Part 5/5
Disclaimers in part 1

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Lone Gunmen Headquarters 
12:14am

    Kate had been quiet since we left the
hospital.  Well, duh.  I mean, she just had 
her first run-in with Alex Krycek, which is
always just *so* much fun.  But whenever I 
glanced at her in the van, or while we were 
getting Angie settled in the guest room for
the night, I got the feeling that there was 
something else.
    We leave both Angie's door and the door
to my room cracked open so we can hear if
she wakes up or if the phone rings.  I strip
off my clothes, stained with dried blood from
both me and Byers; mostly his, I realize with 
a sting in my throat.  
    Kate strips too, and we both climb into bed.
She lays on her back, and I lay next to her on
my side, propping my head up on one fist to look
down at her.  "How are you doing?" I ask for want
of something more intelligent to say.
    She gives me an exasperated little laugh.  "Jesus
Christ, Ringo!  What the hell was that about tonight?
Who was that guy, and why was he willing to kill all
of us over a newspaper article?"
    Wow, she doesn't waste any time getting to the
point.  Never one for small talk, was she?  "His name
is Alex Krycek.  Um, all I really know is that he used
to be an FBI agent, but I don't really know what he 
does now.  Kind of a free-lance shadow figure for the
government."
    She looks at me incredulously.  "Government?  You 
mean, *he* was the *good* guy?"
    I shake my head hard.  "NO.  He is trying to keep
secret what the guys and I are trying to uncover and
let the public in on."
    "All that stuff you write in that paper, all those insane
conspiracies...it's all true, isn't it?  You weren't making 
it up?"
    "No way.  The point of what we write is to tell the 
truth." 
    She looks at me, her eyes intense.  "So you guys really
are in danger sometimes?  From people like that guy?"
    I nod reluctantly.  "Yeah, sometimes."
    Her eyes close, and she sighs.  "I can't deal with this,
Ree.  You know I can't let Angie be in that kind of 
situation, not after tonight."
    Damn.  I had a bad feeling this was coming.  "I know,
I don't want her life to be a bargaining chip for these
people, either.  So...um...well, you know it's safe here
with us, if--"
    "Ree, I can't have her this close to all that.  *I* can't
be this close."  She pauses, and my heart speeds up as I
anticipate her next words.  "I called my mom while you 
were still unconscious.  I--I think it would be best if Angie
and I went to stay with her for a while, until we can get
a chance to calm down, you know?" 
    "Katie...your mother?  In Albany?  That's--"
    "I know, it's far," she cuts me off, her voice quieter
than before.  "I want us to be together, too...but not if it
means having to lock all of us up in this bunker of yours
for our own safety."
    Fuck.  I can feel my throat tighten, choking off anything
I can think to say...which isn't much, anyway.  Kate senses
my distress, because she leans up and kisses me gently.
"I'm sorry, Ree...it's the only choice we have to keep her
safe."
    "I know," I manage to whisper, closing my eyes and laying
my head on her shoulder.  She wraps her arm around me, her
hand rubbing my back soothingly.  
    I raise my head, capturing her mouth in mine.  I can't tell
her with words how much I want her to stay, how much I need
her.  I can only tell her with my actions.  She senses my need,
this desperation in my kiss.  I feel her arm tighten around me,
pulling me closer and deepening the kiss.
    Lifting my head with a gasp, my eyes lock with hers, and I
know she feels it too.  She wraps her other arm under me,
pulling me closer still.  I comply,  shifting to cover her body
with my own and I feel her warmth all over, her breath hot
on my throat as she kisses my skin.  Her lips next to my ear,
a tiny, harsh "Please..." and I know she wants me.
    My whole body is so tense, I force myself to breath.  I
plant my elbows on either side of her head so I can look down
at her face.  I feel her hand skim down my side, down to my
hip then between us, taking my cock in her fingers and stroking
so slow...my hips jerk reflexively and she smiles at my reactions.
    I shift my body up just a bit, letting her guide me into her.
When I feel her warmth surrounding me, my head falls to
rest on her shoulder, muffling the tiny whimper that escapes
my lips.  
    Her arms wrap around my back again, holding me so tight
as I move instinctively, thrusting into her.  I want so much
to make this last, to hold onto her forever but neither of us
is in any way in control.  Her hips moving to counter my 
thrusts, urging me to move faster.  
    Harsh pants in my ear,  little moans in hers and I'm losing
it fast, feeling her in every part of my body.  
    Her fingers digging hard into my shoulder blades, she 
captures my mouth as she bucks hard, her orgasm ripping
a shout of joy from her body and into my mouth.  
    I release her as I feel my own climax approaching, burying
my face in her throat to muffle my own scream.  It hits me
with blinding intensity, and I don't know how long I stayed
there, oblivious to anything but her heat and my own nerves.
    I feel her hands stroking my back, her fingers gently 
massaging the base of my neck.  I lift my head to look at
her and see her beautiful brown eyes, brimming with
moisture.  
   My fingers gently brush the sweat-dampened hair from
her face, and I lean down to kiss her breathlessly.  "I
love you so much, Katie-A," I whisper.
    She laughs a little emotional laugh.  "I love you too,
Ricky-L," she responds, and I feel my face flush even
more at the sound of that nickname.  
    I pull myself off of her and she rolls onto her side, 
her back to me.  I scoot closer, shaping my body to hers
and wrapping my arm around her, pressing my hand to
her abdomen, just below the ribcage.
    I feel her heart beating, slowing down as she relaxes,
her breathing becoming shallow and even as she falls
into a sated sleep.
    When I know she is asleep, I allow myself the luxury
of nuzzling my face into her soft, damp hair and sighing.
I don't want her to hear me cry.


Georgetown Medical
ICU
9:48am

    I don't know why I feel nervous as I approach Byers'
room.  Maybe it's not nerves;  maybe it's the knowledge
that I'm going to have to explain to the guys that Katy
and Angie are gone, that I'll have to say it out loud for
the first time.
    When I go in I see Byers is awake, and Frohike turns
to look at me also.  My first thought is that Byers looks
like hell, but it doesn't matter because as soon as he sees
me he gives me a weak smile.  
    "Hey, it's about time you showed up," he teases me as
I move to stand next to his bed, taking his hand in relief.
    I nod, not trusting my voice as I try to think of how 
to begin.  
    Frohike beats me to it so I don't have to.  He must sense
the distress on my face, the hesitation in my actions.  
"They're gone, aren't they?"
    All I can do is nod, and I feel Byers squeeze my hand
with what little strength he has.  Somehow finding my 
voice, I explain, "We, uh, we went back to her place this
morning and packed her stuff back into her van.  They're
going to stay with Kate's mother in Albany for a while."
    "How long?" he asks gently.
    I shrug.  "A few months, maybe longer.  I don't know,"
I have to stop, the words catching in my throat.
    Byers and Frohike exchange a look, and Frohike stands
and picks up his jacket.  "Well, boys, I'm gone go back
to headquarters and catch some sleep."  
    Absently, I reach into my pocket and hand him the 
keys to the van.  He accepts them, holding onto my hand
just long enough to let me know he understands.
     Once he is gone, I sit down and look at my friend.
"John, what you did...thank you.  You saved our lives."
    "That's what I was there for," he says, his voice
barely above a whisper.  "I owed you for Susanne in
Vegas, anyway."
    "This isn't the same and you know it."
    "It doesn't matter.  We got your family out safely
and no one got killed, that's all that counts."
    Arguing semantics with him is always pointless,
because he always finds a way to win.  Even half-
asleep and heavily-drugged, he *still* finds a way
to out-logic me. 
    I sigh, shaking my head in defeat.  "Guess this
means I gotta stop giving you shit about your hero
complex now, huh?"
    He gives me a half smile and shakes his head.  
"No way.  What else would we argue about?"
    I can't help but laugh, mostly out of relief that
Byers really is going to be all right.
    We spend the next couple of hours talking,
until I see him start to fade.  
    "I should leave, let you get some rest," I tell
him, starting to stand.
    "No," he mumbles, his eyes already closed and
mostly asleep.  "Stay."
    I'm more than happy to stay with him, glad to 
still have someone around who needs me.


*******************

Two weeks later

Lone Gunmen Headquarters
2:34pm

    I'm sitting in at my newly assigned post, on phone
duty due to my "lack of mobility", as Frohike put it.
My head resting on my left hand, I've got my leg
propped up on a second chair, per doctor's orders.
    Langly is sitting cross-legged on the floor next to me,
working on another one of his weird drawings he's 
taken perverse pleasure in decorating my new cast
with.  
    When the phone rings, I jump slightly, making his
hand slip and leaving a long line of black marker in
it's wake.  I hear him mutter "damn," as I reach for 
the phone.
    "Lone Gunmen," I answer with practiced ease.
    "John!  Hello, it's Kate."
    "Oh, hello!" I glance down at Langly, still focusing
on turning his mistake into part of the drawing.
    "It's good to hear your voice," she tells me.  "How 
are you feeling?"
    "Better, thank you.  And you?"
    "Oh, we're fine, thanks.  Um, I never really got to
thank you for what you did for us;  I'm sorry you got
hurt."
    "All in the line of duty, so to speak.  Would you like
to talk to Ringo?"  Langly's head shoots up at my use
of his first name.
    "Yes, please."
    "Okay, hang on a second."  I put the receiver down
on the table, and whisper to Langly, "It's Kate."
    His eyes widen and he grins, jumping to his feet.
    With much difficulty, I maneuver myself to reach
my crutches, using them to pull myself to my...well, foot.
I feel Langly's arm wrap around my back to help me 
get my balance as I slip the short metal crutches onto
my wrists and move out of his way.
    As I drag myself out of the office, I hear him talking
softly into the phone.  It's a voice he reserves only for
the girls, and it's good to hear it again.
    I can't help but think...I wonder what Susanne is up 
to these days...

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