He loved to take that route, even if it is two or three miles longer
than the one through town.
He was faster here most of the time anyway, seeing that Washington
was jam-packed around this time of the day and he just wanted to get
to his little suburb home.
He had turned his back on his old apartment, the moment Fox asked
him to live together in a small house near Washington, and he has
never regretted that decision.
The scenery around him was beautiful. The trees and the ground were
covered in snow.
The streets were not as white, but Walter was still careful, he
didn't want to wreck the car.
He didn't even realize that it were his breaks, that were squealing
until he heard the thump of something or better yet someone hitting
the front of the car and then falling onto the street.
As soon as the car stopped completely Skinner was out of it and
running to the man, who now was curled up on his side, facing away
from Walter.
'Holy Shit' Walter thought as he gently turned the body around. It
was Alex Krycek.
"Help me please," begged Krycek, trying to grab Skinner, but not
succeeding, it seemed as if he didn't see Skinner at all. "I can't
see. Please help me."
Walter disguised his voice as he asked Krycek if he could walk.
After the still trembling young man nodded yes, Walter helped him to
the car and got him settled.
"So Alex what happened to you?" Walter asked once he had closed and
locked the doors.
"WALTER?" Krycek asked in disbelieve and tried to leave the car.
"Walter please don't hurt me, please just let me go. You'll never
hear from me ever again." Alex begged, thinking that Skinner still
hated him.
"That's why I locked the doors, Alex. We need to talk." He
paused. "I have to thank you Alex." Walters voice was calm and quiet.
"Thank me? What for? I betrayed you, I hurt you." Alex was shocked.
"Yes you hurt me, but I also know that if any other Consortium guy
would have had that Palm Pilot I would be dead. So you saved my life
and suffered the consequences. I also know that you not only stopped
the deadly Nanos, but you freed me of them too, ain't that so? I
have checked it, I'm free, aren't I?"
"Yes you are." Alex whispered, still thinking that any second now
Skinner would pull out his gun and kill him.
"And I don't think of your leaving the FBI as an act of betrayal,
but as one of saving all our lives." Walter continued in that calm
reassuring voice.
"You did what you could to save your lovers, and not be killed in
the process.
And as soon as you had the chance you started to work for the
Resistance to save the entire world."
"H-how did you know?" Krycek asked afraid of the answer. Was Skinner
one of the Consortium guys now?
"I have my sources too, you know. And no I'll never work for the
Consortium, not after I found out what they did to a certain six-
year-old boy. I would have never survived that torture. But you did
Alex and you came out of it as a good man."
"A good man, but..." Alex started to say but Skinner interrupted him
and continued.
"No buts Alex. I know that you didn't kill Bill Mulder and Melissa
Scully and that you were forced to use the Nanos on me. I saw that
tapes with your punishments, they were cruel, but you never gave up,
you just kept on fighting harder and harder. I have forgiven you a
long time ago, but I never found you to let you know that you had a
friend you could count on." Walter finished his speech with a tender
stroke of Krycek's hair.
"A friend." Alex whispered, tears in his sightless eyes.
"Yes a friend." Walter said and Alex smiled.
"What happened to you Alex?"
"Somehow the remaining Consortium operatives found out that I work
for the Resistance, the fact that the healers gave me back my arm
may have been a tip off. I don' know what exactly they did to me.
There was a very bright light and I couldn't' see anything apart
from white." Alex shrugged, as if he didn't mind one bit.
"When was that?"
"Two or three days ago." Again that unconcerned shrug.
Walter wondered when he would crack it was not good at all to keep
his feelings locked that way.
"Did I hurt you anymore when I hit you with the car? Do you need to
go to the Hospital right now?" Walter asked concerned, but didn't
saw it necessary for Alex to rush into a hospital now that his eyes
were so long without proper treatment, he knew that not even the
best eye doctor could do a thing for them.
"No I'm fine you didn't' hit me that hard and I was able to roll
over and out of the way." Alex said.
"Ok we'll go home then and to a hospital after the holydays." Walter
said and started to drive towards his home.
"What will we say to the hospital staff?" Alex asked.
"That you are one of my agents, working under cover." Walter
answered.
Alex was surprised to hear Walter say that so sure of himself.
"How long do you live here?" Alex asked.
"It's been a over a year now since I left town." Walter said softly
and looked at his home.
The house was a pale green in colour and a white fence stood around
it, all in all the house looked very inviting and welcoming.
"Come on let's go inside." Walter took Alex by the hand and led him
through the front yard to the door. Once there he opened the heavy
oak door and stepped inside, being followed by Alex, who carefully
made his way through the front door and into the house.
Walter didn't saw Fox running shoes until it was to late and Alex
stumbled over them and fell.
He lay there on the floor for a moment in complete silence and then
he broke down, crying in earnest.
Alex tried to speak through his heartbreaking sobs and Walter
kneeled down beside him, trying to calm him down.
"They hurt me ... I can't see, never again ... I can't survive like this
... I will be alone again and all that I ever wanted is gone and I
can't find love, cuz everybody hates me ... I just wanted to help
mankind and what did it bring me? Nothing but fear, pain and grieve.
... I lost everybody I ever loved. My mom my little brother and little
sister ... my lovers all gone."
Were only some of the phrases that Walter understood between Alex
heartbreaking sobs and suddenly he did not see the heartless killer
and assassin, the clever spy anymore.
He saw a lost little boy with no hope and no way out and in that
instant Walter made a decision, he would not only show Alex that he
was forgiven, he would also give him a home to stay at, to heal.
He would talk with Fox about it, but he was sure his lover felt the
same way. They both had loved Alex once maybe they could again.
It was Christmas after all the season of forgiveness and miracles.
"What is all the ruckus here?" Asked Fox who came out of the kitchen
with a toast and a coffee in his hands, finding his lover comforting
Alex Krycek of all people.
He always wanted to apologise to Alex for all the things he had done
to a man who protected and saved him from death several times. After
Walter showed him the tapes with Alex's training and punishment
sessions he just wanted to find the man, kneel before him and beg
for forgiveness, but he never found him.
Now Alex was in his home crying in the arms of his Walter.
"Hello Fox, could you fill the hot tub please. I'll tell you
everything once Alex is in the bath." Walter told his lover softly.
Mulder nodded and then went to start the bath.
Walter helped Alex to his feed gently.
"Come on Alex let's get you in the bath and warmed up."
He guided his young friend to the bathroom, where he carefully
stripped him off his closes and helped him to the hot tub.
"Thank you Walter." Alex whispered, as he sank into the hot depth of
the water. His muscles relaxing for the first time since those
Consortium freaks had gotten him.
"You're welcome Alex, is it ok if I leave you alone a minute or two
to let you soak? I'll come and help you wash later." Walter again
tenderly stroked Alex's hair, as he waited for the young mans answer.
Alex nodded and carefully laid back in the tub, he could get used to
Walter stroking his hair again. After all he still loved him
desperately.
"OK I'll go now, just holler if you need anything." Walter said and
with a gentle pat of Alex's shoulder he went to talk to his lover.
"What happened to him?" Fox asked as soon as Walter came into the
kitchen.
"Some old Consortium operatives got him, they blinded him, because
he is working for the Resistance." Walter explained.
"Oh my God." Fox whispered, shaking his head, his old feelings for
Alex coming to life anew. He suddenly knew that he still loved Alex.
"Yeah that's what I thought too. Fox do you think you could live
with him for a while? I don't want to push him out of my life again
and he desperately need a place to stay at, to heal." Walter was
afraid that his lover might refuse that idea.
"You still love him?" Fox looked at Walter, who stared at the ground
ashamed, but nodding.
"Yes I do. But Fox you need to understand that I love you just as
much." Walter whispered, thinking that with those sentences he lost
Fox forever. He was surprised to see Fox smiling as he looked up
again.
"I love him too, Walter. I think I never completely stopped." Fox
said, then went over to his lover and wrapped him in a big,
comforting hug.
"The little rat grows on you, doesn't he?" Walter laughed and his
young lover nodded and grinned.
"The first thing I'll do is looking for the healers, I think there
are still some of them around here." Fox said seriously, he didn't
want Alex to be blind for the rest of his life.
"You do that, but not now. Let's help him with his bath, then fed
him and bring him to bed. I think he desperately needs some rest.
And tomorrow morning it's Christmas, so we can have some presents."
Walter finished smiling and gave his Fox a tender kiss.
"Oh shit Walter we don't have a present for Alex." Fox said sadly.
"Don't worry, I'll think of something." Walter smiled mysteriously
he already had an idea.
"OK I trust your good judgment. Now let's help Alex. You go and get
the guestroom ready, while I'll help him bath." Fox kissed his lover
than went into the bathroom.
"Alex." He whispered, don't wanting to startle the young man, who
seemed to be asleep in the tub.
"Hmm." Alex mumbled, before opening useless eyes and turning in the
general direction of Fox's voice.
"I just wanted to say sorry Alex. I'm so sorry for doing and saying
the things I did." Fox said to the younger man, who just listened to
him with wide green eyes.
"What..." Alex stuttered, first Walter and now Fox had apologized to
him, for things he still felt he had deserved at that time.
"Walter told me everything he knew and he showed me the tapes, Alex.
I'm so sorry for ever calling you a coward, after all that you've
been through. Please forgive me?" Fox whispered with tears in his
eyes.
Alex nodded, he had never thought he would hear Fox begging him for
forgiveness and not the other way round.
"Of course I do." Alex forced the words past the lump in his throat
and was thanked with a breathtaking hug.
"Be careful you'll get wet." He said once Fox released him again.
"That's the point, I'm here to help you anyway." Alex could hear the
smile in Fox's voice.
Together they got Alex clean and out of the tub.
"Here you go Alex." Fox said, while wrapping one of their big,
fluffy bath towels around Alex's much to thin body. "Now let's get
you fed.
They three of them were sitting in the kitchen and helping
themselves to an enormous and delicious Christmas dinner. Walter and
Fox had decided to fed Alex the dinner they had planed for tomorrow,
but seeing how thin their young friend was, they couldn't help but
making the food tonight.
Alex loved the feelings he could detect all around him. The love his
two hosts were sharing and the care they had showed him all evening
long. He wanted to stay here forever, but he knew this couldn't
last. It never did with him, but for now he enjoyed the feeling of
being cared for.
They finished dinner in silence and Walter cleared the table, while
the two younger man sat down in the living room to dink a little
wine and talk about the past and all the things, which were now
forgiven. At around 10pm Walter suggested that Alex needed his rest
and should go to bet now. Alex nodded and let himself be led towards
the guest room.
"Thank you for the wonderful evening." Alex said as he slit between
the covers and made himself comfortable.
"No need for that, it was our pleasure." Walter assured him.
Alex just nodded and closed his eyes.
Alex woke slowly, stretching his body and thinking about the day
before. Never ever had he believed he would meet Walter or Fox ever
again. But now they were with him, caring for him even after all
that he had done.
A soft knock came on the door, then Walter's deep, but soft voice.
"Can I come in, Alex?" He asked.
"Sure you can." Alex answered, still buried deep in the velvety
soft, warm bedcover, which he not yet wanted to leave. Walter came
in and smiled, seeing Alex like this, so childlike and innocent
laying in that big bed all alone.
"We are ready for breakfast, when ever you are, Alex." Walter
started, then ginned as Alex's mouth stretched open in a huge yawn.
"Tell you what Alex. I'll give you another twenty minutes, before I
get you, ok?"
"Yeah twenty minutes sounds great." Alex mumbled and closed his eyes
again. As Walter went out of the room to help his lover with
breakfast and to make sure Fox didn't went to the tree, looking for
the presents.
They had talked at length about Alex's present and they were sure it
was the right thing, perhaps the one and only right thing they could
get Alex.
After exactly thirty minutes Walter went to the guestroom to get
Alex and help him if necessary. After that they ate a big, good,
healthy breakfast, talking a little about what had happened in their
lives.
"Time for the presents!" Fox declared, after all the dishes were in
the washer, jumping up and down and acting like ... well a kid on
Christmas Morning.
"OK OK," Walter gave in. "You two can have you presents now."
"You got a present for me too?" Alex asked, not believing his own
ears.
"Of course we did." Fox answered, sitting under the tree and
rummaging through all the presents there, trying to find his.
"Do you want it?" Walter asked, but Alex could hear the smile in
that deep voice. Walter was happy to be able to give Alex something.
"Sure do, where is it?" Alex wanted a present badly, he had never
been able to get one after the Consortium got him in their dirty
hands.
"It is right here, but it is a text, so Fox will read it to you and
right after the holidays we will find you a healer, to take care of
your eyes." Walter said while again stroking through Alex's soft
dark hair.
'That alone would be a great present.' Alex thought, but he was
extremely curious to what the other present was.
"Ok here you go Alex." Fox began.
"A gift certificate!"
"For an undefined length of stay at the Skinner and Mulder
residence. You have to seal it with a kiss each to the before
mentioned persons. They both forgive you and most importantly the
both love you."
"In Love Walter and Fox,
we hope that one day you'll be able to love us as well, but for the
time being we just want to have you as our friend. We will go at
your pace. Please stay with us." Fox finished.
Alex had tears in his eyes, but he didn't care.
"God I love you too. Always have." He opened his arms and hoped that
the two would come to him, he was not disappointed.
The three hugged and kissed each other and Alex felt save, for
perhaps the first time in his life.
"You made me believe in miracles again." Alex whispered, held
tightly between Walter and Fox still.
"Maybe not a miracle, but close enough."
Walter said, thanking all the gods he knew for letting him find Alex
again.
End
Maybe not a Miracle
by MattMel
"Fox, here I come." Walter said cheerfully. He had finished early at
the Hoover and was now on his way home to celebrate Christmas with
his long time lover Fox Mulder.
