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Mulder in the Middle III

Funhouse Mirrors
by Orithain


Despite being on an airplane with no way off, surrounded by strangers any one of whom could be a Consortium assassin, and on his way to attempt what might possibly be the most insane action of an already mad career, Alex Krycek felt more relaxed than he had in days.

Mulder regarded him sympathetically. "It's really starting to get to you, all the clones, isn't it?"

Alex sighed. "It's fucking eerie, Mulder. Everywhere I look, I see myself. I'm starting to feel like I'm not real."

"It probably doesn't help, but they feel worse than you do. At least you know you're the original."

"You're right, it doesn't help." Alex knew he was being unreasonable and that it wasn't fair to take out his frustrations on Mulder. Then again, he wasn't exactly known for being fair.

"You know, Alex, this whole thing makes me wonder who did kill my father. We've been assuming it was one of the shapechangers, but it could as easily have been one of your clones, programmed by the Consortium."

"Why are you so determined that I or someone who looks like me killed your father? You didn't see anything, and even if you had, you were so high nothing you think you saw or heard that night can be trusted."

Mulder sighed. It wasn't something he could explain. Connections had been made somewhere in his brain that led to that conclusion. If he hadn't been able to do that, and with a high degree of accuracy, he'd never have become one of the best profilers in the Bureau. He'd tried to explain that before, but to anyone who wasn't familiar with the process, profiling seemed like hocus pocus or, at best, clairvoyance.

He shrugged, not bothering to try to explain to Alex. He knew the younger man was just trying to pick a fight anyway. He placed a hand on Alex's knee, hoping the touch would soothe him. Suddenly he chuckled.

"What?"

"I was just thinking that if someone had told me two weeks ago that I'd be sitting on a plane beside Alex Krycek, that he'd be my lover, and that my biggest concern would be whether I could wait until we got to a hotel to make love to him again, I'd've had 'em committed."

Alex grinned. "There's always the washroom."

"No thanks! I still have cramps from yesterday. Those things are too small for one person, never mind two. Besides which, there's no way I'd be able to avoid banging my arm in that upright coffin. I'm not particularly fond of hitting bullet wounds for the fun of it."

"You have no sense of adventure, baby."

"I'm with you, aren't I?" Mulder responded dryly.

Alex pouted. Mulder's bottom lip gave him an unfair advantage, but Alex could manage a world class pout too, when he wanted to. Mulder sighed and gently captured the trembling lower lip between his teeth.

"Behave," he hissed, "or I'll strip you and take you right here."

Alex's eyes lit up. "Promise?"

Mulder sighed. He knew that resorting to bribery with children and other brats was a bad precedent to set, but he didn't see too many options. "Behave until we free Greene and get him back to the cabin, and I'll do whatever you say for 24 hours."

A truly devilish sparkle appeared in Alex's eyes. "Anything?"

Mulder swallowed hard, wondering almost uneasily what he was letting himself in for, but he nodded. "Anything," he confirmed.

"Baby, I'm gonna be so good you won't recognize me."

Mulder eyed him uneasily. "You won't make me do anything... humiliating, will you?"

"Anything I do will be for our mutual pleasure, Fox. I would never humiliate you," he said seriously, meeting Mulder's eyes directly. "Trust me."

Mulder sat rigidly for long moments, searching the open green gaze. "I do," he said slowly.

It was Alex's turn to freeze. He knew Mulder wasn't just talking about this, but in general. He'd never expected to hear those words. For an instant his eyes stung, and he was horrified to think that he might actually cry for the first time since he was a child and his mother had died, but the moment passed. He picked up Mulder's hand, which still lay on his knee, bringing it to his lips to press a kiss on the warm skin. Mulder's thumb rubbed gently over his mouth before returning to its place on his leg, this time landing higher up, on his thigh.

Alex smiled, practically purring, and leaned his head back to get some sleep. Dozing while travelling was a survival skill he'd perfected over the last few years. As exhausted as Alex after the last few days of emotional revelations, mortal danger, being shot, and frequent incredible sex, Mulder followed his example, dozing off and not waking up until the announcement that they were about to land. He yawned and stretched, finding that his head had naturally fallen to Alex's shoulder. He was glad he'd sat so that his injured arm was on the side away from Alex. He really hated getting shot, but at least this wound was hardly more than an annoyance.

He sat up and turned to Alex, momentarily startled to find him gazing back solemnly. He smiled and simply laid his head back on Alex's shoulder, enjoying another few minutes of just being together.

"Do you realize that this is the first time we've been alone?" he asked suddenly.

Alex twisted to look at him oddly. "Mulder, we were partners for months, drove all over the damned Eastern Seaboard together, traveled to Russia together, but we've never been alone? Should I be checking for toxic green blood?"

"We've never been alone together," Mulder emphasized.

"Oh! God, baby, I wish we could take one night just for us, but even that night—God, was it only last night? Even that night in the motel was pushing it. We have to move fast, or the Consortium will get to the clones ahead of us."

"I know, but it's nice to be alone. Promise me that when this is all over, we'll get away alone for a while."

"I don't think this'll ever really be over, but I promise we'll find a way to have some time without the others."

Mulder smiled.

After landing, they got out of the airport quickly since they had no luggage, and Alex directed Mulder to an old friend of his, who sold them weapons. Armed for the first time since leaving Baines' friend's home back in Tucson, Alex heaved a sigh of relief. He wondered briefly what a nurse was going to do with all those guns and knives. Hopefully, she didn't have the stereotypical redhead's temper, or she could do a lot of damage.

Though not as edgy as Alex was when unarmed, Mulder nonetheless felt better having a couple of guns. With all the people shooting at them lately, he'd like to have at least a fighting chance.

Back in the car, dubiously eyeing the overcast skies that threatened to unleash a downpour at any moment, Mulder questioned Alex. "How are we supposed to get custody of Greene? He's a multiple murderer, psychopath and cop killer. They're not going to just hand him over."

Alex laughed. "Stop thinking like an FBI agent, Mulder. We're not going to walk in and politely ask if they'd mind handing over this menace to society. We're gonna take him."

"Suppose he doesn't want to be taken?"

Alex just looked at him. "What's your point?"

Mulder shook his head and kept driving. It would be a miracle if he could go back to his job when his vacation time ran out, even assuming Kersh would let him return. Glancing at Alex out the corner of his eye, he saw the younger man smiling and singing along with a song on the radio, his hair ruffled by the breeze through the open windows, eyes hidden behind sunglasses.

Who do I think I'm kidding? I'm not going anywhere as long as he'll have me. I really think this might be forever. God knows what I'm going to tell Scully though.

He noticed they were at the turn for the facility where Greene was housed, so he turned off and pulled over a ways past the facility, outside of video surveillance range. Switching off the engine, he turned to Alex.

"So, now what?"

"Oh, so now you need me," Alex teased.

"You are the criminal after all."

Alex burst into laughter. "Gimme a break, Mulder. You've broken into more top secret government facilities than most professional spies!"

Mulder grinned. "But prisons or maximum security detention facilities for the criminally insane are outside of my experience. I thought you might be familiar with them," he smirked.

"Ha ha. You're so funny. Shut up and relax. We can't do anything till after dark." Alex looked around. "At least you picked a good spot where we shouldn't be noticed or bothered."

"Not till after dark, huh?"

Alex recognized the tone in that statement, and his head whipped around. Staring at Fox with wide eyes, he practically yelped, "No, Fox! Behave."

Mulder just licked his lips, never looking away from the wide, green eyes.

Alex groaned. The man was insatiable. //Fuck, why am I complaining? I've wanted him for years, and now I have him.// He reached over, curling a hand around the back of Mulder's neck, and pulled him in for a kiss. He licked at Mulder's mouth, tracing the full lower lip several times before catching it between his teeth. He soothed the slight sting with his tongue, then pulled back to look at Mulder.

"It won't help us, babe, if we get arrested for lewd and lascivious behavior or whatever it is in this jurisdiction."

Mulder licked his lips again, tasting Alex, and his eyes half closed. "You think we can sit in this car for the next couple of hours and not touch each other?"

Alex groaned. Maybe in time he'd get over wanting Fox every second, but right now he was right. He was already hard, and he could see that Fox was too. "Suck me," he ordered suddenly.

Mulder's eyes opened wide for an instant, then he started to sink toward Alex's lap. Suddenly he stopped and sat back up. He met Alex's surprised gaze. Much as he wanted to taste Alex again, he had to stop letting Alex take the lead all the time before it became habit for both of them.

"You suck me."

Alex blinked in surprise, his pupils expanding to nearly swallow the green. He groaned at the sudden bolt of arousal that shot through him when Mulder took the dominant role. He twisted around to lay his head in Fox's lap, tugging at Fox's belt with his teeth.

Fox caught his lip between his teeth and leaned his head back, looking downward to watch Alex slowly bare him using nothing but his teeth. He wondered vaguely if he'd ever bother with briefs again. Probably not, he liked Alex being able to touch him so easily. Even as he thought that, he saw those pretty pink lips part to take him in, and he bucked off the seat.

Alex held Fox down with a hand on one hip, the other one busy stroking his own cock.

Mulder watched him for a moment, then spoke. "Don't touch yourself, Alex. Not till I come."

Alex moaned around Mulder's cock, the sensation making the older man quiver, but he obeyed. He thought he might actually come just from tasting Fox, from making him come soon. He rose up onto his knees so he wouldn't be tempted to rub against the seat for the friction he wanted so badly.

Mulder bit his lip hard to hold back a whimper. Alex's mouth felt so good on him, and watching him was incredibly arousing. He wondered if Alex realized that he was squirming, humping the air in search of relief. He'd never seen anything more beautiful. Then Alex took him even deeper inside his mouth, and he stopped thinking.

Fox was so deep inside his mouth and throat that Alex couldn't actually suck any more, but he made up for it with flickering strokes of his tongue along Fox's length and by swallowing frequently, knowing how that would feel to Fox. He worked one hand into Fox's open pants, reaching down for his balls, cupping the sac in his palm and rolling it while Fox moaned his name with increasing desperation. He used one finger to stroke the sensitive area behind the sac while still playing with his balls, and Fox's moans turned to a wail before he shoved his own hand into his mouth to muffle his cries. He arched hard, the ecstasy washing through him as he came in Alex's mouth. Alex swallowed, not wanting to miss a single drop, then pulled back slightly so he could suck on Fox, milking him until Fox pushed him away with a faint whimper.

Alex sat up on his haunches, his own erection still straining against his zipper and a small patch of dampness slowly spreading at the front. He waited for Fox to open his eyes, his fists clenched as he forcibly restrained himself from finishing himself off.

Fox slowly opened his eyes, immediately focusing on Alex kneeling on the seat beside him. "Damn it," he groaned. "I wanted you inside me, but you won't last, will you?"

"Not this time, baby," Alex grated out, his whole body tense.

"Okay, just stay like that for a minute, babe, and I'll take care of you." Fox twisted around on the seat, unfastened Alex and clamped his mouth onto his cock in what seemed like one continuous motion to the desperate man beside him. Alex screamed at the first touch of Fox's mouth on him and exploded, the orgasm he'd been holding off through pure willpower washing over him. He collapsed back against the door behind him, Fox still licking him to clean up any stray drops he might have missed.

When he regained his strength, he pulled Fox's head up to kiss him, each tasting himself on the other. Then Alex crawled over the seat into the back, stretching out comfortably after wadding up his leather jacket for a pillow. He held out a hand to Fox, who followed him and nestled against him to doze away the time until dark.

xx

After dark, Mulder followed behind Alex, shaking his head in bemusement at how easily the younger man bypassed the supposedly unbeatable security systems. Inside of half an hour, they were inside the building, carefully moving toward Anson Greene's cell. Once there, they slipped inside, Alex having already disabled the video cameras on their way in, and moved to the side of the sleeping man.

"You never did tell me how the hell we're supposed to get him out of here," Mulder hissed into Alex's ear.

"O ye of little faith," Alex sighed in mock disappointment. Mulder growled at him, and he snickered. "They drug him for the night. He'll be totally cooperative. All we have to do is steer."

"You couldn't have shared that little detail sooner?" Mulder snarled, still quietly.

"What, and spoil your fun when you could be worrying?"

"You're gonna pay for that, Krycek."

"I certainly hope so."

Mulder groaned and gave up, turning his attention to the still figure in the bed. As he watched, the man shifted restlessly and rolled over to face them. Despite having become somewhat accustomed to Michael, Vic and Baines, both men froze momentarily at the sight of yet another doppelganger for Krycek.

"Come on, we have to get him out of here before someone finds us," Mulder urged.

"Patience, babe, I'm not letting someone with my face roam around in a flapping hospital gown. Jeez, he's been here long enough that you'd think they'd have let him wear his own pajamas."

"Don't like pajamas," Greene mumbled unexpectedly. "Make me wear this stupid thing 'cause I won't put anything on."

Mulder couldn't help snickering. "Yup, he's definitely your clone, Alex."

Alex ignored him in favor of getting Greene into the jeans and sweater he'd brought in his pack along with a pair of boots. Once the other man, who seemed to be a few years younger than Alex, was dressed, they urged him toward the door. In his drugged state, he was perfectly cooperative.

"Hey," he giggled, pointing an unsteady finger in Alex's general direction, "you look like me. Is this a game?"

"Shit! He's higher than a fucking kite," Alex groaned. "How the hell are we going to keep him quiet?"

"Shh, let me try," Mulder murmured. "Anson. Anson," he called until he got the other man's attention. "This is a game, and to win you have to be very, very quiet."

Anson focused blearily on Mulder. "You're pretty," he giggled. "But I ain't no fag, you know."

"Uh huh. Come on, Anson, let's see how quiet you can be. Here, you walk between us." Mulder drew Greene over, rolling his eyes at Alex, who looked totally disgusted.

The three men exited the room, resembling a short conga line. Alex's eyebrows rose when he felt the "not a fag" pinch his ass. He knew Mulder had noticed because he could hear him snickering. He tossed a glare over his shoulder, intercepting a dopey grin from Greene, who raised a finger to his lips in a gesture for silence. He could see Mulder's shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

By some miracle, Anson stayed quiet while they made their way back outside and to the car. They managed to get him into the back seat and took off, trying to get as many miles between them and LA as they could before Greene's escape was discovered. They were well into Nevada before Alex pulled into a cheesy looking motel.

"You'd better get the room, Mulder. If Greene's picture is on the news, there's no way anyone will believe I'm not him."

Mulder nodded, warning Alex to keep Greene quiet and out of sight, then got out of the car. Two pairs of green eyes watched him walk toward the office, both admiring his ass.

"Pretty boy," Greene slurred. "Bet he's a pansy ass."

"Shut the fuck up." Alex's patience was wearing thin.

"Aw, whatsa matter? He your boyfriend?"

Alex turned around, a deadly glint showing in his eyes. "Shut the fuck up or I'll kill you right now."

Greene subsided for a few minutes, then started up again, needling Alex continuously, commenting on his "pretty boy boyfriend" and telling him that they both needed "a real man" like Anson. Alex lost his temper and pulled a knife, swinging around to face Greene just as Mulder got back to the car.

"God, can't I leave you alone for even a minute?" Mulder asked in exasperation.

Alex glared back, reluctantly sliding his weapon back into its sheath. "Let's just get into the damned room. I assume you did get us one?"

"Yes, I got us one, with two double beds. Come on, let's get inside before laughing boy here comes down and starts fighting us."

A few minutes later, they had Greene undressed and tucked into one bed, and they tumbled into the other one, pulling each other's clothes off. They ended up in the middle of the bed with Alex on top of Mulder. Fox groaned when Alex dragged his stubbled cheek over his chest, bringing his nipples to instant attention.

Alex laughed at Fox's reaction and did it again. Then he caught a nipple between his teeth, nipping and tugging while Fox arched under him, fingers combing through his hair to hold his head against him. Alex chuckled and stayed put for a little while, teasing that nipple with gentle flicks of his tongue, quick nips and extended suckling. Fox was squirming under him when he pulled away, prompting a sound of protest.

"Roll over, Fox," he ordered with a quick swat at Mulder's ass when he complied.

"Hey!" Mulder complained.

Alex leaned down and kissed the reddened spot. This time the sound Mulder made closely resembled a purr. Alex shivered in the cool of the room and reached over for his leather jacket, shrugging it back on. Mulder glanced over his shoulder, drinking in the sight of his naked lover wearing the leather jacket that had almost seemed to be an extension of him for the last few years. With a smile Mulder lay his head back down, giving himself up to whatever Alex had in store for him.

Alex hesitated for a second, admiring Mulder laid out before him. //I must have done something right.// He ran his hands over the tautly muscled back, stroking the soft skin, then massaging the tension away until Mulder was purring under him. Gradually his strokes changed to caresses, and he could feel new tension building in Mulder's body and mirrored in his own. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the lube, squeezing some onto his fingers. He coated them thoroughly, waiting until Fox twitched impatiently before slowly working the first one inside him, moving slowly and gently despite Mulder's impatient movements, an evil grin on his face as he drew out the teasing. Gradually he introduced a second finger and a third, even though he knew perfectly well that Fox didn't need that much preparation.

He wasn't surprised when Mulder finally snarled and flipped over, yanking Alex down on top of him and covering his mouth with his own. Mulder tasted him thoroughly, then released him to whisper against his lips, "Are you going to take me now?"

Alex grinned at him, unable to resist a quick nip at that pouting lower lip. "I'd love to say no just to see what you'd do, but I want you too much, babe." He grabbed the lube again, spreading some on his cock, then positioning himself against Fox's entrance. Both men seemed to hold their breath as he slid inside, then released it in sighs of pleasure.

Fox wrapped his legs around Alex's waist, pulling him even closer, a faint whimper escaping him as Alex sank deeper inside him, deeper than he'd thought possible. Their eyes met, and Alex reached out with one shaking hand to trace the fullness of his lover's lips, gasping when they parted and Fox sucked on the tip of his finger, licking it with all the attention of a cat. He then drew it inside his mouth to nip sharply at it, and Alex moaned and pulled his finger free, replacing it with his own mouth as he started to move in and out of Fox. He placed his hands on either side of Fox for balance, and Fox's crept down to mesh with them, their hands joined as tightly as their bodies.

Neither noticed when the man in the other bed shifted and groaned as the medication began to wear off. He rubbed his eyes to remove the grit before he could open them, then looked around in confusion.

What the... Where the fuck am I?

He recognized nothing and was getting nervous. Then a noise behind him caught his attention, and he rolled over, suddenly tense. He froze in shock at the sight that met his eyes. Two men. Fucking. The guy on the bottom was gorgeous. The guy on top was... him.

He must have made some sound he wasn't aware of because both pairs of pleasure-dilated eyes turned his way, and their motion stopped. They stared at each other for a moment that felt like an hour to Anson, then the pair reached toward to him with joined hands, inviting him over. To his shock, he found himself slowly crawling out of bed and over to theirs.

The man on the bottom curved a hand around his neck and drew him down to kiss him. It wasn't that different from a woman. A little more stubbly, but otherwise the same. Except that this guy was the best kisser Anson'd ever had the pleasure of meeting. Maybe guys were okay after all. He let out a faint moan when the guy with the incredible mouth stopped kissing him.

"Come here," he whispered, pulling Anson closer so he ended up straddling the guy's chest. Anson felt weird, knowing that his double behind him had his cock up this other guy's ass, but when that mouth fastened onto his cock, he stopped thinking.

"Oh fuck," he groaned, thrusting into the sucking mouth. He bent over to try to get further inside that warm, wet orifice, then nearly screamed when a tongue flicked over his own ass. He'd never felt anything like it. When the tongue started probing at his anus, he flinched, then relaxed because it felt so fucking good. He arched his back, surprised when he felt hands petting him, making him feel wonderful.

Alex loved the sounds of pleasure Greene was making, but he couldn't keep it up, not as close to the edge as he was, feeling Fox's ass gripping him and hearing both other men whimpering and moaning.

Fox couldn't imagine much better than this with Alex fucking him and another of his clones fucking his mouth. He marveled again that they all tasted alike, with only slight differences because of diet. He loved this, and he sucked harder on Anson, his fingers twisting the clone's nipples.

Feeling the gorgeous guy beneath him suck his cock and play with his nipples was enough to make Anson come. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had sex, so he was amazed he'd lasted this long. He tried to push farther down the guy's throat and was surprised when he took it. Anson groaned his pleasure as he came in the lush mouth, and the guy swallowed every drop.

Fox kept sucking, not wanting to miss a drop, even as Alex's thrusts in his ass and the taste of Anson in his mouth made him explode, the pleasure radiating through him as he arched under his partners. He cried his pleasure, refusing to release Anson's cock yet, still milking it.

Alex, seeing Greene come in his Fox's mouth, feeling Fox cover their bellies with fluid and gripped by the contractions of Fox's ass, pushed deep inside him one more time and came, his entire body tensing and arching in the grip of excruciating pleasure. He slumped forward, his head resting against Greene's back where he still knelt over Fox.

After a moment, at Fox's urging, Anson rolled to one side, ending up lying alongside the man who'd just sucked him dry, while his double //Fuck, it wasn't the drugs! He does look like me!// nestled at the guy's other side.

Fox sighed, looking down at his contrary love and his clone, the one he expected to be the most difficult of all of them. This Anson Greene had been systematically abused as a child and fed a diet of psychotropics and other medications for years. It was a wonder he was even marginally sane. Mentally reviewing Anson's file //When did I start thinking of him as Anson? Before or after I had his dick down my throat?//, Mulder realized that he wasn't even sure if he'd actually killed his mother and stepfather. Anson certainly believed he had, but the file was vague on that detail, and with everything that the Consortium had done to him, it was quite possible that the murder was an implanted memory. Either way, he had to deal with Anson as if it were true. He wrapped an arm around the young clone, pulling him close.

"Hey," he said, drawing confused green eyes up to meet his own. "I'm Fox Mulder, and this is Alex Krycek," indicating his lover with his chin.

"Anson Greene. But I guess you know that since you broke me out of that place. Why?"

"God, you don't wait for the hard ones, do you? Look, we owe you an explanation, but this has been one hell of a long day, and we could all use some sleep. How about we talk about it in the morning?"

Anson could hear the fatigue and pleading in the guy's, Fox's voice, and he agreed. "Okay, but you explain in the morning."

"Deal," Fox replied, relief clear in his voice.

While they'd been talking, Alex had shrugged out of his leather jacket and grabbed his T-shirt from the floor. He used it to clean them up, then dropped it back to the floor, snuggling back against Fox, smiling when he felt Mulder's arm come around him.

Anson nestled closer to Fox, refusing to examine his own actions or motives, and pillowed his head on Fox's chest, noting that Alex was doing the same on his other side. Almost immediately, they all fell asleep.

xx

Mulder woke up the next morning to find Anson wrapped around him like a vine and Alex sitting up against the headboard, his arms crossed, staring down at him with a decidedly unhappy expression. He frowned in confusion, then followed Alex's gaze to Anson.

He's jealous!

Mulder was so surprised he couldn't speak. This was the same man who'd happily stage-directed his encounter with two of his clones and another man less than two days ago. What the hell? Then he realized. This time Alex wasn't in charge. Besides which, none of the others had ever clung to Mulder the way Anson was just then.

He tried to ease out of Anson's grasp without waking him, but he just tightened his grip. Mulder closed his eyes in frustration, well aware of Alex's rising annoyance. He could feel the tension vibrating through the man, and he'd swear he'd just heard a hiss like an angry cat would make. He redoubled his efforts to free himself, only succeeding in half waking Anson, who mumbled something incoherent.

Alex snarled and reached down, swiping Greene's arms off of his Fox and yanking his lover up beside him, ignoring the man's startled yelp. Greene jumped like a scalded cat, much to Mulder's amusement Damn, they are all feline! and landed swinging.

"What the fuck?!" Anson's eyes lit on the two naked men who were sharing his bed, and he froze. Scenes from the night before started to come back to him, and he paled. He stared at a man who really did look just like him, if maybe eight to ten years older, then at the man beside him, the man who'd given him an incredible blowjob. The men he'd had sex with. "Oh fuck!"

They both stared back at him, his double with a possessive arm around the other guy. Fox, that was his name. Fox was watching Anson with a measuring expression, one he was used to seeing every time they sent him to a new shrink. But that didn't matter, what mattered was that he'd fucked two men. He wasn't a fag, he wasn't!

He reached tentatively toward Fox, seeking reassurance, but the other guy, Alex, snarled at him and shifted onto his knees, seemingly ready to attack him.

"Keep your fucking hands to yourself!" Alex's eyes blazed jealous rage, deadly rage, and suddenly Anson didn't feel like such a big man. He might have killed a few people, but this guy was a real killer.

"Alex," Mulder said softly, stroking his arm to calm him.

"Jesus, why do all these damned clones want you more than a dying man wants water?" Alex had calmed down from rage to mere crankiness.

"Maybe because they are clones of you? You seem to find me attractive."

"Don't fish for compliments, Mulder. Even I didn't fall into bed with you the first time I saw you, and I knew I was bi. But that seems to be the trend with all of them. What is this, the fucking twilight zone?"

Mulder frowned. Alex had a point. There was something odd about how quickly the clones became attracted to him. Clones. Anson! He hastily turned his attention back to Anson, who was staring at them with his mouth hanging open.

Seeing Mulder's attention focus on him, Anson snapped his mouth shut. "Clones?" he asked shakily. "What are you trying to pull? I know we can't clone people."

Both men sighed at the familiar statement. "Yes, you and several others are clones of me," Alex snarled, still irritable and not liking the way this guy was leaning toward Fox. He didn't mind sharing, but Fox was his, damnit!

"Alex! Back off." Fox was getting annoyed. Alex's jealousy was actually kind of cute, but Anson was more than a little unbalanced to start with, and this was not helping. //God, if I'd wanted to deal with all this shit, I'd have become a practicing psychologist!//

"Anson," he spoke softly so as not to spook the already jumpy man, "we should have been more tactful about telling you," pausing to glare at Alex, "but yes, we have proof that you are one of several clones of Alex. That doesn't make your lives any less real. It just means that instead of letting nature create an identical twin, someone in a lab stepped in and did it. Just think of yourselves as a rather extended set of identicals." Seeing that Anson seemed willing to listen, Mulder tried to get him to talk as well, "How old are you anyway?"

"Twenty-eight. What about him?"

Mulder noted that it could be a problem if Anson continued to refuse to speak directly to Alex. He also noticed that Anson was eight years younger than Alex. Just how long had this cloning experiment continued?

"I'm 36," Alex replied when he realized that Mulder was waiting for him to speak up.

"So how can I be a clone?" Anson was trying to decide if these guys were crazier than he was supposed to be or if it was actually possible that he was a clone.

"The genetic material could be kept frozen in a laboratory almost indefinitely. Who knows how much they have or how long they continued. They could still be producing clones." He and Alex exchanged uncomfortable glances. They should have thought of that earlier. "How else would you explain your identical appearance?"

"They say everyone has a double," Anson said defensively.

Mulder sighed. "That's true, but rarely to this extent. Besides, it not just the two of you."

"It's not?"

"No, we've already met three others, and we're gonna meet back up soon. They went to pick two more of you."

"Three, no five, of us?" Anson's voice was weak as it started to sink in.

Mulder chewed on his lip before deciding to be honest. "Actually, there are close to twenty that we know of so far." Seeing Anson's shattered expression, he looked pleadingly at Alex.

Alex sighed in total frustration, then settled back beside Fox again, one arm around him and the other held out to the messed-up kid they'd just inherited.

Anson looked from one to the other for a long moment before nearly throwing himself into their embrace, determinedly pushing aside questions of sexuality to be dealt with later. Just then, he needed some human contact.

Mulder and Alex held him, both surprised when his arms came around both of them. They exchanged rueful glances, realizing that he'd practically imprinted on them. Alex's lips twitched as he thought that Greene was a little old for a hatchling, but he seemed to be theirs.

After a little while, Anson relaxed, and they sent him into the washroom for a shower. Alex tried to glare at Mulder, but he couldn't keep a straight face.

"Honeymoon's not even over and we're already raising kids, Mulder? Leave it to you to end up parenting a man we extracted from a home for the criminally insane. Why do I let you get me into these things?"

"Because you love me," Mulder grinned, then kissed him.

Mulder took the next shower, then went to pick up some breakfast while Alex took his turn, none of them wanting Alex or Anson in public while they were still so close to the detention facility. After they ate, they got back on the road. It was a long drive down to the Louisiana bayous.

xx

Michael eyed his companion uneasily, not sure how a special forces-trained soldier would react to being teamed with an obvious amateur. He knew why they ended up together; it wouldn't have made sense to split up either of the couples, but damn, he wished he could have gone with Mulder and Alex.

Baines watched Michael watch him, amused by the guy's obvious nervousness. From what he had learned about Krycek, he couldn't understand how someone who shared that man's bed could be made uneasy by him. Alex Krycek was a stone cold killer, even taking into account that he wasn't responsible for a lot of what Mulder had once thought. Baines was glad Mulder had given him the file on Krycek; it helped him understand the other man. And since they were all clones of him, that should also give him insight into what each of them was capable of. This Michael seemed to be pretty much at the opposite end of the spectrum, no military or other special training, no weapons skills. A control maybe?

"Calm down, Michael. I don't bite."

Michael jumped and threw a hunted glance his way. "Sorry," he stammered.

Baines sighed in exasperation. "Look, we're sitting on an airplane, in full view of a lot of very interested people. What do you think I'm gonna do to you?"

"Interested people?" Michael repeated in surprise, glancing around to see that they were, in fact, the focus of several pairs of eyes. He looked back at Baines questioningly. "Why's everyone staring?"

Baines blinked in surprise. "Come on, you can't be that naive! People always stare at twins, and I know damn well I get second looks from women—and men—even when I'm on my own. I'm sure you do too. We look good and there are two of us. Why do you think people are staring?"

"Oh. Oh!" Michael grinned suddenly. "Too bad we can't get royalties on their fantasies."

Baines laughed. "Or even get descriptions. They might have some good ideas."

They grinned wickedly at each other, and suddenly Michael was a lot more comfortable with the ex-soldier.

"So, Mike, what's your story? How did you meet Mulder and Krycek and start our happy little family?"

Michael burst into laughter, thinking of Mulder and Alex's weird courtship in his living room. When he described the scene to Baines, including him almost knocking himself out with a statuette, the other man started to laugh as well. "But that wasn't actually my first meeting with Mulder. You're not the only one who met an alien who almost killed him. Though at least mine was going to fuck me to death, kill me with pleasure."

"What? Oh come on, you can't stop there!"

Michael described what had happened, slightly surprised that it didn't upset him or scare him like it used to. //Maybe I'm finally getting over it.// "So anyway, that all freaked me out so much that I've stuck to men ever since. Women cause flashbacks. And I have to admit," with a sly glance at Baines, "men have certain advantages."

"Oh, so you like to be fucked, do you?" Baines whispered in silky purr Mulder would have recognized instantly.

Michael looked up at him through his lashes. "Yeah, I do, but I also like fucking men. So hot and tight. So wild when I have my cock up your ass and yours in my hand. I love to make my lovers scream with pleasure." He licked his lips.

Baines' gaze avidly followed the motion of that tongue, then rose to meet Michael's. He shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable despite suddenly too tight jeans, then smiled. "We'll see who makes who scream."

"Is that a promise?" Michael purred.

"Count on it."

"Oh, I will." Michael started to lean toward him for a kiss, then remembered that people were watching them and almost certainly thought they were brothers. He could just imagine the reactions if they kissed. "Raincheck?"

"You can count on that too."

They shared another grin, this one of anticipation. They spent the rest of the relatively short flight getting to know each other a little better, Baines constantly surprised by Michael's wicked sense of humor. He reminded himself not to underestimate Mike. He might not have the training of some of the rest of them, but he had the same potential, and he'd survived the much scarier world of commodities. Baines grinned at the thought.

"What?"

"I was just thinking that with your background in finance, you may have the strongest killer instinct of all of us."

"Ha ha. Very funny."

"Seriously though, when we have a minute, you should learn to shoot, maybe some basic knifework too. I have a feeling that knowing how to protect yourself may prove to be a definite asset before this is all done."

"Do you really think it ever will be? Done, I mean. I don't think I could go back to my job and my old life now, knowing some of what's going on, knowing that you are all out there. That's assuming that someone wouldn't try to kill me anyway." Michael shrugged. "I get the feeling we should all get very used to each other."

Baines stared back. "Already figured that out, huh? You're right, it probably won't be over. Not until every single person who knows about us is dead. And since we still have no idea why they made us—fuck, that sounds weird!—how can we ever know everyone who was involved? I don't relish going home only to spend the rest of my probably very short life looking over my shoulder."

"How about we find a hotel and I look over your shoulder?"

"You just going to look?"

"Hardly," Michael laughed. "But then, you'll find that out for yourself by tomorrow morning."

Baines gasped. "And what about this Tom Andrews guy?"

Michael shrugged. "He can play too if he wants to."

Baines' mouth actually opened slightly as he pictured Michael and another lookalike in bed with him. He swallowed hard, raising his eyes to meet those of his tormentor.

"Just remember, Mike, you're gonna have to make good on all your promises."

Michael just licked his lips.

Baines promised himself that Mike wasn't going to get any sleep at all that night. They were going to know each other very well indeed before another day had passed. As they disembarked, Baines managed to brush against Michael several times, earning a frustrated glare from the other man. Baines grinned back, letting him know that he wasn't going to have it all his own way.

They rented a car using one of Baines' many fake identities and drove directly to the last address they had for Andrews. When they got there, they sat in the car for a few minutes, staring in surprise.

"This is a schoolteacher's house?" Michael asked dubiously.

Looking around, Baines had to wonder too. The yard was overrun by weeds and didn't look to have been mown in months, the paint was peeling off the house, and the car in the driveway was half rusted through. The entire place exuded an air of neglect. If it had been an overcast, autumn day instead of bright and sunny, it would have made a great opening scene for a horror movie. With a shrug he got out of the car and headed for the front door, ringing the bell several times to no avail.

"You're wasting your time."

Michael jumped like a startled cat at the unexpected voice, and Baines had to hide a grin. He turned to face the kid who'd spoken, noting the faint expression of sadness in the back of his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Mr. Andrews won't answer the door. Ever since he got shot and his fiancee died, the only time he leaves the house is to go buy more booze. My mom said he's trying to kill himself 'cause he blames himself for Maddie dying."

"Your mom said that to you?" Michael was skeptical.

"Nah, she was talking to some of the other ladies around here, and I heard 'em. Holy shit!" The kid had taken a step forward so the sun wasn't in his eyes anymore, and he suddenly stopped talking and stared at them. "Who are you?"

"We're...relatives," Baines said.

"No kidding. Any idiot can see that. Are you here to help Mr. Andrews?"

"We're going to try," Michael replied.

The kid continued to watch them for a few moments, then seemed to make a decision. "There's another door around to the side. It doesn't lock properly. You can get in there." With that, he turned and ran away.

"Shot? Dead girlfriend? What the hell?" Michael blurted to Baines, who just shrugged.

"Only one way to find out. Let's beard the lion in his den." He motioned Michael forward, but the other man shook his head emphatically.

"No way. You're the badass Special Forces soldier. You go first."

Baines laughed but led the way, pushing the door open and stepping inside cautiously. They waded the debris on the floor, old papers that had fallen, empty beer bottles, greasy pizza boxes, dirty clothes, all the signs that the person living in this house had stopped caring. They stopped in the living room doorway, looking at the wreck of a human being that sprawled in a chair, watching them. It was disconcerting to the two men to see a mirror image of themselves in such a state.

Andrews wore a grungy pair of jeans and nothing else. His hair was lank and greasy from being too long unwashed, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was obviously drunk. He was thin enough that they could count his ribs, and it was obvious to Baines that this was a man who wanted to die. Telling him that people were coming to kill him was clearly not going to be the right tack to take if they wanted to get him away.

Before Baines could decide how to deal with Andrews, Michael spoke up. "Come with us, and we'll take you somewhere where no one knows what happened, where no one will look at you with pity, where nothing will remind you of what happened." For a moment he wished someone had made him that offer six years earlier. Then again, moving to a small town where he knew no one had pretty much accomplished the same thing for him.

Andrews watched them. He was drunk, but not so far gone that it didn't strike him as fairly odd that two men who could be his twins suddenly appeared in his living room and offered him a new life. "If I go with you, will you eventually tell me who you are and what the hell is going on?" Even now the insatiable curiosity that had made him such a good teacher wouldn't let him ignore such a bizarre situation.

"Yeah, we will. When you're ready for it," Baines replied calmly.

Tom nodded and got to his feet, swaying dangerously. "Okay, let's go."

The other two looked at him with faint distaste. "Not till you clean up and get dressed. You know, shower, shave, fumigate yourself, all those fun things," Baines suggested sarcastically.

Tom shrugged and staggered upstairs to the guest bathroom. He hadn't been able to go into his bedroom since the day that bastard he'd known in prison had shot the woman he loved. It only made it worse that the sorry sonofabitch had been aiming at the greedy bitch who'd tried to use him to steal her partner's share of their heist. He'd had such pisspoor aim that he'd almost shot Tom instead, so Maddie had thrown herself in front of him to protect him. He'd rather have been dead himself than face living knowing that she was dead because of him. The thought of going into the room where they'd slept together, made love, planned their future while lying in each other's arms, was too much for him.

Michael shook his head after Andrews disappeared into the bathroom and the shower switched on. He went into Tom's bedroom to get clean clothes for him and left them on the bed in the spare room where he'd be sure to see them when he came out. He came back in time to see Baines stuffing a picture into his pocket, and he looked at him questioningly.

"He won't take anything to remind him of her right now. Whatever happened has really torn him up. But someday he'll want remembrances, and he'll never forgive himself for not keeping at least her picture. So I'll keep it for him till he wants it."

Michael walked up to him and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"What was that for? Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

Michael grinned. "That was for being considerate. You're not as tough as you'd like me to think."

Baines looked at him, suddenly completely serious. "Don't make that mistake, Mike. Just 'cause I know how to pretend to be civilized doesn't change what I am. I make a really bad enemy."

Michael smiled. "Then I have nothing to worry about. I have no intention of becoming your enemy. The position I'm applying for is lover."

Baines just stared, stunned by the blunt statement. "Jesus. You don't beat around the bush, do you?"

"Fuck that. We could be killed tomorrow. Hell, we could be killed a minute from now. We don't have time to waste. I want you, and you seemed pretty clear that you wanted me too. It'd be nice if it turns out to more than a one shot deal, but I'm not expecting anything."

"No expectations, huh? Well, I have some. I expect to hear you screaming with pleasure, yelling my name as you come, and I expect to hear it several times tonight."

"Would you two like to be alone?" a dry voice inquired.

Michael started to laugh. "What the hell is up with courting in other men's living rooms? First Alex and Mulder do it to me, now we do it to Andrews. Shit," he sighed. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. And the name's Tom."

"Hi, Tom, I'm Michael, and this is Baines."

Introductions performed, the men left Andrews' former home, unmolested by the Consortium. Apparently they hadn't guessed that Tom would be next.

xx

Several hours later they pulled into a motel to get some rest. All of them were sick of staring at the road. As soon as they got inside the room, Andrews made straight for one of the beds, lying down with his back to the other two. A "do not disturb" sign couldn't have been clearer. Michael watched him for a moment, wishing he could help him in some way, but Baines just shrugged, perfectly willing to leave him to himself. He was more interested in Mike just then anyhow.

He just leaned back against the door and stared at Michael, waiting until he had his attention. When he was sure that Mike was watching him, he started to unbutton the loose cotton shirt he wore, undoing a couple of the buttons before pausing to untuck the top from his jeans. Michael watched as he finished unfastening the shirt, leaving it to hang loosely from his shoulders.

Never looking away from Michael, Baines brought one hand to his lips, licking his fingers, then sucking on them briefly. When they were good and wet, he slowly drew them down his throat and over his chest to his navel, then back up to his chest. He circled a nipple, shuddering as the moisture dried on his skin, puckering the flesh. He did that several times, bringing his fingers back to his mouth to moisten them whenever they started to dry. Finally when both nipples were flushed and rigid, he moved on with a final pinch that made him arch his back in pleasure. He trailed his fingers down the center of his chest back to his navel, circling it while Mike watched, panting. Finally he let his hand creep lower, disappearing beneath the waistband of his jeans.

Michael watched the movement of Baines' fingers under the denim, and he had to touch him. He placed one hand on the warm flesh of Baines' belly and worked on the fastening of his jeans with the other. When he got them undone, he stepped back to see what Baines would do next.

Baines grinned at him. He didn't mind putting on a show for his new lover. He freed his cock from the denim, stroking himself while Michael watched, first pumping the entire length in his fist, then teasing himself by lightly running a single finger along the sensitive underside and over the darkened head. He caught his lip between his teeth to hold back the sounds of his pleasure; it was too soon. He wanted to make this last a very long time. He brought his other hand up to his chest, teasing the already reddened nipples, unable to prevent himself from squirming beneath the dual stimulation.

Mike stood watching, his hands fisted at his sides as he tried not to grab Baines. The other man was caught up in the pleasure, an expression of sheer hedonism on his face, but the green eyes focused on him told Michael that Baines was still completely aware of him, was putting on this show for him.

When Baines released his nipple only to bring his hand to his mouth and then slide it over his ass beneath his jeans, Michael moaned. Baines had moved slightly so he was at a bit of an angle to him, and he could see Baines' hand moving beneath the loosened denim, sliding down his ass, worming between the cheeks. When Baines gasped, he knew that he'd just slid his finger inside himself. Hearing that, seeing the man squirm as he pleasured himself with a finger in his ass and a hand on his cock, Michael couldn't hold back any more. He dropped to his knees in front of Baines and started to lick his fingers as they still stroked over his cock. He tasted the faint salt and musk as he probed between the still moving fingers with the tip of his tongue.

Baines leaned more heavily against the door behind him, his head back as he panted, then he leaned forward again to watch Mike tasting him. He wanted to let go of himself, let Mike touch him completely, but this felt so good he couldn't stop yet. No one had ever done this to him before. Usually when he teased someone, when they finally did something, they took total control. He had a feeling Mike intended to tease him right back. A tiny whimper escaped him when Mike's tongue flicked across the head of his cock, capturing the pre-come glistening there.

Michael sat back on his heels and grinned up at his lover. "Mmm," he purred, "nice. Got more for me?"

Baines stared at him incredulously for an instant before grabbing his head and pulling it back to himself. "Is that enough for you?"

Mike snickered. "It'll do for a start."

Before Baines could say anything, Michael opened his mouth and lightly scraped his teeth along the length of him. Baines couldn't prevent the reflexive surge of his hips and didn't really want to even try. After the slight pain, the sensation of his tongue felt even better. He arched forward, trying to get inside Michael's mouth, but the other man held him back with a hand on his hip. At least Mike finally pushed his jeans down, baring his ass, even if it was only to swat him. Baines gasped and grinned, watching Michael closely as he carefully kicked off his sneakers and disentangled himself from his jeans without dislodging Mike's tongue from his aching cock or his own fingers from his ass. Once free of his tangled clothing, he leaned back against the wall and spread his legs wide.

Michael smiled to himself and moved closer, opening his mouth to nibble at the straining erection in front of him, nipping gently and feeling Baines quiver. He took the cock into his mouth slowly, first taking just the head and flicking his tongue over it, then sucking, gradually taking more until his face was pressed against the other man. Equally slowly, he pulled backed until he again held only the tip. He suckled on it for a few moments, then swallowed Baines again, this time sliding his hands around his lover's hips to cup his ass, then pushing Baines' hand away from himself, replacing his fingers inside him with his own.

Baines clutched Mike's shoulders with both hands, his hips pushing forward into his mouth, then back onto his fingers, picking up speed with each thrust. He panted desperately, feeling Mike's fingers hit his prostate while he sucked on his cock. His fingers clenched down on Mike's shoulders, and he tried to push him away, knowing he was on the verge of coming, but Mike just glanced at him and took him even deeper into his throat. Baines felt the pleasure reach flashpoint and explode through him, his whole body shaking as he came and Mike swallowed.

He was still leaning forward, half supported by Mike, when Mike suddenly stood up straight and spun him around to push him down on the bed. Baines lay still, the white cotton of the shirt spread around him his only garment, and stared up at the fully dressed man who'd just given him the most intense orgasm he'd had in recent memory. As he watched, Mike yanked his clothes off quickly and settled himself between his legs, pushing them further apart and back.

"Don't move," he whispered, turning to grab his jacket and get the lube out of his pocket. He'd bought it when he started travelling with Mulder and Krycek, and he'd never been so glad as at this moment. He turned back, smiling when he saw that Baines was exactly as he'd placed him. He squeezed out some of the slick, spread part of it over himself, and applied the rest to Baines. Then, barely a minute after he'd first tossed Baines down on the bed, he slid into him, both men gasping at the sensation as they came together.

Michael paused, remaining motionless as he sought the control to make this last longer than an instant. But Baines felt so good around him, under him. He had to kiss him, shifting forward to reach his lover's mouth, smiling when Baines' moan told him that he'd pushed against his prostate. He took Baines' mouth as he was taking his body, his tongue pushing in and rubbing against Baines' own even as his hips started to move. Baines caught and sucked on his tongue, clenching his ass and arching up into Michael's thrusts, his hands clutching Mike's arms.

Michael finally released Baines' mouth, rearing up to move harder, faster, watching Baines squirm under him.

"God, I'd tell you how beautiful you are right now, Chris, but that would be immodest of me."

Baines actually laughed. Both froze momentarily at the sensation, then Baines breathed out carefully. "Remind me to always laugh during sex. And I don't care how immodest it is, you're the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen."

They shared identical grins for an instant before Michael's thrusts became erratic and he cried Baines' name as he came deep inside him, then slowly sank down to lie over him, Baines' arms around him holding him close. They shared another kiss, this one long and gentle, then Mike shifted slightly to lie more beside him than on top of him and tucked his head into the hollow of Baines' shoulder.

They both remembered Andrews suddenly and glanced over, finding him watching them. Michael held out a hand in invitation, but Tom only looked at it like some odd, new species of insect before rolling over to face away from them again.

Baines stroked Michael's back. "Don't push him," he murmured. "He's hurting and needs time for the wounds to scab over. I remember what that's like."

Michael looked at him curiously.

"Remember I told you all about my last mission?" He waited for Michael's nod before continuing. "Well, I was the only member of my unit who survived. Those guys were like family to me. We trained together, worked together, shed blood together, but they died and I lived. For a long time I felt guilty about that. Still do, actually. I can only imagine how it would feel to go through that with someone you love."

Michael nodded and snuggled closer, gradually drifting off to sleep in the warmth of Chris' embrace.

xx

Tom woke up early the next morning; he hadn't really slept well since his fiancee's murder. He rolled over so that he could see his companions in the other bed. He'd been more than a little surprised the night before when they'd started going at it, but it had been a bit of a turn on to watch them. It had been a very long time since he'd had a male lover, but he remembered how good it could be. He very carefully did not wonder whether jealousy had been a motivating factor in Maddie's death and him getting shot. When one of his current companions—he thought it had been Michael, but it was hard to be sure since they looked identical—had invited him to join them, for a fraction of a second, he'd been tempted. But even imagining the comfort of their arms around him seemed like a betrayal. Maddie had no one to hold her now. How could he possibly crawl into bed with someone else?

His memories of the night before had given him a hard on, much to his disgust. He moved a hand down, stroking half-heartedly, then dropping his hand back to his side. If he wasn't going to fuck them, he sure as hell wasn't going to get off thinking about them. He deserved the ache. He lay flat on his back, his fists clenched at his sides, waiting for his erection to go down. With his eyes closed, he didn't see that Michael and Baines had woken and were watching him with identical frowns on their faces.

The other two men turned to each other, Michael's eyebrows raised questioningly. After a moment's hesitation, Baines shook his head. Andrews was a lot more depressed than they'd bargained for, and neither of them was qualified to deal with it. They'd have to hope Mulder could help him once they all got back together.

Tom shifted uncomfortably, the lingering scent of sex in the air maintaining his arousal. He glanced over at the other bed, seeing the other two still seemingly asleep, and got up to go take a cold shower. He turned the cold water on full and stood under it until he was blue and shivering and his erection felt more like a popsicle.

As soon as Tom disappeared into the washroom, Michael turned to Baines anxiously. "This guy is really messed up, Chris. How the hell are we supposed to keep him from blowing his brains out or something?"

"I don't think he's actively suicidal yet, but I wouldn't put him in any situations where he'd have to act to save his own life either." Baines sighed. "We just have to get him back to Krycek's cabin. Don't forget, Mulder is a psychologist and a profiler. He'll get inside Andrews' head and figure out how to help him. I think. Mulder's pretty weird himself."

"I think that has to do with nobody ever believing in him." Michael jumped to Mulder's defense. "It's got to be hard on the guy. He's smarter than most of the people around him, and all they do is ridicule him because they don't understand him or believe what he says. And considering that we're living proof that he knows what he's talking about, it's no wonder he's not well socialized."

Baines grinned. "Well, you may not have the training some of us have, but you sure are quick to attack in defense of your friends. I didn't mean anything against Mulder. He seems like an okay guy, but he is, uh, eccentric."

Michael sighed, leaning back against Baines' chest. "I know, I know; don't be so quick to fly off the handle, my mother always said."

"I guess that's another thing that's genetically determined. I've got a pretty quick temper too."

As they were talking, Andrews came back into the room and noticed that they were awake.

"Hey, guys, you could have told me that you're together. I'd have gotten another room if you wanted some privacy."

Baines shrugged. "Sorry if it bothered you, but until we get someplace safe, we stay together."

Tom frowned, ready to insist on his own room.

"Look, Tom, first of all, even we aren't sure yet if we're together. Secondly, even if we are, that wouldn't exclude you. Just wait till you meet Alex and Mulder." He chuckled. "And most importantly, I am not going back and telling Alex Krycek that we let you get killed while you were with us. I don't think I'd like to see how he gets when he's pissed off."

"Who's Alex Krycek?"

Baines and Michael exchanged a look. In view of Tom's disinterest the day before, they'd hoped they'd actually be able to get him back to the cabin before he started asking questions. Unfortunately not, apparently.

"You should probably sit down," Baines suggested. "I'll let Michael explain it since he's known about it longer than I have. I only found out yesterday morning myself."

"Gee thanks," Michael grumbled. "Okay, where to start? I'm sure you've noticed that we look alike. Well, in the last week, aside from you two, I've met two other men who are also identical to us and seen files and pictures of about a dozen others. Bear with me here, I know this is going to sound nuts.

"Alex Krycek is a man whose DNA is seemingly extremely easy to clone without defect. The rest of us are clones of him. Let me finish," he said when Tom opened his mouth to interrupt. "None of us believed it either, Alex included, but we've seen the proof. Files detailing the process, our placements with various families—or not—life histories, pictures. Some of us are only weeks younger than Alex—they started this was he was still in the womb—and others are years younger. The youngest I've seen in the files is about 22, but who knows how many others there are. For all we know, they may still be creating clones right now."

"Give me a break!" Tom sneered. "This isn't the Twilight Zone or something. We can't clone human beings yet."

Michael chuckled. "Sorry, I don't mean to laugh at you. But everyone says that. Look, I know that's what we've been told. And in most cases it's true. But some people do know how to clone human beings and have been doing it for years. Hell, how else do you explain us? Even if you don't believe us about the others, two of whom I've already met, there are the three of us."

Tom groaned. "This just doesn't make sense."

"Tell me about it!" Baines sympathized. "Less than 24 hours ago I was minding my own business when the bell rang. Since then I've had to believe in human cloning, that I am a clone, been shot at and had my fucking house shot to pieces. This has not been a good day!"

"Oh, I don't know," Michael mused, "I can think of at least one good thing that happened yesterday."

Baines blinked. "Oh. Yeah, sorry, it's just that so much happened I can't believe it's less than a day since we met."

"Huh?" Tom was startled.

"Mike was one of the people at the door when I opened it just before lunchtime yesterday."

"And you're already lovers?"

Both men shrugged. "We didn't plan it, but it felt right."

"Uh huh."

"Look, you may not want to live anymore, pal, but we do. And since people keep trying to kill us, we'd be fools to waste time when we both know this is what we want," Michael snapped.

Tom shrugged, privately thinking they were just rationalizing scratching an itch. It was hardly some big romance only hours after they met. He wouldn't be surprised to find out that one or both of them was a hustler.

Mike glared at him. Andrews' thoughts were so clear on his face, and it was insulting. Just because his girlfriend had died didn't mean that other people didn't care about each other. This emoting and self-pity was already wearing on his nerves.

"Look, you want to pretend it's some grand passion or something to make yourself feel better, go right ahead. But two guys fucking their brains out a few hours after they meet is pretty clear to me," Tom sneered.

Michael's mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. Finally, with a wordless snarl, he let fly, punching Tom right in the eye. Tom staggered back from the impact, his hand covering his eye. He shouted furiously and launched himself at Michael, knocking him to the ground where they rolled around, punching each other at every opportunity. Baines jumped out of the way and stared at them in disbelief.

Michael's days of bar brawls stood him in good stead for a while, letting him land several good punches, splitting Tom's lip and probably giving him another black eye to go with the one that had started this. Eventually, however, the dirty tricks Tom had learned to survive in prison turned the tide. By then, however, he was so mad that he just kept hitting Mike until Baines pulled him away. He shoved Tom toward his bed and sat down beside Michael on theirs, checking him to make sure he had no serious injuries.

The two recent combatants glared at one another sullenly like two small children who'd been sent to their room. Baines wouldn't have been surprised to see them stick their tongues out at each other. He groaned silently. //I suppose it was inevitable that some of us wouldn't get along. But why do I have to be stuck in a hotel room with them and looking forward to a long drive cooped up in a car with them? I really hate my life sometimes.// He sighed.

"Look, why don't you go shower and dress, Mike, while I get our stuff together. We can stop at a drive-through for breakfast. I don't think we can afford the attention of going into a restaurant together. And we've got to get moving. We don't want the others to worry and maybe come looking for us."

"God forbid!" Michael exclaimed. "That would definitely draw attention. Okay, I'll be ready in a few minutes." He headed into the washroom, steadfastly avoiding looking at Tom.

Tom glared after him, dabbing at his split lip as he sat in the middle of the bed. He watched Baines gather up his and Michael's clothes from the previous day and shake his head over their wrinkled condition. After a night on the floor, they looked much the worse for wear. Then again, no one was going to see them in the car. The wrinkled clothes would do.

xx

Mac looked around in disgust as he and Vic got out of the four-wheel drive Vic had insisted they rent. He had to admit that Vic had been right; nothing else would have gotten through. Everywhere he turned were trees and rocks or trees and water or just plain trees. He shuddered.

"I thought this guy was supposed to be rich?" he grumbled.

"He is."

"Then why the hell is he out here in the middle of nowhere when he could be at a four-star resort?"

"Because it's fun, challenging, beautiful.... Pick one," Vic sighed, knowing he'd never convince Mac.

"It's also a reporter-free zone," a voice suddenly spoke from behind Vic, "so please leave."

"We're not reporters," Mac assured the newcomer.

"Right. Of course you aren't. So why are you here?"

Then Vic turned around, and Ryan stopped saying anything at all.

"Who are you?"

"Victor Mansfield."

"How..."

Vic wondered how he was going to be able to explain this. Like Vic himself, Simms had been raised by a member of the Consortium and in ignorance of its existence. But Ryan Simms had grown up in the lap of luxury as the son of the younger brother of someone Mulder called the "Well Manicured Man." He was not a likely candidate for conspiracy theories. Still, they had to convince him. All their lives might depend on it.

Vic launched into the same spiel he knew that the others would be giving Greene and Andrews. He was shocked when Ryan just nodded and said, "I know."

Seeing Vic's amazement, Ryan knew he'd have to explain. "I've been breaking into my dad's office since I was a kid. Most of the stuff I saw was financial statements, scientific and technical documents, boring stuff. Sometimes, though, there were descriptions of families, boys around my own age or younger, sometimes a little older. I always wondered why Dad was interested in them, but it was fun to read about them. I felt like they were pen pals or something.

"Then the stories about them starting getting bad. Reports of experiments. Cruelty. Beatings. Rapes. Psychoses. Killings, deaths and suicides. And then, when I was about 15, there was a file with pictures. Pictures of Victor and Alex and Tom and Chris and Jeff and Anson and Cory and so many others. And they all looked like me. Some older, some younger, but all me. I freaked.

"But I knew even then that I couldn't ask my dad about it. He never left any pictures out again, but I checked his office more often and I found more reports, descriptions of horrible things done to the others just to see how they'd react, attempts to turn some of them into perfect killing machines. One was twisted into a psychopath. It was horrible, but I kept reading, wanting, needing to know what was going on and how I was involved.

"Once I found a draft of report my dad wrote about me. I was part of the experiment. Eventually from what I read I realized that we were, that I was, a clone. I didn't understand how—I still don't—but it was clear. My dad wasn't really my father. He was... my keeper.

"That was when I stopped trying to be his son. When I started getting into extreme sports. My dad did everything except lock me in my room to stop me. I guess they didn't want their so-called normal subject to damage himself." Ryan shrugged, but Vic and Mac could see how much it still hurt him to think that his father didn't really care about him. "I guess I should've known who, or at least what, you were as soon as I saw you. But I never really believed I'd meet any of you. I didn't think they'd allow it."

"The Consortium?" Vic asked, wondering how much Ryan knew. He might be very useful to them if he actually knew information from a senior member's private files.

"Yeah. The guys, including my father, who are collaborating with aliens to take over this planet. The men who are going to betray the whole human race."

"That's enough, Ryan."

All three spun around in surprise, freezing at the sight of an older man pointing a gun at them. He held the gun steadily, clearly prepared to shoot them.

"Dad? Is this what we've come to? Are you actually going to kill me now?"

"I'd hoped to leave you out of this. But after hearing you, I know that is impossible. I'm rather impressed that you managed to find out so much. Of course, typically for you, you did nothing about it, preferring to act like a pouty child trying to get attention. There's nothing I can do for you now." His finger started to tighten on the trigger.

Before he could finish the motion, a shot rang out, and a shocked look appeared on his face. He stared down at the red stain blossoming on his chest, then met Ryan's eyes for a frozen instant before he slumped to the ground.

Vic and Mac had their guns in their hands instantly, targeting the shooter. Everyone froze, staring at yet another lookalike. Except this one had dead eyes.

"So which one are you?" Vic asked relaxing slightly but still pointing his gun at the newcomer since he hadn't lowered his.

"Sasha."

Vic and Mac exchanged confused looks, not remembering the name from the files, but Ryan's head shot up, and he turned a frightened gaze on the man.

"How did you get here?" Mac questioned.

"I've been watching you all since Mulder and Krycek met with Finnegan. I was... intrigued by their investigations. I have recently begun to wonder if there might not be something else for me. When you split up, I chose to follow you."

"Something else than what?" Vic wanted to know, and Ryan flinched.

"Something other than killing for the Consortium elders," Sasha stated coolly. "I almost met Mulder once. Of course, if I had, I would have had to kill him too."

"When was this?" Vic inquired.

"When I killed his father."

Stunned by the total lack of emotion displayed by this latest clone, Vic and Mac could only wonder what had been done to him to turn him into this drone. Ryan remembered the file on this man and tried not to think about what had turned him into a killer.

"Why wasn't there a file on this guy with the others?" Mac hissed at his partner.

"Because I always worked directly with the Consortium. The Englishman never considered me as a possible ally for you. He believed I would kill you first." Sasha obviously had very good hearing.

"So why didn't you?" Mac, as usual, had to push his luck.

"Because I want to know what it's like to have a life." He grew visibly frustrated when it was obvious that they didn't understand him. Ryan spoke up.

"He was never fostered with a family, never given a chance for any semblance of a normal life. He grew up in a lab and has only been allowed out of the base when he was sent to kill someone."

Vic was horrified by the sterile existence this man had led, and it showed. Sasha watched him almost curiously, much like an anthropologist studying some odd primitive culture. Vic flinched under that emotionless gaze, hastily looking away.

"So you're not going to kill us?" Mac pressed.

Sasha just shook his head.

Ryan was again staring at the body of the man he'd thought of as his father, the man whose last act had been to try to kill him. His first thought had been to wonder how he was going to tell his mother, but then he realized that this proved that the Consortium wanted them all dead, him included. He could never go home, never see his mother again. He started to shake.

Mac, remembering how painful his dealings with the Tang Godfather had been after he left the family, had been watching Ryan closely, and he placed a comforting arm around his shoulders. Ryan raised tear-drenched eyes to meet his, then accepted the comfort and understanding Mac was offering. He turned his face into Mac's shoulder and clung to him until he felt a little better.

"We should leave soon," Sasha observed. "It is unlikely that he was sent alone. Others will try to kill you when it is observed that he failed."

With one last, lingering glance at the corpse on the ground at his feet, Ryan strode towards the vehicles, wanting nothing more than to get far away from this place. He stopped when he reached his, then turned and walked over to Vic and Mac's. Sasha got into the discarded vehicle and held his hand out for the keys.

"Why? I don't want it. Leave it here."

"We don't want the police to find your car only yards away from your father's body. We can't assume that the Consortium will clean this up. They might decide that the easiest way to be rid of you would be to allow the police to take care of it," Mac explained.

"He's right," Vic chimed in. "If we leave your car here, the police will either assume you've been kidnapped or killed by the same person who shot your father or that you did it. Either way, you'll be the focus of a massive manhunt. None of us want that."

Ryan nodded his understanding and tossed the keys to Sasha before climbing into the back seat of Vic and Mac's vehicle. Vic went over to talk to Sasha for a moment, then came back to tell them that Sasha knew of a good place nearby to dispose of the car. They would follow him so he could join them after taking care of it.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ryan asked nervously. "All the lab clones are pretty scary, but he's the worst of them. I don't think he has emotions."

"Don't be fooled," Vic replied. "He has the same emotions you or I do, but he's been taught to bury them so deeply that even he isn't sure they're there anymore. It's going to be up to us to help him find them. Fortunately, Mulder's a psychologist. He should have some idea of where to start."

"Mulder?! No way! I don't want to go anywhere near that guy."

The two agents blinked at him in surprise. "What do you mean?" Mac asked. "Mulder seems okay."

"I'm sure he is, but I'm not into men, so I'll just keep my distance, thanks."

"He's not a rapist!" Vic exclaimed. "If you're not interested, he's not going to attack you."

"Oh my God, you don't know."

"Know what?" Vic demanded suspiciously.

"He's part of an experiment too. Before he was born and all through his childhood, they tinkered with him, among other things enhancing his pheromones. Our original's—"

"Alex," Vic interrupted.

"Alex's parents," Ryan continued with an annoyed glare, "were part of that experiment. Alex was expected to be even more susceptible to him than most people. Imagine their surprise when he turned out to be practically enslaved by Mulder. And of course, that applies to all the rest of us too."

"What do you mean, 'enslaved'?"

"At the best of times, we'd find him extraordinarily attractive. But if we got anywhere near him when he was aroused, we wouldn't be able to stay away from him. Does the term 'uncontrollable lust' mean anything to you?" He missed the little grin the other two men shared. "But it's a completely physical reaction. Once we got out of range, he'd have no more hold over us. Just seeing a picture of him wouldn't affect us either."

"Well, that's a relief," Vic said. "Neither Alex nor Mulder would appreciate being told that they're not really in love, that it's just some chemical reaction."

"It probably is," Ryan pointed out. "They'd need to spend some time apart to find out for sure."

"They saw each other less than half a dozen times over a six-year period. And from what I've heard, they never stopped thinking about each other even though they were enemies at that point. If that's not love, I don't know what is."

Ryan looked surprised. "I never even thought it was possible for one of us to truly fall in love with Mulder."

"Trust me, Alex loves him. And he gets jealous sometimes." Vic chuckled, remembering Alex's occasional acts of possessiveness. "But at least that explains why none of us could leave Mulder alone, not that he was complaining, mind you! But we literally fucked him into exhaustion."

"And where was Krycek during all this?" Ryan wanted to know, trying to understand.

"He was right there. He likes seeing Mulder fuck other people because he knows he always comes back to him. Mulder comes back to Alex, I mean. But he'll only let you have so much of Mulder before he gets in on it. And Mulder likes us all, but he obviously loves Alex and needs him. And come to think of it, I'm not sure that Alex would let anyone other than one of us touch Mulder. In a way, we are him, so for Alex it's kind of like watching himself with Fox."

"Ahem." Mac cleared his throat pointedly.

Vic grinned. "Alex figured out we were together before we did, Mac. He doesn't feel threatened by you."

Ryan shrugged noncommittally. It sounded pretty weird to him. If he were in love with someone, he wouldn't want to watch that person having sex with someone else. But some people liked that kind of thing, and it might even be an effect of the pheromones. It was fortunate that the reaction had been to share Mulder rather than fight over him. It could have gotten ugly.

He sat back, observing the two men in the front seat. Their body language made it clear that they were a couple, and Ryan watched carefully, trying to understand what could attract one man to another. He just didn't get it. Thinking back over the other clones' files though, it was clear that most if not all of them were bi. His father must have intentionally steered him toward heterosexuality to see if it was possible. Realizing that, however, didn't change his feelings. He figured it just proved that sexuality wasn't genetic, at least not entirely.

Ryan felt the car roll to a stop and opened his mouth to ask what was wrong. Then he noticed Sasha pushing his car toward a ravine. The car disappeared over the edge, immediately hidden from sight by the leafy canopy. Sasha checked the area carefully to be sure that there was no sign that a car had gone over in that spot. When he was satisfied, he got into their vehicle, sitting in the back beside Ryan, who immediately shifted as far over into the corner as he could get. He never noticed the miniscule flash of hurt that appeared briefly in Sasha's eyes.

"What do you know about the pheromone experiment involving us and Fox Mulder, Sasha?" Vic questioned curiously.

"I am unaware of any such experiment."

So Vic filled him in on what Ryan had told them. "What about you?" he continued. "Do you prefer men or women or both?"

Sasha looked faintly uncomfortable for the first time since they'd met him. "I was never permitted to experiment in that area. I was punished whenever I exhibited the slightest interest in anything sexual. I learned not to be interested."

"You're a virgin?" Mac exclaimed in amazement.

"Yes. But I have not felt any lack."

Ryan groaned in dismay. "God, dealing with Mulder is going to be hard for any of us. But for him and his enhanced pheromones to be your first experience would be totally overwhelming."

Sasha looked away. "You wish to leave me behind."

"No! That's not what I meant. I admit I'm a bit skeptical of your sudden desire for independence, but I wouldn't leave anyone to the Consortium if they really wanted to get away. But, awful as it sounds, we have to stop at a whorehouse or something for you. Mulder cannot be your first experience. Especially not if he and Krycek are really in love. If you have him without any other experience, I have a feeling you'll become fixated on him. Not a good thing." Seeing the gathering protest in Sasha's face, Ryan hastily added, "That's nothing against you. We were designed to be extremely susceptible to him. You need something to compare him to. Any of us would."

"So you want us to stop and find a hooker—which isn't exactly a great first experience either, by the way—while people are looking for us to kill us?" Vic sneered. "I hate to be the one to point this out, but the three of us together are pretty memorable."

"I know all that," Ryan snapped. "But it wouldn't be fair to him to just drop him into Mulder's presence. Obviously, you two aren't bothered by how gays are treated, but he deserves the chance to decide for himself if he wants to deal with that crap!"

Before Vic, who looked totally outraged, could reply, Sasha cut in. "I am still here, you know, and quite capable of making my own decisions."

The arguing men stopped abruptly and regarded him sheepishly. They mumbled their apologies, trying to ignore Mac, who was snickering as he drove.

"Victor is right," Sasha continued. "We can't stop. If they've found your father's body, they probably have the authorities looking for you as either the murderer or a second victim. Regardless, we are far too memorable, and that makes us easy to track. We have to stay out of sight."

"Unless you want to explain to Krycek why we led the Consortium straight to his hideout," Mac added.

"Who are you?" Ryan burst out.

Mac looked surprised, then remembered that he'd never had a chance to introduce himself before things went to hell back at the river. "Sorry about that. I'm Mac Ramsey, Vic's partner."

Ryan nodded. "So what do you do? You seem to be taking everything in stride."

"Huh?" Then Mac realized. "Oh, no, I meant partners in the sense that we work together. Although we're working on the other." He and Vic exchanged a smile.

"So you're a cop too."

"Haven't seen the files for a while, eh?" Vic joined the conversation. "I'm not a cop anymore. Haven't been for about six years."

"So what do you do?"

Vic looked at Mac. Mac looked at Vic. Neither spoke.

"They work for The Agency," Sasha spoke up unexpectedly. The others could hear the capitals when he named the Agency. "You should congratulate your Director if you ever do go back. It's the only agency of any kind that the Consortium hasn't been able to infiltrate. They came close a few years back, but your Director got wind of something, and she got agency-wide security measures implemented which completely blocked them. I've never seen them so frustrated." He seemed far away for a moment. "They became quite... rigorous in disciplining us as a result."

Despite his continued fear of the other man, Ryan placed a comforting hand on his knee. Sasha looked at him in surprise, making him wonder if anyone had ever offered him comfort before.

"Thank you, Ryan," Sasha said awkwardly, "but you are worrying needlessly. While I may not have been able to experience sex, my thoughts were my own once I learned how to hide them. To answer the earlier question, I already know that both men and women interest me."

"While that takes care of one problem," Ryan returned, "there's still the problem of you not having any actual experience for comparison. If you have sex with Mulder now, you'll probably imprint on him like a duckling on the first thing it sees."

"I think I am slightly more intellectually aware than a duckling," Sasha responded with injured dignity.

"That's not what I meant! Oh shit!" Ryan looked distressed, both at having inadvertently offended the other man and at the idea that he'd pissed off an assassin. Vic and Mac fought desperately not to burst into laughter, not wanting to make matters worse. Even Mac realized that teasing Sasha was not a good idea.

Sasha didn't look angry, but he did lapse back into silence, withdrawing into the corner as much as possible. With his habitual emotionless expression and lack of movement, he resembled a wax effigy. Ryan groaned silently and promised himself he'd find a way to make it up to him later.

The ride passed uneventfully, Sasha eventually rousing and joining the conversation, and they got to know each other a little. When they stopped for the night at a little motel in the middle of nowhere, Mac went in and got them a room with two double beds.

Once inside, Vic and Mac immediately claimed one of the beds, stripping off their clothes and settling naked against the headboard with Mac's arm around Vic's shoulders. Mac eyed Ryan a little uneasily, wondering if he was going to have a problem with them sleeping together. Mac hoped not, but their relationship was too new for him to be willing to give up a night with Vic. Especially considering that people kept trying to kill them. It was worse than a day at the Agency.

Ryan watched them a little uncomfortably, but he didn't object. Despite his father's best efforts, he wasn't really homophobic. But he still had no desire to experiment for himself. So he made a show of yawning and saying how tired he was, then settled into bed on the far side with his back to them.

Sasha looked from him to the others and chewed his lip uncertainly. It was the first sign of normal human emotion that they'd seen in him. "You are going to have sex?" he asked hesitantly.

"We're going to make love, yes," Vic responded, wondering where he was going with this.

"Would it bother you if I... watch? I want to learn."

Vic and Mac exchanged a look, a question asked and answered without words. Vic smiled at Sasha and held out a hand. "Join us," he invited.

Sasha only stared at the outstretched hand for a long moment before accepting it. He took a step toward them, then stopped, tugging his fingers free. He smiled shyly and removed his clothes.

The two men couldn't hide their dismay when they saw all his scars, and Sasha froze, thinking they were repulsed. They immediately realized what he thought, and Mac caught his hand.

"You've been hurt so badly, Sasha. I don't know how you survived it." His eyes traced bullet wounds and knife scars and what were clearly marks of whippings. He flinched from considering the scars at Sasha's groin too closely. He spared a thought to be grateful that the Consortium had been trying to make Sasha asexual. That was probably the only thing that had saved him from a series of brutal rapes. He tugged gently on the hand he held, urging the other man to join them.

Ryan, who'd sat up at Mac's words, lay back down, the image of Sasha's scarred body burned into his mind. If that was the way the lab clones were trained, it was no wonder they seemed almost inhuman. But the real monsters were the Consortium members who ordered and committed these horrors. //That could have been me,// he thought. //Maybe it was in a way. How much of my reaction to gay men is conditioned response and how much what I actually feel?// He didn't know.

Vic and Mac pulled Sasha down between them, determined to make his first experience a memorable one. Long minutes passed as they did nothing more than pet him, stroking every inch of his body. They explored every hollow and crevice, never lingering despite his increasing moans of pleasure. Finally, when he was squirming under their attentions, they started to use their mouths. Vic started licking at the base of Sasha's throat, feeling the day's stubble scrape over his tongue, tasting him. He nibbled gently and moved lower with long swipes of his tongue over the well-defined chest muscles. Vic paused at the hardened nipples, flicking the pebbled flesh with the tip of his tongue, which made Sasha arch up off the bed.

This brought a sound of displeasure from Mac, who was exploring his hip when he pulled away. He moved back to his task, this time holding Sasha down with an arm across his belly. Picking up where he left off, he licked the length of the crease between Sasha's thigh and groin. He began exploring the area, tugging the black curls gently between his teeth. This time Sasha whimpered. Mac grinned and shifted so he was straddling one leg and rubbing against it, and he licked the sac resting heavily between the widespread thighs. The other man nearly wailed his name and fought to get free of their grip so he could push closer. Mac licked and sucked for a while, enjoying every moment of the clone's cries of pleasure.

Soon Vic decided to join in the fun and released a reddened nipple from his mouth so he could lick the dripping cock that awaited him. He lapped up the pearly strands of pre-come, his tongue busy on the aching flesh. He tasted Sasha, and, not surprisingly, he tasted like Alex and Michael and Vic himself. But that wasn't enough for Vic; he suddenly took Sasha's entire length into his mouth.

Sasha screamed.

He'd read about this, imagined it, but he could never have imagined how good it felt, how much better it was than his own hand. By now he was beyond thought, only feeling. He tossed his head against the pillows, passion-glazed green eyes opening a slit to look at the two heads busy between his thighs. Just at that instant, Mac released his balls and flicked his tongue over Sasha's anus.

That touch on his sensitive tissues was more than he could bear, and he exploded into Vic's mouth. After milking the last drops from him, Vic squirmed up his body to kiss him for the first time, letting him taste himself. Then Mac was there too, and somehow they were managing a three-way kiss.

Eventually they parted, and Sasha reached down to stroke the two still unsatisfied erections. "I want to experience it all," he whispered huskily. "Please. Fuck me."

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Vic was scrabbling for the lube he'd placed on the nightstand earlier. In moments, one long finger was imbedded in Sasha's ass. Vic stroked him gently, getting him used to the presence inside him. When Sasha started squirming, trying to get him deeper, Vic added another finger, slowly stretching him. As he did, he probed, searching for and finding the exquisitely sensitive gland deep inside him. Sasha screamed again and arched off the bed.

Vic grinned at this reaction and removed his fingers, ignoring Sasha's moan of disappointment. He placed the blunt head of his cock against the ring of muscle, feeling it first resist, then yield, then greedily swallow him. Both men moaned with satisfaction, and Sasha wrapped his legs around Vic's waist to pull him closer.

Out the corner of his eye Vic noticed Mac watching them and fingering his own ass. He caught his partner's eye, then nodded toward Sasha. Mac's trademark cocky grin appeared, and he moved toward Sasha, who sensed the motion and opened his eyes. Seeing Mac, he relaxed and let them close again, expecting that Mac wanted to touch one of them. He was stunned moments later when Mac straddled him and immediately sank down on his cock, which had hardened again from the sensation of Vic taking him. He let out a wail of pleasure at the dual stimulation and writhed wildly under them. Mac grinned down at him, wriggling a little to make sure he was fully seated. "You did say you wanted to experience it all, didn't you?" he smirked. For someone who'd only recently had his own first sexual experience with another man, he'd obviously decided he'd liked it.

Meanwhile Ryan hadn't been able to ignore the sounds of pleasure coming from the three men. He had rolled over to watch them some time ago. Hie eyes met Sasha's, and he flushed, knowing that the other man could see his arousal. He tore his gaze away, letting himself look at the tangle of bodies on the other bed. Vic was pumping into Sasha's ass, his hands clenched on Mac's hips, and an expression of unadulterated lust on his face. Mac was riding Sasha hard, and Sasha was writhing desperately, unable to move, only able to accept the pleasure they gave him. Ryan watched as an expression of pleasure so intense it was almost pain crossed Sasha's face and his eyes fluttered open again. Sasha held one hand out to him, his eyes pleading, and Ryan outright froze. No matter how aroused he was by the sight of the three men, he was still uncomfortable with the idea of having sex with other men. He remembered, though, that he'd promised himself to find some way to make it up to Sasha for hurting him with his thoughtless remarks. Thus rationalized, Ryan did what he really wanted to, deep down, and stood up and took Sasha's hand, allowing himself to be pulled down on the other bed. His lips met Sasha's in an awkward but fervent kiss.

Sasha pulled back and stared at him searchingly for a moment. "I want to taste you," he murmured. Ryan hesitated again, then knelt on the bed by Sasha's head, his cock by the other man's mouth, allowing him to lick the head. Sasha's tongue lapped at him tentatively, then with increasing confidence as Ryan moaned. He shifted more fully over Sasha, and Sasha took him more deeply into his mouth.

Ryan groaned at the sensation, incredibly excited despite Sasha's clear inexperience. It still felt wonderful, and when he looked down to see his cock disappearing into what looked like his own mouth, a shudder raced through his body, and he shut his eyes, fighting not to come yet.

His eyes flew open in surprise when he felt fingers tweak his nipples and a mouth latch onto his. He found himself gazing into Mac's brown eyes as the other man kissed him thoroughly. And he liked it. He whimpered.

Sasha too was whimpering desperately, his senses nearly overloaded by the combined sensations of Vic in him, Mac on him, and Ryan in his mouth. When Ryan gasped and started to come, it was the final impetus needed to push him over the edge. He wailed wordlessly, arching beneath the three men, and the sight of him and Ryan in extremis was enough for Vic and Mac. They came at almost the same instant, Vic filling Sasha with his seed and Mac covering Ryan's belly and chest.

Vic slumped against Mac's back, and he in turn leaned forward against Ryan, who leaned into him, maintaining a precarious balance as they tried not to crush Sasha. As they recovered, they disengaged from each other, ending up tangled together in the center of the bed. Vic eyed the mess on Ryan's belly, then swooped down to lick him clean, lapping up every drop of Mac's come while Ryan squirmed and moaned. When he was done, Vic stretched out full length, gathering the two who happened to be at his sides close in his arms, and drifted off to sleep. With smiles on their faces, all the men snuggled closer for the night. Ryan sleepily mused that maybe he wasn't 100% heterosexual after all, and he chuckled faintly as he drifted off.

xx

Four days later, the last two groups arrived at Alex's cabin in the bayous, much to Baines' relief. Two days alone with Michael and Tom snapping and snarling at each other had him ready to either kill them or run screaming into the swamp, never to be seen again. He greeted the others' arrival with a heartfelt sigh of relief, practically flinging himself on them in gratitude. Of course, once he was there, he had to welcome each of them with a kiss. Only Alex catching sight of Mac with three clones in the other car as it pulled up prevented the greeting from heating up.

Anson eyed the strangers uneasily. He hadn't quite accepted the idea of cloning despite Fox and Alex's explanations, but the sight of seven men identical to himself made it incontrovertible. He tried to hide behind Fox, not sure how to handle this.

The Colorado group joined them, Sasha again hiding behind an expressionless mask when faced with Alex's suspicion. Vic introduced Ryan and Sasha to the group, being introduced to Anson and Tom in turn, and explained who and what Sasha was. Mulder's curiosity was aroused, and he started toward this unexpected addition to their group, only to be brought up short by Alex's protective and possessive hand on his arm. Alex wanted to know more about this Consortium assassin before he let Mulder anywhere near him.

"There's something else, too," Vic continued, ignoring the by-play. "Ryan, you've seen the files. Would you mind?" He turned to the other man, who sighed, nodded and began to describe the details of the genetic experiment involving Mulder and how it affected Krycek and his clones. Mulder immediately began posing questions, some of which Ryan could answer and some to which he could only shrug helplessly in response.

Alex actually relaxed a little after he'd assimilated this new information. He was secure in Fox's love for him, so he didn't feel threatened by the idea of him having sex with the clones. In fact, it turned him on. He also felt better at realizing that the others were probably nearly as protective of Fox as he was. Having soldiers and assassins want to keep his lover safe could only be a good thing. It also explained why Anson'd imprinted on Fox so quickly. He had no idea why Anson had accepted him almost as fast but assumed it had something to do with needing a sense of belonging. He'd talk to Fox about it if they ever had a moment alone.

They eventually made their way inside, escaping the mosquitoes, and Alex settled into a corner of the couch, smiling faintly when Mulder sat at his side, nestling comfortably against him without a second thought. Anson sat on the floor at their feet, leaning back against their knees while Mulder unconsciously stroked his hair, petting him. Anson luxuriated in the sense of approval and affection he got from these men and nearly purred his contentment.

Baines and Michael sat on the floor by the fireplace, Baines leaning against the cool brick while Michael sat between his legs, back pressed to Baines' chest. It was clear to everyone that they'd paired off, and equally clear that Michael and Tom, whose eyes fairly spat sparks at one another, did not get along. Tom sat in a rocking chair in one corner, glaring around indiscriminately.

Vic and Mac had claimed the loveseat, leaving Ryan to perch easily on one arm and Sasha to take station with his back to the wall in one corner. Watching him, Mulder beckoned him to come sit on the couch with him and Alex. It was almost painful to see how shy and uncertain the clone was and how he tried to hide his insecurities behind an emotionless mask.

Sasha tentatively accepted the invitation, sitting gingerly on the edge of the sofa until Mulder reached out and hauled him in. Sasha glanced uneasily at Alex, surprised to find him watching indulgently, approval shining in his eyes. He didn't realize yet that Alex Krycek was familiar with the sensation of coming from cold loneliness into the warmth of Mulder's love. He wouldn't deny that to any man.

All of the newcomers were exhausted after their journeys, so after a light lunch prepared by Baines, they went to rest, Baines doing the same to avoid spending any more time alone with Tom and Michael. Both Anson and Sasha ended up joining Alex and Fox in their bedroom, and Vic and Mac got the spare room. Baines and Michael curled up together on the sofa, Ryan took the loveseat, and Tom went for a walk.

xx

Everyone woke up hot, sticky and irritable, so they were delighted when Alex told them he had a sauna at the back of the cabin, even though they wondered why he bothered, considering the heat and humidity there. They all trooped out, including Tom, who'd returned from his walk a little while earlier. They dropped their clothes at the door as they headed in, disporting themselves on the benches. Mulder again gravitated to Alex's side, Michael and Baines claimed another spot, and Vic and Mac settled opposite Alex and Mulder. Tom sat in the biggest open space left, but with an ingratiating smile, Anson sat near him and started to talk. As angry and depressed as he was, Tom couldn't find it in himself to be cruel to Anson, who reminded him of an eager puppy. Ryan and Sasha sat together in the remaining space, Ryan having gotten over his fear of the other man after their first night travelling together when they'd all ended up in the same bed. As Ryan reflected, it was difficult to be afraid of a man who'd sucked you off.

They sat in companionable silence for a time, sweating out their tension, until Mulder suddenly dropped to the floor, twisting around to face Alex as he did, and took his soft penis into his mouth. Alex gasped and clutched Mulder's head to him, feeling himself harden in Fox's mouth. Mulder sucked on Alex, loving the sensation of his lover lengthening and hardening in his mouth. He slowly bobbed his head back and forth on the thickening muscle, tasting his lover again for the first time in four days. After the first night, they'd driven long hours, only stopping when forced to by exhaustion. As tired as they'd been, they'd fallen asleep as soon as they'd hit the bed.

So Mulder was avid as he sucked. His hands clenched and unclenched on Alex's thighs, much like a contented cat kneading a surface, while Alex's remained tangled in his hair. Mulder wanted Alex to come, but he had other ideas and pulled Fox off him after a few minutes, ignoring his lover's discontented sounds.

"Trust me, Fox," he soothed, "you'll like what I have in mind."

"I liked what I had in my mouth," Mulder sulked.

Alex had to kiss him for that, thrusting his tongue into Mulder's mouth, tasting himself as he did. He explored the wet cavern thoroughly, tracing every ridge and crevice. As he did, he stroked Mulder's back and ass, slowly sliding between the firm cheeks to probe at the tight ring of muscle with one sweat-slicked finger. He slid the digit inside Fox, nudging the hypersensitive gland, and he felt Mulder jerk against him. He continued to tease and stretch his lover for some time while Fox whimpered and writhed against him. After a few minutes, he pulled his fingers from Mulder's ass and grinned at him, licking his lips.

"Sit on my lap, babe," he whispered huskily.

Mulder whined and stood up, turned around so his back was to Alex, and carefully sat down, feeling Alex slide inside him as he did. He leaned back against Alex's chest and moaned when Alex reached around and squeezed his nipples. He tossed his head against his lover's shoulder, his hands clenched on Alex's thighs. He rose up slightly, then sank back down, gasping Alex's name as he did. Alex lowered one hand to Mulder's cock, drawing one finger teasingly along the prominent vein on the underside, then cupped his balls, rolling them together in the palm of his hand.

After watching for a little while, Michael moved over to kneel in front of them. Alex held Fox's cock out to him, and Michael was quick to accept the offering. He took Mulder's erection into his mouth, tasting the fluid already welling up at the tip, then sliding further down until his nose was pressed to Mulder's belly. He swallowed repeatedly, hearing Mulder's gasping moans as he did.

Baines suddenly joined them, fitting himself behind Michael and pulling his ass up so he could reach him easily. He kissed his way along Michael's back, making certain to get each vertebrae, then licked the groove below, teasing the opening. Michael moaned, rearing back to try to force his tongue deeper, nearly letting Mulder slip out of his mouth when he did.

Sasha moved over to a storage cabinet he'd noticed built into one wall, opening it to find the lube he'd expected Krycek to keep handy. He pulled it out and brought it over to Baines, then was startled when Mulder grabbed him and pulled him closer to take his erection into his mouth. Mulder'd been denied having Alex come in his mouth, not that he had any objection to the alternative he'd been offered, so he was determined to suck one of the clones off. He didn't particularly care which one and, in fact, didn't know which one he'd grabbed.

Meanwhile Baines had put the slick to good use and was deep inside Michael, his balls pressed against his lover's ass. He began to thrust in and out, pushing Michael forward in turn so he took Mulder's cock deeper down his throat. Mulder's squirming moved him on Alex's cock, and Alex's hand was still busily playing with his balls. Mulder's whimpers around his cock made Sasha whine needfully, desperately wanting more, and the sound brought Ryan to him with a brief pause to grab the lube from where Baines had dropped it.

The first Sasha knew of Ryan's presence behind him was the sudden but welcome intrusion of a finger in his ass, spreading the cool gel inside him and stretching the muscle. Soon the finger was gone, and he felt himself stretched even farther as he accepted Ryan's cock into himself, tensing at the initial pain. Ryan stayed motionless as he slowly adjusted, and only when Sasha had relaxed did he sink farther into him. As he did, he placed one hand on Mulder's chest for balance and began to worry the nipple between his fingers, smiling when Mulder gasped and squirmed lewdly.

Mulder was completely beyond thought now, writhing desperately on Alex, who had one hand on his balls and the other on a nipple, while Michael sucked his cock and he sucked another. All of them were thrusting and twisting madly, eager to pleasure and be pleasured.

Anson watched them for some time before he could no longer ignore his arousal. He suddenly twisted around and stretched out full length on the bench with his head in Tom's lap. Before Tom could so much as blink, Anson had taken his unwilling erection into his mouth and was sucking as if he intended to draw out his very soul. Tom moaned in protest and reached down to push Anson away, but before he could, Anson's tongue starting playing along the length of his cock as he sucked, and Tom's hand, rather than pushing him away, settled on his head and drew him closer. Tom's head fell back against the wall, and his eyes closed tightly, denying what was happening even as he gave in to the pleasure. He hadn't really allowed himself any true release since Maddie's death, so it didn't take him long to come. When he did, he simply ignored Anson, pretending nothing had happened, until he heard the other man's tiny whimpers with every breath. He opened his eyes to see Anson squirming with need, looking up at him desperately, pleading clear in his eyes.

Despite himself, Tom couldn't ignore the sheer need in the other man's eyes, and he reached down and took Anson's cock into his hand, stroking it at first tentatively, then with growing assurance as he felt Anson respond to him. Anson's head was still in his lap, and he could feel the silky hair rubbing against his thighs as Anson tossed restlessly and moaned with growing pleasure. Tom looked down at the expressive face and couldn't resist leaning down to taste the moist, parted lips, his tongue sliding between them to meet its mate, and he lost himself in the sense of completion he found there. Never before had he felt such a sense of belonging, not even with Maddie. Realizing that, he tore his mouth free with a whispered curse, only to freeze when he met the confused, wounded expression in Anson's eyes. He swore, then lowered his head again, taking Anson's mouth in another kiss, silently apologizing and swearing not to hurt him any more. To do so would be, in some way he didn't yet understand, to hurt himself. Somehow, Anson had wormed his way into his heart without even trying, perhaps because he was the only one here who didn't seem to think he owned the universe, and Tom realized that he wanted to protect him from any more pain. It was so clear that he'd had more than his fair share. Anson's further whimpers drew him from his moment of introspection, and his hand began to move on the straining erection once again.

Anson focused on the identical face hovering over him, desperately needing Tom. He saw Tom's eyes focus on him, seeing him and only him, and he smiled up at his lover. He arched into Tom's hand, then gasped when Tom leaned down to catch a nipple between his teeth for an instant before the awkward position forced him to straighten up again. Tom's hand never stopped stroking and petting him, gradually drawing his orgasm from him in long, languorous waves of pleasure the likes of which he'd never felt before. When he was done, Tom smiled into his eyes and raised his hand to his mouth to lick it clean of Anson's semen while Anson watched with wide eyes. When he was done, he shifted on the bench to lick Anson clean as well, then kissed the other man so he could taste himself in his mouth. Then they rolled to the floor where they could curl together and watch the others as their movements grew faster and more desperate.

By now, Vic and Mac had joined the other six men, Vic dislodging Alex's hand to take Mulder's heavy sac into his mouth, and Mac deep inside Vic. Mulder's eyes flew open when he felt his balls sucked into the wet warmth of someone's mouth, and he screamed. He stared down at what he assumed to be Vic since the clone was being fucked by Mac, his mouth on his balls close by another that was stretched around his cock. Mulder looked around wildly, seeing the two men at his groin, another with his cock in Mulder's own mouth, each of those in turn being fucked by another clone, or in Vic's case by Mac, while he could feel Alex deep inside him, driving him insane. It was all too much for him, and he screamed incoherently as he exploded, his body spasming as the continued stimulation forced the sensations to continue, ebbing and peaking in every nerve and muscle.

Mulder's cries and spasms started a chain reaction, each of the men around him exploding shortly afterward, Alex suddenly grabbing his hips and pulling him even more tightly against himself to drive even deeper inside him as he came. The others moaned and cried out as they came in and on one another. Mulder found himself covered with come from several of them, and he whimpered desperately as greedy mouths fastened onto him, licking and sucking him clean and keeping him in a continued state of semi-arousal despite his explosive climax. Alex gasped as Mulder's squirming prevented him from softening either, and he wondered again if he would survive his association with Fox and the clones.

//But what a way to go!//

Alex grasped Mulder tightly around the waist and heaved himself to his feet, taking Mulder, still joined, with him and temporarily dislodging the others. He wobbled a bit from the enervating effects of his climax and the heat of the sauna, but he regained his balance and slowly moved toward the door, urging Mulder to take steps in time with his.

Mulder whined when he felt Alex shift inside him as they moved together toward the door. His cock was throbbing again from the attentions the clones had paid it despite it not having been covered by semen since it had been safely tucked inside Michael's mouth, and Alex's erection moving in his ass and rubbing his prostate was only making him more desperate.

The others pushed themselves to their feet, as wobbly as Alex and Fox were, and followed the other men into the air-conditioned coolness of Alex's gym. As soon as they'd stepped inside, Alex had pushed Fox down to his knees, and he was pumping wildly into him, needing to feel himself come inside his lover again. Fox was squirming and whining, but even as hard as he was, he needed more to come, and Alex wasn't letting him touch himself.

"They did wonder if our susceptibility to Mulder's pheromones might not be a reciprocal effect," Ryan mused, his eyes fixed on the two men on the floor in front of him, "but they never had an opportunity to find out."

"I'd have to vote yes," Michael responded, also watching Fox and Alex.

Alex finished quickly and pulled out of Fox, not letting him come and preventing him from touching himself despite his anguished whimpers. He pulled Fox to his feet and stood behind him, wrapping his arms around him and rubbing his head against Fox's neck and shoulder.

"Come on, baby, trust me. You've liked all my ideas so far, haven't you?" He nuzzled against Fox, who whimpered desperately but nodded. Alex drew him toward the shower, the other men following like iron filings after a magnet. Krycek turned the cold water on and stepped in, yelping at first then relaxing at the refreshing sensation on his overheated and sticky body, pulling Fox in with him and cleaning him up, being careful not to touch his cock for more than an instant. Even the cold water hadn't decreased Mulder's arousal.

When they were done, the others took their own turns under the cold water, leaving everyone alert and dripping, nipples hardened from both the cold and arousal as they watched Alex with Mulder. Alex dried him off, then himself, warning Mulder not to touch himself while he was busy. Mulder moaned miserably, but he obeyed. Once Alex was dry, he went over to another storage cabinet and pulled out some leather strapping, holding it up in front of Mulder's wide eyes. With a truly evil smile, Alex started wrapping it around Fox, binding his cock and balls tightly, then kissing him deeply while tweaking his nipples.

Alex pulled back, grinned at him, and cupped his bound balls in his palm, laughing when Mulder moaned and thrust into his hand. Alex stepped behind Fox again, fitting himself to his back and grinning over Fox's shoulder at the others. "So, who's next?"

Vic and Michael both grinned, remembering their night at the motel in Ontario and realizing that Alex and Fox wanted to play again, or at least Alex did and Fox wasn't objecting. They stepped forward eagerly, reaching for Fox, who watched them almost nervously. He couldn't believe the heights of arousal he'd achieved regularly since beginning his association with Alex and the clones. It seemed to grow more intense each time they were together. He squirmed, thrusting his hips forward, pushing his bound cock toward the advancing men.

Michael sank to his knees in front of Mulder and started to lick his belly, pulling a giggle from Fox when he tickled him. He nibbled the quivering muscles and brushed his stubbled chin over the sensitive skin. Mulder shuddered at the sensation.

Vic watched Mulder's reactions to what Michael was doing, then pressed down on his shoulders till he knelt down, then stretched out full length on the padded floor, Michael still teasing his belly. Vic took hold of one of Mulder's hands, slowly licking and sucking each finger individually, then drawing the index and middle fingers into his mouth and giving them the most sensual blow job Mulder had ever seen. His amazed and lust-filled gaze met Vic's, and the younger man released him, chuckling.

"I was a vice cop, remember? And quite a few years younger too. I used to strip and give peep shows when I was undercover. The other guys thought it was hilarious to always make me do it, but I learned a lot. Some things you never forget." He shrugged and sucked Mulder's fingers back into his mouth.

Baines moved over beside Michael, stretching out to work Mulder's nipples between his teeth and the fingers of one hand. The other hand was sliding up and down Michael's back, caressing him as he arched into the touch, gradually working down between his ass cheeks. Michael gasped when he felt a finger stroke over his anus, then circle around it several times making him squirm. He was trembling slightly, then two fingers slid in past the still loosened ring of muscle, seeking and finding his prostate, and he cried out, his entire body shuddering. Baines left his fingers inside Michael, twisting them occasionally, as he sucked and chewed on Mulder's nipples. A faint smirk crossed his face when Mulder and Michael both moaned and squirmed at the same time.

Anson watched them avidly from his position beside Tom. He tightened his grip on Tom's hand and tugged him toward Mulder, turning a pleading look on Tom. Although they were probably the same age, Anson maybe even a little older, he seemed much younger, despite the crimes in his past. Tom wasn't proof against Anson's big green eyes, and he allowed himself to be drawn toward the men writhing on the floor. He suddenly realized that Mulder's eyes were open and watching him, and he remembered Baines had told him that this man had been one of the FBI's top profilers before his beliefs made him unpopular and ruined his career. He might turn into a complete slut at times, but that mind was still there. Tom saw understanding and acceptance in that hazel gaze, and he sank down by Mulder's head, bending over him until their lips met, softly at first, then Tom pressed closer, his tongue sliding between Fox's lips to meet his. For long moments, their only contact was their mouths, then Mulder reached up with one hand to cup the back of Tom's neck for a moment before sliding his fingers through the silky strands. When they finally separated, Mulder smiled up into the sad green eyes and whispered, "It'll be okay."

Tom smiled back and kissed him again, his hand stroking up and down Mulder's throat. He knew he'd guessed right when Mulder groaned and arched his head back, wordlessly begging for more pressure. Tom gasped into Fox's mouth when he felt a tongue probing at his own ass. Without needing to look, he knew it was Anson, who seemed to have attached himself to him. Anson pushed his tongue deeper inside him, and he moaned and pushed back involuntarily. As he did, his hand tightened on Mulder's throat, pulling a mewling gasp from him, and Alex knocked it aside with a snarl.

"Hurt him and I'll kill you."

Looking into the blazing green eyes, Tom didn't doubt it for an instant. He froze, wondering if he was about to die, then he saw Mulder's hand come up to stroke Alex's cheek. Alex's gaze immediately softened, and he leaned into the caress, purring his contentment like some oversized cat. He relaxed back onto the floor behind Mulder, shifting his lover's head into his lap.

Meanwhile Anson was still rimming Tom, who reached back to take his cock into his hand at almost the same moment Mulder gripped his own erection. Looking at Mulder, Tom could see that the man was once again lost in a sea of sensation, aware of nothing else.

Mulder shifted restlessly, incredibly excited and miserably aware that the strapping on his cock and balls would prevent him from coming. Michael was still licking and nipping his belly and thighs, going all around his cock but never touching it. He begged Alex to free him, but he only laughed and reached down momentarily to pet Fox's balls. Mulder gasped hoarsely and squirmed desperately, twisting around so his face was buried in Alex's groin. He nuzzled against the rigid flesh, his tongue coming out to lap up the pearly drops at the tip even as he inhaled his lover's musky scent.

The others had shifted when Mulder did in order to continue their activities. Now Mulder's bare ass was presented to Sasha and Ryan, and his restlessly moving legs continually exposed and hid the deeply flushed cock and sac between them. Ryan suddenly pounced, coming up behind him and sliding inside the inviting hole, still somewhat slick and loose from their play in the sauna. At almost the same instant, Sasha slid between Mulder's legs and sucked the restrained balls into his mouth. Mulder screamed and nearly stood on his head as he arched violently off the floor.

Sasha continued to suck Mulder's balls like some new kind of candy. He felt the weight of them on his tongue and tasted both Mulder and the leather of the strapping. He decided he liked it.

Ryan rode Mulder hard, pushing in and out of him rapidly and hitting his prostate on every stroke. Fox felt his arousal build and build until he thought he would go insane, but the leather straps prevented him from coming, and he could only grow more excited. He was screaming with every stroke into his ass, every suck on his balls, and he didn't know anymore if he felt pleasure or pain.

When Ryan came, filling his ass with his hot seed, Fox screamed again, begging almost hysterically to be allowed to come. Instead, Vic stopped tormenting his reddened, aching nipples and sat on Mulder's cock, driving it deep inside himself. Mac suddenly joined in as well, driving into Mulder, then kissing Vic over his writhing, screaming body. Mac felt almost as though he was fucking Vic through Mulder, and it didn't take either man long to come, again leaving Fox wailing for release.

Sasha was still sucking Mulder's balls, but when Vic climbed off Mulder to collapse into Mac's arms, he decided he wanted more and took Vic's place. His tight ass squeezed Mulder's purple cock, and the man whined piteously, beyond words. Sasha wanted it rough, and he slammed himself up and down on Mulder, gasping his pleasure when Mulder's cock hit his prostate. In what seemed like no time at all, he came, his semen mixing with Vic's on Mulder's belly and chest.

Now Baines and Michael decided that they wanted to take Mulder together too, so, being careful not to dislodge Baines' fingers from his ass, Michael slid his dripping cock into Fox's well lubricated hole. Fox was by now whimpering continuously, but the other men continued to ignore his sounds of desperate arousal. Baines and Michael established a rhythm, sliding back and forth so Fox was always either filled by Michael or buried deep inside Baines. The intense sensations added to Mulder's needy sounds, and the two men shortly made their contributions to the fluids in and on Mulder.

Tom and Anson were the only ones who hadn't yet had Mulder, and after watching the others, they weren't going to wait any longer. They were wild to have him, and they pounced on him as soon as Baines and Michael rolled away. Tom pushed into him and Anson slid onto him almost simultaneously. After being exposed to his pheromones for such an extended period and watching all of them, the two men came almost immediately, leaving Mulder writhing and whimpering, his head tossing in Alex's lap and his hair brushing Alex's erection, making him bite down savagely on his lip to maintain control.

Alex leaned over to lick at Mulder's mouth, almost able to taste his desperation. "You like that, baby?" he asked huskily.

Mulder opened wild, unseeing eyes, which only had the barest ring of color around dilated pupils.

"Please," he begged, his throat raw from his screams of pleasure.

"Soon, baby," Alex soothed. "Just a little longer."

"Nooooo!" Fox wailed. "No more, please, Alex, I can't take any more. I need to come; please let me come," he begged desperately.

"Shhh," Alex murmured, petting his cock, which made Fox groan deeply. "You want to feel me inside you, don't you?"

Fox moaned again. He did want Alex, but he didn't think he could take any more. Fortunately, Alex wasn't waiting for a reply. He twisted out from under Mulder, leaving the older man flat on his back, and moved between the widespread thighs. He pressed Mulder's knees back, opening him to his gaze and anything he might care to do.

"Open your eyes, Fox. Look at me," he ordered.

Fox forced his eyes open and looked up at Alex pleadingly.

"Hold your legs back, baby."

When Mulder did as Alex directed, the younger man positioned his cock at Fox's entrance, rubbing the tip around the sensitive tissues as his lover arched up off the floor. Finally, he slid inside, nearly losing control when he felt Fox's tight warmth grip him. When he felt he could move without coming, he started to glide slowly back and forth, continuing to build the tension ever higher in both of them. Fox tried to get him to move faster, to unbind him, but Alex wanted to make this the most incredible thing he'd ever experienced. He maintained his slow pace for long minutes while Fox squirmed beneath him. When he knew he couldn't hold back much longer, he pressed closer to kiss Mulder.

"Wrap your legs around me, baby," he whispered into Mulder's mouth, and his lover was quick to obey. His hands immediately began to move tremblingly over Alex's body.

Mulder nearly screamed in protest when he felt Alex tense against him, knowing Krycek was on the verge of orgasm. Alex rammed even deeper inside him, his cock starting to shoot bursts of creamy fluid. As he came, he reached between them to fumble the binding off Fox, who screamed and came harder than ever before in his life, actually passing out from the intense pleasure.

When he came to, aftershocks still pulsing through his body, Alex was still deep inside him, his fingers gently stroking his cheek, a faintly anxious expression in his eyes.

"Okay?"

Mulder had to laugh. "You have to ask? The earth moved." He snickered. "It was absolutely incredible, Alex."

A smug smirk appeared. "Told ya you'd like it."

"Mmm." Mulder was too wrung out to try to poke holes in Alex's ego.

Alex got to his feet and held out a hand to Mulder, who pouted up at him from his prone position. "Come one, Fox. If we fall asleep on the floor, we won't be able to move tomorrow." A collective groan rose form the bodies tangled in various heaps on the floor around them, but they all knew Krycek was right. They crawled upright, all but Mulder, who was still stubbornly sprawled on the floor. Alex grinned down at him evilly, absently noting that Tom had an arm around Anson, holding him close.

"So you don't want to get up, babe? You haven't had enough yet?"

Mulder's eyes widened momentarily in alarm before he remembered that everyone had come at least twice since they started. He smirked up at Alex, confident that no one could manage another erection yet. His smile wobbled and disappeared when Alex reached into the cabinet again, this time pulling out a massive dildo. Mulder was instantly on his feet, a kiss from Alex his reward as soon as the green-eyed rat stopped laughing.

"Don't worry, Fox," Alex whispered, quietly enough that no one else could hear. "Next time, I want you to take me. Do anything, everything, you want to me."

Mulder's breath came harshly and he shuddered as he pictured all the things he wanted to do with Alex. "I'm going to hold you to that," he warned.

"Promise?"

In answer, Mulder fastened his mouth onto Alex's throat, biting and sucking till he'd left a huge mark on his lover, branding him as his own.

"I'll take that as a yes," Alex gasped.

"You do that." Mulder swayed gently as he stood, and Alex wrapped an arm around his exhausted lover's shoulders and led him toward the door into the cabin, once again trailing a stream of lookalikes like some bizarre visual effect. They went straight to the bedroom, where Alex shut the door firmly behind them, not caring where anyone else slept as long as he and Fox could be alone.

After they'd tumbled into bed and lay wrapped around each other, Fox suddenly chuckled drowsily. "How many more clones are there?"

Alex's groan followed him down into sleep.

xx

Part IV

Author Email: orithain67@sympatico.ca
Webpage: The Den of Sin
X-Files Mulder/Krycek
1999/08
RATING: NC-17 for m/m sex and multiples thereof, up to something resembling a Roman orgy. :)
DISCLAIMER: Mulder, Krycek, and Michael belong to CC and 1013 Productions, Vic and Mac to Alliance, and the other clones to far too many to name, none of them me unfortunately. Except for Sasha who's all mine!
NOTE: Sue has been demonstrating the Ruthless in her name in her quest for Anson, so to preserve my sanity, here he is. Happy now, Sue? ;) As always, thanks to Aries, Nic, Row and Sue for beta and, er, encouragement. They tell me plastic surgery will take care of the whip scars. Also many thanks to Tirinar and everyone else who's been so diligently bribing me. LOL
NOTE 2: To make this series feasible, I'm making small changes to the various characters Nick Lea has played as necessary to have them alive, mortal, human and in the same dimension in 1998-9. For those who have seen the various series, I'll work in explanations of the changes I've made. For those who haven't, some of it will be spoilers for those eps, but I'll warn you right here.
SPOILERS: Moloney, Lonesome Dove, X-Files: Genderbender
STORY SUMMARY: Here a Krycek, there a Krycek, everywhere a Krycek. And all of them after Mulder.

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