, September 21, 2001
Doggett rubbed his tired eyes as he set the report back on his desk. He glanced up at the clock. It was nearly two o'clock in the morning.
"Shit," he muttered, standing and pulling on his wrinkled suit coat. It had been a while since he'd put in such long hours. The X-Files seemed to be taking up more and more of his life.
He was starting to relate to Fox Mulder in many ways. It was nearly impossible not to believe in aliens, after spending the past four months looking into several abductions. Deep in his bones, he felt that something big was about to happen. Maybe he should go and see Mulder. If anyone could fill in the missing pieces to this weird puzzle it would be the Spook himself.
Doggett strolled across the parking garage to his car. He stopped dead in his tracks when Knowle Rohrer stepped out of the shadows.
"What do you want?"
"We lost, John. Get as far away from D.C. as you can. By sunset tonight this place will be a charred pile of earth."
"What do you mean?" Doggett angrily pushed Rohrer up against the concrete pillar.
Rohrer brushed him off easily, as if he was a fly, knocking Doggett to the cement floor. He chuckled. "It's already too late for me. I only have a few hours left to live. Save yourself, John, and live to fight another day."
Doggett looked up at his former friend then climbed to his feet as Rohrer turned and left.
"What do you mean?" he shouted at Rohrer's retreating back.
Doggett stood in the center of the empty parking garage for several minutes before climbing behind the wheel of his car. It took him twenty minutes to drive to the Lone Gunmen's headquarters on the outskirts of D.C.
He pounded on the locked door until a bedraggled Langly let him inside.
"Dude, don't you know what time it is?" the tall blonde Gunman asked.
"I need to find Mulder! Dana Scully doesn't know where he is, so I figured one of yous guys would know."
Langly held up his hands in a mock attempt to fend off the desperate agent. "Hey, don't look at me. Ask Frohike."
"Ask me what?" Frohike said, coming out of his bedroom and running his fingers through his greasy hair.
"Where is Mulder?"
Frohike looked at Doggett and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not at liberty to say. However if you want to leave a message for him, I'll see that he gets it."
Doggett shook his head. "No, it's important that I get in touch with him immediately."
"I can't tell you where he is. Look, Agent Doggett, I'm not about to betray Mulder's trust."
Doggett was tired and irritable. "Look, Frohike, I wouldn't be asking if it weren't important!"
Byers came out of his bedroom when he heard their rising voices. "What's going on?"
"I need to reach Mulder, but Frohike is refusing to tell me where he is."
Langly in the meantime had plopped down in front of his computer monitor, and started scanning the different databases. "Holy shit! Guys, stop arguing and look at this!"
"What do you have?" Byers hurried over to his side.
"The whole fucking U.S. military has gone on a full scale alert. Something big is coming down."
"Terrorists?" Frohike asked.
Byers logged onto the station next to Langly's, and started scanning the messages being passed from the Pentagon to the White House. The color drained from his face. "Oh my."
"What?"
Byers looked at them with large eyes. "It seems we're on the brink of being invaded by aliens. Our satellites are picking up thousands of UFOs entering our galaxy."
Langly licked his lips. "Do you think there's any chance they're friendly?"
Doggett shook his head as he looked at the monitor. "I wouldn't bank on it."
Frohike grabbed Doggett's arm and pulled him toward his workstation. He opened the desk drawer and pulled out a map. "You need to get to Mulder and warn him."
Doggett's stomach was doing flip-flops as Frohike told him where to find Mulder. He wondered if he should call Skinner first. It was three o'clock in the morning, so he decided to wait until he talked to Mulder. He was still doubtful that this was really happening.
~x~X~x~
The Dog and the Fox
Blue Ridge Mountain
Ranger's station
Friday, September 21, 2001
The sun was just rising when Doggett arrived at the ranger station. He glanced at his watch. It was seven o'clock in the morning.
A tough looking stocky man answered the door. He was pulling on a plaid shirt over his hairy chest and looking like he'd just rolled out of bed. "How may I help you?" he growled.
Doggett flashed his badge. "I'm Special Agent John Doggett. Melvin Frohike sent me. He said Fox Mulder has a cabin in the area."
"You say Frohike sent you?" Sean asked suspiciously.
"Yeah, he said you'd show me how to find Mulder's cabin." Doggett put his badge away, realizing it didn't hold much weight with the ranger.
"I'm going to take your word for it, Agent Doggett," Sean said, taking a rifle from the gun rack. "But, if you're lying to me, you won't be leaving these mountains."
"I'm not lying," Doggett said, surprised by the man's protective behavior toward Mulder.
They walked out the door and Sean led the way to the stable.
Doggett wished he'd worn his hiking boots, instead of his dress shoes, as he tried to avoid stepping into the deep muddy puddles on the way to the stable.
The ranger saddled two horses. Doggett easily swung himself up in the saddle. He'd learned how to ride as a boy while growing up on his family's farm. He followed Sean through the forest and over the steep rocky hillsides. The overhead canopy of branches blocked out much of the sun. Doggett admired the beauty of the place and took a deep breath of the fresh air. They finally came out into a small clearing.
"We're here."
"Where?" Doggett looked around seeing only trees and bushes.
"It's a pretty good location. You can't see the cabin from the path unless you know where to look."
Doggett followed Sean through a small gap in the bushes, getting wet from the water droplets clinging to the leaves. He stopped and looked at the quaint log cabin tucked under a grove of tall oak and pine trees. He could make out other buildings on the property, behind the cabin. Doggett thought it would be almost impossible to spot this place from the air. The cabin had a wraparound porch and a large stone chimney.
Mulder opened the cabin door and limped out onto the porch. "Agent Doggett. If Frohike gave you my location it had better be important."
Doggett dismounted and tied the horse's reins to a hitching post in front of the cabin. "Mr. Mulder, it is important. May I come in?" Doggett asked, stepping up onto the porch.
Mulder stepped back, allowing him to enter. "Sean, would you like to come in? I'm fixing breakfast."
"No, I better get back. How are you feeling?" Sean's eyes dropped to Mulder's groin.
"Sore as hell. Thanks for the bottle of Tylenol you loaned me last night. I'll have to remember to pick some up next time I'm in town."
"No problem. I'll stop out later," Sean said, nudging the horse back through the bushes.
Doggett glanced around the cabin it looked very well constructed. The walls were made from whole logs. They were a rich honey hue that gave the room a warm feeling. The windows allowed plenty of light into the cabin. It was clean and homey, right down to the cat curled up sleeping on a rug in front of a woodstove, and it smelled of freshly baked bread. Above the kitchen was a loft that overlooked the main room. Doggett noticed two inner doors, one clearly opened to the bathroom, and the other he assumed was a bedroom. On one wall, in the main room, were bookshelves and hundreds of books.
"You have a nice place here, Mulder."
"I like it. Mr. Peterson was quite the carpenter, he built this place to last." Mulder walked over to the old-fashioned stove. "Would you like some scrambled eggs? I collected the eggs from the chickens this morning."
"You raise chickens?"
"The chickens, a horse, and two cows came with the place," Mulder said then chuckled. "Sean had to teach me how to milk the cows. They come in handy since I don't have electricity out here yet. If I need to keep something cold I have to put it out back in the stream or down in the root cellar."
"If it isn't too much bother, I'd appreciate breakfast. I haven't eaten since noon yesterday."
"It's no bother." Mulder cracked three more eggs into the bowl and whipped them with a fork.
Doggett watched him closely. There was something different about Mulder, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He'd always found the man attractive and mysterious. Finding Mulder living out here only added to the mystique.
"Do you want to tell me why you're here?" Mulder asked, pouring the eggs into a skillet.
"I was warned by an informant to get out of D.C. He said it was going to be destroyed today. I'm still not sure if it is bullshit or not, but I wanted to talk to you about it. So I went to the Lone Gunmen to try and get your whereabouts from them."
Mulder frowned, as he continued to stir the eggs in the pan.
"Don't worry, Mulder, Frohike wasn't about to give it to me. While I was there, they picked up some weird communications between the military and government on their computers. Supposedly there are thousands of alien spaceships entering our galaxy and the military is on a full alert. I know this sounds like utter crap. But, I've been looking into four abductions over the past four months...I now believe the men were abducted by aliens. Fox, I think something bad is going down."
Mulder calmly stirred the scrambled eggs with a spatula. "After breakfast I'll go back to D.C. with you. I want to check on Scully and William, in case there is any truth to your tale."
"You don't believe me?"
"I don't want to believe you. If what you're saying is true then life as we know it will come to an end today." Mulder divided the eggs onto two plates then cut two slices of bread from the loaf he baked that morning.
Doggett followed Mulder over to the table. He sat as Mulder set the plates down then went back for the utensils and jam. Doggett took the fork Mulder offered him and dug into the eggs. Maybe it was because he was hungry, but they were the best tasting eggs he'd ever eaten. "Mm, this is really good, thanks."
Mulder slowly ate his eggs, while worrying about what Doggett had told him. He lowered his hand under the table to rest it on his thigh not quite touching his groin. His balls were swollen from the self-surgery he'd performed last night, and they were starting to itch. He couldn't zip his jeans over them and was wearing loose fitting sweatpants.
~x~X~x~
The Rat
Alexandria, Virginia
Friday, September 21, 2001
When Krycek woke up, he discovered he'd overslept. His body protested as he climbed to his feet and glanced at the clock on the wall above the door. It was already ten o'clock in the morning. He was surprised no one had come into the warehouse while he was sleeping.
Krycek searched for and found the restroom. He used the urinal then washed his hands, splashing cold water on his face. He frowned at his image in the mirror and ran a shaky hand over his smooth stubble free cheeks. The image looking back seemed so surreal, too pretty to be him.
When Krycek finally left the warehouse, the first sight to greet him were people standing on the sidewalk and looking up at the sky. His heart sank as he looked up and saw dozens of large alien spaceships hovering overhead as far as the eye could see. Each was the size of a football stadium.
He realized he didn't have much time before they attacked, so making a split second decision, he decided to head toward the Hoover Building and Skinner, instead of to Quantico and Scully. He needed to get to the A.D. before it was too late. After everything he'd done to the man over the years this would be his only chance to make it up to him. Krycek found a motorcycle parked in front of an apartment building, he hot-wired it and took off for D.C.
~x~X~x~
The Bear
Washington, D.C.
Friday, September 21, 2001
Skinner joined the people outside the Hoover building, staring up at the spaceships hovering over D.C.
"Fuck, after all these years it looks like Spooky Mulder was right," Agent Jackson said.
"It's too bad no one believed him," Skinner said. He had only come to believe Mulder after he'd witnessed the agent's abduction. However, Skinner had done everything in his power to support his agent's work on the X-Files throughout the years.
"What do you suppose they want?" another agent asked.
"Do you think they're friendly?" asked another.
"No." Skinner shook his head. "Definitely not friendly."
Traffic in front of the Hoover building had come to a standstill as people climbed out of their cars to watch the spaceships. Skinner noticed a motorcycle jump the curb and speed up the sidewalk, causing people to jump out of its way. It squealed to a stop in front of where he stood. He stared open-mouthed at its green-eyed driver.
"Krycek, what the hell do you want?"
"Get on, Skinner! We don't have much time!"
As if on cue, one of the spaceships opened fire on the U.S. Capital. It seemed to be the signal for all the ships to open fire. As they were firing on the city a squadron of US fighter jets streaked into view and started launching their missiles at the alien crafts.
Most of the fighter jets were quickly destroyed, but not before a few of the spaceships were destroyed, raining debris down on the city. Surface to air missiles took out even more of the enemy crafts.
Skinner wasted no time climbing on the back of the motorcycle behind his archenemy. Krycek gunned the bike as people ran screaming in all directions. Skinner glanced over his shoulder just as the FBI Hoover building was leveled into a pile of twisted steel and concrete. Krycek drove down sidewalks and across lawns as he made his way to the interstate. Around them buildings were on fire. Several times they came close to being crushed by falling debris. Skinner averted his eyes as they sped past dead bodies and body parts.
Krycek hit the interstate going full throttle. Skinner thought they were going to crash several times as Krycek wove the motorcycle around crashed cars and people fleeing on foot down the middle of the freeway. When they were far enough outside of D.C. Krycek steered the bike off the road and behind some trees and shrubs.
Skinner climbed shakily off the back of the motorcycle and walked to the edge of the trees so he could look back at D.C. The sky above the city was bright orange as hundreds of fires burned. Black smoke drifted up from all directions around them. Skinner felt a rage building inside of him over all the lives that had been lost in less than a heartbeat. He also felt helpless over not being able to do anything to stop it.
Looking at Krycek, he noticed something different about the younger man's face then his eyes fell on the Krycek's hands. "Your arm."
"They grew me a new one," Krycek said.
The A.D. sneered and waved toward D.C. "Was it worth the price?"
"We're on the same side, Skinner." Krycek walked past him and looked toward the burning city. "I worked for the agency. My assignment was to do whatever it took to stop them."
"It looks like you failed." Skinner didn't know whether to believe him or not.
Krycek frowned. "Walter, do you know where Mulder is?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"I have some unfinished business with him."
"He's straight, Alex, why don't you just forget about him?" Skinner had known for years that Krycek was in love with Mulder. For some reason, Krycek just couldn't accept that his love would remain forever unrequited. At least Skinner wasn't delusional enough to believe that his own feelings for his former agent would ever be returned.
Krycek eyes became sad and distant. "I just want to see him one more time before I die."
"Frohike is the only person who knows where Mulder is and he's back there." Skinner nodded toward D.C.
Krycek walked back to the motorcycle. "They've stopped firing. After they assess the damage, they'll start up again. Eventually they'll send down the hunters to subdue the survivors. We don't have much time, Walter, let's go find Frohike."
Skinner pulled out his cell phone and tried the Gunmen's number. He received a busy signal. "Fuck." He climbed onto the back of the motorcycle and gave Krycek directions.
~x~X~x~
The Bear and the Rat
Lone Gunmen's Headquarters
Friday, September 21, 2001
It took Skinner and Krycek longer to drive back to D.C. than it did to leave. They had to take back roads, the main ones were filled with people trying to flee from the city. When they finally reached the Lone Gunmen's neighborhood, it was in shambles. Soon the streets became so blocked with rubble that Krycek had to park the motorcycle behind the remains of a building and they walked the rest of the way.
Krycek winced and covered his nose at the smell of charred flesh. There were dead bodies scattered throughout the destroyed neighborhood. They saw the occasional person wandering mindlessly through the rubble, while calling out for loved ones that might never answer.
"Oh fuck," Skinner said as they stopped in front of what was left of the Lone Gunmen's headquarters.
"Do you think they got out?" Krycek asked.
Skinner shook his head. "I don't know. One thing's for sure, no one could have survived being in that building when it was hit."
"Now what?" Krycek was losing all hope of ever finding Mulder.
Skinner pulled out his cell phone again and tried to dial Scully but it was dead. "Damn." He tossed it into the rubble. "We need to get to Quantico and find Scully."
"I doubt that there will be anything left of Quantico--"
"We're going there, Krycek!"
"Okay, but if we see any hunters we're getting the hell out of here!" The last thing Krycek wanted was to fall back into the hands of the aliens, not after what they'd just done to his body. He'd been in too much of a hurry since escaping to even think about the changes they'd made to him.
~x~X~x~
The Fox and the Dog
Quantico
Friday, September 21, 2001
Doggett pulled his truck off the road. This was as close as they were going to get to Quantico. The roads were just too blocked with debris and people fleeing in their vehicles out of the city.
Earlier, when they had ridden the horses back to the ranger station, Sean had informed them about the spaceships that had appeared above all the major cities around the world. Mulder and Doggett wasted no time in driving back to the city. The drive to Quantico normally took four hours, but Doggett made it to the outskirts in three. By then it was already too late. As they got closer to the city, they noticed smoke rising in almost every direction around them. They saw fighter jets and surface to air missiles being fired at the spaceships. Amazingly many of the spaceships were destroyed by the US military.
Unfortunately, they weren't enough to save D.C. or the surrounding cities.
"John, I have a bad feeling about this. If for some reason we become separated, I think we should try to meet back at my cabin."
Doggett raised an eyebrow at Mulder's use of his first name. "Sure, Fox, but I plan to stick close to your side," he said as they cautiously walked by the smoldering remains of a downed F16 fighter jet.
They made their way to what was left of Quantico. Mulder glanced up at a UFO hovering in the distance. Most of the spaceships from earlier had fallen back after many had been destroyed.
When they reached Quantico, the building was on fire, but it hadn't been totally destroyed.
"SCULLY!" Mulder called.
They heard moaning coming from the ruins and people came stumbling outside. There were a few people on the front lawn trying to help the survivors. Mulder rushed up to them.
"Has anyone seen Special Agent Dana Scully? She's a short redhead in her mid-thirties! She teaches here?" Mulder frantically gestured to the burning building.
One of the men looked up at him tiredly. His face was gray with ash and soot. "I know her, but I can't remember seeing her today."
Mulder started toward the burning building, but Doggett stopped him by grabbing his upper arm. "Mulder, you're going to get yourself killed."
Mulder shook his head. "Scully may be inside--"
"She may already be dead or safe elsewhere. Fox, getting yourself killed isn't going to do us any good."
"John, I need to know!" Mulder pushed him off and ran up the steps and into the building. He knew where Scully's classroom and office were so he covered his face against the smoke and headed in that direction. The ground shook and he was thrown off his feet onto a pile of broken plasterboard and tile.
Doggett swore as he started up the steps after Mulder. The bastard was going to get them both killed.
"Agent Doggett!"
He spun at the sound of his name and saw Skinner and Krycek running toward him.
"Sir, Mulder's in the building!"
Just then an alien ship came into view and opened fire on a building a couple of blocks from where they stood.
"I'll get him!" Krycek shouted and ran into the building before Skinner or Doggett could stop him.
The spaceship was getting closer to their location. The people that were resting in front of the building took off across the lawn, supporting the injured between them.
Doggett and Skinner looked at each other and swore, then followed Krycek into the building.
Mulder rolled onto his side. He had twisted his ankle going down and reopened the incision on his testicles. "Shit." The fire was getting closer to where he lay. Scully's office was in the middle of the inferno. No way could she or anyone be alive in that part of the building. He tried to stand but collapsed back to his knees, choking as smoke burned his throat and eyes.
"Mulder!"
"Over here!" Mulder choked out, looking up through tear-filled eyes as a shape appeared out of the smoke.
"Hey, Foxy, long time no see," Krycek said as he put an arm around Mulder and helped him to his feet. "Can you walk?"
Mulder bit his lower lip against the pain. "My ankle, it's sprained." He coughed as the smoke made it harder to breathe.
Krycek coughed. "Okay, lean on me."
Skinner and Doggett appeared at that moment. Skinner assessed the situation and bent down and swung Mulder over his shoulders in a fireman's carry. "Let's get the hell out of here!"
Mulder moaned as his sore groin rubbed against Skinner's shoulder. They made it out of the building just as the alien ship opened fire on what remained of the structure.
"They seem more interested in destroying the buildings than people," Doggett said.
"Unless the people are in the building," Skinner growled.
"My truck is a half mile from here. In this direction," Doggett said, leading the way down the road.
"Sir, you can put me down now," Mulder said.
"Shut up, Mulder." Skinner tightened his hold on his former agent as they hurried down the street.
They paused briefly as two jet fighters roared overhead and engaged the spaceship. Both fighters were destroyed, but not before one launched its missiles, damaging the alien craft.
Krycek watched the smoke rise from the spaceship. "The military must have perfected their new missiles."
"What do you mean?" Doggett looked sideways at Krycek.
"They created a new alloy that could penetrate the skin of the alien spaceships. They've been working on it for nearly nine years," Krycek said.
Doggett raised an eyebrow. He had his suspicions about what the government knew and was covering up. "Are you saying that our government and military knew about aliens?"
Krycek nodded and smirked. "They've known since Roswell."
"Fuck. Those bastards kept this a secret for over fifty years!" Doggett was pissed. He wanted to hit something.
"It never was much of a secret, a lot of people knew. Ask Mulder," Krycek said.
When they reached Doggett's truck, Skinner lowered Mulder to his feet. He noticed the blood on Mulder's sweatpants over his groin. "You're bleeding."
Mulder balanced his weight on his good leg. "It's nothing. I'll take care of it after we find Scully and William."
Skinner frowned. "Okay. I think we should split up into two groups. John, you go with Krycek to Margaret Scully's house in Baltimore. She usually baby-sits William. Mulder and I will head to Georgetown and check Scully's apartment."
Doggett nodded his agreement. "I think we should rendezvous back at Mulder's cabin. It's a lot safer than here. Is that all right with you, Fox?"
"Yeah."
~x~X~x~
The Rat and the Dog
Baltimore
Friday, September 21, 2001
"No one's here," Doggett said as they walked through Mrs. Scully's home. A half-eaten breakfast was still on the table.
"The car's gone. It looks like they left in a hurry," Krycek said, closing the door to the garage.
"Along with everyone else in Baltimore. I'd hate to see what the roads are like now heading out of the city." There had been hundreds cars heading away from the city when he and Mulder first arrived after the initial attack. Now they must be leaving in droves. Doggett watched as Krycek opened the refrigerator and pulled out a container of leftover roasted chicken.
"Stealing food, Krycek?"
"I doubt they'll be coming back anytime soon, or that there will be anything left of this house to come back to." Krycek took a bite out of a chicken breast. "Besides, I haven't eaten today."
Doggett sighed and grabbed a drumstick from the container. "Do you mind if we swing by my house before heading to the cabin? I'd like to pack a bag."
"Where's your house?" Krycek grabbed a can of cola out of the fridge.
"It's in the suburbs outside of D.C."
"Okay, let's get going," Krycek said, while filling his pockets with homemade cookies from the cookie jar.
Doggett just shook his head as he followed Krycek out the door, locking it behind him.
"Krycek, I know where we're going so I'll drive," Doggett said, holding out his hand for the keys.
"Agent Doggett, I don't let just anyone drive my bike." Krycek swung his legs over the seat and looked up at Doggett, waiting for him to climb on behind him.
Doggett glared at him before climbing on the motorcycle.
"Tell me how to get to your place," Krycek said, starting the cycle.
Doggett gave him directions then placed one hand behind him on the seat to keep his balance as Krycek zoomed off down the street. On the outskirts of the city there was still very little damage and practically none in the suburban areas, except for the occasional crashed fighter or spaceship.
They took the back roads to Doggett's house. Doggett was grateful that his neighborhood was still intact. He waved at his neighbor who was loading his minivan with possessions and his kids.
His neighbor stopped what he was doing and ran across the lawn. "John, is it true that they blew up the White House?"
"I don't know much more than you do, Bob." Doggett's eyes fell on the children climbing into the van. "Isn't that the Smith's kids?"
"Yeah, I picked mine up at school along with Danny and Mary, but I haven't been able to get in touch their parents, they both work in downtown D.C. I left a note for them at their house that I'm taking their kids to my sister's farm in North Carolina. I just couldn't leave them here alone."
Doggett frowned. "What about the rest of the kids at the school whose parents never showed to pick them up?"
"Some of the teachers were organizing several buses to drive everyone away from the city to Madison County." Bob looked nervously at the sky. "I better get going, no telling when those things will be back."
Doggett looked around for Krycek and noticed that his front door was open. He found Krycek in the kitchen drinking a Budweiser, while eating a chocolate chip cookie. "If you're drinking, I'm driving! Hand over the fucking keys!"
"Chill, Dogbert, I haven't had a beer in over four months," Krycek said, tossing Doggett the keys. "I only wish you had better taste in beer."
Doggett caught the keys. "As the saying goes, beggars can't be choosers." He hurried into his bedroom and grabbed his duffle bag. He started filling it with clothes and a few possessions. He also changed out of his suit and pulled on a comfortable pair of jeans, and his hiking boots.
~x~X~x~
The Fox and the Bear
Georgetown
Friday, September 21, 2001
Skinner eased the truck over to the side of the road. This was as close to Georgetown as they were going to get. The whole town was on fire. Gas pipes must have broken, flooding the sewers with gasoline. Skinner could see flames leaping out of the manhole covers.
"I'm sorry, Mulder."
"Maybe Doggett and Krycek found them," Mulder said, his eyes wide as he watched the flames shooting up into the sky.
Skinner placed his hand on Mulder's arm. "Tell me how to get to your cabin. I think we'll need to stop for gas."
Mulder gave him directions. They stopped at a deserted gas station in Crystal City and filled the truck. Skinner also filled a couple of two-gallon gas cans.
"Mulder, I'm going to see if I can pick up some clothes from my apartment. It looks like the building is still standing," Skinner said, nodding to his apartment building down the street.
"Okay, but hurry up. No telling when they'll attack again." Mulder tried the radio again as Skinner drove toward his apartment building. He finally found a station that was on the air as Skinner pulled up in front of his building.
"Are you going to be okay down here alone?"
"I'll be fine. I'm armed," Mulder said, showing Skinner his ankle holster on his uninjured ankle.
"Okay, I'll be back soon." The power was off in the building, so Skinner jogged up the seventeen floors. Most of the residents worked in D.C., so he didn't see anyone on his way up. He doubted that a lot of them were still alive any longer. Once inside his apartment, Skinner hurried up to his bedroom and pulled out two canvas bags from the closet, filling them with jeans, shirts, underwear, and socks. He next went into the bathroom for his shaving kit and first aid kit. He wanted to see the source of the blood on Mulder's groin. Then he stripped out of his suit, dressing in a pair of jeans, a sweater, and a pair of hiking boots.
Skinner rushed downstairs with the bags and set them down on his sofa. He went into the kitchen and filled a paper bag with food, figuring Mulder would be hungry...he knew he was.
Taking one last look at his apartment, Skinner knew this would be the last time he saw it. He pulled on his leather jacket and picked up his bags then hurried out of the apartment and down to the lobby. Mulder was still listening to the radio when he tossed his bags into the back of the truck and climbed behind the steering wheel.
"Anything interesting?" Skinner deposited the paper bag in Mulder's lap, careful that he didn't place it on his injured groin.
"Most of the cities in Europe and Asia have been destroyed. The aliens are still attacking over there and around the globe. It looks like our military have temporarily given them pause about attacking us. Many of their spaceships were destroyed by missiles hidden at secret sites throughout the Midwest and on the West Coast." Mulder looked in the bag and pulled out a slice of cold, day old pizza.
"What about damage done to our cities?" Skinner asked coming upon a traffic jam, he eased on the brake.
"Other than D.C., Boston and Atlanta were the heaviest hit cities." Mulder glanced up. "Take the next turn off. It will be faster taking the back roads than the interstate."
Skinner took the first right, which took them through a small neighborhood. He slammed on the breaks as a young man ran out in front of the truck waving his arms.
"Please, help me! My wife's in labor!" The man shouted as he ran around to the driver's side.
"Where is she?" Skinner asked.
"In the backseat of our SUV." The man pointed to the vehicle parked on the side of the road.
Skinner pulled the truck behind the SUV. Mulder opened his door and climbed out. He still couldn't stand on his injured ankle so he hopped over to the SUV.
"Walter, do you know anything about delivering babies?" he asked, staring down at the young woman lying in the backseat twisting and moaning.
Skinner shook his head. "Only what I've seen by watching the Learning Channel on cable. You?"
"I watched Scully deliver a baby once when we were on a case," Mulder answered nervously.
"Oh God!" the woman screamed.
Skinner turned to the woman's husband. "Go to that house and fill a bucket with hot water and see if you can find any clean towels or sheets," he said, figuring the man needed something useful to do.
Mulder in the meantime had climbed into the backseat and kneeled in the cramped space. "Hi, I'm here to help you. My name is Fox Mulder. Your husband has gone to get some things we're going to need."
The woman looked fearfully at him; her eyes were rimmed with tears. "I'm Katie. Oh God, it hurts!"
"Katie, it's going to all right. Is this your first baby?" Mulder wanted to take her mind off the pain.
"Yes."
He took her hand in his. "Have you chosen a name?"
"Michelle."
"That's a pretty name. Why did you pick it?"
Skinner watched as Mulder worked his magic, calming Katie. He wondered how long it would take the baby to be born and thought that maybe they should drive further away from D.C.
Her husband came back fifteen minutes later with his arms full. Skinner rushed over, taking the bucket of hot water from him.
"How is she?" the husband asked.
"She seems to be doing fine. My friend timed her contractions at under two minutes apart." Skinner set the bucket next to the SUV. "I'm Walter Skinner, my friend is Fox Mulder."
"Doug White."
Katie's scream drew them quickly to the van.
Mulder looked up at Skinner with a pale face. "I can see the baby's head."
Doug ran around to the other side of the SUV and opened the door. "Sweetheart, I'm here."
"Walter, what should I do?" Mulder asked.
Skinner started to reply but froze as the baby popped out suddenly with Katie's next contraction. Mulder picked up the infant covered in fluids. He used his finger to clean out the baby's mouth before turning her over and patting her bottom. The infant started crying, and Mulder eyes were filled with awe as he looked up at Skinner.
"Walter, I need something to cut the umbilical cord."
"I have scissors in my shaving kit, I'll go and get them."
Mulder placed the baby on her mother's chest. Katie smiled wearily and paled as she had another contraction and delivered the afterbirth.
Skinner came back with the scissors and handed them to Mulder. Mulder made a face as he snipped the cord. Next he grabbed a towel and cleaned up the after birth, tossing it out of the SUV onto the lawn.
"Doug, why don't you clean your daughter," Skinner suggested, watching as Mulder started cleaning the backseat and Katie. He took one of the blankets and wrapped it around her.
"Hey, Katie, you did really good," Mulder said as he made sure she was clean and comfortable.
"Fox, what will life be like for my baby?" Katie asked tiredly.
Mulder frowned. "I don't know, but we can't give up hope. Do you and Doug have someplace to go?"
"Yes. We're going to my cousin's in Colorado."
Doug came back with the infant wrapped in a towel. "Hey, honey. I bathed our daughter...she's so beautiful. Can you hold her?" He placed the infant in his wife's arms. "I think we should try to put some distance between us and D.C.," he said, kissing her forehead.
Doug closed the door and walked over to Skinner as the A.D. was helping Mulder out of the SUV. "Walter, I want to thank you and Mr. Mulder for all you have done for my wife and me."
"You're welcome, Doug. I wish you and your family the best."
"Thank you," Doug said, climbing behind the wheel of his SUV.
Skinner helped Mulder back to their truck. He didn't like how swollen Mulder's ankle had become and prayed that it wasn't broken.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"I'm fine, sir."
"Mulder, you've been calling me Walter for most of the afternoon, there's no reason to switch back to sir. It's not like you're still working for me."
"Sorry, old habits." Mulder watched the White's SUV pull away. "Let's get out of here. The sun's starting to set and we still have a long drive to my cabin."
"Okay, Mulder." Skinner couldn't help staring at Mulder; there was something different about his former agent. He'd always been attracted to Mulder, but now he found his mere presence arousing.
The sun had set by the time they finally reached the ranger's station. Krycek's acquired motorcycle was parked out front. Mulder frowned, seeing no other vehicles, it meant they hadn't found Scully.
Sean rushed outside when he heard the truck. "Mulder, have we really been invaded?" The ranger was grateful that he had no family left to worry about.
"We've been attacked. It's only a matter of time before they break through our military's defenses." Mulder allowed Skinner to help him out of the truck. He wasn't looking forward to the eight-mile horseback ride to his cabin in the dark. "Sean, this is Assistant Director Walter Skinner."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Skinner. Mulder's only had good things to say about you," Sean said, while watching Mulder. "What's wrong with your foot?"
"I sprained my ankle."
Sean shook his head. "It looks swollen. Your horse is in the stable. Your friends borrowed one of my horses and headed up to the cabin an hour ago. The dark-haired one wanted to drive his motorcycle there, but I convinced him that the ground was just too steep and rocky for the bike to make the trek in the dark."
"Thanks, Sean. I wasn't planning on guests, can you loan me a couple of sleeping bags?"
"I can do better. I have a large air mattress you can borrow for as long as you need it. It's one of those self-inflating types." Sean walked back into the station as Skinner helped Mulder over to the stable.
Where, to Skinner's surprise, Mulder expertly saddled the horse while talking to it in soothing tones. They led the horse out of the stable and Skinner helped Mulder onto its back, then handed him the two canvas bags he'd packed before swinging his long legs into the saddle behind Mulder and wrapping his arms around the younger man's waist. Sean came back out and handed Skinner the bundle he was holding.
"Thanks, Sean, we'll see you tomorrow," Mulder said, spurring the horse into a trot.
~x~X~x~
Krycek wandered around the cabin. He held the orange tabby snuggled against his chest. He smiled at how cozy the place was and tried to picture Mulder up here all by himself. For some reason the thought made him sad. Next he wandered into the bedroom and sat on the large bed. The bedposts and frame were made out of logs, stripped of their bark then buffed and polished until the wood shone.
Doggett strolled into the bedroom. He'd been outside stabling the horse then feeding it and the cows some hay. He also fed the chickens. He grew up on a farm and had experience caring for animals.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Staking my claim to the bed, you and Skinner can sleep up in the loft. Mulder and I will sleep down here," Krycek said, setting the cat on the soft mattress, then swinging his feet up to lie down next to her.
"That bed is large enough for three. I think Fox, Walter, and I will be using it while you sleep on the rug in front of the stove," Doggett said menacingly. It'd been over twenty-four hours since he'd last slept and he was feeling irritable.
"Agent Doggett, why don't you make yourself useful and light a fire in the hearth. It's starting to get cold."
"Look, you little shit, I suggest you get your lazy ass off the bed and light the fire yourself. I'm going to see about starting a fire in the wood stove so I can put on some coffee." Doggett stormed out of the bedroom to Krycek's amusement.
"I don't think he likes me," Krycek said to the cat before he stood and walked over to the large stone fireplace.
Doggett first started a fire in the pot-bellied stove in the main room of the cabin, before heading into the open kitchen. Mulder had a bucket of kindling and logs sitting next to the wood stove. Once he had a fire lit, Doggett hunted around for the coffee, finding it in a metal tin appropriately labeled coffee. He looked at the old-fashioned percolator on the stove. He hadn't seen one of those since the early seventies. His mom used one before switching to the automatic Mr. Coffee.
By the time Skinner and Mulder walked through the door, the place was pleasantly warm and smelled of freshly percolated coffee. Krycek had lit the oil lamps and was reading in front of the pot-bellied stove with the cat sleeping on his lap. He looked up and smiled.
"Look, John Dear, the kids are home," he quipped, setting the book down.
Doggett only rolled his eyes and helped Mulder over to a chair in the kitchen.
Skinner set his bags down on the sofa and looked around at the cabin. "John, I need to unsaddle the horse and get her bedded down for the night. Can you tell me where the stable is?"
"Barn. I'll show you, Walter," Doggett said.
Krycek walked over and kneeled next to Mulder's chair, helping him off with his hiking boots.
"What were you reading?" Mulder asked, wiggling uncomfortable on the hard oak chair. Dreading the upcoming task of removing the blood encrusted bandage from his sac and applying antiseptic gel.
"One of the books on cheese making," Krycek said, unbuckling Mulder's ankle holster and placing it on the table. He then examined Mulder's swollen ankle. "It's interesting. Have you tried making cheese?"
"Yeah, not much else to do up here. I have some cheddar cheese aging in the root cellar. I want to try to make some Gorgonzola and Gouda next." Mulder sighed as Krycek's fingers massaged his foot. He should tell him to stop, but it felt so damn good. The strange thing was he no longer hated Krycek. Too much had happened to him over the past year that Mulder didn't have it in him to hate anyone, except for the aliens.
Mulder licked his lips and asked hesitantly, "Krycek, what did you find at Mrs. Scully's house?"
"Alex...I'd prefer to be called by my first name." Krycek gave Mulder a piercing look. "It looked like they left in a hurry. Fox, I'm almost positive Scully and William would have been with her. The breakfast table was set for two adults and the highchair was next to it with a bowl of what looked like cream of rice."
Mulder breathed out a sigh of relief. "Then they're still alive."
"Yeah, for whatever good it does them."
Mulder swallowed back tears. "I should have told Scully where I was staying."
"Why didn't you?"
"I didn't want her to find out what the aliens had done to me."
"I know what they did to you, Fox. They did the same thing to me." Krycek sadly shook his head. "I just haven't had time to consider the implications behind why they did it."
"You mean you have a--" Mulder looked down at Krycek's crotch.
"Yeah. I escaped before they could put it to use," Krycek said. "It wasn't the grays that are behind this invasion. It's another race of aliens. The grays are only slaves to them."
"Kry--Alex, I think our military gave them a bloody lip today. It's obvious they weren't expecting to have their ships shot down," Mulder said.
"Well, it's only a matter of time before the aliens win. If they had held off attacking us for a few more years we would have had our continent and our allies rimmed with our missile defense system." Krycek looked at the dried blood staining the fabric over Mulder's groin. "You removed the chip?"
Mulder nodded. "Sean helped me dispose of it in the ocean during last night's thunderstorm."
Krycek nodded with satisfaction. "Clever boy. C'mon, let's go into the bathroom and I'll help you redress your wound."
Mulder was starting to feel woozy, so he grateful for the help. He leaned on Krycek for support and limped into the bathroom. Krycek had lit the oil lamp on the wall earlier. The tiled floor was ice cold as Krycek helped him over to the toilet and closed the lid so he could sit. It was late September in the mountains and the evenings were beginning to get quite cold.
"Krycek, through that door is the wood-heated water heater. The water usually stays hot most of the day after the fire has gone out," Mulder said.
"I'll throw some more wood into it. I'd like to take a hot bath before bed tonight," Krycek said, opening the door he walked into the cold dark room. He found the iron door on the heater and put more wood and kindling inside then lit the fire. The tank was a large thirty-gallon.
Krycek came back into the bathroom and helped Mulder off with the soiled sweatpants, frowning at the dried blood covering the gauze bandage. "I'm going to place a wet washcloth over the bandage to help loosen it." He tried not to drool over the beautiful large penis lying flaccid against Mulder's thigh. The water was still warm as he wet a soft washcloth and placed it over Mulder's groin.
"While we wait for that to loosen the bandage, I'll wrap your ankle." Krycek was kneeling at Mulder's feet when Skinner knocked on the door and opened it.
"Mulder, are you all right?"
Mulder looked up at Skinner and was grateful that the washcloth covered his whole groin, not just his sac. "I'm fine, Walter. I could use a cup of coffee, if you don't mind?"
"Ah sure, I'll be right back with it." Skinner frowned, noticing the tender way Krycek was holding Mulder's foot.
"How's Mulder?" Doggett asked as Skinner entered the main room. He was climbing down the ladder leading up to the loft. Where he'd just setup the air mattress and covered it with sheets and a blanket. It was still to be determined who was sleeping where.
"He's fine," Skinner said, filling two coffee mugs, he walked back into the bathroom and handed one to Mulder and kept the other for himself. He smirked at the annoyed look Krycek shot him. "You have a really nice place here, Mulder."
Mulder smiled as he took a sip of the hot beverage. "It's a lot of work, but I like it. No phones, no traffic, no noisy neighbors, except for the family of raccoons down the creek."
"Sometime, when you're feeling up to it, I'd love a tour of your land." Skinner wasn't kidding when he told Mulder he liked it. He'd love to live in such a place; being self-sufficient and be surrounded by nature. He sighed remembering the reason they were at Mulder's cabin in the first place.
"I'd love to show you around. I was pretty fortunate to find this place, if it weren't for Froh...." Mulder gasped. "Oh fuck! I was so worried about Scully that I didn't even think about Frohike, Langly, and Byers. I wonder if they're all right."
Krycek and Skinner exchanged worried glances, before Krycek answered him. "Fox, we tried to find the Gunmen after the aliens attacked. Their headquarters had been destroyed. We don't know if they made it out alive or not. I'm sorry."
"It just keeps getting worse," Mulder said.
Krycek looked up at Skinner. "Wally, if you'll excuse us, I'd like to redress Fox's injury, and I think he'd prefer some privacy."
Skinner glared at the young man. "Fuck off, Alex." Then he looked at his former agent. "Mulder, if you need me, I'll be in the other room with John."
"Thanks, sir."
After Skinner left, Krycek carefully peeled off the bandage from the wound. "You should have stitched this closed. You're going to have a scar."
"It doesn't matter," Mulder said.
Krycek frowned it mattered to him. "Fox, can I ask a favor of you."
Mulder looked at his former enemy whose hands were being so gentle on his body. "What, Alex?"
"Can I sleep with you tonight? I spent months sleeping on a hard stone chair onboard the alien's ship and last night I spent sleeping on a cold concrete floor of a warehouse. It's been so long since I've slept in a real bed."
"I suppose. Sean sent an air mattress that Walter and John can share. If we're up here for long we can take turns in the bed."
Krycek smiled broadly as he applied the gel and fresh bandages to Mulder's wound. The back of his fingers brushed the length of Mulder's hardening penis. "Stay here and I'll go and get you something clean to wear."
Mulder blushed as Krycek stood. He noted the sorry state of Krycek's clothes. "Alex, we're about the same size, if you want to borrow something to wear."
Krycek wanted to kiss him, but he knew that Mulder was still nave over his true feelings for him. He went into the bedroom and started rummaging through the dresser. The fireplace cast a nice warm glow throughout the room. He pulled out a couple of pairs of boxer shorts, undershirts, and sweatpants. After his bath, Krycek was looking forward to sleeping in these soft garments.
Skinner and Doggett sat at the kitchen table talking as Krycek carried the clothes back into the bathroom and shut the door. Skinner glared at the closed door.
"You have feelings for both of them don't you?" Doggett asked.
"Mind your own business!" Skinner snapped.
"Walter, this is my business. I may be spending the remainder of my life with you guys. No matter how brief," Doggett said.
Skinner sighed, "John, I'm sorry. When I was in 'Nam I had sexual relations with other men. I've long since accepted that I'm bisexual. I've been attracted to Fox Mulder since the first time I met him. Getting to know him only made me more attracted to him. The man is so fucking brilliant and gorgeous." Skinner sighed. "Alex Krycek on the other hand, is a man's worst nightmare. He's too beautiful it's hard to resist him."
Doggett calmly sipped his coffee. "I found Krycek to be a spoiled brat in need of a good ass-whooping. I felt the same way about Mulder when I first met him, but he sort of grew on me after I got to know him a little better."
"Be careful with Krycek, John. He's more dangerous than he looks," Skinner said, glancing back at the closed bathroom door.
Mulder dressed while Krycek filled the bathtub with hot water and a generous portion of bubble bath.
"How did you get away from the aliens?" Mulder asked, watching Krycek undress. He noted that Krycek appeared thinner than the last time he'd seen him. More gaunt, but his skin was smoother a subtle sign of what the aliens had done to him.
"They had their spaceship cloaked in a field outside of D.C." Krycek lowered his body into the hot water and looked up at him from the suds-filled tub.
"How long were you in their hands?" Mulder lowered himself carefully to the floor beside the bathtub. His groin felt like it was on fire, but his ankle was feeling better.
"Four months...I escaped two nights ago."
Mulder licked his lips nervously; he finally had someone who could relate to what he'd been going through. "Have you touched it, Alex?"
"No. I've been too afraid."
"I used to feel the same way, until I finally found the courage to touched it. Later, I brought myself off to dual orgasms. I never experienced anything like it before," Mulder whispered, blushing.
Wide green eyes, fringed by long black lashes, looked up at Mulder in amazement. "You did?"
"I did." Mulder felt strange about confiding this to Krycek.
"I can feel it between my legs. Is it always so moist?" Krycek whispered.
"Most of the time." Mulder shrugged. "It seems to seep more when I'm aroused and then there's the time of the month when I'm menstruating."
"Menstruating? Oh shit, don't tell me I'm going to start menstruating!"
Mulder chuckled. "It was a shock the first time it happened to me. It's different than what a woman goes through, in that it only seems to lasts two days."
"I don't see how you can be so calm about it."
"I've had five months to adjust."
"Is that why you moved here? To adjust?"
Mulder looked away, his eyes becoming sad and distant. "Alex, I couldn't stand being around people. I felt so different from them--alien."
"So you came here all alone, not telling any of your friends where you moved."
"Frohike knew."
"People care about you, Mulder, not just Frohike."
Mulder shook his head. "No they don't...not really. When I was abducted the first time, no one spent more than a week searching for me. The last time, no one even knew they'd taken me again."
"You were only gone a week. Besides, you no longer worked for the FBI, and Scully was in San Diego visiting her brother and sister-in-law at the time."
"How do you know that?" Mulder asked.
"I just do." Krycek blushed, he didn't want Mulder finding out how much time he'd spent watching him. It was the main reason he agreed to go with the alien to find out what they'd done to Mulder.
Mulder frowned. "After they let me go, it took five weeks for my body to complete the change. I was sick to my stomach throughout that whole time."
"I'm surprised they let you go and didn't hold you like they did me."
"I don't know why they didn't either." Mulder stood and limped to the door. "I'm going to see how Walter and John are doing."
Skinner and Doggett were sitting at the dining room table when Mulder came out of the bathroom. Mulder limped over to the rectangle table and sat on the chair next to Skinner.
"How's your ankle?" Skinner asked.
"Better."
"Mulder, I've set up the air-mattress in the loft. We figured one of us can share the bed with you and the other two can sleep on the air-mattress," Doggett said tiredly.
"Guys, I already told Krycek he could sleep in the bed. If it weren't for my ankle I'd be happy to sleep up in the loft."
"No, Fox, this is your home. You shouldn't have to give up your bed," Doggett said.
"Well, I'm going to turn in," Skinner said, standing. "I want to head back to the ranger station in the morning and see if I can use his short-wave radio to get in touch with our military. Maybe there's something we can be doing to help defend our planet."
"I'd like to head back to D.C. tomorrow and see if I can be of any help," Doggett said.
Mulder nodded. "I'll go with you."
"Go where?" Krycek said, coming out of the bathroom.
"To D.C. with John tomorrow," Mulder said.
Skinner pulled his shaving kit from his bag and a pair of sweatpants. "Did you leave any hot water?" he asked as he passed Krycek.
Krycek shrugged his shoulders. "There should be a lot left." He turned back to Mulder. "Fox, you can't go to D.C. unless your ankle is better. You'll only slow John and me down."
"Whoa, Krycek, who says I want you along?" Doggett said.
"You can't go alone, and I want to pick up some things while we're there."
Mulder sighed. "I'm going." He limped back to the bathroom. "Walter, you can put your things in the medicine cabinet. If you don't mind, I want to wash my face and brush my teeth before bed. I'll be out of your way in a second."
"I don't mind, Fox," Skinner said, grinning at the look Mulder gave him for using his first name. He figured since Krycek and Doggett were getting away with calling him Fox, he'd get away with it, too.
"Walter, there's a wood-heated water heater through that door. After you're done with your shower, can you add some more wood to the fire? That way it will still be hot in the morning." Mulder squeezed some toothpaste on his toothbrush as Skinner stripped.
"Sure," Skinner said as he closed the shower curtain that wrapped around the whole claw-footed bathtub. Then he turned on the water and waited for it to heat up before stepping into the tub, keeping his back to Mulder the whole time. Skinner didn't want him to see the hard on he was sporting. He couldn't understand why Mulder was having such an affect on him. Maybe it was better that Krycek slept with Mulder, since Skinner didn't think he'd be able to keep his hands off him.
Mulder limped out of the bathroom and went to make sure the doors were locked. He never had a problem with anyone trespassing on his property, but he still didn't want to take any chances.
Krycek had already gone into the bedroom. Doggett was still at the table leafing through one of his books on canning.
"You're a regular survivalist aren't you?" Doggett said.
"No." Mulder leaned against the counter. "John, I didn't move here because I thought the world was coming to an end."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you did. It's just amazing how self-sufficient you are out here."
Mulder looked over at his bookshelves and grinned sheepishly. "I went overboard on the how to books. It's strange not having electricity and not being able to watch television. I have a battery-operated radio, but I'm only able to pick up a couple of stations most of the news I get from Sean. The ranger station has electricity, cable TV, and gas heat."
Doggett nodded. "I noticed the woodpile out back, did you chop all of that?"
"Yeah. I spent a lot of my time this summer preparing for winter, chopping wood, growing vegetables, and stocking up on items from town. The root cellar and cupboards are full."
"From the look of the barn and your livestock, I'll say you've done a great job."
"Thanks. Are you going to turn in soon?"
"I want to take a shower after Walter is done. Go to bed, I'll turn off the oil lamps," Doggett said.
"Okay, I'll see you in the morning." Mulder limped into the bedroom. Krycek was already sleeping on the side of the bed nearest the door with Tiger curled up sleeping at the foot of the bed.
Mulder stopped at the fireplace and put a couple of more logs on the fire, before climbing under the covers and lying on his back. It felt strange having someone else in bed with him. The last person he'd slept with was Scully and that was before his first abduction. Although, he loved Scully, they both realized they could never be more than friends. It didn't matter, since the aliens had altered him Mulder now found that he was more attracted to men than women. Krycek smelled good. Mulder sniffed his own arm. He still smelled of smoke from the fire. He should have taken a shower.
Krycek rolled over in his sleep and snuggled up against his side. Mulder froze afraid of waking Krycek. The darkness didn't allow him to see the smile that spread across Krycek's lips as his arm lay across Mulder's chest.
~x~X~x~
Skinner climbed up to the loft and crawled under the covers. He was exhausted and was asleep as soon as his eyes closed.
After Doggett finished his shower, he added more wood to the pot-bellied stove and walked barefoot across the cold hardwood floor. He extinguished all of the oil lamps then climbed up the ladder to the loft. Skinner was taking up most of the mattress, so he had to push the larger man over to his side and crawl under the blankets. It'd been over twenty-four hours since he'd last slept, but he was too wired to fall right to sleep. Instead he lay on his back, listening to Skinner snore while enjoying the heat from his body.
~x~X~x~
Story Notes:
Author notes: It has some canon in it. ;) I did not watch season 9, except for a couple of episodes and the finale. For this story the parking garage scene in Existence never took place. I decided to use the premise of the Rat Patrol for this warped slash fantasy of mine. I hope you enjoy it.
I'd like to thank everyone that took time to read this first chapter and provided initial feedback. It helped to improve the direction and feel of this story.
Thanks to Medusa, Pamela, and valleygurl for providing initial editing help. An extra big thank you, to Medusa for doing the final edits.